Jerry Falwell Jr. Jesus Quote Controversy, Netflix’s New Show’Messiah’ and Chance the Rapper on the Importance of Praise

Jerry Falwell Jr. Jesus Quote Controversy, Netflix’s New Show’Messiah’ and Chance the Rapper on the Importance of Praise DECEMBER 4, 2019 [RELEVANT THIS WEEK]( THE BEST OF RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM [Hero-5.jpg]( STORY OF THE WEEK [Did Jerry Falwell Jr. Make Up a Pete Buttigieg Quote About Jesus to Justify His New Think Tank?]( [rn-x.png] Jerry Falwell Jr., the president of Liberty University, and Charlie Kirk, the pro-Trump activist and founder of the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, have announced a new initiative: a conservative think tank. The organization appears to be a portmanteau of the two men’s names—the Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty. During an appearance on Fox News, Falwell said that "Even though Nancy Pelosi [and others] and Pete Buttigieg say 'Jesus was charitable therefore we should be socialists,’ that’s not what Jesus taught.” However, Falwell didn’t provide any actual quotes from Pelosi or Buttigieg in making those claims. It’s unclear what Falwell is quoting or paraphrasing here. Pelosi has said that she flatly rejects socialism and Buttigieg—who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination—has talked about Jesus’ call to serve those in need, but also does not identify as a socialist. This isn’t the first time Falwell appears to have perpetuated false quotes. [READ NOW]( WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW [• Netflix’s New Show ‘Messiah’ Looks at a Mysterious, Miracle-Performing Religious Leader]( Netflix has released a trailer for its upcoming series Messiah and it looks like it might cause some interesting conversation—and some controversy. According to Netflix, the show follows a CIA officer who “investigates a charismatic figure whose followers believe that he can perform miracles” and looks at the question “Is he a divine entity or a dangerous con artist?” Mark Burnett and Roma Downey—who, along with being serious players in Hollywood, are the devout Christians behind the The Bible series and the recent remake of Ben Hur—are among the show’s executive producers, so there’s reason to believe it will have a particular appeal to Christian audiences. You can go here to see a first look. [• Preemptive Love Is Launching a ‘Tech Bus’ That Will Serve Migrants Trapped in Shelters in Mexico]( Countless families, individuals and children are now trapped in shelters in Mexico after fleeing violence and instability in their home countries and in areas following new rules from the Trump administration that make it harder to seek asylum in the United States. But the organization Preemptive Love has created a way to help them re-enter the workforce as they await news about their future. Here’s how it will work: The “tech bus” will travel between three different shelters in Juarez, Mexico, on a daily basis. The bus will not only provide legal advice and tech training for individuals seeking asylum, but it will also give them opportunities to work and provide for themselves. You can go here to learn more and support the “tech bus.” [subscribe]( [• Mark Batterson Explains the Power of Living in Wide-Eyed Wonder]( This week, author and pastor Mark Batterson wrote a stirring piece about the life-changing perspective that wonder can bring to the life of a Christian. As Batterson explains, “The English author G. K. Chesterton once stated that his ultimate goal in life was to take nothing for granted—not a sunrise, not a flower, not a laugh. I love that life goal. And if we could pull it off, it would produce praise without ceasing!” [• Here’s Our 2019 RELEVANT Christmas Gift Guide]( Christmas shopping is hard these days, but thanks to this year’s gift guide it doesn’t need to be. We’ve curated a collection of affordable, special gifts that not only look great and are made to last, but also give back to amazing causes, encourage sustainability and support true artisans for everyone in your life. It really is better to give than to receive. [• Chance the Rapper: Shouting Praise Is What We’re Supposed to Be Doing]( Chance the Rapper was recently a guest on the YouTube series The Hot Ones, where celebrities are interviewed while consuming absurdly hot chicken wings. Chance, never one to miss the opportunity to infuse his faith into his music, was asked about being a “Christian rapper” and what he thought about Kanye West’s recent Sunday Services, which feature Kanye’s own twist on praise and worship. Host Sean Evans asked, “Obviously Kanye’s generating Kanye levels of interest in this Sunday Service thing. What’s your initial thought on that kind of music sharing?” Chance said he thinks it’s a good thing, because ultimately, that’s what Christians are called to do. MOST SHARED [Hero-17.jpg]( GOD [God Has Already Revealed His Plan for Your Life]( [bible.png]( LIFE [The One Thing No One Tells You About Getting Married]( [Hero-4.jpg]( CULTURE [In ‘Knives Out’, Human Compassion Solves the Mystery]( [rn-logo.png]( © 2019 RELEVANT Media Group. All Rights Reserved [Cover-96.png]( [SUBSCRIBE]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?](    Don't want to receive these emails anymore?  [unsubscribe from this list](    [update subscription preferences]( RELEVANT Media Group · 55 West Church St. · Suite #211 · Orlando, FL 32801 · USA