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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Era (02/03/11)
Are you aware that since 1979, Egypt has been the second-largest recipient, after Israel, of U.S. foreign assistance and our country has given nearly $67 billion in economic and military aid to Egypt over the last 3 decades?

Our freedom loving country, that espouses liberty and democracy all over the world, has been funding a country led by a tyrant responsible for:

*Emergency rule for the last 30 years-restricting many basic rights, empowering the government to tap telephones, intercept mail, search without warrants, and detain suspects without charge.

*Egypt ranking 111 out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index.

*Attacks on opposition voters by security forces and pro-government thugs during parliamentary elections.

*Restriction of freedom of the press. The state dominates the media and exercises influence over all privately owned publications.

*Heavy restrictions on freedoms of assembly and association.

*Respect for human rights being almost non-existent:

1. Mona Thabe-police tortured her twice, after she filed a complaint regarding the alleged police torture of her husband, first on January 19 at a police station and again February 13, at her home. The alleged torture included beating, shaving her head, burning with cigarettes, and cutting. The government closed it's investigation by the end of the year due to lack of evidence. )

2. Alaa Al-Gamal-On July 10 and 11, police broke into this journalist's home, because he had written articles critical of the government. )

3. Ibrahim El Sayed Metwally-In March 2008, according to the Al Nadim Center and the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid (AHRLA), police chief of investigations Ali Kedr and officers Hossam Abdel Moneim and Mahmoud Al Deeb of the Menia Al Nasr Police Station allegedly raided his home because of a debt he owed. The officers severely beat and verbally abused Metwally’s mother and siblings. Metwally’s sister claimed the officers detained her, beat her with a stick, and threatened to strip her. )

In Jeremiah 5, God pleaded, "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem…seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it" (Jeremiah 5:1). The Lord is saying, "I'll be merciful, if I can find just one person who'll seek me."

Are we seeking him now? Does a country that is seeking God, not only condone, but fund the likes of a tyrant such as Mubarak?

During the captivity in Babylonia, God found a righteous man. His name was Daniel. I believe, today, more than ever in history, the Lord is searching for Daniels. Are we willing to stand in the gap as Daniel did, on our knees, with hearts and minds seeking the Lord? Daniel prayed, "I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God" (Daniel 9:3–4).

Daniel didn't judge, and we mustn't judge our fellow countrymen, we all have to put ourselves next to them, like Daniel did when he said, "we have sinned…to us belongeth confusion of face…because we have sinned against thee" (Daniel 9:5, 8).

Our once God-fearing country has been polluted with the spirit of this world, and we are in no position to receive the Lord's blessings. Daniel said, "All this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand the truth. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us" (Daniel 9:13–14).

Let's examine ourselves, confess to the Holy Spirit our areas of compromise. Oh, Lord, search our hearts. Expose all of the spirit of the world that has crept into our souls. Then, like Daniel, we can then pray for the deliverance of our families and our nation. Let's end this era of disobedience together, want to?!
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This article has been read 929 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Fern Brown
02/11/11
This covers II Chronicles 7:14 quite well. Good job. We all need to search our hearts and be more yielded to God. Thank you.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
02/12/11
This piece is very timely. Hopefully what happened in Egypt yesterday will begin a new Era in that country and open the eyes of the world.
Norma-Anne Hough
02/13/11
Well written timely story. I think until the Lord Jesus comes again we will always experience rulers that are hideous and cruel.
Also leaders who refuse to acknowledge God. Thankfully the Old Testament teaches us that God always dealt with the cruel and evil leaders in His own time.
May an era of peace begin in Egypt, but unfortunately I think it will take some time.
Well done
Mildred Sheldon
02/13/11
What a beautiful and poignant story. Very well written and it was full of Godly knowledge. Thank you for sharing.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
02/18/11
Congratulations for placing 9th in level two!