There is a Time and Season for Everything

God enabled me to serve with SAT-7 USA for more than sixteen years. And now it is time for me to move to the next stage of life as, Lord willing, I retire on May 30, 2025.

Retirement is a milestone that doesn’t occur every day. So, it makes you think. What do we think we know about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)? What have I witnessed the Lord accomplish?

1. In the MENA, the more things change, the more they remain the same. The MENA is a dynamic, volatile, and oft-times chaotic region comprised of 25 countries representing different languages and cultures. So, the MENA is “in the news” virtually every day. Something is always happening and, frankly, it usually is not good. So, there is change.

But what does not change is the people’s sense of hopelessness. Most are trapped in the spiritual dead-end of a false political religion that functions as a tool to power but not a path to the Kingdom of Heaven. Bluntly put, just like in the West, people need the Lord. Real hope and real transformative change come only from the inside out, from the heart, as the Good News makes each who expresses faith in Christ a new creation.

2. The MENA is a region beset by “layered crises.” Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, floods in Libya, the Iraq War (2003-2011), the Syrian civil war (2011-present), Yemen civil war and famine (2014-present), Sudan civil war (2023-present), Iran’s and the Taliban’s authoritarianism, displacement, immigration, food insecurity, humanitarian crises, terrorism and terrorist groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Afghanistan War (2001-2021). Add the Arab Spring (2011), pandemic (2020-2023), Sudan civil war (2023-present), Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Gaza war, (2023-present). It would not take much thought to add to this list.

“Peace in the Middle East” has interested every western leader since WWI. Peace plans, accords, summits, agreements, reconciliations, cease-fires, two-state solutions, and treaties have all been tried but to no long-term avail. While these political efforts may be useful, ultimately, real peace, a just peace, will come only from Jesus Christ, who said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

3. The faith of Christian believers in the MENA is amazingly resilient. I’ve noted this for years. Christians there, or as I was taught to say by a Lebanese friend, “Christian believers” (rather than nominal Christians) have at times been suppressed, oppressed, and even persecuted, yet their faith in God remains vibrant and strong. I’m not joking when I say there have been times when the resiliency of their faith in the face of adversity has convicted me about the weakness of my faith. They are often tested and found steadfast.

They embody “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

4. The MENA will never “not” be important; or to skip the double negative, the MENA will always be important. The Middle East plays a central and significant role in many interpretations of biblical end-times prophecy. For example, the Bible centers much of its narrative around Israel. In end-times prophecy, Jerusalem is often portrayed as a spiritual and geopolitical epicenter. Great Power Rivalries, the U.S., Russia, China, and regional powers (Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel), all jockey for influence in the MENA.

Many prophetic events are tied to places in the Middle East – Babylon (modern-day Iraq), Persia (Iran), Egypt, Syria, and others. The Gog and Magog War (Ezek. 38–39) prophecy describes a coalition of nations (often interpreted as Russia, Iran, Turkey, etc.) attacking Israel. The Middle East is central here, both as the staging ground and as the object of invasion. Revelation 16:16 describes a final battle at Armageddon (Har Megiddo), a real location in northern Israel. This is where many believe the world’s armies will gather for a climactic war before Christ’s return. In Jesus’ first coming, He lived His earthly life in Israel, that is, in the Middle East. And when the Messiah returns, Zech.14:4 says He will set foot on the Mount of Olives (east of Jerusalem).

5. The Middle East and North Africa will experience continued power shifts and proxy wars. Iran versus Saudi Arabia (Sunni-Shia rivalry) will likely keep shaping regional politics, especially in places like Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Türkiye, Israel, and Egypt will continue jockeying for influence. Some regimes (like Iran or Egypt) may face growing unrest, especially among youth and women. Tunisia and Sudan – formerly seen as Arab Spring success stories – may continue struggling with instability. Countries outside the region, including Russia, China, and the United States, will grapple as each seeks hegemony in the MENA.

In the midst of this, SAT-7, though non-political and non-partisan, witnesses via satellite to an entire region, proclaiming biblical principles that provide a foundation for respect for human life and dignity, freedom of religion, recognition of the created value of all individuals, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or nationality, belief in truth, thus the possibility of law, order, justice, and science, and a high view of work ethic, productivity, and private property.

6. Are these the End Times? My mother is 93, a lifelong dedicated believer who regularly talks about and believes we have entered the End Times. I now tell her I’m quoting her, that I think we are indeed on the cusp of the End Times. Consider this: countries, cultures, and the Christian Church are dreadfully divided. We’ve witnessed the advance of irrational, immoral, inane ideologies like Wokeism, Marxism, and LGBTQ+, we’re seeing increasing numbers of crises and disasters, we’ve experienced the exponential growth in the power of technology, now able to do things that make the Book of Revelation come alive.

Now, do I know for sure we are in the End Times? No, and as the Bible warns us, I would not predict. But we are given signs to watch, and it seems many are happening. Do I then think we are “too late,” meaning do I consider it a pipe dream to think we can share the Gospel throughout the MENA, that we can see thousands, maybe many more come to saving faith in Christ?  No, I do not because the Lord said, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

I consider it a blessing the Lord allowed me to serve with SAT-7 and I pray God will now empower others to take the ministry to the next level of reach, impact, and spiritual effectiveness.

Dr. Rex Rogers
President, SAT-7 USA