Destination Jerusalem: Isis, ''convert or Die,'' Christian Persecution and Preparing for the Days Ahead

164 Pages·2015·2.33 MB·English

by  Mitchell

DESTINATION JERUSALEM: ISIS,

CONVERT OR DIE, CHRISTIAN
PERSECUTION AND PREPARING FOR
THE DAYS AHEAD
By Chris Mitchell
DESTINATION JERUSALEM: ISIS, Convert or Die, Christian Persecution and Preparing for the Days
Ahead Copyright © 2015 by Chris Mitchell ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any unauthorized reprint or use
of this material is prohibited.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by
permission.
Publication date: January 2015
Print: ISBN: 978-0-9862233-0-3
eBook: ISBN: 978-0-9862233-1-0
ePub: ISBN: 978-0-9862233-2-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014957658
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter
covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author or the publisher is not engaged in rendering any
type of professional services. If expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional
should be sought.
1. ISIS 2. Persecution 3. Jerusalem 4. Christianity 5. Middle East 6. Preparation 7. Terrorists 8. Religion I.
Mitchell, Chris II. Destination Jerusalem Destination Jerusalem may be purchased at special
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raising, book clubs, or education-al purposes for churches, congregations, schools and universities. For
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Have Chris Mitchell speak at your live event or by videoconferencing.
For information call Mel at 931 593-2484 or email Mel at [email protected].
Editors: Mel Cohen, Anne Severance Cover design and layout: Lynne Hopwood Photos by Jonathan Goff
Printed in the United States of America Publishing Consultant: Mel Cohen of Inspired Authors Press LLC
Publisher: C & L Publishing LLC
Destination Jerusalem Website: www.destinationjerusalembook.com
To those brave Christians suffering for their faith in Jesus,
of whom the Bible says, “The world is not worthy.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Winston Churchill said, “Writing a book is an adventure.” Penning
Destination Jerusalem was no exception… although the companions on the
adventure make all the difference. Elizabeth joined me 36 years ago and, as
Winnie the Pooh said, “As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going
to happen.” Here we are nearly four decades into our friendship, and it’s still
true that “a good friend listens to your adventures; a best friend makes them
with you.” Here’s to this adventure that’s “in the book” and the new ones
around the corner. Thanks for being my best friend and letting me go “around
the corner.”
Speaking of around the corner, our young tribe is now “around the world,”
launched out on their own adventures. Philip, Kathleen and Grace inspired
Destination Jerusalem from afar. Now Philip and his new best friend, Caitlyn,
are expecting a new generation, and new adventures. My fellow travelers in
the Mitchell clan—Kevin, Brian and Nancy (Clarke) and Jeanne—continue
to encourage this sojourner scribe on his way home. We all remember Rick,
whose new adventure has just begun.
My adventure with CBN began more than a quarter of a century ago. Its
vision to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth was a star I decided to hitch
my wagon to all those years ago. More than a half a century into fulfilling its
mandate to prepare the way of the Lord, Founder Pat Robertson, CEO
Gordon Robertson, President Michael Little and so many others are engaged
in a labor of love and devotion to the One who birthed this Heavenly vision.
Their faithfulness allows this reporter to step onto the front lines and find a
front-row seat to His story. Behind CBN’s worldwide team is an army of
partners whose steadfast support and prayers make forays into Kurdistan,
Minya or Moscow possible. Thank you!
Fellow companions on these expeditions are an extraordinary CBN News
team from Virginia Beach to Washington DC, led by Rob Allman. Here, in
the city of the Great King, a fabulous bureau—Julie Stahl, Tzippe Barrow,
Yehuda Chamarro, Annika Kopp, Nissim Lerner and Lesly Bertell—
experience the awe of telling the stories of this age from the epicenter.
Jonathan Goff, our intrepid cameraman, shared many of these adventures. His
pluck, good humor, resourcefulness and Godliness got us through many
predicaments and yielded outstanding results. On the field in Kurdistan,
Pastor Majeed proved an invaluable resource, companion, friend and brother
to his two sidekicks from the Holy Land.
Throughout the process unsung, unseen and unheralded intercessors have
held up my hands and heart through their steadfast prayers and intercession.
Whether in the streets of Kirkuk, the alleys of Minya or at the keyboard in
Jerusalem, their cries to the One who hears and answers have protected,
encouraged and inspired this herald. Their prayers breathed life into
Destination Jerusalem. I benefit from those prayers whether whispered in the
secret place or shouted amongst the Body. We all share in the fruit. This side
of Heaven, their full story may never be told, yet He knows.
On the earth: the practical work of publishing lay on the capable,
experienced shoulders of Mel Cohen, our publishing consultant from Inspired
Authors Press. He’s been the penultimate maestro, orchestrating all the
various elements to bring Destination Jerusalem to fruition. Anne
Severance’s copy editing guardrails kept this author from veering off the
straight and narrow road of good grammar and proper punctuation. More
importantly, her prayers and belief in this message and its power to bless
inspired this scribe throughout the editing. Aaron Aprile, our proofreader,
completed the final read-through. Lynne Hopwood added her expert graphic
design and creativity; Jared Rowe his webmaster’s expertise.
This tome owes its heart to those brave men and women who have
endured unspeakable horrors, yet who remain faithful to their Lord Jesus. To
men like Canon Andrew White, heroes of our age, who stand in the face of
terror and yet lift up their eyes to see their Redemption drawing nigh.
Finally, to the three most important Persons in my life: my Father, under
whose wings I find shelter, who sets my times and seasons and whose
Kingdom I long to see; to Jesus, who found me when I was lost and now
steers me through the shoals of life and to the Holy Spirit, whose still, small
voice comforts and guides. Their love is my beacon, guiding this homesick
soul home.
Maranatha!
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1 15 Minutes From ISIS
CHAPTER 2 ISIS on the March CHAPTER 4 The Rise of the Caliphate
CHAPTER 5 Convert or Die!
CHAPTER 6 Saturday People, Sunday People CHAPTER 7 Sirens Over
Jerusalem CHAPTER 8 Iran’s Nuclear Shadow CHAPTER 9 Spiritual
Headlines In The Middle East CHAPTER 10 Know Your Enemy CHAPTER 11
Preparing…And Preparing The Way CHAPTER 12 Destination Jerusalem
EPILOGUE
BE PART OF THE STORY
DESTINATION: THE NEW JERUSALEM
THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES: DESTINATION JERUSALEM
NOTES
Note: It’s important to mention the major difference and historical breach
between Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis make up about 85% of the Islamic world
while Shiites constitute about 15%. For example, ISIS is Sunni while Iran is
predominately Shiite. Often these two factions are bitter enemies and
consider each other heretics. Their rift began after the death of Muhammad in
632. The Sunnis - or Ahl al-Sunna, the people of the tradition – believed
Muhammad’s successor should arise from within the Muslim community.
However Shiites – or the Shiat Ali, the party of Ali – wanted the leadership to
stay within the prophet’s family beginning with Ali, the son-in-law of the
prophet. This division has lasted for centuries and the fracture explains a
great deal of the conflict in the Middle East today.
PROLOGUE
A Christian refugee sobs, “Jesus forgive them!” after fleeing the deadly
rampage of Islamic State fighters. A Yazidi mother tells us about the horrific
fate suffered by her late son at the hands of these marauding Muslims. An
Israeli woman recounts how Hamas terrorists rose like zombies from the
beach near her house to launch a terror attack on her kibbutz. Sirens wail over
the skies of Jerusalem and warn of incoming missiles, while Israelis scurry
for bomb shelters. Beheadings make global news, shake the leaders of
Western powers, shape public policy and influence military strategy. Against
this precarious backdrop, Iran’s mullahs quietly prepare their deadly nuclear
cocktail. Sounds like a plot from a spy novel; unfortunately, it’s all too real.
During the summer of 2014, history changed. ISIS (the Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria) stunned the world with its Islamic blitzkrieg that swept
through Syria and northern Iraq. This jihadist juggernaut erased the storied
Sykes-Picot political line drawn up during World War I. Suddenly, the
countries of Iraq and Syria ceased to exist as they had for nearly a century.
Now the world had to deal not just with a terrorist entity, but a terrorist army
bent on imposing its fierce brand of Islam on anyone…or anything in its path.
Its black flag often called the “Black Standard” has shown up everywhere
from New Jersey to Sydney. It bears the Shahada, the Muslim creed which
states “There is not god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”
and adds “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
Once again, Christians and other Middle East minorities bore the brunt of
this menace. More than a million fled. Many sought refuge in an area that
would become much more well-known to the world, Kurdistan. Its vaunted
military—the Peshmerga—would become the tip of the spear against this
radical Islamic group.
Several hundred miles to the west, another Islamist group—Hamas—fired
thousands of rockets into Israel, the one Western democracy in the Middle
East. The 50-day war between Hamas and Israel riveted the world and drew
media from every corner of the earth. Much of the coverage impugned Israel
for defending herself from this group openly dedicated to her destruction.
Both of these conflicts are significant. While these events (the sudden
surge of ISIS and the nearly two-month war between Hamas and Israel) took
place during one summer, their long-term implications are profound. ISIS,
which morphed into the Islamic State, will be an arch-enemy of the West for
years to come. It holds global ambitions and is drawing support from the four
corners of the earth from a new generation of jihadists.
Closer to Jerusalem, Hamas sparked one of the longest wars in the history
of the Jewish State while much of the world blamed Israel. Hamas showed to
the world that its agenda— and that of other Islamic groups—remains the end
of the Jewish State. Israelis, like the Kurds, find themselves once more in the
vanguard against radical Islam. Their future is wedded to our own since
jihadists see Israel as the “Little Satan” but the US (and the rest of the
Christian West) as the “Great Satan.”
During the summer, this reporter had the opportunity to cover both
conflicts and talk face to face with those who have borne the brunt of these
tragic events. From the front lines in Kurdistan, facing ISIS, to the Gaza
border, watching Hamas rockets rain on Israel, we had a front-row seat for
these history-making wars. Their storylines resound with the grand themes of
our age: the rise of radical Islam, the ongoing persecution— some say ethnic
cleansing—of Christians in the Middle East and the centrality of Jerusalem in
world history.
Destination Jerusalem follows the trail blazed by Dateline Jerusalem. It
resumes the Middle East narrative that increasingly looks like the prophecies
of the Bible are indeed ripening in our time. Some see the streams of current
events and Biblical prophecy flowing together in the river of this generation.
It stays on the scent of those pivotal trends such as the Jewish people coming
back to their ancient homeland, often spurred by the rise of a new tide of anti-
Semitism. It again threads the theme throughout that Jerusalem is the ultimate
destination for Jews, Muslims, Christians and the nations, the polestar of
either their spiritual journeys or their geopolitical aspirations.
Since the publication of Dateline Jerusalem, profound changes have taken
place in the Middle East and Israel. Radical Muslims don’t just dream about a