FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

Count It All Joy – part 1

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).

We will continue to look at how to Count It All Joy in our next newsletter.

A CLASSIC MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE

Revelation 16:1-9

The information presented in the following twenty-one verses should cause all men to examine their relationship with the Almighty God. The events we are about to observe are both awesome and terrifying. In fact, the only consolation for the believer is that he will not be present when the forthcoming scenario actually takes place. By the time our study is concluded, we will understand and appreciate more than ever before the words of the Apostle Paul in Titus 2:13: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The final seven judgments of the Tribulation hour are about to begin.

Verse 1: And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

The voice of Almighty God issues forth from the smoke-filled Temple, directing the angels to carry out their duties. Remember, God himself is sending forth these judgments. His holiness has been offended.

Mankind has worshiped a man-the Antichrist, the devil in human skin-even bowing to his image, the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15). The true and eternal God is justly angry. He cannot allow this iniquity to go unjudged.

In Isaiah 42:8 Jehovah says, I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Again, in Exodus 20:4-6: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Because mankind, en masse, has grossly violated this commandment during the Tribulation period, the promised judgment must begin.

First bowl judgment

Verse 2: The first [angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image.

What a scene, as the first bowl is poured out and men become covered with ulcerated sores! They had the mark of the beast (666), and now they have the mark of God-ulcers. These festering infections probably obscure the beast’s number.

Can this verse be taken literally? The plague is similar to one of past history: And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains [ulcerated sores] upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians (Exodus 9:8-11). What a terrible price men pay for not believing God!

Second bowl judgment

Verse 3: And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

Again history records a time when the waters turned to blood: Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt (Exodus 7:17-21). If God did it once, He can certainly do it again. He is the omnipotent, all-powerful God. His promises never fail.

Pausing momentarily to review our studies, we recall that the second seal (chapter 6:3,4) brought great bloodshed upon earth and the second trumpet blast (chapter 8:8) caused a third part of the sea to become blood. In the verse presently under study, every sea creature perishes when the water is turned to blood. The result is an unbearable stench throughout the entire world as these organisms decease and decay. Think of it! That which always symbolized life-the life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11)-and symbolized salvation-the blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7)-now becomes a symbol of condemnation and death. Wait! There is more. The third vial extends the destruction to all bodies of water internationally.

Third bowl judgment

Verse 4: And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

Verse 5: And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

Verse 6: For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Verse 7: And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

By this time, one may have been tempted to believe that God is not just. To the contrary, God is always equitable, fair, and righteous in His dealings with men. Genesis 18:25 declares, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? No man has all the facts in his possession. Thus, he must wait until he meets God face to face. Then and only then will he be able to make unbiased decisions.

Notice that angelic beings have different responsibilities upon earth. In our text, we see the angel of (or over) the waters justifying God’s actions by saying, Thou art righteous, O Lord [the eternal one] … because [of thy judgments]. In effect, the angel is saying, “The wicked beast worshippers who shed the blood of so many of Your saints and prophets may not satisfy their insatiable desire for blood by drinking it to their heart’s content. They deserve what has happened to them. You have answered the prayers of Your saints under the altar” (chapter 6). As this message of vindication to the Almighty is concluded, a voice from the altar replies, “Even so,” or “Amen.” Justice prevails. God’s judgments are true and righteous.

Fourth bowl judgment

Verse 8: And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

Verse 9: And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The inhabitants of planet earth now experience the greatest heat wave in history. Many of us remember what happened in the South during the summer of 1980. Crops were parched and great numbers of people died as temperatures consistently soared over 100 degrees F. Now we see what happens when the sun is out of control. Isaiah predicted this period of time in chapter 24, verses 4-6: The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

The earth becomes so drastically hot during this judgment that God has to alleviate the suffering by shortening the daylight hours. Jesus said in Matthew 24:22, And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. What did He mean? Many scholars have proposed the idea of the Tribulation period being abbreviated, but this is an impossibility because God’s predestined program for the Tribulation totals seven years-or eighty-four months, or exactly 2,520 days. Since the scheduled timetable is already prophesied, not one day can be cut from the program. Verse 2 of chapter 11 mentions 1,260 days as one-half of this period and no one can change God’s plan. Therefore, we must find another explanation.

Is there a solution? Definitely! God shortens the daylight hours and lengthens the night seasons to keep millions alive. He accomplishes this by darkening the sun, as predicted by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened (Matthew 24:29). This statement harmonizes with Revelation 6:12: And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair. God’s method of shortening the daylight hours hinders the sun’s death purge of earth’s inhabitants by reducing the amount of ultraviolet rays bombarding the planet. This act of mercy is for His people, the saved Tribulation saints, for He adds in Matthew 24:22, But for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Once again we need to remember that the Church, the elect bride of Christ composed of all those who were born again prior to the Rapture (chapter 4, verse 1), is at home in glory during this time. The earthly group of Tribulation saints presently being discussed constitutes the election of Romans 11:28. They are also referred to as Jacobites, or Israelites, in Romans 11:26. These are Jews. They are not members of the bride of Christ, but rather members of the wife of Jehovah (See Isaiah 42:1, 45:4, 65:9, 22).

Mankind’s reaction to the scorching with fire takes the form of further rebellion. Instead of repenting and appealing to God who has power to stay the plague (verse 9), the people aim a barrage of four-letter blasphemies at the Almighty. The human heart is exceedingly wicked and callous (see Jeremiah 17:9). Even in the face of such agonizing judgment, repentance, restitution, and reconciliation are the farthest things from men’s minds. Truly, they are hardened sinners.

CHANGED LIVES-one at a time

I have been a recipient of your newsletter for a couple of years now. I have been blessed by it. Any time I need to be set on fire, God leads me to one of your newsletters. I am in Africa, Ghana and just want to give you feedback and let you know that you are here too. Thank you so much.

Love and blessings,

Nanna N.

Dear Rexella,

Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Your and Dr. Jacks teachings and resources have helped me spiritually over the years and I cannot find words to thank you adequately for all what you both have meant to me.

May the never-failing good Lord bless you now, always and in all ways.

Yours in His service,

John M.

HIGHLIGHTED MINISTRY OFFERS

Israel’s Ultimate Redemption

All eyes on Israel…

On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel. A surprise attack that no one saw coming led to slaughter, rape, and the kidnapping of innocent Israeli citizens. And to war.

Our current headlines are just the latest chapter in the story of a people beleaguered by war and persecution.

Now, more than ever, it is important that we recall the entire story of the Jewish people and the miraculous fulfillment of this nation in biblical prophecy, for the future of the world will be affected by the future of Israel.

In the pages of this booklet, you’ll discover God’s undying love for Israel, His constant attention to their plight — and His plan to bring about the redemption of the world through His chosen people in His chosen land

The Blessed hope of Israel is your hope as well!

Jesus the Only Way

Jesus is! He’s so good, perfect, and kind! And He’s the only way to heaven Believe in Him Today!

We live in such a confused, chaotic world! And yet there is hope to be found in the person of Jesus Christ and in His completed work at Calvary

Let us never wash down the message or attempt to combine it with the false messages of other religions Jesus is God’s gift to us, and by believing in Him, we are assured an eternity in heaven!

This little booklet answers many of the questions Drs Jack and Rexella Van Impe were asked through the years about Jesus, the possibility of One World Religion and God’s divine plan through the work of His Son on the cross

May the truths presented herein bring hope encouragement and joyful anticipation for the future we’ll spend sitting at the feet of Jesus!