As I was reading over a few Mideast Updates from years past, I ran across several accounts telling the stories of God miraculously multiplying the food when the available supply did not meet the need at hand. Most of us are familiar with the stories of Jesus first feeding a crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children. Another time, he fed 4,000 men as well as all the women and children in the crowd. We’ve all thought to ourselves that we’d like to have been witnesses to these events. It was, however, not just during the time of Jesus’ ministry on the earth that these miracles happened. Miracles still happen today — including God stretching the food supply to meet the need of the many.
There is a lesson to be learned from what Jesus did. When He was given the boy’s lunch, which was only five small loaves of bread and two fish — just enough to feed himself, the first thing Jesus did was to lift His eyes to heaven and give thanks. He then handed the boy’s lunch to the disciples and told them to distribute what they had to the crowd. As they did, the multiplication began and didn’t finish until all the people had been well fed.
The miracle came after thanks had been given for what Jesus had in His hands. The same principle applies to us today. Giving thanks is crucial to a life of fullness and blessing, and it provides the power of the miracle of multiplication.
By doing what Jesus did, we don’t look at how little we have or how big our problem is or how impossible the situation is. We don’t panic, we don’t complain, and we don’t become discouraged over not having enough. We take whatever little we have at hand, whatever good there is, no matter how small or inadequate it is, and we do exactly what Jesus modeled for us. We lift it up to the Lord and we give thanks for it. It is then that the blessings we have can be multiplied — even if God deems it not the time in our physical situation, the miracle will be done in our heart, spiritually, and help prepare us for the time when God will do it in our physical circumstance. The more we give thanks, the more blessed we will be, no matter what the physical situation is.
We should always give thanks, no matter how much or little we have. We give thanks, even if what we have is not enough. God will do the rest. He will often bring an abundance that more than meets the need, as Jesus did with the feeding of the multitudes. The disciples collected much leftover in both events. Our practice should be to stop seeking more and more and stop living in the realm of “not enough.” And, we should give thanks for everything!
On to the House of Blessing…
I am told that quite a number of the HOB brothers and sisters have emigrated through Turkey and into Europe since Pastor Rashid’s death. Manyt, however, are continuing to preach the Gospel. All know that the yearly observance of the month of Ramadan begins early in March and they are trying to get prepared. As regular readers will remember, this is one of the times during the year when the Lord has blessed with a great harvest of souls. It has also been one of the more dangerous times of the year to evangelize.
Provision of fresh teaching materials will be made before the end of February but it will, of course, take finances to make sufficient copies of the teachings and also provide sustenance for the missionaries during this time. Ramadan will overlap with the Christian observance of the crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection. We cannot help but wonder if this double opportunity will be the last like it before Jesus calls His faithful remnant home. Only God knows, but we should keep this in mind. We must “redeem the time because the days are evil…”as the Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:16.
I received a story from brother Talal about a sister named Nevin, who was in her ninth month of pregnancy with her first child. I was given to understand that Nevin had had a difficult pregnancy, and during the very last part of her pregnancy, her physical difficulties only multiplied. She had great difficulty sleeping or using the toilet. She finally got to time for delivery. Several of the HOB sisters were there to help her. Their names are Noufa, Labiba, and Sabiha. Within about two hours, the sisters were able to help Nevin deliver her baby girl, who she named Ramah. The infant was taken to sister Mufida who cleaned Ramah’s head with water and then prayed a blessing over the child. Nevin was of course very happy to finally see her baby girl and soon forgot all the misery of her difficulties with the pregnancy.
What happened next, however, was quite a shock to the sisters who helped Nevin with her delivery. Nevin suddenly developed an abnormal proliferation of fibrous tissue immediately behind the lens of the eye, leading to blindness. This is known as retrolental fibroplasia. Nevin was taken to several medical clinics but was told there was no hope of her sight being restored. Of course, as a brand new mother, she was greatly wounded because she could no longer see the face of her baby girl.
Noufa, Sabiha and Labiba, along with sister Fatima prepared a recipe for her to drink before she went to sleep. The recipe contained herbs such as rosemary and some other herbs, which they mixed into a cup of tea. Then they began to pray. They did not stop praying until the morning of the second day. They then laid their hands on Nevin’s eyes. As she opened her eyes, the sisters were shocked to see what started as a white ray of light that appeared in her eyes. Then, praise God, she was able to see again. She could not believe what had happened and was overjoyed to be able to see her little Ramah! The women then went to tell everyone that the Lord is always and forever with us and that it was the Holy Spirit that performed the amazing miracle.
What a wonderful story of God’s goodness to His people!
I find myself having to once again address a problem that has caused much confusion and, unfortunately, much damage to the mission of the House of Blessing. False accusations have been made against those whom Pastor Rashid left to continue the ministry of HOB. Messages have been received by some supporters encouraging them to send funds to a former associate of the ministry by the name of Nasser. I am personally aware of Pastor Rashid’s concern in this regard. There have been all types of attacks or challenges to the work of the true Church throughout Church history, so this is nothing new. God sees all and knows exactly what is going on. It is His ministry, and His only! No human built the House of Blessing ministry. Pastor Rashid was called to ministry and was empowered to become founder of the House of Blessing. Others were brought into the work, but again, it was the Holy Spirit who blessed the efforts of His servants and brought about the harvest. No one can take credit for it, nor does anyone who threatens to destroy the ministry have the power to outmaneuver God.
So, even though others who do not represent the heart and spirit of the House of Blessing have become a source of great confusion and considerable damage, we serve a God who meets the needs of His people, no matter how great. It is God who will take what has been intended for evil and use it for His own purposes. He turns evil intentions of people into that which ultimately blesses His people and will bring Him great glory. We can recall the words of 1 Peter 3:9:
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
Be encouraged! Jesus is coming. We’re on the very threshold of that great Trumpet Sound, calling us HOME!
Below, I have included a few of the lyrics of a worship song I heard this evening:
Bless God in the Sanctuary
Bless God in the fields of plenty;
Bless God in the darkest valley;
Every chance I get, I bless Your Name
Bless God when my hands are empty
Bless God with a praise that costs me;
Bless God when nobody’s watching;
Every chance I get, I bless Your Name
Bless God when the weapon’s forming
Bless God when the walls are falling;
Bless God ‘cause He goes before me;
Every chance I get, I bless Your Name…
Forever in His Service,
Jake