Oliver (Taiwan) – October Update

A few days ago, I was driving my children to school and while stopped at the stoplight before their school, we noticed the scrambling of Taiwan fighter jets in the sky as they vectored off to the West. There is a major air base near their school. Later that day, I heard on the news that a number of military aircraft from China had penetrated the defense identification zone of Taiwan and the fighters we saw had scrambled to defend against possible attack and to ward off the unwanted aircraft. Everything on the ground was going on like normal and just as with our family, things are going well and few people are giving it second thought in Taiwan. In fact, these news reports are becoming far more prevalent in US news than in Taiwan news.

However, it is a reality as Jesus has said in Luke 21 (wars, rumors of wars, pandemics, earthquakes, etc.) about the end times. Carefully noting the verses surrounding these prophecies, we can see that He doesn’t say to hide out and stop spreading the Word, but rather that our witness will ramp up in these times, and although those who don’t know God’s Word will experience “hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth,” (v.26).

He says to us: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (v.28). And while everyone else is scrambling around to save the economy, the environment, the “peace”, and everything else about life on this earth, we are scrambling to spread the One thing that can really Save: The Word of the Lord which endures forever, which is “the Gospel which was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:25)!!

We are partners in this, and there is great joy and fulfillment in this mission as we share in Jesus’ joy in pressing forward in the Great Commission!

Thank You! Thank You!

Missionary Stephen Oliver in Taiwan