Hosni Mubarak's Riches Stashed in Swiss Banks.

Hosni Mubarak's wealth is estimated at 17 billion dollars with much of it stashed away in Swiss and British bank accounts. In addition, the Mubarak family owns houses in many cities around the world such as New York, Madrid, Paris, London, Frankfurt and other major international cities. For over 29 years he has skimmed money from the national treasury. Capitalizing primarily on the tourism industry, not only Hosni Mubarak but his entire family have taken advantage of the Egyptian people. Will luxury villas scattered around the country and especially along the Mediterranean sea coast, there is no shortage of money to maintain a life style that's beyond the imaginations of the Egyptian people. If the people of Egypt knew the reality of his wealth, they would create such a revolt within hours that it would stun the world.

Should Hosni Mubarak and his family be forced to return their fortune to the Egyptian people? If so, how would that be done? Who would manage such a huge undertaking and how much would they skim off the top? Corruption is rampant in Egypt as it is in many other countries around the world. Unfortunately the common man is the one who suffers and only a few benefit. But can they really be happy people knowing that they stole their wealth from the people? How does one sleep at night knowing that they have committed such a crime?How does one have peace with God knowing the extent of their sins?

Rage, Egypt and How the Arab Nations Will Impact the World

Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt

The whole world is watching the protests against President Mubarak and his 30 years in power.  The recent revolution in Tunisia that sparked these protests shocked everyone.  No one ever thought that an Arab dictatorship could be toppled in just a few days.  As a result, Arabs in other Arab countries have been emboldened to do the same.  

In Egypt, some people are worse off than others having little access to food and money.  They are staying in their homes for their protection but can move about within limits.

The diversity in political views is now emerging and this is no exception in the Christian community.  Some Christians are on the side of Mubarak and are willing to wait for him to step down later in 2011.  They want peace and the end of the protests now.  Other Christians want immediate regime change hoping for more freedom later.

As far as we know, there has not been any attacks on churches.  In fact, we are seeing an unprecedented unity between Muslims and Christians which actually began with the Alexandria church bombing on News Years Day 2011.  Since then, some Muslims and Christians have united against terrorism and now with this revolution, many are united against the dictatorship of President Mubarak, all in one month.

There is great frustration and despair amongst the Egyptian people.  The absolute corruption of this regime has taken away so much of their dignity as human beings and so it is no surprise to see their passion come out all at once.  On the other hand, most don’t want the Muslim Brotherhood to gain significant power. resident Mubarak has successfully suppressed Islamic radicals for years.  After all that’s said and done, no one can deny that Mubarak has kept the peace in Egypt.  He is a wise politician albeit a ruthless one.  Whatever happens, Egypt and the Middle East will never be the same again.

So Egypt and the entire Arab World really need prayer at the moment.  God has already answered prayers by removing Habib Al Adly, the Minister of the Interior, who was responsible for much of the government’s reign of terror, brutality and torture of their own people through the despised police forces.  The “Amn AlDawla”, the National Security, also persecuted Christians and those who have converted to Christianity.  

And let’s remember Yemen on Thursday, Feb 3rd.  This is Yemen’s “Day of Rage”.  We have already seen Days of Rage in Lebanon and Egypt, and Syria is planning their "Day of Rage" sometime this coming weekend against the autocratic rule of Bashar Al-Assad.  We want Jesus, the Prince of Peace to change these "Days of Rage" into Days of Peace.  Things are really changing in the ossified Arab World.  Whether we like it or not, the events unfolding before us will transform the world. Like a giant earthquake, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and yes, the United States, Great Britain and even China will feel the effects of unrest in the Middle East. Sitting atop large amounts of oil reserves, the world economy will be effected by the changes of regimes in the Middle East. Islamic fundamentalism will continue to gain momentum and possibly gain power. Then they will be able to further agenda and we could see more Muslim nations fall like dominoes. As for Christians and Jews and people of other faiths living in these countries, their future is uncertain.

Here is a request from Qasr Dubara Church, a large church next to Tahrir Square where the main demonstrations are being held in Cairo – to join them in praying.  The following has been translated from Arabic:

So we now call all our brothers and sisters in the church and all our friends to redouble their prayers with us, so that we may come through this time in peace and emerge as a more united people with a stronger faith in a bright future for our country.  May the Lord give each and every one in his particular situation a vision to see how he can contribute positively, without violence or destruction. Let us seek the face of the Lord and ask for the grace of persevering and hopeful prayer for the making of a worthy future for ourselves and our children.  Let us cry out to him with broken hearts and repent of all corruption and wrongdoing both in us and around us.  May He bless our country with goodness, peace, justice, and righteousness.

How to Find a Bible in Muslim North Africa

Fez, Morocco

Christians have found it difficult trying to get booksellers to sell the Bible in North Africa. Bookstores usually do not sell Arabic Bibles because they were too afraid they would be shut down. Creative ways needed to be found to get literature out to the people. One way of doing this was through used booksellers. Used booksellers tend to congregate around the universities and run their business out of "shacks" or on a blanket on the sidewalk.

One Christian man nervously approached the used booksellers with several bags of Arabic Bibles and offered them for sale. They said they would take them all!  This went on for several years and during the course of that time, they asked for more and more Arabic Bibles and New Testaments. Asked why they wanted so many Bibles, they said they wanted  Bibles because the students in the universities were encouraged by the professors to read the Bible as a piece of literature. So they were encouraged to go out and look for Bibles and the first place they went were the used book sellers.

The used booksellers would buy them and put them out and take the risk that the people at the bookstores would not take. They didn't care if they were shut down, because they would just open up in another shop, stall or blanket somewhere else. That was a great ministry and isn’t being done anymore today because there’s no one who wants to do it.  This is a HUGE opportunity for someone to take on to sell Arabic Bibles to used booksellers in all of the major cities of North Africa. 

This could be accomplished by people who embark on short term missions trips to Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and many other Muslim countries. 

Tunisia Revolution a Warning for Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt.

Countries of the Maghreb face revolutionary unrest.

The recent revolution in Tunisia is a big wake up call for the other governments of North Africa. Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt all have dictatorial governments that frequently oppresses their people. Human rights abuses abound, and there is a lack of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press is tightly controlled by the few who are in power. Morocco is ruled by a monarchy, King Mohammed VI, and is currently a peaceful nation. But unemployment is also high and the jobless youth are getting restless. Satellite TV and the internet are spreading images rapidly around the world and reigniting the restlessness that exists in the Arab world. The time has come for change and the leaders of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Egypt are not prepared for the future. The most progressive is Morocco with the king having made huge strides in reforming the country. But will it be enough? Time will tell along with the population. Rising food prices and other commodities are a leading cause of this unrest.

United States President Barak Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have both called for calm. Meanwhile the former President of Tunisia, Ben Ali continues to seek a country where he can request asylum. Having amassed huge amounts of wealth through his powerful position, Ben Ali won't be suffering in his future home country. His family has also fled the country.

Arab governments around the world are concerned that this unrest may spread. Rioting youth and the powerful images displayed on international news programs could ignite further revolutionary idealists around the world. Algeria has a very large jobless population along with the other Maghreb countries. Their populations have been amazingly patient for decades, but the clock is ticking and they are seeking change now.

What do you think will happen? What will happen to the Jews and Christians in Tunisia?