This is a follow-up to my earlier post about the current crisis in Egypt.

We need to pray for the many thousands of believers who live there.

I'm not referring here to nominal, Coptic or Catholic "Christians" who may or may not have ever truly experienced the saving grace of God.

I'm talking about genuine, born-again, Bible-believing followers of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah.

You might say, "Are you serious? Real believers in Egypt?"

Yes, I'm serious.

When Gideon and I were in Cairo a few years ago, we had a great time of fellowship with some Brethren Christians there. These Arab believers treated us like royalty. They took us out to dinner on a boat on the Nile River—a lovely setting and a delicious meal. I'll never forget it.

We sat around the table for an hour or more after dinner, just talking and enjoying each other's company (they spoke a mixture of English, Hebrew, and Arabic). They asked many questions about prophecy (with Gideon translating for me when he saw that I was having trouble following the discussion). They assured us that they understand Israel's place in God's plan, although they have to be careful what they say publicly due to possible political repercussions.

Just a couple of years ago, some friends of ours participated in a conference of evangelical churches in Egypt. They returned home greatly encouraged and inspired by the faith and commitment of the Arab believers they met while they were there.

God's people are everywhere—including the Arab world. God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians are scattered throughout Egypt, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and even Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Since they are our brothers and sisters in the Messiah, we should be praying for them (Eph. 6:18). We are all members of the same Body (1 Cor. 12:12-20).

This is especially true during times of conflict and uncertainty. Too often, believers get caught in the cross fire when there's political upheaval like this. We've seen it happen in the West Bank and in Gaza, where the tiny community of Palestinian believers suffers greatly. Palestinian believers who've been accused of collaborating with Israel have even been murdered (with no trial or due process of law) and their bodies hung in the town square in Ramallah. See my Jan. 11, 2011 blog: "Christian Muslim—An Oxymoron?"

It remains to be seen what the long-term fallout will be from this current wave of political unrest in the Arab world. Earlier this month, it struck Tunisia, then Yemen (where the unrest has been building for some time), and now Egypt. 

There was an interesting twist in the plot last year when demonstrators took to the streets of Tehran in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election. The mullahs used a heavy-handed approach to quell the unrest with police reportedly killing 30 or more demonstrators (although official figures provided by the government were much lower); but the respite may only be temporary. 

So when the Jihadists stoke the fires of freedom in their attempts to bring down secular Arab dictators, that's the risk they take—it might backfire on them.

As an aside, one of the big surprises since last week has been the notably balanced coverage by the Arab Al Jazeera TV network. In fact, they have some of the best coverage out there right now. You can view a live stream, if you like (click here). However, be forewarned that their coverage is more graphic than the American networks. I guess their Arab viewers aren't as squeamish as we are here in the West.

If you'd like to weigh in on these unfolding events in the Middle East, please do so. Tell us what's on your mind. Will the Mubarak regime survive—or is this the beginning of the end for the longtime dictator? How will this affect the political dynamics in the Middle East? Should we exercise caution before declaring these events a fulfillment of biblical prophecy? Or not?