FaithWalk Radio

Ron Susek: You just recently heard me interview Fareed Yaqoob Elia, one of the most straight-shooting people you'll ever hear speak. He's a parliamentarian in Iraq in the government of the Kurds, and we have him back this week to continue this conversation. It's giving you an insight into what is happening in the Middle East so that you know how to pray more effectively. Stay with me. I'll be right back.

Guest (Male): Finding and knowing God is a faith walk. The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Our hope lies in the coming Messiah, who will establish God's peaceful kingdom on Earth.

This is FaithWalk with Ron Susek. Dr. Ron is an evangelist committed to encourage and equip your faith walk as we pass through these turbulent end-time days, awaiting that soon-coming kingdom. Here again is Ron Susek.

Ron Susek: I'm talking today to Carmela Borashan. She will be our translator as I'm interviewing Fareed Yaqoob Elia. We are going to be sharing some great insights into Assyria—or rather Assyria, but also Iraq and the relationship between Assyria and Iraq.

Explain for Americans and Canadians and people on this side of the planet the political structure of Iraq: the central government, the Kurdish government, and how the Assyrians fit into that.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): The country of Iraq, unfortunately, is basically a lawless country. It does not have a strong law. We were expecting after 2003 Iraq will have one parliament, one strong law, democracy, honesty, and respect for all the residents.

Unfortunately, law is not strong. It only works for the people that have power in the country. The country does not help us, especially the minorities have basically no rights. We as Assyrians or Christians have become second, third, fourth citizens of the land. Fraud and corruption runs the country. Islam is growing and a law of Islamization.

We as Christians or Assyrians have a different culture, different history, different language, and different faith. We want to live in peace. We want to live honestly. And we have done so for many, many generations and throughout history. But at this point, we have a hard time surviving in that kind of a country.

Ron Susek: What has been the aftermath effects of ISIS—emotionally, politically, culturally? What is the impact lingering to this day?

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): ISIS is nothing new to us. If I go back through history for 1,400 years, we have been facing the same thing that ISIS did in 2014. Beth Nahrain—that whole region—Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria, had close to eight million Christians. Now, in Iraq, we have 200,000 left because we have faced these persecutions throughout history.

1915, the genocide is known as the Armenian Genocide. In Turkey, in Hakkari, Urmia in Iran, and Habbaniya—a town in Iraq—we lost millions of Assyrian Christians because of the massacre for our faith and our ethnicity. 1933, 5,000 Christians were slaughtered in Simele, which is a town in northwest of Iraq.

The church of Sayidat al-Nejat, people were sitting there praying when people walked in there with machine guns and slaughtered them and killed them. We have close to 65 churches that have been destroyed in Iraq.

ISIS is a mentality that exists among people. Now, we see it in media, but it is nothing new to us. Our people have lost complete trust in the government because there was no protection of the citizens of the land. And the situation is extremely bad. Our people are leaving at a very fast pace for their survival.

So, apparently, there used to be 15,000 Assyrian Christians in Urmia itself. But now 5,000 Assyrians are left throughout the whole country of Iran. These churches in Iran are either destroyed or left for ruin or are empty.

I went to one of the churches. A Muslim man came and opened the door. That means there are no Christians left to open these doors for us. In Syria, similar thing. 40,000 people resided there. Now, close to 1,000 left roughly after ISIS.

And they all—these countries—because of their faith, they see us as a threat. So they're doing everything to push us out of that region, even though we are the indigenous people of the land. Our faith, our history, our ethnicity, everything is different. But we are the people of peace in that region.

Guest (Male): Now, Dr. Ron has been talking to us about the end-time days and wants us to prepare for the coming kingdom. And he has written a book titled The Assyrian Prophecy that is a missing part of the end-times puzzle.

Ron Susek: And he who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new. Write, for these words are true and faithful." The world is not ending. God is preparing a new world soon to begin. An ancient nation thought lost to extinction is soon to rise anew to prepare for that day. Isaiah identified this nation in a prophecy that has been hidden in plain sight for some 2,700 years. Its name is Assyria.

My new book, The Assyrian Prophecy, reveals how Assyria will join with Israel and Egypt to bless the world under the soon-coming Messiah. Amid today's chaos, God is searching for righteous people through whom he will bring the prophecy to completion. When you reach the end of this book, one question will be in your mind: "Lord, what would you have me to do?"

Guest (Male): You can learn more at theassyrianproject.org.

Ron Susek: The Assyrians have two advantages that I see. Number one, they are the historic possessors for 4,000 years of Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers. And they also are named in a prophecy. And when God gives a prophecy, that is as binding as a covenant to God. It has to happen because every word that comes out of the mouth of God never returns void. That is our hope.

My passion is to do everything that I can by the power of God and by the means that he provides to make the church at large aware of this prophecy and the people of Assyria—what they're going through today, what they need to have. As well as hopefully, God will use that to awaken governments. Just address what I've said in your perception of how you would word that.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): We have hope. We have faith. And I hope you will be successful. We have more than 4,000 years of history in that region. But for the last 1,400, we've been slaughtered and killed. But due to our faith, we call ourselves martyrs for Jesus.

Ron Susek: Thank you so much. That's a beautiful answer. Many Assyrians desperately want to go home. I hear it in their voices. I see it in their eyes. I feel it in their hearts when they express that longing to go home.

And Iraq claims they are inviting them to come home. Now, talk to me about the reality of that because obviously they are afraid to go home because of one word: jihad. Every time that word is spoken, massacres take place. And so it's understandable why they don't want to go home. What can possibly be done to give them the assurance that if they go home back to their homeland that they are going to be safe?

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): I do hear that many Assyrians do want to go back. You're right. But the government of Iraq is not an honest government. They are trying to show that they are democratic and they are inviting these people. But the show is to the Western world, to the United States, that we are democratic, we want the Christians to live in this region.

If they are honest, the land grabbing and these laws must be changed first. Our faith, our culture, our language is very different from Arabs and Kurds. We—most of these Assyrian Christians—live in the Nineveh Plain. But the government of Erbil that is under the Kurdish government and the central government of Iraq are fighting over Nineveh Plain. It's basically a contested region. We have more than 4,000 years of history in that region.

That's why I'm asking the United States to put pressure on both governments of Iraq. Hold them accountable and hold them honest. Article 125 that addresses a Nineveh governorate or self-administered, we're trying to use that, but they haven't been able to utilize that article.

Ron Susek: You are obviously a man who speaks truth, very kindly but very forthrightly, you speak truth. That's not a safe thing to do in—not only in Iraq, but increasingly here in America, as you well know. Suddenly, we're discovering that our Christian roots have been driven into the ground.

And we have forces rising up in our universities and in other places that have been schooled in layers and layers of lies and deceptions and so forth. How do you stay safe?

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): I have to be honest because I am a Christian. I'm not scared of evangelism. Christians are not afraid of evangelism. They're not afraid of honesty. We're not afraid of fighting for human rights because we know God is with us. All Christians have God's spirit. And that's what is the force behind us.

My life and our lives are in the hand of God. One day, we will leave this earth. But what is life if you can't help others? Are we afraid? We are afraid. But we have to fight and move forward. As I mentioned, we are a nation of martyrs for our faith. They are trying to stop our language. They're trying to push us out of there. But we know we have something much more important that we have to fight for.

Ron Susek: We've been watching a rather miraculous thing happen in our ministry as this television and podcast program spread worldwide in eight months. They tell me in the television industry that's just almost unheard of. But we don't think that that happened because of our cleverness, but by God putting together something that he is doing. We're not asking God to bless our plans. We're asking God to show us his plans and we'll move with him.

In that light, we don't know every day how many hundreds of thousands or millions of people are tuning in and watching. Some may be enslaved, kidnapped Assyrians desperately looking for hope. We never know. But if you were able to stand before the entire world and have the attention of everyone on earth, what would you say?

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): I'm asking everyone in the world, specifically my people, live in peace and love. We only ask for our rights as human beings: to maintain our language and our faith. We'd like to live as free people, freely speak our language, maintain our culture and our faith, and comfortably go to church without any fear.

We are not against Kurds, Arabs, Muslims. We want just to live in peace and harmony. We want to live in a country where there is peace and respect for everyone. And that is our ask.

Ron Susek: One of the things that I feel that God has clearly revealed to us that is our role at this level is to bring about an awakening about the prophecy to both the church at large and to governments. Many people are oppressed on earth, other nations, we know that. And they suffer persecution.

But the thing that connects the Assyrians with the church at large—and this is the connection we're working on building—is that you're not just another oppressed minority. You are people of the prophecy. You have a divine destiny designed by God. And it's the work of the church worldwide to pray the will of God in heaven to come to pass on earth.

If we can awaken millions of Christians to know who you are and begin to pray for you, I have little doubt that soon Cyrus will be raised up. And we will see the Assyrians return home as Israel left Egypt without bloodshed. I believe that God will get Assyria back home without bloodshed. And we'll come back in the next question. I just want to talk to you a little bit about the prophecy. So, what are your thoughts at this point about that?

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): God is capable of everything. He can do whatever he wants. But we have to work hard and help ourselves in order to be able to move the plan ahead.

Ron Susek: There are four things lined up in the prophecy: that Assyria, Israel, and Egypt will become one—not one nation, but they will become one in spirit. And they will have a highway between them. They will be worshipping together, and there's no higher point of oneness than in true worship before the true God.

And they will be a blessing to the entire world. I think that this is the string of connection between these three nations, and our focus is now on Assyria and the church at large all around the world. What are your thoughts?

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): It says the first thing we need to pray for is peace between Israel and Muslims. It's very hard right now. The situation is very bleak. But if there is peace in the world, everything can be possible.

Ron Susek: I really want to thank you for taking the time to be with me and to record this program.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): He's thanking you for the opportunity and meeting you. He's thanking me for translating. As long as we believe in God and as long as we believe in the book, we know God will make peace come about.

Ron Susek: I really appreciate Carmela for putting this together very much. And I'm hoping that you and I can establish a long-term friendship.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): I have a lot of respect for you.

Ron Susek: I would love to come and visit you in Iraq.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): You're very welcome.

Ron Susek: I have an invitation to address the Parliament in Australia on behalf of the Assyrians, and I am hoping that comes together, I think, next June. And I want to really thank them for giving the Assyrians a place of refuge as we await the return.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): He says thank you and proud of you.

Guest (Male): Psalm 62:5: "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him." There are endless reasons why people feel incomplete. Those reasons are like false gods commanding your heart. Look to God alone for your value and purpose. Look to God alone to deliver you from assaults.

King David had armies wanting to kill him. David had family and friends wanting to destroy him. He gave the secret of the solution. Psalm 62:5: "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is in him."

Ron Susek: If God ever opens the door for me to address the Kurdish Parliament and the Iraqi Parliament and the people, I don't imagine that day coming, but if it ever happened, what I want to say to them is what I know you would say.

We're not asking you to sacrifice anything. If you obey God, he'll bless you. He loves you as much as he loves Assyrians, Jews, or Egyptians. And we are here in the love of God. And we're not only thinking of our well-being, but your well-being as well because our God is a loving God.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): We have hope that one day when you come to Iraq, we will try to set up something for you to talk in the parliaments. We're hoping that they can understand that we all are human. God created all. And he created some ugly, some pretty, some tall, some short, but we all are human and he loves us all.

Ron Susek: Amen. That's the gospel. And we need to advance the gospel as well as we can around the world. Well, I just wish that we had a lot of time to sit down in person and talk. Of course, we would have to have Carmela between us to help us understand each other. But hopefully, someday, God will give me the ability to learn your language.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): With God's power. This is the language of Jesus and we preserved it so far. And we want to preserve it because that's the language he spoke.

Ron Susek: Amen. Well, let's have prayer before you leave. Our Father, we rise before you to worship you.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): O God, our creator, let your name be blessed and lifted high.

Ron Susek: We thank you for the privilege of being alive.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): We are very thankful that we have life today, that you gave us the breath.

Ron Susek: We are riding on your planet.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): We live on this earth that you created.

Ron Susek: Looking into your universe.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): We are looking into the universe that you have created.

Ron Susek: Breathing your air.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): The air that we breathe is your air.

Ron Susek: Eating your food.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): The food that we eat is from your earth.

Ron Susek: Above all, we thank you that your son died on our behalf and presented his sinless blood before you.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): And above all, because your son died for our sins and gave his clean blood before you.

Ron Susek: And we can call you Father.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): That we can call you Father.

Ron Susek: And you declare us children.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): That you call us your children.

Ron Susek: And because of your son, you declare us holy and blameless.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): Because of your son, you call us holy and sinless.

Ron Susek: It's in the right of the privilege Jesus opened for us that we pray together today, that we will be privileged to be at the beginning of a mighty wave that will culminate exactly as Isaiah stated it from your hand.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): It is a great thing that we can speak in the path of Jesus that we pray together today, that we can have a mighty wave that comes ahead, just like Isaiah told us from your hands.

Ron Susek: Thank you for my brother. Protect him.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): Thank you for my brother. Protect him under your wing.

Ron Susek: Thank you for Carmela. Protect her as well.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): Thank you for Carmela. Keep her under your wing as well.

Ron Susek: We pray in Jesus' name.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): We pray in the name of Jesus.

Ron Susek: Amen.

Carmela Borashan (Translating for Fareed Yaqoob Elia): Amen. Shlama.

Fareed Yaqoob Elia: Thank you very much.

Ron Susek: Thank you very much. God bless you.

Guest (Male): Now, Dr. Ron has been talking to us about the end-time days and wants us to prepare for the coming kingdom. And he has written a book titled The Assyrian Prophecy that is a missing part of the end-times puzzle.

And he who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new. Write, for these words are true and faithful." The world is not ending. God is preparing a new world soon to begin. An ancient nation thought lost to extinction is soon to rise anew to prepare for that day. Isaiah identified this nation in a prophecy that has been hidden in plain sight for some 2,700 years. Its name is Assyria.

My new book, The Assyrian Prophecy, reveals how Assyria will join with Israel and Egypt to bless the world under the soon-coming Messiah. Amid today's chaos, God is searching for righteous people through whom he will bring the prophecy to completion. When you reach the end of this book, one question will be in your mind: "Lord, what would you have me to do?"

You can learn more at theassyrianproject.org. This has been FaithWalk with best-selling author, pastor, and evangelist Ron Susek. We're certain you appreciate Dr. Ron's straightforward teaching of God's word, along with his strong invitation to find salvation through Christ.

But he needs your help in spreading the gospel to the far reaches of the world. Join our team by going to faithwalk.org and clicking on "Partner With Us." Please accept and enjoy your copy of The Assyrian Prophecy as our personal thank you for standing with us at FaithWalk.

Well, thanks for being with us today, and we hope you'll join us again next week as we find courage for the journey in our faith walk.