Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Iraq Is Falling: What the latest round of violence in Iraq means

by: Michael D. Evans
Iraq Is Falling: What the latest round of violence in Iraq meansAn Al Qaeda splinter group has seized some of Iraq's largest cities and is marching toward Baghdad with thousands of well-armed fighters. Their ultimate goal is the creation of an Islamic state. The group is sometimes called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS); but their all-inclusive name is the Islamic State of the Levant (ISIL)—meaning they have designs on the entire region.
The dream of an Islamic caliphate that will stretch around the globe is alive and well today. Terrorist forces have seized territory from Iraq's borders with Syria and Turkey all the way to the city of Fallujah, just 40 miles from Baghdad. The ISIL group is Sunni Muslim, and has fought in support of the bloody Assad regime in Syria. Now they are fighting against the Shia-led government of Iraq, which is being reinforced by Iranian Special Forces units.
The battle for control of Iraq is a battle for control of the future Islamic caliphate which both Sunnis and Shia believe is coming. The dream of the Muslim future is a world living under sharia law. Both sides support this goal—they are now killing each other by the tens of thousands for the sake of each controlling its common vision of the future.
The Bible has much to say about Iraq—the ancient empire of Babylon. It was the center of opposition to God from the time of the tower of Babel to the empire that destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple under Nebuchadnezzar. And Revelation tells us that the final battles of the age will be waged and inspired by demonic spirits that are bound there right now.
Our government and even many Christians do not view what is happening in the Middle East as a spiritual war. They see the military wars and the economic wars, but they miss the most important part. I blew the trumpet to sound this warning 35 years ago. In 1979 my book Israel: America's Key to Survival had on its cover an American flag being cut in half by an Islamic sword. The hatred of radical Muslims is not just directed at Israel—they want to destroy us as well.
The destruction of Israel (the “little Satan”) and the destruction of America (the “great Satan”) are linked as steps toward the same goal. There is no doubt that we are dealing with principalities and powers in spiritual warfare. The very name Levant is linked according to some sources to an ancient demonic power. Certainly the region has long been the center of opposition to God's plan for mankind. In light of this unmistakable truth, how should we respond? The Bible gives the answer:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:10-13).
More than twenty years ago I was mocked when I told America's leaders that a terrorist attack would be launched against New York City and the World Trade Center towers. I was told that I was delusional—that the Islamic religion did not pose a threat. I knew better. I had been briefed by Isser Harel, the former head of Mossad, who told me that such an attack would definitely come.
Even after the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, few heeded my warning. They simply did not understand the role spiritual warfare plays in world events. Only after the tragedy of 9/11 did some people begin to pay attention. Even after that demonstration of the purpose and commitment of our enemies, some still refuse to acknowledge the reality of what we face.
John the Revelator described present-day Iraq (ancient and future Babylon in the spirit realm) perfectly:  He cried out in a powerful voice, "Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a prison for every evil spirit, every unclean bird, and every unclean and hated beast” (Revelation 18:2).
During the lead-up to the war in 2003, I wrote a book called Beyond Iraq: The Next Move. In it I said that God-fearing Americans must fall on our knees and pray, or our military victory would be short-lived. Unless the demonic forces behind terrorism are confronted and defeated, they will return again and again.
In 2007 I wrote the #1 New York Times bestseller Final Move Beyond Iraq. In it I pointed out that the moral relativistic views of liberals make it hard for them to see moral issues clearly. They reject absolute standards of good and evil of right and wrong. In their worldview, man is perfectible, human nature is on the path toward enlightenment and the concept of original sin is primitive.
This is a false and deadly belief. When they refuse to confront evil, evil does not cease to exist. It only becomes stronger. The jihadist terrorists strike at the body...the moral relativist strikes at the soul; both evils must be confronted. No battle can ever be won in the physical world until it is first fought and won in the spirit realm. This is our calling today—the message from Iraq that you and I must hear and to which we must respond:
If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
**********
Dr. Michael Evans is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His latest fiction book, Born Again: 1967 is available at www.TimeWorthyBooks.com.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Israel Americas Key to Survival

by: Michael D. Evans
Israel Americas Key to SurvivalIslamic terrorists rampaged through the streets of the Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this month, robbing banks of the equivalent of $429 million (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mosul-seized-jihadis-loot-429m-citys-central-bank-make-isis-worlds-richest-terror-force-1452190), opening the gates of prisons, executing their opponents in public squares and even crucifying some victims.
The Islamic state of Iraq has arrived and its creators are knocking on the doors of the capital city of Baghdad. Tribal militias and the Baathist party of Saddam Hussein have joined ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) (http://time.com/2878718/isis-claims-massacre-of-1700-iraqis/), the terrorists responsible for the newly-forged Islamic state. And now, the US is reaching out to Iran for assistance in Iraq.
Is Iran not the turn of a screwdriver away from going nuclear? Weren’t most American troops wounded in Iraq the targets of Iranian improvised explosive devices (IED)?
Did US troops not fight the Shi’ite terrorist army in Iraq led by Muqada al-Sadr—a 60,000-member Iranian funded Mahdi army?
In August 2013 President Barack Obama, the US commander-in-chief, declared he would bomb Syria for defying his call to not use chemical weapons. Two months later he instead signed an interim nuclear deal with Iran whose Revolutionary Guards were behind much of the killing in Syria. His response was that the US was doing all it could reasonably do.
When in April 2014 the Palestinian Authority and Hamas joined forces, the US decided to continue doing business as usual with President Mahmoud Abbas. The US sends $500 million per year—a half billion taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian Authority—a sum now available to the terrorist group in Gaza.
What is Hamas? It is one of the worst terror organizations the world has seen. Founded in 1987 and dedicated by its charter to the destruction of Israel, the murder of Jews and the imposition of Islam in “every inch of Palestine,” Hamas launched wave after wave of suicide bombings in the 1990s, blowing up Israeli buses (including school buses) and restaurants, murdering hundreds of civilians, and building schools that train children to become killers. Hamas turned suicidal terror into an industry and a multigenerational tradition.
That’s why Hamas has long been classified as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department — as well as the European Union and a host of countries around the world.
Hamas is also, it is important to note, a vital component of Iran’s ongoing war against the United States and the West. Although it started as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas quickly came under Tehran’s wing and became the Palestinian version of Lebanon’s Hezbollah: The two groups were the first of the major jihadist terror outfits, funded and trained by the Iranians to intimidate the West by butchering its children.
On September 23, 1980, Reuven Hecht, senior advisor to Prime Minister Menachem Begin and I had dinner at the home of Isser Harel, the head of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence organization. During the meal I asked the question: Will terrorism ever come to America?
Harel replied that America had the power but not the will; terrorists had the will but not the power. “All that can change with time,” he said. “Arab oil buys more than tents. You kill a fly and rejoice; we kill one, and 100 come to the funeral. Yes, I fear it will come. I believe the first terror attack will be New York City’s tallest building.” He smiled. “Phallic is not a cat,” he said, referring to what is sometimes called a fertility symbol.
On a lighter note, I asked, “Who do you think will be the next US president?” (Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were opponents vying for the presidency.) He answered, “The word on the street is that the Iranians will have something to say about that. When Ronald Reagan places his hand on the Bible, the hostages will be released.”
To my amazement, as Ronald Reagan was sworn in as 40th President of the United States, a news flash came across the screen: The hostages in Iran had been released! What Harel knew that I didn’t was that the Iranians were holding up the hostage release in order to humiliate Jimmy Carter. They believed Ronald Reagan would be better for their cause than was Carter.
It was 4:31 a.m. on the morning of the inauguration that Jimmy Carter wire transferred $7.9 billion dollars through the Federal Reserve to the Bank of England. The funds to buy the hostages back were from money that had been controlled by the Shah of Iran. At the same time, Carter signed the Algerian Accord, committing the US to respect Iran’s territorial integrity and not to attack.
The great destabilizer at the time was communism. Harel confirmed that the US really did not want to fight wars in the Middle East, and chose Israel as its proxy. This was later confirmed to me by Prime Minister Begin.
Harel’s words and the death of Yoni Netanyahu inspired me in 1981 to write Israel: America’s Key to Survival, which Mr. Begin endorsed. On the front cover of the book were US and Israeli flags sliced in half by an Islamic sword. The premise of the book was that Israel was the only democracy and firewall between radical Islam and the West. On the back cover was a quote from Benjamin Netanyahu:
“Their goal is to destroy America … destroy it … reduce it to nothing, and they feel they can effectively do it through terrorism.”
Etched on the wall in the lobby of the CIA building in Langley, Virginia is the agency motto, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free, (John 8:32.) It characterizes the intelligence mission of a free society.
The US is withdrawing from the Middle East and leaving behind a much more dangerous neighborhood. Tiny Israel will have the responsibility of confronting and containing terrorism in order to protect US national security interests with the blood of Israeli citizens.
**********
Dr. Michael Evans is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His latest fiction book, Born Again: 1967 is available at www.TimeWorthyBooks.com.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Taxes for Terror

by: Mike Evans
Taxes for TerrorThe prophet Isaiah had the perfect response for today’s politicians, and especially those who try to cover their blatant anti-Semitism with big smiles and a hearty handshake. He cried out a warning:
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter (Isaiah 5:20, NLT).
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon expressed his contempt for the recently formed and highly provocative “unity government” which included Hamas and Fatah. It establishes an unprecedented union between the Palestine Authority and the terrorist organization. The hatred for Israel expressed by both entities is obvious and brazen.
Danon warned taxpayers in the US of something that I have espoused for decades: your tax dollars are being used to fund and feed the terror tiger that has been unleashed in the Middle East. He said:
The replacement of ministers in the Palestinian government is just a pretty wrapping for the terrorist attacks that were conducted and will be conducted under their protection. Now, all aid given to the Palestinians by the US and other countries directly aids terror attacks against the state of Israel.
Uri Ariel, Israeli Housing Minister added, “Abbas signed on the establishment of a terror government today together with lowly murderers, who murdered dozens and hundreds of Israelis."
Let me remind you that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (now serving his tenth year of a four-year term) is the man who provided the money to the Black September PLO terrorists who murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He claims he had no knowledge of the purpose of the funds. This is the man the US says is a moderate, and can be trusted to make a viable peace deal with Israel.
His predecessor was Yasser Arafat whom I boldly confronted at the UN General Assembly in December of 1988. He has been asked by the US government to denounce terrorism. I stood before him, held up a copy of the PLO covenant and challenged him, “If you really are going to denounce terrorism, then begin with this covenant that calls for the destruction of Israel.” He responded by vehemently screaming for me to shut up! I didn’t shut up then; I won’t shut up now.
While a façade of cooperation surrounds the newly formed government, there is great speculation that the accord will dissolve when the current euphoria is replaced with a contentious rivalry and arguments over who is actually in power. As Naftali Bennett, Economics Minister opined, “The newly-inaugurated joint Hamas-Fatah Palestinian Authority government is nothing more than a gang of terrorists in suits.” Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar has been staunch in commitment that any treaty between Israel and the PA will lead to certain war.
As Abbas executed the oath of office, US Secretary of State John Kerry was busily informing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Obama Administration was determined to work with the new “unity” government, a position that is deeply disappointing to the Israelis. The fig leaf being used to cover the naked justification of Kerry’s support is that the new government includes no Hamas leaders. The Secretary of State was joined by government leaders in Europe, all prepared to work with terrorists with only one agenda: Overrunning the State of Israel and annihilating the Jewish people.
Jen Psaki, Kerry’s State Department spokesperson went on record as saying the administration refused to halt aid to the PA in the sum of some $500 million per year—a half billion taxpayer dollars. She added, “Based on what we know now, we intend to work with this government. We will continue to evaluate the policies of the new government, and if needed, we will recalibrate our approach.”
That position nullifies the demand that Israel be recognized as a legitimate state by the Palestinians. Both PA and Hamas leaders are resolute in their untiring efforts to circumvent any mandates that would require an admission that Israel had a God-given and UN-sanctioned right to their land. Israel has stressed that it would not negotiate with a PA coalition that included a recognized terrorist organization such as Hamas. According to Netanyahu, “The US has supported that position until now.” Kerry and the Obama Administration are busily sending signals that seem to deny any such commitment—a sign that such a pledge did, indeed, exist; one that will not be kept.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was critical of the EU’s move to support the new alliance after having called for just such reconciliation. He addressed this latest move:
“Islamic terror is raising its head in Europe, and the latest horrible manifestation of this was the abominable murder in the Jewish museum in Brussels. And I find it strange that governments in Europe that harshly condemn this murder, also speak in friendly tones about a unity government with Hamas, a terror group that carries out and praises such crimes. I think the policy must be against terror, against the partnership of terror groups in the diplomatic process.”
Of added interest to the Israelis is that arms production in Gaza has been ramped up to maximum speed even as foreign nationals from other terrorist organizations have flowed into the country to provide training. The Jerusalem Post indicates that groups such as Islamic Jihad and other smaller terror cells have added their manpower to the 16,000-strong Hamas fighters—each having its own battery of missiles.
John Bolton, former UN Envoy under the George W. Bush administration, reiterated that “the laws of the United States prohibit assistance to terrorist organizations,” a point which the Obama administration seems intent on overlooking. Bolton was adamant that the US should not negotiate with terrorists “under any circumstances.”
Now, leaders in Washington, DC, have joined the global cacophony of those who embrace the ideology that terrorists are good, and those who oppose them are evil. The US government should be supporting its friends and trusted allies, not funding the radical Islamic terrorists who threaten both Israel and America.