JESUS CHRIST, Liar or the Truth? How Do Immigrants respond?

 JESUS CHRIST, Liar or the Truth? How Do Immigrants respond?  Kelly Durant

The scholars of history face us with one of these conclusions about Jesus: He was a liar, an imposter, or He really was the Son of God! And if He is the Son of God then he actually does bring forgiveness, Salvation, and eternal life!

What proves He was who He was? Think about this posture proposed by some intellectuals: All of today’s existing religions and philosophies cannot do us any good unless they can instruct us on how to overcome death!

Since philosophers and historians offer little consolation or solutions to the perplexities of life, scientists would like to have you believe that they are the ultimate answer. They hope to be able to conquer death by reemplanting into our human cells the part that wears out as stated in article in Time Magazine a few years ago. I interpret them to be proud dreamers hoping to gain praise and worship from man and be recognized as the Gods and the saviors of humanity! But they do not deliver answers, most new medicines create so many side effects all is nullified.

These secular humanist types have made themselves enemies of Christians because they use people as property such as they research done from the cells of aborted babies. Christians who oppose the abuse of life are usually labeled as the stupid narrow-minded idiots in the way of progress! When Christians defend the truth, we go against the world and against what is abusive and morally wrong,

I John 4: 5-6 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

It is more and more unpopular to claim that Jesus is the truth and the Son of God! Academia today has become institutionalized as more politically correct agendas are taught for secular indoctrination and testing than what is taught for the basics of reading, writing, and math. Many foreigners that transfer here from other countries are often about one to two grade levels above the American standards because they are learning more the basics and less about how one should think in most other countries.

One of the things kids are taught in school is that you cannot proclaim your faith publicly. The truth is there are many children from Christian homes in schools but if they write a homework paper on Jesus, or witness about him in class, they are ignored, silenced, or punished. I think many get confused. Is not this the land of freedom and opportunity? But when it comes to the Christian faith (other ones seem to be respected?!), society wants to put the Christian into a box and tell him or her that you must have your faith expression only in a church!

But those of us who have Jesus and eternal life have a debt to those around us; we must share Jesus with everyone, despite persecution and its unpopularity!

Hispanics and many other new immigrants have a high esteem for Jesus Christ! In their countries tourists can see pictures of Him in stores and on the buses, why not here?

But what frequently happens when a Hispanic immigrates into the American society? For one, they know they are on a quest of survival here.  New immigrants always feel intimidated; they feel they don’t want to call attention to themselves by being critical of the society. Travelers and immigrants always contemplate the good and the bad and compare it continuously with what one grew up with. You observe wrong things but you don’t know how to offer help to others ot accept a better way of doing things.

In the U.S.A, Hispanics, and other immigrants are often shocked by the absence of faith in the society! Personally, I believe God wants to use Hispanics immigrants greatly to get this culture back to where it needs to be spiritually. Hispanics must always stand up for Jesus! Jesus said that if “We deny Him, He will deny us”! In the schools Hispanics can be bold and witness their faith and get away with it! At work too!

People here expect others to have a love for their own customs and like Jesus said that no prophet is accepted in his own country amongst his own people, this implies that one outside of his or her country can influence others greatly! Americans will listen more to another person from another land share his faith than he or she will listen to another. Americans amongst themselves expects others to be conformed to the current secular humanist worldview. I am counting on the passion of the new immigrants to not only edify themselves while here but also positively impact the society with their faith.

Was Jesus was a liar or not? Jesus identified Satan to be the father of lies but Satan would have the world believe that Jesus is the liar. The question is who is the real liar? If a person does not accept Jesus and obey and honor Him, then in effect that person makes Jesus a liar by not reverencing Him as who He is, the Son of God! Many Jewish people today claim Jesus lied in being the Son of God, and they deny the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. The proof of Jesus not being a liar is in the many prophecies he stated that came true such as the destruction of the Temple of Herod.

The main supernatural prophecy He made was that he claimed he would rise out of the grave and He did! There are many aberrant groups or religious sects that I have learned about that make Jesus out to be only a teacher, or guru, or something else. Those of that persuasion promote a lie and deny His supernatural uniqueness.  But Jesus could not have made it clearer when He said: I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by me. In Him is the only truth, and anything that is not in Him and his truth, is a lie!

Let’s examine and see if Jesus was an imposter. I will never forget one time years ago when I made friends with a young Brazilian guy. When I spoke to him about Jesus, he started telling me that I was wrong and confused, that he grew up knowing that Jesus was an imposter. Did I hear right, an imposter? He explained that Jesus wanted to be worshiped saying He was the Son of God and that He said and did things to fool people, but that Satan is the true Created son of God who controls everything!? Jesus, he explained, came to imitate Satan and so Jesus therefore is an imitator!

I was speechless for a moment. I could not reason with that guy. His mind was made up and He did not want anything else. Like the phrase that says, most people’s minds are like cement, all mixed up and permently set. But at least I did my part and offered him the truth that Jesus is the Son of God.

There actually are people out there that believe Jesus was an imposter. Some try to deny that He ever existed but there is plenty of secular evidence that proves otherwise! For example the great Roman historian Josephus: He describes Jesus well, and he describes the destruction of Jerusalem & Herod's temple, the one Jesus said would be torn down stone by stone which occurred in 70 AD. His historical accounts will turn your stomach over all the violence employed by the Romans.

Jesus said, I and my Father are One. The difference between Jesus and Satan is that Jesus obeyed God and wanted to bring worship to God while in turn Satan wanted to be like God, he wants to usurp authority and be worshiped!

It is a personal decision for you or I chose to believe if Jesus was truthful and that He did rise from the dead or not! The proof is that every one of his 11 surviving followers gave up their lives to be martyrs, dying a cruel death for their love for Him.

Would they do that for an imposter, a con man, or liar?  The world empire of Rome converted to Christianity because Jesus is truth.  Throughout the past 2000 years Jesus has received attention like no other man in History, with hundreds of millions of followers with millions of buildings of worship around the world. His followers have received and still receive harsh persecution and yet remain faithful. From this evidence we must conclude the following:

Jesus was the Son of God and He is the truth. He liberates us from liars and oppressors. He is the Truth and the Life! If you pray to Him, read His words, and just accepts as I did, you will be surprised at how many unexplained good things happen to you!