MIDEAST UPDATE…5/9/2021…”The Way, The Truth, The Life”

For those of you who regularly read the Mideast Updates, you will know that we put an emphasis every year during most calendar observances during which the House of Blessing missionaries see as a special opportunity for evangelism. This of course has every year included the Muslim month of Ramadan. As the reader is likely aware of, this is a special month when Muslims spend time fasting, praying to Allah, and observing other Islamic religious traditions. Ramadan 2021 is to be completed on May 12.

As every year in the past, HOB has planned for the month of Ramadan weeks in advance. There has been a great harvest of souls every single year, even last year when the Covid-19 virus was hitting the refugee camps so hard. Incidentally, the Covid-19 is still claiming a great many victims, as well as the flu and many other illnesses. 

A phenomenon that has been fascinating to watch year after year is how the Creator God of the entire universe has interrupted the prayers of multiplied thousands who, as they were praying to the false god, Allah, heard instead from the true Messiah Jesus! Multitudes have had dreams and visions where Jesus appeared to them. Multiplied thousands who may not have had such dreams or visions, heard the HOB missionaries preach, teach, or share to their families within their tents. It is amazing how open these people are to the truth they have never heard! 

Once again I have received reports from a few regulars who report in to Pastor R on a continual basis. Since today’s update is again rather short, and I only have a partial report, I will briefly list them below and then conclude this update with another installment of an ongoing miracle I have been writing about for several weeks now. 

Omar, Sami Mussa and their volunteer missionaries shared the Gospel with families in 220 tents and led them into the Kingdom of God. Mufiedah, Sarah, and Fadwa and their volunteers were able to reach entire families with the Good News about Jesus in about 140 tents. Hafezeh, Ferial, and those working with them shared the Gospel and prayed the sinner’s prayer with 35 entire families. Fatima, Mariam and those working with them led another 25 families to the feet of Jesus. Adel, Abed, and their missionary helpers did the same with an additional 70 families. Ibrahim, Akram, and those working with them prayed the sinner’s prayer with 120 families. In western Iran, Sahbander and Mortadah were able to bring an additional 25 families into the Kingdom of God. Pastor R’s special personal assistants, Youseff and Radi continue daily praying for between 170-190 per day. They have seen a staggering amount of people healed of everything imaginable. The God of the New Testament Book of Acts is very much alive and backing His harvesters with His power!

These are just samplings of what has been happening throughout the month of Ramadan. The work of evangelism has gone well into the early hours of each morning—many times until dawn and God has blessed with a great harvest. During these times of sharing and praying with the families, there have been many reports of those who have been healed of diseases, including the Covid virus, the flu, and other diseases and ailments. There are of course also the many dead in each camp that need to be buried as quickly as possible. HOB missionaries have always done what they can to help get the bodies in the ground even if they did not belong to those of the HOB community of believers. Both male and female HOB missionaries are involved in the digging of the graves.

I am going to conclude this short update with another episode in the story of Suleiman. You remember that Suleiman and his four grown sons were ISIS (Daesh) militants who bowed their knees before Jesus and asked Him to become their Lord and Savior. This soon led to their entire family, extended family and friends also coming to know the Lord. Then, Suleiman’s uncle, the head sheikh of the mosque the men had attended for years also became a believer and invited Omar, Sami, Musa, Mahmoud, and others to come and share with the men at his mosque about who Jesus Christ really is. This brought 180 more ISIS militants to their knees and into the Kingdom of God. Another 20 were quickly added right afterward. 

This led to Suleiman and his uncle asking the House of Blessing if they could arrange to send teachers to teach and train all these men in the ways of Jesus. Suleiman said they could supply the food and enough Bibles and so the arrangements were made and in the previous update, I supplied the names of the 24 teachers who will teach these men for the next 2 ½ months or so.

When Pastor R called me this week, he was again pretty excited and wanted to tell me the latest development. As Omar, Sami, Mussa, and others continued evangelizing among this extremist militant group of men, they were able to lead an additional 200 of them to the feet of Jesus! Many of these men are Muslim sheikhs. Each one prayed the sinner’s prayer and expressed a strong desire to learn the ways of Jesus as were the ones in the first set of Bible classes. 

The arrangements have been made for HOB to send another 24 of their mature missionary teachers and the 200 will be divided up into another 4 classes of 50 each, with 6 teachers for each class. Since these classes are all day classes and usually span many hours, the teaching of the subject matter needs to be divided up over 6 teachers each day. 

Once again, arrangements have been made and a truckload of wheat and 1,000 Bibles have been ordered. These classes begin this Wednesday morning (Middle East time zone), May 12, the final day of Ramadan. 

Pastor R has asked me to give you the names of the additional 24 teachers so that you can pray for them each by name. These teachers have requested this of all of us around the world who read and forward these updates to friends. 

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Group One:

     Naeem, Adnan, Azmi, Majead, Amir, Sabitr

Group Two:

     Fahmi, Amjad, Bayan, Rapheeq, Bahaa, Daheer

Group Three:

     Alaa, Kamar, Cirage, Ahmjen, Hafiz, Hassan

Group Four:

     Waleed, Khaled, Hussein, Firas, Hanee, Wagdi 

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Thank you all for your prayers and financial support. It is crucial that we continue to pray for the rest of the harvest of Gentiles to be brought into the Kingdom of God. I strongly believe that we are at the very end of this age and the Lord could call His people home at any moment. The imminence of the return of Jesus and His call home of the true Church is taught throughout the New Testament but it has never been more apparent that we are the final generation. Watch Israel. Israel has always been the focal point of God’s ‘foreign policy!’ Everything prophetically revolves around Israel. Just looking at the news today we see that a great conflict is brewing. It has been for a while but is near the boiling point. Everything we are seeing unfolding was spoken of in great detail by God’s Old Testament prophets thousands of years ago. It behooves us to pay attention. We need to read and study God’s Word so that we can recognize the time we are living in today. Jesus clearly told us to be watching for His return, praying every day for our loved ones, and living each day as if it could be the last day before God’s great horn blows! One of these days soon, this will be a reality!

I will close with one of my favorite passages of scripture.

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so god will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of theLord, that wen who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Forever in His Service,

Jake