Erick: HELLO, AND

WELCOME TO "THE WATCHMAN."

I'M CHRIS MITCHELL FILLING

IN FOR ERICK STAKELBECK.

AT THE TIME OF OUR TAPING,

NEGOTIATORS IN VIENNA ARE

POISED TO SIGN AN HISTORIC

DEAL, WITH THE U.S., FIVE

OTHER WORLD POWERS, AND

IRAN OVER IRAN'S NUCLEAR

PROGRAM.

THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT

IS TO STOP IRAN FROM

GETTING A NUCLEAR DEVICE.

BUT LEADERS HERE IN

JERUSALEM AND OTHERS IN

WASHINGTON ARE DOUBTFUL.

THE DEAL WOULD, IN THEORY,

LIMIT IRAN'S NUCLEAR

PROGRAM IN EXCHANGE FOR

RELIEF OF ECONOMIC

SANCTIONS.

AFTER MORE THAN TWO WEEKS

OF INTENSE TALKS AND

EFFORTS THAT BEGAN MORE

THAN A DECADE AGO TO CURB

IRAN'S ENRICHMENT

URANIUM, THE WORLD POWERS

SEEM ON THE CUSP OF A GREY

CUP THROUGH IN VIENNA.

BUT HERE IN JERUSALEM, ONE

JOURNALIST SAID THE DEAL

WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE

U.S. CAPITULATED ON ALMOST

EVERY KEY ISSUE OF THE

NEGOTIATIONS.

AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WARNED

THE CONCESSIONS MADE BY

THE SIX WORLD POWERS OF

VIENNA WON'T LEAD TO

PEACE, BUT WILL THREATEN

WORLD PEACE.

Translator: CONCESSIONS,

EVEN ON ISSUES THAT WERE

CONSIDERED ON CROSSING RED

LINES IN THE DEAL, WHICH

IS A BAD DEAL ON ITS OWN,

IT PAVES IRAN'S WAY TO

MANY NUCLEAR BOMBS AND

GIVES IRAN HUNDREDS OF

BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ITS

TERROR AND OCCUPATION

SYSTEM.

SO THIS AGREEMENT IS

PUTTING AT RISK THE PEACE

OF THE WORLD.

Chris: DESPITE THE

NEGOTIATIONS IN TEHRAN,

AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI SAYS

IRAN REMAINS AN ENEMY OF

THE U.S.

THEIR PRESIDENT ROUHANI

LED A MARCH WHERE

DEMONSTRATORS BURNED U.S.

AND ISRAELI FLAGS, AND

CALLED FOR DEATH TO

AMERICA AND DEATH TO

ISRAEL.

BACK IN WASHINGTON,

DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN

SENATORS REMAINED

SKEPTICAL AND SAID SO ON

THE SUNDAY TALK SHOWS.

WE HAVE GONE FROM

PREVENTING IRAN HAVING A

NUCLEARILITY TO

MANAGING IT.

AND WHAT WE ARE DOING IS

BASICALLY ROLLING BACK

SANCTIONSANCTIONS FOR -- NOT

ROLLING BACK IRAN'S

NUCLEAR INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE ALREADY KNOW IT'S

GOING TO LEAVE IRAN AS A

THRESHOLD NUCLEAR STATE.

WE KNOW THAT.

IT APPEARS AS IF THE

ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH

TO THIS WAS TO REACH

WHATEVER AGREEMENT THE

IRANIANS ARE WILLING TO

ENTER INTO.

Chris: THE SENATE

WILL HAVE 60 DAYS TO

REVIEW ANY DEAL SENT BY

PRESIDENT OBAMA.

SENATOR TOM COTTON REMAINS

ONE SKEPTIC.

I THINK WHATEVER DEAL

COMES OUT THIS WEEKEND IS

GOING TO BE DANGEROUS FOR

THE UNITED STATES AND

DANGEROUS FOR THE WORLD.

Chris: ONE DANGER

MANY CITE IS THE FEAR THAT

THE DEAL WILL SET OFF A

NUCLEAR ARMS RACE IN THE

MIDDLE EAST.

I THINK IT WILL.

LEADERS OF A WHOLE NUMBER

OF COUNTRIES, SAUDI

ARABIA, TURKEY, HAVE

SPOKEN THE POSSIBILITY OR

LIKELIHOOD OF THEIR NEED

TO EXPLORE THEIR OWN

OPTIONS.

THE WORLD WILL BE A MUCH

MORE DANGEROUS REGION.

Chris: WE TALKED MORE

ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS

WITH IRAN WITH MIDDLE EAST

EXPERT JONATHAN SPIRE,

DIRECTOR OF THE RUBIN

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL

AFFAIRS.

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS

A BREAKTHROUGH AND AN

AGREEMENT, PERHAPS AN

HISTORIC AGREEMENT.

WILL THAT LEAD TO A

NUCLEAR ARMS RACE IN THE

MIDDLE EAST?

I THINK IT WILL.

LEADERS OF A WHOLE NUMBER

OF COUNTRIES, ALSO SAUDI

ARABIA, ALSO TURKEY, HAVE

SPEN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY

SPOKEN ABOUT THE

LIKELIHOOD TO EXPLORE

THEIR OWN OPTIONS.

THE DEAL APPARENTLY WHICH

SEEMS TO BE CRYSTALIZING,

IS LEAVING IRAN AS A

THRESHOLD NUCLEAR STATE.

IT WILL KEEP THEM ONE YEAR

AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO

PRODUCE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

BUT IF, AS IT SOUNDS LIKE

THE DEAL WILL NOT INCLUDE

STRINGENT EXAMINATIONS OF

MILITARY FACILITIES, AND

WILL LEAVE CERTAIN

FACILITIES OFF-LIMITS TO

INSPECTORS, HOW ARE WE

SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF IT IS

A YEAR AWAY OR LESS THAN A

YEAR AWAY.

AND AN IRANIAN NUCLEAR

THRESHOLD STATE WILL CAUSE

OTHER STATES TO EXAMINE

THEIR NUCLEAR OIONS.

Chris: WHAT COULD

THAT LOOK LIKE?

IT WILL BE A MUCH MORE

DANGEROUS AND VOLATILE

REGION, A REGION THAT IS

ALL RIGHT VOLATILE, IN

TERMS OF BEING SPLIT BY

POWERFUL STATES OPPOSING

ONE ANOTHER INREAS IN

WHICH GOVERNANCE HAS

ESSENTIALLY COLLAPSED.

AND ALSO IN SYRIA, AND

ALSO IN IRAQ IN A

DIFFERENT WAY, AND YEMEN

IN A DIFFERENT WAY -- ALL

OF THOSE EXISTING

CONFLICTS WILL BE, OF

COURSE, EXACERBATED BY THE

PARALLEL PRESENCE OF A

NUCLEAR ARMS RACE AND IT

WILL EXPEDENTIALLY

INCREASE THE DANGERS IN AN

ALREADY DANGEROUS

NEIGHBORHOOD.

Chris: AND ABOUT THE

SANCTIONS RELEASE THAT

SEEMS TIED TO THE

NEGOTIATIONS, IT COULD

RELEASE BILLIONS OF

DOLLARS BACK TO IRAN.

WHAT IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE

ON THE REGION?

IF THIS HAPPENS, IT

WILL BE HUGE.

IT IS $150 BILLION SITTING

THERE IN FROZEN OIL

REVENUE.

THAT COMES BACK ON LINE

IN THE COMING MONTHS, IT

WILL BE AN ENORMOUS SHOT

IN THE ARM FOR THE

IRANIANS, WHO ARE IN

DANGER OF LOOKING A LITTLE

OVERSTRETCHED IN RECENT

MONTHS.

THEY'VE GOT COMMITMENTS IN

SYRIA AND COMMITMENTS IN

IRAQ, AND THEY'RE

COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING

THE HOUTHIS IN YEMEN, AND

THEY'RE COMMITTED TO

HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON.

AND THEY'RE SUPPORTING

ALSO ISLAMIC JIHAD AND

MAYBE HAMAS.

IT IS A BIG PORTFOLIO OF

SUPPORT AND REQUIRES A LOT

OF MONEY FOR A STATE UNDER

HEAVY SANCTIONS TO COPE

WITH.

IF THE SANCTIONS ARE

LIFTED AND TENS AND

HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF

DOLLARS SUDDENLY BECOME

AVAILABLE AGAIN, THE

IRANIANS WILL BE IN A

HAPPY POSITION TO

EXPEDENTIALLY INCREASE THE

SUPPORT TO THEIR VARIOUS

BIEBELEAGUERED FRIENDS AND

ALLIES.

Chris: IF IT COULD

POUR BILLIONS OF DOLLARS

INTO THE CONFLICT AROUND

THE MIDDLE EAST, WHAT

POSSIBLE EXPLANATION IS

THERE FOR A DEAL WITH

IRAN.

AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND

THE THINKING IS THAT THEY

BELIEVE THAT IRAN IS

WILLING, OR IS IN A

POSITION TO BE FLIPPED, SO

TO SPEAK, FROM AN

ANTI-WESTERN FORCE INTO A

NEUTRAL OR PRO-WESTERN

FORCE.

THERE ARE EVEN SOME -- AND

I'VE READ AN ARTICLE BY

CHRISTOPHER MAYOR, FORMER

AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED

STATES, WHO ARGUES THAT

IRAN, ONCE IT IS FLIPPED,

ONCE IT HAS GOT ITS DEAL

COULD BECOME AN WESTERN

ALLY IN THE REGION.

THERE IS NO CONTENT TO

THAT BELIEF WHATSOEVER.

THE IRANIANS ARE VERY

SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR

ANTI-AMERICAN STATUS,

WHICH GOES BACK 30 YEARS,

AND VERY SERIOUS ABOUT

THEIR DESIRE TO DESTROY

ISRAEL AND THERE

OPPOSITION TO SUNNIS AND

OTHER PRESENCE IN THE

REGION.

ABSOLUTELY SERIOUS ABOUT

THAT.

AND IF THEY'RE GIVEN

INDUCEMENTS, THEY'LL

HAPPILY TAKE THE

INDUCEMENTS AND FEED THOSE

INTO THE CONTINUED

PROMOTION OF THE ALREADY

EXISTING STRATEGY THEY

HAVE, WHICH IS TO REPLACE

THE UNITED STATES IN THE

GULF AND FURTHER ACROSS

THEEGION.

Chris: IF YOU WERE

TALKING TO SOMEBODY IN THE

UNITED STATES OR SOMEBODY

IN THE WEST, GREAT BRITAIN

OR EUROPE, WH YOU

SAY WHAT DO THEY NEED TO

UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT IS

HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE

EAST?

THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND

TWO THINGS: FIRST AND MORE

IMPORTANTLY THAT THE

IRANIANS ARE NOT AVAILABLE

TO BE TURNING INTO ALLIES.

AND THAT SUNNI JIHADI

ISLAM REPRESENTS A VERY,

VERY PROFOUND DANGER TO

THE SECURITY OF WESTERN

COUNTRIES THEMSELVES AND

WESTERN POPULATIONS.

GIVEN THAT, WHAT THEY NEED

TO BE DOING IS IDENTIFYING

WHAT ALLIES DO THEY HAVE

IN THESE COLLAPSED STATE

AREAS OF IRAQ AND SYRIA

AND ELSEWHERE.

ONCE THEY IDENTIFY THOSE

ALLIES, BEGINNING TO WORK

WITH THEM TO CREATE A NEW

SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IN

THE REGION.

BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY

OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE

FRIENDS WITH THE WESTERN

STATES.

ISRAEL, THE GULF

MONARCHYS, THE JORDANIANS.

IT IS A PRETTY STRONG

TEAM.

BUT THEY FEEL THE WEST IS

FLAILING ABOUT WITH

DANGEROUS IDEAS.

Chris: JONATHAN,

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

EXPERTISE AND ANALYSIS.

NEXT TIME YOU GO TO

BAGHDAD, STAY SAFE.

I'LL DO MY BEST.

THANKS, CHRIS.

Chris: COMING UP, THE

CRISIS INSIDE ISLAM, WHY

MANY MUSLIMS ARE TURNING

AWAY FROM THEIR FAITH.

Chris: WELCOME BACK

TO "THE WATCHMAN."

WHY WOULD A WOMAN LEAVE

HER HOME AND FRIENDS TO

JOIN THE ISLAMIC STATE?

WE HAVE LEARNED THAT A

SHOCKING NUMBER OF WOMEN

HAVE JOINED THE THOUSANDS

OF WESTERNERS HEADED TO

THE MIDDLE EAST.

ERIC STACKELBACK HAS THIS

STORY ON THE WOMEN OF

JIHAD.

Erick: FOR MONTHS

BEFORE SHANNON CONNELLY'S

ARREST, F.B.I. AGENTS MET

WITH HER REPEATEDLY.

THEY WARNED THE

19-YEAR-OLD MUSLIM CONVERT

THAT HER PLAN TO TRAVEL TO

SYRIA AND HELP ISIS WAS

ILLEGAL.

CONNELLY, HOWEVER, HAD

MADE UP HER MIND.

SHE WANTED TO LEAVE HER

HOME TO MARRY AN ISIS

FIGHTER SHE HAD MET

ONLINE.

AGENTS STOPPED HER AT

DENVER'S AIRPORT BEFORE

SHE COULD CARRY OUT HER

PLAN.

YET THERE ARE MANY MORE

LIKE HER.

LAST MONTH THREE TEENAGED

GIRLS, ALSO FROM SUBURBAN

DENVER, WERE DETAINED

WHILE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR

WAY TO SYRIA.

BUT HUNDREDS OF OTHER

YOUNG WOMEN FROM WESTERN

COUNTRIES HAVE MADE IT TO

THE ISLAMIC STATE,

MARRYING ISIS FIGHTERS,

AND EVEN FIGHTING

ALONGSIDE THEM.

I HAVE A HUGE CONCERN

REGARDING THE WOMEN GOING

BACK BECAUSE THAT'S,

AGAIN, A PART OF BUILDING

A NEW SOCIETY.

THAT'S THE MARKETING THAT

IS GOING ON.

AND A LOT OF WOMEN HERE

ARE FINDING THAT AN

ATTRACTIVE OPTION.

Reporter: BOB

FLETCHER IS THE FORMER

SHERIFF IN RAMSEY COUNTY,

IN ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

ST. PAUL.

AT LEAST FOUR WOMEN FROM

ST. PAUL HAVE TRAVELLED TO

SYRIA.

THEY PROMISE THEM WIVES

WHEN THEY GET THERE.

THEY NEED WOMEN IN THEIR

SOCIETY TO KEEP THEIR

FIGHTERS CONTENT.

IT IS A SCARY THING, BUT

THE WOMEN ARE REALLY BEING

USED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS

ONCE THEY GET THERE.

Eric Erick: IN SOME CASES,

THE WOMEN ACT AS MUCH MORE

THAN JIHADI BRIDES.

A GROUP OF BRITISH WOMEN

LEADS AN ALL WOMEN TROUPE.

THEY ENFORCE ISLAMIC DRESS

CODES AND EVEN REPORTEDLY

N A BROTHEL WHERE THEY

PROVIDE SEX SLAVES TO ISIS

FIGHTERS.

SO FAR MOST OF THE ISIS

WOMEN COME FROM EUROPE.

THE NUMBERS INCLUDE AT

LEAST 50 BRITISH WOMEN, 40

FROM GERMANY, AND SOME 60

FRENCH GIRLS AND YOUNG

WOMEN ALL LEAVING THEIR

HOMES TO JOIN THE I ISLAMIC

STATE.

THE SO-CALLED POSTER GIRL

FOR THIS MOVEMENT ARE A

PAIR OF SYRIAN GIRLS WHO

ARE LIVING IN SYRIA AND

MARRIED TO ISIS FIGHTERS.

THEY ARE REPORTEDLY

PREGNANT AND WANT TO COME

HOME.

I BELIEVE FOR THE

GIRLS, THEY'RE USING THE

ELEMENT OF SURPRISE.

Reporter: THERE IS A

PRECEDENT FOR FEMALE

TERRORISTS.

DOZENS OF MUSLIM WOMEN

FROM CHECHNYA AND DAGESTAN

HAS CARRIED OUT SUICIDE

BOMBERS IN RECENT YEARS.

BUT ISIS IS TAKING THINGS

TO ANOTHER LEVEL BY

ACTIVELY RECRUITING WOMEN

ONLINE.

ISIS PROMISES THEM

HUSBANDS AND A WONDERFUL

NEW LIFE IN THE CALIPHATE,

A PLACE WHERE, IRONICALLY

ENOUGH, WOMEN HAVE NO

RIGHTS OR FREEDOMS.

WHILE ISIS HAS LURED MANY

WOMEN TO ITS CALIPHATE,

THE BRUTALITY OF ISIS HAS

LED MANY OTHER MUSLIMS TO

QUESTION WHAT THEY REALLY

BELIEVE.

Reporter: THE

HEADLINES SAY ISLAM IS

GOING TO BE THE LARGEST

RELIGION IN THE WORLD.

BUT ISLAM IS FACING A

CRISIS.

THE TERRIBLE DEEDS OF ISIS

DONE IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

AND FOLLOWING THE VIOLENT

EXAMPLE OF MUHAMMAD HAVE

HORRIFIED MANY MUSLIMS WHO

ARE NOW QUESTIONING THEIR

FAITH.

MISSIONARIES TO THE

ISLAMIC WORLD SAY MORE

MUSLIMS HAVE CONVERTED TO

CHRISTIANITY SINCE 9/11

THAN DURING THE ENTIRE 14

CENTURIES OF ISLAMIC

HISTORY.

MANY KEEP THEIR

CONVERSIONS A SECRET,

AFRAID FOR THEIR LIVES.

IN LONDON, THIS BRITISH

COLLEGE STUDENT FROM A

PAKISTANI IMMIGRANT FAMILY

LEFT ISLAM AFTER A LENGTHY

STUDY CONVINCED HIM THE

QURAN COULD NOT BE TRUE.

WE HID HIS FACE.

IF SOMEONE LEAVES ISLAM

OR BECOMES AN APOSTATE, HE

IS THROWN OUT OF HIS

FAM.

HIS FRIEND

S WILL REJECT

HIM.

HE WILL BE KILLED OR

PERSECUTED.

A LOT OF MY FRIENDS SAID,

THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE

ARE TALKING TO YOU BECAUSE

YOU DISRESPECTED THE

PROPHET MUHAMMAD.

Reporter: HE HAS NOT

YET BECOME A CHRISTIAN,

BUT HAS STUDIED THE BIBLE

AND SAYS CHRISTIANITY IS

SUPERIOR TO ISLAM.

SOME MUSLIMS BECOME

ATHEISTS, BUT SOME

DISCOVER THE GOD OF LOVE.

IN SWEDEN, THIS PASTOR, AN

IMMIGRANT FROM SYRIA, HAS

BAPTIZED MORE THAN 100

EX-MUSLIMS.

EVERY WEEK -- EVERY

WEEK I MEET ALMOST ONE OR

MORE WHO COME TO ME.

THEY COME TO ME AND THEY

WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT

CHRISTIANITY, ABOUT THE

BIBLE.

BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE TO

CONTINUE TO BE MUSLIM.

Reporter: WHEN IT

COMES TO RELIGION, EUROPE

HAS BEEN CALLED THE NEW

DARK CONTINENT, AND SOME

MUSLIMS FEEL TRAPPED

BETWEEN ATHEISM AND

RADICAL ISLAM, BUT THEY

SEEM HOPE IN CHRISTIANITY.

WHEN BENSIN KI BENSIN CAME WITH HIS

PARENTS, HE REMEMBERS

THINKING IF GERMANY IS A

CHRISTIAN NATION, THEN

CHRISTIANITY IS A BAD

RELIGION.

BUT THEN HE DISCOVERED

REAL CHRISTIANITY AND IS

TODAY AN EVANGELIST

REACHING MUSLIMS AND

NON-MUSLIMS FOR CHRIST.

WHEN THE PEOPLE

UNDERSTAND WHO JESUS IS,

THEY WILL, MORE AND MORE,

LOVE JESUS AND FOLLOW

JESUS.

WHEN THE MUSLIMS

UNDERSTAND MORE AND MORE

WHAT MUHAMMAD IS, WHAT THE

QURAN IS, WHAT THE HISTORY

IS, THEY WILL GO FARTHER

AWAY FROM ISLAM.

ISLAM IS GOING TO

COLLAPSE.

Reporter: BROTHER

RASHID IS THE SON OF AN

MOROCCAN IMAM WHO LIVED

FOR 15 YEARS AS A SECRET

CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY.

NOW HE HOSTS AN ARABIC

LANGUAGE CHRISTIAN PROGRAM

CALLED "DARING QUESTIONS,"

THAT CHALLENGES MUSLIMS TO

QUESTION THEIR FAITH.

MANY MUSLIMS SAY IF

WHAT ISIS IS DOING IS

ISLAM, I'M LEAVING IT.

SOME ARE BECOMING

ATHEISTS.

THERE IS

A HUGE WAVE OF

ATHEISM IN THE ARAB WORLD

RIGHT NOW.

AND THERE IS ALSO A HUGE

WAVE OF CONVERSION TO

CHRISTIANITY, FOLLOWING

JESUS CHRIST.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN

SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

ISLAM WAS NEVER FACED WITH

THIS CRISIS BEFORE.

Reporter: NASIM SAYS

ISLAM APPEARS STRONG, BUT

IS ONLY FEEDING OFF THE

SPIRITUAL VOID IN MANY

WEAK CHRISTIAN NATIONS.

THE GREATEST POWER OF

ISLAM IS THE WEAKNESS OF

THE CHRISTIANS.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN

GERMANY.

AND I THINK IN AMERICA AND

ALL OF THE WESTERN

COUNTRIES.

Reporter: EVEN WHILE

IT SEEMS THAT ISLAM IS

POISED TO OVERTAKE THE

WEST, BROTHER RASHID SAYS

CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT FEAR

ISLAM, A FAITH THAT HE IS

CONVINCED IS SLOWLY DYING.

ISLAM IS NOT GOD'S

INSTRUMENT TO JUDGE THE

WEST.

I THINK PEOPLE ARE AFRAID

BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY SEE

ON THE NEWS, BUT EVEN

VIOLENCE IS JUST A SIGN OF

COLLAPSE.

Reporter: DALE HURD,

CBN NEWS.

Chris: UP NEXT,

MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS ARE

SUFFERING THROUGH THEIR

WORST PERSECUTION IN

CENTURIES, AND YET IN THE

MIDST OF THEIR ANGUISH,

THERE IS POWERFUL STORIES

OF FAITH UNDER FIRE.

Chris: WELCOME BACK

TO "THE WATCHMAN."

CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE

EAST ARE SUFFERING THE

WORST PERSECUTION THEY'VE

EXPERIENCED IN CENTURIES.

DESPITE THIS PRESSURE,

AUTHOR TOM DOYLE DOI SAYS

THERE ARE POWERFUL STORIES

OF COURAGE, PERSEVERANCE

AND FAITH.

TOM, IT IS GREAT TO BE

HERE WITH

YOU IN

JERUSALEM.

THANK YOU,

CHRIS.

IT IS AN HONOR.

Chris: YOU HAVE

WRITTEN A NEW BOOK, AND

WHY DID YOU WRITE THE

BOOK?

EVERY TWO OR THREE

YEARS, I FEEL LIKE GOD

BURNS ME TO WRITE

SOMETHING.

I FELT LIKE THIS WHOLE

SPIRITUAL CLIMATE IN THE

MIDDLE EAST IS CHRISTIANS

ARE BEING KILLED, WHETHER

IT IS EGYPT OR IRAQ OR

SYRIA OR IRAN.

BUT I WANTED TO TELL THE

STORIES ABOUT THOSE WHO

WERE LIVING IN THE MIDST

OF THOSE.

THOSE HEBREW 11 TYPES WHO

ARE READY TO SUFFER, READY

TO DIE, AND AS A RESULT OF

IT, GOD IS EXPANDING HIS

CHURCH IN SOME OF THE

WORST PLACES FOR

CHRISTIANS WE WOULD THINK,

BUT HE IS MOVING

POWERFULLY IN PLACES LIKE

SYRIA AND IRAQ AND IRAN.

Chris: WHEN YOU SAY

HEBREWS 11, WHAT DO YOU

MEAN?

THE HEROS OF FAITH THAT

WERE ABLE TO STAND FOR GOD

IN THE MIDST OF GREAT

ADVERSITY.

THERE IS JUST A HALL OF

FAITH THAT IS LISTED IN

HEBREWS 11.

IT SAYS THE WOR WORLD WAS NOT

WORTHY OF THEM.

THEY WERE SO COMMITTED TO

CHRIST, THEY WERE WILLING

TO SUFFER, AND NOTHING

WOULD STOP THEM.

SO I LOOK AT THE BELIEVERS

NOW IN THE MIDST OF

SOMALIA AND IRAQ

AND SYRIA

AND SOME OF THESE PLACES

WE COVER IN THE BOOK, AND

THEY ARE THRIVING IN THIS

CLIMATE OF PERSECUTION.

THEY'RE NOT BACKING DOWN.

Chris: IN MOST OF THE

NEWS RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT

ISIS AND

THE ADVANCE OF

RADICAL ISLA

M

IN SO MANY

PLACES.

WHAT ARE SOME

OF THE

EXAMPLES, SOME OF THE

STORIES YOU TALK ABOUT IN

THE BOOK?

WE WANTED THE BODY OF

CHRIST TO KNOW WE'RE NOT

LOSING.

IF YOU WATCHED THE NEWS,

YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE THE

CHURCH IS GETTING CREAMED

OUT THERE AND EVERYBODY IS

LEAVING.

FAR FROM IT.

SOME OF THE BAPTISTS ARE

SAYING THAT THE

FASTEST-GROWING CHURCH PER

CAPITA NOW IS IN THE

MIDDLE EAST.

THERE IS A GROUP OF

BELIEVERS IN SYRIA.

AND FARID IS THE LEADER

AND THERE ARE 10 OF THEM

AND THEY PLANT CHURCHES IN

THE UNDERGROUND.

IT IS GETTING SO HOT IN

SYRIA, AND THE WAR IS

DRAGGING ON, NO SIGNS OF

LETTING UP, THAT FARID

DECIDED TO OFFER TO ALL OF

THE LEADERS A CHANCE TO

LEAVE THE COUNTRY BECAUSE

THERE MIGHT BE A DAY WHERE

THEY CAN'T GET OUT, AND

THEY'RE YOUNG AND THEY

HAVE FAMILIES.

THEY HAD A PRAYER MEETING

AND HE ASKED THEM TO COME

BACK IN A WEEK, AFTER

PRAYING AND FASTING, IF

THE LORD WANTED THEM TO

STAY IN SYRIA.

AND WE CERTAINLY

UNDERSTAND IF YOU NEED TO

LEAVE, THAT'S FINE.

YOU HAVE FAMILIES AND

KIDS.

SO THEY PRAYED AND FASTED

FOR A WEEK, THE TEAM.

AND FARID WALKED

DOWNSTAIRS INTO THIS

BASEMENT OF THIS HOUSE IN

DAMASCUS, THINKING IN HIS

MIND, I WONDER IF ANYONE

IS EVEN GOING TO BE THERE.

REALLY, WHY WOULD THEY

STAY?

HE OPENED THE DOOR, CHRIS,

AND THERE WEREN'T TWO OR

FIVE OR 10.

THERE WAS ACTUALLY 25

LEADERS THERE.

THE 10 HAD GONE OUT AND

RECRUITED 15 MORE THAT

SAID, WE'RE READY TO STAY,

WE'RE READY TO SUFFER,

WE'RE READY TO DIE HERE IN

SYRIA FOR JESUS AND TO

AND TO SEAL THIS

COMMITMENT, THEY WENT OUT

AND BOUGHT A PLOT OF LAND

SO THEY CAN BURY EACH

OTHER WHEN THEY DIE AS

MARTYRS FOR CHRIST.

SO WHEN WE GET

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THEM,

IT IS SO SOBERING.

THEY'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT

THE LORD IS DOING.

JESUS IS ON THE MOVE.

HE'S WINNING HEARTS.

HE IS SHOWING HIS LOVE IN

SYRIA.

AND THE GRAVEYARD IS STILL

EMPTY.

Chris: WOW!

THAT KIND OF

COMMITMENT -- IT'S NO

WONDER THAT GOD IS

BLESSING THEIR EFFORTS.

Chris: I SEE THIS

BOOK AS SORT OF A

BRIDGE

BETWEEN WHAT IS HAPPENING

TO THE

BELIEVERS HERE IN

THE MIDDLE EAST

AND THEN

BELIEVERS IN THE WEST,

ESPECIALLY THE U.S.Cl

WHAT DOES THEY NEED TO

KNOW, THOSE BELIEVERS THAT0B

ARE WATCHING THIS OR

LISTENING TO THIS IN THE

U.S.?

YOU KNOW, THAT'S A

REALLY GOOD POINT.

I THINK THAT WE MAY NOT BE

CALLED TO SUFFER FOR

CHRIST IN THE WEST, BUT

PAUL SAID, WHEN ONE OF US

SUFFERS, WE ALL SUFFER.

AND JESUS SAID, THEY'RE

GOING TO HATE YOU BECAUSE

THEY HATE ME.

IT IS A WAR ON JESUS.

SO WE PRAY FOR THEM.

WE PRAY FOR THEM DAILY.

O WATCHES AT 8:

8:38 p.m. EVER NIGHT,

AND WHEN IT GOES OFF, WE

PRAY FOR THE BELIEVERS

HERE IN PRISON, IN

PERSECUTION, AND IN

DANGER.

WE WANT TO LET THEM KNOW

WE STAND FOR THEM.

WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THEM.

THEY ARE FAMILY.

WE'RE ALL A PART OF THIS

TOGETHER, AND WE JUST WANT

TO JOIN WITH THEM AND

STAND WITH THEM IN PRAYER

IN THE MIDST OF THE

DIFFICULTY.

Chris: TOM, IT IS

AN

INSPIRING MESSAGE AND A

GREAT BOOK.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH,

CHRIS.

IT'S AN HONOR.

Chris: COMING UP, HOW

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT

ISIS, CHRISTIAN

PERSECUTION, AND THE

MIDDLE EAST.

Chris: WELCOME BACK

TO "THE WATCHMAN."

IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR

FILLING IN FOR ERICK THIS

WEEK.

YOU MAY WANT TO PICK UP A

COPY OF HIS LATEST BOOK

CALLED "ISIS EXPOSED," AND

YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER

THIS BOOK BY YOURS TRULY

CALLED "DESTINATION

JERUSALEM, ISIS, CONVERT

OR DIE, AND PREPARING FOR

THE DAYS AHEAD."

BOTH ARE AVAILABLE ON

AMAZON.COM.

AND YOU MAY WANT TO PICK

UP BOTH COPIES TO GET A

GREAT PERSPECTIVE ON ISIS

AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN

THE MIDDLE EAST.

YOU MAY WANT TO FOLLOW

ERICK ON ERIC HER HER STACK