Apr. 12, 2017 |
BLOOMBERG
President Donald Trump is issuing a presidential memorandum that will call for a rethinking of the entire structure of the federal government, a move that could eventually lead to a downsizing of the overall workforce and changes to the basic functions and responsibilities of many agencies.
President Donald Trump is finding little support among his Asian allies — both publicly and behind the scenes — as he weighs a military attack on North Korea after unilaterally firing missiles on Syria.
South Korea’s government sought to quell any anxiety about potential military action as tensions rise following the U.S.’s deployment of warships near North Korea.
Concerns about rising global tensions surrounding Syria and North Korea are revitalizing demand for gold as a haven, with the metal trading near the highest since Trump was elected president.
Brazil’s under-fire political establishment was dealt another blow on Tuesday after a Supreme Court judge authorized investigations into leading members of the government as well as dozens of the country’s most senior politicians.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registered for next month’s presidential election in apparent defiance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s advice not to run to avoid polarizing the country.
NASA scientists glean valuable data about powerful space explosions and the energy of black holes from their Swift and Fermi satellites. The projects were supposed to last a few years. Instead, they’ve survived for more than a decade. “It’s a matter of time before someone hacks into something in space,” Hanna-Ruiz, 44, said in an interview at her office in Washington. “We see ourselves as a very attractive target.”
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday rolled back an Obama administration attempt to reform how student loan servicers collect debt. Obama issued a pair of memorandums last year requiring that the government’s Federal Student Aid office, which services $1.1 trillion in government-owned student loans, do more to help borrowers manage, or even discharge, their debt. But in a memorandum to the department’s student aid office, DeVos formally withdrew the Obama memos.
AP Top Stories
President Trump has a simple message about military action in Syria: The United States is not going in. “Our policy is the same, We’re not going into Syria.”
President Trump suggested on Tuesday that he could sweeten the terms of a trade agreement with China if Beijing assists in solving the North Korea “problem” – but that the United States is prepared to move forward in the western Pacific without Chinese help.
A former state governor for Mexico’s ruling party arrested in Italy at the weekend could be extradited to his homeland or the United States, where he faces a string of criminal charges linked to drug trafficking, authorities said on Monday.
The U.S. military’s airstrikes that attacked an air force base in Syria last week did not aim to destroy the very chemical weapons that led to the bombings.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions unveiled tough new federal rules to clamp down on undocumented immigrants and deter others from entering the United States, setting the stage for a surge in immigration prosecutions.
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Russia’s Sergei Ryzhikov and Andrei Borisenko touched down at 5:20 p.m. local time Monday after spending 173 days in space.
BBC
Somali security forces have rescued eight sailors who were kidnapped by pirates, an official said. The pirates hijacked the Indian cargo ship last month, seizing the 10-man crew and holding them for ransom.
Autonomous robot company Marble is offering food deliveries in parts of San Francisco. Sensors, camera and ultrasonic technology help the robot with navigation, but there is human oversight in case there is a problem.
Nigeria’s spy agency said it thwarted a plot by militant Islamist group Boko Haram to attack the UK and US embassies in the capital Abuja.
Gay men are fleeing brutal persecution in Chechnya, where police are holding more than 100 people and torturing some of them in an anti-gay crackdown, Russian activists said.
The number of executions recorded worldwide in 2016 fell by 37% on the previous year, human rights group Amnesty International said. At least 1,032 people were executed last year, down from 1,634 in 2015, Amnesty said.
WND
Japan is preparing to send several warships to join a US aircraft carrier strike group heading for the Korean peninsula, in a show of force designed to deter North Korea from conducting further missile and nuclear tests.
The American Center for Law and Justice on Tuesday declared victory over the Internal Revenue Service – at least for one of its clients – after a Washington state group with “tea party” in its name was approved by the federal agency to receive tax-exempt status as a lobbying organization. It took seven years.
You won’t find it in your local candy store, but soon there may be a new chewing gum that could help save your life. The gum absorbs what are known as “volatiles” in a person’s saliva as they chew it, then the chewed gum is analyzed to determine whether it contains certain chemicals produced in the body when a person has cancer.
One week after three refugee boys from Sudan and Iraq pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl in Twin Falls, Idaho, the city council has voted unanimously to lay out the welcome mat for more refugees. The council voted 7-0 to direct the city staff to draft a resolution declaring Twin Falls a “welcoming city” after hearing a pitch from local Boy Scout Troop 4, which is sponsored by the Mormon Church.
The Briefing 04-12-17
A tale of power, opportunity, & moral failure: Alabama Governor resigns amid unfolding scandal
Study shows millennials more traditional than previous generations when it comes to family life. Why?
- New York Times (Stephanie Coontz) — Do Millennial Men Want Stay-at-Home Wives?
- Washington Post (W. Bradford Wilcox and Samuel Sturgeon) — Why would millennial men prefer stay-at-home wives? Race and feminism.
When heroes are no longer heroic: Is progressivist agenda to blame for Marvel Comics sales slump?
The post The Briefing 04-12-17 appeared first on AlbertMohler.com.
Top Headlines – 4/12/2017
Puerto Rico seen sliding toward bankruptcy as deadline nears
Bankruptcy for Puerto Rico is looking ever more likely as the clock ticks down toward a May 1 deadline to restructure $70 billion in debt, ramping up uncertainty for anyone betting on returns from the island’s widely held U.S. municipal bonds. When U.S. Congress last year passed the Puerto Rico rescue law dubbed PROMESA, it froze creditor lawsuits against the island so its federally appointed oversight board and creditors could negotiate out of court on the biggest debt restructuring in U.S. municipal history.
A War on Many Fronts: the targeted operations To Ensure Illegal migrants Can Vote in 2020
The battle for the White House in 2020 has begun, but this time, the keys to the front door rest in the hands of illegal immigrants. There is a systematic campaign underway across the US that seeks to ensure that it will be easier than ever for illegal aliens to be able to cast a ballot in the presidential elections. The ideas of the Left have been measured and found wanting; the next step is to cheat.
China threatens to ‘BOMB North Korea’ if tyrant Kim Jong-un crosses THIS ‘bottom line’
The Chinese military would react with force if Kim Jong-un’s nuclear activities adversely affected areas of China bordering the hermit nation, according to an editorial in a government-owned newspaper. The article in the Communist-party affiliated Global Times stressed the North’s nuclear facilities must not put northeastern regions of China in danger.
Ahmadinejad submits name for Iranian presidential election
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad submitted his name on Wednesday for registration as a candidate in Iran’s presidential election in May, state media reported. Although the move by the former hardline president was seen as an attempt to bolster the candidacy of an ally, it was also a challenge to the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ordered him not to run.
Israeli security forces arrest Hamas lawmaker in West Bank
Israeli security forces arrested a Palestinian lawmaker and a spokesman for Hamas in the West Bank early Wednesday morning, the Shin Bet internal security agency confirmed. Ahmed Atun, a Hamas lawmaker and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council was arrested at his home in the city of al-Bireh, north of Jerusalem. Hamas spokesman Fayez Abu Wardeh was also arrested at his Ramallah home overnight.
African migrants sold in Libya ‘slave markets’, IOM says
Africans trying to reach Europe are being sold by their captors in “slave markets” in Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says. Victims told IOM that after being detained by people smugglers or militia groups, they were taken to town squares or car parks to be sold. Migrants with skills like painting or tiling would fetch higher prices, the head of the IOM in Libya told the BBC.
A missing pastor and the disappearances chilling Malaysia
On the morning of 13 February, Raymond Koh was exiting a highway in the leafy suburb of Kelana Jaya just outside of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. A widely circulated CCTV clip appears to show what happened next. A convoy of black SUVs and motorcycles is seen swooping down on his car and boxing it in by the side of the road. Then, several men jump out and run to Mr Koh. There is a flurry of activity, and the convoy moves off – along with his car. It is allegedly the last time anyone sees him.
Turkey militants ‘used tunnel to plant explosives’
A big explosion in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir which originally appeared to be an accident was actually the result of a terror attack, the interior minister says. Suleyman Soylu told Turkish TV that explosives had been planted in a tunnel dug beneath the police headquarters. Three people died in Tuesday’s blast in the mainly Kurdish south-eastern city.
Venezuela police clash with anti-government protesters
Monday’s march is the latest in a series of anti-government protests held in Venezuela. The demonstrations were sparked by a controversial decision by the country’s Supreme Court to strip the National Assembly of its legislative powers. The ruling has been overturned since, but the protests have continued.
Fireball Spotted Off California Coast During Unusual Navy Anti-Sub Patrol
A “bright, pulsing orb” streaking across the sky was spotted off the California coast after US and Canadian anti-submarine aircraft conducted an unusual patrol of the area. The green “fireball” occurred on Monday night near an area of ocean where numerous, low-flying sub-hunting aircraft, including a Navy EP-3E Aries II, a Navy P-3C Orion, and a Boeing P-8 Poseidon, spent several hours circling, a patrol which military observers described as odd and unlike routine exercises.
Puerto Rico seen sliding toward bankruptcy as deadline nears
Bankruptcy for Puerto Rico is looking ever more likely as the clock ticks down toward a May 1 deadline to restructure $70 billion in debt, ramping up uncertainty…on returns from the island’s widely held U.S. municipal bonds. When U.S. Congress last year passed the Puerto Rico rescue law dubbed PROMESA, it froze creditor lawsuits against the island so its…oversight board and creditors could negotiate out of court on the biggest debt restructuring in U.S. municipal history.
BREAKING: Sessions Announces Illegal Aliens Who Illegally Re-Enter The U.S. Will Be Charged With a Felony
“For those that continue to seek improper and illegal entry into this country, be forewarned: This is a new era. This is the Trump era. The lawlessness, the abdication of the duty to enforce our immigration laws and the catch and release practices of old are over,” Sessions said.
Mattis: Syria Will ‘Pay a Very, Very Stiff Price’ for Any Use of Chemical Weapons
Responding to a question about future use of chemical weapons and the improvised explosives called “barrel bombs,” Mattis made it clear that future chemical weapons attacks would be met with serious consequences from the United States. Mattis emphasized that the chemical weapons used by the Syrian regime against civilians were against Syria’s agreement with the U.S.
Police Raid Homes, Seize Lambs, Preventing Passover Sacrifice
Over the last several days, Israeli Police raided the homes of seven Jews who declared their intent on social media to bring a sacrificial Paschal lamb to the Temple Mount on Monday, the eve of the Passover holiday. In addition, police set up roadblocks and searched people in the Old City of Jerusalem, arresting 17 people, including six minors. Six goats were confiscated and turned over to the Agriculture Ministry’s investigative department. “Israel is losing its democratic nature, people cannot be arrested in the middle of the night just because they want to observe the commandments of Judaism.”
Top diplomats from US, Russia meet in Moscow with Syria high on agenda
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Moscow on Wednesday afternoon. Among other issues, the two senior officials were to discuss the situation in Syria, sanctions on Russia, tensions over North Korea, and accusations that Russia intervened in the US presidential election.
N. Korea must be denuclearized peacefully, China’s Xi tells Trump
The two leaders discussed the possibility of peacefully denuclearizing North Korea and concurred that any use of chemical weapons in Syria is “unacceptable”, according to the report.
North Korea Threatens Nuclear Strike if U.S. Attacks
North Korean state media warned on Tuesday of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression as a U.S. Navy strike group steamed toward the western Pacific.
Putin: “Idlib Was A “False Flag” Attack And We Have Learned That More Are Coming”
“We have information from various sources that such provocations are being prepared in other regions of Syria, including in the southern suburbs of Damascus, where they intend to plant some substance and blame the official Syrian authorities for its use,” Putin told a briefing.
Trump: “We’re Sending A Very Powerful Armada” To North Korea
“We are sending an armada, very powerful. We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that I can tell you. And we have the best military people on Earth. And I will say this. He is doing the wrong thing. He is doing the wrong thing.”
Zimbabwe Central Bank To Accept Cows, TVs, Fridges As Collateral
As Zimbabwe desperately attempts to restart its monetary system, cow, cars, TVs, refrigerators, computers and other household appliances will become acceptable as collateral once they are evaluated and registered in the central bank’s register.
US-Russia diplomacy: Why one airstrike does not leverage make
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in Moscow Tuesday with an unexpected card in his hand – after the US airstrike in Syria last week signaled President Trump’s willingness to use military force to address egregious and deadly infractions of international norms.
Trump: Hillary Was ‘Guilty of Every Charge’
Newsmax reports:
Hillary Clinton was “guilty of every charge,” and FBI Director James Comey “saved her life” with his revelation that he would not pursue charges against her for her use of a private email server and the handling of classified information, President Donald Trump said in an interview airing Wednesday.
“When he was reading those charges, she was guilty of every charge,” Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo about Comey’s 2016 press conference. “When he was reading those charges, she was guilty of every charge, and then he said she was essentially OK.”
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ZeroHedge Frontrunning: April 12
- Futures flat as geopolitical risks weigh; earnings eyed (Read More)
- Brent oil rises for 8th day on possible extension to supply cut (Read More)
- U.S. accuses Russia of Syria gas attack ‘cover up’ (Read More)
- Xi Tells Trump China Wants Peaceful North Korea Solution (Read More)
- Tillerson, Lavrov Hold Talks in Moscow Amid Rising Tensions Over Syria (Read More)
- Russian diplomat says U.S. stance on Syria ‘a mystery’ (Read More)
- Trump’s message to bankers: Wall Street reform rules may be eliminated (Read More)
- Puerto Rico seen sliding toward bankruptcy as deadline nears (Read More)
- Trump Lays Groundwork for Widespread Government Reorganization (Read More)
- In surprise move, Iran’s Ahmadinejad to run for president (Read More)
- Leftist’s Rise in French Polls Is Spooking Markets (Read More)
- UK’s Daily Mail to pay Melania Trump damages over modeling claims (Read More)
- Newly Energized Liberals Pour Record Effort Into Local Races (Read More)
- PR Nightmares: United Seat Fiasco Among Worst Corporate Gaffes (Read More)
- Higher Yields Damp China’s Corporate Bond Market (Read More)
- United Airlines faces mounting pressure over hospitalized passenger (Read More)
- Japan automakers look to robots to keep elderly on the move (Read More)
- Airbnb signs dozens more tax agreements in the U.S., France (Read More)
Top Headlines – 4/12/2017
Israel’s navy is preparing for ‘any kind of threat’
Hamas designs terror-inspired ‘Snakes and Ladders’
Palestinians vow to disband Islamist group in volatile Lebanese camp
ISIS Buried Over 1,600 Bodies in Mass Graves in Yazidi Town of Sinjar
Monitor says Syrian forces use barrel bombs despite US warning
UN Security Council will vote Wednesday on Syria gas attack probe: US
Syria ‘chemical attack’: Turkey says tests confirm Sarin was used
Mattis: ‘No doubt’ Assad used chemical weapons against civilians
The UK may have helped Syria make nerve gas – but lax controls mean we’ll never know
Sean Spicer Apologizes for Saying Assad’s Chemical-Weapons Atrocities Were Worse Than Hitler’s
Turkey: Syrian gov’t still has chemical weapons capacity
Syria war: G7 fails to agree sanctions on Russia after ‘chemical attack’
U.S.-Russia tensions over Syria will not ‘spiral out of control’: Mattis
Tillerson: Russia must choose between Assad and the US
Trump’s intelligence doubts parroted by Russia
Report: FBI sought to monitor Trump adviser last summer
EU extends sanctions on Iran over human rights violations
U.S. lawmakers raise doubts on sale of smart bombs to Saudi Arabia
UN agency warns of risk of mass starvation in Africa, Yemen
Migrants are being sold at open slave markets in Libya
Sessions signals immigration crackdown: ‘This is the Trump era’
AG Sessions vows to confront cartels, gangs on visit to US-Mexico border
Trump’s border wall will get its start in San Diego County
Hawaii asks full court to hear Trump travel ban appeal
North Korea state media warns of nuclear strike if provoked as U.S. warships approach
White House says Trump has put Pyongyang ‘clearly on notice’
Russia, before Tillerson visit, says hopes USA does not strike North Korea
Trump warns China on North Korea: Help solve the problem or ‘we will’
North Korean missile could hit Australia within 2 years, US diplomat warns
San Bernardino school shooting: Student killed had survived heart surgery
Microsoft patches serious Word bug ‘targeted by scammers’
Bright Flash Lights Up SoCal Sky
Harvard Scientists Moving Ahead on Plans for Atmospheric Geoengineering Experiments
Japan has plans to drill through the earth’s crust and reach the mantle
5.8 magnitude earthquake hits near Osias, Philippines
5.7 magnitude earthquake hits near Pondaguitan, Philippines
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Pondaguitan, Philippines
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Pondaguitan, Philippines
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Copiapo, Chile
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Pondaguitan, Philippines
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Saumlaki, Indonesia
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Fais, Micronesia
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Pondaguitan, Philippines
Sheveluch volcano on Kamchata, Russia erupts to 15,000ft
Florida under a state of emergency as wildfires spread
Scientists find way to make cells resistant to HIV
Pipes clogged by hundreds of condoms prompts prostitution investigation in Texas
Chechnya denies imprisoning, torturing gays, claiming they don’t exist there
Partisan battles over nominees pose ‘real danger’ for Supreme Court, chief justice says
Mike Ratliff – A Little Leaven
Wanted: A Sunday School Teacher From Hell
Louisiana Church Offering Drive-Thru Good Friday Prayers
North Carolina Church to Host Stadium-Wide Easter Egg Hunt With 20,000 Eggs
In choosing Christianity, Mexican tribals risk alienation, eviction from their communities
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FALLING AWAY: Record Numbers Abandon Sweden Church Because ‘They Do Not Believe in God’ Posted: 12 Apr 2017 07:23 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Atheist Mocks Bible, Praises ‘Trinity of Science’ in Invocation Before Iowa Legislature
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 07:17 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Did the 7th Circuit Just Rule That Christians Are Bigots?
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 07:12 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Fights over Trump Leading evangelicals to leave their churches
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 07:08 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Putin Says U.S and Russia relations worse since Trump took office
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 07:03 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| 5 Attacks on Churches This Week No One Told You About
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 06:57 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
|
Putting Salt Back in the Water! Posted: 12 Apr 2017 06:52 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| The Price Of Gold Spikes As Investors Get Spooked By Talk Of World War III And Nuclear Conflict
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 06:47 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Church in Alabama to form it’s own police force…
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 06:43 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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Nuke-sniffer aircraft arrives on Okinawa as tensions rise on Korean peninsula Posted: 12 Apr 2017 06:39 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| WAR DRUMS: Elite US Navy Seals training in South Korea to Take out Kim Jong-un’
Posted: 12 Apr 2017 05:59 AM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Saeed Abedini Accuses George O. Wood Of Being Deceived by the “Spirit of Jezebel”
Posted: 11 Apr 2017 07:35 PM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Deadly Flu Mutation Could Lead to Worst Pandemic in History
Posted: 11 Apr 2017 07:28 PM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| This Year’s Passover Exposes the Enemy’s Agenda Against God’s People
Posted: 11 Apr 2017 07:24 PM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| What You Should Know About Satan’s Power in This Age—and His Final Destination
Posted: 11 Apr 2017 07:19 PM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| ‘Bible Answer Man’ Hank Hanegraaff Chrismated Into Eastern Orthodoxy
Posted: 11 Apr 2017 07:13 PM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Scientists Make Cells Resistant to HIV…
Posted: 11 Apr 2017 07:02 PM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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Trump Says ‘We’re not going into Syria’! Posted: 11 Apr 2017 06:55 PM PDT
Read more at End Time Headlines. |
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden says people are continuing to abandon the faith in record numbers. More than 90,000 left the church in 2016…
A professing atheist recently delivered an opening invocation before the Iowa House of Representatives, in which he promoted atheistic ideals and converted a well-known Old…
Justice Neil Gorsuch has been confirmed. Breathe a sigh of relief. The fight against him confirms the importance of President Trump to religious freedom for…
The 2016 presidential contest highlighted just how deeply divided the United States is over both politics and religion. The vast majority of white evangelicals (81…
Levels of trust between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast…
(Reported By World Watch Monitor) India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticized for condemning the Palm Sunday attacks on churches in Egypt but failing to…
(By Ricky Scaparo) In this segment, we will show you how Elisha was able to bring healing to a city and turn bitter waters fresh…
(Reported By Michael Snyder) Whenever the world starts going crazy, investors instinctively begin flocking to precious metals. So it wasn’t exactly a surprise when gold…
The Alabama Senate has voted to allow a church to form its own police force. Lawmakers on Tuesday voted 24-4 to allow Briarwood Presbyterian Church…
A U.S. aircraft that specializes in detecting radioactive debris after the detonation of a nuclear device has arrived on Okinawa amid rising tensions on the…
The crack US Navy Seal team that killed Osama bin Laden is reportedly training to take out North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un. Seal Team Six is…
After verbally attacking evangelist Franklin Graham on social media, Saeed Abedini turned his attention to George O. Wood. “Head and General superintendent of Assemblies of…
Leading scientists in the field of deadly flu epidemics are worried about what could be the granddaddy of them all, and say it could be…
(By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki) Growing up in Canada in the 1970s and 1980s, my most profound memories are of Jewish collective identity. The Holocaust remembrance…
(By Becky Dvorak) I receive so many prayer requests about people suffering from demon oppression and possession, so we are going to study and find…
Hank Hanegraaff, also known as the “Bible Answer Man,” was chrismated into the Orthodox Church on Sunday, the well-known radio host and author has confirmed….
Researchers have found a way to make cells resistant to HIV, a new report reveals. In a major breakthrough, scientists have tethered HIV-fighting antibodies to…
Amid complaints that his aides are saying different things about Syria and his policy is confusing, President Trump emphatically cleared the air. “We’re not going…What is The Gospel?
Who Do You Think That I Am?
Selected Scriptures
Code: A335
With that brief question Jesus Christ confronted His followers with the most important issue they would ever face. He had spent much time with them and made some bold claims about His identity and authority. Now the time had come for them either to believe or deny His teachings.
Who do you say Jesus is? Your response to Him will determine not only your values and lifestyle, but your eternal destiny as well.
Consider what the Bible says about Him:
JESUS IS GOD
While Jesus was on earth there was much confusion about who He was. Some thought He was a wise man or a great prophet. Others thought He was a madman. Still others couldn’t decide or didn’t care. But Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). That means He claimed to be nothing less than God in human flesh.
Many people today don’t understand that Jesus claimed to be God. They’re content to think of Him as little more than a great moral teacher. But even His enemies understood His claims to deity. That’s why they tried to stone Him to death (John 5:18; 10:33) and eventually had Him crucified (John 19:7).
C.S. Lewis observed, “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to” (Mere Christianity [Macmillan, 1952], pp. 40-41).
If the biblical claims of Jesus are true, He is God!
JESUS IS HOLY
God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13).
As God, Jesus embodied every element of God’s character. Colossians 2:9 says, “In Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” He was perfectly holy (Hebrews 4:15). Even His enemies couldn’t prove any accusation against Him (John 8:46)
God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
JESUS IS THE SAVIOR
Our failure to obey God—to be holy—places us in danger of eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The truth is, we cannot obey Him because we have neither the desire nor the ability to do so. We are by nature rebellious toward God (Ephesians 2:1-3). The Bible calls our rebellion “sin.” According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And we are incapable of changing our sinful condition. Jeremiah 13:23 says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”
That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of performing acts of human kindness. We might even be involved in various religious or humanitarian activities. But we’re utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).
God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death: “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). That’s hard for us to understand because we tend to evaluate sin on a relative scale, assuming some sins are less serious than others. However, the Bible teaches that all acts of sin are the result of sinful thinking and evil desires. That’s why simply changing our patterns of behavior can’t solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences. We need to be changed inwardly so our thinking and desires are holy
Jesus is the only one who can forgive and transform us, thereby delivering us from the power and penalty of sin: “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior, who paid the penalty and died for sinners: “Christ … died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice, thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26). John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” He alone is “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13).
JESUS IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE OBJECT OF SAVING FAITH
Some people think it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere. But without a valid object your faith is useless
If you take poison—thinking it’s medicine—all the faith in the world won’t restore your life. Similarly, if Jesus is the only source of salvation, and you’re trusting in anyone or anything else for your salvation, your faith is useless.
Many people assume there are many paths to God and that each religion represents an aspect of truth. But Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). He didn’t claim to be one of many equally legitimate paths to God, or the way to God for His day only. He claimed to be the only way to God—then and forever.
JESUS IS LORD
Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him
The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.
Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Confessing Jesus as Lord means humbly submitting to His authority (Philippians 2:10-11). Believing that God has raised Him from the dead involves trusting in the historical fact of His resurrection—the pinnacle of Christian faith and the way the Father affirmed the deity and authority of the Son (Romans 1:4; Acts 17:30-31).
True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is more than simply being sorry for sin. It is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin and pursue holiness (Isaiah 55:7). Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15); and “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31).
It isn’t enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don’t love and obey Him. Their faith is not genuine. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).
Jesus is the sovereign Lord. When you obey Him you are acknowledging His lordship and submitting to His authority. That doesn’t mean your obedience will always be perfect, but that is your goal. There is no area of your life that you withhold from Him.
JESUS IS THE JUDGE
All who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior will one day face Him as their Judge: “God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).
Second Thessalonians 1:7-9 says, “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?
Who does the Bible say Jesus is? The living God, the Holy One, the Savior, the only valid object of saving faith, the sovereign Lord, and the righteous Judge.
Who do you say Jesus is? That is the inescapable question. He alone can redeem you—free you from the power and penalty of sin. He alone can transform you, restore you to fellowship with God, and give your life eternal purpose. Will you repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
Available online at: https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A335
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