Hal Lindsey Newsletter with Commentary

At this time in my life, when I have so much going on that it limits my time and ability to write, I really appreciate the newsletters from Hal Lindsey. In this particular letter, Mr. Lindsey speaks to just about everything I would want to write this week. Please take a moment to read his important newsletter. I have "bulleted" his points regarding the scandals within this administration. I wanted to emphasize for those who haven't been able to keep up, just exactly all that is taking place in our nation at this time. The letter is otherwise left unchanged. On a side note, Mr. Lindsey's opening paragraphs explain exactly the purpose I intended for this blog. And he did it far more eloquently than I did when I attempted it at my blog's beginning. There appears to be a great deal of apathy in our nation today. One has to wonder, where in the world is the outrage in regard to all that is taking place! It is definitely a time for prayer, Christian! But I have long believed, prayer ALWAYS leads to action. If one isn't acting, one most likely is not praying. I believe our God expects action of us. When Moses was told to part the Red Sea, there was much fear and trepidation among the people of Israel. Moses encouraged them and told them to trust in the Lord. That they need only be still. From that we can see, first there must be trust in our Lord. Moses then entered the task with prayer - dialogue with the God of the Universe. I believe there would also be some worry from Moses, revealed in that dialogue with God. Because God finally said to Moses. "Why are you crying out to Me? Raise your hand and part that water!" That is a paraphrase, of course; but you can read the story at Exodus 14:5-31; specifically verses 13-16. As Moses cried out to God (prayer), God instructed him to action. We would be wise not to forget that when we are in prayer for our nation. There are any number of examples throughout Scripture where we can see God requires action. As we pray for our nation, we can also act in a number of ways: by calling senators and representatives; we can act by voting; we can act by writing letters to the editor of our local paper; and we can act by merely posting a sentiment on Facebook - as unpopular as that may be. It all leads to awareness. I find it ironic that in a time of all the multi-faceted means we have in communication today, if often times seems we as citizens have never been less knowledgeable about what is taking place in our nation. Please have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day week-end; all the while remembering, this week-end isn't about bar-b-ques and the beginning of summer. Rather it is about the ultimate sacrifice given by those who have guaranteed our freedom. It is a tragedy to minimize, ignore, forget, and squander all that has kept us free. 

May 24, 2013 This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report' On this week's program, I feel compelled to speak to you in my ministry as a "watchman on the wall." In ancient times, the watchmen stood atop the walls of the city. From that vantage point, they scoured the horizon for approaching danger. If they spotted something or someone approaching that implied a threat to the city, they loudly shouted the warnings. The defenders of the city then sprang into action to repel the invader or handle the danger. In just as vital a capacity, the prophets in the Old Testament were also "watchmen" who warned the leaders and the people of what they saw coming upon them as the Lord revealed it to them. They were often the conscience of the nation. They chastised, warned, and corrected leaders and kings. God used them to speak His will to the nation. In much the same way, today's church and her ministers of the Gospel should be the conscience of our nation. But, in ways incremental and unnoticeable on the one hand, and fast and furious on the other, that role is being limited and may soon be completely suppressed. In past shows during the 16 years this program has been on the air (originally as "The International Intelligence Briefing" on TBN), I've warned of threats to the church and its "watchman" role posed by the moral and spiritual deterioration of our society. Today, however, I see dangers even more ominous. As President Obama's administration finds itself engulfed in multiplying -- and ever-widening -- scandals, it's alarming how many of them involve the restriction of our rights as citizens, the destruction of institutions and liberties vital to our national freedom, and the suppression of any opposition -- especially the church and her ministers -- that is perceived as a threat to the administration's intentions. Folks, I believe we are at a crossroads. If we turn a blind eye to the cynical and callous actions of some of our elected and appointed leaders, we will regret it sooner rather than later. Don't be misled by the still-sleeping (or brain-dead) mainstream media, the goal of the "operations" that are now being exposed is the total control of our society and its citizens. Here are just a few of the scandals that are in the news today: the IRS targeting of conservative and religious groups; the Justice Department crusades against the Associated Press and Fox News (the two that we know about so far); the cover-up of the lethal al Qaeda-led attack on our compound in Benghazi in which our Ambassador and three others died; the attacks on the rights of Christians in the armed services; the EPA's prejudicial treatment of non-liberal organizations; "Fast and Furious"; the across-the-board suppression of any information or policy that exposes the true intentions of Islamists in America; the almost-fanatical push to promote same-sex marriage and the abortion agenda; and the mounting revelations of "unintended consequences" in the implementation of Obamacare. The net result of the success of even a few of these efforts will be the curtailment of our rights as Americans and Christians. I know whereof I speak. Over the last couple of years, my ministry (and this television program) has been under unusually close scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service. Because of your willingness to stand with me in intercessory prayer for God's protection and also because of the personal integrity and diligence of some of the IRS employees who handled our case, we've made it through okay, thus far. But I have to admit that I was stunned by the interpretation applied by the IRS as to what constitutes a "church" or a "minister." Under those definitions, the Apostle Paul couldn't have qualified for a 501(c)3! I believe there is a movement afoot to eliminate what the Bible defines as "apostolic" ministry -- where a minister is appointed and gifted to speak to the whole church. That could, in effect, eliminate many non-pastoral or parachurch ministries. Indeed, I know also that there is coming a push to require churches -- which are and have always been, by their nature, "tax exempt" without having to "qualify" with a government agency -- to apply for status as 501(c)3 organizations to maintain the tax-exempt status they already have! You can see where that's going. The IRS would be the government bureau that decides if your church is qualified to be a church and if your pastor is qualified to be a minister. If that happens, that means the IRS will be the official interpreter of what the Bible teaches. (It's already designated to be the "enforcer" of Obamacare!) Is that what we want? If the government controls us, then it can effectively mute the voice of God to the people and to the leadership. It can silence the church by starving it and even confining its leaders if they transgress the will of the State. Well, I suppose you've guessed by now what I'll be discussing on this week's "Report." Tune in and encourage your family, friends, neighbors, and fellow church members to do the same. This is a time when we all need to be informed and united as never before! Please join me to pray for those in Moore, Oklahoma, and other communities that have suffered devastating tornadoes over the last few days. There's nothing like the power and swiftness of these kinds of natural disasters to remind us how small and helpless we are in the greater scheme of things -- and how important it is to trust God and always be spiritually ready for the moment this life ends. If you're not ready for that moment, simply confess your sin; ask Jesus to forgive you and cleanse you; then trust Him to do that and accept the free gift of pardon He died on Calvary to purchase for you. You've just changed your eternal destiny! Also, please have a safe and memorable Memorial Day weekend. Take some time to thank God for the men and women who gave their all to defend America's -- and the world's -- freedom. Thank Him, too, and pray for the brave ones who daily place their lives on the line to protect our nation and defend liberty around the world. We owe them a debt of gratitude we can never begin to repay. God bless them and God bless our beloved country. Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings. God Bless, Hal Lindsey

The Hal Lindsey Report for May 17th, 2013

I posted below the most recent Hal Lindsey Report. As usual, he makes a lot of good points.

 

As important as the IRS scandal is, I find the timing interesting. This has been happening for some time, as suspected by many.

 

But more than anything, I really hope we do not take our attention off of what happened in Benghazi. I'm thankful Mr. Lindsey continues the watch. 

 

 

May 17th, 2013

This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

Last January, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee was probing the attack on our diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others from the mission.

In a moment of frustration that has already returned to haunt Mrs. Clinton, the Secretary blurted out: "What difference, at this point in time, does it make?"

She was responding to combative questions about "who" the killers were - terrorists or a runaway mob protesting an obscure movie promo on the internet. Obviously straining hard to avoid truthfully answering the question and thus indicting herself and her boss, Mrs. Clinton almost screamed, "What difference... does it make?"

Two things disturb me about that question. First, if our Secretary of State honestly didn't realize what difference it makes, then she should not have been Secretary of State (or even a Senator as she was previously), much less President (as she wants to be).

Second, if she did realize the difference it makes, then she was scrambling hard to cover up her and her boss's culpability (and dishonesty) and she thought she could bully the Senators into submission.

Either conclusion is disturbing.

Fast forward to April 17. Present Secretary of State John Kerry appeared before a House committee hearing. During the questioning, the subject of Benghazi came up. When pressed about what he planned to do about rectifying the situation and finding the culprits responsible for the breakdown of security that caused the death of our Ambassador, Kerry also became a bit annoyed and dismissed the questioning with this statement: "We got a lot more important things to move on to and get done."

Again, two things disturb me about that response. First, for a Secretary of State, who is personally responsible for the safety of the Ambassadors and personnel under his leadership, what could possibly be more important than discovering what went wrong in Benghazi, who was responsible, where the killers are now, and how we can prevent it from happening again?

Second, doesn't anyone in the Democrat party remember the motto of one of their most respected past Presidents? Harry Truman famously displayed a slogan on his desk that was unequivocal. It read: "The buck stops here."

Apparently this Administration thinks that slogan means "the male deer stops by here occasionally to graze the south lawn!" (Speaking of ducking responsibility, I see today that Nancy Pelosi is publicly blaming George W. Bush for the IRS scandal. See what I mean?)

I don't know how anyone could have watched last week's House hearings and not been incredulous at the way the Administration handled that crisis. How could you not be outraged that those same officials who stood by as our Ambassador and three others were brutally killed, then chose to cover up their incompetence (or worse, it could be their fear of offending Muslims or their fear of offending the American electorate) by lying to the American people for weeks after the tragedy.

On this week's program, I'll give you several reasons why I think Benghazi matters to America.

Wired magazine recently revealed that the new immigration bill currently wending its way through Congress may contain a little surprise. Within the 800-page bipartisan bill "is language mandating the creation of... 'photo tool', a massive federal database administered by the Department of Homeland Security and containing the names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver's license or other state-issued photo ID."

Requiring employers to search this database before hiring anyone, the idea is to stop employers from hiring illegal aliens. But this measure swats that fly with a sledgehammer!

Even the ACLU is uncomfortable with the idea of the government "keeping a record of all things."

Hey, I know one guy who will be very appreciative if this system is in place when he finally rises to power. I don't know his name yet, he's not been revealed, but I'll bet he's watching to see what happens to this legislation.

Syria continues to spiral into chaos. I don't recall there being a regional or national crisis as geopolitically confusing or sensitive as this one. There really aren't any "good guys" in this civil war. Of course, Bashar al Assad is a brutal dictator (though not as decisively brutal as his father), but the rebels are led by none other than al Qaeda. And though the West doesn't want Assad to remain in power, neither do we want the rebels to gain control of his chemical WMD arsenal. And, surprisingly, Israel would prefer to deal with the devil it knows (the self-preserving Assad), than the devil it doesn't (the terrorist rebels with chemical weapons).

As a result, the New York Times is calling southern Syria "an ungoverned area." Sounds like the Sinai peninsula, doesn't it? Israel continues to be surrounded by a ring of enemies that are growing increasingly hostile: Lebanon (Hezbollah), Syria, the "rebels" in lawless southern Syria, Jordan (under increasing threat by the Palestinian majority), the jihadists in the lawless Sinai peninsula, Egypt, and Gaza (Hamas). Of course, beyond them are Iraq, Iran, and the other Arab/Muslim states that despise Israel; and within Israel are the Palestinians.

And the Syrian crisis is making for some strange bedfellows. Turkey's fear of Syria is encouraging a rapprochement with Israel. Even Russia, which stands to lose its Mediterranean naval base at Tartus, is making unusual and disquieting diplomatic overtures to Israel.

Prophetically, we know that Syria will sooner or later fall into tremendous armed conflict. The prophet Isaiah predicts in the 17th chapter of his book that, overnight, Damascus will be utterly destroyed and rendered forever uninhabitable. We know that prophecy has yet to be fulfilled because Damascus is still standing today and is the world's oldest inhabited city that has never been destroyed and rebuilt.

If nothing else, that unfulfilled prophecy alone should encourage all of us to be ready for Christ's imminent return to rapture His Church before the awful events of the Great Tribulation begin.

And speaking of Christ's church, it grieves me to say that I believe the "church" in America in these last days more closely resembles the church at Laodicea described by the Apostle John in Revelation 3. Jesus said that it was blind to its own failures and shortcomings and mistakenly thought it was successful because it was rich and needed nothing. Instead, Jesus said, it disgusted Him because it was "neither cold nor hot," but "lukewarm." And because it was lukewarm, He wanted to "spit you out of My mouth."

Friends, as we rush headlong into the final days of the Church Age, let's follow Christ's own advice in the third chapter of Revelation. Humbly ask Him to make us "gold refined by fire" and provide us "white garments (His righteousness) so that you may clothe yourself" and "eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see." As never before, we believers need to be righteous and pure before God and clear-eyed to see the danger around us in these final days.

Do that today. Ask His forgiveness of your "lukewarmness." Confess the sins you know about in your life and trust Him to forgive you (1 John 1:9). Then He'll do more than that, He'll cleanse you of "all unrighteousness," which means the sins of which you are unaware, but guilty.

And if you've never accepted the free pardon that Jesus Christ purchased with His death on Calvary, you can do that right now, too. In fact, in Revelation 3:20, Jesus says that He stands outside the door of your heart and patiently knocks. He promises, "...if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."

As you read this, many of you "hear" Him knocking at the door of your heart. Don't leave Him standing there. Open your heart to Jesus and, just as He promises, He will come in and fellowship with you.

Simply invite Him in. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to become Lord of your life. Believe that He has done so and accept His free gift of pardon. Just like that, if you are sincere, you have become a part of God's "forever family." Now, you need not fear what waits for you after this life, you've just changed your destination reservation! You are bound for heaven!

Finally, now that you've joined God's family, ask Him to guide you to a solid, Bible-believing church. As we near the end of this Age, the Apostle Paul warned that these would be "perilous times." You will need the strength and encouragement that comes from fellowship with other sincere believers. And you need to continue to grow in the Word of God. So find a church or fellowship that believes, preaches, and trusts the whole Word of God, not just the "feel good" variety.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.                                       

God Bless,

Hal Lindsey

A Fundamental Christian on Purpose

The Hal Lindsey Report makes some tremendous points this week, which is why I included it in it's entirety as my last blog post.  I hope you will take a few moments to read it. It's important stuff.

But I also found something within Mr. Lindsey's article that is equally relevant though only a subtext of his entire message. I wanted to single out this important point specifically. As I said, it isn't the main focus in his letter, but it is an important part. 

Coincidentally, I had also watched a video this morning of Rick Warren talking about "fundamental Christianity".  Now neither of these reports/messages (Lindsey's message and Warren's message) had anything to do with the other.  Warren's interview here, actually was clear back in 2008 at the release of his new book The Purpose Driven Life. Today's Hal Lindsey Report is mostly concerned with "false equivalence" and  how the media is trying to depict fundamental Christianity.

Agreeing with Mr. Lindsey that there is a concerted effort to destroy and devour fundamental Christian beliefs, I simply decided to post both opinions that I came across this morning.

Take a moment to read Hal's quote below; watch the video of the interview with Rick Warren. Then you decide.  I think you will find it interesting.

"Last week, a blogger on CNN's Belief Blog made a clumsy attempt to equate me with Muslim imams who stir up their followers to violent jihad. In so doing, he bought into the prevalent technique practiced by the global media and American politicians. It's called "False Equivalence."

That means claiming that two things are the same when they are actually very different. A "false equivalence" is nothing more than a cunningly crafted lie.

Here's the "false equivalence" that seems most common today. Pundits, politicians, and airhead celebrities keep saying -- or implying -- that fundamentalist Christianity is just like fundamentalist Islam. I suppose they reason -- though I think most are incapable of actually 'reasoning' -- that since both are called religions and both have adherents who practice the 'fundamentals' of their faith, then they must be 'equal.'

Can you see the false equivalence? Radical imams stir up their followers to do things like the Boston Marathon bombing. So the pundits and politicians try to imply that Christian ministers do the same kind of thing, that is, stir up their followers to wreak havoc. Of course, they can't find one, but that's not important to them.

Trying to imply that the two are equal is a lie. But it's a lie with a purpose. And the purpose is not necessarily to turn the masses toward Islam, but to turn them away from Christianity."

And the Rick Warren's thoughts on fundamental Christianity:

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/148506/january-28-2008/rick-warren

As for my "coincidence" this morning, I really appreciated Mr. Lindsey's choice of word "purpose" in his article.   ;-)  And I am proud to be a "fundamentalist Christian" ...on purpose.


*This is not an endorsement of the Stephen Colbert Show. Another note: You will have to stop the video as it will otherwise run in its entirety.

Hal Lindsey - May 10, 2013

The Hal Lindsey Report

Bill Ayers is the "unrepentant terrorist" in whose living room Barack Obama began his political career. During his notorious Weather Underground days, Ayers lost his girlfriend when a nail-packed anti-personnel bomb she was building exploded and demolished a New York City townhouse. He is now married to a woman with whom he once shared an FBI wanted poster.

Though Ayers has said that he doesn't regret building and planting terrorist bombs during his anti-Vietnam War days -- in fact, he laments that they "didn't do enough" -- he realized that his armed rebellion wasn't succeeding. So Bill Ayers discovered a more effective form of subversive, anti-establishment rebellion: education.

In 2006, Bill Ayers, who is now considered an "Education Theorist," told the World Education Forum, "Education is the motor-force of revolution." And make no mistake, Bill Ayers is no dummy. He knows what he's talking about.

As an "education theorist," Ayers teaches teachers how to teach. He specializes in elementary schools. His goal is to have as much impact as he can on the thinking of as many small children as possible. He does that by influencing their teachers. To that end, he travels and speaks around the country. He writes popular books on the subject. He's honored by universities.

On last week's Report I made a rather clear statement of why I think America is in such trouble today. I said, "At every level of education, the textbooks, the videos, and the day-to-day teaching techniques were all devised in the God-hating ivory towers of American academia." Just one of those "devisers" in God-hating American academia is Bill Ayers. There are thousands more like him.

And these people, who seem to despise everything that America stands for and provides for them, are strategically placed to alter the thinking of America by altering the thinking of her children. And they've now been doing just that for generations!

Folks, it grieves me to say that too many Americans have allowed the schools to replace their influence in the lives of their children and grandchildren. I think it may be too late to reclaim these generations. But you can still have a tremendous impact on your children and grandchildren if you begin today to take an interest in their lives. Help them with their schoolwork; cultivate their knowledge of spiritual things; teach them about our heritage as Americans and Christians; make certain they know who Jesus is and gently lead them to accept Him into their lives. It may be too late for the masses, but it's not too late for the tiny members of your family.

Start today.

Last week, a blogger on CNN's Belief Blog made a clumsy attempt to equate me with Muslim imams who stir up their followers to violent jihad. In so doing, he bought into the prevalent technique practiced by the global media and American politicians. It's called "False Equivalence."

That means claiming that two things are the same when they are actually very different. A "false equivalence" is nothing more than a cunningly crafted lie.

Here's the "false equivalence" that seems most common today. Pundits, politicians, and airhead celebrities keep saying -- or implying -- that fundamentalist Christianity is just like fundamentalist Islam. I suppose they reason -- though I think most are incapable of actually 'reasoning' -- that since both are called religions and both have adherents who practice the 'fundamentals' of their faith, then they must be 'equal.'

Can you see the false equivalence? Radical imams stir up their followers to do things like the Boston Marathon bombing. So the pundits and politicians try to imply that Christian ministers do the same kind of thing, that is, stir up their followers to wreak havoc. Of course, they can't find one, but that's not important to them.

Trying to imply that the two are equal is a lie. But it's a lie with a purpose. And the purpose is not necessarily to turn the masses toward Islam, but to turn them away from Christianity.

On this week's program, I'm going to show you some basic reasons why equating Christianity with Islam is, at best, ignorant or, at worst, a demonic lie. Simply put, to equate the intolerant, violent, domination-oriented teaching of Islam with the love and forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ is not only wildly inaccurate, it is deviously misleading.

I believe that "false equivalence" is an evil ploy devised in Satan's war room. And it's now beginning to yield wildly successful results for the forces of darkness. Just witness the latest assault on Christians and religious freedom in, of all places, the military.

Radical atheist Mikey Weinstein has the ear of the Obama administration and the Pentagon. Somehow, he has intimidated the Defense Department into threatening to court martial any Christian in our armed services who dares to share his or her faith in Christ. Though public outrage has forced the Pentagon to walk that threat back a few steps, it still hangs like the sword of Sophocles over Christians in the military.

And what "false equivalence" did Mikey Weinstein use to convince the Pentagon that Christians are dangerous? He publicly insists that a Christian sharing his or her faith with another person is "a version of being spiritually raped."

Romans 1:28 says, "Just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind." What else but depravity of mind could account for such a jarring inability to reason? And what's even more frightening is that the leaders of history's most powerful military force are apparently dumb or devious enough to buy into the fallacy!

Folks, it's alarming that just 18 months after the military -- at President Obama's insistence -- rescinded its "Don't ask, don't tell" policy governing open homosexuality, the new policy for open Christianity in that same military now seems to be "Don't tell, or else!"

Welcome to the America of the last days.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.


God Bless,

Hal Lindsey

It's Time! And YES! It Matters!

Remember, I told you in my last post that there would come a time that we must act...well, it's time.  This Benghazi issue is not going to go away and it shouldn't!   It is a travesty that this has happened and that the cover-up continues.  Please read former Senator Santorum's letter below and sign this petition. It could not be more easy and will only take about 2 minutes of your time. Click on one of the red links below and it will take you to Patriot Voices to add your name to this important list. There comes a time that we must act.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been eight months since the terror attacks in Benghazi and I couldn't agree with Rep. Trey Gowdy more: "There's no statute of limitations on the truth." 
 

Our Ambassador to Libya and three brave Americans were killed in the attacks and their families, along with the American people, have yet to hear the full story. Join me in demanding a full congressional hearing on the Benghazi tragedy. 

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing is a good first step, but many questions remain:

   - Has there been a cover-up with the Benghazi tragedy?
   - Why didn't the United States send military assistance to Libya when the attacks began?

   - Why did United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice appear on five Sunday morning talk shows and say the attacks were instead demonstrations as a result of a YouTube video?

   - Were the talking points altered two months before the presidential election in order to fit the Obama Administration's narrative that al Qaeda was on its heels?

  - Why did it take so long for the Obama administration to admit this was an act of terror?

Two words are all you need to take away from the Benghazi hearing - "it matters." One of the three state department whistleblowers choked back tears as he told committee members that "it matters" for all involved to get the full story on Benghazi.

Surely you share the sentiment that "it matters" these victims' families have gone through a Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter and no doubt birthdays without their loved ones. 

It matters that they find closure.

It matters that we learn the truth.

It matters that we can trust our administration.

It matters that we take steps to make sure this never happens again.

Join me in demanding a full congressional hearing on the Benghazi tragedy, because "it matters."

Sincerely,

 

Rick Santorum

What Difference Does It Make

I believe Hillary is going to live to regret her callous statement and blatant disregard for the families of those that died in Benghazi when she exclaimed, "What difference does it make?!"

As American citizens, we need to ensure that we support and encourage those actively trying to get to the bottom of this cover-up. We cannot let this story be buried any longer.

Please read more here. Educate and inform yourself; and when it is time to act, act!

Almost Out of Options - But Not Quite

When God tells us to do something, He will make sure we do. Sometimes, we may take the easy route; other times we choose a much more difficult trek.  Looks like this time, we chose the hard way.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

1 Timothy 2: 1-2

May 3rd, 2013

This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

Last February, President Obama stood before the assembled houses of Congress to deliver his State of the Union address. He spoke of pursuing "the remnants of Al Qaeda." He said, "Today, the organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self."

A shadow? Recent events have proven that Al Qaeda is far more than a shadow. The terrorist organization and its affiliates exist all over Africa and the Middle East, with cells in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States. It even publishes a slick, online magazine!

Al Qaeda can trace its roots to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Over the next several years, the U.S. and its allies poured billions of dollars in aid, expertise, and logistical assistance into helping the resistance fighters known as the Mujahideen. We helped build the extensive, fortified tunnel complexes in which Osama bin-Laden later took refuge during the U.S.-led coalition invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. We even sent our two best fictional fighting heroes, Rambo and James Bond, to assist them!

Now we're facing again the enemy that President Obama describes as a "shadow of its former self." Except this time, ironically, we are once again lending assistance.

The United States has been providing substantial "non-lethal" (so we're told) assistance to the Syrian rebels or "freedom fighters," as they're known in the mainstream media. Some of our national leaders have even been calling for "boots on the ground" military action on their behalf.

Until recently, that is. Now it is becoming apparent, as The Wall Street Journal reports, that "Al Qaeda [is] increasingly dominating the opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad." So, it's beginning to dawn on the Obama Administration that by assisting the Syrian rebels, the U.S. is assisting Al Qaeda, who will be in charge in Syria when Bashar al-Assad finally goes down.

As if this couldn't get any messier, Britain, France, Israel, and now the United States itself, have all gone public accusing the Assad government of using chemical weapons against its own people.

Why does this complicate the situation further? Well, because President Obama has emphasized several times that the use of chemical or biological weapons by the Assad government will be a red line that they dare not cross. Or else!

And now that they've crossed it, what does the President do? Well, he's been pretty vague up to now. And after all, these were only "small attacks." And we don't really know if Assad ordered them or a local commander took the initiative. We really can't be sure about the "chain of custody" of those weapons of mass destruction. Or... or... or...

His solution? Let's just have a United Nations commission study the situation and get back to us on it. Seriously!

To be fair, as the British say, this is a sticky wicket. The President is obligated by his own words to deal harshly with the Syrian government. Yet if he does anything meaningful against Assad's government, that means he's helping the rebels, and that means helping Al Qaeda -- even though it's only a "shadow of its former self." And helping Al Qaeda means helping the most ruthless terror organization in the world get its hands on Syria's extensive chemical and biological weapons stockpile.

As I've been saying for years, appeasement and procrastination buys nothing but more trouble later. By not dealing head-on with Iran and Syria before now, the U.S. is virtually backed into a corner.

Folks, there are no good options now. And, as far away as Syria may seem to you, these weapons falling into Al Qaeda's hands represents a real threat to our nation, Israel, and Europe. No matter how we personally feel toward the present leadership of the United States, I believe we must do as the Bible bids and pray -- earnestly -- for our leaders. Especially that God would grant our President supernatural wisdom in this situation.

Over the last three weeks, and as we learn more information, people keep asking how Dzhokhar Tsarnaev could have been involved in the Boston Marathon bombings. Why can't they believe it? Because Dzhokhar seems to be a "typical American kid."

What does that mean? The New York Times cited a Kaiser Family Foundation study. The Times headline was revealing: "If Your Kids are Awake, They're Probably Online." The writer made a chilling statement: "The average young American now spends practically every waking minute -- except for the time in school -- using a smart phone, computer, television, or other electronic devices."

In other words, media and school occupy almost all the waking hours of America's young people. Uh-oh!

I can't think offhand of two more potentially treacherous or corrupting influences in the lives of our children than "the media" and "the school." And that's where they spend ALL of their non-sleeping time.

On this week's program, I'm going to look at precisely what that may mean to our children and how those two influences played out in the life of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

The media devalues life and desensitizes us to death and suffering. It promotes violence and tears down traditional moral values. Academia teaches our children to hate God, Christianity, and America and its traditional values. And I'm not exaggerating one bit.

In the case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, add the volatile influence of a Muslim family and mosque. Then stir in the growing slick media influence of organizations like Al Qaeda, whose internet magazine, "Inspire," depicts Muslim terrorists as powerful, romantic, mysterious, and important, and it's like pouring gasoline on smoldering embers. It's an explosion waiting to happen.

If you haven't been paying attention to these two facets of American life, you're in for a shock. I believe that, overall, it may be too late to reverse the damage the media and academia have inflicted on America. But it's not too late to intervene in the lives of your children or grandchildren and make a difference -- by God's mercy and grace.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: This week's "Hal Lindsey Report" will not be seen on The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). It's Spring Praise-A-Thon!

Don't miss this week's Report on Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, the stations of the CET network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.

God Bless,

Hal Lindsey

 

Holder's Mistake - (One of Them)

From Jay Sekulow ~ The American Center for Law and Justice:

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was being questioned by the FBI - and to the shock of federal investigators - was read his Miranda rights, lawyered up, and promptly quit talking.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters over the weekend that "the decision to Mirandize was one that the magistrate made" and added that "everything was done appropriately."

Here's the problem. Why the rush to file charges in the first place? Holder refused to declare Tsarnaev an 'enemy combatant' which would have provided authorities with a lawful avenue to continue to question him - to gather much-needed intelligence about this terrorist attack. He would still face justice in federal court, but the U.S. would have had the time it needs to get the information and intelligence that is so critical in understanding exactly what happened at the Boston Marathon.

But, no, the Attorney General gave the OK to file charges, and after just 16 hours, the suspect was Mirandized and that was that. No more talking. No more intelligence. A vital investigative tactic shut down.

As I told Megyn Kelly today on FOX News, the problem is that the Attorney General made a fundamental mistake in the prosecution of this case by rushing in and filing charges before federal investigators got the intelligence they needed.

Instead of expressing concern about that aspect of the case, the Attorney General today felt compelled to remind Americans that the Justice Department is "committed to protecting innocent people against misguided acts of retaliation." No one has a problem with reminding people that we must not allow any group to be stigmatized or alienated.

But the fact is at this point in the Boston bombing case, the Attorney General should spend more time determining the cause of the intelligence failures in this case, going after the terrorists responsible, and securing vital information needed to keep America safe.

Jay Sekulow