It is simply amazing to me how much "Christian" merchandise there is in the world today! Anything that can be peddled to get your green backs is being pumped out by companies all over the country. From pens, to candy to T-shirts, jeans, shoes, jewelry, hats, paintings, stuffed animals, etc., etc.
The marketing scheme for the companies is if you slap a Bible verse on something and hoist it in front of the Christian community, you've got a winner! Just looking through the latest issue of Lifeway's advertisement catalog reveals much. On one page we have a picture frame decorated with hearts, which if you think about it, this popular shape for the heart is incorrect-if you want to use a shape to represent the heart, use the ACTUAL shape of the human heart for a change.
On another page there is a wooden doll-looking figurine that is described as an angel that looks like something I made as a kid in grade school...which did not turn out well, trust me! On yet another page there is a Fondue Set. Yeah, that's right, nothing displays the love of God in Christ more than melting down some dark chocolate and jamming the little fork into a strawberry and dipping it into that gooey goodness!
Further into the catalog there are teapots and cups and saucers pictured. There are quilts and pillows on another. The selection of trinkets and toys, including "action figures" and gizmos goes on and on. Oh, I almost forgot. Every one of these things has a handy Bible verse slapped on it to make it "Christian."
WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!
Many of the products being pushed on us have the face of Jesus on them to really sell it. The only thing is...is it REALLY the face of our Lord, God and Saviour? Sure it may be some artist's vision of what Jesus looked like but in the end it is only making a graven image of God made flesh. The only ones that could tell us what Jesus looked like are the Apostles and disciples of our Lord. We of course will see him when we die and leave this world and enter into heaven. I know the beard-wearing, long haired look is popular, but is that an accurate depiction?
Maybe Jesus had short hair and no beard or short hair and a beard, we'll just never know until we go to heaven. Here's some more fuel to add to the fire from 1 Corinthians 11:14:
"Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?"
We should not be using the likeness of our Saviour to peddle products, I'm sorry if you disagree, but that's just how I feel. What's even worse is using the likeness of a living human portraying Jesus in movies to peddle "Christian" merchandise. A clearance issue of Christianbook.com's magazine advertised a board game version of the film "The Gospel of John," featuring the actor who played Jesus on the box top to the game. And as I have mentioned in a previous article, the unsaved Roman Catholic Jim Caviezel (who played Jesus in the Catholic film "The Passion") his likeness of Jesus is being used on T-shirts, mugs and various other items that I have personally seen and held.
It is simply disgusting the levels people and companies are stooping to in order to sell merchandise to you and I! I think 2 Peter 2:3 should soak into your minds:
"And through covetousness shall they with feigned (deceptive) words make merchandise of you."
The word "merchandise" there means to exploit, use, or profit from someone through deceptive means. I am sure the Jesus junk machine won't come to a screeching halt because of this enlightening article, but I am sure God is not impressed either!
The reason I titled this article "Jesus Junk" is because it represents the true state of Christian merchandising out there. But also because on the web site:
www.alittleleaven.com (which I featured in my article "Christian web sites" has a category called Jesus Junk; which exposes a lot of the "junk" being put out for believers to buy, with humor and commentary. You get to see the product they display and see just how cheap and junkie the things are, you will get a laugh out of it! But I highly encourage everyone to check it out. Here is the site address:
www.alittleleaven.com/jesus_junk/index.html
God Bless!
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