BLOOMBERG
President Donald Trump, who derided the United Nations as a “club for people to get together, talk and have a good time” after his election, is surprising veterans of the global body by leaning on it to help carry out his foreign policy agenda.
Four American college students were attacked with acid Sunday at a train station in France, but French authorities so far do not think extremist views motivated the 41 -year-old woman who was arrested as the alleged assailant, the local prosecutor’s office and the students’ school said.
Obama is coming to Wall Street less than a year after leaving the White House, following a path that’s well-trod and well paid. While he can’t run for president, he continues to be an influential voice in a party torn between celebrating and vilifying corporate power. His new work with banks might suggest which side of the debate he’ll be on and disappoint anyone expecting him to avoid a trap that snared Clinton.
The Trump administration is considering closing down the recently reopened U.S. Embassy in Havana following a string of unexplained incidents harming the health of American diplomats in Cuba, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday.
France is “vigilant” about Iran’s compliance with its nuclear accord but “all signs are that it’s respecting its commitments,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
The U.S. seeks a peaceful resolution but is prepared to use military force if diplomatic efforts fail to end the nuclear standoff with North Korea, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is recommending that six of 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration be reduced in size, with changes to several others proposed.
India is poised to emerge as an economic superpower, driven in part by its young population, while China and the Asian Tigers age rapidly, according to Deloitte LLP.
Saudi Arabia is considering a plan to phase out subsidies for gasoline and jet fuel in November at the latest, as the world’s biggest oil exporter pushes a program to curtail spending after a global slump in prices. At current levels, this could result in a hike of about 80 percent.
AP Top Stories
Hurricane Maria strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Monday and pushed toward the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean, as forecasters warned it was expected to become a major hurricane by early Tuesday.
Thousands of Florida residents are being urged to evacuate a week after Hurricane Irma’s rains are overflowing the Withlacoochee River.
As the devastated Florida Keys began reopening to residents who fled Hurricane Irma, officials warned the returning islanders to bring enough supplies to sustain them for a while, because no one yet knows when water and power will be fully restored.
Texas Representative Joe Barton, a Republican politician who opposed funding for Hurricane Harvey relief is now in charge of Congressional efforts to help Texas recover from the storm.
Repeal of the Affordable Care Act is back on the agenda, with Republicans suddenly talking about a bill that, until recently, few people in either party had taken all that seriously.
Hamas has agreed to dissolve the administration that runs Gaza, it said on Sunday, a major step towards handing control of the enclave to a Palestinian unity government after a decade of bitter rivalry with President Mahmoud Abbas.
British police made progress Sunday in their frantic pursuit of suspects and evidence connected to the bomb that partially exploded on a packed London subway, leading counter-terrorism officials to lower the country’s threat level because they no longer considered a fresh attack to be imminent.
A Catholic priest kidnapped by Islamic State supporters when they occupied parts of a southern Philippine city nearly four months ago smiled and called for prayers Monday after escaping.
BBC
In a strongly-worded statement, North Korea has warned that more sanctions and pressure will only make it accelerate its nuclear program.
US credit report giant Equifax has replaced two senior staff after revealing last week it had suffered a massive data breach.
A Chinese company offering sex dolls for rent has withdrawn its services just days after launching.
China and India may have defused a potential border conflict but the stand-off seems to have led to dispute over another contentious issue: water.
The prime minister of Serbia has become the first head of government in a Balkan country to take part in a gay pride march. Ana Brnabic is the first gay person, as well as the first woman, to lead Serbia.
WND
ISIS has involved children in war like no other movement in recent years. It has been known to sell Iraqi children as sex slaves and routinely conducts mass executions of children. Now the Jerusalem Post reports that the Islamic supremacist movement’s practices mean any children it deploys for war could be considered targets by opposing forces. “If children are holding a gun then direct participation in hostilities rules apply to children … children might be targets and not just victims.”
One of the biggest critics of the after-school Satanist clubs that have been promoted to schools around the country says a club in Tacoma, Washington, was a dismal flop, attracting the interest of only one person, and has been shut down.
The revelation of a massive data breach at credit giant Equifax is a a textbook example of poor protection and even worse public relations, but a leading cybersecurity expert says it leaves tens of millions of people vulnerable to fraud and identity theft for the rest of their lives.
The Briefing 09-18-17
Why atheists don’t trust other atheists and what this reveals about moral intuition
- The Guardian (Agence France-Presse) — Atheists tend to be seen as immoral – even by other atheists: study
- New York Times (Benedict Carey) — The Serial Killer Test: Biases Against Atheists Emerge in Study
Looking back on the Summer of Love and the cultural revolution, 50 years later
- Weekly Standard (Andrew Ferguson) — Flowers in Their Hair: The Summer of Love, 50 Years Later
- The Chronicle of Higher Education (Zoë Corbyn) — The Long Summer of Love
Were The Beatles right, is love really all you need?
The post The Briefing 09-18-17 appeared first on AlbertMohler.com.
News – 9/18/2017
‘Be Ready’: Famed Evangelist Warns of ‘Biblical Signs Before Christ’s Return’ Amid Wildfires, Violent Hurricanes and Earthquakes
With natural disasters raging across America, Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, is warning Christians to “be ready” for Jesus’ return, as the CEO of Samaritan’s Purse shared a plethora of Bible verses about the biblical end times.
Hurricane Maria nearing already battered Caribbean islands
A strengthening Hurricane Maria churned toward the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean on Monday as forecasters warned it was expected to become a major hurricane by early Tuesday. Maria swiftly grew into a hurricane Sunday, and forecasters said it was expected to become much stronger over the coming hours following a path that would take it near many of the islands wrecked by Hurricane Irma and then on toward Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Egyptian court sentences ex-President Morsi to 25 years for spy case
An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood to 25 years in prison in a final ruling over a case accusing him of spying for Qatar, judicial sources said.
Poll: Public Overwhelmingly Supports Free Speech, Opposes SPLC, Antifa, Soros Efforts to Restrict It
By a margin of 85 percent to 8 percent, respondents said that, in the aftermath of the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month, “all Americans are entitled to free speech,” not “just some of us.”
Peace talks take back seat on Trump’s UN agenda
The Trump administration’s push for peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians will not feature prominently this week at the UN General Assembly, where the president, on his first trip there, will prioritize more pressing national security concerns, officials told The Jerusalem Post…President Donald Trump is expected to focus more on his showdown with North Korea, Iran’s nuclear program and the broad threat of violent religious extremism.
Israel to amend adoption law, give same-sex couples equal rights
The Israeli government said it would amend adoption law in the country to give same-sex couples equal rights. The state made the announcement Sunday during a hearing at the Supreme Court in response to a petition regarding adoption by same-sex and common-law couples filed by the Association of Israeli Gay Fathers, with the Israel Religious Action Center of the Reform movement, against the Social Affairs Ministry and the attorney general.
US says it is considering closing its embassy in Cuba
The US is considering closing its embassy in Cuba after diplomatic staff reported health problems which Washington blames on a “sonic attack”. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a decision whether to shut to the mission in Havana was “under evaluation”. More than 20 staff suffered conditions ranging from mild brain trauma and hearing loss to dizziness and nausea.
Paris climate deal: Trump open to staying in, Tillerson says
Donald Trump is open to staying in the Paris accord on climate change, his secretary of state has said, just hours after the White House insisted there would be “no change” to US policy. Rex Tillerson said the US would stay in the agreement “if we can construct a set of terms that we believe is fair”. His comments come despite the White House earlier denying reports it was softening its stance on the accord.
Why Obamacare’s Much-Criticized Individual Mandate Is Likely to Endure (for Now)
The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that Americans either carry health insurance or pay a fine remains the law’s most unpopular feature. Nevertheless, a bipartisan group of governors is insisting that the so-called individual mandate remain in place — at least for now. In a letter sent late last month, the governors urged federal lawmakers to retain the mandate to help stabilize insurance markets.
Battered St. Martin residents fight to survive, struggle to decide whether to remain
Ten days after Hurricane Irma turned St. Martin into a jigsaw of ripped metal and shattered wood, residents were still struggling with an existential question: Should they cling to an island that can barely support life or start over elsewhere? Irma hit the shared Dutch and French Caribbean island as a Category 5 hurricane with winds in excess of 200 miles an hour, turning the picturesque tourist haven into a sweltering trash heap without power, water or communications.
Can the US Military Re-Invent the Microchip for the AI Era?
As conventional microchip design reaches its limits, DARPA is pouring money into the specialty chips that might power tomorrow’s autonomous machines. The coming AI revolution faces a big hurdle: today’s microchips…That poses a big problem for the Defense Department. In 2014, Defense One asked DARPA director Arati Prabhakar about it…
Strange lights spotted in sky above Salt Lake City
Fox 13 News received several calls and messages about a series of strange lights in the sky above Salt Lake City Saturday night, and it appears the lights were likely part of the pregame festivities for Utah’s game vs San Jose State at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Several videos shot just before 8 p.m. near Salt Lake City show the lights in the sky, with one video appearing to show a single point of light breaking up into smaller objects.
Top 5 Revealed Biblical Prophecies of 5777
As Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, approaches this week, it is customary to look back and reflect on the previous year. Between Sunday and Wednesday, Breaking Israel News will present a series of Top Lists recalling some of the most significant Biblical and Israel stories of 5777.
2,000-Year-Old Murder Mystery of 1st tury Jews Solved With Secret Burial Ceremony
“I have no doubt that these people were murdered in the first revolt in 69 CE at the hands of the Romans,” Dr. Stripling told Breaking Israel News. “It was a 2,000-year-old mass-murder mystery that was solved, and we now can tell their story.” “Many of the bones were disarticulated and jumbled, perhaps by animals, but we were able to determine that one of the women was arthritic and elderly, and one was a six-year-old child. Most of the skeletons belonged to young women.”
Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes Alaska, British Columbia
A Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook Alaska about 135 miles (217 kilometers) northwest of the state’s capital city Juneau. Coincidentally, the City and Borough of Juneau’s Disaster Preparedness Expo was winding down as the earthquake hit Saturday afternoon. No damage was immediately reported.
‘Don’t ever compare settlements to terror – terrorism is murder’
US Ambassador slams Obama admin for comparing Israeli housing projects to terror, says Obama ‘showed his true face’ to Israel with UN vote.
Bahrain king denounces Arab boycott of Israel, says countrymen may visit
The king of the island nation has plans to establish a Museum of Religious Tolerance in the capital city by the end of the year. At the event, Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper, who head the Wiesenthal Center, revealed the king’s pronouncements made to them during their visit to Manama, Bahrain’s capital city…
Hurricane Maria to become major storm as it nears Caribbean
Maria is expected to become a dangerous major hurricane as it nears the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. The category one hurricane will rapidly strengthen over the next 48 hours and will hit the islands late on Monday, the US National Hurricane Center says.
Pension Storm Coming: “This Will Become One Of The Most Heated Battles Of My Lifetime”
This issue is going to set neighbor against neighbor and retirees against taxpayers. It will become one of the most heated battles of my lifetime. It will make the Trump-Clinton campaigns look like a school kids’ tiddlywinks smackdown.
THE FOURTH REICH: U.N. to Publish ‘Blacklist’ of Jewish Companies in latest slap in the face to Israel and the Jews
The U.N. Human Rights Council, despite international outrage and pressures, will go forward with a publication of a list of companies that do business outside of the borders established in 1967 — a “blacklist” of sorts, aimed at squashing Israel’s economy.
Jim Rogers Warns “If Trump Starts A Trade War With China, It Will End US Hegemony”
“…In his mind, he wants to do it, he is ready to do it. Some of his advisors are very much in favor of a trade war. It may very well happen. If it happens, it is going to be very bad for the world and it is going to be worse for America than for other people.”
Box Office Poison: Jennifer Lawrence’s ‘Mother!’ Crashes to Career Low $8M
This is a catastrophe for Lawrence, one of Hollywood’s most stridently bigoted (former) stars. The Oscar-winner’s hateful attacks on Christians, conservatives, President Trump and his supporters have chipped away at her popularity going back to 2014, but no one expected this, expected anything close to $8 million, to single digits. At worst, Mother! was projected to squeak in at $12 million.
United Nations has ‘exhausted’ options on North Korea, says top US diplomat
The UN has run out of options for confronting an increasingly belligerent North Korea, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said, presenting a unified front with Trump administration officials who continue to float a military option ahead of this week’s summit in New York.
Rick Warren, Calif. Bishop Hail Unity as Model for Evangelicals and Catholics to Follow
Megachurch pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and California Roman Catholic Bishop Kevin Vann recently opened up about their years-long friendship and cooperation as a model for evangelicals and Catholics around the world to follow.
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ZeroHedge Frontrunning: September 18
- Caribbean Braces for Another Hurricane: Maria (Read More)
- Trump, Haley to share spotlight at U.N. gathering (Read More)
- UN ‘Club’ Trump Derided Forges Unexpected Alliance on Key Issues (Read More)
- ‘We’ve Been Breached’: Inside the Equifax Hack (Read More)
- World stocks reach new peak as Fed-focused week begins (Read More)
- Korean peninsula draws range of military drills in show of force against North Korea (Read More)
- North Korea says more sanctions will spur it to hasten nuclear plans (Read More)
- As ISIS Falters, Syrian Regime and U.S. Allies Maneuver for Advantage (Read More)
- Northrop Grumman to Buy Orbital ATK for $7.8 Billion (Read More)
- Saudis May Hike Domestic Gasoline Prices by 80% (Read More)
- Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors (Read More)
- Here’s How Tax Reform Could Squeeze the Middle Class (Read More)
- Wall Street’s Trillion-Dollar Monopoly Has Repo Traders on Edge (Read More)
- Filing ‘Chapter 22’ Entices Ailing Retailers (Read More)
- Six Dreamers sue Trump administration over DACA decision (Read More)
- Texas Cities Struggle to House Thousands Displaced by Hurricane Harvey (Read More)
- More than 80 arrested as riot police break up St. Louis protest over officer’s acquittal (Read More)
- Obama: From White House to Wall Street in Less Than One Year (Read More)
- Audi takes lead in automated driving, but others wary to follow (Read More)
- Ray Dalio Says He’s Ready to Give Away Bridgewater’s Secrets (Read More)
- Irma Stirs Fear of Setback to $16 Billion Everglades Restoration (Read More)
- Hackers compromised free CCleaner software, Avast’s Piriform says (Read More)
Featured Blogs
Headlines – 9/18/2017
Khamenei says Tehran won’t bow to US ‘bullying’ on nuclear deal
Iran supreme leader warns US against any ‘wrong moves’
Israel claims UN ignored intel on secret Iran nuke sites
Mossad chief said pushing to ‘act now’ to prevent Iranian nuclear bomb
Using an extended hand of ‘peace’, Hamas backs Abbas into a corner
In shadow of Israel-Diaspora Western Wall crisis, PM meets US Jewish leaders
Ultra-Orthodox protesters arrested in violent clash in Jerusalem
Bahrain king denounces Arab boycott of Israel, says countrymen may visit
In the Ukrainian city of Uman, businesses and mobsters follow Jewish pilgrims
Russia rejects allegation it bombed US-backed fighters in Syria
PM to urge UN to prepare for day after ISIS defeat
UN chief: Northern Iraq vote would detract from ISIS fight
Aid officials ‘gravely concerned’ over fate of relocated IS families in Iraq
Iran warns Iraq Kurds independence means end to border deals
UN chief comes out against Kurdish independence referendum
‘We will kill you all’ – Rohingya villagers in Myanmar beg for safe passage
Ethiopia: 55,000 people displaced amid ethnic clashes
Bomb scare forces BA flight evacuation in Paris
UK lowers official terrorist threat level after 2nd arrest
France: Acid attack on 4 US students not seen as terror act
Kuwait orders North Korea’s ambassador to leave within a month
Mystery Shocks at North Korea’s Sacred Volcano Trigger Eruption Fears After Nuclear Test
North Korea secretly building nuclear submarine to deploy within 3 years: report
Haley says UN has exhausted options on North Korea
Trump, in new dig, mocks North Korea leader as ‘Rocket Man’
Trump to Address World Leaders at U.N. as North Korea Threat Looms
As Trump visits U.N., New York prepares for ‘Super Bowl’ of security
Russian warship enters the Mediterranean
Cyprus ‘selling’ EU citizenship to super rich of Russia and Ukraine
Trump’s eldest son set to testify publicly on Russia
McMaster: Trump better without Bannon, others who pushed their ‘own narrow agendas’
US may close Cuba embassy after ‘attacks’ on diplomats
Key Equifax executives departing after huge data breach
Strange lights spotted in sky above Salt Lake City
NASA’s Doomsday Warning That ‘Planet X’ Is Headed On Straight Trajectory For Earth Is Fake News
5.7 magnitude earthquake hits near Kandrian, Papua New Guinea
5.4 magnitude earthquake hits near Hihifo, Tonga
Two strong earthquakes in Bardarbunga volcano
Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 27,000ft
Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 16,000ft
Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft
Tropical Storm Jose upgrades to hurricane; potential tropical storm watches in US
Tropical Storm Maria strengthens into hurricane
Irma-battered Caribbean islands brace for Hurricane Maria’s flooding, damaging winds
Irma evacuation nightmare: Next time some may not leave
Texas Cities Struggle to House Thousands Displaced by Hurricane Harvey
Swine flu cases in Gujarat cross 7,000-mark; 415 deaths
Pharmacist in deadly meningitis outbreak heading to trial
Infant dies after routine shots, hosp blames kin
Mega Church Uses ACDC in Worship to Promote Financial Sheep Beating
Rick Warren Affirms Roman Catholic Idolaters as Recipients of God’s Grace
The Jim Jones ‘Judge-Not’ Jingle?
Nabeel Qureshi Passes into Glory
NAR Apostle Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Says Latino Church Will Save American Christianity
Christians Outpace FEMA in Aid to Hurricane Victims
UK Speaker: Same-Sex Marriage Won’t Be ‘Proper’ Until Churches Can’t Opt Out
| After-School Satanists Club Flops, Closes Down
Posted: 18 Sep 2017 06:55 AM PDT  One of the biggest critics of the after-school Satanist clubs that have been promoted to schools around the country says a club in Tacoma, Washington, was a dismal flop, attracting the interest of only one person, and has been shut down. “Atheists masquerading as a so-called Satanist Temple group” ended an after-school program at Point Defiance Elementary School in Tacoma,” according to Liberty Counsel.
“The After-School Satan Club ceased meeting soon after teachers from the Seattle Satanic Temple offered their first meeting in December 2016. Apparently, only one child joined the club.” Satanist clubs have been offered in some of the schools where Christian Good News Clubs already were meeting. The Christian groups are sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship, which won a landmark 2001 case in the U.S. Supreme Court for equal access to school facilities. READ MORE |
| FALLING AWAY: Death Spiral For The Anglican Church As Massive Numbers Leave The Church
Posted: 18 Sep 2017 06:31 AM PDT 
The Church of England’s membership is now declining so swiftly and steadily that it can hardly be considered anything less than a death spiral as millions drop out of the ranks of the faithful. Instead of relying solely on the official figures provided by the Church, which still claims to have over 85 million members, many are now taking a closer look at the British Social Attitudes Survey, conducted every year since 1983.
In 2016, the survey was given to 2,942 adults between July and October and respondents replied, not with an official church affiliation that may be found on a certificate or registry, but instead, they described their actual beliefs, religious identities, and behavior. The results could hardly be worse for the Church of England and Christianity in general. READ MORE
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| Pastor Running for Governor of Oklahoma says ‘It Is Time to Abolish Human Abortion’
Posted: 18 Sep 2017 06:26 AM PDT  A pastor and former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives who is currently running for the governor of Oklahoma declared in a video posted online this week that if elected, he would abolish abortion in the state. “Tragically, some 250,000 preborn Oklahomans have been deprived of their right to life since the U.S. Supreme legitimized the slaughter in 1973,” lamented Dan Fisher, pastor of Liberty Church in Yukon. “And that’s not even counting those killed by various abortifacient drugs and devices.”
He said that while pro-life bills have been passed in the state with regularity, they only seek to regulate killing unborn children, and do not attempt to end abortion altogether. “For example, pro-lifers have passed laws requiring that a mother must wait 72 hours before she has her baby killed,” Fisher outlined. “Pro-life legislators have passed laws requiring the abortionist to perform an ultrasound, which the mother may look at—or not.” READ MORE |
| Russia cannot allow military conflict with N. Korea near its borders
Posted: 18 Sep 2017 06:16 AM PDT  Moscow can’t allow the US or other countries to provoke North Korea into a military conflict as that could mean the use of weapons of mass destruction near Russian borders, the head of the upper house Committee for International Relations says. “The United States is in a more convenient position because its territory is on a significant distance [from North Korea] and they can afford, excuse me for using this expression, the luxury of experiments. And we, as a country that has a common border with North Korea,
are not into jokes. “We cannot allow the United States or any other nation to hold this sort of experiments with North Korea,” Senator Konstantin Kosachev said in comments with Izvestia daily. He also noted that North Korean leadership will do anything to protect itself from external threats and because of that, work on the nuclear program would not stop while the United States and its allies allow the scenario of foreign intervention and forceful displacement on Pyongyang regime. READ MORE |
| Kim Jong-Un threatens to turn US into ‘sea of flames’ with surprise attack
Posted: 18 Sep 2017 06:01 AM PDT  Tyrant dictator Kim Jong-un has taunted Donald Trump boasting “America’s fate is in hands of North Korea” by vowing to turn US into a “sea of flames”. The threat came just a day after the North carried out yet another successful ballistic missile over Japan claiming America is now in “mortal fear” after proving it has the military power to strike US territory. A spokesman for NK’s ruling party said: “Through the two
successful ICBM test-launches the DPRK has put the whole U.S. mainland in its striking range and clearly showed that it can turn the American empire into a sea in flames through sudden surprise attack from any region and area. “Whatever means and methods the U.S. may employ, they will never work on the DPRK. The U.S. fate is in the hands of the DPRK. READ MORE |
| DEVELOPING: Hurricane Maria Likely to Strengthen to Category 4
Posted: 18 Sep 2017 05:54 AM PDT  Hurricane Maria is forecast to rapidly strengthen over the next two days as it takes aim at Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma just days ago. “Significant strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Maria is expected to become a dangerous major hurricane before it moves through the Leeward Islands,” according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest update. In its 5 a.m. update, the
hurricane center placed Maria about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Martinique and about 130 miles (215 east-southeast) of Dominica. The storm is currently a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph, and is forecast to continue moving toward the eastern Caribbean at 13 mph. “Maria is likely to be at category 3 or 4 intensity by the time it moves into the extreme northeastern Caribbean Sea,” the center said in its forecast. READ MORE |
| 6 Times the Devil Loves to Attack You
Posted: 17 Sep 2017 04:00 PM PDT  (By Ben Godwin) When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove upon Him. Then God the Father spoke audibly, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). What a divine endorsement and spectacular display of the supernatural! Notice what happened next: The snake showed up. Jesus was led into the wilderness to endure 40 days of intense temptation by the devil.
When God moves, you can count on it, the devil moves too. He tries to undermine what God is doing and steal our spiritual momentum. Remember, it is not a sin to be tempted. It just means you’re human (welcome to the club). Shakespeare said, “This one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall.” Martin Luther observed, “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” READ MORE |
| Hackers Now Have Credit Information Of 143 Million Americans
Posted: 17 Sep 2017 03:47 PM PDT  (By Michael Snyder) Talk about a nightmare. It is being reported that criminals were able to hack into Equifax and make off with the credit information of 143 million Americans. We are talking about names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and even driver’s license numbers. If this data breach was an earthquake, we would be talking about a magnitude-10.0 on the identity theft scale. We have never seen
anything like this before, and to say that this will be “disastrous” for the credit industry would be a massive understatement. What really disturbed me about this story is that this hack reportedly occurred between “mid-May and July of this year”… Credit monitoring company Equifax has been hit by a high-tech heist that exposed the Social Security numbers and other sensitive information about 143 million Americans. Now the unwitting victims have to worry about the threat of having their identities stolen. READ MORE
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| Passion of the Christ actor will star in new film based on Paul the Apostle
Posted: 17 Sep 2017 03:40 PM PDT  Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, will play St. Luke in a new movie about the apostle St. Paul. Paul, Apostle of Christ is slated to be released from AFFIRM Films, a division of Sony, and ODB Films, in 2018. It began shooting in Malta recently, Variety reported. The “inspirational drama” will tell the story of St. Paul, who went “from the most infamous persecutor[s] of
Christians to Christ’s most influential apostle,” according to the producers’ description. It will take place primarily during Paul’s last days, when he was imprisoned and about to be executed. James Faulkner of Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones will play Paul. “Paul changed from murdering Christians to becoming their unlikely leader. READ MORE |
| DEVELOPING: Maria strengthens to category 1 Hurricane, Following same path as Irma
Posted: 17 Sep 2017 03:33 PM PDT  Hurricane Maria was upgraded from a tropical storm Sunday afternoon as it takes aim at Caribbean islands devastated less than two weeks ago by Hurricane Irma. As of Sunday afternoon, Maria was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) east-northeast of Barbados, according to the National Hurricane Center. It had strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, hurling winds of 75 mph, and is forecast to continue
moving toward the eastern Caribbean at 15 mph. “Maria has strengthened to a hurricane and could be near major hurricane intensity which it affects portions of the Leeward Islands over the next few days, bringing dangerous wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards,” the hurricane center said. Maria is one of three storms churning in the Atlantic Ocean, but it poses the most danger to the hurricane-battered Caribbean. READ MORE |
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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