The War Where Death is the Weapon for One Side and Life is the Weapon for the Other

With the murder of Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the militant Islamists of the world have confirmed again that the most efficient way to influence the politics of a country is assassination. It worked in Lebanon a couple of years ago when the Syrians eliminated Rafik Hariri also a former Prime Minister. Both Hariri and Bhuto deplored the outside influence of the radical Islamists in their country. Both countries, right now are holding hugely important elections. For the vast majority of people in all these Middle Eastern countries, the desire to live free from the influence of the radically religious fanatics is again being thwarted.

As I prayed this morning about this, I was reminded of another time in this region. The lives of the people were being controlled by the ultra-religious rulers who stifled and controlled their people with burdensome rules. All the while, security of the area was provided by the super-power nation of the time. It was into that scene that God sent a messenger. He didn’t come from the outside, indeed, his father was a high ranking religious official.

I love studying about John the Baptist. And lately I have been praying that God would bring the Muslim people their John the Baptist, their man with the Spirit of Elijah. It seems like the right time to me. What he did for Israel 2000 years ago was phenomenal. For those longing to get closer to God, but knowing that cruel religious control was not the answer, John prepared them. He opened their hearts so they could recognize their salvation when He appeared. I really sense that today’s Muslims are ready for that.

It is easy to forget that they too are sons of Abraham. They have been cruelly misled and controlled for too long. They need our prayers today.