This week I preached at a pastors’ conference in Brookings, South Dakota. Before I arrived I assumed the sponsoring church, Holy Life Tabernacle, would be a mostly white congregation, since South Dakota is 82 percent white. But, when I walked into the Sunday service, I was greeted by Ghanaians, Rwandans, Nigerians and Congolese, most of them students or professionals who had recently moved to this small community north of Sioux Falls.

There were so many internationals in the service that I decided to ask everyone who had been born in another country to stand. There were more than 75 foreigners attending the church that day—about one-third of the congregation. Even pastor David Kaufman and his wife, Jeanne, who have been sharing Christ on the local university campus for years, were surprised to see how many foreigners have made Holy Life their home church.

That Sunday I made sure these internationals felt appreciated. “I want to say to each of you: Welcome to the United States!” I told them. “We are glad you are here!” They all smiled and clapped—and the Ghanaians cheered when I noted that they had the largest group.

I will be honest: The reason I so eagerly welcomed these immigrants is that I’m absolutely ashamed of the way many Americans act toward our foreign friends. And the current presidential campaign is not helping.

Case in point: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump—who seems to thrive on being intentionally offensive—insulted all Mexicans this past summer when he claimed that immigrants entering the United States from Mexico are a bad influence on our country. He said: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”

To make his jabs even more hurtful, Trump told audiences that if he becomes president he will deport the entire undocumented population and end the practice of giving citizenship to children born to foreigners on U.S. soil. Trump said in July: “I will build a great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall.”

I’ve been a Republican since I began voting at age 18. But Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is enough to make me forfeit my association with the GOP. It’s a shame that a candidate who claims to care about the future of the United States would be so hateful toward people who came to this country looking for the American dream. It’s even worse that Trump’s attitude is shared by some Christians who should know better.

There are three things we should remember about immigrants:

1. Immigrants are a blessing to our nation. Trump either slept through history class or he has a very short memory. America was shaped by immigrants—those who came from Ireland, Italy, Poland and Norway in the 1800s; the Hmong and Vietnamese refugees of the 1970s; and the Latinos, Africans and Indians coming here today. Immigrants start small businesses and stimulate the economy. Contrary to what Mr. Trump believes, immigrants do not breed crime; studies show that they are actually less likely to be jailed for a crime than citizens.

2. The church is called to welcome and care for foreigners. The Bible commands us: “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself” (Lev. 19:34a). Our immigration policies should be tempered by kindness and a desire to share our blessings, not hoard them from the poor or less fortunate. In August a Donald Trump supporter told Hispanic reporter Jorge Ramos—who is a U.S. citizen—to “get out of my country.” He might as well have waved a swastika flag. The incident indicated that some of Trump’s fans are promoting a sick, racist nationalism that could fuel anti-immigrant violence. Christians should be modeling the opposite.

3. God has a prophetic purpose for immigrants. Mr. Trump believes he can just build a wall to keep Mexicans out of our country. But what if God wants to bring Mexicans to the United States for His purpose? What if He wants to create a haven of protection in our country for refugees from Syria? The apostle Paul preached that it is the sovereign God who created the nations and “appointed fixed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). We could actually find ourselves fighting God if we resist showing kindness to the immigrants God wants us to protect.

Many Americans today fear that immigrants are coming here to spread crime or terrorism. Of course we have to be vigilant to prevent Islamic extremists or violent gangs from entering this country. And of course we can’t just let anyone set up camp within our borders without enforcing the law. But let’s not forget that some of the worst terrorism on U.S. soil was carried out by crazed U.S. citizens, including white supremacist Dylann Roof who shot nine African-American Christians in a South Carolina church last June. Our biggest threat of violence is not from outsiders.

The Christian community should be standing in solidarity with the huddled masses of immigrants who come to our country seeking a better life. Shame on Donald Trump and any other political candidate who wants to slam the door on foreigners.

Scripture makes it clear that the Lord accomplishes His purposes on the earth not through one man or movement, but through the labors and legacy of many across multiple generations (Heb. 11:39-12:2). Working through a divine timeline that extends beyond a single lifetime, the Lord desires that we honor and build upon the foundations laid by those who have gone before us.

In Genesis 26, we are told that when Isaac dug water wells, he didn’t get to start with his own. Isaac recognized his hereditary right and responsibility to re-dig and restore the ancient wells of his father Abraham, which the Philistines stopped up after he died.

It was after re-digging his father’s wells that that the Lord appeared to Isaac and pronounced over him the same blessing previously spoken over Abraham. Not long after that, the Lord allowed Isaac’s servants to unearth his very own well.

I have spent more than a decade of my life teaching about the synergy of the ages; exhorting believers that in order for us to move forward in fulfilling God’s purposes for our generation, we must reach back to remember, honor and add to what He has done through previous generations. Through a recent sequence of events, however, the Lord once again invited me to tap into some historic wells of revival in order to release a fresh river of His glory to flow into our generation.

A few months ago, I was invited to minister at a small log cabin-style church in Kentucky, which happens to be the site of the historic Cane Ridge Revival of the late 1800s. During that powerful move of the Holy Spirit, tens of thousands of people came by wagon to the hillsides of Kentucky, hungry to hear the preaching of the Word and bask in the glory of God for days at a time. At these camp meetings, it was common to see dozens of ministers preaching simultaneously across the countryside, while multitudes were strewn along the ground, being moved upon by the extremely weighty presence of God. This revival swept through the southern states and beyond, helping to birth the Second Great Awakening! I found it most interesting that the Lord set up my itinerary in such a way that from Cane Ridge, He sent me to Wales—another extremely significant site of revival history!

Moving From Well to Well

The nation of Wales is the place where revivalist Evan Roberts was baptized in the fire of God and commissioned by the Lord as a leader in the world-reaching Welsh Revival of the early 1900s. So many people were radically saved in that spiritual outpouring, that the nation of Wales experienced societal transformation. Judges had no cases to try, and law enforcement officials had no crime to deal with, so they formed traveling evangelistic singing groups!

The presence of God was so strong among the common people that pubs closed down, sporting events were cancelled, thousands of depressed and drunken miners came to Jesus, and hundreds left everything behind to give their lives on the foreign mission field. It is believed that since the 1900s, there has never been a revival in world history that cannot trace its roots back to the nation-shaking Welsh Revival.

Wales was also home to Rees Howells, another significant contributor to revival history. His life of intercession, chronicled in the biography, Rees Howells Intercessor, has greatly influenced many people and movements of prayer, myself included. After being powerfully swept into the Welsh Revival, this former miner-turned-missionary devoted the rest of his life to serving the purposes of God for his generation—in the place of prayer.

In 1924 Howells founded The Bible College of Wales to train others in what the Lord had taught him. That place soon became a house of prayer for all nations, with students and staff joining Howells in fighting world battles on their knees. What transpired on that small campus unquestionably affected the course of world history, and has left a legacy of prayer that the Lord is inviting us to lay hold of today.

Fighting the Battles of the Kingdom 

Howells’ intercessors prayed all through World War II, engaging in the spiritual warfare necessary to take down the demonic powers encroaching upon the governments of nations through the dictatorial leadership of men like Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. They also prayed fervently through the 1948 vote on Israel’s status as a nation. Even after Howells’ passing, their ardent intercession continued under the leadership of his son, Samuel. They prayed through the Cuban missile crises, the Cold War between the U.S. and the USSR, and also helped pray in the signs and wonders movement of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Their story could be likened to Moses’ hilltop intercession affecting Joshua’s frontline battle. Scripture states that as long as Moses held up the staff of God in his hand, Joshua and Israel prevailed, but when Moses let his hands down, the enemy prevailed. Through this prophetic act of intercession—lifting up the rod, which represented the authority and power of God—the Lord faithfully responded by releasing victory on the battlefield (Ex. 17:8-16.) Likewise, Howells and his intercessors continually “held up” spiritual authority in the heavenly realms while soldiers experienced miraculous breakthroughs, enabling them to execute victory on the battlefield.

During WWII in particular, God would give Howells prophetic insight concerning what was going to happen next and where they needed to strategically focus their intercession. After class each day, these devoted intercessors would contend in travailing prayer for hours and hours on end, sometimes praying through the night. They were determined to match in the spirit realm, the level of intensity and self-sacrifice experienced by heads of nations and soldiers on the frontlines of battle.

Impassioned about fulfilling their godly calling, Howells said, “If I am not called up to fight, and I know another way to help them and I don’t do it, I ought to be killed instead of them. They are facing death … for you and me. If they suffer more than we suffer for them, it will be our lifelong shame.” Howells and his students gave their lives to fighting the battles spiritually as if they were called to the frontlines of the war. With each new assignment, these hidden intercessors prevailed in their prayers, and the world marveled and breathed heavy sighs of relief at such dramatic turnarounds.

Re-Digging a Well

Despite the rich revival history at The Bible College of Wales, this spiritual well had fallen into disrepair. After the death of Howells’ son, Samuel, the directors of the school found it too costly to maintain the campus and keep the school running. For decades, the property went further into decay and was about to be sold to a developer for housing.

The Lord, however, had other plans and saw to it that this spiritual well was preserved and unstopped. He moved upon the heart of a pastor from Singapore, who not only caught God’s vision for restoring that place but also was willing to pay the price to make it happen. This pastor raised $10 million to purchase and restore the historic Bible College of Wales so that people from around the world could drink from this well of revival once again!

As a student of revival history, a teacher on intercession, and one called to awaken this nation to the purposes of God through prayer, it has always been a great desire of my heart to visit Wales and drink from its spiritual wells. Right after my time of ministry at Cane Ridge, I had the great honor of not only visiting the Bible College of Wales, but also serving as a key participant in the rededication ceremony for this historic well of revival.

During our stay at the Bible College, Ceci and I were assigned to the room of Rees’ son, Samuel Howells. This room sits directly above the prayer room where decades of nation-changing prophetic intercession took place—what a privilege! Among the gathering of key leaders from around the world, I was also extended the honor of rededicating Howells’ Ebenezer stone of remembrance (1 Sam. 7:12).

Similar to what the prophet Samuel did to commemorate Israel’s victory against their enemies, Howells set up a huge stone as a continual reminder of the Lord’s providence and provision. Inscribed on one side of its marble top is the phrase, “Faith Is Substance.” On the other side, the words, “Jehovah Jireh.” When, as part of the rededication ceremony, this remembrance stone was relocated to the center of the campus and anointing oil was poured upon it, we could sense the glory of the Lord.

In that very holy moment, God met with me in a powerful way. I was overcome with the Lord’s kindness at gathering us all to this place to drink from this historic well. In that moment, I pledged to help carry on Howells’ legacy of prayer and recommitted my life to raising up a movement of prayer to take out the giants of our day and usher in a Third Great Awakening.

The rededication ceremony at the Bible College was not the only special appointment the Lord had planned for me. The same Singaporean leaders that restored Howells’ campus also purchased the little church in Wales where revivalist Evan Roberts met with God.

During the renovation process for converting that church into a house of prayer, the original Bible used by Evan Roberts during the Welsh Revival was found sitting under decades of dust on the pulpit of the church! I marveled at this find. You can see the Bible and the remembrance stone among the pictures below.

Paying the Price

I am so grateful for the Singaporeans who accepted the Lord’s invitation to take on the extremely costly and painstaking restoration of this well of revival history. But the investment required for releasing God’s river of revival into the nations of the earth doesn’t end with restored facilities.

God desires to raise up Roberts-like revivalists and bands of Howells-like intercessors through which He can release a greater awakening and shift the course of nations today. This will require a high level of commitment. These men were so powerfully used of God because they complied with the great extremes God required of them. This is a principle repeatedly seen in Scripture.

As I prayer-walked the grounds of the Bible College of Wales, while I communed with the Lord in the church where Evan Roberts met with God, and even now, I hear Holy Spirit asking, “Who will pay the price in this generation?” God used Howells and his intercessors to contend against and defeat the demonic powers and principalities trying to take over the world.

Today, the goliaths of Islam, communism, human trafficking, abortion and the sexual rights agenda are standing at our door. Never has there been more at stake. We need the same warrior spirit of Howells’ era to arise in us—both in the place of prayer and in being a prophetic voice. No doubt, God has a plan. He always does something great in the face of the impossible!

I believe the Lord allowed for the restoration of these spiritual wells in Wales because He is releasing a spirit of contending prayer and revival into the nations of the earth once again. I believe we will see a new momentum of intercession—appealing to heaven and fighting kingdom battles on our knees, until the greatest Great Awakening the world has ever seen occurs.

You are a part of this! There is a spiritual inheritance available to you. Young people, especially, it is your time to arise! The Lord is anointing you to overthrow the Goliaths of our day and contend for the destinies of nations. The Lord is searching for those who will say, “I will pay the price.” For those who invest their lives in these costly battles of intercession, He will show Himself strong! (See 2 Chronicles 16:9.)

Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized teacher, conference speaker and author of The Power of Hope. He has written more than 20 books, translated into over 30 languages. His first work, Intercessory Prayer, sold nearly a million copies and is being used to empower believers worldwide for passionate prayer and societal transformation.

For the original article, visit .

It’s a good thing Jesus was above reproach. Otherwise, He could have been seen as simply another politician who fell for Satan’s empty promises and what the world has to offer.

He is the perfect example for believers to follow when the seduction of sin taps us on the shoulder and the enticement of self-gratification presents itself.

In Matthew 4, we read the story of the Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness. After Jesus fasted for 40 days, Satan came to tempt him not only with food but also with fame and power (which was not Satan’s to give, by the way). At that moment, Jesus’ temptation was to take the world as a political ruler and to shun His plan to save the world from sin. Satan’s job was to try to distort Jesus’ perspective by making Him focus on worldly power and not on God’s plans.

Like many rulers and government heads who followed—including many in power today—Jesus could have thought only of Himself and what He could gain from the situation. Thank God for Matthew 4:10 where Jesus said, “Get away from here, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'”

Had Jesus given in and not lived out His purpose of the cross, our one-way ticket to the lake of fire would still be punched. No “get out of jail free card” here.

Daily, Satan fulfills one of his duties by attempting to entice us with materialism and power. He attempts to lure us away from the safety of God’s Word and entangle us in things in which we have no business being involved—desires for which we need to lie, steal and cheat to fulfill.

Remember the parable Jesus taught in Luke 8? Are you a “thorn patch” person who, after hearing the Word, goes out into the world and is choked with cares, riches and pleasures of life that bring no fruit to spiritual maturity? Or, are you a “good ground” person who will follow Jesus no matter what the cost?

If you find yourself in such a situation, ask yourself not what would Jesus do, but what did Jesus do. Away with you, Satan!

And, as I always like to say, “There is that.”

Sukkot, also known as the Festival of Booths, began this year at sundown Sunday (Sept. 27). What is this holiday that makes Jews eat their meals al fresco? Let us explain …

Q. Why are my Jewish neighbors eating in a little house in their yard this week?

A. That’s a sukkah they’ve constructed for Sukkot, a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the harvest and commemorates the Israelites’ wandering in the desert for 40 years after their liberation from slavery. Sukkahs approximate the temporary dwellings they lived in before they reached the Promised Land.

“For a seven-day period you shall live in booths,” God commands in Leviticus 23:42-43. “In order that your ensuing generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt.”

Q. Can a sukkah be your garage, tool shed or sun porch?

A: Nope. There are many specific rules about building a sukkah. Among them: It’s got to be outdoors under the open sky and it may not stand so tall that it feels like a house. Sukkah builders have plenty of choices for the wall material. But the ancient rabbis required the roof to be made of something natural, such as bamboo, cornstalks or straw. It’s known as “sechach,” and it must provide shade, but also allow the stars to be seen at night.

The sukkah is purposefully an impermanent structure that reminds Jews of the fragility of earthly creations, as contrasted with the solidity of faith and tradition. It’s also supposed to be a joyous place — many are decorated with children’s drawings, and sukkah meals are to be shared with guests.

Q: What if you live in an apartment building? How can you build a sukkah?

A: “People build them on balconies,” said Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen, director of congregational learning at Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Md. “If you’re in Israel, you’ll see this all over the place.” No balcony? Apartment-dwelling Jews often build a communal sukkah on the roof or next to the building. “Or you can go to a synagogue’s or a friend’s sukkah,” Cohen said.

Q: Do you have to sleep in there too?

A: Yes but no. The Talmud, the record of Jewish rabbinic teachings, teaches that a man should dwell in the sukkah during Sukkot, making it his home for the holidays. But the obligation is lifted if sleeping there would be uncomfortable. Most Western Jews sleep in their bedrooms during the holiday.

Q: Now my Jewish neighbors are shaking a long green thing and a giant lemon. What is happening here?

A: The green thing is the “lulav,” a palm branch that is grouped with myrtle and willow branches and a yellow citrus fruit called an “etrog.” Together they make up the four species mentioned in Leviticus 23:40. During Sukkot prayers, they are gathered in the hands and waved — up and down, left and right, forward and back. “It represents God’s presence in all directions,” said Cohen.

Q: I don’t think they sell etrogs at my supermarket.

They probably don’t. Jews around the world usually order them and lulavs from Israel.

Q: How can I learn more?

Online resources for adults on Sukkot include those from the Chabad movement and the Union for Reform Judaism. And you can watch an Israeli film that takes place during Sukkot and illustrates the many aspects of the holiday, called “Ushpizin,” or “guests,” in Hebrew.

Two fun book for kids are “A Watermelon in the Sukkah” by Sylvia A. Rouss and Shannan Rouss, and “Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express” by Deborah Bodin Cohen.

© Religion News Service. All rights reserved. 

After the season’s fourth blood moon came and went without much ado, the Mormon Church declared it’s not the end of the world.  

Leading up to the blood moon, church member and author Julie Rowe was telling readers to prepare for the end of the world.  

In response, the church basically told her and followers to calm down.  

“The Church encourages our members to be spiritually and physically prepared for life’s ups and downs,” the church said in a statement.  

Watch the video to see what else they said. 

People want to be led. They do not wish to be controlled.

Effective leaders know the end result they have in mind. The vision of the leader is clearly articulated and the team knows what is expected of them.

The effective leader is focused on WHAT needs to be done.

A lower-level leader (as defined by Maxwell’s five levels) has a less clear vision of the desired outcome but will focus on HOW his team is doing their work. Some will label this leader as a micromanager. Controlling managers may micromanage, but, in the mindset of the controller, the way workers work is more important than the results achieved. Micromanagers have hands in every pot but are usually very bottom line oriented.

Controllers want to know the details … of everything.

Correction will be focused toward “I would have done it this way, and it would be wise for you to do it this way next time.”

This leader will want to know about every meeting and phone call. “Who were you talking to and why? I could have told you how to handle that. Next time come to me.” But controlling leaders are too busy controlling to have time to meet and coach.

Controllers want final authority on every decision and will be very restrictive of information flow. Controllers believe information should leave their office on a need to know basis and “you don’t need to know.” Control of knowledge flow is power-building.

A controlling leader is also not a fan of training.

“If they need any training, I’ll do it. We haven’t needed training around here since the ’90s when I got here.” This leader’s slip is showing.

Underneath the layers, a controlling leader is usually insecure about something or everything. He walks daily with his impostor complex. “I hope today is not the day people find out I don’t have a clue.”

The controlling leader is not led by the Holy Spirit.

The controller is led by fear. He walks in own strength and depends on no one. He will typically show no weaknesses or give any sign that things aren’t going well. This leader won’t allow a termite inspection.

Please don’t confront a controlling leader about control issues. It won’t go well for you. The control-focused leader will rarely be in position for self-diagnosis. They won’t receive correction.

The best cure for a controlling leader is failure.

The controller can see and understand facts and will be very quick to understand failure. Failure will often send a controller to seek answers. This is the point at which work can be done.

In the meantime, pray that the controlling leader will seek God. We know that God will lead them to modify their style. God will show them His way of leadership.

Leaders who are led by the Holy Spirit have ears to hear. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead us to “What and How.”

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26).

It’s fall, and health officials are beginning their yearly push to convince Americans to get the latest version of the flu shot.

Last year’s vaccine was a tremendous dud—a new strain of H3N2 influenza emerged after the vaccine was formulated, and the shot was a poor match. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admitted it did little to protect against flu. 

This year’s vaccine has been designed to protect against the new H3N2 strain, and the CDC hopes it will be a good match for this year’s virus, although the agency admitted in a recent advisory that it’s impossible to predict the upcoming flu season.

Should you get the new vaccine? The CDC says “yes,” and CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., got his yearly shot during a news conference meant to convince others to follow suit.

Not so fast, says holistic family physician David Brownstein, M.D. “In the past, the flu vaccine hasn’t worked for most of us, and there’s no indication that it will this year,” he tells Newsmax Health.

“The flu vaccine has been around for over 30 years, and there is not one single study showing that any flu vaccine has helped prevent the flu in the majority who receive it,” says Dr. Brownstein, author of the newsletter Dr. Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health.

“Nor has it been shown to prevent flu complications, such as pneumonia, hospitalizations and death, in well over 90 percent who receive it. As usual, they are taking their best guess as to which strain of flu will be predominant, but they have no way of being sure,” he says.

Even when the flu vaccine matches the circulating strains of influenza, the shot performs poorly, and does not offer 100 percent protection, Dr. Brownstein argues.

“Whether they are right or wrong, the cases of flu are about the same whether the vaccine is a good match or not because flu shots don’t work,” he says. “A review of 50 studies that included more than 70,000 adults found that 100 people needed to be vaccinated to avoid one case of flu. That means the vaccine failed 99 percent who took it—they received no benefit at preventing the flu.”

Although seniors are especially urged to get the flu shot, some experts say it doesn’t protect older people, and the government knows it. 

Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson says the government has ignored numerous studies showing the vaccine was ineffective in the elderly, and a 10-year-old study was ignored because the results weren’t what were expected. 

“It found that after decades and billions of dollars spent promoting flu shots for the elderly, the mass vaccination program did not result in saving lives,” Attkisson wrote. “In fact, the death rate among the elderly increased substantially.”

Dr. Brownstein agrees. 

“There are no good studies showing that the flu vaccine is effective for seniors,” he says. “When you take apart and break down a recent study that the government uses to promote the flu vaccine to senior citizens, you’ll find that 217 elderly people had to take the high-dose flu vaccine to prevent a single case of flu — that’s a 99 percent failure.

“In addition, every single person was exposed to possible adverse effects. It’s vital to always bear in mind that the flu vaccine can cause side effects, including Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), and has been linked with narcolepsy in children and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.” 

He also points to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity which found that flu shots aren’t effective in obese people. 

Johns Hopkins scientist Peter Doshi, says that although the vaccines are being pushed on the public in record numbers, they are less effective and cause more side effects than admitted by the CDC.

Dr. Brownstein also notes some formulation of the flu shot contain trace elements of mercury and formaldehyde. Although CDC and other health authorities say these preservatives are at levels so low they pose no harm, Dr. Brownstein disagrees.

“There is simply no justification for injecting any living being with mercury or formaldehyde, especially pregnant women,” he says. “I guess I could encourage people to get vaccinated if the flu vaccine actually worked and did not contain toxic additives, such as mercury and formaldehyde. But it doesn’t work, and it does contains toxins, so I advise people to avoid it.

“There’s no real reason to believe that this year’s vaccine is going to be any better than in the past.” 

For the original article, visit .

The retired Marine Corps general picked to lead the U.S. fight against ISIS in Iraq is stepping down this fall.

Gen. John Allen is leaving over his frustration over U.S. policy in the Middle East as well to help care for his wife who suffers from an auto-immune disease, sources told Fox News.

Allen, who has held the post for a year, has been unhappy with the aministration’s policy for much of that time. He’s stayed six months longer than he planned and will leave the position in early November.

The news comes amid mounting evidence that the war against ISIS is not going as well as the administration likes to admit.

Earlier this month, Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that a program to train Syrian rebels to fight ISIS has produced only four or five fighters on the front lines.

The revelation comes after two senior analysts in the Defense Intelligence Angency sent a letter to the Pentagon’s Inspector General claiming that intelligence reports are being altered to present a better picture than really exists.

The Daily Beast reported that some 50 analysts are backing up the letter.

CBN Terrorism Analyst Erick Stakelbeck says the Obama administration is not taking the war against ISIS seriously and that puts all Americans at risk. Click play to watch his interview.

For decades, OM has prayed for Syria. Since civil war began in the country four years ago, Syrians have fled en mass, first to neighboring countries in the Near East and now to Europe and elsewhere. Although the need for food, blankets and shelter cannot be neglected, OM also uses these dire circumstances to share the good news of God’s love.

According to Robert Strong*, leader of OM Netherlands who is coordinating OM Europe’s refugee response, this is an open window to reach out to Syrians.

“In these months, when people are coming and crying out, having lost everything and searching for purpose, this is a time when God gives us an opportunity to share,” he stated. “We cannot look away when these things happen on our doorstep.”

Europe

Reports of the refugees arriving in Europe have crescendoed in the past weeks—thousands of people crowding into a Hungarian train station, spilling onto Grecian shores, crawling through Macedonian and Serbian processing points. OM teams on site, like the rest of the world, have been surprised by the sheer number of refugees, as well as their sudden visibility. They’ve also seen it as an opportunity to share God’s love.

“With those things happening right at the borders and places where OM members are, we cannot look away,” Robert reiterated.

The international news spotlight on refugees demands present action; however, many OM workers in Europe simply seek to continue long-term initiatives, both official and unofficial, among refugees and asylum seekers. Of course, a handful of OM teams, including those in Hungary, Macedonia and Montenegro, have catalysed immediate responses to the current crisis. And a developing project, OM Europe’s Safe Passage, will focus on meeting refugees at their initial entry points, providing information as well as water, food and essentials.

“They all want to move on,” Robert explained. “We can give them love, some basic needs, a listening ear, some attention … . We want to make their entry a little bit softer and more pleasant than it is now.”

Hungary

For seven years, OM Hungary has been visiting Bicske refugee camp, near a train station where scuffles broke out between police officers and Syrian refugees at the beginning of September.

“As long as we have been visiting the refugee camp we have encountered Syrian refugees,” said Jill Hitchcock, communications facilitator for OM Hungary. When the situation in Hungary escalated, OM team members took Bus4Life, OM’s Central and Eastern Europe ministry bus still in country after a summer outreach, to Budapest’s Keleti railway station. After seeing the level of aid already being distributed there, the OM group moved Bus4Life to a nearby park, where they gave out hot drinks and hygiene bags to hundreds of individuals. They also talked to and prayed with those they encountered.

“Each and every person we served coffee (to) was very grateful for the love we showed in the midst of their very difficult situation,” she said.

Going forward, OM Hungary will resume bimonthly visits to the Bicske camp on Sept. 24, reaching out not only to Syrians but also to “all those who are in need of help, the love of Christ and the message of salvation through Jesus,” Jill added.

In addition, OM Hungary will continue to collaborate with other church and mission group leaders regarding upcoming winterization needs and a more permanent response to the situation.

Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia

During the past four years, OM Greece has worked with two churches in Athens, participating in feeding programs for arriving refugees, including Syrians. Now, due to the increased numbers of Syrians arriving in Greece, the OM team, newly restructured, is looking for ways to increase capacity of the feeding programmes and to provide clothes as well as other practical forms of relief.

Gabby Markus, field leader of OM Greece, is leading a new core group formed mid-September to coordinate the relief effort among the churches and different Christian organizations in Greece, including OM. Also, Hein van der Merve, training facilitator for OM Greece, has committed to being project manager for planned relief work on the island of Lesbos, where many Syrians, and others, enter Europe.

“Christianity’s not just a head-knowledge religion. It’s a practical lifestyle,” Gabby said, talking about the importance of OM Greece responding to the situation. “It helps us to fulfill what the Bible has called us to.” Churches in Greece have been mobilized to work together; “unity has been fostered in the midst of this crisis.”

So far, in Macedonia some believers have partnered with other formal relief organisations. Future suggestions include importing blankets and clothing to distribute at entry points. According to one long-termer on site, “any response is going to need to remain flexible and creative.”

These efforts will likely expand with the implantation of OM Europe’s Safe Passage project. Currently, several OM workers are assessing the situation in both Greece and Macedonia, looking for ways to bring hope to a dismal situation further complicated by changing weather conditions and political factors.

Volker Sachse, OM country leader for Montenegro and Serbia, said the team in Montenegro feels called to help.

“Serving in a region where people had to flee 20 years ago because of the war, we believe that we have to win the local church to participate and to respond to this crisis,” he stated.

While Montenegro has not been affected by asylum seekers to this point, Serbia has dealt with 1,200-3,000 refugees per day passing through the country (UNHCR, Aug. 28–Sept. 1, 2015). As a first step, Volker is visiting camps, pastors and churches in Serbia to ascertain what support is most critical. Secondly, in October, two teams from OM Lifehope in the U.K. will be redirected from Montenegro to the refugee path in Serbia in order to provide practical help in partnership with churches and other organizations.

Austria and Germany

Welcoming refugees is not a new concept for OM Austria. Part of that process involves connecting OM partner churches with other churches, NGOs and economic and political actors.

“We believe that OM is an important catalyst to (help) the Austrian church to get involved wherever they can, especially locally (like in local refugee homes) and through financial donations,” stated Philipp Eschbach, field leader of OM Austria.

Catalyzing involvement also means modelling it personally. OM Austria’s Building Bridges team reaches out to migrants with Muslim backgrounds. And for several years, individual OM workers in Austria have visited refugees in their temporary homes, conducted German language classes, and assisted with practical tasks, like filling out official forms.

During the last three years, OM Austria raised more than 140,000 Euro for Syrian and Iraqi relief efforts in the Near East.

“Now, as there is a financial need for Syrian refugees in other countries, we would be very open to raise funds for that as well,” Eschbach said.

Germany, expecting to host 800,000 refugees this year, will undoubtedly be affected by the growing crisis. Some OM Germany teams, such as Xenos—which focuses primarily on discipling Muslim-background refugees and offers practical integration help, evangelistic services, children’s programs and German-language classes—already have contact with Syrians in their communities. Other individuals within OM Germany, as well as those in other western European countries, regularly volunteer with local church or government initiatives reaching out to refugees.

Near East and Turkey

While the response to the recent influx of refugees in Europe develops on a daily basis, OM in the Near East continues to pour funds and support into churches, projects and individuals involved with the four-year-old crisis. In the first half of 2015, OM in the Near East spent over $1.5 million on relief, which benefits both Syrians and Iraqis.

Local and relationally-based assistance remains a top project value for the OM Near East relief program, in and outside of Syria.

“We’re committed to the preservation of the local church. We believe it is the hope for reaching Muslims in the region. Because the refugee crisis is important to the churches, it’s important to us,” explained OM’s Syrian and Iraqi relief project manager.

Additionally, the staggering number of Syrian refugees living in the Near East—1,113,941 in Lebanon (UNHCR, Aug. 25, 2015) and 629,266 in Jordan (UNHCR, Sept. 6, 2015)—makes it “the single biggest social, economical, political and spiritual issue in all four of our countries. To be relevant and reach people means we have to be responding in some way,” he added.

In Syria’s neighboring countries, OM’s response includes practical aid distribution, income-generating projects at refugee camps, education initiatives, and short- and long-term teams dedicated to loving and discipling Syrians. Inside Syria, OM continues to work with established local partners, offering training and funds to equip them to survive and serve their neighbours.

“Believers (in Syria) need courage and for God to open their eyes to see those around them who are open for the gospel,” stated one long-termer who has discipled Arabs for decades. “Although we never thought that we would do relief in Syria for four years, because believers have a vision for their country and are willing to stay, we also should keep helping them. Some of these believers are a great example for us in their endurance and faith.”

Turkey too has experienced a flood of refugees across its border, with 1,938,999 Syrians living inside the country (UNCHR, Aug. 25, 2015). Although relief work has not traditionally been part of OM’s ministry there, “it was hard to sit back and watch when there was a huge need on our doorstep and others were asking for help from OM Turkey,” said the field leader. Aid requests began around two years ago, he reported.

More recently, OM Turkey has looked for ways to partner with local churches engaging with refugees and has formed a small team to be more involved in the future. In the last couple of months, workers have connected with a church in the capital, registering and distributing food to Syrian refugees, as well as praying for them and answering questions of faith. Two women also assisted refugees living along the Syrian border by teaching them English.

And Beyond

With thousands of refugees immigrating around the world, and various governments accepting pleas to open their borders, OM seeks to respond, individually and corporately.

“Like us, these displaced people are created in the image of God,” said OM International Director Lawrence Tong. “As Christians, we have both a spiritual and moral obligation to help them. Their issues are our issues. I urge you to pray for them and their plight, and act with extraordinary courage and generosity to help these people settle into their new societies.”

To give to the OM ministries reaching out to refugees in Europe, or for information about how to get involved, please contact your local OM office.

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