This is the first time I am intentionally not inserting scripture because everything I am saying is backed up by the Bible. ‘Real Deal’ is not mentioned specifically in the Bible, but my thoughts about this saying clearly are 100% Biblical.
First off, related to REAL DEAL, I have a praise report! It’s related to me being inspired by me in writing this same newsletter. I want to be the real deal. So, after witnessing Jesus to the whole dealership, where we are trying to buy a car, (ours are gone as most of you know) This is ongoing for 2 months, I am talking to Jesus every time I go in. I am ‘acting like’ I’m not weary, frustrated or unhappy. But today I had a chance to be the real deal. We finally made the deal I was looking for, the financing in place and everything. Went in to sign the loan papers and they said ‘you need life insurance’. You’re 68. Over the normal life expectancy down here (kinda insulting). So I had to fill out one of those life insurance questionnaires. Everyone, I mean EVERYONE, was telling me not to be entirely truthful. I said to myself, ‘either I believe in God and am the real deal or not.’ So I answered the insurance report truthfully, cancer and all. Everyone at the dealership and the bank said ‘NO ONE FILLS THOSE OUT HONESTLY, NO ONE. Everyone knows that, even the insurance company knows it. I did so and they cancelled the loan. After 5 hours at the dealership, and a LONG DAY before that, not finishing the deal and getting to have a car again, was physically painful. I kicked myself! But, as we left, I heard my car salesman whisper to the angry (disappointed) sales manager ‘He’s a Christian, what did you expect?’ That elated me. We ended up making the deal with 50% down (another 3800) but they had to give me another 800 off. Still can’t really afford another 3k down, but it’s better than walking, especially with Winnie. Plus our monthlies are going down a hundred a month. So, being a ‘real deal’ today was painful, and we still need to walk for two or three more days, but WORTH IT! Even if just for my salesman’s remark. Remember, We are being watched to see if we are REAL DEALS!!!
Now back to my missive, REAL DEAL;
There are many popular Christian sayings that are wrong, flippant, or just plain lying, such as;
‘Just saying’. Life and death are in the tongue. Why would you just say stuff with no meaning? It’s not funny (usually) and it throws off the conversation. Just personally it sounds pretentious to me. Is it truth or not?
‘God really showed up at a church service.’ Buzzzz! Wrong! God’s omnipresent, He always shows up cause He’s always present. He’s not an amusement park ride or an EMO concert (designed to cause emotional feelings in the crowd).
‘Bless you!’ Do you mean that or is it just Christian sounding? What does it mean? When you pray for the lost, do you specifically pray for them, just say bless them?
‘I’ll pray for you!’ Really? Will you?? Sincerely???? Or is it just an escape phrase? If anything, I believe you should say ‘I’ll pray with you’. When you do, I hope it’s not just saying ‘bless them’ because they’re on your prayer list that you have to plough through..
But the biggest Christianese Popularism that fries my bacon is ‘HE’S THE REAL DEAL!’ I know what they mean when they say someone’s the real deal, but it just sounds wrong to me. Who made them the judge? The Bible says not to judge anyone for good or bad.
5(a). How do you know? I’ve said to (about) others that they were the real deal (Pastor Ravi Zacharias being the last one), and people have said it about me (cringe). Once I stayed late at the office of a secular job, and I had Christian music on the muzak because no one else was there. My dear friend, Eric ‘El Fuego’, had to go back to the office and he caught me working late with the Christian music on. The only thing he said was ‘you listen to Christian music when you’re on your own??? Now I know that you’re the real deal!’ It made me wonder because even as a heathen I would listen to Christian music when I was alone. That phrase has bothered me ever since. My life is so noisy now that I usually don’t even listen to Christian music when I am alone because it distracts me from praying. I need complete silence, I crave it. Am I still the real deal if I don’t have Christian (or any other) music when I’m alone?
5(b). It’s really judgmental and demeaning to every other Christian out there. 350,000 Christians are martyred for the faith in Christ a year. Most of the world’s Christians are extremely poor, looked down upon as failures by the world
LUIS PALAU was a LATINO BILLY GRAHAM. His spiritual father only led 12 people to the Lord, and was sent home to his denomination 40 years later as a failure on the mission field. Luis, one of his spiritual sons, won millions to the Lord. Luis was the real deal, just like his spiritual father (whom his denomination labeled as a failure), like the real deal that YOU AND I ARE!
It’s irrelevant how many people we’ve led to Christ. If we are saved, we are the real deal, no matter how much we’ve blown it. No matter how much we read the Bible, go to church or pray (which is all very helpful but doesn’t save us, nor make us the teal deal). Jesus’ grace, and His resurrection power comes from only OUR SAVING faith in Him. If you want to speak well of someone, or to them, (which is not encouraged in the Bible) be more specific please, ie. He’s humble, he’s honest, he’s a good teacher etc.
5(c). Who are we to say if someone is the real deal? Did anyone ask? Can we see them in the future? Do we know their hearts and their secrets? Love them all, let Jesus figure it out.
BOTTOM LINE, THE ONLY ‘REAL DEAL’ YOU SHOULD CALL THE ‘REAL DEAL’ IS JESUS HIMSELF