New Iranian Rulers Must Embrace Their Pre-Islamic Past

With mosques ablaze across Iran and protesters on the brink of toppling the Ayatollahs, the outlawing of Islam itself seems imminent. As the protesters openly talk of going back to their ancient religions, the West waits on the sidelines, ready to airdrop its anointed leaders and take charge.

However, the chosen leaders of the West have Islamic backgrounds even as the people of Iran want to shed themselves of Islam and embrace their pre-Islamic past. While one of the chosen leaders, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah of Iran who was deposed in 1979, is cooling his heels in Washington, D.C., hoping to be their appointee, another leader in waiting is the hijab clad Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which purportedly stands for democracy.

Both figures have cultivated support in the corridors of power in the US and Europe, and we can soon expect a hollow, manufactured debate over whether Iran deserves a monarchy or a democracy, one that falsely frames the choice as a binary between Pahlavi and the NCRI, followed by a declaration that the people of Iran have prevailed and made their own choice no matter who among them is planted as the new Iranian ruler.

Historically, the State Department has pursued a policy of supporting manageable Islamic and Marxist dictators around the world. Iran has not escaped these US actions, which first supported the Shah and then the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini.

In 2022, when Iranian women publicly burnt their hijabs in defiance of the Mullahs, the US State Department at first issued statements of support, but in what must be seen as an act of betrayal, it abandoned the women when they started opposing Islam itself. For many years, the annual reports of the State Department’s United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the affiliates of the State Department, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have also supported Islam by presenting the perpetrators of Islamic oppression as the victims while demonizing the religions of the actual victims of Islam.

If we are to accept their worldview, it would result in the absurdity that the Iranian protesters burning mosques around Iran are the oppressors and violators of religious freedom, while the ayatollahs and their secret police are the victims of human rights violations.

To the east of the protesters, India, as a rising global power and a nation with deep civilizational ties to Iran, has also disappointed by abstaining from actively supporting the protests. The current situation presents a great opportunity for India and the United States to team up and send troops into Iran to protect the protesters.

Unlike the United States, which has faced political hurdles for more than fifty years when it comes to sending troops to other countries, India does not face such problems and can send in troops to complement the US and usher in the era of rekindling Iran’s ancient civilization as a replacement for Islam. As a country that has faced Islamic invasions over the centuries, India also understands how to address underlying tensions.

India’s role would be both strategic and restorative. Culturally, India remains a sanctuary for Zoroastrianism and other ancient traditions that share a common ancestry with Iranian culture. While the dominant religion among Persians is Zoroastrianism, Yazidis and certain Kurdish groups in western and northwestern Iran identify with specific Hindu traditions found in South India. Interaction with these Indian communities could help Iranians rediscover the cultural foundations.

However, the current situation does not instill much confidence as the credentials of NCRI and its leader, Maryam Rajavi, are suspect. Apart from the fact that Maryam Rajavi wears a hijab, revealing her Islamist leanings, her husband, Massoud Rajavi, who disappeared in 2003, was the founder of NCRI and was also the leader of the Islamic Marxist group Mojahedin-e-Khalq.

Like other Marxists, when the members of the NCRI throw around the word
“democracy,” they really mean “Marxist state,” and they use the term “democratic socialism” as an Orwellian euphemism for “the dictatorship of the proletariat.” Needless to say, they see Islam and Communism as natural allies.

As for the Pahlavi family, despite outward appearances and repeated claims that they were secular, they too ensured that Iran would remain an Islamist nation while they were in power. The Constitution of Iran during their reign explicitly stated that the official religion of Iran was Islam according to the “orthodox Ja’fari doctrine of the Ithna ‘Ashariyya” and mandated that the Shah was required to “profess and promote” this faith. The Constitution also mandated that no laws passed by Parliament could be “at variance with the sacred rules of Islam.”

Under the Pahlavi dynasty, the Bahaʼi community, the most populous non-Muslim group in Iran, faced systematic and severe discrimination. Groups like the Hojjatiyeh that carried out targeted attacks against the Baha’i community worked with the Shah’s intelligence agency (SAVAK). The Shah’s foreign policy, too, was based on religious considerations. During the Yom Kippur War, the Shah supported the Arab side, and he consistently supported the Islamic Republic of Pakistan over India.

This is not to say that Reza Pahlavi or Maryam Rajavi must never become part of the administration of Iran. A precondition for them to join the Iranian political mainstream should be that they renounce Islam and embrace one of the pre-Islamic religions so that they are aligned with the people of Iran.

To ensure their honesty, this would ideally include their converting to another religion and ensuring the same for their children and extended families. Even atheism would not be enough, and a conversion would be essential to prevent a member of a future generation from reverting to theocratic rule.

History offers a sobering example in this regard. While the Mughal king Akbar moved away from Islam and started his own religion, he neglected to convert his family members, and it resulted in his son, grandson, and great-grandson perpetrating cruelties on behalf of Islam.

Should the Iranian protesters succeed in their goal of removing Islam, they are sure to inspire other countries like Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and then Turkey. For now, the cynical path pursued by the US State Department of letting the protesters battle the Iranian regime and toppling it, while showing up just in time to reap the rewards by planting its Islamic proxies means that the best case scenario for the world would be for the protesters to succeed in overthrowing the regime after they have completely eliminated all traces of Islam so that Reza Pahlavi or Maryam Rajavi would be forced to follow suit in order to become part of the Iranian political ecosystem.

The protesters are determined and seem close to success this time. Despite severe internet blackouts, reports indicate that the protesters have taken control of some cities, including Abdanan and Malekshahi. Government forces have retreated in many other areas. There are protests even in Qom, the epicenter of Shia Islam. Those who support the freedom of Iranians from the religion forced on them wish the protesters the best and await the day when we can welcome our Iranian sisters and brothers into the global community!

 

Islam has never served a nation well, and the Persian people have a glorious history to fall back upon. Or, put another way, anything but Islam…

Source: New Iranian Rulers Must Embrace Their Pre-Islamic Past – American Thinker

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – When Little Is Much

 

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Arise, go to Zarephath…. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.
1 Kings 17:9

Recommended Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16

Last year, Deputy Ignacio Diaz died in a crash in Palm Beach County, Florida. A nearby boy Charlie Allsup wanted to do something, so he set up a lemonade stand to raise money for Diaz’s family. When Fox News asked Charlie why he had done this, he replied, “I just saw a need and I just thought that is what Jesus would do. I thought I could help.”6

Our giving to the Lord is just about as simple as that! Have you noticed that many of the biblical characters who did the most are the ones who had the least? The classic example is the widow who gave her two mites in Mark 12:41-44. But think also of people like the widow of Zarephath who gave her bit of bread to Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16), and Dorcas, the woman of Joppa, who was “full of good works and charitable deeds” (Acts 9:36).

You don’t have to be rich to richly bless others. The Bible tells us to “be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18). How can you practice that principle today?

Our gifts are not to be measured by the amount we contribute, but by the surplus kept in our own hand.
Charles Spurgeon

  1. “Florida Nine-Year-Old Opens Lemonade Stand to Pay Tuition for Fallen Officer’s Son,” Fox News, December 7, 2024.

 

 

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Our Daily Bread – Kindness Unseen

 

Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 2 Kings 6:16

Today’s Scripture

2 Kings 6:9-10, 13-17

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Today’s Devotional

The face was there all along, but no one knew. When Sir Joshua Reynolds painted The Death of Cardinal Beaufort in 1789, he put a demon’s face in the darkness behind the dying man. Reynolds was accurately depicting a scene from a Shakespearean play that mentions the presence of a “busy, meddling fiend,” but some didn’t like his literalism. After Reynolds’ death in 1792, the face was painted over and forgotten. Art conservation work recently revealed it under layers of paint and varnish.

The Bible tells of a spiritual reality around us that the eye can’t see, where God reigns supreme. When Elisha was surrounded by a “strong force” of enemy soldiers and chariots, his servant was frightened and asked, “What shall we do?” Elisha told him that “those who are with us are more than those who are with them,” and “prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ ” Suddenly the servant “saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:14-17).

The horses and chariots of fire indicate angelic beings there for Elisha’s protection. This is one of many places where Scripture underscores the comforting truth that in a world where danger lurks and spiritual warfare rages, God still watches over us. No matter what we face, how good it is to know that nothing “will be able to separate us” from His love (Romans 8:39).

Reflect & Pray

In what ways does God take care of you? How will you thank Him?

 

Dear Father, nothing can separate me from Your love for me in Jesus, and I praise You for it!

Learn more about expressing gratitude to God here.

Today’s Insights

In addition to the angels described in 2 Kings 6:9-17, other Scriptures speak of the protection and ministry of angels. Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth man who looked “like a son of the gods” in the blazing furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:25). After successfully overcoming Satan’s temptations, angels came and “took care of” Jesus (Matthew 4:11 nlt). As Christ agonized over His impending crucifixion, “an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43). Jesus reminds us of God’s providential protection and care when He says that He could’ve called on “more than twelve legions of angels” to come to His rescue (Matthew 26:53). Angels are God’s “servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14 nlt). No matter what we encounter in life, we can be assured that God is watching over us. Nothing can separate us from His love.

 

 

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Denison Forum – Is this “the most pivotal year in geopolitics since 1989”?

 

Free Press article published this week by geopolitical analysts Matt Pottinger and Roy Eakin begins:

If its first days are anything to go by, 2026 may end up the most pivotal year in geopolitics since 1989, a hinge point that began in a moment of geopolitical calm but ended with the collapse of the Iron Curtain.

Within a few years, the Soviet Union had fallen, the European Union had been born, and an era of hyper-globalized trade took off on the wings of NAFTA and the WTO (World Trade Organization). This year could be equally pivotal—only this time with a vaster range of possible outcomes for world order.

According to the article, a positive reading of such “outcomes” would include the fall of the Iranian regime, which “would deal a major setback to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin’s geostrategic ambitions.” Since Iran is “the de facto proxy for Beijing and Moscow in the Middle East,” they have provided significant support to it as well as several of Iran’s proxies following the start of the war on Israel. Iran, in turn, has supplied drones that Russia uses against Ukraine and oil imports to China. The article suggests that the fall of Tehran could even trigger the destabilization of Beijing itself.

However, the writers state that a negative reading would include the destabilization of NATO over the Trump administration’s designs for Greenland, which could invite Moscow to take military action beyond Ukraine. And the article points to China’s escalating pressure against Taiwan, warning that “if Taiwan does fall, the economic and geopolitical shock to world order would be immense.”

The island nation is tied to American power in the region supporting Japan, South Korea, Australia, and much of Southeast Asia. And since “nearly all the world’s most advanced chips are made in Taiwan,” if China seized control of this supply chain, it would “effectively hold a ‘kill switch’ on American ambitions to lead the AI revolution as well as its ability to compete economically and militarily.”

“I prefer to be true to myself”

How are we to manage our emotional and relational health in a world that seems to whipsaw daily between cataclysmic crises?

According to journalist Sasha Chapin, “congruence” is essential here. Citing the famed psychologist Carl Rogers, he describes it “roughly” as “a state of unity between your experience, your self-concept, and your outward behavior.” In such a state, you “agree with what you’re doing with your time,” refuse falsehoods you attempt to project to others and yourself, and live at peace with who and what you are.

Frederick Douglass offered an example, stating: “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others.” Living in this way elevates us above the maelstrom of media alarmism and political fervor. According to Chapin, we center on our “inner authority” with integrity and integration.

But aspiring to such holistic health is one thing; achieving it is another.

“We must obey God rather than men”

Simon Peter of the Gospels might be the least congruent person in the New Testament.

On his good days, he is walking on the stormy sea to Jesus (Matthew 14:28–29), proclaiming him “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and promising that he will “never fall away” from following his Lord (Matthew 26:33). On his bad days, he is speaking when he should be silent (Matthew 17:4–5), sleeping when he should be praying (Matthew 26:40), and denying Jesus to a “servant girl” (Matthew 26:69–72).

Then came Pentecost and the gift by which Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). The next thing we know, the fearful fisherman is preaching the gospel and leading thousands to Christ (vv. 14–41). He is being used to heal the lame (Acts 3:1–10) and giving the glory to Jesus (vv. 11–26). He is proclaiming the necessity of faith in Christ to the very rulers who crucified his Lord (Acts 4:12) and boldly testifying, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

He ends up pastoring the church in Rome (cf. 1 Peter 5:13) and writing two letters of the New Testament. The largest cathedral of the largest church in the world stands over his traditional gravesite. His faith and life were so congruent that he chose execution over denying Jesus but asked that he be crucified upside down since he was not worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord (cf. 1 Clement and Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History).

Now the same Spirit who transformed Peter stands ready to do the same in us.

“The instrument through which you see God”

A dear friend recently suggested that I read Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God. The author, Jamie Winship, is a former police officer who spent nearly thirty years serving Christ in the Muslim world. His practical guide invites us to experience God’s best for our lives by asking our Lord to:

  • Show us where we are not living in truth.
  • Expose the false identity that enslaves us.
  • Reveal to us our true identity in his eyes and grace.
  • Ask him what he wants us to do today in relation to this identity, then pay attention as he speaks through his Spirit, his word, our circumstances, and the people around us.

His inspiring book is filled with examples of God’s miraculous responses to these prayers. As Winship shows, our Father wants to speak to his children. He wants us to walk with him as Enoch “walked” with him before God “took him” home (Genesis 5:24).

When we say to God, “With my whole heart I seek you” (Psalm 119:10), we can pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (v. 18).

Oswald Chambers noted, “Whether or not I hear God’s call depends upon the state of my ears; and what I hear depends upon my disposition.” C. S. Lewis similarly explained that God “shows himself” to us as we are able to receive his revelation:

In other sciences, the instruments you use are things external to yourself (things like microscopes and telescopes), [but] the instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man’s self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred—like the Moon seen through a dirty telescope.

How “clean and bright” is your soul today?

Quote for the day: 

“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” —Mother Teresa

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Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Who Is He?

 

 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.’ 

—Mark 9:7

Scripture:

Mark 9:7 

Two thousand years ago, Jesus put this question to the Pharisees: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” (Matthew 22:42 NLT). Some of history’s greatest minds have grappled with that question ever since. The confusion, doubt, and skepticism started early. It’s worth noting that during Jesus’ earthly ministry, many people were perplexed about who He really was.

Jesus never became God, nor did Jesus ever cease to be God. His deity, which means His divine lordship—the fact that He is God—was pre-human, pre-earthly, and pre-Bethlehem. In the Incarnation, that moment when Jesus came to earth and was born of the Virgin Mary, He didn’t lay aside His deity. He was God before He was born, and He remained God after He became a man.

We are given a glimpse of Jesus’ divine nature in the story of His transfiguration, as recorded in Mark 9:2–13. “Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus” (verses 2–4 NLT).

According to Matthew’s description of the event, Jesus’ “face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light” (Matthew 17:2 NLT). For most of His time on earth, Jesus veiled His glory. But for one brief shining moment, God allowed Jesus’ disciples to see who He really is.

God punctuated the moment with a verbal acknowledgment and a pointed instruction: “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7 NLT).

Jesus’ identity validates His words. Attention must be paid to His teachings because they come from the Son of God and God Himself. Ignoring them is not only short-sighted but also spiritually dangerous.

In Matthew 16:13–20, we find a profound interaction between Jesus and His disciples that begins with a question from Jesus: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (verse 13 NLT).

“‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets’” (verse 14 NLT).

And then Jesus makes it personal. “But who do you say I am?” (verse 15 NLT, emphasis added).

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (verse 16 NLT). This may have been Peter’s finest moment.

“Who do you say I am?”

It’s a question everyone must answer—and a question everyone does answer, whether they realize it or not. You can’t very well say, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and leave it at that. If Jesus is who He says He is, you must receive Him as Savior and Lord. You must obey His commands, follow His teachings, and seek His will for your life.

Reflection Question: Who do you believe Jesus is? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise – Whosoever Will

 

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)

One could not imagine a more clearcut invitation to receive God’s free gift of eternal life than this final climactic invitation of the Bible. Anyone who is thirsting for the water of life may come and drink freely, for Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37). Whosoever will may come! “There is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11, plus about seven other references), and the Scriptures abound with “whosoever” assurances.

“Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). “Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:26). “Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15).

“Jesus Christ the righteous . . . is the propitiation . . . for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1–2). Therefore, “by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18).

Such promises as these (and many more in the Word of God) make it very clear that the substitutionary death of Christ is sufficient to “[take] away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), that salvation and eternal life are offered as a free gift of God’s grace to anyone who will accept it, and that anyone who will may come! It is only the voluntary act of our own wills that is required, but there are many of whom Jesus must say, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). HMM

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer – Go with What You Know

 

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

This morning pray, “Lord, I am waiting for You to direct me.” While you honor the Lord by listening for His response, you may hear Him speak something specific to you, right away. It may seem as though He inscribes direction in your spirit for the day. The devil may tell you that it wasn’t really God Who spoke to you. Or while you are waiting to hear from God, Satan may tell you that you are wasting your time.

It is important to know the truth of God’s Word so that the direction God sows in your heart will not be snatched away from you through doubt. God may not lay out a blueprint for your day, but He will direct your path, if you acknowledge Him in all of your ways (Proverbs 3:6).

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me quiet my heart and listen for Your direction. Strengthen my faith to trust Your guidance each day and reject doubt, knowing You will make my path clear, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado – God’s Power in Us 

 

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We look at other believers and ask, “Why is her life so fruitful and mine so barren? Why is his life so powerful and mine so weak? Aren’t we saved by the same Christ?”

The answer may be found in the first chapter of the book of Acts where Jesus told Peter and the other followers, “Wait here to receive the promise from the Father. John baptized people with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5 NCV).

During Jesus’ earthly ministry Jesus lived near the disciples. The Holy Spirit, however, would live in the disciples. Jesus taught; the Spirit teaches through us. Jesus comforted; the Spirit comforts through us. The Holy Spirit is a year-round resident in the hearts of God’s children. As God’s story becomes our story, his power becomes our power.

 

 

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Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Esther: God’s Mysterious Way

 

Read Esther 4:9–17

While a large contingent of Jewish people returned to their homeland, many remained in exile where the kings of Babylon and Persia had taken them. Some exiles rose to positions of authority and power and made lives for themselves in foreign lands. Most importantly, they remained committed to the God of Israel. They refused to give in to the practices and customs of the people among whom they lived, even when it meant persecution.

Esther was one individual who faced persecution. Married against her will to the king of Persia, she found herself in a position of dubious influence. Her people were under threat of annihilation, and she was the only one who could do something about it by speaking to the king about the matter in an official capacity.

Esther knew that approaching the king brought great risk; she could be killed for breach of protocol (v. 11). But she had great faith, believing that the God of Israel was not bound by borders, procedure, or protocol! Gathering the Jewish community in Susa she invited them to fast, which often was accompanied by prayer. She would entrust herself to God as she took a risk for His people. Her declaration, “If I perish, I perish” (v. 16), should not be interpreted as a nihilistic expression of defeat. Rather, it was an expression of faith that, having done all she could, she was now entrusting herself to her God who controls all things.

Esther’s commitment was rewarded. The king looked upon her with favor and granted her requests. God delivered the Jewish community from certain death and destroyed their enemies in dramatic fashion. “For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor…and many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them” (8:16–17).

Go Deeper

What can we learn from Esther? How can you apply her courage and act of faith to a difficult situation you are facing? Extended Reading: 

Esther 4-5

Pray with Us

Holy God, May Esther’s courage and faith inspire us to be brave and faithful through all the twists and turns of our destiny. Teach us to walk worthy of Your kingdom!

I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.Esther 4:16

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/