“AMERICAN IDOL”

by David Kirkwood

Imagine a person taking a block of WOOD AND CARVING IT TO LOOK

LIKE A BEARDED MAN IN A ROBE.   AT THE BOTTOM OF HIS WOODEN

FIGURINE, HE CARVES THE NAME “JESUS.”   Finally, each day he bows

Before it in worship.   Does that make him a Christian?

No, that makes him an idolator.   He is worshipping something that

He has named jesus but who is not jesus at all.   His wooden god is a

Grave insult to Yeshua (real name)

In a similar fashion, modern American Christendom has created

Many versions of Yeshua (jesus) that hardly resemble the Yeshua who is revealed in scripture.   Having created a g-d to their own liking. Those who worship “American jesus” are no less idolatrous and no more Christian than the woodcarver I’ve just described.

What are the differences between American jesus and bible Yeshua?   American jesus comes in many varieties, but let’s compare A few of the attributes of the most popular versions with bible

Yeshua.

Bible Yeshua said that only those who do the will of his father, keeping his commandment5 , will enter the kingdom of heaven. All Others will be cast into hell, even those who called him their l-RD.

(Matt.7:13-27)     Bible Yeshua warned that the hateful, the lustful, the unforgiving, the selfish and greedy would not be saved. (Matt. 5:21-22, 27-30; 6:14-15, 19-24:25:31-46)

by contrast, American jesus doesn’t stress holiness nearly so much.   He certainly never says that obedience is essential for one to gain eternal life.   Those who believe that are leagalists , he says.     He is always stressing g-d’s grace, but it is a grace that overlooks and forgives yet doesn’t transform.   American jesus believes that faith without works can save and that there is an entire class of heaven-bound believers called ‘carnal christians’     who are indistinguishable from unsaved people.

Using unmistakable terms, bible Yeshua warned his closest disciples of the possibility of their   not being ready for his return if they returned to sin.   He warned those closest   disciples that they would be cast into hell if they weren’t ready when he returned. (matt. 24:32-51; 25:1-30)

American jesus , on the other hand, believes that once you are saved you will always be saved.   You are guaranteed a place in heaven reguardless of how you live your life.   He often tells his audiences that he died for all their sins , past , present, and future, and so there is no sin that they can commit for which he didn’t die.   So they are quite safe in his grace.   (no one ever seems to ask if that means that everyone will be saved in the end, since jesus died for everyone’s sins, past present, and future.)

Bible Yeshua, not knowing the time of his return , told his followers that they might well need to run for the hills because of the great tribulation which would arise at the time that the antichrist would enter the Jerusalem temple.   Some of them would be martyred.   He promised that after cataclysmic events, he would send forth his angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matt. 24:3-36).

American jesus promises that all his own will be taken up to heaven before any tribulation begins, because surely g-d would not allow the people he loves to be so persecuted. (those who believe in American jesus often have little idea of how much persecution is being endured around the world by those who believe in bible Yeshua.   Neither do they care.)   American jesus will return twice, and his second return will follow his first return by seven years.   He forgot to tell his disciples about this.

Bible Yeshua commanded his followers to sell their possessions, give to charity, and lay up treasures in heaven.   He commanded them not to lay up treasures on earth.   He said that those who are full of darkness (see Matt. 6:19-24; Luke 12:33).   Even those who scrupulously tithe, like the scribes and Pharisees, could be lovers of money (see luke 11:42; 16:14; 18:12).

American jesus often tells his followers just the opposite. He wants to give them more treasure to lay up on earth and make them   even richer than they already are.   He promises prosperity for just 10% of their income.   Interestingly, according to pollster george barna, no more that 8% of the people who believe in American jesus actually do give at least 10% of their income to his cause.

Bible Yeshua taught his disciples to pray that his father’s name be hallowed, that his kingdom would come and his will would be perfectly done on earth.   He taught them to make request for their daily bread and for deliverance from evil (see matt. 6:9-13).

American jesus teaches his disciples to pray the prayer of jabez and to claim their covenant rights to gain more wealth.

Bible Yeshua told everyone to repent, and warned them if they didn’t, they would perish.   He declared that repentance was a requirement for forgiveness ( see Matt. 4:17 Luke 5:32, 13:3-5; 24:47).

American jesus rarely mentions repentance.   He most often just asks people to accept him as savior.

Bible Yeshua often spoke about hell and warned of it’s terrors. (Matt. 5:2, 29-30; 8:12; 10:28; 13:41-42, 49-50; 18:9; 22:13; 23:33; 24:51;25:30 Luke 13:28

American jesus   doesn’t want to scare anyone by mentioning hell, as it might offend people who are going to hell., and that hinders church growth.

Bible Yeshua told his ministers that their goas was to make disciples who would obey all of his commandments (Matt; 28:19-20).

American jesus tells his ministers that their goal is to gather the largest possible crowds on Sunday mornings.

Bible Yeshua promised freedom freom sin to thos who would   become his true disciples and abide in his word. (john 8:31-36)

American jesus makes no such promises.   Sinners and addicts must wait until heaven for any hope of freedom.   American jesus does offer psychological   counseling and support groups.

Bible Yeshua believed that being a believer in him and being his disciple were synonymous.   He called everyone to take the first step in a relationship with him by becoming his committed disciple (Matt 28:19-20; Luke 14:25-35: John 8:30-31)

American jesus believes one can be   a heaven-bound believer even if he never becomes a disciple, which is an optional step for believers who really want to commit themselves to him.

Bible Yeshua calls for passionate devotion.   He declared that we are not worthy of him if we love our parents or our children more that him.   We can’t come after him unless we deny ourselves and take up our stake (Matt; 10:37-38; 16:24)

American jesus does not mind taking second place to more exciting things like football, nascar, and wwf.

The chief difference between bible Yeshua and American jesus is this:   bible Yeshua is king of kings and L-RD of l-rds, almighty son of g-d, and soon-coming juidge of all, whereas American jesus is only savior and friend.   The chief difference between those who believe in bible Yeshua and those who believe in American jesus is this:   those who believe in bible Yeshua obey his commandments and love the brethren (1 john 2:3-6; 3:9-10, 14), while those who believe in American jesus possess a thin veneer of holiness and do not care about the brethren.   In fact, they often hate and criticize Yeshua’s true followers, calling them “unbalanced fanatics” or “legalists” or “holier-than-thous” (1 John 2:9, 11, 19; 3:14; 4:20).

But here is the most sobering fact:   People are believers , not when they believe that salvation is by faith, but when they believe in a person, a divine person named Yeshua HaMashiach (John 3:16).   That being so, it ought to concern us when so many people who claim to be Christians believe in a jesus who is so vastly different from bible Yeshua.   People who believe in American jesus actually don’t believe in (Yeshua) jesus at all.   American jesus is an American idol.