As I was gathering my thoughts in preparation for writing today’s Mideast Update, I received some devotional thoughts on my phone from a grandniece (thank you, AK!). The devotion is based on Daniel 12:3 and seemed appropriate, given the world we are living in today.
Those who are wise will shine bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, will shine like stars forever.”
In a world that often feels dark, confusing and hostile toward truth, this verse from Daniel offers hope — and purpose. It reminds us that those who walk in wisdom and help others do the same don’t go unnoticed by God. In fact, they shine like stars — radiating His light forever.
What does it mean to be wise? Wisdom, in the biblical sense, doesn’t start with having all the answers. It starts with God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10) To be wise is to live in awe and reverence of God, walking closely with Him. It’s about relationship, not just knowledge. Wisdom begins when we recognize our need for God and respond to His invitation to know Him personally. And from there, we grow in understanding by living according to His Word.
Pursuing Righteousness and Sharing Truth: Daniel 12:3 connects wisdom with action: “Those who lead many to righteousness…” It’s not just about personal holiness — it’s about pointing others to the truth of who God is and how we live in a way that honors Him. That means living like Jesus, following his example of love, humility, and truth. It also means sharing His message — even when it’s uncomfortable. And let’s be honest: talking about Jesus isn’t always well received. Some people get offended or defensive. Sometimes it’s because they’ve been hurt by religion or feel unworthy of His love. Other times, it’s because the world has confused God’s truth with human failure, blaming Him for evil rather than understanding the role of sin and free will. But here’s the reality: God gave us free will not to make life harder, but because He wants a genuine relationship with us. He didn‘t create robots — He created sons and daughters, with the ability to choose Him freely. That means we have the freedom to love…but also the freedom to reject. And sadly, much of the pain in the world comes from that rejection.
God Wants a Relationship — Not Perfection: Maybe you’ve hesitated to invite God into your life — or your mess — because you feel like you’re not good enough. But here’s the truth: God doesn’t care if your house is messy or spotless. He just wants you. He’s standing at the door, waiting. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock…” (Revelation 3:20) You don’t need to fix everything first. He’ll walk with you through the process. What He wants most is your heart.
Your Life Can Shine Like the Stars: When you choose wisdom — when you walk with God, pursue righteousness, and help others find their way — you become a light in the darkness. You reflect God’s glory. And that light doesn’t fade. “Like the stars forever and ever.” So don’t be afraid to live boldly for Him. Don’t be afraid to speak His name, even in a world that may not understand. Your life, grounded in wisdom and love, has eternal impact.
On to The House of Blessing…
Those who have followed the missionary work of the House of Blessing over the years have read reports of countless Muslim people who have found Jesus Christ as their Savior. In a recent update the story was passed on of a Jewish translator in Iran, who, while translating the Scriptures for one of the brothers, also became a believer and follower of the Messiah. The story already expanded once as we heard how some Jewish people were reached with the Gospel when they heard the man’s testimony. I have now received another report of how the Word of God is touching an entire Jewish community. Below is a message I received from our brother Hanini describing what happened when the brothers responded to an invitation to visit a Jewish celebration of the Jewish New Year. 
“Hello my brother Jack, the New Year’s Eve Seder includes a festive meal, the recitation of psalms, and the singing of Zemirot (Jewish hymns). The word “Seder” means “order” in Hebrew, and it refers to the precise and ritual order in which the dishes of the meal proceed. Brother Jack, welcome to you and welcome to the brothers who loved Jesus and accepted Him as their lord. A prayer has been prayed and a miracle is happening, a plan of the Lord Jesus. The brothers, Saftawy, Farid, our new Jewish brother Shabo, the veteran doctor, and many brothers have gathered. We thank the Lord for this blessing, the blessing of faith in Jesus and His Gospel. A miracle and a very beautiful prayer have occurred. I wish you were with us. The brothers prayed over a pitcher in which they put some grapes and water and prayed over it. After 10 minutes, the grapes turned into a genuine wine drink. What a miracle!! The rabbis were surprised and blessed Jesus. The psalms began with the trumpet and the call to Jesus Christ: ‘Where are You? Come and save us, O Jesus.” The elders prayed by saying: “O Jesus, bless this drink as you blessed it while attending the wedding in Cana. Please bless us tonight.”
There were more than 450 women and more than 360 men present along with brother Shabo, 14 rabbis, 19 sheikhs (brothers who now also are followers of Jesus). What a night it was; a night like none other…
Note: The artifacts pictured above are 5 of 8 that were photographed and sent and approved by the Jewish community for today’s Mideast Update. All are over 400 years old.
It was a great night of prayers and baptism. Bowls and towels were brought for the baptism and they baptized their followers. They accepted Christ with such strength and determination! They were saying: “The Kingdom of the Lord has come, and the Holy Spirit has descended upon us.” There was singing, prayer, joy, and trumpet blowing. They asked and sought the Lord to come upon them, and He was pleased to do just that! As He did, they sang: “Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus. How great He is!”
I wish you could have been with them instead of just passing on this report. Great prayer, women crying, and even men crying after having accepted Jesus as their true Messiah. They were like happy children. This was something completely new to them.
Al-Hanini
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Amazing miracles happened which had a life changing effect on these folks. A sheikh from Al-Azhar in Egypt named Al-Sharqawi was led to the Lord by Shabu’s partner, the doctor. When the sheikh was healed he became a follower of Jesus. Another sheikh by the name of Al-Mogi had become a follower of Jesus through the ministry of Omar. Al-Mogi was also a friend of Imam Mazen (the sheikh in a previous update who was set free of demon possession). Al-Mogi heard the story and then took time to read the Bible. He soon became a believer and follower of Jesus and opened his mosque to be a church. The number of people there was about 250. These folks also came to recognize the deity of Jesus and He became their Savior. The new believers are from Karaj, which is near Tehran, Iran.
Abdelrahem says:
“… many Jewish people are going to find the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and Savior but there are going to be disputes between Judaism and Christianity, but the reality of Jesus and Who He truly is, will prevail. Trials are in abundance as the truths of the Book are shared, but the love for the Book is becoming more and more evident — so much so that there is a constant waiting list to receive a copy of their own. Not only men are becoming believers but a great many women as well. I myself, with the help from Hael and Arshid, pray for more than 350 people every day. Pray for us as we persevere in the faith. May the Lord bless you Jack, and all of the brothers and sisters.”
Your brother Abdelrahem, servant of the Lord
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I have one last story to share in today’s update. This was sent by our brother Abdelrahem. As usual, I will share his words with as little editing as possible.
Hello my brother Jack. There are destinies and fortunes that come to a person once, twice, and maybe three times, but the love of the Lord is open and the door of repentance is still open. People must learn a lesson and realize that the Bible is a book of truth, sincerity, love, conscience and comfort for the hearts. Following Jesus is salvation and allowing the love of Jesus to be planted in our hearts despite all the challenges.
Yesterday, some brothers, Al-Bazlamit, Abu Al-Ezz, and Habib from Hama, Syria, along with Hab Ruman, Al-Kilani, and Shaker, joined forces to help Balout and Abu Lafi because of a fire that broke out a few days ago. They took refuge in a nearby area, close to a sheikh named al-Qutb in Baniyas. That is where a miracle happened. They went back to inspect where the fire had happened. While they were with Sheikh Al-Qutb and Sheikh Al-Bakri, they found that although everything else had burned, the Bible and teaching booklets had not burned. Who was it that found them? Al-Qutb! He saw a light shining as he was going into an area under a house. He went down to see what the light was and found the Holy Bible behind it. He didn’t know what it was and so he began to read it. In the midst of the rubble where he found the Bible, he found three Bibles, containing the Old and New Testaments, and two New Testaments. Once he began to read, he couldn’t stop reading. He finally called Al-Bakri and began to weep. He couldn’t stop weeping until people were wondering what had happened to him!
It is amazing what God will do to reach someone! The fire consumed everything but did not consume the Bibles or the booklets! This truly is the Book of Truth! It is the Book of Jesus. Al-Bakri also took the Book and began to cry as well. The sheikhs with him did not confess their faith in front of Al-Qutb or Sheikh Al-Bakri until they were sure that they now had also come to believe in Jesus. Al-Qutb and Al-Bakri told the brothers that they were going to confess their new found faith in Jesus before the entire mosque. More than 300 people joined them in their confession of faith in Jesus Christ and that the Book is truly a Book of miracles.
My brother Jack, the Lord, is capable of anything! In His hand is goodness and He is capable of everything!
Your brother, Abdelrahem
Servant of the Lord forever!
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In conclusion, the House of Blessing sends its thanks to everyone for your prayers and financial support, making it possible to provide Bibles to those that are so hungry and thirsty for them. God is doing amazing things in this late hour of the Age of Grace. What a time we are privileged to live in! Even so, come Lord Jesus! For anyone having questions of any kind, feel free to use either one of the email addresses below. Thank you and God Bless you All!
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack) Jake Geier; 3206 SW 45th Street; Redmond, Oregon 97756 USA