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Weekly Newsletter – November 30, 2015

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A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR JACK VAN IMPE

PEACE AT LAST

Peace will come to Israel and to the world. But it will not come through military might nor treaties produced by the greatest minds on earth. Man’s best efforts will ultimately fail, plunging the world into carnage and destruction. Christ will come bringing peace.

When the governments of earth have finally fallen, the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of men, will set up His kingdom (Daniel 2:44).

Upon ending the Battle of Armageddon, Christ the King will judge the nations and destroy the wicked (Matthew 25:31 — 46). The Beast (the Antichrist) and the False Prophet will be cast into a lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be bound for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3). And the long-awaited Millennium will begin.

Millennium means one thousand years and refers to the kingdom of Christ on earth. This era, foretold by all the prophets, will be a time of peace among people and nations. War will be but a relic of the painful past. Jerusalem, known for war, bloodshed, and international tensions, will at last become the city of peace and the capital of the world:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:2-4).

The Prince of Peace will rule from David’s throne, and the promises given to Mary concerning Jesus will be fulfilled: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32, 33).

For centuries, the name of Jesus has been feared, hated, or ignored by the Jews. Mistaken people have persecuted them in that name.

Dr. H. A. Ironside once took his umbrella to a Jewish handyman to be repaired. He watched the old man as he worked and was moved by his obvious poverty. When asked the charge the handyman replied, “Thirty-five cents.”

Dr. Ironside gave him the thirty-five cents and then said, “I can imagine you have to do many jobs like this to earn a living. Here is an extra half-dollar which I would like to give you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The old Jew was stunned. He replied, “In the name of Jesus Christ they burned my house in Russia! In the name of Jesus Christ they robbed me of all I had! In the name of Jesus Christ they drove me and my family out into the snow! I have been in America four years, and now for the first time someone speaks to me in the name of Jesus Christ and gives me more money than I ask!”‘

In the coming age of peace, Jews will love the name of Jesus and will be thrilled with the benefits of His kingdom. Isaiah saw it all more than seven hundred years before the birth of Christ and described their expressions of praise:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this (Isaiah. 9:6, 7).

Today Israel walks a tightrope, continually under the threat of invasion by her Arab neighbors. Efforts at peace take a few steps forward, only to retreat as a result of terrorism and bitter hatred by extremists. The Camp David summit meeting, arranged by President Jimmy Carter for Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel in the fall of 1978, was one such peace-making effort. More will follow involving other nations.

Hopes rise and fall with the temperature of tranquility in the Middle East. But there is a better day coming: “In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance” (Isaiah 19:24,25).

Peace in the World of Nature

The Millennium will bring peace in the world of nature. All of God’s creation suffers as a result of the fall of man and will not be restored until the kingdom of Christ is established on earth:

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:20 — 23).

Earthquakes, tornados, floods, and other marks of travail will be absent in the kingdom. Harsh climate changes will be forever past. Nature will cooperate with man.

Productivity will return to the earth. When the Jews returned to their land, they found a desert, and through backbreaking labor and scientific farming they transformed it into a garden. Irrigation made the desert come alive. Citrus orchards replaced arid land denuded of topsoil. Israel became the agricultural showplace of the Middle East.

But Tribulation events will change all that. Plagues and judgments will pummel the earth, and the massive movement of military equipment to the Middle East for the Battle of Armageddon, followed by the awful conflict itself, will finish the destruction. The land will return to rubble again.

Then the King will restore all things:

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing…. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes (Isaiah 35:1, 2, 7).

The curse will be removed and harvests will be Edenic:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman man shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt (Amos 9:13).

For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things (Zechariah 8:12).

We will continue our study of the coming peace in our next newsletter.


FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

Count It All Joy

There is no easy road to satisfaction. One reason for this is that no one has ever lived a life free from difficulties. Everyone faces trials, and all of us know suffering in one way or another. I’ve noticed that wherever I am, in every culture and every geographical region, when I mention the subject of suffering, there is an instant rapport, a bond of mutual understanding.

Suffering: A Door to Finding Satisfaction

We can take comfort in the knowledge that Scripture teaches that God’s perfect plan for each of us includes suffering, trials, and pain. The wonderful truth is that our most frustrating trials can be a source of great joy. James wrote:

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (James 1:2-4). Trials will make us either bitter or better.

I know what it is like to be broken — literally. Jack and I experienced a terrible automobile accident in Brussels in 1979. We were in Europe for our wedding anniversary and planned to celebrate the joyous occasion with members of Jack’s family.

That particular afternoon, we had traveled to Brussels to shop for anniversary gifts. We leisurely walked and talked, truly enjoying our visit to this fascinating city. We even stopped for afternoon tea and shared a sandwich. (A cousin was preparing a feast for our anniversary dinner that night and we didn’t want to ruin our appetites!)

The afternoon ended all too quickly, and we soon found ourselves driving back to the home of the cousin with whom we were staying. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a bus traveling 50 miles an hour struck our vehicle with such impact that my side of the car was ripped away and the rest of the automobile completely demolished. I remember saying, “Jack, there’s a bus!” He attempted to swerve, but it was too late. My last thoughts as I fell out onto the busy street was, This is what it’s like to die.

Everything went black. I felt no pain until my husband’s warm tears falling on my face revived me. His voice was choked with emotion as he wept and prayed over me. “Lord, must it end this way? Don’t let it happen. Please work a miracle!”

I felt that I was slipping away from him, and I wanted him to know how much I loved him. “Honey, I think I am dying,” I whispered. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“Oh no,” Jack cried. “Oh, God, please help us, Somehow spare her life.”

I wish that in some way I could convey the peace that I experienced from God during this time. Even Christians sometimes wonder about and perhaps are somewhat afraid of the unknown — that valley of the shadow of death through which we must one day pass. I would love to stand on a mountaintop and call to every believer everywhere, “Don’t be afraid!” At the moment of departure, He is there to give us peace and sustain our hearts. What a comfort to know that we are the Lord’s most prized possessions and that He will never allow us to go through the transition from this world to the next in fear. I rejoice over this experience today because I can say with David, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me (Psalm 23:4).

Suspended in God’s sweet peace, I was almost in the presence of the Lord. Then suddenly, I was pulled back from going over. A hand grasped my wrist and a man stood beside me. He tenderly placed a blanket over my body and in perfect English said, “Don’t move her. She will be all right.” Immediately, my mind began to clear and I knew that I would live.

As quickly as he had appeared, he was gone. The Lord had sent a man or an angel (only He knows) to provide perfect comfort and to minister to us in a special way Hebrews 1:14 says: Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

An ambulance rushed us to the hospital. I looked at Jack and was reassured to know that he was all right. I knew that somehow God was doing something special in our lives — something that would ultimately glorify Him if we would not faint (see II Corinthians 4:16).

I had sustained a severe head injury. X rays revealed that I had a broken collarbone and two broken ribs. I had also sustained numerous cuts and bruises, and fragments of glass were embedded in parts of my body. In fact, the doctor spent four hours removing glass from my legs, head, and ears. God had divinely and miraculously spared my face and eyes, for which I shall forever be grateful.

Because of my head injury, I was unable to receive any pain medication for 18 hours. In addition, I was told that if the bleeding from my head wound did not stop during the night, doctors would be forced to shave my head in order to suture the extreme abrasion. Jack remained by my side every minute of that entire night, praying with me, comforting me, and talking with me. We asked God for a miracle, and He gave us one. By morning, the bleeding had stopped.

Neither of us slept during that long, unforgettable night. As we talked about why it happened, I felt a kinship with Job. God had allowed Satan to test us but not destroy us or our ministry together. He allowed the test to go so far, and no further. I knew that my Father was in control and that my Saviour was not leaving me alone. Indeed, I knew that He was feeling my infirmity with even greater intensity than I.

Jack spent the next 48 hours trying to get the doctors to release me for our return to America.

British Airways agreed to fly us and graciously provided wheelchair and ambulance service all the way to Detroit. Still, the hours in flight were painfully long, Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me (II Timothy 4:17).

During the next three months, I received extensive medical treatment and stringent therapy. Adhesions formed as the damaged muscles and tendons in my crushed shoulder healed. Doctors said that without corrective surgery I would never use my arm again. Instead, I underwent months of excruciating rehabilitative exercises to correct the situation. Still, I would not want to look back upon this experience with anything but rejoicing and praise — rejoicing in the Lord’s protection and love in bringing me through this trial and praise that He counted me worthy to be put to the test.

Resistance to Suffering is Counterproductive

It would have been easy, I suppose, to resist in my heart and be bitter against the Lord for allowing such a thing to happen. Yet it never occurred to me to question what God was doing. Years earlier Jack and I had committed ourselves to pursuing the Lord’s will whatever the cost — and when we made that commitment, we knew it could involve suffering. It has, but the rewards have been rich. God has filled our lives with blessings that exceed anything we could ask or think.

Unfortunately, instead of counting problems and trials as joy and allowing them to work patience and maturity, many people tend to follow their natural inclination, and the difficulties produce bitterness and resentment. That, in turn, only amplifies dissatisfaction, until finally they are caught in a never-ending cycle of devastatingly negative feelings.

The only effect resistance has on our trials is to make them more difficult to bear. When we rebel against God and turn from Him, we shut out the One who can enable us to carry whatever burden He gives us. How tragic it is to see someone who has gone through grief and pain who then turns sorrow into bitterness against God! That is not what God wants. He wants to make the burden light and the yoke easy to bear (see Matthew 11:30).

I know that it is normal to want to resist problems, and, of course, it is right and even necessary to resist some things. For example, we should not give in to immoral acts, so we must resist temptation. Scripture tells us to resist Satan (see James 4:7; I Peter 5:9). Nevertheless, when we are confronted with trials that are beyond our control, we need to see ourselves as Paul did — like clay in the hands of the Potter, submissive to His will for our lives. We must realize that through these trials He is molding us. shaping us. and perfecting us — until we become vessels that He can use.

Have you ever watched a potter work on a pottery wheel? He squeezes and pinches and applies pressure, and from what was an ugly lump of clay comes forth a beautiful, useful piece of pottery. The potter knows just where to poke and just where to rub — it is a fascinating process to watch. Occasionally, the potter will decide a radical change is in order, and he will smash a nearly molded pot and begin again from the beginning.

Jeremiah described the process:

I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it (Jeremiah 18:3-4).

Perhaps you feel like the Potter has smashed you that way. I have good news for you. God is one Potter who always rebuilds the vessels He allows to be broken so that they are better than before. It may not always be in the way we desire or think is best, but in the process, it is nonproductive for us to resist and become bitter. Instead we should try to see what is happening from God’s perspective, even though we may not understand what He is doing, and yield to His will for us. Paul wrote, Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay? (Romans 9:20, 21).

Acceptance: A New Name for Satisfaction

How much better it is to accept our trials as from the Lord who permits them! Job accepted his trials, as hard as they were for him. This incredible man lost all his earthly possessions and all his children in a series of disasters that happened in just one day. Soon after that, he lost his health as well. He was reduced to a mass of sores, sitting in a pile of ashes, scraping himself with a piece of broken pottery (how appropriate!). He did not understand what God was doing. but his response was, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord… Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? (Job 1:21; 2:10).

Yes, Job bore all the pain — in his case both physical pain and mental anguish — and did not sin with his lips. He never accused God or spoke bitterly against Him. Quite the contrary, Job accepted the negative things as graciously as he had accepted the good things. Though the task was not easy, out of Job’s afflictions came some wonderful fruit. The first is the book of Job — a good source of comfort in times of despair and doubt. In addition, Job grew wiser and closer to the Lord through his ordeal. Even his so-called comforters learned from his sufferings.

What became of Job. The answer is recorded for us in verses 12 and 13 and chapter 42: So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years

The “secret” of Job’s success and blessing is rooted in the fact that he endured his suffering. He never turned from God. Instead, he repented! Why would a man who was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil (1:1) do such a thing? Because Job, through his suffering, was privileged to get a glimpse of God in His holiness. As a result, he saw himself as completely unworthy so that he said, I abhor myself(2:6). And in doing that, he discovered yet a third way of responding to trials.

Rejoicing: A Perspective You May Have Overlooked

This third type of response is what James referred to in the opening passage of this chapter — rejoicing, or glorying, in our trials. Admittedly, rejoicing in the midst of tribulation is not an easy thing to do. A woman wrote to us a short time ago:

I am having a very hard time adjusting my life. My husband died not too long ago at age 53, and I just can’t seem to get my life together. I never worked in all the years we were married. I was a family person and never made many friends outside our home, I am lonely and frightened. Please pray for me.

My heart goes out to this dear woman and many others like her. In fact, one might well ask how she could possibly rejoice in the midst of such a difficult trial. She cannot rejoice that her husband has died. How then can she find joy in the midst of her deep loneliness, fear, and doubts?

The answer is found in the perspective we choose to take. No one rejoices in the death of a loved one. Job didn’t, and even Jesus wept at the grave of His friend Lazarus. Scripture acknowledges that sorrow and grief are appropriate and normal responses to death.

Bitterness comes when we focus on our sorrows or trials themselves rather than on the Lord and what He is attempting to accomplish through them. From this perspective, we can easily become discouraged. Unfortunately, this is exactly the place in which many dissatisfied people find themselves. However, if we look beyond the trials and understand that God is working in the midst of them, if we focus our hearts on Him, a miracle begins to occur. He brings peace in the midst of pain, and joy in the midst of sorrow. Truly, His grace is sufficient.

My Grandmother Shelton taught me firsthand the meaning of glorying in tribulation. She knew trials all her life. She was the mother of eight children and, as a diabetic, had to take insulin shots every day of her life. She was a tall, vibrant, robust lady who would pick me up (literally) and shake me like a rag doll and say, “I love you, Rexella.” What a shock when she lost first one leg, then the other, to amputation because of complications from her disease. She would never walk again; yet, I never heard her mention her trials or complain. Her focus went far beyond them. And as she looked to the Lord and leaned on Him, she was actually able to glory in her infirmities! She was always rejoicing. I remember her often taking out a little harmonica and playing it. Just being around her brought me great joy, and I seldom thought of her as being in pain, although I’m certain she suffered greatly.

There is something to be said for pain. Trials are not pleasant, but they are valuable. A flower must be crushed before it yields perfume. A grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die before it can bear fruit (see John 12:24). And we must suffer for the Lord if we are to be glorified with Him (see Romans 8:17).

If you are going through a trial, don’t resist it. And don’t just accept it or endure it. Learn to glory in it! God is doing something through your trials. You may not understand it fully, and He does not always give us explanations. But He does give us promises — and He always keeps them.

God must have broken things — throughout all plant life, all history, all the great biographical accounts, and in all spiritual life, this fact is preeminent.

Why should we then shrink from those things, which may break us at some point? If we will but allow Him, the brokenness we experience can be used for our purer good and for God’s glory. Such brokenness may come in the form of being broken in wealth, half-will, ambitions, ideals, reputation, affections, and even brokenness in health. Remember the final tally of life is not seen in the here and now. Can you, like James wrote, “Count it all joy?”


CHANGED LIVES-one at a time

Dear Dr. Jack and Rexella,

I have been watching you for around 15 years now and just want to take time to tell you thank you. I want to tell you what an inspiration you have been for me to learn and quote the scriptures and stay knowledgeable of end time events. Also, coming from a single parent home, I would like to say thank you for being a model of a Godly marriage. In this time when there is so much divorce and the world tells people it’s impossible to remain in a long term, LOVING and committed marriage you two model to the opposite so thank you so much it gives me hope. I’m also glad to see you back Jack! What a mighty God we serve!

Sincerely,

Kimberly G.

 

It is such a joy to see Mr. Van Impe looking stronger and healthier (and dare I say, younger looking) with each new episode. Thank you so much for airing these episodes on You Tube. In the past, I would have to miss episodes since they are aired in my town while I attend church. I watch You Tube far more than TV anyway. God bless you and your talented staff.

Sharon C.


HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS

The Jack Van Impe Prophecy Bible

  • With bonus Prophetic Verses of the Bible handbook A listing of all the prophetic verses in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation
  • Now includes Daniel Final End Times Mysteries Unsealed A full commentary on the book of Daniel by Dr. Jack Van Impe
  • All the prophecy verses in the Bible shaded and identified.
  • The majestic King James Version translation text in large print, with words of Christ in red.
  • A ribbon bookmarker.
  • A special presentation page – perfect for gift-giving
  • An inspiring introductory message from Dr. Jack Van Impe.
  • A Scripture memorization plan – designed by Dr. Van Impe to enable you to learn the Word of God more effectively than ever before.
  • Dr. Van Impe’s own A – Z Prophecy Index – giving you easy, instant access to the Bible’s answers on the questions that concern you most.
  • Dr. Van Impe’s fascinating verse-by-verse commentary on the book of Revelation.

 

The Rapture Generation

Prophecy experts Drs. Jack and Rexella Van Impe lay out the evidence that YOU are part of the Rapture generation — the people who will see the coming of Christ and be caught up to meet Him in the air!

In this power-packed teaching, you’ll get answers to critical questions such as:

  • What does Armageddon really mean?
  • What do recent natural disasters have to do with Jesus’ prophecies of the latter days?
  • What are some examples of recent Islamic terrorist attacks?
  • What does this have to do with their obeying the Koran?
  • Could this be the year that the Lord will return? What are the signs?
  • What does the Bible say about terrorism being one of the major signs before the Lord comes back?
  • And Many More!