Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro met with a group of prominent Christian leaders on Tuesday, March 19, including Pat Robertson, Reinhard Bonnke, Joel Rosenberg and more. After visiting with President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro connected with this group of Christian pastors, CEOs and community leaders in Washington, D.C., to discuss his vision for taking Brazil in a new direction. During the CBN-sponsored event, the Brazilian president also shared his plans to move his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the near future and said he was looking to God for wisdom and direction as he moves forward.
I was honored to be invited to that meeting and, at the end, to join the group in prayer over President Bolsonaro. I shared my personal thoughts about the event in my “Strang Report” podcast, which you can listen to by clicking here or scrolling to end of this article.
Bolsonaro has made news headlines worldwide recently due to his unexpected election, which he describes as a miracle. He has stirred up controversy with his far-right political and social positions, but to many of Brazil’s citizens, he is a kind of savior from the nation’s longtime corruption and economic struggles. While Brazilian evangelicals—most of whom are Pentecostal—haven’t been much of a voting bloc in the past, 80 percent of them voted for Bolsonaro in this election. In fact, many claim the role of evangelical leaders in Bolsonaro’s election was historic, and prayer marked almost every step of his campaign.
During his meeting with Christian leaders yesterday, Bolsonaro said it was a miracle he was even alive. After all, during his campaign, he was stabbed and confined to a hospital bed until the election. And yet despite this major setback, he won, although few expected him to do so.
True to his campaign promises, Bolsonaro told U.S. Christian leaders yesterday he wants to move Brazil in a new direction, away from its prior left-wing leanings. Some of his main goals include protecting the lives of the unborn, strengthening ties with Israel and reversing socialism’s toll on Brazil. Interestingly, these are some of the main issues facing the U.S. right now.
Bolsonaro reiterated one of his long-held claims: He strongly supports Israel and wants to strengthen ties with the Jewish nation. He has said on numerous occasions that he wants to follow Trump’s lead and move Brazil’s embassy to Jerusalem. And as soon as several economic issues are dealt with, Bolsonaro says, he plans to officially set the embassy move into motion.
When Bolsonaro—a self-identified Roman Catholic—visited Israel, he was rebaptized in the Jordan River. While there, he noted how much the small nation prospered despite its few resources. And even though Israel has a fairly small population, it possesses one of the largest economies in the world. So when Bolsonaro returned home, he realized Brazil struggles economically despite being one of the most populous nations. He told the gathered group that, as a result, he now views Israel as a role model for his country.
Bolsonaro also discussed Venezuela’s situation with the leaders at the meeting. For the past several years, Brazil has been trying to help Venezuelan refugees and offer humanitarian aid. Venezuela was at one time the most prosperous country in South America, but now, its economy is all but dead. With inflation at 10,000,000 percent, people can’t even afford food and other basic necessities. Because of this, Pat Robertson and several others in the room offered to help Brazil with its humanitarian efforts.
Leaders at the meeting praised Bolsonaro for his strong Christian values and concluded the event with prayer for Brazil and its new president.
“We pray, Lord, the anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon him,” Pat Robertson prayed, according to CBN News. “That he may have wisdom. That he will hear a voice in his ear when he turns to the right or to the left saying, ‘This is the way. Walk ye in it.’ Lord, uphold him. Protect him from evil. And use him mightily in years to come.”
To hear my thoughts about the meeting, just click on my “Strang Report” podcast below. And be sure to visit cpnshows.com to subscribe to my show!
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