Back to the Future, Part 3

Our faith is under assault in America. Why are biblical beliefs now labeled hate speech?

Why are students camping out in protest on their college campuses? Why are there two versions of the truth on the Internet and in the media? And what forces are behind the attack on Christianity? In his book, The Hidden Enemy, Dr. Michael Youssef offers timely insight to help you understand and respond to threats against the Christian faith. It is time for each of us to stand up for the truth, boldly, lovingly, and without compromise. God can bring spiritual awakening in these dark times, but we must pray, seek His face, and proclaim His truth. Through Leading the Way, we must continue spreading the life-altering good news of Jesus' love.

When you give a gift to Leading the Way, you are helping proclaim the Gospel. When you do, please request a copy of The Hidden Enemy, Dr. Youssef's gift to you for your generous partnership. Learn more about the inspiring content and how to order your copy at ltw.org. You can also speak with a ministry representative in the call center. That number 866-626-4356.

Or visit us at ltw.org and 866-626-4356. Thank you for joining pastor and author, Dr. Michael Youssef, for Leading the Way. Listen to or watch just about any news report, and you might wonder if the end of the world is on the horizon. Well, if you're wondering where to get answers to help you face the sometimes overwhelming events of today, there is a place, and it's right in God's Word. Up next on Leading the Way, Dr. Youssef guides you to sobering and encouraging words from God. Join Dr. Youssef as he continues his series, Back to the Future, examining events described in vivid detail within the pages of your Bible. Much of this content matching the headlines of today.

So listen along with me as Dr. Michael Youssef begins his Leading the Way audio message. As surely as the water gathers behind a dam, the day of judgment is coming. And one day it will be revealed. In fact, that's a message that the sermon that the apostle Paul preached to the Athenians on Mars Hill from Acts chapter 17. It's the very core of the Christian gospel.

It's what Christianity is all about. And he said to them in Acts 17, he said, the time of ignorance God has overlooked. But now he commands everyone everywhere to repent. For he has appointed a day. He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has appointed. And in order to prove that this is the man who's going to be the judge of the world, he raised him from the dead.

In fact, Jesus said that the Father judges no one, but the Son will be the judge. The very Savior who died on that cross and rose again is going to be the judge who sits on the high bench on that last day. We have been looking at the signs of the return of Christ. We look today probably to the clearest and the most detailed sign of the return of Christ. I want you to turn with me please to Matthew chapter 24 beginning at verse 29. In these few verses, the Lord Jesus Christ delineate for us what we're going to see happening to the cosmos. What is going to happen globally?

These are going to be global catastrophes. And there can be little doubt that soon after that his return to take his bride home, his return to take his children to heaven is around the corner. Matthew 24, 29 to 31 says that he shall return immediately when you see catastrophic events. Look at the verses again. In fact, you cannot help if you follow signs like I do or interested in reading about what's happening in the world that those verses in days gone by drew a lot of criticism.

They drew a lot of ridicule on the part of the scoffers in the past if you read a little bit of history. And yet today, these cosmic signs that were prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ are daily being affirmed and confirmed by many reputable scientists. Today, Jesus said that immediately before my return, the sun is going to darken and the moon will not give its light. He said the stars literally will fall from the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

What was thought of to be an impossibility only a generation ago, today many a scientist and now confirming and reputable science are affirming that this day is coming. In Luke chapter 21 verses 25 and 26, Jesus said, on the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and the tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror apprehensive of what is coming on the world for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Listen carefully, please. Those events, those calamitous events that people literally will die when they see them, they will die of fright.

That's what faint means, that they will be so frightened by them that they will literally die on the spot. He said during that time the heaven will shake by the Lord Jesus Christ. You say, how come? Because Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3 tells us that Jesus is the one who holds all things. That's all the galaxies and all the planets and all the stars. He holds all things in the universe by his power and the power of his word. But on that day, when he even for an inner second takes his hand off the sustaining power, these stars and the galaxies will be careening helter-skelter. Why? Because all the stable reference points of the natural focus will be suspended for that moment of his return.

I want you to hear me right. The earth is held together by the power of God. And when that power is withheld even for an inner second, there will be hundreds, possibly thousands of tsunamis, hundreds, possibly thousands earthquakes, all taking place all at the same time. In fact, what Jesus is talking about here, while it's sort of inconceivable, although those of us who watched the tsunami a few years ago can begin to comprehend a little bit of it, but it's probably going to be far greater than we can imagine.

But that's not all. The truth is this. Jesus, in Matthew 24, 29, is affirming and confirming the word of God. You see, that's what I always tell you, interpret the scripture by the scripture. Don't just take a verse and run with it, because that's how people get into trouble. Interpret the Bible by the Bible.

And you see, if you read the scripture carefully, you'll find that 700 years before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah in chapter 13, verse 10, said the following. He said, on that day, the stars in the heaven and the constellations will not show the light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. Now, beloved, this is important.

This is very important. This sense of cosmic catastrophe will not be just a local phenomena here or there. This will affect the entire world. It's going to affect the universe.

It will impact the environment, and the economy of the entire world begins to collapse. In fact, that is why in Revelation chapter 18, it says that all the great merchants of the world and all the business people of the world who are dependent on the trade, they're going to be mourning. They'll be crying on that day. Those who have worshiped money and materialism, they will be weeping, and they will be wailing.

Why? Because their God is dead. Their God has let them down. But in verse 30, you're going to find the greatest and the most exciting sign of all, and that is the sign of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus appearing is going to be the supreme and the ultimate sign of all.

At the climax of the blackness of midnight, at the apex of the darkness of this cosmic destruction, as the world comes under the grip of the antichrist, and as a result of that, there are going to be economic upheavals and social upheavals and physical and emotional and spiritual upheaval. Jesus will manifest himself in his infinite majesty and glory. Can you imagine that day?

Have you ever tried to take time just to imagine that great day? What a wonderful day that's going to be. Can you imagine the sight of him in his blazing glory? Certainly, it will terrify some people.

It will do that. It will terrify all those who have rebelled against Jesus. It will terrify those who have cursed the name of Jesus. It will terrify those who have rejected him as the only way to the Father. It will terrify those who have refused to believe in him. It will terrify those who have used his name as a swear word. It will terrify those who have persecuted their followers.

It will terrify those who have forbidden his children from naming his name in public. They will mourn and they will weep and they will wail over their sin. They will be the mighty and the powerful men of the world. These powerful men and women who have ruled nations. They will be hiding in caves and in the midst of rocks.

These celebrities and the superstars who spend tens of thousands of dollars on cosmetics. They will be hiding in the rocks. They will be hiding under the dust. They will be crying out to the rocks, cover us.

Leaders of nations who ruled with an iron fist. They will be running around crying to the rocks and saying cover us from the face of him who sits on the throne. And that's why we long to see everyone. We have an opportunity to minister to and witness to everyone we're up shoulder with. To come and know the truth of Jesus so that they can escape the fear of that day.

They can escape the horrors of that day. The only way that you can have confidence in that day, that you have joy in that day and not fear is to know that you have committed your life to Jesus Christ. That he is your only savior and that you're walking with him day by day in righteousness, in serving him, in glorifying him and in honoring him. Because the Bible said in Acts chapter 1 verse 11, as the disciples saw the Lord Jesus Christ whom they hung out with and loved on and saw his heart for three and a third of a year. As they saw him on that day of ascension literally taking up to heaven in front of their eyes where the eyes are popping out of their heads and jaws are open and they were standing there didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do.

But God knew that is why he sent an angel and here's what the angel said. He said the same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you have seen him go up to heaven. Oh but listen on that day he's not going to come in weakness. He's not going to come in humility because he came already in weakness and humility so that anybody and everybody whom so ever can come to him.

But when he comes back he's going to come back to those who have already come to him. He will come back in power and great glory. Question, how will he demonstrate that power? How will he manifest this power?

That power will be manifested is going to be demonstrated in the shaking of the heavens. In throwing out of Satan and all of his demons. In protecting his own chosen children. In redeeming all of his elect. In conquering all of his enemies. In restoring the new heaven and the new earth. In visibly reigning and ruling the universe that everybody can see. In destroying the power of sin. In radically destroying the power of destructive nature.

And turning it into docile and harmless environment. In fact Isaiah prophesied again of that day. And here's what he said he said the wolf on that day would dwell with the lamb. And the leopard will lie with the kid.

And the calf with the young lion. What a day this is going to be. What a glorious day. He will come with power and great glory. Christ's power is going to be demonstrated when he eliminates all of droughts and all of floods and all of starvation from the world. Christ's power is going to be demonstrated when he wipes all the tears falling in the faces of his children. Because he's going to eliminate sin. And sin is the very cause that cause us to weep over sin. Over sin Christ's power will be demonstrated over diseases that seem to consume the bodies.

Christ's power will eliminate hatred and prejudice and racism and the fear of rejection. Think of the joy of that day. Think of the privilege for those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ as we witness him. As we experience him.

As we'll be with him forever. Think of the joy of seeing him in his full glory. Not just a glimpse of it. You see Adam and Eve were only given a glimpse of the glory of God in the Garden of Eden. The people of Israel were given just a glimpse of the glory of God in the wilderness. He couldn't show them his face. He couldn't show him all of his glory.

They would have been burnt. Even Isaiah when he was privileged to be taken into the very portals of heaven. He saw only a glimpse of God's glory. Peter, James and John saw a glimpse of Christ's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. And they said that his face was like the sun and that his clothes, his garment was as white as light. Oh but when we see him, we see him in the full spectrum of his glory.

Not just a glimpse of it. And then Jesus said the angels will gather all of his faithful children from every corner of the earth so that they may enter the heavenly glory. Inherent with Jesus, the universe.

Not just a piece of real estate. The whole universe. Verse 32. Jesus said now learn from the parable of the fig tree. I want to stop here for a moment and explain to you what that means because through the years, through history, people have allegorized what the fig tree is. They try to speculate what the fig tree is. But the meaning of what Jesus is saying here is far simpler than you really think. You see the truth is always simple.

Those who play mental gymnastics and they jump around and give you this and that and they lose me. Fig trees were a common sight at that time. Fig trees were everywhere. Everybody was familiar with the fig tree. And you see that's always Jesus spoke from a reference of knowledge.

He never told them about things that they couldn't comprehend or couldn't get their arms around. Everyone, including kids, they know that when they see that when they see the green shoots coming off the fig tree, they know it's springtime. And when it's the springtime, it means that summer is around the corner. The summer is not far behind. And whenever you see the green shoots of that fig tree, he said, know that the time is near.

Which means summer is soon going to be here. Which means that harvest is soon going to be here. And harvest in the Old Testament is a time of separation. It represents separation.

When they harvest the wheat, they separate the wheat from the chaff. There's going to be a time of separation in the day of the harvest. And Jesus is saying here very simply that when you see these cosmic signs, when you see these cosmic catastrophes, when you see all these signs in the sky, you know that my return is around the corner. When you see these cosmic warnings, know that the judgment of the world and my return is just around the corner.

When you know it's springtime, you know that summer couldn't be far behind. When you see these signs far from being terrified, you should be rejoicing. You should be ecstatic. Why? Because your day of redemption is drawing near. That's what it means. I told you it's simple.

It is simpler than you think. Even so, look at verse 33. Even so, when you see all these signs, all these things, recognize that he is near, that he is right at the door. Verse 34, truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Well, this is very important. What does it mean, this generation shall not pass away? He is talking about the generation that is going to see these signs in the sky. The generation that will see the warnings in the sky. He said that generation that sees all these catastrophes are going to see the return of Christ.

The generation that is going to see the spring are going to see the summer. In fact, some of the Bible critics foolishly said, ah, look at this. Jesus was just confused. Look at this. The Bible is contradictory. How can he say this generation shall not pass away and all that first generation that he was talking to died?

No, no, no, no, no. That is ignorance. That's foolishness. The construction of the sentence is very clear. That he is speaking to the generation that is going to be seeing these shooting stars. He's speaking to the generation that's going to be seeing the green shoots in the fig tree.

He is speaking to the generation in the spring time. And therefore he's saying this generation that experienced these catastrophic cosmic signs, that generation will not pass away until they see his return. Others have said, ah, somehow these things may have happened and we just don't know about them. And history did not record them. Listen, there are some things that Jesus said is going to happen immediately. Like the collapse of Jerusalem. And we know in 70 AD, every word Jesus spoke happened with meticulous and fulfilled with meticulous details.

But there's some things he said are going to come immediately prior to his return. And these things, make no mistake about it, will happen with meticulous details. Now my beloved friend, listen to me. This is probably the most important question that you're going to ask yourself.

But let me verbalize it for you. And the question is this. Will you be rejoicing on that day or will you be among those who mourn and weep and wail and regret and says I wish, had I known. Only you can answer that question. Only you.

Will you be ecstatic or will you be terrified? You say God is merciful. God is full of grace.

Yes he is. And that is why he's been inviting day after day after day through radio, television, books, magazines, through your friends at work, people witnessing. He is trying. He's saying come, come, come because he's a God of mercy.

But that day of the door of mercy one day is going to shut. So will you come to him? Will you come to him? As we pray, will you come to him? Ask yourself the question.

Ask yourself the question. If he comes, if you see those signs right away, we've been warned, will you be ready? Shall we pray together? Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for salvation. I thank you that you died on the cross for me and I thank you that you love me enough to welcome me into the very portals of heaven. Thank you father that you've given me an opportunity to repent and turn to you believing that you will forgive all my sins past, present and future. I thank you that my eternal life is secure in your hand, even as my earthly life is secure in your hand. And I pray that in Jesus' name.

Amen. Thank you for joining listeners all around the world for Leading the Way with pastor, international Bible teacher and evangelist, Dr. Michael Youssef. Now you may listen regularly to Leading the Way, or maybe you're new to the teaching and the ministry of Dr. Youssef. No matter your connection, we would like to invite you to get to know Dr. Youssef and the worldwide ministry a little better. And you can do that through a free monthly magazine called My Journal. Dr. Youssef and the team collaborate, offering engaging content to encourage you spiritually and give a glimpse into some of the behind the scenes happenings through Leading the Way at home and around the world. Now the content often dives into current events and trends through a biblical lens, helping you to understand the best ways to engage with the world and the culture where you live.

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