Last night, one of our SOTT readers forwarded to me an e-mail he received from Michael Youssef, Pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, urging his readers to pray for Egypt. Here is Dr. Youssef’s prayer request:  

The situation in Egypt is critical. Radical Islam is on the rise in Egypt.  Ex. President Mubarak controlled the expression of this movement while he was in office. Since the revolution, radical supporters have seized the opportunity to transition Egypt into an Islamic state that applies Sharia Law to every aspect of daily life. Two days ago, 50,000 of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists gathered near the pyramids in Cairo, Egypt to make several alarming and important statements. These statements were as follows:

• The United Arab State is coming. They are referring to the unity of all Arab states.

• The United States of Islam is coming. They are referring to the conquest of the United States of America for Islam and the application of Sharia law.

• The new Khalifa of Muslims is coming.  Khalifa is the successor of Muhammad and is considered the Imam (leader) of all Muslims in the world.
  In addition, clashes with Christians are increasing. These clashes are based on spiritual factors—namely the hatred that radical Muslims hold in their hearts toward Christians, the infidels, and their desire to rid their land of those who associate other gods with Allah. Also, Christians living in Egypt are tempted to live in fear.  Deadly attacks have occurred and more are a real threat. It is tempting to respond with violent force when faced with persecution. We must pray that rather than responding in violence that Christians would respond in love. To overcome evil with good must be an act of the Holy Spirit of God.  It is also the only thing that can disarm the mounting hatred. 

Pray for Christians to have wisdom, discernment and patience and for Muslims to find their way to God through Jesus Christ. He alone can take away the hatred and blindness and replace it with His love and peace. These are urgent prayer requests for Egypt. Please join with us in these prayers and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in praying for this nation in chaos.

In Christ – Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

  I hope you will copy the highlighted portion of Dr. Youssef’s letter and post it on your computer screen, your rearview mirror, your refrigerator and any other place you “look”, so you will be reminded of what he said. Dr. Youssef is not only looking at this through the lens of Holy Scripture, and seeing how this all fits into Biblical prophecy, as an Egyptian, Dr. Youssef is able to receive the “unfiltered” information on the events now going on in Egypt; events that will soon be going on in the other Arab nations as outlined in Psalm 83, as God’s Word says, in the last days, an Arab confederacy will be formed that seeks to destroy the modern day Jewish State of Israel. But as you read, Israel will defeat her enemies, by the power of God.
  But let me give you a few things to watch for in the coming days as the conflict moves into America!

1. The Death of the Dollar – while the conversation in Washington is over the price of gasoline, because that’s what everyone is complaining about, the real issue is in the value of the United States Currency – the dollar! That is why OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, etc.) continues to raise the price of oil! Since the financial exchange for oil must be made in US dollars, OPEC has to have more dollars to make the same percentage of “income” on a barrel of oil – just like the grocery stores and the clothing stores will have to have more dollars to have the same percentage of income they had when prices were lower. Have you bought anything with cotton in it lately? What about beans? One lady said she started to buy some dried Lima beans the week after Easter but changed her mind when she saw they were $4.00 for 24 ounces. While I’m not a fan of the oil companies, it’s not the price of oil, or gas – it’s the value of the American Dollar, and the 14 trillion dollars in debt is not helping it. The Bible is clear – the nation that gets too far in debt will soon become a “slave to the lender”! Just investigate who owns our debt and you will see our future.

2. The Lack of Food – this will probably kick off the greatest crisis this nation has seen in many, many years – perhaps since the civil war, or the years of depression. A farmer told me this week that, normally by this time, 25% of the nation’s corn crop would have been planted. As of last night, less than 9% has been, or will be, unless the government ASKS or RELEASES other lands for the production of corn, wheat, oats, rice, etc. Some of the land now being flooded will not be productive for at least two-three years. Even in third-world countries, as long as the "peasants" can get food, there is relative peace. But when they can’t feed their families, there is social, political and economical unrest. The lack of food and the rising price of the food that was available sparked the unrest in Egypt and the other Arab nations. That same “spike” in prices may hit the U.S. before the end of this year.

3. The Death of the Church – whether or not Mr. Camping is correct about his prophecy that May 21st is judgment day for the world, and therefore the rapture of the Church, the fact is the Church has already lost its influence in the world. There are five stages in the process of the eventual elimination of a group of people – if not physically – as the Romans did to the Christian in the first century, then at least influentially, which is what they are doing in the 21st century!

   1. Identifying and stereotyping the group

   2. Marginalizing the group – pushing it out of the mainstream to the margins of society

   3. Vilification, slandering and trashing the group

   4. Passing discriminatory legal restrictions and eventually criminalizing the activities of the group

   5. Outright persecution of the group

  It is obvious to me that we are entering the 4th phase of Christian persecution with more and more restrictions being placed upon the church, and therefore reducing its ability to have any preserving effect upon a deteriorating society. Other nations are already at phase five – China, Indonesia, Korea, Iraq – just to name a few. Think about this tonight! Some of our brother and sisters in Christ have given their very lives for our Lord TODAY – but we will never hear about it on the news.

4. The Lack of Trust in our Leaders – all it will take is one more catastrophic event in the United States – something like another 911 that destroys our communication and transportation systems – i.e., our commodity logistics so there are no groceries on the shelves, and the people of this nation will be so distraught they will embrace and elect anyone who promises them "hope" and a way out! Oh, wait a minute, they already did that! President Obama was elected to build a bridge of friendship with and to the Arab people and the radical Muslims, letting them know we are not their enemies. Well, he built the bridge, and now they are crossing over it, without firing a shot, and preparing to take over our nation as they have in Egypt and institute Sharia Law.

I do not send these articles to alarm you, or to cause you to have fear of the future – “perfect love casts out all fear!” As true believers in Christ, we face the future in faith and not in fear because we know He is already there! But, I pray these articles will help you prepare for that eternal event that is even at the door – perhaps even today, and that is the rapture of the Church. But if the rapture does not come, and God allows us to endure some of the persecution our brothers and sisters are enduring today, the trials of our faith will only serve to increase our love for the Lord! In fact, I believe God may even use the restrictions to purify our heart as well as to solidify our faith. The refiner’s fire reveals the Object of our true love! And when all the trappings of religion have been removed, and all the wrappings of “church-ianity” are no more, and we come to that point where Jesus is all we have, I pray we will realize the most important truth of the Christian Faith – Jesus is all we need!

Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor

Heritage Baptist Church

Perry, Georgia

Mature Ministries, Inc.

Perry, Georgia