Turbulence Rocks an Israeli Ally (from the New York Times)

Okay, I hear you!

Several readers have written to me privately and chastised me for speaking in disparaging terms ("dictator") about Hosni Mubarak, who for more than 30 years has been an important ally of the State of Israel.

Point taken. You're right—it's true.

It's also true that his departure—dictator or not—could radically alter the already-delicate political balance of the region.

The big unknown at this point is what will replace the Mubarak regime if it falls.

Mubarak has walked a fine line for years between his alliance with the Israelis and his need to maintain ties with the Arab world. Any way you slice it, such a feat cannot be easy. But somehow he has managed to do it.

Here's a pretty good summary of the finer nuances of this issue from The New York Times: click here

Thanks to our friend Jonathan Watson in Virginia for the heads-up on the Times article.

Praying for Egyptian Believers

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?

Egypt: It's like Déjà Vu All Over Again

It looks like Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is in trouble.

Tonight, as I type this blog entry, the news networks have been riveted for most of the day on the rioting in the streets of Cairo.

It's still too early to say what the ultimate outcome will be; however, I'm having flashbacks to early 1978, when the Islamic hordes were demonstrating against the Shah of Iran. It was on the news almost every evening.

I remember it vividly for a couple of reasons. First, we were living in Illinois and the winter of 1977-78 had been one of the coldest on record. One night in January, we recorded a low of 40 degrees below zero. Sure, that was "just the wind chill," but don't let that innocuous-sounding term fool you—it was bitterly COLD.

The second thing that made that winter memorable was that my wife, Marcia, was pregnant with our first child, Elizabeth (who, as it turned out, was born in March of that year).

Here we are in January of 2011—and it was in January of 1978 that fighting began in earnest in the streets of Tehran. Yes, there had been demonstrations before that; however, January of that year was when people started getting hurt and the world was beginning to understand that it was witnessing a true revolution. A year later, in January of 1979, the Shah, who had been a stalwart ally of the United States, fled the country.

That was in 1978-79. A US-backed dictator in the Middle East was replaced by the Islamic Republic of Iran, ruled by anti-US Jihadist imams.

Are you beginning to see why I'm having flashbacks?

Mubarak, a US-backed dictator in the Middle East, may be on his way out. It might take awhile (the Shah managed to hang on for a year), but the outcome may be nonetheless assured—depending on what happens over the next week or so.

You can bet that Mubarak and his advisors are poring over the history books tonight to see what they can learn from the Shah's mistakes during that fateful period in 1978-79.

Some people wonder how Islamic fundamentalism manages to gain a foothold like this, especially in underdeveloped and impoverished areas of the world. At least in part, it's because of the way the imams view the role of government. To them, it is the government's responsibility to provide the basic needs of its citizens—food, shelter, and employment. In places like Egypt, where the unemployment rate in some areas approaches 40% and annual per capita income is under $3,000, it's a welcome message. The Wikipedia article on "Iran" says:

The political system of the Islamic Republic [of Iran] is based on the 1979 Constitution. Accordingly, it is the duty of the Islamic government to furnish all citizens with equal and appropriate opportunities, to provide them with work, and to satisfy their essential needs, so that the course of their progress may be assured.

The poor masses are told that Allah, the Islamic deity, loves them and cares about them. If he was in charge, he would give them what they need. Powerful stuff, and understandably so. 

By way of contrast, Western culture places more emphasis on rewarding hard work and on individual initiative. To us, the role of government is not to take care of its citizens, but rather to empower its citizens to take care of themselves. The US Constitution, for instance, doesn't guarantee the right to happiness, but rather the right to pursue happiness (big difference).

In other words, if you want it—go out and get it. Your government will make sure you have just as much opportunity as the next guy—but you've got to get out there and do it for yourself. That's the deal. It's a different way of looking at things.

I realize that the parallel between Iran and Egypt isn't perfect. Iran under the Shah was hardly impoverished or underdeveloped, so economics was not a major factor in the 1979 revolution. (Scholars continue debating its cause even today.) But still, it's a fact that the Islamic message resonates today with many distressed and downtrodden people (like the Egyptian people and the Palestinians in the Middle East and like Black people in the US during the tumultuous 1960s).

What's going to happen in Egypt? We'll know before too much longer.

In the meantime, the Bible reminds us that the LORD God of heaven and earth is still in charge of the affairs of men:

"O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth" (Isa. 37:16).

If Egypt ends up being ruled by an Iran-like, anti-Israel government, it will be one more nudge farther down the road to Armageddon. And to that I say, "Even so, come, HaAdon Yeshua!" (Rev. 22:20).

Egypt has been a source of stability in the region because of its détente with Israel since 1978, although many experts argue that Jimmy Carter (and subsequent administrations) have paid dearly for that détente with roughly $2 billion a year in foreign aid to Cairo.

In any case, a militant Islamic regime in Egypt would dramatically alter the geopolitical balance in the Middle East and make it a much more dangerous and unstable place.

Here's what the New York Times is saying tonight about the situation in Egypt: click here

This just in—the US government has frozen all economic assistance to Egypt pending the outcome of these events. According to some reports, the Obama Administration doesn't want large amounts of US cash to fall into the hands of Islamic radicals if the Mubarak government is toppled.

More tomorrow, so stay tuned ...

Who Hardened Pharaoh's Heart?

“And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt” (Ex. 7:3).

The interplay between Pharaoh and the LORD during the ramp-up to the Jewish exodus from Egypt reflects the tension between divine sovereignty and human free will.

Critics have suggested that Pharaoh can't be blamed for his actions in the Book of Exodus because God is the One who hardened his heart—and yes, they have Scripture to prove it!

But wait a minute. Is it really that simple?

Here in the Book of Exodus, we have a monumental confrontation between the most powerful man on the planet (the King of Egypt) and Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Pharaoh (who was revered as a deity by his people) was accustomed to getting his way; but alas, his winning streak was about to come to an end.

Pharaoh and the LORD were at odds over the fate of the Hebrew people, who were slaves in Egypt. The LORD wanted them freed; but the Egyptian economy had grown dependent on the massive amount of free labor the slaves provided—so Pharaoh refused to let them go. Three times the Bible says the LORD hardened (or would harden) Pharaoh's heart. Seven times it simply says the king's heart was hard (or was hardened)—without saying why. Three more times it says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

One other time it says God would send plagues "to Pharaoh's heart” (9:14), probably to reveal what lurked within the king's innermost being. After all, this is when we reveal what we really are—when we're under fire and the pressure is on.

Three different Hebrew words for hard/harden(ed) are found in this passage:

• Chazaq — Means "to strengthen" or "to make firm." When the psalmist says we should "be of good courage" (Ps. 27:14), the word for "courage" is chazaq. In the Exodus story, the same word refers to Pharaoh (see below). Therefore, a righteous man's heart is courageous for good; but an evil man's heart (like Pharaoh’s) is courageous for evil. It's two contrasting reflections of the same attribute.
• Qashah — Means "to harden" or to make something (or to be) "difficult." The psalmist uses this word when he says we shouldn't "harden" our hearts like Israel did in the wilderness (95:8; see below).
• Kaved — Means “to become heavy” or “burdensome” (related to kavod, the Hebrew word for “glory”). Isaiah used this term when he chastised Israel for being “a people laden (kaved) with iniquity” (1:4). 

Here's a summary of the verses that tell us what was happening to Pharaoh's heart:

1. Ex. 4:21 — God says He will harden Pharaoh's heart — Heb., chazaq
2. Ex. 7:3 — God again says He will harden Pharaoh's heart — qashah
3. Ex. 7:13 — Pharaoh's heart grows hard (source unspecified) — chazaq
4. Ex. 7:14 — Pharaoh's heart is hard (source unspecified) — kaved
5. Ex. 7:22 — Pharaoh's heart grows hard (source unspecified) — chazaq
6. Ex. 7:23 — Pharaoh's heart remains "unmoved" (source unspecified)
7. Ex. 8:15 — Pharaoh hardens his own heart — kaved
8. Ex. 8:19 — Pharaoh's heard grows hard (source unspecified) — chazaq
9. Ex. 8:32 — Pharaoh hardens his own heart again — kaved
10. Ex. 9:7 — Pharaoh's heart becomes hard (source unspecified) — kaved
11. Ex. 9:12 — The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart — chazaq
12. Ex. 9:14 — God will target Pharaoh's heart with a series of plagues
13. Ex. 9:34 — Pharaoh hardens his own heart yet again — kaved
14. Ex. 9:35 — Pharaoh's heart is hard (source unspecified) — chazaq

The Pharaoh-Yahweh interchange boils down to one simple question: Who's in charge?

Having the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the LORD was in charge—and He ultimately prevailed. However, the Egyptian King's own free will also played a role in the shaping and severity of these events. Choices were placed before him and he had to decide what he would do. Then he did it.

It's interesting that the narrative strikes a balance between the human and divine dynamics. Three times it says the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart. Three other times it says he hardened his own heart (and it uses kaved in each of these instances). The rest of the time, it just says his heart was hard (or hardened).

Nowhere does it say that God forced Pharaoh to do anything. It’s more like the LORD was letting Pharaoh do what he was prone to do anyway—and prompting him at critical points along the way.

Will Israel Strike Iran? Update:

"Christian Muslim"—An Oxymoron?

As I've mentioned before, one of the frustrating things about having a ministry that's active in Israel is that there's a lot about it that we can't talk about.

The reason we can't talk about some aspects of our work in Israel is that publicity can sometimes be counterproductive.

At times, in fact, publicity can be downright dangerous. For instance, when Muslim or Druze people become believers in Jesus, their very lives are sometimes at risk. There are people in both of these communities who wouldn't hesitate to kill a family member who professed faith in the Jewish Messiah (or otherwise disgraced the clan)—and they would do it without batting an eye.

These executions are not uncommon in the Islamic world. They are called "honor killings." They happen even here in the US.

This is why we have to be judicious in our publications and on our website about what we reveal about our ministry in the Middle East.

Let me see if I can give you an example without treading on any dangerous ground. One of our workers in Israel has developed a ministry among the Palestinians. He/she travels to the West Bank from time to time and attends prayer meetings and Bible studies among Palestinian believers there. This worker sends us reports that include incredible photos of him/her with groups of Palestinian believers. They obviously have the greatest affection for him/her—and the feeling is mutual.

I look at these photos and I think, "Wow, this is the solution to the whole Middle East problem!" The Lord Yeshua the Messiah has been able to accomplish what governments and administrations have failed at so miserably for all these years! He has brought true shalom between Israelis and Palestinians.

It's hard to believe, I know; but in these photos it's right there in living color—a Jewish Israeli man/woman surrounded by a sea of friendly faces—Palestinian believers. These people love each other. They worship together. They pray together. They are brothers and sisters bound together by their mutual faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

We would love to print some of these reports and photos in our publications. But we can't because these precious Palestinian brothers and sisters would be seen as "collaborators" and traitors by the Palestinian Authority if the photos fell into the wrong hands. The penalty for treason in the Palestinian culture is death. Arafat used to cut the throats of suspected "collaborators" (with no trial or due process of law) and hang their bodies upside down in the Ramallah town square. This is serious business, folks.

So we keep it low-key on this end—and just pray that God will keep on doing what He's doing among the suffering Palestinian people. 

As an aside, we just heard about a Palestinian believer who was critically wounded when he was caught in cross-fire during a military campaign several years ago. His leg was amputated and later he developed kidney failure—so he couldn't work to support his family even if work was available. His small family lives in a shack in a West Bank slum with no running water. They barely have enough to eat. Yet even in the midst of these miserable conditions, this man loves the Lord. Some Jewish believers in Israel send him money when they are able so he can buy groceries and clothes for his children. His wife does her best to keep a clean house—as much as that's possible when you're sweeping a dirt floor. It's an amazing story (and there's a lot more that I can't tell you in this post).

Maybe this sounds strange to some of our readers. Is it possible to be pro-Israel to the core—and yet still have love and compassion for the Palestinian people, especially the believers among them? Yes, I promise you—it is possible.

Our sources tell us that the Gospel is making serious inroads into the Muslim community in the West Bank and Gaza. This growing phenomenon has given rise to an interesting theological question: Is the term "Christian Muslim" an oxymoron?

If you define the term "Muslim" as referring to someone who worships Allah and believes Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet but not the only begotten Son of God, then the answer is yes—it's an oxymoron, an inherent contradiction in terms.

On the other hand, if the term "Muslim" refers more broadly to a culture (rather than to someone who adheres to specific religious beliefs), then the answer is no, it's not a fundamental contradiction.

Here's one of several studies on this topic available on the Internet: click here.

One thing we know for sure: The war between good and evil is heating up and God has His people stationed everywhere—even behind enemy lines.

Let's pray for these courageous Palestinian believers in Gaza and the West Bank—and for the good-hearted people on our staff in Israel who have been moved by their plight and are trying to help them.

Although our emphasis continues to be Jewish evangelism, if you sent a check and marked it "Palestinian outreach," I'm sure we could put it to good use.

Verse for today: "The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed" (Psalm 103:6).

2010 Blog Wrap-Up

The end of 2010! Who thought it would go by so fast? In case you missed them, here are some of the Headline blog posts from 2010.

• Hard to believe it was only six months ago that the international community was criticizing Israel’s blockade of Gaza. “If Israel Is Not Evil, the World Is in Big Trouble.”
  
• And of course, Middle East Peace Talks … Again. With a stern reply by Abbas.
  
• The American political scene took off with Glenn Beck … All the Rage!
  
• And we took a time to look at Speaking in Tongues and what it means for believers today. (Click for Part 1 of 5 and follow through the series with the links at the bottom of each post.)
  
• The Vatican, in a not entirely surprising announcement, declared that Israel Isn’t the Promised Land After All 
  
• And the world asked the question: Does the Ayatollah Have a Sense of Humor?
  
• Finally, we wrapped up the year by answering the long-anticipated question: Will Israel Strike Iran?

As we look toward 2011, we’re excited about our upcoming God, Israel and You conference in Branson Missouri. We hope you’ll click the link above and head over to our site to register. We’d love to see you there!

Will Israel Strike Iran? Now We Know the Answer

For several years now, the world has been waiting with bated breath for the answer to this question: Will the Israelis strike Iran to dismantle (or at least decelerate) her nuclear weapons program?

Now we know the answer—and it's yes.

In fact, the strike has already occurred. Most people don't know about it because it was carried out stealthily and clandestinely. Unbelievably, not a single shot was fired and the Israeli F-16s never left their own airspace.

You see, they did it with a computer virus. It's well known that Iranian computer technology is five years or more behind the West (largely due to the technology embargo), so it seemed like the logical weakness to exploit. 

And exploit it they did (see the Jerusalem Post article below).

Of course, neither party is fessing up to it. The Israelis aren't admitting that they created the virus and the mullahs aren't about to acknowledge that the sinister Zionists caught them with their pants down.

But when you try to clean this particular brand of malware from a computer, it mockingly plays HaTikvah, the Israeli national anthem, while it continues to spread and infect critical systems.

I'd say that's a pretty good clue as to its origin.

So far, Tehran is playing it off and trying to make it appear as though it's business as usual with its nuclear program.

But it's not. Behind the scenes, the nerdy guys in the white lab coats are running around in circles like chickens with their heads cut off. By virtually all accounts, the attack has set Iran's nuclear program back by at least two years.

Which means that two years or so from now, we'll be right back where we started. So a disaster hasn't been averted; it's only been postponed.

Here's the article from the Jerusalem Post:

Stuxnet virus set back Iran’s nuclear program by 2 years

December 15, 2010

By YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST

Top German computer consultant tells ‘Post’ virus was as effective as military strike, a huge success; expert speculates IDF creator of virus.

The Stuxnet virus, which has attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and which Israel is suspected of creating, has set back the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program by two years, a top German computer consultant who was one of the first experts to analyze the program’s code told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

“It will take two years for Iran to get back on track,” Langer said in a telephone interview from his office in Hamburg, Germany. “This was nearly as effective as a military strike, but even better since there are no fatalities and no full-blown war. From a military perspective, this was a huge success.”

Langer spoke to the Post amid news reports that the virus was still infecting Iran’s computer systems at its main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and its reactor at Bushehr.

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog, said that Iran had suspended work at its nuclear-field production facilities, likely a result of the Stuxnet virus.

According to Langer, Iran’s best move would be to throw out all of the computers that have been infected by the worm, which he said was the most “advanced and aggressive malware in history.” But, he said, even once all of the computers were thrown out, Iran would have to ensure that computers used by outside contractors were also clean of Stuxnet.

“It is extremely difficult to clean up installations from Stuxnet, and we know that Iran is no good in IT [information technology] security, and they are just beginning to learn what this all means,” he said. “Just to get their systems running again they have to get rid of the virus, and this will take time, and then they need to replace the equipment, and they have to rebuild the centrifuges at Natanz and possibly buy a new turbine for Bushehr.”

Widespread speculation has named Israel’s Military Intelligence Unit 8200, known for its advanced Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities, as the possible creator of the software, as well as the United States.

Langer said that in his opinion at least two countries – possibly Israel and the United States – were behind Stuxnet.

Israel has traditionally declined comment on its suspected involvement in the Stuxnet virus, but senior IDF officers recently confirmed that Iran had encountered significant technological difficulties with its centrifuges at the Natanz enrichment facility.

“We can say that it must have taken several years to develop, and we arrived at this conclusion through code analysis, since the code on the control systems is 15,000 lines of code, and this is a huge amount,” Langer said.

“This piece of evidence led us to conclude that this is not by a hacker,” he continued. “It had to be a country, and we can also conclude that even one nation-state would not have been able to do this on its own.”

Eric Byres, a computer security expert who runs a website called Tofino Security, which provides solutions for industrial companies with Stuxnet-related problems, told the Post on Tuesday that the number of Iranians visiting his site had jumped tremendously in recent weeks – a likely indication that the virus is still causing great disarray at Iranian nuclear facilities.

“What caught our attention was that last year we maybe had one or two people from Iran trying to access the secure areas on our site,” Byres said. “Iran was never on the map for us, and all of a sudden we are now getting massive numbers of people going to our website, and people who we can identify as being from Iran.”

Byres said that some people openly identified themselves as Iranian when asking for permission to log onto his website, while others were impersonating employees of industries with which he frequently works.

“There are a large number of people trying to access the secure areas directly from Iran and other people who are putting together fake identities,” he said. “We are talking about hundreds. It could be people who are curious about what is going on, but we are such a specialized site that it would only make sense that these are people who are involved in control systems.”

Gifts from Israel

If you're looking for gifts, music, or art from the Land of Israel, you should check out www.israelunique.com.

Israel Unique is owned and operated by Michael Nissim, a messianic believer and a good friend of ours. Michael and his family recently moved from Haifa to Nahariya and have been helping with our congregation there.

Not long ago, I purchased a couple of his messianic music CDs. They're excellent—I listen to them all the time.

Doing business with companies in Israel that are owned by believers is a good way to support the messianic movement. They appreciate it and I can assure you that their customer service is unsurpassed.

When you're online, why not also visit www.messianicspecialties.com? There's some neat stuff there, too.

We don't see ourselves as competitors. It's more like we're mutual encouragers, helping each other out.

Thanks and God bless.

Does the Ayatollah Have a Sense of Humor?

To the mullahs in Iran: Come on, guys, even you have got to admit that this is pretty funny!

To everyone else: You've probably already seen this photo (unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past 48 hours or so):

In this satellite photo from Google Earth, notice the Star of David prominently displayed on the hub of this complex of buildings. The Star of David (Magen David in Hebrew) is one of the national symbols of the modern State of Israel. You might wonder why this particular Star of David is getting so much attention during this Hanukkah season.

The reason is that it lovingly adorns the rooftop of—get this—the headquarters of the official Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Tehran International Airport in Tehran, Iran. We're talking Jihad Airways here, folks.

For those of you who are thinking this is just too funny to be true (and frankly, under normal circumstances, I would agree with you), here's a link to the Fox News story.

My prediction is that this Iranian Star of David will be gone (or covered up) in a matter of days—or heads will roll (literally). In the meantime, the always-creative ministry of propaganda in Tehran may insist that the satellite photo was Photoshopped. 

How else can they explain how it escaped everyone's notice for over 30 years, especially in an airport with overhead traffic constantly coming and going?

According to news reports, this airport complex was built in the 1970s by Israeli engineers hired by the Shah of Iran. The Star of David was their "signature," of sorts, like Picasso or Rembrandt signing one of their famous works. The Shah was deposed in January of 1979 when Islamic militants seized control of the government. He fled into exile.

But the Star of David stayed—and it's been there for all this time.

Which goes to show that even if the mullahs don't have a sense of humor, God does.

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty" (1 Cor. 1:27).

Thanks to David Jacobs, our Israeli tour guide, for giving us a heads up on this intriguing story.