I want to welcome you to
this specialization, a teen
seminar about Lebanon. My
name is Tom Craig, I'm the
Middle East coordinator with
ice J. And we're happy to
have a couple friends from
Beirut, Lebanon to share in
this time as we talk about
the situation in Lebanon. So
I want to welcome Nuna. And
Robert, they're good long
term friends that we've
known for many years. And
they and their families have
been having a great impact
in Lebanon in the city of
Beirut, and along the Isaiah
19 Highway for many, many
years. So I value their
friendship and deeply value,
what they're going to be
sharing with us today to
give us a current update on
what's happening in Lebanon.
And we hope that you'll take
these points that we're
going to share and talk
about, and turn them into
prayer for Lebanon, because
it's really an a critical
time and situation as a
country. And this is a great
opportunity to hear from
them and turn those things
into prayer. So welcome,
Nuna. And, Robert, it's
great to have you with me on
this seminar today before
the Feast of Tabernacles.
conference coming up. And
yeah, welcome. Thank you.
Thank you. So I think what
would be helpful is if both
of you could just share in
your own way, how you view
Lebanon has gotten to the
situation it's in right now
I know, it's probably a long
term process that has been
going on. But maybe just the
more recent history or days,
what are the things that
have been happening are
what's led Lebanon into such
a crisis? At this point? Can
you give us more background
on on how that's happened?
And and kind of walk us
through that?
Why have you good in
history, so you should do
the history, I thought,
well, first of all the
senator in some area, to all
of you in Jerusalem, and who
are following the Feast of
Tabernacles via zoom. It's
wonderful to be able to
share in this way. We there
are many reasons to why we
arrived at the situation
that we're at now. And the
problem is it. It may take
too much time giving all the
reasons as to why we have a
failed state. Essentially,
we are similar to what
Venezuela is going through
right now. Banks and Lebanon
attracted dollars by
offering sky high interest
rates. So people were
sending their dollars to
Lebanon, and getting very
high percentages that you
couldn't find anywhere else.
It's called a Ponzi scheme.
So eventually, it collapsed.
Now there were two things
that I remember that led to
this one is September of
2019, the prime minister who
had been urging this side
hobby to tighten our fiscal
belts, himself was found out
to have paid millions of
dollars to a South African
lady a model to have
relations with her. That was
September then in October,
the government said they're
going to tax WhatsApp
because the government
needed more revenue. And
that those two things one
were a prime minister who's
telling us to tighten our
belts financially. And then
the WhatsApp tax led to
October 17 Intifada or
uprising Lebanese uprising.
So that that's very talking
very basically very
generally, in after the
uprising of October 17. We
had the slowdown of the
economy which was followed
by the collapse of the
Lebanese currency called the
lira followed by COVID and
COVID lockdowns and then as
you all know the explosion
actually there were two
explosions of August 4 of
last year. 2020. So that's
just by way of introduction,
events that came one after
the other. And I think there
is a also an international
feel to it. I think this all
spring, Arab Spring
everywhere didn't exclude
Lebanon. So it's it's just a
series of events that's
happening in the whole
Middle East. It's not just
Lebanon, it's something that
is that is cooked out
somewhere, we don't know
where and we don't know who
that is cooking something in
the Middle East to just this
is a, a burning pots here is
a it's a place that could
explode at any moment. And
it has been exploding. So if
you include what's happening
in Syria, what's happening
in Jordan, what's happening
in Iraq, in Turkey, in
Lebanon, in Egypt, and in
all these regions,
everything happens
simultaneously. So I think
it has more like an
international feel to it
than just a national. So
yes, we do have our own
problems and our own
corruption and our own
things. But it's also bigger
than us. And it's, it's a
plot to change the, the
landscape of the Middle
East. I think
that's very interesting. So
you see, and I would imagine
that you both realize that
there's great influences
affecting Lebanon from other
nations around the Middle
East. And this is how so
having impact on the society
and the economy there.
Okay, do you want me to go
into a little bit more
details or who should
know feel free?
Okay, I feel free. You know,
this, the whole thing in the
whole Middle East is a power
is a balance of powers. So
it's a Sunni Shiite power.
So I would think that when
the when the sheriff power
goes too strong, then these
powers that are working in
behind the scenes are just
helping all the Sunni power
to just rise stronger. And
when the Sunni says powers
go stronger than we have the
shade power goes stronger.
So it's always an
equilibrium of power. And
this is how I see it. So I
see that now, when ISIS was
there. The rise of ISIS all
these times, suddenly the
shades power started to
rise, because the ISIS was
too strong. The sheriff
power started to rise, and
to come into the play
against the ISIS power. And
it was just, you know, just
increasing. So it increased
into Lebanon increase into
Yemen, it's increased into,
into Iraq into Syria. So
it's increased. Now the
shape power is a bit too
strong. So now we have a
resurgence of the the Sunni
power. So it's a suddenly we
have the Taliban we have the
ISIS, we have like
everything is resurging, for
certain reasons. So this is
all a game of power between
Sunni and Shiite, for the
holidays. So I don't think
it's just 1111 on problem. I
think it's a power or it's a
power struggle. I don't know
I think be with me, but very
insightful.
I would I would say that
Lebanon has been targeted by
Iran. Since Khomeini came to
power in February of 1979.
You remember, he was an
exile in France. And then he
flew back to Iran into power
after the sharp fell from
power. That same year, the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard
opened up a camp in Lebanon,
in the Bekaa Valley and
bonding. So the Shia
resurgence dates, all the
noonas referring to dates
all the way back to 1979. So
we're talking about 42 years
at the base here.
Furthermore, Israel used to
have direct flights from Tel
Aviv to Tehran, there was a
Israel interest office or
building into Iran. They
were Israeli engineers and
scientists and teachers.
They were all working in
Iran because the Shah was on
a crusade of modernity. He
wanted to make Iran into a
first world country. So the
Israel's closest ally was
Iran. But when Khomeini came
to power that year, he
closed the Israel office and
he declared the the last
week of Ramadan to be
Jerusalem day so the
committee has been using and
subsequent leaders in Iran
are using Lebanon as a
battleship to liberate
including Marx liberate
Jerusalem, for Islam. So,
there there are many reasons
for the collapse that you
asked us about. But you can
go back 42 years to where
Lebanon was already being
targeted by Iran. And this
is the fruit of that. And in
fact, there was a coup in
May of 2008, in which his of
Allah, which is the Shiite
militia, and also political
party, launched a coup
against the government
government and arrested in
quotation marks, government
leaders have put them under
house arrest for 24 hours in
one day and basically said,
we're in control now. Yeah.
And so we have been in a
political gridlock. Ever
since 2008, we've had not
able to make any progress.
Politically, we have no
government, as you probably
know, because Lebanon is
being used by Iran, as their
spear into into Israel.
That that is so helpful to
understand and so critical
to be aware of, and praying
for as believers who want to
stand with God's purposes
for the nations of the
Middle East, including
Lebanon, that they would be
delivered from this and come
into their destiny, and
stand with also Israel and
the other nations and God's
purposes. So thank you guys,
I think another very
significant event, as I
understand it, is what
happened last year, on
August 4, I was on a zoom
call at that time, I think,
Homer, you were on it as
well, with many other
leaders from around the
world. And there was a big
explosion in Beirut and you
had to excuse yourself, at
that time, and others on the
call, they were from
Lebanon, became quite
emotional about just how
fearful they were over what
had happened in Beirut,
because of the size of the
explosion and noon, I know,
we were communicating
quickly, soon after that as
well. But maybe you can just
describe that day and what's
happened as well, since
then, in the city of Beirut
and in Lebanon.
Yeah, I remember that day.
And I think many people
remember that day as if it
was yesterday. So it's not
something that was in the
past. It's something that's
so vivid, and so present in
our memory. And we can't, we
can't just live, you know,
without remembering that
day. And I wrote it in one
of my letters that it was
there is now before the
October, August for and
after August 4, like, you
know, there is a this this
thing that before it was
this way, and now it is this
way. So it it's just had a
complete transformation of
society, the all the trauma
of the civil war that was in
Lebanon came back. So the
people that lived that
moment of the explosion, and
that felt the instruction
and the loss and the death
and all these things lived
also not only that tragedy,
but live back also the
tragedy of the war, where
people lost also homes and
people they loved and like
many things that were
similar,
so kind of re traumatize
them or brought that all
back up.
Yes, yes. So because it was
all always inside them, but
they learn to live with it.
But now with this, now you
have a new fear, that is
lingering, we will as I was
discussing with my son, just
yesterday, I was discussing
with him and they said now
that when they hear a plane,
they they feel fear. When
they hear a plane, they feel
fear. And he was saying
genoma this friend has this
and this friend has this and
this friend has this. So he
was just naming all the
people people like every one
of them had now fear when
they hear a plane because
before the explosion, this
is what we heard we heard
that plane and then we heard
the explosion so so there's
this now unconscious fear
that is there that I don't
know what will happen to me.
Now I'm on a road and I hit
a plane and maybe a bomb
will explode just next to
me. So something that that
unconsciously is living the
living it like everyone is
living it. So we live we're
working in the explosion
area. So we have a center
now index function area, and
I see all day long as you
see people who have lived
this tragedy will have lost
homes. Some of them have not
even finished repairing
their homes, because of lack
of finances, but some of
them are still trying to
Bring back a sense of
normalcy in, in their lives.
But it's very hard,
especially for younger, the
younger ones, the kids who
are afraid now to go back
into their homes, the kids
who don't know what to do,
like if they go to school,
they come back from school,
or they like, what are they
going to find? So there's a
this, this heavy feeling of
trauma and of, of
uncertainty and fear and
insecurity, there's all
over. So it's not just a, an
explosion that happened in
someplace, it's the whole
spectrum of things that are
before and after. So even
before, because of all the
memories that came with it,
and after, because of all
the things that are still
very much around us that we
can see, there's so much
still to be repaired,
there's so much still
reminding us every day of
what happened every day, we
see places that have not
been repaired yet to cars
that are still destroyed,
shops that are still closed,
and with broken windows and
broken shutters, and so it's
still there, it's still
there around us.
It must be so difficult with
what you described earlier
about how things just are
not functioning with the
government and in the
society in general, to have
such a massive, destructive
event take place, impacting
the port and surrounding
areas. They're in Beirut to
such a degree that you know,
how many hundreds of 1000s
of people were homeless are
affected at that time
100,300 to
300,000 people who were
affected by that. And then a
year later, you're talking
about how things are still
very much not remedied or
taken care of because of the
situation there that you
described earlier. And that
must be so difficult for you
and all the people in
Lebanon just to continue to
go through the whole process
of trying to make life
better, but failing, in many
ways, there's a little
progress. And it's it feels
hopeless, I'm sure, at
times, but we just
and the government does is
not there. So it's like
everything is relying on
NGOs and international aid,
and through the government.
So the people are really,
really relying on NGOs to to
rebuild their lives and to
have what whatever kind of
headache they can. They're
not relying on any
governmental office, they're
not relying on the social
affairs of the Ministry of
Interior, they're not
relying of any on any of
these. They're just relying
on NGOs. And that's puts a
really heavy load on local
and international NGOs. And
do you
feel that those NGOs are
getting enough resources and
they have enough people and
finances to be able to to
continue to help in that
situation and serve those
people that have needs?
It is going well, I think I
think there is always this
the problem of the banks. So
people who cannot retrieve
their money from banks. So
some people have actually
money in the bank, but they
cannot retrieve it. So
that's a problem. Some
people are receiving money
and can retrieve it and are
able to work with it. But
the need is so much greater
than like, even if you just
send hundreds of millions of
dollars. It's not enough.
It's not enough, because the
problem is that people are
not able to it's not like
you give one time you just
rebuild a life and then they
go on you have to continue
because there is no work,
there is no prospect of
work, there is no future
there is no hope there is
nothing. So you give once
and then you have given up
to give another time and
another time and another
time. So even if you have a
lot, a lot, a lot of money
is sustained in it for a
long time. It's very hard.
Even, you know, even a
government I don't know if
the government can do that.
So, so yes, there are like
there is money and many NGOs
are working and but the
sustaining of it is very
hard.
Probably because there needs
to be a redevelopment of
infrastructure in so many
ways for things to improve.
So Robert, what do you feel
I know you were greatly
impacted and I remember you
going around on your
motorcycle and viewing
things right down at the
port after it happened and
and sharing those videos.
And pictures with me and
others. But how's life been
since then, in your view?
Well, we were, as you
mentioned, we actually were
on a zoom together when we
had, I felt an earthquake,
and we've been overdue. A
big earthquake since the
last big one, shook the
whole region back in 1927.
My wife and I, we always
talk about, hey, we're
overdue. Where's the
earthquake? Because Lebanon
is right on the Rift Valley
as Israel, which goes from
here all starts in Lebanon
goes all the way to Kenya
and Africa. So I thought,
well, here's the big one,
maybe this is the big
earthquake. So I got up and,
and walked out to the bank,
I excused myself from the
zoom call. And just as I got
up from the couch, I heard
the sound. So I realize it
was an earthquake, it was an
explosion. I got out to the
balcony. Now there's nothing
there's no obstruction
between the balcony and the
port. In other words,
there's no buildings in
front of between me and the
port, all of the port is a
distance away. It there's
nothing to obstruct my view.
And so I was there. When the
second explosion, that's the
large one went off, and it
looked like an atomic bomb.
And for a split second, I
thought, What is this an
atomic bomb, but I realized
I wasn't blinded by the
flash. So that I really
thought that for a second.
But the mushroom cloud
disappeared in a second or
two it was it wasn't like
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. So I
realize No, this is not at a
time, but I didn't know what
it was. But it I went down
and no cars are allowed in
the area. But I could get by
my little motorcycle and
went down to to look at it.
The following morning
explosion was 10 minutes
past six in the evening. On
August the fourth, I went
down the morning in the
fifth and saw the incredible
destruction. Now I want to
say this about August the
fourth August the fourth
created another spasm of
fury on the part of the
Lebanese people against the
government. Very similar to
what happened in October
17 2019. Why? Because the
Lebanese discovered that
tons of ammonium nitrate
nitrate, which was in a
rusty old boat that was on
its way to Mozambique, had
stopped in Beirut for some
repairs. And for some
reason, the contents of the
ship, the small ship were
confiscated by Lebanese
customs and put in a
warehouse in 2016, if I'm
not mistaken, and not stored
properly. And so when the
Lebanese people found out
what are we doing,
confiscating this stuff, and
putting it on our shore?
People were going crazy. Why
didn't we just you know, let
that ship get its repairs
and go on to Mozambique,
where that's where it was on
its way to. But the it was
confiscated. And it led to
this explosion which is had
it's a domino effect. It's
affected so many things. In
addition to what I've
already mentioned, the
collapse of the currency,
slowdown of the economy and
so on, so forth. This is
almost the last straw. I
don't know if it is the last
straw, then it seemed like
the last straw. And so a
fury has erupted in Lebanese
society. Because no one has
been held accountable.
Immediately an investigation
was launched, but no one has
been arraigned. No one has
been brought to court, much
less arrested or sentenced
to prison for this
explosion, which damaged
hundreds of 1000s of
buildings. It's hard to
imagine a number like that.
And then some buildings were
damaged, were completely
destroyed. Others suffered
superficial damage depending
how far away you are from
the blast. But we're talking
about hundreds of 1000s of
buildings. And this is after
Beirut started rebuilding
the war ended in 1990. And I
would say about 93 or 94
building started in earnest.
And the skyline of a mood is
totally different than what
I remember when I came here
in 1980. So all of that it
seemed like all of that
progress was just destroyed.
And so a tremendous malaise
has fallen on the Lebanese
people a disappointment, a
discouragement. In the when
the war broke out and 75 the
Civil War The second Civil
War first one was 1958. But
when the second Civil War
broke out in 75, the
population Lebanon was
around 3 million, a million
Lebanese left after the 75
War. Well, they came back in
the 1990s. And now once
again, we're seeing an
exodus, a brain drain. I
mean, I've lost my doctor.
I've lost my dentist. The
best and the brightest are
leaving young people leaving
because these are their
early years of their life.
They can't sit around
waiting. So It's it's a
discouraging time for sure.
Now, we're not going to
finish this seminar on that
note, but I just answer your
question about how I view
the explosion of August 4.
Well, thank you. And I
think, you know, both of you
have made reference to a few
times to the economy and how
it has, you know, had such a
turn downturn, and it's in
really bad shape. Can you
speak more to that before we
talk about the response of
believers and the church to
all of this, because we do
want to end on a hopeful
note of what God can do
through all of this, but I
know the economy is
suffering greatly. They're
in Lebanon, and many of us
are concerned about how that
affects society and the
political situation in
Lebanon, but also in the
region with as the other
forces that work as we
talked about earlier, so
what about the economy? How
is it impacting you and your
families, your ministries,
but also in general Lebanon?
Well, you probably know that
the Lebanese pound has lost
90% of its value, which
means that with with a $1,
now, you have 90% inflation,
so you can just have for the
same dollar you had before
1500, Lebanese lira, now you
have 20,000, Lebanese here
for the same dollar. So this
means such a devaluation of
the Lebanese pound, and the
power of the buying power,
the purchasing power of the
remaining style is really
nothing. So now you go to a
shop, and you can really buy
nothing with what you have
is living these pounds. And
many people are still
receiving the wages in
Lebanese pounds, and it has
not even been increased. So
they have lost 90% of their
salaries, which so
everything is all the stuff
in the supermarket, or the
things that you need to buy
even the gas, or whatever it
is, everything has increased
in value, and a lot
increased, but then they
don't have any more the
purchasing power that they
have. So if they had money
in the bank is stranded in
the bank, if they have, if
just they're just relying on
their own salary, what they
get, they're receiving only,
like 10% of what they used
to receive before. So now
that we're the wage, the
minimum wage is about $29
less than minimum wage of a
nice person per month. And
it is like $29. So before it
used to be like $600 now
it's, it's $29. So you can
imagine a little bit the
poverty that people are
living in the lack. So they
have been reduced to it to
you know, just cut out some
meats or some restaurants or
some some of the things that
they used to do, they have
now to just stop it and not
not live the same way they
used to live before. So and
many of them now are relying
on the the aids the food
packages that we are sending
or that other NGOs are
sending, so many of them are
actually relying on the food
packages that we're sending.
So that's much people who
have never, never asked for
help are now coming and
knocking at our doors, which
is for us it is a
catastrophe. It's really,
really dramatic. And you
know what people who have
done who are going through
the same thing? Yeah. So
they now we are we are where
we were, we are reduced to,
you know, to ask for help.
You know, not not personally
but I mean, Lebanese people
are, this is the reality of
maybe 80% of the Lebanese
population is a huge number.
Not Of course, you have some
who are living with working
with foreign countries, so
they still receive their
wages in foreign currencies.
They're fine. But those who
are receiving their wages in
Lebanese have been
dramatically dramatically.
That's have been touched by
that.
So Robert, what are you
viewing when you see this
situation now with the
economy and how it's
affecting people's lives?
Well, it's hard for me
although I don't get my
salary is not in Lebanese
lira. But it's hard for me
to be around such need in my
building. We have three
pharmacists, one engineer
and they need food. I never
thought I would see such a
thing. When I came to
Lebanon for the first time
in 1980, and then moved my
family here in 1982, there
was full employment. The
currency was very strong.
Lebanese was known. The
Lebanese currency was known
as a very strong currency.
Yes. And that's how it was
throughout the warriors.
Now, there wasn't security.
There was there was work,
and there was food. And
there was a strong currency.
But of course, there was war
as well. We don't have war
now. But the situation in
many respects is much more
difficult. Then it was an
award. Here's the How do you
go from $600 to $29, a
person in our church, her
brother had had $1,650 a
month, which is a very good
salary. He has a wife and
four children. And now he
has to get by on less than
$200 a month. I mean, it's,
this is incredible. I have
never seen anything like
this now. The Nunez husband.
Right after the Intifada
started in October of 2019.
The very next month,
November, he decided to
start a food bank. And it's
the first congregation to do
that. And it was so patient
of him to do and it's just
amazing, because we didn't
realize how much people will
be depending on this food
bank. And we've not only
First of all, it was founded
to help the congregation,
the members of the
congregation, obviously, but
then it's spread to helping
other congregations. And
then finally, Nunez has been
helped churches start their
own food banks. And this
food bank continues to grow
because the need continues
to grow. I never saw this in
the Warriors never saw
anything like this before.
So this is very impactful.
It's it's painful to see,
even though I personally
unable to buy the food that
I need to be around such
need all the time, is pretty
discouraging.
I can imagine I just really
have no idea. You know,
though, we've lived in
situations where there's
poverty and and difficulty
to, to make ends meet for
people. It's nothing like
what you guys are
describing. And it's been
going on for such a long
time already with, again,
very little hope for how
it's going to change right
now, politically and
otherwise. So I think we
really, you know, he knew
need to take some time now
before we finished to talk
about what the Lord's been
doing in your hearts,
through all of this and how
he's encouraged you and
given you hope, cuz I know
you both are both resilient,
strong believers, and that
you have great hope yet for
Lebanon and for Isaiah 19
and the nations around to
see God's kingdom calm. So
yeah, explain how you've
responded to these things,
especially in the last
couple years. But over the
last year, especially so
much has been happening
noona I know your ministry
triumphant mercy has been
having a great impact before
the explosion at the port,
but even more so after that,
in many ways, and you're
involved in a lot of
different outreach and
ministry. Maybe you can
explain to us what you all
got. Well, you guys are
doing and then as well,
Robert, we want to hear from
you.
Yes, as transit mercy, which
is the humanitarian branch
of the church, we we do have
a big impact on the whole
Lebanese society. No, and
before that we were working
also with refugees. So we're
still working with refugees
with the Sunni refugees, but
we have increased the work
with Lebanese citizens,
especially after the crisis.
So with all the economic
collapse, with all the
things that the Lebanon is
going through, we have been
just opening our doors for
Lebanese who are just going
through psychological
problems with trauma with
all the things that they
have been going through. So
we have had a lot of work
with that. During after or
after the explosion. We had
pre built homes. So we had
for two months. We were just
on the streets. We had we
pitched a tent on the
street, having a table there
and just mapping the region
and and sending workers into
every home. So we did a lot
a lot of homes that more
than 500 homes, we could
help rebuilding and
repairing so we had a huge
impact on that and I
remember, I remember just a
bit after the explosion when
we were working on the
streets. I remember when
people were coming from all
the regions, with just
brooms, people wanted to do
something, you know, people
could not after this
explosion, they could not
just sit at home and watch
news and not be on the
ground. Like they needed to
feel useful. They needed to
express their anger and
their frustration while I
was doing something. So we
had with that too, because
we started to give them
gloves for work, we started
to bring we brought brought
lots of shovels, and, you
know, bags and all these
things so that people can
just clean the streets and
clean hospitals and clean
churches and clean homes and
clean stairs and whatever it
is, so that people will just
see people's frustration. So
we were able to help with
that, to help to just
contain this, and to just
bring leadership to people.
Really, I just see them the
black sheep, without
shepherds, they had no one
to lead them. They had no
one to tell them what to do,
or how to help and what what
how can you just actually do
something. So this was our
job just to sit there and
just say, you go here, you
go here, take the shovel,
take these, these now and
just bring trucks and just
put everything in the truck
and take it to the garbage
things, those small things
like that, that they needed
it, it just brought so much
like
it was like a bomb on their,
you know, on their, on their
frustration, just like I'm
doing something. And this
has continued. So now this
has continued is different
now. So most of the homes
are somehow repaired, you
still have lots of other
works, but like maybe the
heaters is not working,
maybe the shutters are not
working but with the homes
are okay, so people can live
in in the homes. But now as
with, you know you work on
people with psychological
support with trauma healing,
and we work on them to share
it to give them a vision for
the future. So that's
another kind of work we can
give. When when you just
tell them that actually
there is a future, there is
a future, your life doesn't
stop here. And that's a
problem. Because none of
them has even the slightest
thought that the future can
exist. For them many, for
many of them, life has
stopped, life has taught
with just surviving, we're
in a surviving mode, we're
not in a mode that can
actually think of tomorrow.
We're just surviving today.
And that's it. So that's the
kind of work we could do. So
we do that we do we try to
provide small jobs, maybe
it's not a big thing, maybe
it's now we cannot do
everything. But we can
provide small jobs. And
sometimes this is what
people need. Because, you
know, they, they don't and
many people actually told us
this when we were visiting
them at home, they will say,
I don't need you to help me,
I need you to find a job. I
don't want to be helped I
want a job. So this is what
we're trying to do. So we're
trying all kinds of things
to help people just stand
back on their feet. And it's
not it's not easy. And of
course the gospel is always
there. Without we cannot
have hope without the
gospel. So when we talk
about gospel about hope,
when we talk about future,
we talk about the destiny of
Lebanon and that God loves
Lebanon and Lebanon is a
jewel in the crown of the
Lord and etc. So we always,
always bring back the Lord
into it because he is our
anchor. Without him we just
tossed you know by by every
wind that is coming by every
political change by every
speech that somebody says
that if somebody says
something we can remove,
then somebody else says
something and then we can be
moved. So we have to be
anchored somewhere. And this
is how we're working with
people. I think, I think for
now, this is what we can do.
We can bring food, we can
bring restoration of souls,
we can try to provide jobs
and and just bring bring God
close to people
to see that there is some
breakthrough coming through
all these crises in terms of
people's spiritual lives or
their hearts. Are they
becoming more tender open to
hear the good news or
something that will give
them both and are believers
stepping up to really take
advantage of that and share
the gospel more and more in
those situations.
I can see that people are
more tender because their
their pride has been cut.
You know now they reduced
their have, you know, they
have to humble themselves to
ask for help? Or to say I
cannot do it by myself? Or I
say, can you be next to me?
Can you help me? Can you so
there's this brokenness that
came. And with brokenness,
there's openness. So now
there is much more openness
to hear the gospel before. I
remember Lebanese was so
like, you know, religious.
So I know everything, and
you don't need to preach the
gospel to me. So but now,
they are so broken that they
want that word of hope. So,
this morning, I were like I
was at one of the centers,
and I was we were discussing
with a lady, and we were
telling her what do you
want? What do you need?
Like? So we're just having a
kind of what do you need?
And one of the things that
we told her, we told her, we
can do Bible studies, not
Bible studies, like Bible
meetings, talking about the
Bible, or we can do trauma
healing, or we can do
computer lessons, or we can
do and she said, I want
Bible. And oh, that's nice.
That's nice. So people are
open, then I can't say
they're mature, and they
understand everything, but
they are open. And this
brokenness has brought so
much more openness then than
we used to have before. Yes,
yeah. So some, they're
thirsting for more,
this is more, but at the
same time, there's so much
hopelessness in another
another part that many of
them just dream of leaving
the country. So it's both,
you know, they're broken. So
the solution is either I
leave the country or I need,
I need help. So if you can't
leave the country, then
that's when you have like, I
need something. And so, so
it's really, it's really
hard to hide situation.
Oh, yeah. Robert, what is
your view on this in terms
of what God's you know,
showing you and the hope
that you have for what he's
going to do to redeem all of
this?
Well, I'd like to put some
of the the suffering that
Lebanon has experienced over
the decades and perspective,
this, this country was
carved out of the caliphate
after World War One. So as
far as Muslims are
concerned, it's Muslim land.
And they've never, they've
never accepted any more than
they have accepted. The
establishment of the State
of Israel never accepted the
idea that Christians can be
the head of state, the head
of the army had a Ministry
of Interior that's unique
among the 22 Arab states, in
the Middle East. So Lebanon
is a very, very unique
country in the Arab Muslim
world. Yes. And as a result
of that, when it was
founded, is a French mandate
1920 and got its
independence in 1946. It's,
it's been targeted, in my
opinion, it's been targeted
by Satan ever since. But
why? Because Lebanon was the
place where Christian
publishing was was was here.
Yeah, Christian television
was here. Christopher's
Christian radio, the
Christian television, right
in the heart of the Arab
Muslim world, there's
Lebanon, being a light for
the gospel to 300 million
Arab Muslims. This is like a
sharp stick in the eye of
Satan. And so my, my
perspective is the traumas
that we've been going
through, go back many
decades. It's not just you
know, the August 14 2020.
explosion, or, or the
Intifada? 2019? No, no, he
goes back. It's it goes way
back. And so as a result, we
are having the kind of
upheavals that we're having,
because more and more
Muslims are coming to faith
in Yeshua, in Jesus. Look at
Iran, for example, Iran
established an Islamic
theocracy, that means a
country that's run by Allah.
And yet it's the fastest
growing church that we're
aware of in the Muslim
world. That's just one
example. The other thing you
asked us to speak about
Isaiah and it well, we're
part of the highway, we're
part of a Syria were part of
the countries that make up
used to make up Syria or
Syria, the empire of Syria.
I would like to remind our
listeners, our viewers, that
the border between Israel
and Lebanon was open
unofficially from 1976 until
2000. That means for a
period of 24 years, there
was a commerce and people
going back and forth across
the border, not Israelis.
Israelis are not allowed to
go north, the Lebanese are
free to come south, and then
he did and many worked in
Israel. So the highway was
actually open from 1976 to
2000. So that gives us hope,
and I remember those days
and those of the viewers are
that know their geography.
I'm talking about the Tula
the good fence matola being
the the northernmost city
and Israel and those If you
didn't know Lebanese
geography, I'm talking about
Coca Cola, and Marina Yun
area. But there are other
openings along the border
all the way to us in order,
for example in Romania, but
we believe that Satan, he
knows this Bible as well
remember, he quoted some
pretty obscure passages to
the issue it Jesus when he
was being tempted by the
devil in the wilderness, so
he knows his Bible. So he's
aware of God's vision for
this region, the vision that
God gave Isaiah we call it I
say, his vision, but it's
actually God's vision that
he gave Prophet Isaiah and
chapter 19, particularly the
last three verses 2324 25.
Well, Lebanon is part of
that promise. And so we see
a spiritual warfare going
on. The good thing is, is
that we're experiencing
judgment, but we're also
learning righteousness at
the same time. And the house
of the Beirut House of
Prayer, which came out of
this congregation that noona
pastors along with her
husband, this is this is
going on, you know, their,
their prayer movement is
growing in this country as a
result of what we've been
going through, particularly
since 2019. The momentum is
growing. I wouldn't say that
we're having revival and
Lebanon, although I know
there has been a description
of one meeting in the Bekaa
Valley as a revival. I'm
aware of that meeting. But
I'm talking about it's not a
nationwide revival. We're
seeing pockets of revival,
certainly, in the Beirut
house of prayer. It's it's
never been as active in the
past as it is today. And I
believe that the is caused
us to get serious about our
faith, and to realize that
we're in spiritual warfare
here, that Satan
hates us and has a terrible
plan for our lives. But God
has a bride here in Lebanon,
and he loves Lebanon, and he
loves his church in Lebanon,
and he has great plans for
this country, man. And so we
we are contending in the
place of prayer and worship,
for the spiritual destiny of
Lebanon, which is linked to
you where you live, Tom, and
is linked to the other
countries along the highway.
Wonderful. Well, I think the
only thing we can do now is
to take some times in that
prayer for Lebanon so that
they will continue to think
about what they've heard and
pray into all of this, I
really would like to just
take a moment and share
before we pray this amazing
promise, from Isaiah chapter
29, to prophetic word
declaration in Isaiah as
well, about Lebanon, that I
would think we're all
continuing to believe God is
going to bring this to pass
in the near future. It
begins in verse 17, of
Isaiah 19 verse, Isaiah 29.
In a very short time, will
not Lebanon be turned into a
fertile field. And the
fertile fields seem like a
forest. A day the death will
hear the words of the scroll
and out of gloom and
darkness, the eyes of the
blind will see, once more
the humble will rejoice in
the Lord. The needy will
rejoice in the Holy One of
Israel. The ruthless will
vanish the mockers will
disappear. And all who have
an eye for evil will be cut
down. Those who had with a
word make someone out to be
guilty, who ensnare the
defender in court, and with
false testimony deprive the
innocent of justice. Yes,
well, what a description of
Lebanon from what you've
already been sharing with
us, what we hear about the
situation, the terrible
corruption and injustice is
going on that are affecting
and all of the society and
the economy and so on
people's lives. God has a
hope and a promise to turn
that around in a very short
time. He says, this can
happen in Lebanon, and that
once more than the humble
will rejoice in the Lord
Luke noona. You talked about
people becoming broken and
humble. It's time now it's
time for a breakthrough
spiritually for Lebanon,
that the needy will rejoice
in the Holy One of Israel.
Robert, that speaks to me
that they're actually going
to know even more about the
God of Israel, who is the
father of Yeshua, Jesus, the
Messiah, that they're going
to honor and love him as
well as all the nations of
the Middle East will
Together with the people of
Israel. So why don't we just
take a moment and close in
prayer, and I'll let both of
you lead off and prayer for
your own wonderful nation of
Lebanon. And then I'll close
it after you've prayed.
Okay? Jesus, I thank you
because of your promises,
because your promises are
true. Yes, and every promise
that you have in the Bible,
every promise that you have
for our land, we take it,
the God of justice is
coming. You are the God of
justice, and you're bringing
your throne as we worship as
we pray, Lord, I know that
you are establishing your
throne of justice. And you
said, the foundation of your
throne is justice and truth
is true. So I just ask Lord,
that You would, in these
dark times that you would
increase prayer, I pray that
you would just increase the
number of people who would
just call onto you. Because
you said that you hear the
cries of your people. And
you listen, and you come and
you visit, and you raise the
deliver and you change and
you transform because you
are the one who is able to
do all these things. Lord,
we put our trust in you. We
cannot trust in any man in
any country, in any
government in any power in
we don't trust in any.
Because all of them has
failed us, all of them,
though. So we know that we
cannot trust on anyone but
you and today we just come
to you. And we say Lord
Lebanon is a precious jewel
in your crown and Lebanon
will be richly represented
before the throne. And it
has such a destiny that that
the Lord has just talked
about it multiple times,
about the beauty of Lebanon
and the glory of Lebanon and
or the splendor of Lebanon
or the cedars of Lebanon and
the aroma that's coming out
of Lebanon. And Lord today I
just asked that Lebanon way
come into its destiny, pray,
Lord, that You would just
bring bring back Lebanon to
his original status. I just
am all these covers all
these markers, all these
people that are just making
plans, like in some tool,
that they are just
conspiring together against
the Lord. Not that you would
just laugh like law. It's a
terrible laugh. It's a
terrible laugh. When you
were you laugh from your
soul at your enemies. It's a
terrible laugh. But I asked
her that now you just bring
your justice from your
throne. And I thank you
because there's nothing that
out of that's out of your
control. And even though we
see the situation as like as
a dead end and very hard
with you, there's always an
open door with you. There's
always an exit, you always
you always have a solution.
You always have a plan of
redemption, always have a
plan, even to death, you had
a plan of resurrection, even
to any sickness, you had a
plan of restoration you you
have. So for Lebanon is not
a dead end today. We just
proclaim it. It's not the
end. It's not the end. So we
just look at it with hope.
We look at the future with
hope. And we are waiting to
see the deliverance of the
Lord. We are expecting
expecting to see the
deliverance of the Lord, we
keep our eye we keep
watching. As these watched
people on the watch towers,
were watching the watchmen
they were watching to see
and we are waiting to see
the salvation of the Lord
coming into our land, which
is waiting for it. And we
thank you for giving us this
privilege to be serving your
people in this time. This
this is a privilege that you
have entrusted us to serve
your people. I pray for that
you will just keep us
focused on you. Not only on
the task that is around us,
but on on you because you
are the one who is able to
just melt the mountains, all
the difficulties will just
go down and every value will
be raised up and you're able
to do it all. So we trust
you. And we thank you for
your faithfulness and for
being with us, sustaining
us, encouraging us and just
giving us the stamina to
continue in Jesus name.
Amen.
Lord, I thank you that you
will not put out a
smoldering wick. We
celebrate Lebanon's gospel
heritage. Yes. there for
decades. It's been a light
for the gospel. In the last
frontier of Christian
mission, the Muslim world in
the heartland of Islam, you
raised up Lebanon. Lord, we
cry out for Lebanon that the
enemy would not be able to
extinguish the flame. We ask
Holy Spirit that you would
blow This nation, that we
would once again be part of
the solution, not part of
the problem that we would be
able to see the highway
open. Between Lebanon, in
all the surrounding
countries. Oh Lord unstop it
Oh God, we're so anxious to
have relationship, physical
contact and relationship
with our brothers and
sisters across the border.
Oh Lord, would you open this
part of the highway, we act.
And we will continue to ask
until we see it happen until
it's a reality. Lord God,
open the highway we pray,
open the highway. Lord
Jesus, we ask
each other I thank you so
much for this rich time of
just hearing from the hearts
of noona and Robert, who
represents so many others in
the land of Lebanon. Lord,
thank you that they have
been faithful through all
these years to seek your
face, to grow in the
knowledge of view, to become
ambassadors of your kingdom
to the people of Lebanon
and, and beyond to the other
nations of the Middle East.
Lord, I thank you, that you
will honor their faith and
the faith of of many in the
land of Lebanon who
continued to put their hope
in you and to pray to you
day and night tonight and
day Lord, thank you for the
increase of prayer that is
taking place. Even during
these difficult days Lord,
made that just grow and and
intensify in the zeal and
passion of your people
crying out to you to your
throne to see your hand move
on behalf of Lebanon to
uproot the evil doers, those
who've had such influence
and strongholds over the
land of Lebanon for decades,
even centuries, Lord, the
Father, you would uproot and
liberate the people of
Lebanon to come to know you
to have the freedom to call
upon you and, and have
relationship with you. And
Lord, to grow in
relationship with others in
the nations of the Middle
East, even with those here
in Israel, as their heart
longs for. Lord, we pray for
a spiritual breakthrough in
these days, for the
outpouring of your spirit,
upon the land of Lebanon
upon its people, and the
hearts of many would be
turned to you, even as your
word declares in Isaiah 29
will happen in a very short
time. Lord, we asked you
bring that time now May this
be the our Lord after
hearing all that has been
described, Lord, we asked
you for that spiritual
breakthrough now, on behalf
of Lebanon, we bless
Lebanon, the church in
Lebanon, we thank you for
our brothers and sisters.
They're in your shoes name
in just Jesus name. Amen.
Thank you both. Thank you
for your time and for
sharing so wonderfully
deeply with us about
Lebanon. I know many others.
So benefit from this time
and take it to prayer, I'm
sure in the days and months
ahead. So thank you both.
Can you imagine living three
kilometers from the Gaza
Strip, in a community where
when you hear a siren, you
know you have 15 seconds to
get to safety and that Hamas
a terrorist organization
dedicated to your country's
destruction is sending
rockets and incendiary
balloons armed with
explosive devices aimed at
your home, your children's
school and your fields.
Unfortunately, this has
become a reality of life for
residents of Kibbutz
alluvium. Today, we're going
to visit the brave people
living in this border
community to see how they're
coping with the recent
rocket and fire attacks.
I live from the kibbutz for
30 years, the security
situation has changed a lot
since then. In the first
years, it was a completely
pastoral and peaceful in the
last actually 18 years or so
since my youngest daughter
was born. We've started
having threats from rockets
from from Gaza when the bomb
threat was becoming more and
more severe, and the first
place that we was protected
against bombs were they
kindergardens We can't wait
until we hear a code read if
to know what to do, we spend
a lot of time preparing. And
we practice with the
children. They know that if
there's our code read when
they're on a walk, not do
dog. When they come to their
house, they know to do it
for if I'm caught between
one place and the other, and
there's a shelter there, and
I can go in and practically
it's very important to me.
That means we have to
provide children and
families with therapeutic
tools that they can then put
into practice when they are
in those safe rooms, that
it's not just a sense of
being completely helpless.
Okay, what do I do? How do I
cope with my stress? How do
I cope with all these
thoughts running through my
mind? It's gonna pass it's
gonna pass How do I calm
myself down? And then once
everything's clear, once I
go outside, again, am I
okay? Is she okay? Is he
okay? I'm in touch with my
family. Is everybody okay? I
have to get home, how do I
get home, it's it's people
having to understand how to
like map out their lives,
we've seen that the impact
has been much, much stronger
on children on families. Now
we're going through 24 hours
or 48 hours, or 400 500
pockets a days. And that is
something much, much harder
to cope with. Consequently,
symptoms reactions have also
been a lot lot harder. And
that's demanded from us to
also rethink how we give
support, how quickly we give
support. What is incredible,
and it amazes me every time
is to see people's coping
skills on on how they
function. with us. It's more
question of, Okay, this is a
situation it is hard, but we
can cope, we can deal with
it. And we also live in hope
that it will end it really
will end.
The Christian embassy, you
have our back, you help us
knowing that you support us
enables us to help more
people. And I really mean
that from the bottom of my
heart to see Christians and
Jews working together, fills
my heart fills my soul with
absolute joy, and hope. We
see miracles every day. But
we just have to know to open
our eyes to them and to
appreciate them. And for me,
this is America.
I want to personally thank
you for helping protect
lives here along the Gaza
border. Because of your
support, we have been able
to donate these bomb
shelters, firefighting
trailers, and all terrain
vehicles to this vulnerable
community in southern
Israel, and help bring a
sense of security to those
living so close to danger.
This was all made possible
because faithful Christian
donors have given to our
Israeli in crisis Fund,
which enables us to respond
in real time whenever
emergencies arise. So please
give today as we stand with
Israel on the front lines
and help them protect their
future in the promised land.