November 2002 Personal Letter

Dear Friends:

Democracy is a great enterprise. The blessings America has enjoyed for over 200 years are due in part to the democratic ideals established by our founding fathers. In contrast to our imperialistic, European ancestors, we have been content, for the most part, to export democracy and freedom to struggling nations around the world for the last 100 years.

But with democracy comes free enterprise, which unfortunately leads to abuses, such as the recent corporate scandals involving multiple billions of dollars. Too often, money becomes paramount, and the obsession with it blurs our moral vision for doing what’s right.

Every American can be proud of Todd Beamer, who on that ill-fated 9/11 flight, cried out, “Let’s roll,” motivating his fellow passengers to act courageously against the Saudi terrorists. But why did his wife’s attorney so quickly move to copyright Beamer’s words? Money. His statement is now commercial property, subject to permissions and licenses and royalties.

Democracy also affords us freedom of speech. But now this sacred right is being attacked. Godless Americans forced us to remove prayer from schools, the Ten Commandments from government buildings and even “under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance (thankfully, this one will probably be overturned). Now since 9/11, with Muslim Americans crying foul over racial profiling, many citizens have, in effect, been frightened into a complacent silence. But not all. Take the case of Eunice Stone.

She’s the courageous citizen who informed police of three suspicious Arab men traveling to Florida on September 12. Their conversation, she overheard, included statements that indicated a possible terror threat. The cars were stopped on a Florida highway, the bomb squad was called in and the suspects were questioned. Eventually, they were released without charges. Ms. Stone maintains that her story is accurate, despite ridicule and conflicting accounts given by the Arab men to police. Tina Osceola, a spokeswoman for the Collier County Sheriff’s department, said [the men’s] stories “weren’t the same, didn’t corroborate, and weren’t consistent,” reports U.S. News and World Report.

“We hesitated to call anyone because we thought, they’re just playing with us,” Stone said. “But then I thought, What’s the right thing to do? If it turns out it’s nothing, then it’s nothing.”

Law enforcement officials praised Stone for her alertness, and added that if the men were playing a hoax, they would be prosecuted.

Isn’t it interesting to observe that during the week of the 9/11 anniversary, several incidents regarding Arabs were brought to our attention? Four men created a disturbance in the lavatory of an aircraft. Suspicious behavior of an Arab man on another flight forced a plane to be escorted back to Houston by F-16s. And then these three Arabs who were swept into the media spotlight because of a suspicious conversation.

Were these incidents intended to provoke citizens and law enforcement officials to react, only to discover that nothing “illegal” had been done? And if so, would Americans be so quick to report suspicious behavior of Arab men or would the police be so willing to investigate such incidents, fearing repercussions for “racial profiling”? Were these contrived situations intended to test us in preparation for more attacks? It’s hard to be certain, but it is not an impossible scenario.

You may have read recently about Mazhar Tabesh in Utah, who blamed the destruction of his motel to arson and hate crimes. “We are really scared because we are Muslim…and we are the target,” he told reporters. As a result of an investigation, police officials have confirmed that arson was to blame…but that Tabesh himself started the fire. Ironically, charges were filed against him on September 11.

Don’t let an Arab PR campaign keep you from taking a stand, especially when we’re dealing with ruthless enemies who seek to infiltrate our culture, use our resources and murder innocent Americans. Remember, after this incident, American citizens of Yemeni descent were arrested as members of a terrorist sleeper cell operating in Buffalo, New York.

The Arabs aren’t beginners at this. It was easy for them to take over small and weak societies such as Libya, Iraq, Syria or, as they suppose, Israel. But they used subtle tactics on very large and difficult ones. It took them a thousand years to infiltrate, intermarry and attack the Egyptians. But that great society, once a world leader like the U.S., is now named the United Arab Republic.

In a paroxysm of denial, an Arab man once told me that Egypt is not an Arab country, and I had to remind him of its new name.

Little people do have a voice. You voiced your outrage at American Airlines because they sought to replace Israel with a country called “Held Territories.” We are a small ministry, but this behemoth of a corporation changed its tune when you began calling and writing.

Yes, there are risks involved. The Islamic community will become more vocal in their hatred of what we stand for. Arab dictators will threaten death with weapons of mass destruction. And, unfortunately, the weak will cave in to Muslim pressure, like the Europeans are doing. Like the U.N. does. Like Colin Powell and George Bush do with the Saudis.

To be sure, there are grave dangers inherent with these dictatorships that seek the demise of the U.S. and Israel. Many of these regimes are our sworn enemies and need to be toppled.

But there also are faults with democracy. And money is at the root of it. Perhaps it’s our greatest enemy within. We are a society that craves money. Sports figures, actors, entertainers earn multiple millions of dollars for games and laughs. Corporate executives bleed employees and stockholders out of billions of dollars for their own personal luxuries.

The media and our own government are guilty of this too, taking what amounts to bribes from enemies like Saudi Arabia. The media are moved by petro-dollar advertising and greed for access to top officials, while our own government leaders acquiesce to threats of higher oil prices or refusals to cooperate like a good coalition partner. In turn, certain news is altered or softened or just not reported at all, and foreign policy is subverted, often causing damage to Israel, in order to accommodate Saudi benefactors.

For their part, Saudi Arabia, which invests billions of dollars in U.S. corporations, often with controlling interests, hires greedy American public relations firms to boost their image among a gullible American public.

Peddling their influence through the media, the government and the private sector, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic regimes are literally trying to destroy us from within and without. And if we’re not careful, barbaric cultures like these will eventually take over this nation because of our own greed. Khrushchev may have been right when he said, “Ultimately, we’ll hang the capitalists with the rope that they sell us.”

Interestingly, this is seen in microcosm in our seminaries and so-called Christian organizations that willingly sacrifice Scripture for the love of money. The Chosen People are routinely replaced or ignored in the name of Christian justice and peace, or simply to increase enrollment and attract more donations. Protestant denominations, like the United Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopals, etc., join Catholics in pouring millions into pro-Arab, anti-Israel sentiments and “charity work.” Ultimately, we end up with watered down training for ministers-in-the-making and superficial sermons for congregations who are hungry for the truth of God’s Word in turbulent times.

What are we to do as believers? It’s time to take action. It’s time to take a stand. Do so in your community newspapers when they assault Christian teachings and the right of Israel to exist. Do so with Christian organizations and seminaries you see “wrongly” dividing the Word of truth. Tell them to get back onto the straight and narrow. Tell them to support the Chosen People according to Genesis 12:3.

There are numerous ways to support Israel. Our ministry offers several, through missionary outreaches, through funds that support Israeli communities and through visits to the Promised Land and other Israel sites in America. Decide to get personally involved. Here are just a few ways:

At this moment, I’m in Israel leading pilgrims on our Fall Tour of the Holy Land. I wish you could be here with us. But upon my return, I’ll be leading another tour at the Biblical Arts Center in Dallas on Saturday, November 16. We’re calling it the “Bless Israel-Solidarity Tour,” and it’s a good time to demonstrate your love for the Chosen People. Come and enjoy worship, teaching and touring with a great group of Israel supporters. The $49 registration includes lunch. Special speaker will be Dr. Ergun Caner, a Muslim who has converted to Christ and now teaches the Bible. Contact Tony for more information at (214) 696-9760.

You still have time to sign up for one of our Holy Land Experience tours in Orlando, Florida. Choose from November 29–December 1, December 6–8 or December 27–29. This is a great opportunity to experience the wonders of Israel without leaving our shores. See a preview of this popular venue at their website www.theholylandexperience.com.

Prayerfully choose one of these stateside Bible tours and then call Tony for reservations by November 12 at (214) 696-9760 during office hours.

Since I’ll be leading tours in Orlando, several churches have contacted me about teaching prophecy while I’m traveling along the Gulf Coast to Florida and back. If your church would like to have me stop by for a visit during December or January, contact Claudia at (817) 417-0059 for scheduling.

Finally, I am reminded that we as believers are blessed with the mind of Christ and the privilege of prayer. There is no substitute for Biblical discernment and fervent prayer, especially as our nation and our sister democracy, Israel, face attacks from the Islamic world. Through prayer and spiritual revival, we need to bolster our own nation’s conscience in order to forestall the destructive effects of moral decay, but we must also pray for God’s divine protection from our mortal enemies. And we must not forget to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Your Messenger,