Despite severe restrictions surrounding Christianity and ongoing unrest in the Middle East, an evangelism event in Cairo, Egypt, led by Michael Youssef, saw an unexpected turnout of more than 17,000 people – proof, t -he says, that in the darkness, the Gospel shines brightest.
In a interview With The Christian Post, the 75-year-old pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, revealed that the November event saw an unexpected attendance of 17,715 people, far exceeding initial expectations of 6,000 Among them, more than 7,850 have put their faith in Christ.
The scale of the event was unprecedented, given the legal restrictions on evangelism in Egypt.
“We really saw what God did,” said Youssef, who is also executive chairman of Leading the Way.
“It was so massive in terms of Christian gathering that no one can take credit for it. They did not come to hear me; they didn’t come because of this or that. They came because there was hunger… there were masses of people at midnight who didn’t want to leave; they just stayed, singing and praying. There is a presence of the Holy Spirit like we have never experienced before. We know it is a God thing; it was the Holy Spirit who did the work.
For the event, Youssef partners with local churches to ensure that those who embrace Christianity are discipled and connected to other believers. The goal, he said, is to ensure that new comers to the faith are integrated into local church communities.
Following the evangelism event, some local churches “doubled” their attendance, Youssef said, a trend he hopes to continue to see at his upcoming evangelism events around the world.
He underlined the immutable nature of the Gospel message, whatever the cultural context. Whether in Egypt, Dublin or the United States, the central message of sin, redemption and repentance through Jesus Christ remains the same.
“I say the Gospel is the Gospel,” he emphasized. “And when the essentials of the Gospel are preached and not trivialities, which of course some people like to do…we are all sinners. Christ came from heaven to save repentant sinners and forgive our sins, and we are all burdened with sin. And it’s really a simple message… when I’m on my way to do evangelistic actions like this, I get straight to the heart of the Gospel.
Born in Egypt and having lived in Lebanon, Youssef says he is passionate about seeing people in the Middle East embrace Christianity. True peace, he stressed, can never occur in the region without the unifying power of the Gospel message.
“We pray for peace; That’s the point. My prayer is that both sides will come to know Jesus, that the Jews will know him as the Messiah and the Muslims will know him,” he said. “By the way, thousands of Muslims are coming to Christ, but you will never hear about it in the media. Jesus appears to them in vision and dreams and they come to Christ by the thousands. And so, as these things come to pass, as the Gospel is preached, we pray that there will be a peace. But in reality, we know that there can be no peace without Jesus.
Focusing on the end times
For this particular message, Youssef focused on Matthew 24, which describes the signs of the End Times. While emphasizing that he is not an End Times preacher, Youssef said he believes current events could indicate that the world is fast approaching the End Times as described in the Bible.
“I have come to the conclusion that our Lord says that when the end draws near, there are labor pains, and this is for believers,” he said. “For unbelievers, it will be like a thief in the night. They will be shocked.
He noted that although such signs have always occurred, such as wars and earthquakes, their recent escalation in intensity and frequency suggests the approach of the End Times. Current events, such as the alignment of Russia, China and Iran and growing global tensions, also bear witness to this reality.
“I looked at what our Lord said, and he basically gave six labor pains…and the six things that our Lord said would happen have happened all these years. Earthquakes and wars and rumors of wars and all these things are now happening at shorter and shorter intervals, with greater frequency and greater intensity.
“When you see Russia, China and Iran working together, it’s something that’s never happened before,” he said. “Look at the streets of London, Paris and New York – masses of people protesting against Israel… masses of people in front of the Sydney Opera House saying: ‘Gas the Jews.’ It’s horrible in so many ways…I personally believe we’re getting closer.”
The pastor added that the current state of the world, including increased knowledge, population growth and violence, reflects the days of Noah, another sign that the End Times may be approaching.
“Jesus said that as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it happen 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.
Combating biblical illiteracy
In addition to organizing global evangelistic events, Youssef recently publishedHow to Read the Bible (Like Your Life Depends on It) in an effort to combat biblical illiteracy and educate and encourage believers to read, understand and apply biblical truths in their lives.
“When I am saddened by something, I try, instead of cursing the darkness, to light the candle,” he said, citing statistics that show a unprecedented decline in Bible reading, even among Christians.
“I said, ‘No wonder we’re in the mess we’re in.’ People don’t know what’s in the Scriptures. …I’ve wanted to write this book for 50 years. It’s taken me this long to show that the Bible isn’t just a bunch of stories. It’s totally linked, from Genesis to Revelation. There is a theme.
My prayer, my hope is that when people read it, it ignites a love for God’s Word. (I don’t want them to read it instead of the Bible, but they will fall in love with the Bible again and begin to read it, believe it, and obey it. And I think if that happens, we will experience a renewal.
Over the coming months, Youssef will host similar events in Veracruz, Mexico, New England, Jamaica and Sydney, Australia. He emphasized creating movements of God that survive the events themselves, fostering unity among denominations and continued spiritual growth.
“If we don’t create a movement of God that will last well beyond one event, I told my team I’m not interested,” he said. “I’m 75, I don’t play games. My part is the smallest part in what the Holy Spirit is doing in all these places. This really excites me; I can’t wait to wake up in the morning.”
Leah M. Klett is a journalist at The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
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