One passage in the Bible which has more meaning to me every passing day is found in Romans, the eighth chapter:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:18-23
Our world is in turmoil. We see it in governments, in economies, in geological changes, in abnormal weather, and in the cosmos. There is also a great tug-of-war going on between world religions. History has recorded the great persecutions that have transpired over the centuries. We are seeing a phenomenon in our generation, however, not seen before. Christianity is today the most persecuted religious belief system in the world. Although these Mideast Updates are focused on what is happening in the region, in reality it is happening all around the globe. But, today we will focus on the Middle East and the part that the House of Blessing has in these last moments of the Age of Grace — the Church Age.
A report from May 9 tells the story of a number of born again sheikhs who traveled back to their homeland in Karbala and Najaf, Iraq. This is an area where Shia Islam is predominant. Omar, Jaafar, Zaltimo, and the sheikhs entered a mosque that serves as a meeting point where many Muslim pilgrims planning to go on the hajj to Saudi Arabia gather. The head-sheikh of the mosque was a man named Al-Dajani. A wealthy man known by Omar named Abu Fayya was wheelchair bound and very sick but was there with an entourage of sheikhs and other travelers who were being funded by him for their pilgrimage. While they were talking before the service, they discussed many things, among them, religion.
Omar, Al-Tutunji, Al-Awiwi, Bayan, Al-Shomri, Al-Sudani, Al-Akari, and Al-Sakakini — all respected sheiks — were gathered at the front of the mosque when it came time for Friday prayer. This was when Omar asked Abu Fayya to come up to the front, to the podium where sermons are delivered, and asked him a question: “What is it that you want more than anything?” Abu Fayya said, “I just want to walk!” So, Omar and the men placed their hands on Abu Fayya’s head and began to pray for him. This was before anyone knew that Omar and those with him were followers of Jesus. They prayed, saying: Oh Jesus, oh our Lord, oh Able One, heal this poor man.” Because Omar saw him as a good man, he took a Bible that militants had tried to burn the day before and laid it on him. Omar then told Abu Fayya: “Hold the Book and stand. Don’t worry!”
All of this was done in front of over 500 people gathered in the mosque. The people watched as Abu Fayya stood up from his wheelchair and began to walk, right in front of everyone’s eyes! The people were shocked at what they saw. Who could deny what just happened? “What is this? Pray for us! O God, the Lord is able!”
The aftermath had many people in tears. The brothers prayed for many and they were healed of a variety of sicknesses and diseases and set free of much evil that had controlled their lives. The greatest miracle of all, of course, is that a great many became believers and followers of Jesus.
Abu Fayya, who was now freely walking and moving around among the people, asked to be baptised and the Friday Muslim prayer service turned into a session in which the Word of God was taught. There was singing and great joy and worship from a whole new group of Christ followers. Somewhere during all of this, Abu Fayya decided not to waste his money on the hajj and rather donated more than $10,000 to help reach more people with the Good News of the Gospel. Praise God!
It should be no surprise that when God moves in a powerful way, the enemy often comes right back and tries to destroy what God has done. But he will never win. God is God and there is none like Him. The mosque had now become a church! The report from Abdelrahem said that the next day a group of extremists arrived and arrested everyone present, including Omar and the sheikhs with him. They were attacked and badly abused and insulted.
The leader of the extremist group is a man named Abu Zahra, with his assistant Al-Bandak, proclaimed: “O followers of Christ, you vile followers of the cross, I will torture you severely. Today, I am the Pharaoh of the age. Bring everything you have. You must pay the jizya tax to us, O Christians! There is no religion other than the Shiite religion. You are liars. Prove to me today how you are going to survive! I will cut off your hands and feet and make you an example for all people! You are traitors of Hassan and Hussein, the grandsons of Prophet Muhammad. Woe to you, you taught the Quran for several decades and now you surrender to something other than Islam. What is the secret of this religion, the religion of Jesus? I am burning in my heart for your actions and betrayal. Let’s see who saves you from me?”
Omar, in agreement with the sheikhs with him, answered: “Okay, you do whatever you want. Just don’t burn the Bible. Burn us instead. Just give us the gasoline.” So, Omar took the gasoline, put a small bottle of baptismal oil into the gasoline and baptized himself and the men with him with the gasoline, including Abu Fayya (the man healed the day before) and Al-Dajani (head sheikh of the mosque). He gave the rest of the gasoline back to Abu Zahra, who was shocked at what Omar did, but was happy to comply.
Omar asked permission to pray a final prayer in front of the people and prayed these words: “O Lord, O Jesus, make the fire cool and peaceful for us, O Lord. O Lord, save us from the brutality of this infidel. O Lord, we wanted to complete the message, but we did what we could. We sacrifice ourselves for the Gospel. Your words burn, but the Gospel does not burn. We thank you for sacrificing for us. Accept our souls. If we die, accept us and the sacrifice for the sake of your Name so that it may be exalted above all things.”
When Omar finished praying, Abu Zahra lit the fire but it went out. As he tried again to light the fire, the men continued to pray, “Have mercy on us, O Lord. Send angels to us. O Lord, protect us!” Abu Zahra tried to light the gasoline another two times, but it went out both times. The gasoline refused to light!
Not only were the people who were watching surprised, but Abu Zahra was astonished. His assistant, Al-Bandak and the militants with him asked, “What is this? You light the fire and it goes out!” It was then that Abu Zahra fell to the floor, humbled. Al-Bandak and the rest of the militants joined him and asked the Lord for His forgiveness. They accepted Jesus as their Savior and asked Him to be Lord over their lives. Abu Zahra then asked the men to forgive him for what he had just tried to do. He admitted he had never experienced such a situation as what just happened. As he begged the men for forgiveness, he was on the ground, kissing the feet of the men he had just tried to kill. He then asked, since they were all now also believers and followers of Jesus, if they could be baptized?
Rather than a baptism of fire that Omar and the men with him might have experienced, the militants who had intended to execute them were baptized in water and into the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Praise God!
There are more reports that have come in but I will share them in another update which will be out in a day or two. I will share some thoughts from Abdelrahem as I bring this update to a close. Again, I did very little editing to Abdelrahem’s comments. Only enough to help make his thoughts clear in English.
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We are now in a very, very difficult time and there is still a long way to achieve the target set by the Lord, but I see that the time of the Lord’s coming is very close. I call on the people of the Lord to work hard to prepare for the coming of the Lord. It is a great preparation and it has value. We must work to give birth to the people, as Jesus taught us; giving and sacrifice, but no matter how much we sacrifice, it is not equal to a drop in the ocean of what Jesus sacrificed for us. Today you saw the elders, they preferred to burn in the fire rather than torch the Gospel. They sacrificed their lives because of the value of the Gospel to them, their respect for it and their love for the Lord, and they know that what is coming is greater. Hurry now, hurry up before it is too late. There are people who need to know the Book and wish to touch it, but in the West and in Europe the Book is neglected on the shelves. Pray for us, please, so that we may be patient.
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Thank you all for your prayers and support. We live in a time like none other, and there is a reason why each one of us is alive on this earth at this time. It was God’s plan and doing. Praise God for the privilege we have been given! For anyone that would like to help finance what the House of Blessing is doing, please contact either one of the emails below. Thank you.
Incidentally, I have been asked many times who ‘Jack’ is and who is ‘Jake’? I have joked with folks and told them I am my own identical twin, but the real answer is quite simple. Pastor Rashid was never able to pronounce my name from my very first encounter with him and I didn’t feel a need to correct him. So, beginning in late March 2012, in the Eastern world I became known as ‘Jack’. In the Western world, I am still known as ‘Jake’. I like both names and have great respect for many men with the name Jack. I gladly share the name ‘Jack’ with them.
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)
Hallelu Yah! What a great testimony. I share the Mideast updates regularly with the brothers when we meet on Tuesdays.
We pray for the House of Blessings and our brothers and sisters who suffer persecution because of the name of Jesus Christ around the globe.