FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

Where Would I Be?

Part 1

We are in my favorite time of the year. As we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas my mind goes back to all those wonderful times I had together with my family. We had a wonderful tradition in our home for Christmas. We would never open our gifts until my Father read the entire Christmas story. He always emphasized that the birth of the Savior is what Christmas is truly about, not the opening of gifts, not even enjoying Mother’s wonderful dinner, but the awe inspiring fact that God became Flesh to dwell among us. What a blessing it was to be reared in a home that taught the truths of God’s love and the joy of celebrating the birth of Christ as a family.

We recognize the contrast this is to what the world celebrates today. The emphasis in our society is shopping, decorating, and rushing around so much to the point that we hardly have time to enjoy Christmas. It seems like the stores put up their Christmas sale displays earlier and earlier each year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of them come up with a “Back to School Christmas Sale” in the month of August. Christmas has become a time when people often go out on a limb financially, and even get into debt in order to provide gifts for friends and loved ones. There is nothing wrong with wanting to give someone a gift. There is a special joy and blessing in sharing as long as we put the right value on it. A gift under the tree should always remind us of the gift from Heaven – the tree also should remind us ultimately of why Jesus came to be our Savior. And of course this reminds us of Calvary’s tree.

Every gift that we buy; every gift that we open, and every gift that we look at under the tree should remind us of the greatest gift of all – a gift that was laid in the manger and wrapped in the simplest way – in swaddling clothes; which brings us to the Christmas story.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7).

As I read of our Lord’s birth in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, I cannot help but wonder two things. Where would I have been and what would I have done if I had been on the earth at that time. Would I have reacted the same way to this ancient scenario as some people reacted? First of all where would I have been and how would I have responded if I had been the innkeeper?

We all know that as a result of the decree of Caesar Augustus every person was required to go to the town of his or her birth to register and pay taxes. This is why the innkeeper had a problem. Yes, the inn was filled to capacity and therefore no room was available for Joseph and Mary. I’m sure that if he had an extra room he would have said “Oh yes, you are going to have a baby, you are going to soon bring forth a child and so I need to give you the best room in my inn”. But because of the overflow of people there was no room in the inn. If I had been the innkeeper would I have been sitting behind the desk saying “I don’t have room for you, but I’ll put you in the stable”? Or would I have come out from behind that desk with compassion and understanding and found a warm and comfortable place for Mary to have her precious baby?

Every time I read this passage I think of the story of the young boy who was born with Down Syndrome who had a part in his church’s Christmas pageant. This young boy loved the Lord and was so proud to be playing the part of the innkeeper. He went around the house practicing his lines: “There’s no room at the inn – you will have to stay in the stable.” The night of the pageant came and there he was, dressed in costume and standing before the audience. The two children came in who were playing the parts of Joseph and Mary; said their lines and waited for the response from the innkeeper. He looked nervous, but then took a deep breath and said his line just as he had practiced it – “There’s no room at the inn – you’ll have to stay in the stable.” As Mary and Joseph started to exit the stage to move on to the next scene, a pained look came across his face and suddenly he cried out: “No, wait, wait, you can have MY room!”

Oh, to have such a loving heart as that precious child exhibited. What a joy that would have been for me if I had been able to say as the innkeeper, please come and stay in my room; enjoy my humble dwelling and let me help you through this special time as you are ready to give birth. Would I have just remained behind that desk and said to my co-workers ‘Take them into the stable and they can have the straw out there on which to lay the baby’. It brings tears to my eyes to think that this is where God knew and divinely planned for His Son to be born.

The Gospel is story in inclusive of every class of people; the lowly as well as the middle and upper class of society. I would probably say that the innkeeper would be considered, in that era of time, as the middle class of his society. Had I been in the Middle class of that day would I have been humble enough to say “I will go into the stable, you stay in my room” where would I have been if God had given me this choice to make. What a great opportunity to show my love and compassion for the parents and for the Savior of the world.

Let’s take a look at another class of people – the lowly shepherds.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (Luke 2:8-10)

Being a shepherd during the time of Christ was not a 9 – 5 job. The shepherds would spend every hour of every day with their sheep, leading them, protecting them from predators and thieves, and tending their wounds. If I had been a chosen shepherd that heard the voice of an angel would I have received the message? Or would I have said “Oh no, oh my goodness, this is just a dream, I can’t accept this. This is too much to absorb, who am I? I’m just a poor little shepherd out here I can’t be expected to actually have seen an angel and have the glory of the Lord around me and hear the angel announce “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” I find it hard to imagine what they thought. But where would I have been? Would I have said “I’m going to leave the sheep and I’m going to follow the greatest announcement that has ever been given to the world and that is that Christ the Lord has been born.

Traditionally, the sheep that were raised in the fields near Bethlehem were used for the Temple sacrifices to cover the sins of the people. How beautiful and how perfect is it that God called these shepherds, who were very familiar with the requirements for a sacrificial lamb, to be the first ones to see, outside of Mary and Joseph, the “…Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world“

I pray that I would have done exactly what these lowly shepherds did. That I would have not only listened to the announcement but I would have heard and reacted positively “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

I can almost hear God saying: Well, you may have trouble believing in the message from one angel, so I’ll show you the Heavenly Host. If there had been any shadow of a doubt in their minds, there could be no question that this was something tremendously out of the ordinary.

Think of it, the shepherds could have been frightened beyond all description, but the minute they heard the host praising God and saying Glory to God, the shepherds said “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem…” I can’t imagine the tremendous shaking in their hearts as they thought “here is God’s Son being born. Let’s go now to see heavens greatest gift to the world.”

Once we get a message from Heaven, our response should be “let’s go now.” When Jesus gave the great commission our response should be “let’s go now.”

I am so grateful that God not only gave the Middle Class (the innkeeper) the opportunity to come forth and be blessed, but He also gave the humble lowly shepherds the same opportunity.

We will look at the Wise Men in our next newsletter.

A CLASSIC MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE

Revelation 14:17-20

Verse 17: And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

Verse 18: And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

Verse 19: And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Verse 20: And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

This final scene of Revelation 14 describes the work of two angels. The one with a sharp sickle comes from the temple in heaven, while the other with power over fire emerges from the altar. The one in command is the angel from the altar. He immediately orders that the vine be cut off and cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Since true children of God are branches of the vine (see John 15:5), the members of the one-world church of the Antichrist and false prophet are called members of Satan’s vine. The time of their pruning or destruction has arrived at last, and they are cut off and cast into the great winepress of God’s indignation.

Oh, what a purging of branches takes place during this hour! The conflict begins in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and becomes centered in the Valley of Jezreel, which is on the plain of Esdraelon near the hill of Megiddo (chapter 16, verse 16). I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down: for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision (Joel 3:2, 10-14). Eventually the battle encompasses the entire nation of Israel and is, of course, global in involvement as the armies of the world meet in the Middle East for the final holocaust of history-the Battle of Armageddon (see Zechariah 14:2).

The result is a 200-mile-long area soaked with blood, (one thousand six hundred furlongs, in American mathematics, is a distance of 200 miles.) Interestingly, the nation of Israel is 200 miles long, from north to south. According to Ezekiel 39:8-16, seven months will be required to bury the dead and the armaments of war will be burned for seven years afterward! The tense Middle East situation certainly signals the return of Christ.

In light of the unprecedented devastation just described, a few additional thoughts are appropriate at this time. First of all, when Russia, under the names Gog, Magog, Mechech, Tubal, and Rosh, invades Israel, the largest armies in the history of the world will converge on the Middle East. Ezekiel states that they will come up like a cloud (see Ezekiel 38:16). John tells us that the number of the army of the horsemen [is] two hundred thousand thousand-or two hundred million (chapter 9, verse 16). No wonder the conflict is so incredible.

Secondly, the weapons are the deadliest ever used in the history of mankind. A fire goeth before him (Psalm 97:3). For, behold, the Lord will come with fire (Isaiah 66:15). The flaming flame shall not be quenched (Ezekiel 20:47). A fire devoureth before them (Joel 2:3). Who? The northern army from Russia that is driven back to Siberia. Hear God’s statement: But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things (Joel 2:20).

The retreat is effectual in Joel 2:30, for the prophet states: And I [saw] wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars [or literally columns] of smoke. These are the exact characteristics of a nuclear blast! The whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy (Zephaniah 1:18). For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven (Malachi 4:1). Now we understand why the nation of Israel will be drenched with blood. No wonder Jeremiah 30:7 says, Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. Daniel 12:1 adds, There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was. This time is so horrendous that there will never have been anything like it in the past nor shall there be anything like it again in the future. Jesus agreed. He said in Matthew 24:21, For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Revelation 9:18 adds, By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

Finally Russia is going to be smashed in the Middle East. Proof: Therefore, thou son of man prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee (Ezekiel 39:1,2). Later, the Battle of Armageddon will be fought and will assuredly become history’s most terrifying holocaust. However, the good news is that, as a Christian, you will not be present-and if you are not yet a believer, you do not have to be present. So I plead with you to receive Christ without delay.

CHANGED LIVES-one at a time

Dear Rexella,

God bless you and only ETERNITY will be able to unveil the magnitude of your work and warning bells you have been ringing to those sleeping in the battle ground, keep on ringing the warning Bells because many are rising from deep slumber daily and only in Eternity you will see what God did through you, I have been watching your program for 10 years now and I was amongst the sleeping who God raised from deep slumber and am running this RACE with my Eyes on the Bright Blue SKY waiting and looking for the Return of My King JESUS. I reside in Dublin Ireland with my husband and three children.

From,

Mary O.

I can’t recall how long I’ve been watching your program, but you have been instrumental in my personal salvation and awakened in me a thirst to know Him more. I want to thank you for the work you do. Praise God

Marian B.

HIGHLIGHTED MINISTRY OFFERS

Heaven: The Eternal Home…For Some / A Place Called Heaven

God’s majestic dwelling place…your home for all eternity!

Jack Van Impe Ministries joins together Dr. Rexella Van Impe and Dr. Robert Jeffress to answer all of your questions about heaven and why it’s so important to share the promise of heaven with the lost. This special packs a powerful message that will:

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Celebrating the Birth of the Eternal God / Hope in the Last Days combo

Jack Van Impe Ministries, Dr. Rexella Van Impe, and Dr. Dave Williams present a Christmas special like no other!

In a world that opposes the truth about Jesus and His birth, we can stand together. Celebrating the Birth of the Eternal God examines how Christ’s birth in Bethlehem was foretold in Bible prophecy, then goes on to show…

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With bonus footage not included in the broadcast special, this DVD shares the true story of Christmas, the truth about Jesus, and the message of salvation.. Share this treasure with your friends and family!