FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

Were You There?

One of my favorite songs often heard at Easter time is the beautiful old black spiritual, “Were You There?” The simple but haunting words of this great classic remind us of the suffering and sacrifice of our Lord at Calvary, as well as the triumphant victory of His Res­urrection.

Because Christ suffered and died—not for His own sins but for yours and mine—in a very real sense we were there at Golgotha on that awesome day of destiny nearly 2,000 years ago. And it is important that we remind ourselves of what happened there—of the death that gave us life—of the penalty paid that set us free.

Were you there at the place of the skull which became the place of life everlasting?

Dr. Van Impe and I have gone to the outer edge of the old city of Jerusalem to Golgotha, the place of the skull, to view the place where Jesus died for us. Perhaps it is only fitting that today there is an ancient cemetery on top of this rugged, rocky hill. And sure enough, when viewed from below at enough distance for good perception, the shape of Mt. Calvary is much like a human skull!

When I was there, the ugly reality of what really happened to Jesus on that spot struck me. He was tortured, maimed, and killed there. He was mocked and humiliated, then nailed to a rough-hewn cross. His blood poured out and stained the wood, the rocks, and the ground.

Not long ago a friend of mine asked, “But why did Jesus have to die?” The answer is clear—mankind sinned, and the Bible says the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

For centuries God allowed men to sacrifice the blood of animals as a temporary covering for their sins. This was an imperfect sacrifice, with limited efficacy. The blood of goats and calves could not take away sin (see Hebrews 10:4).

Only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the per­fect, sinless, Son of God, was pure and holy enough to wash away the stain of sin for all mankind. No wonder John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus, cried out. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Because of Christ’s willing sacrifice, the place of death became the place of life—yes, everlasting life—for all who receive the Lord.

Were you there for the noonday darkness where we received the Light of the world?

The gospels tell us that Christ was cruci­fied at 9:00 a.m. and that from noon until 3:00 p.m., darkness covered the earth! Imagine the daylight hours as dark as midnight, when there was no light in the heavens and the sun re­fused to shine. When the “light of the world” was dying, darkness was everywhere!

Darkness symbolizes trouble and de­spair, fear and hopelessness. We’ve all gone through dark days when it seemed there was no way out of our desperate situation, and everything around us looked black. Jesus tast­ed of that awful darkness for us, when there was no joy or no hope. But in the midst of the darkest hour in all of human history, He brought new light!

How fitting that the Prophet Isaiah was anointed by the Spirit of God to look down the corridors of time to the coming of Jesus and proclaim, The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined (Isaiah 9:2).

Today the world seems dark again. I know people who don’t even want to watch the news on TV or read the newspaper because every­thing looks so black and bleak. If ever we needed the light of the world, it’s today. There’s no other way out of the darkness. But if we follow Him, we can live in the joy of His sunshine in our lives.

Were you there at the place where Jesus said, “I thirst,” and from which now comes living water?

One of the worst forms of human suffer­ing is to be thirsty. I remember being in Israel while we were taping a TV special. On a blindingly bright, blistering hot day (120 de­grees Fahrenheit), I was recording a song on a hill overlooking Masada. The sun beat down mercilessly, and the desert wind swirled the sand around us. 

After a while I got so thirsty I could hardly speak, much less sing. My mouth was almost too dry to swallow—it felt like waves of des­peration mounting until I was finally given something to drink.
I thought of Jesus hanging on a cross, after having been beaten with whips, crowned with cruel thorns, and nailed to the beams that sus­pended Him between heaven and earth. In the midst of the agony of crucifixion, He also was stricken with thirst.

When they offered Jesus a drink, He real­ized that it contained something to help dull the pain of His suffering—and He refused it. He allowed nothing to keep Him from experi­encing the utter depths of the thirsty soul.

All of us have a thirst within that cannot be satisfied except by the Living Water of God. We may drink from the waters of pleasure and ambition, even taste the wine of riches and self-indulgence. But nothing earth has to offer can quench the thirsting of our souls.

Jesus said, Whosoever drinketh of the wa­ter that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (John4:14).

Were you there for the weeping and sorrow which led to joy and blessings?

The cross of Calvary was a place of weep­ing and sorrow. The Bible says that women stood weeping at the foot of the cross. The disciples of Jesus were also overcome with sorrow. No doubt there were those who had been healed, taught, and blessed by the Lord who looked on that day. Their hearts must have been broken to see this Miracle Worker dying. And other followers who thought Jesus was to be Israel’s new leader and deliverer must have been bitterly disappointed, too. “What’s happening?” they cried. “We thought this was our Messiah!”

But if Jesus had not experienced such great sorrow, He would never have understood the sorrows of mankind. Isaiah prophesied, He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sor­rows, and acquainted with grief…surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sor­rows (Isaiah 53:3,4).

Because of His sacrifice, we know that all our tears will be wiped away and our sorrow replaced by divine joy. Thank God, the psalmist wrote, Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5). 

Were you there for the time of anguish which provides our comfort?

On Calvary, Jesus gave His body and soul as a sacrifice for us. He suffered unendurable sorrow and pain. Here He bore our sins. We cannot even imagine what it was like for the Perfect One, God in the flesh, to feel the defilement of every sin in the universe. Here was Jesus, who never did cheat, steal, lie, commit adultery, or do any other sin, suddenly burdened with the vileness and degradation of the whole world—for every person who would ever live!

It was absolutely overwhelming. No won­der the Saviour cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). God the Father had to turn His head because He could not look on sin (see Isaiah 59:2). So Jesus endured that anguish… alone. And be­cause He took our sins, we can now come to God.

Jesus knows the awful sadness and bitter­ness sin produces. And because He took our sins upon himself, He can comfort us in any situation. The Word of God says, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (He­brews 4:15,16).

Were you there at the place of punishment from whence comes redemption?

The penalty for sin is death! That punish­ment must be endured—that penalty must be paid. And that was the reason for Christ’s death on the cross—the purpose of Calvary. On that day, the place of punishment became the place of redemption for all mankind…for the whole world.

Without the gallows of Golgotha there could be no salvation, no forgiveness for sin, no redemption.

The old spiritual concludes by asking, “Were you there when He rose up from the grave?” Thank God, through Christ our Lord, we were there!

Through His sacrifice, we’ve faced death and overcome it with life everlasting.

We’ve gone through the darkness of this world and moved into His marvelous light.

We’ve overcome the desperation of un­quenchable thirst by receiving a well of living water springing up within our souls.
We’ve found the only source of joy and blessings that overcomes life’s sorrows, and the only comfort in the time of anguish and tears. 

And we’ve met Jesus at the place of pun­ishment and found it has become a place of redemption.

Only by going to Calvary to see what Christ has done for us can we really experi­ence the full joy of Easter! Were YOU there?
Oh, truly, “sometimes it causes me to tremble” to realize how much we owe—how rich we are. My mind can scarcely compre­hend the wonder of it all. How marvelous!

No wonder Jesus commissioned us to go tell this great good news to every person in all the world! Let’s go tell it to all who will hear! 

A CLASSIC MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE

The Importance of
Christ’s Resurrection

On June 18, 1815, twelve miles south of Brussels and two miles from the Belgian village of Waterloo—largely through a series of mistakes and misunderstandings among his own leaders— Napoleon was soundly defeated by Arthur Wellesley, better known as the Duke of Well­ington. At the time of this victory, one of the strangest events in the annals of England’s history took place.

Without our modem means of communica­tion, the people in those days were limited to semaphore signals. The news of Wellington’s decisive victory was passed along until finally, in the last relay from a ship out in the channel, the message was passed on to receivers stationed high in the towers of Westminster Abbey. The communication stated, “Wellington defeated.”

When those two words were received, a heavy fog rolled across London and the mes­sage—just as received—was passed on to the waiting people. All of London was filled with grief and despair as strong men sobbed openly and women agonized in the streets. However, a few hours later another wind blew the fog away, and the message from the ship began again, this time adding a third word and reading, “Welling­ton defeated Napoleon.”

What a difference! The first message said, “Wellington defeated,” and the fog stopped the third word. But later the message said, “Well­ington defeated Napoleon.” Oh, the rejoicing that took place in England when they got the third word of that message.

A similar event took place at Calvary. On the day of the crucifixion, the fog of hell seemed to roll in with its message, “Christ defeated.” That day ended with a broken, bloody, dead Messiah and scattered, weeping, defeated disci­ples. Then, three days and three nights later, the fog was dispelled by the brightness of glory. Special archangels from heaven descended to earth and rolled back the stone from the empty tomb so that a waiting world could read the entire message, “Christ defeated Satan.” Halle­lujah! Christ defeated Satan. Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You must believe in the Resurrection

We are living in a day and age when many apostate, liberal, modernistic ministers scoff at the Resurrection. Dr. Duncan E. Littlefair has a book entitled The Changing Religious Thought. I quote from pages 104 and 105. Listen to this blasphemy: “The resurrection is not peculiar to Christianity. Don’t you go building religion on this basis. Don’t build it on the idea that some­how or another something different happened in Christianity because Jesus was raised from the dead. It is not so. It just isn’t so. I say to you that this physical resurrection must stop being a dominant thing in our minds. We have to under­stand it differently. We must see it with our spiritual eyes. The virgin birth is a mythological tale.”

This is a minister speaking! Well, I choose to believe God (see Acts 27:25)! Matthew 1:23 says, Behold, a virgin shall be with child. Let’s listen to God rather than men.

Dr. Littlefair continues, “The virgin birth is a story designed to say something. It wasn’t meant to be understood physically. It was a picturesque way of telling something wonderful that couldn’t be told any other way. The resur­rection story is the same.”
It should not be taken physically? Wait a minute! Let’s see what God has to say. In Luke 24:39, Jesus appeared to His disciples after the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, and He was in a body. He said, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself [you do not believe it?]: handle me, and see [come on and touch me!]; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Dr. Littlefair says this should not be taken literally, as far as the physical is concerned! He further states, “Don’t take it with your crude literal hands and destroy it. A rolled away stone and some clothes left there—how trivial and insignificant.” Really? The literal, physical Resurrection is insignificant? Oh, Dr. Littlefair, how about Romans 10:9,10 which says that if you do not believe in this literal Resurrection you cannot be saved? That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Dr. Littlefair goes on to say, “Two men sitting there announced that the body was no longer there. One of the disciples putting his finger into the wound in the side, Jesus eating a fish to show that He was physical, passing through a wall to give a miracle, and, finally, rising up with His body. If you stop to think about it you realize the absurdity of it.”

Sir, the only absurdity I see is in the article you have written in your book which does away with the precious story of what the Holy Bible, God’s Word, has to say about the Resurrection.

In one paragraph, this accomplished apos­tate denies the virgin birth, the Resurrection, the ascension, the existence of heaven, and the in­tegrity of the Holy Scriptures. Philippians 3:10 says, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection. Let me tell you, when you really know Jesus—not about Jesus, but know Him with your heart—you also know the power of the Resurrection. You know it is not just myth. You know that it is real.
In 2 Peter 1:16, the apostle says, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. In other words, Peter says, “This is not something that we hatched up in a dream—it is something that we saw with our own eyes.”

The pages of the Holy Bible are literally saturated with Resurrection truth. Job 19:25: For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

In Mark 16:6 the angel says, Be not af­frighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen.

In John 11:25 Jesus Christ says, I am the resurrection, and the life.

Peter, preaching in Acts 5:30, says, The God of our fathers raised up Jesus.

Romans 4:25: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justifica­tion.

Romans 8:34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God.

First Corinthians 15:3,4: Christ died for our sins…And…he was buried, and…he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. 

First Thessalonians 1:10: And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead.

Second Timothy 2:8: Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead.

Hebrews 13:20,21: Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep…Make you perfect.

Revelation 1:18: Iam he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. There is one thing this Book teaches and that is the story of the Resurrection.

Our faith depends on the Resurrection

I want to show you how vain, how empty, how meaningless, and how futile the Christian religion would be without the Resurrection. I believe the greatest chapter on the subject is 1 Corinthians 15. Look at verses 1-8: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved. What is that gospel? Verses 3-4: How that Christ died for our sins according to the scrip­tures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day.

Then God, through Paul, goes to the trouble of giving us the witnesses who saw Christ in His new body, for He says in verses 5-8: He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he, was seen of above [or over] five hundred brethren at once…After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also.

Does it really matter whether or not one accepts the Resurrection story? I have already quoted Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved.

You cannot be saved unless you believe the Resurrection story. Why? Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19: Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Now here is the victorious note—But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (verse 20). 

There are a number of points here that we need to see. First of all, if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain (verse 14). Vain means “empty” or “meaningless.” Why? We would be preaching about a deceiver.

Jesus made some startling predictions. He said in Matthew 12:39,40, An evil and adulter­ous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Hear Jesus again in Matthew 16:21, From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Jesus said in John 2:19, Destroy this temple [this body], and in three days I will raise it up. He said, in effect, “They are going to kill Me; I will be in a grave for three days, but I am coming out of that grave.” If He had not done that, all our preaching would be in vain because we would be preaching about a deceiver who predicted many things and never fulfilled them.

We would also be preaching about one who had taught erroneously. If He could not back up the teaching of the Resurrection, then He would not be able to back up the teaching of the new birth when He said in John 3:7, Ye must be born again. He would not be able to back up the teaching of heaven when He said in John 14:2, In my Father’s house are many mansions. He would not be able to back up the teaching of salvation when He said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. But, praise God, He is risen and He is not a deceiver. We can believe every one of His teachings.

Second, our faith is also vain (verse 14). Why? Because one is trusting in a Saviour who could not produce what He had promised. He said, “I will come out of the grave the third day.” If He did not do it, He would not have kept His promises. If He could not keep that promise, He could not keep the others He made.

For instance, John 8:12: Iam the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 10:9: Iam the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.

John 11:25,26: I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

John 14:6: Iam the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If He could not fulfill the promise of His resurrection, He would not be able to fulfill these other promises. Therefore, our faith would be in vain because we would be trusting in one who could not fulfill what He had promised. Praise God, Christ is risen and we can accept every promise. Because He fulfilled the first promise concerning His resurrection, He will fulfill all the rest. He will be the Light of the world to you. He will be the Door to heaven. He will be the Way. He will be your Resurrection and Life if you will let Him into your heart today.

Third, we are found false witnesses (verse 15). Why? Because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. Matthew would have lied because he recorded the Resurrection story in chapter 28. He said in verse 6, He is ri­sen. Mark would have lied, for he recorded the same story in chapter 16. He triumphantly cried out in verse 6, He is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

Luke also would have been a prevaricator because he described the blessed Resurrection in a narrative found in Luke 24. He said in verse 3, And they entered in, and found not the body of theLord Jesus. Why? Because He was risen. John would have been untruthful because he unfolded the Resurrection scene in John 20. The Apostle Peter would have been a false witness because he said in Acts 3:15, [You] killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead.

All of these men would have been false witnesses or liars had they preached these truths, knowing that Christ’s body had been stolen. However, they were filled with the blessed Holy Spirit and integrity. The greatest proof that they believed the message they declared is the fact that they went through horrible torture and death for the message they proclaimed.

Do you think a man would give his life if he did not really believe what he was preaching? Matthew’s body was run through with a spear. Mark was dragged through the streets of Alex­andria until the skin was torn off his body and his blood seeped into the sand. Then he died. Luke was hanged, and John was thrown into boiling oil. Peter was crucified, and Paul was beheaded.

These men would not have given their lives if they knew it had been a concocted message. No, praise God, let’s say it again. He is risen! That is why these men were not false witnesses and why they even gave their lives for the mes­sage they preached.

Fourth, if there be no Resurrection, then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ [those who have died in Christ] are perished (verse 18). If Christ perished, then we which are in Christ shall perish. If Christ had not been able to overcome death, then we who are in Christ shall certainly not be able to overcome death, because our energy, strength, and life must come from Him.  Our Saviour said in John 14:19, Because I live, ye shall live also. Let me tell you this: Be­cause He is risen (praise God), all of our loved ones who died in Jesus are now in the presence of the Lord. Because He has eternal life in Him, He can give us this eternal life. Christ spoke the truth when He said in John 11:25 and 26, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. You can have life—eternal life—if you will come to this Jesus.

Finally, if Christ be not risen, we are of all men most miserable (verse 19). Of course! Why? Because our preaching would be vain. Our faith would be vain. We would be false witnesses, and we would perish. Let me say it one more time. HE IS RISEN! Our preaching is not vain, and our faith is not vain. We are not found false witnesses, and we shall never perish. We shall be with Jesus for the ages of ages. Oh, let Him into your heart today!

CHANGED LIVES – ONE AT A TIME

God bless you, dear Rexella!!

God bless you with His Strength multiplied to you daily!! Thank you for how you amazingly (in God’s Power) keep pressing forward with the ministry that you, and your beloved Jack shared, and brought to all of us the interpretation of the Prophetic Scriptures!! God bless you, and cover you under the Shelter of His Covering!! Maranatha, Lord Jesus!! Perhaps today!! Love you, dear Rexella!!!

Susie D.

Hi Rexella and team,

Jack Van Impe Presents has been one of my favorite television teachings to watch. I have been away from watching it for quite a while, until I found you online somehow. 

Thank you, Rexella, for continuing the work of your ministry. I found you when I was a new Christian in my late 40s. I praise God for what He has done in me through you and Jack. I am now signed up for your newsletters and will continue to do so.

God bless you,

Marie B.

HIGHLIGHTED MINISTRY OFFERS

When Death Was Defeated

A classic Easter special from Drs. Jack and Rexella Van Impe!

With original teaching from Dr. Jack Van Impe, When Death Was Defeated clearly proclaims the purpose and importance of the Cross, the Empty Tomb, and the glorious Resurrection.

These are the things we celebrate at Easter — and they have the power to save and redeem by the blood of the Savior Jesus Christ! This is why When Death Was Defeated contains a strong call to receive Christ as Savior; it’s perfect for non-Christians and will be a great blessing to believers, too.

Dr. Jack Van Impe was a renowned Bible prophecy expert, and in this teaching he discusses Bible prophecy and the symbolism you can find in the Resurrection story that points to these final days. This is one you don’t want to miss!

What You Need to Know About the Rapture

“Behold, I am telling you a mystery… we will all be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”

I Corinthians 15:51-52

Mysterious yet intriguing, the rapture is one of the most fascinating prophetic subjects in the Bible.  But what is it?  When will it take place?  Why does is seem so hard to understand?

Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, compiler and author of The Ryrie Study Bible, clarifies the diverse views on this complex topic in a reader-friendly manner.  As you engage w this comprehensive guide, you will discover answers to these important questions.

• How does prophecy benefit people today?
• Why are the same scriptures interpreted so differently?
• What events surround the rapture?
• What is the millennium?
• How do we benefit from a clear understanding of the rapture?

Using concise language and helpful diagrams, Ryrie explores the key events that surround the last days from a pretribulational perspective.  As you immerse yourself in this straightforward study, you will not only grow in your knowledge of the rapt and its key role in future events, but also experience the profound joy of knowing God’s glorious plan for the future!