In an interview with The Christian Post, Michael Youssef, the 75-year-old pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, revealed that an evangelistic meeting in Egypt saw an unexpected attendance of 17,715 people, it far exceeded the initial expectation of 6,000 at Of those, more than 7,850 put their faith in Christ.
In his message, Youssef focused on Matthew 24, which outlines signs of the End Times. Though stressing he is not an End Times preacher, Youssef said he believes current events indicate that the world is fast approaching the End Times as described in the Bible.
“I came to the conclusion that our Lord is saying that when it gets close to the end, there are labor pains, and this is for the believers,” he said. “For the nonbelievers, it is going to be like a thief in the night. They’re going to be shocked.”
He noted that while such signs have always occurred, like wars and earthquakes, their recent escalation in intensity and frequency suggests the nearing of the End Times. Current events, such as the alignment of Russia, China, and Iran and increasing global tensions, also point to this reality.
“I looked at what our Lord is saying, and He basically gave six labor pains … and all six things that our Lord says will happen have been happening all these years. Earthquakes, wars, and rumors of wars, pestilences, all of these things, are now happening in shorter and shorter intervals, greater frequency, and more intensity.”
“When you see Russia and China and Iran are working together, that’s just something that has not happened before,” he said. “Look at the streets of London and Paris, New York — masses of people protesting against Israel … masses of people in front of the Sydney Opera House saying, ‘Gas the Jews.’ That is horrifying in many ways … I personally believe that we’re getting close.”
The pastor added that the current state of the world, including increasing knowledge, population growth, and violence, mirrors the days of Noah, another sign the End Times might be approaching.
“Jesus said, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days before the coming of the Son of God, the Son of Man. So I looked at Genesis 6, there was an increase in knowledge … an increase in violence and bloodshed … those days are here.” What more evidence do we need?
I am surprised that Michael did not mention the KEY miracle sign of Jesus’ second coming that Jesus mentions in Matthew 24:32-35: The Lesson of the Fig Tree – The rebirth of Israel in 1948. All the prophesied end times events center on Israel and it did not exist before 1948.
As we fast approach the time before Jesus’ return when persecution of Christians intensifies we need to begin to develop the type of Christian life that doesn’t need a large church to sustain it and a walk with Jesus that values true community, not backseat participation – in effect, non-participation. You might grow as never before under persecution, as millions around the world can testify, and as Paul testified clearly in Romans 5:1-5:
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5
We will experience hope in a new way as we are persecuted. Our focus will more and more turn to what is next on God’s agenda for this world, Jesus Millennial Kingdom (www.millennialkingdom.net). Suffering will purify us of our preoccupation with the current corrupt world. God will grow us all up in a hurry under such conditions, and those of us who have long lamented the differences between the church of Acts and the modern church will get a chance to see many of those differences wiped away in an instant. It will be an exciting time.
Middle Eastern Christians have learned what it means to bless those who persecute them.
Christians in Syria are learning daily how to do this. Many have chosen to stay in their towns and cities, even if Islamist rebels have overrun them and raped, looted, tortured, and killed them. As Open Doors USA spokesperson Emily Fuentes has reported: There are some Christians who are fleeing because they have no other choice, but there are many Christians who have really felt God’s call to stay in town, even though they have been attacked and targeted because of their faith. They realize that God’s using them, and (are reaching) out to their Muslim neighbours. Thus, it seems to me that in the days ahead as persecution increases we will have the basic option of running, or remaining and seeking to win our attackers and fellow refugees to Christ. The choice that we make will be a matter of conscience, as Scripture can be used to support both. Believers in both Syria and Egypt have made different choices.
In the parts of Syria where church buildings have not been desecrated, they have become de facto relief agencies, providing clothes, food, and Christian teaching. These churches are seeing people come to faith in Christ as the congregants love everyone who has been made homeless, not just Christians. This is in stark contrast to the Islamic approach to providing aid for Muslims only. As Syrian Christians have ministered to all people as war rips their country apart, they ask not for relief from the persecution, for money, or any sort of assistance, but primarily for prayer. Syrian Christians know prayer is the only way that peace will come to their country. What an amazing witness, to care for everyone in the midst of intense suffering. The Church has done this throughout history. I would venture to say all of the books in the world’s libraries would not be enough to tell the stories of instances when Christians helped people in desperate need, regardless of skin color or creed.
Soon, I think, we will all enjoy caring for people in our communities and have the opportunity to make a bigger impact on their souls than a thousand sermons would be able to. It will be thrilling to watch all of our fellow church members get their hands dirty in ministry, a greater percentage than ever before, I believe! Can you see how suffering refines a church? It will do the same for us. There will be no more CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) Christians in our churches when the persecution starts. All of you who are tired of the pretenders coming to Sunday services will see the meeting sizes shrink as the wheat is separated from the chaff (Matthew 13:24-30). As a side note, won’t it be thrilling to see all the prophetic Scriptures that we have read for so long coming to pass? I think it will be an incredible time, even when it is very hard. I also believe God will give us abundant grace as we endure. All of the distractions that have kept us from following hard after God will be eliminated. Daily life will consist of a focus on how everyone in our community is doing, how they can be helped that day, how the new believers can be discipled, and how God’s love can be shown to the occupiers. Does that sound like Acts 4? It sure does to me. All of those sermons over the years, where pastors lamented the differences between Acts 4 and twenty-first-century churches will be made irrelevant. We will be living Acts 4.
Our churches will never become Acts 4 churches until the circumstances around us mirror the conditions of the early church. That prophesied day will come. And I think we will enjoy living out our faith as our predecessors did and those Christians who are already experiencing intense persecution in Muslim countries in the Middle East.
One source in Egypt reports the reaction of Christians to the burning of dozens of churches: “Churches are united together. And the spirit of prayer is happening in all the churches. People are praying all the time,” according to a source named “David.”
Churches united, churches praying, and people praying all the time. The church will become what we’ve all wanted it to become, but it may not happen until we are aggressively persecuted.
The churches in Egypt haven’t stopped with simply prayer. According to a Charisma News source in-country, Christians are answering the violence and pro-Islamic graffiti with signs that read, “You burned our church, but we love you.” If you were a Muslim in these cities, what would you think of such signs? I can tell you the two predominant reactions would be, 1. “Those Christians are just total weaklings” and 2. “How does this happen? How does someone love rather than avenge?” God is certainly doing all sorts of things amid this brutal persecution, acts of salvation that we won’t know about until we get to heaven.
During the great tribulation under an Islamic Antichrist, we will see brothers and sisters killed for their faith often, some right out of our communities. This is what is happening in the countries of the Arab Spring; martyrdom is expected, not imagined.
Soon, we will know true suffering and understand so many other portions of the Bible, such as 2 Timothy 4:6-8:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to utter these words, knowing you are about to be killed for your faith? You might get this opportunity, and join the crowd of people who come out from under the altar as Jesus returns, those who had been martyred by the Beast (see Revelation 6:9 and 20:4), reigning on special thrones, and given authority to judge.
Early church father Tertullian’s famous line, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” will come true before our eyes as those around us see our courage, even in the face of death, and are deeply moved.
It’s sad but true; people have to feel absolutely helpless sometimes before they look to God.
Peace and courage during these sorts of times of suffering have a powerful impact on the hardest hearts. One Egyptian has reported about the church’s witness there: “It’s a great message of forgiveness. This makes many Muslims discover the reality of Christianity, and many of them come to know Jesus.” These new believers are meeting “underground in a secret way. They worship the Lord together, and they’re growing.”
Extracts from Ralph Stice’s book Arab Spring, Christian Winter: Islam Unleashed on the Church and the World
Back in 2019, pro-Islamist President Mohammed Morsi supporters took to the streets. Thousands took part in the protests in Alexandria, Suez and other cities calling for Morsi to be reinstated and urging military leader General Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi to step aside.
According to David an I.N. Network worker, these protests put his family at risk. David says protesters surrounded his home for 50 days.
“They consider the area as a holy place, and they try to come back to the area again and again,” he says. “So the police and the army surround the area. Every Friday there is a big group of the Muslim Brotherhood. They try to come back, and they fight with the army and police.”
While David and his family have had to leave their home for a time, they are safe.
Since the Muslim Brotherhood took power, Christians have been the targets of violence. Once the government was sacked, Christians had hoped that would change. But, David says, it hasn’t.
“They are still creating troubles and problems,” he says. “The militants want to destroy the country. They attack many churches. Many churches have been burned. Many Christians have been killed.”
David says that’s why the I.N. Network has established an emergency fund to help survivors of the violence.
“Winter is approaching in Egypt,” he says. “And many families—especially in the south—don’t have enough clothes. They need blankets, so we’re doing a project to distribute blankets.”
While the violence has been difficult, David says there is good news.
“Churches are united together. And the spirit of prayer is happening in all the churches. People are praying all the time,” he says.
The response to the violence against burned churches has also been remarkable. Christians posted signs on their burned-out churches that read, “You burned our church, but we love you.”
David says,”It’s a great message of forgiveness. This makes many Muslims discover the reality of Christianity, and many of them come to know Jesus.”
While Muslims are turning, that’s creating another problem.
“Until now, they find difficulty for security reasons to join local churches, so they meet underground in a secret way,” David says. “They worship the Lord together, and they’re growing.”
As Muslims come to Christ, they’re uniquely qualified to share the gospel. “The easiest way to reach Muslims is through converted Muslims,” David says.
While David isn’t praying for more persecution, he’s excited about the Holy Spirit working. “It’s always like this,” he says. “When there is pressure over the churches, the Holy Spirit is working, and many people are coming to know Jesus as Savior.”
One reason why “many people are coming to know Jesus as Savior” is because once you have been directly persecuted as a Christian, any fear or shame you had about sharing your faith evaporates. Here’s how one believer in the Middle East put it: “Once you experience persecution, the fear goes away … you lose it. Persecution has made me bolder in sharing my faith.
Almost 5 years on and David says the church is still powering on for God and seeing many saved. This gives us a picture of what I believe the “last days” church will look like only “in spades”.
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 