Hal Lindsey Report (10-07-11): Target: Al Awiaki; Martyr for Christ; the Religion of Peace...; Et Tu, Mahmoud?; Only for Palestinians & Audit the Fed

This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

Last week, an unmanned Predator drone, hovering around 10,000 feet, locked its sights on a car speeding down a highway in Yemen. The weapons officer -- sitting in a facility in New Mexico, half a world away -- pressed a trigger and the drone fired a "Hellfire" missile at the vehicle and its unsuspecting passengers. It was dead on target. And so were the occupants of the automobile: Anwar al-Awlaki, the notorious American-born imam and al-Qaeda recruiter, Samir Khan, a naturalized American born in Saudi Arabia who was editor of al-Qaeda's English-language webzine, "Inspire," and two other men.

Al-Awlaki was sometimes called the "Bin-Laden of the internet" because he was skillful at communicating the militant Islamic ideology of al-Qaeda. As a result, he has been linked to -- and reportedly inspired -- at least two of the 9/11 hijackers, the alleged Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hassan, the unsuccessful "underwear bomber," and the also-unsuccessful "Times Square bomber." He was arguably al-Qaeda's most successful recruiter and had a large, worldwide following.

He's also constantly referred to as "American born al-Awlaki" (I did it earlier). That's because he was. Al-Awlaki was born in New Mexico while his Yemeni father studied at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces in 1971.

Now, although there's no doubt that al-Awlaki deserved to be dealt with as an "enemy" of America, his targeted killing does raise some interesting questions. Since he was an American citizen, the Constitution declares that he had the right to "due process of law" before he could be deprived of those rights -- including the right to life. And I suppose that same protection would extend to the other, lesser known American passenger in the car, Samir Khan.

It's ironic that the Obama administration has tried mightily to grant those same rights -- though undeserved -- to foreign-born enemy combatants detained at Guantanamo Bay. They even wanted to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind, to New York City for a civilian trial with all its legal protections. Yet, the men who actually had a valid claim to Constitutional protection were taken out without a second thought.

Once again, I've got no problem with dealing with a dangerous enemy with authority and finality, but this action has many wondering what kind of precedent it sets. If the government can kill an American citizen without due process for religious speech it claims incites terror, then maybe the precedent is set for killing other Americans without due process for religious speech the government claims incites terror. Today, the number one terrorist religion is Islam, but Christianity is already being treated by our government as a promoter of hate speech. What's to stop some future administration from designating Christianity a terrorist philosophy, therefore justifying extra-judicial action?

I'm not saying that this is happening now or definitely will happen in the future. It is arguable, however, that the precedent has been set.

Speaking of precedents, Iran continues to fulfill our lowest expectations. Once again, news reaches us of fellow Christians who have been detained by Iranian authorities, imprisoned for their faith, and even sentenced to death for "apostasy" against Islam. UK-based Elam Ministries says that several hundred Christians were arrested in Iran between June 2010 and January 2011. When the new year turned, at least 33 Christians were still languishing in Iranian prisons simply for being Christians.

Last week, though, Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was scheduled to be hanged for apostasy against Islam. The judge had given the Christian pastor three chances to deny his faith in Christ and return to Islam. Nadarkhani refused. His defense -- that he had never been a practicing Muslim, so how could he have become an apostate when he embraced Christianity at the age of 19 -- fell on deaf ears until his case reached Iran's Supreme Court. The highest court rejected the death sentence and returned the case to the lower court for review. Rather than release Nadarkhani, his hometown court changed the charge to rape and extortion and re-imposed the death sentence. When that failed to hold water in the international press, the court once again changed the charge. Now, he's convicted of being a Zionist spy!

At last, the world is beginning to wake up to what's happening. There have been many protests filed with the Iranian government. The White House and the State Department even stirred enough to express America's outrage. So, for the moment, Pastor Nadarkhani may be safe from the hangman. But this is Iran we're talking about. Contrary to what President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says, Iran is not the home of "total religious freedom," it's the home of the Islamic Revolution. Nadarkhani may not be facing the executioner tomorrow, but he is still in prison and may be for some time to come. By the way, he's been in prison since October 2009 -- two years now -- for refusing to deny Christ. That makes the life of a Christian in the United States seem pretty sweet, doesn't it?

Friends, please pray continually for our brothers and sisters in Christ across this world who are literally suffering daily for their faith. We Christians in the West are blessed beyond measure with the tremendous freedoms and liberties we take for granted. Don't be deceived. I believe our time is coming and we will face the same decision Pastor Nadarkhani and thousands of others have faced: to deny our faith in Christ or bear the consequences.

Also on this week's program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is apparently no longer Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's fair-haired boy. In fact, while Ahmadinejad was in New York speaking at the UN, Khamenei was taking steps to destroy the president's base of support in Iran. Many of the hardline Ayatollahs have felt for some time that Ahmadinejad was getting too big for his britches. And in Iran, it's not a good thing when the Mullahs get you in their sights!

However, Ahmadinejad and Khamenei came together once more for old times' sake. They held a conference in Tehran last week. The conference theme was, "Palestine: a land only for Palestinians." At least they both agreed on this one thing: the land from the river (Jordan) to the sea (Mediterranean) belongs to the Palestinians and no Jew is welcome.

Finally, as I watch our economy continue to convulse beneath an increasing tax burden, a smothering national debt, and stifling new administrative regulations, I marvel at how deep the deception runs. Though we think of our nation as the land of entrepreneurship, capitalism, and free markets, there's nothing "free" about it today. Our entire financial system is owned and controlled, lock, stock, and barrel, by a shadowy, private, global financial cabal. Its front in America is The Federal Reserve System. Texas governor Rick Perry thinks the Fed's actions may be "treasonous." I think he may be on to something.

Nonetheless, there is a movement stirring in the halls of government to, once and for all, undertake a thorough audit of the Federal Reserve. An abbreviated one was conducted within the last year or so and the results were jaw-dropping. I'm not certain there's enough courage in Washington to actually get it done, but it may be our nation's last chance to regain control of our financial destiny.

I think it would be a good idea to uphold in prayer ANYONE who challenges the Federal Reserve. They will certainly need it and deserve it. Let's pray that the truth will be revealed about this dangerous and destructive organization.

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

God Bless,

Hal Lindsey
mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
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