“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

We are urged to “stand fast.” The reason? So we may keep and hold the things we have been taught.

The Apostle Paul gives us detailed information about our standing in Ephesians 6, where he identifies the enemy, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (verse 12). That means the things we may identify in flesh and blood are not our enemies, rather the powers of darkness, the spiritual wickedness in the invisible world—“spiritual wickedness in high places.” 

What are we to do? “To stand against the wiles of the devil.” In verse 13 we read, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  Verse 14 continues, “Stand therefore.” 

These are the instructions to victoriously stand against the spiritual darkness originating from the god of this world. 

We are not instructed to attack, neither to confront, but simply to stand on Calvary’s victory ground!

Many dear Christians expend their time, energy, and means in fighting the wrong enemy—flesh and blood. But that will not lead to victory, rather defeat. When we mingle in Satan’s territory, we remove ourselves from Calvary’s territory of victory.

James gives us the following instruction: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Then in verse 8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

Often, we make the mistake of “drawing nigh to God” without first resisting the devil. Standing means resolutely saying no to sin. James uses rather strong words toward us: “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness” (James 4:8-9).

Global Insecurity
It seems that the increasing insecurity in the geopolitical world, including economy and finance, is prophetically demonstrating clouds of coming judgment. This extreme apprehension is expressed by the news media from all across the globe. No one can say for sure what will happen next. The United States is sinking deeper and deeper in debt. The European Union is faced with an unprecedented and quite unexpected problem—the euro. The Arab world is in an uproar. While Tunisia and Egypt have deposed their leaders, no one knows what will happen next. In Israel, large protest marches call for more socialism. It seems that the only positive news comes from communist China. Their economy continues to grow year-after-year, accumulating immense riches; thus, they are able to play the benevolent nation—helping those who are in debt.

The Church
In the midst of all this, there is the Church of Jesus Christ, consisting of born again believers, sealed by the Spirit of God. They are in this world, but not of it. Our aim is vertical, not horizontal. We are not looking for success, the betterment of our country, or a change in the economic or financial situation; we are “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). He hasn’t come yet, but we continue to stand fast on His Word, His promises. One day we will be in the place He has prepared for all who love Him. That’s the call of all Christians standing on His Word. It especially encourages our missionaries who serve in the various foreign countries, who also stand on the solid Word of God. What a joy it is when we hear and read reports from missionaries that many who were once in darkness have come to the light, breaking through to a living faith in Jesus Christ our coming Lord.

Midnight Call Missionaries
Based on the information I have at hand, our last “Missions Update” appeared in Midnight Call magazine, December 2008. Many of our dear friends have asked, “What happened? Have the missionaries ceased to work? Are the stations closed? Have we stopped our missionary outreach?” Happily, we can answer all these questions with a decided no! Our missionaries continue to operate in various capacities and in many countries and continents. 

The reason for the missing “Missions Update” is primarily due to time, space and translation. We are aware that most of our readers and supporters have their own obligations regarding missionaries through their respective churches. But there are still many who are not actively participating in missionary outreach. If these few words have any purpose, then it is to encourage you, dear reader, to support missionaries.

Time means simply getting things together for publication, which involves more than most of us know. Then there is space in our magazine, in which we have given priority to articles related to prophetic issues globally—that is the calling of Midnight Call Ministries. Most important, however, is translation. Virtually all of our missionaries do not correspond in English; thus, translation is required and that, needless to say, is costly. These are just a few of the reasons why you have not read “Missions Update” in Midnight Call magazine.

International Editions
A special international edition of Midnight Call in English began in 1989. The magazine, containing prophetic oriented messages as well as prophecy related news and “Letters to the Editor,” was published for Asia and Africa. 

In India, our coworker John Ishmael is responsible for the publication and distribution to various Asian countries.

For Africa, the magazine was printed and distributed by Evangel Publishing House in Nairobi, Kenya.

Presently, we had to discontinue the publication in Africa due to communication problems and other difficulties in that country.

Midnight Call Ministries pays for the production and distribution, including postage, to the various distributors. The local missionaries receiving the magazines are responsible for individual distribution and subscription collection to the benefit of their own local ministry.

Brazil
In 1968, Midnight Call International (Switzerland) established the headquarters for Brazil in Porto Alegre. A missionary printing plant was built some time later. All of Midnight Call’s literature in Portuguese, as well as some Spanish language resources are produced at the Midnight Call printing plant in Porto Alegre. 

Our Brazilian missionaries report of continuous growth, particularly through effective utilization of the internet.

Brazil’s Annual Prophecy Congress continues to grow in attendance year-by-year. Just recently, we were informed that the Prophetic Congress Tour, scheduled for May 2012 from Brazil to Israel, is sold out.

Bolivia
In spite of the many ups and downs in this country, missionary activity continues to blossom as reported by our headquarters in Riberalta. One of the primary outreaches is targeted toward school children. The headquarters in Riberalta operates a relatively large public school with the granted privilege by the government to allow religious (Bible) instruction for the children. Many come to a living knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Also in the city of Riberalta, Midnight Call operates a Christian bookstore offering no less than 1500 resources.

Argentina
With a special equipped literature bus, our missionaries visit the most remote places in this gigantic country with blessed results. Here again, we experience that our Lord continues to build His Church, using the missionaries and the local believers as His tools in His hand.

In Argentina, Midnight Call missionaries also operate a small printing plant, producing tracts and booklets in Spanish.

Guatemala
Right in the center of Guatemala City, our missionaries operate a Christian bookstore with rather amazing results. Tens of thousands of Bibles, Christian books, and millions of tracts are being distributed. Our missionaries are responsible for the Spanish edition of Midnight Call.

Uruguay
It was in March 1979 when Midnight Call’s Bible Institute was founded in the city of Montevideo. That is the place where many of Midnight Call’s missionaries received their biblical foundation. One of the former students we wish to mention is Norbert Lieth, who is now the main conference speaker for the European continent. Others are still serving with their children and grandchildren, proclaiming, testifying, and demonstrating that only Jesus saves and that He is coming again.

One of the very effective missionary outreaches is Radio El Libertador. This radio station, owned and operated by Midnight Call Ministries, proclaims the wonderful Gospel 24 hours a day.

Israel
Lastly, we want to mention the important work in Israel. There, we operate the Beth Shalom Hotel on Mount Carmel. This is a Christian hotel, but is open to the public and serves all who come. Prayer, Bible reading and study are part of this work.

Beth Shalom is our physical contact in  Israel, and the Executive Directors are responsible for distribution of funds received primarily from Europe, which assist various Israeli projects, particularly hospitals.

Since 1992, Beth Shalom has been administering our Action for Israel fund.  They are able to witness firsthand the needs of missionary organizations and local churches. We deliberately do not publish names or addresses, since doing so could endanger the recipients of our help. 

Incidentally, that’s the system we followed during the days of the Soviet Union, when our special “behind the Iron Curtain” staff supplied churches and individuals with Bibles, literature, tape recordings, and LP records. This work was kept totally hidden, and even coworkers were not informed of the various avenues used to successfully supply resources to our brethren behind the Iron Curtain. Thus, because of the sensitivity, we choose not to give further details and kindly ask not to inquire about it.

Summary
Midnight Call’s missionaries throughout Central and South America, as well as on the European continent, are 100 percent supported by Midnight Call International (Switzerland). Our missionaries in Asia and Africa receive subsidies. What is important to emphasize is that those receiving support from the U.S.A. are in dire need because of the continuous devaluation of the dollar in relationship to other currencies. We pass this information on with the hope that we will be able to give additional details directly from the missionaries, as we have done in the past. We should always remember that our task here on earth, as the Church of Jesus Christ, is not complete yet. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).