Israel, Iran, Syria, and Jimmy Carter

Hi Everyone,

 

        I just returned from Israel and it was a fantastic trip! What a blessing to be there and to travel from the Golan Heights in the north all the way to the Negev desert in the south. The Sea of Galilee is better than you can imagine, and there is no city in the world that compares to Jerusalem. We also met with believers and heard their stories of what God is doing in their lives in the midst of persecution. We had a wonderful team that went with us and they fell in love with both the Palestinians and Messianic Believers as we worshipped with both of them while in Israel.  

        Currently, there are so many major events happening in the region. The Middle East is unpredictable and always in the news. Islamic Terrorists have brought hatred and instability to the region and it is growing. Yet God is moving in powerful ways there. Muslims are receiving Jesus as their Savior in record numbers today. In the midst of the darkness over the Middle East, the light of the gospel is shining brightly. Here are some of the current top stories and how they relate to the church in the Middle East:

 

Iran Erupts!  All this week in Tehran the streets have been packed with hundreds of thousands of Iranians protesting the reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President of Iran. Iranians are claiming that the election was stolen from the popular candidate Hossein Mousavi and that in some Iranian cities “the official vote” for Ahmadinejad was higher than the actual population of the individual city itself!  Protests are extremely rare in Iran as the people fear the Ayatollah Khamenei’s Revolutionary Guard and it’s brutal crackdowns. Massive crowds are gathered at Tehran University and in Revolution Square which commemorates the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Young people are energized and boldly protesting with signs that say “Death to the Dictator!” and “Death to Dictatorship!” A suicide bomber just blew himself up killing a handful of people near the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini the architect of the Iranian Revolution and it’s first Supreme leader.

        I believe that the protests that have now become riots are not just connected to the election but also in large part to the 30 year Sharia Law rule of  this cruel and corrupt regime. The people of Iran live in paranoid fear of the long arm of the evil government.

 

Fast Facts About Iran:

-The majority of the people of Iran (about 70%) now claim that they are atheists after 3 decades of hard line Islam.

-Iran is one of the most drug addicted countries in the world.

-68-70% of Iran is younger than 30. This is a youth oriented country.

-Young people in their 20’s speak openly about committing suicide if they cannot immigrate to another country.

-In 1979 there were about 500 Christians in Iran. The Ayatollah vowed to crush the church as he said “there is no room for two religions in Iran.”

-But Jesus promised in Matthew 16 “I will build MY church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” No government or leader can stand in Jesus’ way.

        They are no match for HIS incredible love for the people of the world and his power. Today the church in Iran numbers between 1-2 million! 

                 

Israel is Ready for Conflict with Iran  While in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government prepared the people for an Iranian war with a 5 day emergency practice test run. With no expected help from the Obama administration, Israel is ready and willing to defend itself alone and without American backing. But as believers we know that “indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4

One week ago today I had the privilege of preaching at a Messianic congregation in Tel-Aviv. The worship was passionate and just before I spoke I received a text message from a new believer and former Muslim in Iran named Amir. He was upset because of the results of the election. I told him that I was in Israel and ready to preach at a Jewish Messianic congregation and then Amir sent a message for me to read to them. He said: ” Brothers and sisters in Israel, we love you in Iran. Regardless of what our evil government says, we have a great connection to you since we have lived together in Persia since the Babylonian captivity. We are practically cousins. Many people in Iran are coming to Jesus as Savior and we pray for you in Israel and we pray also that one day we will be free to travel to Israel to worship Jesus Christ together in Jerusalem!”  After I read the text from Amir there was a few seconds of shocked silence (most Israelis imagine that every Iranian wants to ‘wipe the Jews off the map’ like Ahmadinejad does) and then the place erupted in applause!!!  I will never forget that moment as the Love of Jesus broke through the negative news, the threats from Iran, and the coming conflict and united the hearts of the believers in Israel with the believers in Iran. Amir would have been smiling if he could have been there. Our American team was laughing and crying ourselves.

 

Syria- Iran’s Partner in the Pursuit of Israel’s Destruction The relationship between the two terrorist governments of Iran and Syria is tight. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah is from Lebanon and resides in Syria. He studied Islam in Iran’s radical seminaries in Qom and Najaf. He is bent on the all-out destruction of Israel. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Muslims and Alawites are coming to faith in Christ in Syria rapidly! Our e3 Partners leadership team there is 30-40 people now. They are godly and gifted leaders and bringing Christ to the people of Syria. Please pray for them when you see anything on the news about Syria. They are leading the a spiritual revolution right in the heart of fanatical Islam.   

 

 Jimmy Carter Targeted for Assassination By Hamas  Last Monday we were in Jerusalem having dinner at the American Colony hotel and in walked former President Jimmy Carter. Known for being completely out of touch with the situation in Israel, he has consistently reached out to Palestinian terrorists. But for the first time in 3 decades of travel to Israel, Carter went on the other side of the fence and visited a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. He now says that the residents of Gush Etzion in the West Bank should be allowed to remain there. This is quite a turnaround for him. Which shockingly means that Jimmy Carter has a slightly more conservative view of Israel than does current US President Barack Obama who is demanding Israel to dismantle all Jewish settlements.

        Carter holds to a “moral equivalence” view which equates Israeli Defense Force soldiers who are called on to protect their country, with Palestinian terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He is now asking President Obama to take Hamas off of the US terrorist list. If I were him I think I would be seriously rethinking my rose colored view of Hamas…since they tried to kill him while entering Gaza last week. Roadside bombs were found on the route that Carter was traveling on into Gaza City. Just another example of how Jihadist groups like Hamas really don’t care if you are conservative like George Bush or liberal like Jimmy Carter….. they want to kill all of us. In the end there is no solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict politically. The problems are spiritual in nature and they require spiritual solutions. Praise the Lord that former Palestinian terrorists and Israeli seculars are coming together in the freedom and forgiveness that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

        The good news is that our e3 leaders in Israel are committed to intentionally launching new churches that are half Jewish and half Palestinian. This is extremely confidential due to what would happen to Palestinian believers if they were caught with Jewish believers. But they believe that this will be a great lesson to the people of Israel both Jew and Arab that the only solution to the conflict is forgiveness in Jesus Christ. This is erasing the hatred that has been rooted in the Holy Land for 4000 years of which began with Isaac and Ishmael. We are thrilled to be a part of this historic movement. And you are a part of this historic movement! Thank you for your prayers for the Doyle family, your love and your generous gifts to our work through e3 Partners. We could not be involved in 10 countries in the Middle East without your help. We are so blessed to serve with you in this important region of the world. Please pray for our support as we are in the midst of working on that now.

            

We love you! We are honored and blessed to serve Christ in the Middle East and Central Asia. We are honored to represent you there too! God Bless you in the midst of these important days that we live in,

                Tom and JoAnn Doyle- e3 Partners     www.goodnewsfromthemiddleast.com