News from the Belgian Evangelical Mission
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February - March 2014 Bimonthly newsletter Issue 46 The Belgian Evangelical Mission Bld. Lambermont, 158, 1030 Brussels Belgium
BEM Info
Lost in wonder at the work of His hands by Luc Salsac “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” Ephesians 1 v.17-20 2014 is already a few weeks old. No doubt, just as we do every year, we had hoped to live it differently; more committed in our life in Christ, in our love for others,…but the weeks have gone by and there is so little change. Perhaps this is because we are relying on our own strength, on our own will, instead of surrendering ourselves to the grace of God. Only He can transform us deep down by His Spirit. This is why I have been challenged by Paul’s prayer in the Epistle to the Ephesians. It is not about what we should do, but about what God does for us. We ‘just’ need to receive it, to believe it, to surrender to it, to live it. “That God may give you a spirit of wisdom.” Seeing the reality of what the world offers us as ‘wisdom’, surely we need God’s wisdom. Let us not rely on our own wisdom, but rather ask God to give us His wisdom. James 1 v.5 also invites us to do so “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
“That you may know... what hope is.” Listening to those around, you discover that they have little hope. In Jesus, we have a living hope that should inspire us, help us to move forward, a living hope that we can make known to others. This hope is ours; may we grasp it more and more surely. “That you may know… the riches of his glorious inheritance.” We are probably not among the wealthiest people around; however, we are richer than we imagine. We have everything in Christ. It is He that watches over us and takes care of us. We are sons and daughters of the King of kings. “That you may know… his incomparably great power.” Do I believe that God can do anything and that in Him and by Him nothing is impossible? Paul says that this power is manifested by the resurrection of Christ. This is not nothing. It is this power that is also at work in me to take me from death to life. This power produces life where death seems to reigns in me. We are not limited to what we are today, but God is transforming us to make us ever more like Christ. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4 v.13 It is by Christ that everything is possible. I just need to surrender to Him.
It may be that the BEM Info that you have in your hands appears to be a repeat of the previous issue. If you are one of our regular readers you will understand that we are referring to our general running costs and the reason why we are bringing up the subject. Our reserves are already on call and are slowly running out. As for the gifts received for the Co-workers’ Funds, they are in free fall. We are not yet at the bottom, but we want to take this opportunity of including here an article dedicated to this urgent subject.
Please pray with us. information@b-e-m.org +32 (0)2/241.30.15.
N TED WA
We are looking for a volunteer who would be willing to clean our offices in Brussels +/- once in three weeks.
A team of m issionaries committed to
n o g n i r e t e Te k n i r b e th
Let me tell you about someone. This is one of our administrative co-workers, serving with dedication and joy in the ministry for a number of years, but now afraid that they will no longer be able to carry on. This is not due to a change in their personal circumstances, but because of insufficient gifts received. The lack of material means is also hindering them from doing their work properly. If you do not have our previous issue to hand, we are referring to gifts for the General Fund of BEM in Belgium. The use of these ‘general’ gifts includes the financing of the functioning and administration of the central offices, costs linked to the building - services, computers, purchase of material, but also in part the salaries of administrative employees. These constitute the majority of the expenditure Mission, and are paid through the Workers’ Funds.
“In our we are helpless without the office team.”
“Every euro (or pound or dollar) counts.”
Support the Staff Fund Contribute financially to the Staff Fund (personaly or with your church) and receive a regular newsletter from ‘your’ missionary so you can also support them in prayer. Send a check to: See details on the back
Wilfried Goossens, Flemish director of the Mission, explains, “They say that behind every great man is a great woman. In our Mission, the office team stands behind every one of our activities. Overall, financial support for BEM has not dropped, our projects are well supported, but unfortunately, all to often, the General Fund is forgotten. Without your help, there can no longer be a central office. In every organisation, the administrative department is vital: without the office, there cannot be a Belgian Evangelical Mission. Fokkeline Maeyens, BEM missionary in Aalst, compares it to a heart. “We can come to the BEM office in Brussels with our questions about practical matters and the financial support for each coworker is managed there. In human terms, the administrative team is the link that unites the whole family of BEM.” Please, take the time to think prayerfully about this big challenge and the possibility of supporting us financially. Every euro (or pound or dollar) counts. This sounds like a cliché but it is so logical.The whole team of the BEM thanks you for your support in the past and hopes that this link will be closer in the future.
Belgium o building Christ’s Church in
The beginnings of HGB In our last issue, you read that this year, Het Goede Boek (The Good Book), the Flemish branch of the BEM bookshops, would be celebrating its 40th birthday. We want to thank those who made contact to remind us that from 1926, well before the launch of HGB in Flanders in 1973, the Mission had a bi-lingual bookshop in Brussels. Thanks to you, we have learned that it is not only our current workers that have something to tell us; old friends who, so to speak, saw Het Goede Boek take shape, have their own tale to tell. Among them, Anneke Schellevis, a courageous Dutch sister in Christ, who worked in the Flemish bookshops in the 70s and 80s – a tale of ups and downs, and of trust in God from the very beginning. “In 1973, Johan Lukasse, who was then director of the Mission, asked me to start a bookshop in Flanders. I agreed to accept the challenge that took me into a world of which I then knew nothing at all. In my own little Citroen 2CV, I went off to the publishers in Holland to fetch the books. I then had to bring them back to the frontier, most often to Baarle-Nassau. For every article - Bibles, books, posters, cards, records, and even silver crosses - a code number had to be included on a list that the customs officers carefully studied. I still remember the feeling of relief when I was finally able to pass through the frontier. Nowadays it is so much easier.” “The work grew and people came to Christ. Some years later we had four bookshops in Flanders and operated nearly twenty book-tables elsewhere. We were always present at conferences with a large stand. May 1st- ‘Bijbeldag’ (Bible Day) in Antwerp, November 1st-the Convention in Gent and Ladies’ Day in Heverlee were all great days, but a lot of work! Forty years later many folk have forgotten the beginnings of ‘Het Goede Boek’ and the many volunteers who have helped over the years. “ “Those were very busy years and, of course, not easy ones. Happily, whenever there was a worry or a problem, Johan Lukasse was there and I could turn to him for the advice that would enable me to carry on. I knew that I was called to this ministry and that always gave me new strength and joy. In 1985, I passed the torch to Teo Kamp. Computers arrived- a revolution. I can only add that the Lord always gave abundant grace from the first day. And it is still evident today in the new bookshop in Courtrai.”
Belgian Evangelical Mission - UK Enterprise number: 0410.278.623 Bld. Lambermont, 158 - 1030 Brussels
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