General

This morning Senator Ted Cruz from Texas finished the fourth longest speech in US Senate history–over 21 hours–using a filibuster-like tactic to draw attention to the problems of Obamacare. Cruz, like a majority of Americans, wants the Affordable Care Act defunded and repealed.

Why? Because it is the most destructive entitlement program in the history of the Republic which will sink the American nation into the fiscal abyss, the shackles of tyranny (think IRS), and another recession (or Depression).

Whether you agree with Ted Cruz’ tactical strategy or not, I ask you to pray for him and many other national leaders.

Mikhail Gorbachev just might be an inspiration for you.

First of all, a few thoughts on Ted Cruz. He’s a new-generation political leader of Hispanic background that you need to watch coming years. Ted is principled, smart, articulate, courageous, and just might run for president in either 2016 or 2020.

If we want “good vision” in 2020 (pun intended) keep your eyes on Ted “of the Cross” (Cruz in Spanish). We desperately need someone like him who will tell us the truth and lead the American nation back to the freedoms of godly government where faith, morality, family values, limited government, economic liberty and peace through strength reign as bedrock principles–not just a forgotten past.

There are others like him on the horizon–legislators Mike Lee (UT) and Marco Rubio (FL) come to mind, and also many conservative governors (Susanna Martinez (NM), Bobby Jindal (LA), Nicki Haley (NC), Mitch Daniels (IN), John Kasich (OH) and Scott Walker (WI)–to name a few. They all seem to be rising in stature and influence.

I believe there is a prayer correlation to their success. Here’s the Scriptural backdrop:

“The first thing I want to to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well, so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way God wants us to live. He wants not only us but everyone saved” (1 Timothy 2:1,2 – The Message).

I think the first time I prayed for a government leader was in a church service. Whoever was up front  led the congregation in praying for our president and other leaders.

Some year later, I began to pray for political leaders in small groups where we discussed some of the issues of the day and then bowed our heads to pray for our mayor, governor, president, or leaders of other countries. The group dynamic helped me remember that public figures needed our prayers.

Then I helped coordinate a large national prayer meeting in Washington, D.C. in 1980. Much of that day was spent praying for godly leadership in America. Six months later, the Reagan Revolution swept into town with many secular leaders voted out of office, and numerous others were elected to lead America in a different direction. The day of President Reagan’s inauguration, the Iranian hostages were freed–also a fruit of prayer and other factors.

So for about twenty years, I prayed for political leaders primarily when I was in a group setting, either large or small.

But I rarely did it alone in my personal quiet times.

Then God exploded 2 Timothy 2:1,2 on my heart. It teaches that:

• Prayer is the first or most important thing we can do.
• We should pray for all people on earth (verse 1).
• We should pray for political leaders including heads of nations (verse 2)
• Because good government is essential to peace and tranquility,
• And civil government and their leaders contribute to all people coming to salvation.

What an amazing intercessory promise: praying for righteous leaders and good government has a huge bearing on world evangelization.

So for the past twenty years, I’ve not just prayed for national leaders when it was convenient in large and small group settings, but have brought it into the center of my own personal prayer life.

The YWAM Prayer Diary helped me. It contains a page where you can commit to praying for different items on each of the seven days of the week. Since God said “first of all” to pray for “everyone and leaders,” I chose to use of the the first days of the week to pray specifically for local, national and world political leaders.

I believe it is one of my most important practices today. Why?

Because God says so.

To encourage you to add this practice to your own personal prayer life, let me refer to the former dictator of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.

I saw an article a few years ago (that resurfaced this week), that reminded me that our prayers for the supreme leader of the USSR in the 70s and 80s did not go unanswered.

I started praying for Mr. Gorbachev to come to faith, and for God to use him for his purposes in the mid 1970s. In 1980, I led a team into the USSR. We spent an entire day fasting and praying for the freedom of the Soviet Union, for its people and its leaders.

Nine years later, the Iron Curtain fell and eventually half the world was liberated from the clutches of  atheistic communism. In the past thirty years, many people in China, the USSR, and other communist states have come to faith in Jesus Christ.

And Mikhail Gorbachev is crucial to that decisive historical change.

He was the architect of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring or reformation) of the Soviet communist empire. As a part of a long line of dictators that included Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, and other tyrants, Gorbachev was assumed to be a hard-line communist.

Then an article appeared in March 2008 that indicated the Mikhail Gorbachev might be a Christian.

The suspicion emerged after private citizen Gorbachev paid a surprise visit to pray at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi (in Italy). Accompanied by his daughter Irina, Mr Gorbachev spent half an hour on his knees in silent prayer at the tomb. His arrival in Assisi was described as “spiritual perestroika” by La Stampa, the Italian newspaper.

The recent Syrian use of chemical weapons and the American response to it are dominating the news this week–as they should.

I have rarely seen such tense debate on national television over what to do. It’s also rare to have such strange bed-fellows in the debate: Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid joining John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Bill O’Reilly as war hawks, and Dennis Cucinich, Frank Leahy, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity representing the doves.

To be honest, as Charles Krauthammer recently admitted, I’ve gone back and forth on what is the right course of action. 

But today I had to vote in a national poll of Christians leaders.

I said no to an attack on Syria.

Here are my thoughts. I’d love to hear yours.

1. Bill O’Reilly believes that America’s reputation in the world is at stake in the Syria dilemma. We’re known in history as a noble nation that backs noble causes. In the last hundred years we’ve freed more people from tyranny than any nation in history. We can’t let the use of chemical weapons go unnoticed or we will unleash every crackpot tyrant in the world to kill their people and abuse their power. I agree with Bill on this general premise.

2. America is a unique nation that has advanced the cause of freedom around the world. We never did it perfectly–but better than anyone else. Our stature is based on our trust in God, belief in His Word and principles, in biblical freedom, justice and compassion, and the God-given rights of people. However, our corporate culture is dangerously in decline because of turning away from God–making us morally weak, economically enslaved, and internationally vulnerable. Our true power will never be our firepower–but our hearts, morals, ideals, compassion, hatred of evil and zeal for good–backed up by the greatest fighting force known to man.

3. Many say we should bomb Syria because chemical weapons were used to kill over three hundred people and injure one thousand more. That’s gruesome and barbaric. But a double standard or poor memory seems to exist. Saddam Hussein gassed five thousand Kurds in the 1988 and probably over 50,000 of his own people over two decades. Yet Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and many others opposed our involvement in Iraq. Why the duplicity? Why is it a “principle” now to oppose the use of weapons of mass destruction, but not to oppose it under Saddam? Principles should never be politicized–otherwise they are not principles, but simply partisan chicanery.

4. President Obama made numerous, consequential mistakes that have brought us to the present crisis. First, as Democrat Charley Rangel observed, it was “embarrassing” for a US president to draw a “red-line” over the issue. It only tempted our enemies to taunt us.  In truth,  that red-line was passed several times in the past six months–so why play our chips now, and not then?  Is there simply a bruised ego involved here that is the real motivation for authorizing a strike? Is that a good reason to lob bombs or start a war?

5. The president of the United States then indicated that a surgical strike was imminent. Two days later he took a forty-five minute walk and changed his mind. He told us the strike didn’t have to be imminent–it would be just as effective in days, weeks or months. Really? Can’t the Syrian government move its targets during that time into residential neighborhoods behind masses of human shields? And if we bomb the heck out of them, aren’t we more guilty of the loss of innocent human life? No wonder Pope Francis is calling the world to fast and pray on September 7 for peace in Syria..

6. The administration’s expressed strategy is not regime change in Syria–but “a shot across the bow,” i.e. to make a point or save face. Is that a good military calculation? We spend a a half a billion dollars lobbing Tomahawk Cruise missiles priced at 1.5 million dollars each into the Damascus neighborhoods to say Na-Na-Na-Na Na! to the Syrian dictator? Won’t he just laugh in our face and continue the civil war, emboldened that America doesn’t have the guts to fight a war to win? (Anybody remember Viet Nam?).

7. Let’s back up and look at the bigger picture. How has the current US government’s foreign policy helped to bring either freedom or stability to the Middle East? We got rid of Ghaddaffi in Libya (after he had laid down his arms thanks to “Peace Through Strength” under Ronald Reagan); in return we have our embassy ransacked, our ambassador killed, and a fearful rise of jihadist elements in Libya. In Egypt, we get behind the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, then support the Muslim Brotherhood who tried to bring a worse from of Islamic dictatorship to the nation; the people cast off Mohammed Morsi and now hate America for our stupidity. Now in Syria we say that we want to help depose the dictator, Bashar al-Assad; but if he is defeated, it’s likely that he will be replaced by the rising jihadist element in the Syrian opposition forces.

8. We seem to have our foreign policy backwards. In nations that have never experienced biblical liberty, “stabilizing dictators” are far better than Islamo-fascist ones. Let’s be honest. The Middle East and America’s strategic interest were far better off under Ghaddaffi, Mubarak, and Assad than under the emerging alternative. We are essentially helping Iran–the real terrorist linchpin in the region–to foment an Islamic caliphate in that part of the world.

9. Let’s talk about Iran–honestly. It’s the real human scourge in the Middle East. Iran is the seat of the world’s most radical jihadist government which is brazenly committed to annihilating Israel and spreading holy war to the ends of the earth. It is the supplier of arms for Hezbollah and Hamas. Syria is simply its client puppet in closer proximity to Palestine. And Iran is possibly one year away from having a nuclear bomb. I have a suggestion for Congress as they meet next week. If you want to authorize a war declaration or get behind a wise use of force against evil, then authorize the military might of the United States to join Israel in taking out Iran’s nuclear capabilities–then support the freedom movements that were once vibrant in Tehran. As Iran goes, so goes Syria and the rest of the Middle East.

10. As to chemical weapons being used in Syria, there is a disagreement as to who really used them. Our government tells us it was Bashar al-Assad who reigned them down on a Damascus neighborhood. But why would he do that with UN inspectors on the ground? He’s winning the civil war in his nation. Why would he be so foolish to turn world opinion against him?

There’s another theory out there that you might want to read here. In a thought-proving and well documented article, Israeli-American foreign affairs expert, Yossef Bodansky, lays out the case that it was the jihadist opposition that used chemical weapons to frame the Assad regime and draw America and the world into the trap of deposing Assad.

11. Here is the pertinent part of Bodansky’s research:

“There is a growing volume of new evidence from numerous sources in the Middle East — mostly affiliated with the Syrian opposition and its sponsors and supporters — which makes a very strong case, based on solid circumstantial evidence, that the August 21, 2013, chemical strike in the Damascus suburbs was indeed a pre-meditated provocation by the Syrian opposition. The extent of US foreknowledge of this provocation needs further investigation because available data puts the “horror” of the Barack Obama White House in a different and disturbing light.”

“On August 13-14, 2013, Western-sponsored opposition forces in Turkey started advance preparations for a major and irregular military surge. Initial meetings between senior opposition military commanders and representatives of Qatari, Turkish, and US Intelligence [“Mukhabarat Amriki”] took place at the converted Turkish military garrison in Antakya, Hatay Province, used as the command center and headquarters of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and their foreign sponsors. Very senior opposition commanders who had arrived from Istanbul briefed the regional commanders of an imminent escalation in the fighting due to “a war-changing development” which would, in turn, lead to a US-led bombing of Syria.”

“Several Syrian leaders, many of whom are not Bashar al-Assad supporters and are even his sworn enemies, are now convinced that the Syrian opposition is responsible for the August 21, 2013, chemical attack in the Damascus area in order to provoke the US and the allies into bombing Assad’s Syria. Most explicit and eloquent is Saleh Muslim, the head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) which has been fighting the Syrian Government. Muslim doubts Assad would have used chemical weapons when he was winning the civil war.”

“’The regime in Syria … has chemical weapons, but they wouldn’t use them around Damascus, five km from the [UN] committee which is investigating chemical weapons. Of course they are not so stupid as to do so,’” Muslim told Reuters on August 27, 2013. He believes the attack was ‘aimed at framing Assad and provoking an international reaction.’”

12. So things may not be what they seem. This same ploy was used in 1995 to draw America into bombing Serbia (under Bill Clinton). The winners of that charade? The Muslim forces in the region. Is it possible that a similar deception is taking place in Syria to draw the US to depose Assad which will lead to either chaos or Islamicist supremacy in another Muslim nation? 

Those are my dozen thoughts. I’d like to hear yours.

Here are some suggestions:

• We should not go to war in Syria, especially with a symbolic surgical strike. The US Congress should say no to presidential blunder and bluster. Syria is not Iraq. Bashar al-Assad is not Saddam Hussein. As Ret. Colonel Ralph Peters opines, “we should let both our enemies kill off themselves.”
• We should lead the humanitarian assistance to those suffering in the region. We should support the real forces of freedom.
• We should do everything in our power to stand by Israel and not trigger a war in the Middle East that builds a ring of terrorism around the Hebrew nation.
• Any military actions should be aimed, short-term and long term, at liberating Iran. Cut off the head of the snake and the body and tail will die.
• We should immediately approve the Keystone Pipeline and act with urgency to create energy independence in the United States. A disastrous entanglement in the Middle East will spike the cost of gasoline and plunge the world into global recession.

And we should join with Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in praying for God’s gracious intervention among the suffering in the region. We should also join with Intercessors for America in 21 days of fasting in prayer that begins on September 11.

Here is my prayer:

Father in Heaven–we desperately need your wisdom and clarity to respond to these incredible events taking place in the Middle East. Protect and inspire your people to bring the light of Jesus Christ into every home and neighborhood. Raise up godly leaders, both here and abroad who share your interests of life, liberty, and justice on earth. May your light and love triumph over the forces of darkness coming against the world. In the Name and through the power of Jesus, the Messiah. Amen.

Two weeks ago the eyes of the world were focused on momentous civil unrest in Egypt. More recently, the use of chemical weapons in Syria captured our attention and could lead to an imminent US bombing campaign–as early as this week.

Let’s be honest that the so-called “Arab Spring,” which began two years ago and seemed to set the stage for political upheaval, now appears to be devolving into a disastrous “Arab winter.”

What is really going on? Who are the players involved? And what should be the response to this Middle East madness of followers of Christ and the leaders of free nations?

MIddle Eastern politics is a complex topic, but I would like to examine it with some clarity, and a “total” view of the subject that does not minimize spiritual realities. The modern press rarely mentions the spiritual component because of its secular default and the agenda that accompanies it.

But you cannot understand history without the view from the heavenlies and from boots on the ground.

Let’s begin with some qualifications.

First, it’s nearly impossible to discern what is happening in the Middle East by reading news reports. I was reminded recently through The Unknown Mao by Jung Chang that news reporting, especially of wars and political conflicts, are usually perverted by propaganda. Chang gave many instances in her book of what really happened on various Chinese battlefields during the 1930s and 40s, and what Mao and Stalin told the world via their propaganda machines.

Their accounts were completely opposite the truth.

Many lies are propagated during war-time.

The same is happening in the Middle East.  Because of the spin, it’s important to get the truth from trustworthy sources on the ground who can set the record straight. I will use one of those in this article.

Second, it’s critically important to understand who the real players are in a complex war zone. When the press talks about the military, who are they? Jihadists? Good guys or bad guys? When they describe the insurgents or rebels, what is their makeup, and what do they really want?

If you can’t define the teams you certainly won’t understand the game.

Third, the secular press gives no credence to the spiritual powers that are behind today’s conflict. Heck, during World War II, Franklin Roosevelt led the whole nation in prayer on the radio–acknowledging the Unseen God as well as and the demonic forces that the Allies were arrayed against.

During the American Revolution, our leaders called the people to numerous days of fasting and prayer because they realized that human wars are incited and carried out by invisible satanic forces–and God’s mercy, power and intervention are needed to bring about victory.

So, to begun with, let’s clear up the picture by naming the major parties involved:

1. God and his angelic hosts.

He brought his chosen people back to the land of Israel in 1948. Though most of them do not currently  love and worship Him (most Israelis are secular), He has providential purposes for them which include,  “all of Israel being saved” (Romans 11:26). Right now, more Jews are returning to Messiah Yeshua than any time in the last fifteen hundred years.

If you want to understand the Middle East, you must get this point. The whole globe is obsessed with a tiny geographical swath called Palestine because God is directing history to a consummation that will involve world evangelization, the salvation of the Jews, and the return of Jesus Christ.

There is no other rational explanation for Middle East myopia.

2. Satan and his demonic hordes

No one can state definitively where the Prince of Darkness makes his earthly lair, but one good bet is the Middle East. The wars, tensions, spirit of violence, torture, beheading, anger and hysteria all point to a devilish occupation of that part of the world.

Of course, the devil tries to destroy people everywhere and in every culture–but the Middle East seems to be a favorite playground.

We must remember: There is evil in the world, and there is an Evil Being who is inciting people and societies on the planet. In the same way as “where the Spirit of the Lord (Jesus) is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17), where the spirit of violence and murder is, you see the presence of Satan.

3. Military leaders/dictators that may be Muslim in name (primarily Sunni) but are essentially secular.

These include Hosni Mubarak, the current generals in Egypt, and Bashar Al-Assad, the tyrant in Syria who’s been hanging onto power by killing up to 100,000 of his own people. These are strong men who enjoy power, want to maintain overall order, and really have no religious aspirations.

4. Jihadists in many forms.

 Mohammed Morsi was toppled in Egypt by the military because a large portion the people demanded it and did not want the sharia law/freedom-denying society that was being foisted on them by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Here is a perspective from a brave Christian leader in Cairo who tells us the truth about what happened a few weeks ago: (I have altered the words to protect his identity)

“I’m writing this letter with a very happy heart after the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood from their power. Their displacement will open up the way for the defeat of the jihadists, which they planned to implement in our region.”

“There are still some groups in Cairo and other cities, led by a few jihadists, for whom arrest warrants have been written on charges of inciting violence, funding murder, and theft. The problems are greatest in Sinai, where our soldiers are battling Al-Qaeda who are armed by Hamas.”

Still, I trust the freedom movement will advance. There was a new day that ushered a new age for Egypt (two years ago) in which I hope and pray for a godly constitution, economic growth and peace with our neighbors. What happened is really a miracle accomplished by Jesus, who is moving among our people.”

“I never liked Hosni Mubarak’s years, but I certainly believe that they were more benign than the theocratic suppression the Brotherhood desired to implement. I was longing for the Lord to expose the evil schemes of the Brotherhood and their friends but I have to confess that my faith was small. I believe that if Egyptians would have hired the most powerful consultants in the world and spent lots of money to expose Islam, they would have never seen the results that the Brotherhood brought on themselves when they came to power.”

“I know some Westerners are picturing what happened as a military coup. Not true. The army moved to free our nation  because of the demands of millions of people who took to the streets in protest.  In the Western world you value “democratic elections.” But they are not fool-proof. Let us not forget that Mussolini came to power through a vote of the people”

“Republican governments can come about in countries like Egypt only through great acts and sacrifices from all of us–and this takes time.  As was said by the media, Egypt has seen four million young people turn away from Islam recently and now they don’t know what to believe.  We must share God’s love with them.”

That’s the truth from people who are trustworthy. Muslim jihadists in Egypt, Syria, Iran and other nations are the main forces for evil in this region. They want a global caliphate and forced Islamic rule in every nation. They are exploiting the longing for freedom by many in the Middle East to bring in even darker forms of tyranny.

5. Masses of people, mainly youth, yearning for freedom from secular and Islamic tyrants.

These folks essentially led the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo, the demonstrations in Tehran in 2009, and are a part of the coalition fighting for freedom in Syria. A growing percentage are followers of Jesus (like the Copts in Egypt). Others are more secular, yet looking for liberty (as described by the Egyptian leader above).

The freedom lovers were at the heart of the Arab Spring, but their aspirations were hijacked by the jihadists (Muslim Brotherhood) in Egypt, by the insurgents in Libya, and by Islamist factions in Syria.

What we don’t want is a secular tyranny being replaced by a far worse religious one.

6. Followers of Christ in the Middle East and also around the world.

As noted above, God is answering their prayers for freedom–but laying the foundations of liberty take time and great sacrifice.  At the same time, hundreds of millions of believers from all over the world are praying for the light of the Good News to penetrate the darkness of the Muslim nations and bring salvation to the Jews.

This internal and external prayer tsunami aimed at the Middle East is no small thing. It’s the greatest “aerial battle” taking place in the world today.

So, now that we understand the players, what should followers of Christ and leaders of free nations do to see God’s purposes fulfilled in the Middle East. Here are some suggestions:

• We need to up the intensity of prayer for our ME brothers and sisters, for the salvation of Israel, and for the triumph of freedom in this cradle of civilization.
• We must pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and encourage our government leaders to unequivocally support the the only democracy in the region – the Republic of Israel.
• We should send more missionaries to this part of the globe and support those already in the field. The power of the Good News is the key to long-lasting liberty in a nation.
• We need a clear and immediate plan to get off our dependence on Mid-East oil. This neglect is the driver of our economic interest. America can be energy independent–and a blessing to the world–simply by harvesting its own resources.  We must vote for leaders who will make the US energy strong once again.
• We should support the non-jihadist freedom fighters in the nations of the Middle East with arms and know-how to defeat the powers coming against them.
  
• We should support secular dictators over religious tyrants. They are the lesser of two evils.
• The US cannot be the world’s army. We should be a compass, a lighthouse, a good ally and partner in the quest for liberty.
• We should focus our efforts on Iran–the key Islamic nation in the region. As Iran goes, so goes Muslim terrorism around the world and in the Middle East (especially Syria).
  
• We should not tie our actions to the United Nations. It is a corrupt organization that cannot be a vehicle of peace.
• We must look to God, not men, to bring about his glory in the Middle East. Only the plans of the Lord will stand (Psalm 2).

Let’s be discerning as we watch the evening news. Don’t forget the bigger picture and all the players involved in the drama in the Middle East.

And pray for God to use Middle East madness to reach the world with his love.