Update from the President

We returned from the Netherlands earlier in the week from a wonderful visit to the church. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with brethren at church services in Driebergen in the middle of the country. The congregation is a young one with lots of little children. There are two elders, Marcos Rosales (who was away this week in Curaçao) and newly-ordained Wim Dekker.

After services, we traveled further southeast to visit Erik and Jamie De Moei along with their son, Derrik, in Rhenen. Jamie has been grievously ill with cancer. She has an extremely positive outlook on whatever will happen, being fully confident that her life is in God's hands. Before leaving, we all prayed for her healing. We were greatly encouraged by her faith and attitude.

So what is the real meaning of events like Brexit for us? It should serve as a sobering but exciting call to personal action!

On Sunday, we spent the entire day in Amsterdam with Wim and Anne Kristel Dekker. The highlight was touring the Anne Frank House. We enjoyed getting to know the Dekkers.

Before the Netherlands, we visited in Chernihev, Ukraine, where we celebrated 20 years of working together with the "Revival" Center for Rehabilitation of Disabled Children. It is located 30 miles east of Chernobyl and has become Ukraine's foremost center for treating children with cerebral palsy, autism and Down syndrome. It is now helping 60 children at a time from the war-torn Donetsk and Lugansk areas further east.

LifeNets has worked with this Center since it was opened in 1996. We were happy to celebrate with the doctors, city officials and many guests about the achievements of Dr. Vasyl Pasichnyk and his wife Natallia.

I was given the opportunity speak a few words and expressed how God helped this center which arose from nothing into a beautiful environment that helps in children's therapy. To this secular audience, I quoted the parable of the mustard seed and also spoke about how whatever work God begins, He will finish.

Brexit and Bible Prophecy

June 2016 will go down in history as a momentous and sobering time, one when the United Kingdom shocked the world by its referendum and decision to terminate its membership in the European Union (termed Brexit, which is shortened from "British exit"). What does this mean, particularly as it relates to Bible prophecy and, more importantly, to our personal lives?

Ironically, on the very day that Britain decided to leave the European Union, Bev and I were in were in Ukraine at the "Revival" Center celebration. A British delegation of charity workers who had worked here over the past 20 years was in attendance. This included the British Ambassador to Ukraine, the Honorable Judy Gough, with whom we spoke.

It was interesting to see their response to their home country exiting the European Union. They were split down the middle about whether it would be better to stay or to leave. From the previous spirited discussions, it was evident that no one really thought Britain would vote to get out of the EU. All were shocked when the vote turned out the way it did.

Those favoring leaving were influenced by the huge increase in immigrants who are changing the culture of the land. One mentioned a friend schoolteacher saying that in her school there were 42 languages being spoken. Bev and I saw firsthand how these fresh dangers affect the UK and Europe, and how they can falsely appear distant and perhaps unimportant to people in the United States.

Given a broad understanding of the biblical identity of the British people, some students of Bible prophecy are already ascribing specific significance to this Brexit event. There is no question it IS significant, but what does it mean?

When I first read church literature in 1962, and later as a student on the campus in Bricket Wood, England, I often saw articles about the developing European Economic Community (EEC). I read predictions that the EEC would serve as the foundation of the final prophesied revival of the ancient Roman Empire as described in Daniel 2. The articles confidently and prophetically proclaimed that Britain would not be part of this biblically described shaky union of 10 countries.

But back then, when Britain surprised numerous political pundits by unexpectedly becoming part of the EEC, it appeared to some that this prophetic understanding was flawed. Today more than 20 countries belong to the European Community, more than double what the Bible indicates will comprise the final union. So what does this mean? From an organizational perspective, I know that years ago when events took a different turn, some became disenchanted. They were impatient and unwilling to allow God to work out events on His timetable.

Now, with Brexit forcing major change and a possible realignment on the European continent, it appears that events are possibly "speeding up." To be sure, Brexit represents a major event. But what should our perspective be? What should we do?

Certainly the Bible warns us to be watchful. We read this warning: "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning... It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes... [and] finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night" (Luke 12:35-38, New International Version).

The point about being ready is critical. When Jesus Himself was describing His prophesied return in power, as King of Kings, He emphatically stated: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36). He re-emphasized this in His last message to the apostles: "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7). How much plainer could Jesus be?

At the same time, Paul warns us that "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Jesus Himself noted that the end times will resemble the times of Noah, when people are consumed with the affairs of the world and prophesied events take them by surprise (Matthew 24:36-44). He told His disciples: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:42, NIV).

So what is the real meaning of events like Brexit for us? It should serve as a sobering but exciting call to personal action!

Jesus personally tells us: "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads... pray always that you may be counted worthy" (Luke 21:28, 36).

For me, Brexit represents a call to re-double our efforts to draw close to God, to build a trusting relationship with our Father and our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. It should serve as a call to further surrender ourselves to God, to ask for and receive God's Holy Spirit so that we can overcome our human nature and become victorious as the very children of God! Hebrews warns us: "how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3) Paul tells us that the definition of a true Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit living within him (Romans 8:9). The entire chapter of Matthew 25 presents the famous parable of the 10 virgins, all of whom fall asleep at the critical time, but only half have invested the time and energy to have a right relationship with God, and to have their lamps full.

Certainly we need to continue to fearlessly proclaim to this dying world the gospel of the Kingdom of God and what that means. We need to pray that we will have the strength and the wisdom to do this according to God's will.

But none of it makes a difference if each of us is not personally developing a strong relationship with God and Jesus Christ.

Many things will come to pass, and God will execute His glorious plan. In the meantime, let our thoughts, words and actions reflect our status as the very children of the Most High God! Let us be about our Father's business (Luke 2:49).