Obama's Foreign Policy Legacy: Peace or Danger Ahead? - CBN News Gary Lane

Obama's Foreign Policy Legacy: Peace or Danger Ahead?

10-25-2016

CBN News Gary Lane

WASHINGTON -- As Barack Obama prepares to leave the White House, how will his foreign policy efforts be judged by history?

Will he be seen as a presidential peacemaker or a feckless leader who created a more dangerous world?

On January 20, 2009, Obama unveiled his foreign policy vision within moments of his swearing in as the nation's 44th president.

"Our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint," he said. "America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

Nine months later, the Nobel Committee awarded him the peace prize, not for his accomplishments, but for what he intended to do on the world stage.

Now as Obama prepares to leave the White House, some security experts are questioning his foreign policy accomplishments and the consequences of his actions.

Foreign Policy an 'Utter Failure'

Supporters of the president's policies say he's leaving behind a more peaceful world and eventually the Middle East will be a safer place. But his critics on Capitol Hill say nothing could be further from the truth: he's created a big mess for the next president.

"He received a prize for a naive worldview that we know in 2016 has been an utter failure," former CIA analyst Fred Fleitz said.

During his first inaugural address, the president said he'd take steps to end America’s wars.

"We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan," Obama said.

Despite that promise, peace didn't come to Afghanistan. The president wanted to withdraw all U.S. forces by late 2014. But instead a resurgent Taliban wreaked havoc on the country, so Obama reversed course. Today, more than 8,000 Americans still remain there.

In Iraq, the president withdrew all American troops by the end of 2011, despite being warned repeatedly by top government officials and military advisors – including his own Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta – about the potential consequences.

But Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine says the president had no choice.

"Iraq didn't want our troops to stay and they wouldn't give us the protection for our troops," Kaine insisted.

Panetta has since written in his book that although an agreement was difficult, it could have been done.

The Rise of ISIS

Critics, including GOP vice presidential candidate Mike Pence, say Obama’s premature withdrawal from Iraq helped lead to the rise of the deadly Islamic terrorist group ISIS.

"The sacrifices the American soldier made were squandered in Iraq because this administration created a vacuum in which ISIS was able to grow," Pence said.

Once ISIS was on the scene after Obama's withdrawal from Iraq, it carried out a horrible genocide against Christians, Yazidis and others in Iraq and Syria, causing a humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and Europe.

"You don't walk away from a war when the other team is bringing it to you," Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, explained. "That is, I've heard this president say he wants to get out of these wars, but when they bring it to you have no choice but to lead and to protect the American people."

Pompeo is a member of the House Intelligence Committee. He says Obama and members of his administration refuse to take seriously the Islamic terror threat.

"He told us that al Qaeda was on the run, he has since told us that ISIS was the JV," Pompeo said. 

Failures at Home

The failures are also right here at home, Pompeo and others say. When Omar Mateen murdered 49 Americans in Orlando earlier this year, Obama refused to call it an act of Islamic terror. 

"There is no magic to the phrase 'radical Islam.' It is a political talking point. it is not a strategy," the president said.

The Center for Security Policy's Fred Fleitz disagrees.

"When we have a president who will not admit that we are at war with radical Islam, who won't even use the term, when we portray this threat as some threat from an isolated terrorist group and not a global ideology at war with modern society and Western civilization, we are never going to beat it," Fleitz insists. 

Weak American Leadership

In Syria, critics say feckless U.S. support of moderate rebel groups caused al Qaeda, al Nusra, and the Islamic State to grow in power and influence.

President Obama said he would draw a red line in the sand if Syrian President Assad used chemical weapons against his own people. Assad turned over 1,300 tons of the weapons, but later used a chemical weapon -- chlorine gas -- against the rebels. Obama took no military action.

As a result, Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped up his country's involvement, sending aircraft and troops to help Assad.

Pence says weak American leadership in the Middle East led to Russia's return to the region.
 
"There's an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates," he explained.

That bear came out of hibernation seven years after the Obama administration promised a "re-set" of relations with Russia. Putin moved not only in Syria, but also in Georgia, Crimea, and Ukraine. 

"We watched the Russians take one-fifth of a sovereign nation and America's response was almost nothing," Pompeo said. "That tells Vladimir Putin he has a green light and you've seen him use that power."

In Egypt, Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood took office as president in the summer of 2012. But within months, he had issued a decree that basically gave him unlimited powers.

His opponents called it an "Islamist coup." Egyptians took to the streets to protest and President Obama demanded the Egyptian army restore Morsi and the Brotherhood to power.

Some Egyptians claimed Brotherhood agents and sympathizers in the U.S. government influenced policy.

Mohammed Elibiary served on the president's Department of Homeland Security advisor council. Elibiary had praised a Muslim Brotherhood leader and spoke at a 2004 event honoring Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.

And the president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a group with suspected ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, advised President Obama on immigration and counterterrorism policy. 

Parts of Iran Deal Kept Secret

Barack Obama would likely say his greatest foreign policy achievement was the nuclear deal with Iran, but many critics say the administration only accomplished the deal by keeping key parts of it secret.

"In the fall of 2016 we have a nuclear deal that can only be described as an enormous fraud," Fleitz said. "The only way that this deal got through is because the details of it were concealed from Congress."

Pompeo exposed several secret side deals in the agreement.

"This president struck a secret deal with the ayatollah that's really between him and the ayatollah. It's not even signed by either party and that will almost always end in a way that does not serve the American people's interest," Pompeo said. 

In the recent vice presidential debate, Kaine said the Iran deal eliminated Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Former President Bill Clinton's CIA director James Woolsey disagrees. He calls it "worse than worthless."

"I think it may be the worst international agreement the United States has ever signed. I think it will enhance Iran's ability to move quickly to have a nuclear weapon to not slow it down," Woolsey insists.

"The reason is Iran can continue to enrich uranium, develop advanced centrifuges, and will have a reactor that produces plutonium that is being redesigned by the Chinese and will not be monitored by a process set up by this treaty," Fleitz explained.

Woolsey is concerned about the cash payments the Obama administration delivered to Iran the same day American prisoners were released in Tehran, ultimately amounting to $150 billion.

"We are turning over tens of billions of dollars to them saying that we are getting away from sanctions, and in part it seems it is more likely what that is, is bribery substantially to the Iranians to release some of our people they have grabbed," Woolsey said.

Pompeo and others believe the money provided by the United States may be used by Iran to spread terrorism and further develop its nuclear weapons program.

Obama Vision Falls Short

So, nearly eight years after his swearing in, America's Nobel Peace Prize winning president has fallen short of his goal of ushering in a new era of peace with many analysts warning that the world is now a more dangerous place than when he entered the White House.

"The president thought when he came to office his magnificence and his aura would solve all the world's problems. The fact is, these enemies of the United States hate us regardless of who is in the White House," Fleitz explained.

"They hate our way of life, they hate our country, and they didn't change their way of thought because Barack Obama became president," he said.

And they're likely to pose greater danger for the world and the next American president.

Legacy of a 19th Century Prophet - Charles Gardner ISRAEL TODAY

Legacy of a 19th Century Prophet

Sunday, April 10, 2016 |  Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY

Tucked away in a beautifully tranquil part of Suffolk, noted among art enthusiasts everywhere as Constable country, is an ancient stone church dating back 700 years.

There’s nothing particularly unusual about that in England, where the sight of a glorious steeple piercing a canopy of trees and sky is the focus of nearly every village.

But I was particularly drawn to this one, on the edge of the magnificent Helmingham Hall estate belonging to Lord and Lady Tollemache, whose fabulous gardens we had just visited.

It turns out that this aristocratic family has had strong connections with the church over the centuries and had been responsible for the mass of illuminated Bible verses inscribed on virtually every spare space inside the building.

Anyone who comes to church without a Bible has much of it ‘printed in large type’ on the walls, while the pulpit is graphically backed up by the text “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Intrigued to find out more of its history, I soon discovered that none other than John Charles Ryle (later to become the first Bishop of Liverpool) was Rector there for nearly 20 years in the mid-19th century (1844-1861).

But J C Ryle (as he was generally known) would in no way have been intimidated by such evangelical fervour. He would literally have basked in it like a sun-seeker soaking up the warmth of its rays.

During his time at Helmingham, he wrote over eighty tracts which were delivered to every door in the parish. He challenged the complacency of many who seemed disinterested in their spiritual state with prose that – unusually for the day – was both pithy and engaging. He mocked the notion that you should be thought very uncharitable if you dared to question whether a man was a Christian, thus:

“The man’s practice may be no better than that of a heathen: many a respectable Hindu might put him to shame – but what of that? He is an Englishman. He has been baptized. He goes to church, and behaves decently when there. What more would you have?”

He reminded his readers that “sacraments, services and sermons may produce outward formality, and clothe us with a skin of religion, but there will be no life.” Only the Holy Spirit could wake us from our spiritual slumber and save us from the “deep corruption” of our human nature.

He is particularly mindful of those who profess Christianity without backing it up by a transformed life:

“Sin is plainly not considered their worst enemy, nor the Lord Jesus their best friend, nor the will of God their rule of life, nor salvation the great end of their existence.”

Urging us to receive the Spirit, he concludes: “You may not like the tidings. You may call it enthusiasm, or fanaticism, or extravagance. I take my stand on the plain teaching of the Bible.”

Unlike some today, he emphasizes that Christ is the “only way” to heaven and mocks those who treat the Bible as “a heathen idol” only to be brought out at christenings, or upon the arrival of sickness, the doctor and death.

His messages are urgent, passionate, blunt and uncompromising – and what a legacy he has left, for he still speaks, even though dead. He continues to be widely read, and there are apparently many Internet websites devoted to him.

Oh that today’s bishops would speak with such directness and authority! With some notable exceptions, they seem to have had what many have dubbed ‘the operation’ to remove their spine.

But Ryle’s passion for the gospel echoes down the ages, still addressing those lost in a sea of despair, confusion and hopelessness: “I fear lest you should live without Christ, die without pardon, rise again without hope, receive judgment without mercy, and sink into hell without remedy.”

He was unequivocal in stating that “the Bible is all true, and must be fulfilled”. For example, hefirmly believed that the Jews scattered around the world for 18 centuries would soon return to their ancient homeland in fulfillment of many scriptures. And he encouraged Christians to work and pray toward that end.

He said: “I believe that the Jews shall ultimately be gathered again as a separate nation, restored to their own land and turned to the faith of Christ (Messiah).”

And so it was, less than 50 years after he died in 1900, that the modern State of Israel was born! And a growing number have since acknowledged Jesus as their Messiah.

Judge for yourself whether you think a man with such foresight was off the mark in diagnosing the spiritual health of his parishioners.

He did not escape suffering himself – he was twice widowed while at Helmingham – but was not afraid to preach what many today would deem ‘hell-fire and damnation’ as he left his readers with this fiery challenge: “Where is the man that can hold his finger for a minute in the flame of a candle? Who shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”

That there was a heaven to be gained and a hell to be shunned was a fairly orthodox line taken by preachers of the day, but few even then had the courage to put it quite as bluntly as J C Ryle.

Thus galvanized by the gospel, Ryle lit a flame that time would not extinguish and my prayer is that readers will continue to have their hearts similarly warmed by fire from heaven.

PHOTO: The parish church at Helmingham, Suffolk, where J C Ryle preached for 20 years. (Charles Gardner)

---

Charles Gardner is author of Israel the Chosen, available from Amazon, and Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com

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His Last Act: Inside Reagan's Twilight Years, Legacy - CBNNews.com

His Last Act: Inside Reagan's Twilight Years, Legacy

CBNNews.com Thursday, November 05, 2015

When former President Ronald Reagan passed away in 2004, he had been out of the public eye for 16 years. Not much was known about his post-presidential life – until now.

In his new book, Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan, author Craig Shirley writes about Reagan's twilight years.

Much has been penned about the late president's early life and his eight years in the White House.

But in 1994, just a few years after he left office, Reagan announced in a letter to the nation that he had the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease.

"I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life," he wrote. "I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."

For the last decade of his life, there were no public appearances, and little is known about his final years.

Now, in Last Act, Shirley sheds new light on:
How the former president and his wife dealt with the diagnosis and progression of the disease.
The planning of the state funeral.
The outpouring from the nation.
The significance of the Reagan legacy.

"The battle over the Reagan legacy and the meaning of Reagan came to a head the week he died," Shirley wrote. "And it remains a matter of debate to this day."

*Craig Shirley will share more about his new book and the final days of Ronald Reagan on Friday's edition of The 700 Club. Check your local listings or CBNNews.com after 10 a.m. EDT for the interview.

Bobby Conner: Should I Concern Myself With The Legacy I Leave Behind?

Bobby Conner:

Should I Concern Myself With The Legacy I Leave Behind?

The Elijah List

A Good Man Leaves An Inheritance

Every person on earth has a legacy. Just as every human on earth has distinct fingerprints, so also each of us has a unique legacy. Legacy can be likened to the footprints of life. Just as footprints in soft sand reveal that someone has passed this way, so too your legacy is evidence that you were here on earth, and it points to your accomplishments. Legacy is the fragrance of your life, which lingers long after you have departed from the room.

How you live your life will have lasting consequences upon your family for generations to come. Scripture declares that you will leave an inheritance to your children and grandchildren: "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous" (Proverbs 13:22).

As a sharp chisel applied to stone leaves a mark, so the conduct of our lives leaves an impression for good or bad. We must never forget that we too have power to shape others' lives. That is the way legacy works.

Scripture states that we will reap what we have sown (see Galatians 6:7). One of the fundamental principles of sowing is that we will reap more than we have sown (see Hosea 8:7). For example, a farmer sows one kernel of corn and reaps a stalk bearing ears of corn filled with hundreds of kernels.

Upright, godly individuals will be encouraged to know that what they sow in the present will bring a harvest in the future. Just as a small pebble tossed in a pond results in ripples expanding across the pond, so it is with our lives. The events of our lives can and will have far-reaching results (see Hosea 10:12). (Photo via Pixabay)

With this in mind, we must make the noble choice and resolve that our lives will be a blessing and not a burden – that they will reflect the overwhelming grace and mercies of our loving Heavenly Father. 

The importance of legacy is revealed in the fact that it is mentioned over two hundred times in Scripture. We must not ignore its significance. Our goal must be to yield to Christ's leadership so that our lives will be bright beacons to others. We are called as followers of Christ to be bright beacons of light, radiating and reflecting God's wonderful redemptive love and light to a hurting world (see Matthew 5:14).

None of us want to become a stumbling block to a single person, especially not to our own families (see Philippians 1:27). We are best able to live as godly beacons when we start with our own families, setting forth a godly lifestyle (see Matthew 5:16). If we set the right example in word and deed, it will have lasting effects upon our children (see Proverbs 22:6).

True Legacy

Legacy is what we leave behind, even a bequest made in a last will and testament. But much more than words on a page, our legacy is how we have conducted our lives. The deepest desire of my heart is to conduct my life in such a manner that, in years to come, when my name is spoken, my family will not hang their heads in shame, but will be honored and blessed by the testimony and example of an upright, godly life (see Proverbs 22:1). Let this be your core goal also (see Titus 3:8).

Some synonyms for legacy are: inheritance, bequest, heritage, gift, and birthright.

However, our legacy is far more than just material possessions that we pass down to family members. True legacy speaks of upright values, godly character, and a good name (see Ecclesiastes 7:1a). True legacy is of a spiritual nature. The most valuable legacy is what we have stood for and how we have conducted our lives; this forms our reputation (see Colossians 1:9-10).

In case you're still wondering, Is my legacy significant? – the answer is a resounding yes! Jesus Christ asked a pointed, powerful question in Matthew 16:26: "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" At the end of a person's life, the thing that truly matters is not a huge bank account, but a life lived for the glory of God. Each of us should aspire to live our lives so as to hear these words spoken: (Photo via Pixabay)

"Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).

In the most profound manner, our legacy has the power to shape and affect others and especially to influence many generations following us in our family lines. Through our love and loyalty to Christ, we have the power to transform not only our own lives, but also the lives of our descendants. How we conduct our lives will pass on wonderful, life-changing blessings or deadly, destructive curses to our family lines.

Depending on whether your lifestyle is virtuous or decadent, your legacy will become either a dangerous stumbling block or a delightful stepping-stone for your descendants. Start right now, this very day, by determining that your life will be a bright light that leads others to a deeper walk with Christ Jesus, not a dark shadow of despair and doom.

A Fresh Start - A Bright New Future

Even if you have made some wrong choices and have taken some detours, take heart. God's plans for you are good, and He always makes a way for you to repent and return in order to receive restoration (see Jeremiah 29:11). 

It is a true statement that God's ways are always better and so much higher than our ways (see Isaiah 55:9). It is never too late to restore God's blessings to your family name; God promises to give you the power of a fresh start (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) and to remove and cleanse your life from sin (see 1 John 1:9).

No matter how dark your past has been, when you respond to Christ Jesus, your future will be filled with light, love, and lasting hope (see Isaiah1:18). 

Don't let the failures of the past keep you from the victories of the future (see Philippians 3:13-14). God's promise is to remove your sins from you as far as the east is from the west and to remember them no more (see Psalm 103:12). Thank God that, in Christ Jesus, you can have a new beginning, and you can experience the power of God's mercies, which are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:20-23). As you think about this reality, ponder this promise from God in Joel 2:25: (Photo via Freeimages)

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you."

God is so good (see Nahum 1:7)! His tender mercies are fresh and new, waiting for you to avail yourself of them by simply asking for forgiveness and guidance. Truly, He is overflowing with loving-kindness and tender mercies. In Exodus 34:7, we discover the promise of God to extend mercy for thousands – forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. However, it also says that He visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the family line to the third and fourth generation. The choice is up to us.

God is offering each one of us a fresh start, a clean slate. It is true that weeping might come in the night. However, overwhelming joy comes in the morning (see Psalm 30:5).Let's prepare to embrace the dawn of a new day, overcoming the pains and failures of yesterday so that we're ready to face a bright new future.

Psalm 86:5 pronounces, "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You." In other words, even if you have rejected God's good plan for your life in the past, now is the time to repent, to open your life anew to God. He will answer your cry and restore hope and peace in your life (see 2 Corinthians 6:2).

As the Bible clearly outlines, God shows abundant mercy to all who love and obey Him (see Exodus 20:6). The substance of our love for God is demonstrated when we honor Him and obey His Word (see John 14:21-23). Scripture declares that God loves righteousness and hates evil and wickedness because He knows what sin will do in our lives (see Psalm 45:7). He knows it will destroy us. Sin carries a high price; as the Bible says, the wages of sin is death – separation from God and His love, not just for the present, but also for all eternity (see Romans 6:23).

God's love for us is everlasting, and He does not want any of us to be eternally separated from Him. Thus, He draws us to Himself with tender cords of kindness (see Jeremiah 31:3; Hosea 11:4). Thank God for salvation! And if you haven't yet, call upon Christ today so that you may experience this new life in Him (see Romans 10:9-13).

The Significance of Your Legacy

To understand the significance of legacy, let's first look at your value and worth, not just to humankind, but also to Almighty God. The world reached a milestone in 2012 – the population of the earth reached over seven billion people. Remarkably, not a single one of these seven billion people are just like you. You are extremely precious and special to God. You have heard the statement, "You're one in a million!" But that's not true. Actually, you're one in seven billion! (Photo via Pixabay/Tawny Nelson)

You are divinely unique, one of a kind. You were created by God for God, and you have value and worth beyond your wildest imagination. All the redemptive things that God has done, He would have done even if you had been the only person who needed them. The truth is, God's great plans started for you before you were ever born. 

Let the magnitude of this passage in Psalm 139:13-18 (NLT) encourage you: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

"How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God! They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me."

Always remember that you were chosen by God for God; therefore, you have divine purpose. 

You were chosen by God in eternity past to live in the present, and to forge the future (see Ephesians 2:10).

When John Donne wrote, "No man is an island," he was telling the truth! Our lives have a tremendous impact on others, for good or bad, to help them or hurt them. Consider this little question with potentially big results – "If every person on earth was just like me, what kind of world would this world be?"

It is a massive mistake to underestimate your God-given potential. Stop thinking that you're not important, that your life is insignificant and does not matter. This type of misguided, erroneous thinking will rob both you and your descendants, and it can even devastate their spiritual destiny. Shake yourself, lift your head, and gain the courage you need to face each day knowing that you have been given divine purpose and will, consequently, have power. (Photo via Freeimages)

Never allow doubt and discouragement to grip your heart again. Doubtless, the devil is behind this type of attitude. He knows all too well that if you gain an understanding of your value and worth to God, it will change your whole outlook and transform your entire life. You will begin to live your life according to the way you think about yourself in your heart (see Proverbs 23:7).

Godly Character and a Good Name

God Himself has given you life, which means you are inexpressibly valuable and important to Him. You have "friends in high places" (see John 15:15). You might protest, "I have no great fortune or large inheritance to pass down to my descendants." But as I said before, the most valuable thing you can bequeath to your children is not gold and silver, precious stones, or stocks and bonds. Such gifts are good, but the best gift is godly character and a good name. This is the true treasure that robbers can't steal and rust can't tarnish (see Matthew 6:20).

The entire message of the Bible reveals that the greatest thing you can pass down to your children is not a huge bank account, but rather a godly lifestyle, a good name, and honest character.

Don't underestimate yourself, thinking that you're not significant. Nothing could be more distant from the truth (see John 3:16). You matter first and foremost to God. It was His plan to create you and to give you life, and He paid the ultimate price for your redemption (see 1 Peter 1:19). God's love for each person is evident in light of the sacrifice God provided to save us. Scripture affirms that the greatest display of love occurs when a person gives up his life for another (see John 15:13). That is what Jesus did for us. (Photo via Pixabay)

Second, not only are you valuable to God, but you matter to others, especially your loved ones. Even if you have not been aware of it, your life has bearing and influence upon people around you. Your life is an open book read by all people (see 2 Corinthians 3:2).

Clearly, you are important. God has a plan that only you can fulfill (see Ephesians 2:10), and you are perfectly tailored for the works that God has prepared for you to accomplish (see Philippians 2:13). You are not here by accident, but for a divine purpose. You were chosen by God for His lofty purposes. Again, I want to emphasize that, though over seven billion people inhabit this planet, not a single person is just like you. You are truly and divinely unique.

God has counted the number of the hairs on your head, and you can be confident that His plans for you are wonderful (see Isaiah 55:9). His thoughts toward you are simply amazing (see Psalm 40:5). In fact, Scripture reveals that God's thoughts toward you are more numerous than all the grains of sand in the entire world:

"My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awoke, [could I count to the end] I would still be with You" (Psalm 139:15-18 AMP). (Photo by Jennifer Page LIFE via elijahshopper.com)

I hope by now you are convinced of your value in God's eyes and the positive impact that He has created you to have on your own life and on the lives of many others. The power of proclamation is enormous! You have been given an outstanding sphere and scope of authority with people, especially your bloodline. My goal is to teach you to use that authority and help you learn how to speak and release divine blessings and break family line curses.

Bobby Conner
EaglesView Ministries

Email: manager@bobbyconner.org
Website: BobbyConner.org

Bobby Conner: This "Gentle Giant" is uniquely anointed with refreshing humor and razor-sharp prophetic accuracy, which has been documented around the world. Bobby's dynamic capacity to release outstanding demonstrations of the miraculous – healings, signs and wonders – reveals the very heart of the Father toward us! Surviving a dramatic abortion attempt by his mother, being rescued again by the hand of God from drug dealing and suicide, the story of Bobby Conner is a display of a man who now walks in his God-ordained destiny to set others free! Highly esteemed as an internationally acclaimed conference speaker, Bobby has ministered effectively to over 45 foreign countries as well as here in the States for many years.

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Family. Heritage. Legacy.

Family is good.

Heritage is great.

Legacy lives on.

Steve Martin

Love For His People

The Martins early start...

Dad, Mom, Sue, Steve and Mary

1956

Sue, Steve, Mary, Tom, Colleen, Janet

...as the family grows.

1964

 

The Subra family - Mom's side 

at Minnesota Annual Reunion

2013

Dad's side (Dad is front right with Mom behind him.)

- two older sisters, older brother and spouses

1995

Mary, Steve and Sue

- the oldest of the 8 Martin kids

Aug. 2013 Charlotte, NC

Thanks Mom for sending the black and whites! Love you, Steve

NOW IT’S OUR TURN - Dick Leggatt, President of DPM-USA (Derek Prince Ministries)

Dick Leggatt

NOW IT’S OUR TURN

Are you moving forward with a clear sense of purpose? Do you feel you are running the race that the Lord has set out for you to run? Is there a sense of a continuing legacy you will leave for those who follow you after your race is completed?

These are extremely important life questions for each of us. The aspect of legacy is very much on our minds right now concerning the work of Derek Prince Ministries, especially as we mark ten years since Derek’s passing on September 24, 2003. Amazingly, the legacy of his life, ministry and teaching is going strong ten years after his departure. In fact, the impact not only continues but expands all around the world.

It is our hope that the content of this letter, including some of our reflections on Derek’s legacy, will be a great encouragement to you as you consider the impact of your own life as you run your leg of the race of faith.

“I Miss Him”

Just recently, the Derek Prince Legacy Radio team was doing some recording work together. Stephen Mansfield, writer of Derek’s biography and host of the Derek Prince Legacy Radio broadcasts, was in the recording booth. I was in the studio control room with Jon Simpson, our producer and recording session director, along with the engineer who was doing the recording. 

Between takes, Stephen and I were sharing memories of some of our personal times with Derek, and I concluded by saying something like, “He sure was a great guy.” Somewhat wistfully, Stephen remarked, “I miss him,” and I responded, “I do, too.” There was silence among us for just a few minutes in that studio as the depth of the statement, “I miss him,” sank in for all of us.

It’s hard to believe that ten years have passed since Derek stepped into the glorious presence of Jesus Christ. We all miss him. But who among us would have ever thought that the legacy of his ministry would be continuing as strong as it is today?

A few years before his passing, even Derek himself had to change his mind about continuing the ministry. Many years before his death, when asked what should be done with the ministry after his passing, Derek’s response had been clear and curt: “Shut it down.” But in the succeeding months after giving that response, the Holy Spirit began to work on Derek, re-shaping his response from “Shut it down” to “Carry on!” 

In those months of hearing from the Lord, Derek had become convinced that God’s plan for the ministry was that it should continue after his passing: "It is my desire—and I believe the Lord’s desire—that Derek Prince Ministries should continue the work started through me over 60 years ago, until Jesus returns.”

And so it has—in a most amazing way. And so it will.

“Let Us Also…”

Even before stepping into the position of leadership at DPM–USA over seven years ago, I had invested a lot of study time in Hebrews 11 and Hebrews 12. In fact, if anyone would have asked me over the last four decades what I considered to be my “life verses,” I would have immediately responded: “Hebrews 12:1–2.”

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1–2 NASB)

The irony is that for many years, I misquoted the verse. How, you ask? Without realizing it, I was leaving out the word “also” in the phrase “let us also lay aside every encumbrance.” The “also” there is a very important point, linking this verse directly to all of Hebrews 11—the record of the Bible’s greatest heroes in the faith.

Derek always said, “Whenever you see a ‘therefore,’ you need to find out what it’s ‘there for.’” That particular “therefore” precedes the mention of the cloud of witnesses, of which Derek is now a vital part. Theologians have differing views as to whether that cloud of witnesses is actively looking on as we run our leg of the race of faith they began. However, ever since I began at Derek Prince Ministries, I have had a clear sense that I am working in full view of that cloud of witnesses.

Derek is among them; my father-in-law, Don Basham, is among them; my father and mother are among them, as well as many friends, family and other “fathers in the faith.” I choose to believe that all of them, the entire host of heroes of the faith, are cheering us on. They earnestly want to see us successfully complete the leg of the race that we—also—are expected to run. Indeed, they have a stake in it.

The First Leg of the Race

Space does not permit a full discussion of all the implications of Hebrews 11 and 12 in our lives. Just one important aspect, though, is that those who have gone on before us began the race, but we will do the finishing lap on the race they began. (Please see that mysterious verse, Hebrews 11:40, which says “…that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”)

So how did Derek begin his race? We thought you would be encouraged by some of the excerpts from an interview in which he talked about his early years.

God, when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, gave me the gift of interpretation of tongues. I was so inexperienced and unspiritual I didn’t know that you had to wait six months to get any spiritual gifts, so I just got it the night I was baptized in the Spirit and spoke in tongues. The first night, I had the most wonderful succession of poetic messages, and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the language.

But I only remember one very short passage, which went like this: “It shall be like a little stream—the little stream shall become a river, the river shall become a great river, the great river shall become a sea, and the sea shall become a mighty ocean. And it shall be through thee.” I had really no idea what God was talking about.

Another example was when I was about to be discharged from the Army. I was praying and I got this tongue and interpretation in which God said, “I have called thee to be a teacher of the Scriptures in truth, in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus.” And then He paused and said, “…for many.”

If He had even tried to tell me how many people I would reach, I wouldn’t have been able to believe it. But there is no way of being able to calculate the number of people I have reached. It must be in the millions—and I give God all the glory. See, it was His plan.

That’s one thing I’ve been careful about. I haven’t always succeeded, but I’ve always tried to find out what is God’s plan. Not, what do I think I should do, or what do other people think I should do, but what does God think I should do.

Our Leg of the Race

Are you inspired to know that Derek completed his leg of the race so effectively? Actually, I find it tremendously moving, and somewhat challenging. Somehow, I can believe that God would do it through Derek, but find it hard to believe He could do it through me. Do you feel the same way?

If you are battling with that same response, I think we ought to pray together right now. We have Derek’s testimony before us—the record of the Lord reaching out and touching a 25-year-old corporal in the British army, transforming him into a Bible teacher with worldwide impact. Couldn’t the Lord touch us and use us in a similar fashion?

Maybe ours will not be some worldwide outreach or expansive ministry like Derek’s. But certainly the Lord wants to use you and me in a very significant way for His glory and for the sake of His kingdom. Are you ready to offer yourself to the Lord to be used in whatever way He would choose?

Dear Lord Jesus, here I stand before You, desiring to be used for whatever purpose You have destined me to fulfill. In full recognition of my faults and my weaknesses, I present myself to You. I am Yours, Jesus. You can do all the needed repair work. You can transform me into the person You have destined me to be.

As I look at Derek’s testimony, knowing that he has completed his leg of the race, I also present myself to You for my leg of the relay race. I see the baton before me, and I receive it as from Your hand. In Your presence, and in the presence of that great cloud of witnesses, I receive the baton and commit myself to run the race that You have set before me with endurance, fixing my eyes on You for the strength and stamina I will need to complete it.

I am Yours, Lord Jesus. Help me run the race and finish it in a way that brings maximum glory to Your name. Amen.

Fellow Runners

Take a moment now. Open and close your hand right now, imagining that you are holding the baton that Derek Prince and others have passed along to you. The track extends before you; your lane is clear; and you have one lap to go. Are you ready to run that lap for all you are worth? Thank God that you are willing to do so!

You’ll be glad to know that all of us here at DPM–USA have made a decision very similar to the one you have just made. In fact, that’s why we’re doing what we are doing. We are running in the lane right beside you. For that reason, we have the greatest desire to help you in every aspect of the race.

One of the best ways for us to help is to keep you supplied with substantive materials from Derek Prince’s teaching legacy—books, CDs and DVDs that can encourage you and inspire you to run with endurance. 

How would you like to have the full MP3 interview, “Derek Prince: His Life, His Work” from which we took the earlier excerpt? Just click here to download. You can enjoy it with our blessings and compliments.

Offering you Derek’s material is just one small expression of our enormous thanks to you for your prayers and financial support. This wonderful work goes on because so many like yourself carry such a strong commitment to see it continue. Thank you so very much—and please keep us posted on the progress you are making in your leg of the race. Every time we hear from you, it encourages us tremendously.

In more ways than one, it’s time to run. Are you ready? Ready for the leg of the race that the Lord has set before you and me? Now it’s our turn!


All the best,

Dick Leggatt
President, DPM–USA


P.S. We are so grateful for you. Please let us offer you the added blessing of the full MP3 of “Derek Prince: His Life, His Work.” It’s full of other aspects of Derek’s testimony and views that will surely encourage you. Thanks so much! Just click here to download.

Don Moen - Worship Legacy

Published on May 24, 2013

Listening to this songs makes our daily day REFRESHING.
God Bless Everyone.
To God be the Glory.


1. We've come to bless your name
2. Arise 4:10
3. Lift up your heads 9:59
4. No Fear 14:31
5. Jesus, You are so good 18:43
6. God is good all the time 23:07
7. In Your Presence 27:38
8. God with Us Medley 31:01
9. Sing for Joy 38:05