Lebanon continues to suffer a severe financial crisis, and citizens have been protesting the new government, which has strong backing of Hezbollah from Iran.
Still, the new government won a confidence vote, sparking riots. Tom Atema of Heart For Lebanon says, “They found a Christian to run for prime minister, and he said yes. But he was appointed by Hezbollah. So, he’s really a Hezbollah person. Remember, when we talk about Christians in the Near East, we’re talking cultural Christians.”
The International Monetary Fund is in Lebanon ready to give money, but Hezbollah is unwilling to receive it. Atema says, “Iran wants people to be indebted to Hezbollah and Hezbollah to be indebted to Iran.”
Atema recalls a conversation he had with a higher ranking Lebanese official, who said, “’We’ve tried everything to fix our economy and our systems, to get rid of the corruption. We’ve done all this stuff and where we ended is it a deep, dark, black hole. And there’s no hope… but I’ve come to the conclusion that we’ve had hope all along. And that’s found in Jesus Christ.’”
Atema says Lebanon is at a crossroads. On one hand, they could falter even farther and become a failed state. “Or they’re going to become a state built on biblical principles and on Jesus Christ.”
SOURCE: Mission Network News, Kevin Zeller
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