Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 03/25/24

Nightline with a biblical perspective. After hosting the weekly Mideast-focused program The Watchman since 2016, Christian journalist Erick Stakelbeck is joining TBN‘s weekday schedule with Stakelbeck Tonight (premiering tonight at 7:30 PM ET on TBN with a rebroadcast at 10:30 PM ET) . Now, his focus is on the entire world.

JWK: So, tell me about your new program. How does it differ from The Watchman?

Erick Stakelbeck: You know, for eight years – since February of 2016 – I hosted The Watchman weekly on TBN. I also host The Watchman newscast on YouTube. In terms of the broadcast show, I just feel like everything I’ve done for those eight years was leading me up to this moment. God was preparing me to go nightly. I think it’s the logical next step.

Number one, because we did the weekly show for eight years. It got a great response. Number two, with everything going on in the world right now, I felt like we needed – and TBN felt like we needed – a nightly platform because events are happening so fast it can be hard for people even to keep up…As a Christian right now, I feel like we’re in a spiritual battle – not only in this country but worldwide. There are no political solutions here. At the end of the day, it’s a spiritual battle. I believe, in America, we need a revival in this country. I’ve been saying on the program “Revival or Bust.” We’re in trouble as a nation. Meanwhile, overseas things are just as bad, if not worse. It’s a tumultuous time in America and in the world. That’s why we felt like this is the absolute right time to launch a nightly show.

By the way…The Watchman lives on on the YouTube Channel where we have nearly one-million subscribers. We’ll continue to have fresh Watchman content every day. The main focus of The Watchman was always Israel, the Middle East and how it affects every American. What happens over there matters here in the United States. Stakelbeck Tonight will be broader than just the Middle East and Israel. That will, obviously, still be a big focus of the show but we’ll also hit on things happening in Russia, China, Europe, South America (and) Africa. We’re gonna have a real global footprint with the show.

One of the great things about it is TBN has assets and studios around the world, literally on every continent. We want to use that. We want to give a real global feel for the Body of Christ here in America. With the world so interconnected right now, again, events that happen thousands of miles away – oceans away – profoundly affect us right here in the United States. We want to bring that home for our viewers – and, look, we’ll focus a lot right here in the United States. Again, we’ve got a lot of problems here – from the border to culture wars to the gender madness to what’s happening in our schools. There’s no shortage of topics to talk about. That’s why we thought this was the perfect time to go nightly.

JWK: So, what do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country and world right now?

ES: Domestically, right now I am extremely concerned about two things. Number one, the southern border and the situation there. Number two, I’d say the complete polarization in our country where there’s really no middle ground. You’re on one side or the other. People aren’t seeing eye-to-eye. It seems like we’re so far apart in our beliefs on the right and left.

I think in the second or third week of the show, we’re gonna visit the southern border. Why that concerns me so much is simple. As someone who has covered national security a whole lot over the years, when you have millions of people streaming over the southern border, you don’t know who they are , you don’t where they’re going in the United States and you don’t know where they’re ending up. That’s a big problem. I mean that’s a serious problem. Look, I know a lot of people who are trying to cross into the United States are desperate. They’re escaping horrible situations. I have empathy for them but there’s the other factor that there are many who have sinister intentions who are crossing the border. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the likes of Iran, Hezbollah and terror groups overseas could use that border as a way to infiltrate the United States. Not only that, but fentanyl, drugs and human trafficking all kind of come in from that porous southern border. It’s such a threat to the United States on many levels. So, that’s a big concern I have.

Number two, I mentioned the Great Divide, you could call it, in the United States. For me, as someone on the conservative end of things, I look at the left today and I say “Wow!” I mean their beliefs are so out there and so radical it’s tough to find a middle ground with these folks. I think they probably think the same thing about us on the right. So, that’s a concern…Along those lines, for Christians in the United States and anyone on the more conservative end of the spectrum, Cancel Culture is another grave concern I have. Look, if I espouse a Judeo-Christian biblical worldview then I’m tarred and I’m potentially cancelled. Not just me but Christians across the country are called intolerant bigots for simply stating time-honored biblical views that stretch back thousands of years and helped build the foundation for this country. So, I think we’re in a very, very dangerous time.

JWK: Staying on domestic issues for a moment, do you have any thoughts on the politicalization of the legal process? I’m thinking about what’s currently going on with former President Trump and the potential seizing of his assets in New York.

ES: I think the Department of Justice has been weaponized to a very disturbing degree. I think what’s happened to President Trump should be a warning to all Americans. If they can come after a former president, certainly they can come after the average American. I think that goes along with what we were discussing a minute ago, Cancel Culture. The left and elites clearly do not like President Trump – and they’re trying to cancel him. I think that’s a simple way to say what they’re doing. What they’re trying to do is a complete cancellation of this man and they’re using powerful means to do it.

The Department of Justice is the most powerful means of law enforcement in this country. If they can go after a former president, they can certainly go after the average American. I think it’s a harbinger of things to come – if this isn’t called on the carpet and if the American people don’t say “Hey, we’re not gonna take this. We’re not gonna accept being targeted. We’re gonna speak out. We’re gonna speak out boldly. We’re not gonna accept being targeted by our government just because we have certain views that they don’t agree with.” So, I think what’s happening to former President Trump is definitely as warning for the American people. I hope people are taking notice because we’re at a very dangerous unprecedented moment in this nation. 

JWK: What are you most concerned about on the world scene?

ES: On the world scene,  the issue that is most concerning for me is, obviously, the Middle East right now. Something that’s concerning for me is that the world – in particular the West and the Biden Administration as well right here in the United States – seems to be taking an increasingly hostile line towards Israel. Israel was not only attacked,  – it was invaded on October 7th by Hamas. Twelve-hundred  people slaughtered – men, women, children, the elderly.  Over 230 more  were dragged into captivity in Gaza. So, Israel naturally is responding and taking measures to destroy Hamas so that something like October 7th never happens again.

In my view, Israel should be supported in that by the West which faces the same kind of radical Islamic jihadist enemies that Israel does. Our enemies are one in the same yet we have Western diplomats and, increasingly, Washington D.C. diplomats calling for an immediate ceasefire that would tie Israel’s hands and leave Hamas alive to fight another day.

JWK: What do you think is behind all this? There’s a blatant hostility toward Israel even though there were the victims of a horrific attack, a lack of security on our border that seems to defy logic, the weaponization of the legal system and, I’ll throw in, an antagonism toward even the most basic election security, such as voter I.D. If you’re truly in favor of saving democracy, all of these things seem to defy logic.  What do you think is tying it all together? Or do you think it’s tied together?

ES: I think, at the end of the day – I mentioned this earlier – we’re in a spiritual struggle right now. I’ve said these are Bible times. I believe we’re in prophetic times – the prophet Issiah described them very accurately – where good is called evil and evil is called good. If that’s not 2024, man! Those are the times we’re living in right now across the board – where common sense is no longer common. It seems like much of the world has collectively lost its mind. That’s the state of play right now. That’s the state of affairs right now.

That stretches to – as you said – something as simple as, hey, showing an ID when you go to vote for president. You have to show an ID to go to a liquor store or to get a library card. It seems natural that you should have to show one to vote for the presidency.

It extends, obviously, to Israel where Israel was attacked (and) invaded. Israel was the victim here yet Israel, when it moves to defend itself and crush the evil, demonic death cult that attacked it, is castigated and the world is trying to hold Israel back. Not only that, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said recently that the world needs to “impose” a Palestinian state on Israel – basically whether Israel likes it or not.

I think when we talk about the Middle East and issues of serious concern globally and what’s coming next, what I’m watching most closely right now in Israel (is not only) the Gaza War but what I call the Great Northern War – which is at the doorstep. It’s not a matter of if but when. Israel is going to face off with Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon and and in Syria. Hezbollah is the Iranian regime’s most lethal proxy – armed to the teeth, many measures more dangerous and powerful than Hamas. That’s going to be a very serious battle to Israel’s north. Again, it’s not a question of if but when. I was in Israel a few weeks ago talking to Israeli decision makers and officials. They know that battle with Hezbollah is coming. It’s going to be fierce. It’s not going to be pleasant for Lebanon or for Israel.

That’s something I’m watching very closely – and, by extension, the Iranian regime which is really the puppet master and head of the snake pulling the strings whether it’s in Lebanon, in Gaza (or) in Yemen with the Houthis who are harassing shipping in the Red Sea still. I think the Middle East has always been a tinderbox but I think this moment, in particular, is dangerous. We could see a full-blown regional war. By the way, Russia and China – two adversaries of the United States – are solidly behind the Iranian regime.

JWK: China is supporting Hamas, correct?

ES: I wouldn’t say China is openly supporting Hamas but China certainly isn’t condemning Hamas, nor is Russia. By the way, Russia has hosted Hamas delegations in Moscow over the past few months. China also, remember, has a long-term defense agreement with the Iranian regime. I think it’s a 25-year deal – they agreed to it in 2021 – where China will supply Iran with weaponry and Iran will supply China with cheap oil and gas. So, that’s a cozy relationship.

When it comes to Russia and Iran, that’s a full-blown military alliance now where Iran is supplying Russia with, potentially, ballistic missiles but, certainly, drones – loads of these suicide drones as they’re called which Russia has used to deadly effect in Ukraine. That is a quid pro quo relationship. Iran’s not just supplying Russia with advanced weaponry out of the goodness of its heart. Iran wants something in return. What Iran may very well want, I believe, is for Russia to basically create a situation where Israel cannot operate in Syria. Remember, Israel has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria for years now against Iran and Hezbollah. Well, Russia is also in Syria. They’ve been there since 2015…They’re openly aligned with Iran and Hezbollah. So, could Iran be pushing Russia to take a harder line against Israel?

These are all things I’m watching closely. As this year progresses – 2024 – the fireworks could absolutely increase in the Middle East.

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.