As I was compiling the reports I received within the last few days, I could not help but think of the story of Jesus’ friend Lazarus. Because this update is a bit lengthy, I will only touch on one aspect of this story. As we all know, Lazarus had become deathly ill and Jesus had purposely stalled going to his home. In the meantime, Lazarus died and was put in the tomb and a few days later Jesus finally went to Bethany. In John 11:43, to everyone’s surprise, Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb and told his sisters to loose him of his graveclothes. This of course brought about great celebration and excitement — except with one group who witnessed the whole event. The Pharisees. Their response was, “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him…” (verse 48a). Later in John 11 we find the narrative saying: “…from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death” (verse 53).
We read the story and wonder how anyone could see something like the raising of a dead man and then turn around and decide that they would find a way to put Jesus to death because they were jealous of the influence and following He was gaining among the populace! But it gets worse. In John 12:10-11, we find these words: “But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.”
The devil is capable of twisting our minds as humans to the point where we cannot even see straight or think logically. As you read today’s Mideast Update, see if any of this story sounds familiar in light of the events of the last few days.
Now on to the House of Blessing…
I received this message from Dr. Nibras a few days ago. He had quite an unusual story to share about a sheikh named Zakaria. The story has since begun to have a life of its own.
My brother Jack: Greetings and peace be upon you and all who believe in Jesus. A special greeting to you from Abdelrahem and the brothers and sisters. What happened to us today was rather strange. I was with my brother, Dr. Khalawi, and the other elders when some people brought a man, around seventy years old, to our tent. He was unconscious. We tried to revive him with oxygen, but it was no use. Giving him breaths also didn’t help. I brought my Bible and placed it on his chest, and began to pray to the Lord of the Bible. Khalawi and I watched while his group watched from outside. After about seven minutes, the man woke up saying, “Where am I? Where am I?” So we explained things to him, and he found the Bible on his chest, which had my hand on it. I told him the truth; we believe in Jesus, and we are witnessing many people asking for Jesus. He said to me in surprise, “Yes, I know this book very well.” I was amazed and wondered how he knew it. I started asking him questions, and he answered. I immediately called Abdelrahem to confirm, and the elders were with me. Every time I asked him about the chapters, he answered. I asked him, “What did you see when you were dead?” He said as he was crying — not only where I could hear him, but also Abdelrahem — “I saw myself flying. I was gathering these pages when I collapsed. When I was brought back, I recognized and knew every chapter.”
At that point, I opened the Bible and asked about the location of varied passages and he answered every one of them flawlessly! The miracle was even greater than the old man being raised from the dead. Not only had this man now become a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, but so had more than 400 people who were with him at the time of his raising!
Dr. Nibras
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One day later I was sent another report from Dr. Nibras which includes additional details from Abdelrahem, both men being in the same location. This report provided more details of the sheikh’s story as well as a fascinating story about a woman named Sharifa and her husband.
My brother Jack: Greetings and peace be upon you and upon all who believe in Jesus. I will begin with this scripture verse, and I apologize for the limited account of this story. It is a true story that happened three hours ago. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, for Your love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 115:1)
The number of people flocking to the tent of Sheikh Zakaria, seeking prayers, has been increasing since yesterday, after he had died as an old man and then returned to life — a keeper of the Gospel. These are people who possess little, living moment by moment, asking for prayer, searching for the comfort of a God they have only recently come to know. They hunger for food to fill their stomachs, and an even greater hunger for nourishment for their souls. Will they be provided for? Will God answer their prayers? Will they find hope to continue living another day? We share this story with you now, and we pray that you will be overwhelmed, as we have been, by the truth of God’s kindness and mercy toward us all, and that you will join us in praising Him for His faithfulness!
Hundreds of people, between 250 and 280 every few hours, patiently wait for prayer time with Sheikh Zakaria. Despite his objections, these Syrian refugees call him a prophet. He knows he is only human, not a prophet, but he overflows with divine love and mercy for those who have not yet come to know Jesus. He relies entirely on the Lord of the Harvest for every word he speaks and every breath he takes. When I speak to him, he continues to repeat: “Praise be to God, praise be to God.” He never stops. It will be his hymn until Jesus comes.
There was a woman in the prayer line named Sharifa who wasn’t willing to wait her turn for prayer. She was so angry and upset that she couldn’t wait. She was carrying a cardboard box with a black bag in her hands and was furious. She ran towards Sheikh Zakaria, shouting that he was a liar and a fraud. The cardboard box contained human remains, and Sharifa cried out that this was all that remained of her children who had been killed in the relentless bombing in Syria. Caught between the SDR (one of the political entities in Syria) and the Syrian Democratic Forces, she asked angrily, “Where is this God Sheikh Zakaria speaks of? How could God allow this to happen to my children? How dare he preach about a loving God?”
Sheikh Zakaria, who has been given a deep love for everyone, especially children, was heartbroken to see this mother carrying the remains of her children. He prayed silently that he could not bear this burden alone, that he had no way to revive Sharifa in the face of this horror. He begged God to have mercy on Sharifa and enfold her in His love.
He gestured for Sharifa and her husband to come to him, as God had inspired him to quote to her John 14:1: “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me…”. Then he began to pray for her. At that moment, she collapsed to the ground and she was laid on a mattress. Her husband also became lost in prayer. Sheikh Zakaria and the missionaries prayed for her while she lay prostrate for about twenty minutes. When she awoke, everything about her had changed. The change was clear and evident. The change was plain to see. She looked astonished and then stood up.
The Sheikh asked her and her husband, “What did you see?” Sharifa and her husband declared, “We saw His glory, and we saw our children with Him. They are not dead!”
They saw their children! They saw them with Him, safe and happy, full of life, and He told Sharifa and her husband that they were safe. She saw and she believed what she saw, and so did her husband! And she believed in the One who had shown their children to them!
God had answered Sheikh Zakariah’s prayer. Jesus had taken the burden upon Himself, revived Sharifa and her husband, and shown His mercy and love — not only to Sharifa, but to all the other refugees who were watching what was happening, waiting to see what God would do — whether He would intervene, and how this ordeal would end.
Now, instead of attacking the sheikh, Sharifa and her husband bowed in reverence to him and resolved to share the truth they had learned with everyone they could. They began immediately, with Sharifa and her husband going from person to person, recounting their experience. Will Sharifa’s testimony spread throughout the refugee camp? Will it spread throughout Syria? Will it spread among the people? God knows best.
Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify Him, all you peoples! For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 117)
Please continue to pray for these dear ones. Pray that God will grant them strength and protection. Pray that those who speak to Sharifa and her husband will accept them and respond to their prayers with the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. Pray also for all the mothers and fathers who have lost their children in this ongoing struggle that they too may accept Jesus Christ and see the Lord’s mercy in the land of the living.
Dr. Nibras (and Abdelrahem)
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Sharifa’s story was so like a couple of experiences Pastor Rashid had some years ago. One of them happened to be our beloved widow Sarah, who had brought a bloody sack to Rashid with the remains of her 3-year-old boy, asking him what his God could do about her little boy’s gruesome death. God intervened on her behalf and she was shown her boy, alive and with Him. There was a second woman, whose name I can’t recall at the moment, but she also came with remains. Her sack had what was left of her three children, very much like with Sharifa. And like with Sharifa, she saw her children safe and happy in God’s company. How amazing is our God?
But then there is the enemy of our souls who cannot stand the miracles that exalt Jesus for Who He really is…
Peace be upon you, my brother Jack. I just wanted to tell you that Dr. Nibras, the sheikhs, and Sheikh Zakaraia were attacked by many enemies, setting them on fire. The miracle of Sister Sharifa and her husband angered the enemies of the Lord. Please pray for them. Sheikh Zaharia was attacked with gasoline, acid, and pepper spray when he refused to renounce Jesus and his faith. A major problem arose, and we thank the Lord that people intervened to save him. I don’t know anything yet; I will inform you soon when I have information from Al-Kalani. I want to mention some verses that came to mind and that I told Al-Kalani about. 1 John 5:1-5; 1 John 3:11-23; Acts 4:24, 29-31
Also, pray for the widows who had also been attacked. I don’t know details about Hafiza, Mufidah, Ferial, and others. They are not in the same area as the brothers.
Abdelraham, servant of the Lord forever.
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I received a short message from Sister Rolla saying that the authorities are doing everything they can to obscure the truth about the existence of Jesus, the miracle worker. Unfortunately, there has not yet been contact with Dr. Nibras or the sisters to provide further information. The situation is very difficult. Rolla did hear that Sharifa and her husband, Rushdi, were tortured and beaten. They held fast to Jesus Christ as their Lord, as did the people surrounding them. Sheikh Zakaria and the other sheikhs tried to protect Sharifa, but then Zakaria was doused with gasoline which was then ignited. He also had acid thrown in his face and was even pepper sprayed in his already burned face! The others, including the widows, who were providing aid, were also severely beaten. Please pray for them. Rolla expressed her sadness at what has happened to them and does not like having to pass such news on, but it is necessary for us all to know the difficulties they face. She said they are all praying for their recovery. They very much need our prayers.
A day later, I received another message from Abdelrahem, including a personal prayer of his own.
Brother Jack: Peace be with you and with all who follow Jesus. I ask that you pray that God will multiply the resources He has given to HOB. Pray that God will feed the hungry. Pray that God will protect His missionaries and His church. Pray that God will continue to give HOB wisdom to know the best ways to serve. Pray that God will provide workers so that it will not be said this time that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray that God will heal the sick and mend the wounds! Pray that God will stop the enemies! Pray that God will send help from all over the world! Pray that God will perform miracles! Pray, thanking God for the works He has done. Pray, thanking God for the miracles He has performed. Pray, thanking God for the help He has sent. Pray, thanking God for the healing He has done. Pray, thanking God for the workers He has provided. Pray, thanking God for the wisdom He has given. Pray, thanking God for all the protection He has provided. Pray, thanking God for the food He has provided. Pray, thanking God for all the blessings He has bestowed! Let us thank God for sending His only Son to die for us!
I thank God for the honor of calling Jack my brother in Christ, even though I have never met him in person, never seen his face, and have only corresponded with him, and only heard his voice when Pastor Rashid spoke to him. I thank God that I am called to be a servant of the Lord and His work. I do not seek fame — and serving my God is truly a great honor. To call all the members of the House of Blessing my brothers and sisters in Christ is also a great honor and a great privilege. Praise be to God!
I and the esteemed elders are praying, and there are prayers being offered now in every corner of the Middle East affiliated with the House of Blessing, for my brothers and sisters in the House of Blessing and for all who have supported us, not only financially but also through prayer. I pray that You protect them as they serve and help those around them. I pray that You provide them with food. I pray that you will provide them with Bibles so they can learn more about you.
I pray for Sheikh Zakaria, who died as a Muslim and returned to life as a believer in Jesus when Dr. Nibras saved him by placing a Bible on his chest for seven minutes. He returned to life with the Bible memorized. I pray that you will grant him your miraculous strength to overcome the difficulties he and the brothers are facing. I pray for the healing of Sheikh Zakaria and those with him, as he has reported difficulty breathing and vision problems. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you will heal Sheikh Zakaria, the elders, the widowed sisters, Sister Sharifa and her husband Rushdi, and I pray for Dr. Nibras and Khulwi, that you will protect them and their leadership team as they continue their ministry to people in countries where such ministry is punishable by death.
I pray that God will provide us and the House of Blessing with resources and wisdom as they prepare for the month of Ramadan. I pray with confidence that this year’s harvest will be more miraculous and bring many souls to the true Church. I pray for those who will soon be called brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray, knowing that I am doing the impossible for their lives, preparing them and opening the way for them.
Lord, I weep with patience and longing for the elders for the suffering and pain that has befallen your people and your Church. I pray that you will hasten the day that will mark the end of the Church era, when the Gospel will have reached the last soul of this dispensation.
Lord, if this is your will, help us to raise awareness of the plight of the churches in the Middle East, especially the House of Blessing, so that there may be a great outpouring of prayer, resources, assistance, and love for our brothers and sisters.
Thank you for giving me the honor of praying for the House of Blessing. Thank you for the love and mercy with which You have filled my heart and that of the House of Blessing…
Forever in His Service
Abdelrahem
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In spite of what has happened, I am hearing that people continue flocking to Zakaria for prayer. His eyes are covered due to burns from the acid, pepper spray and the gasoline. Please pray for his recovery. He is a very well-known man. He remained true to Jesus’ covenant in spite of the torture he was put through. He and the brothers and sisters stood firm in the face of it all. He continues to this day to call people to Christ with strength and courage. No one that comes to him goes away without being healed. He places the Bible on them — even the women. People come seeking repentance, healing, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is in this setting that Sarifa and her husband tell the story of how they saw their children in paradise with the Lord Jesus. More than 700 people had already become believers and followers of Jesus, but that number has now reached 3,000! Dr. Nibras says that in spite of his pain, he is teaching the scriptures because he has them memorized in their entirety. People are waiting to enter and listen to the lessons he is teaching. With him are the elders as well as widows, Mufida, Hafiza, Ferial, and Sarah.
Zakaria is still blind and has his eyes covered with a cloth. His clothes were destroyed by the attack and were glued to what was left of his burned skin. A miracle began to occur though and his skin has regenerated from the burns as if he had never been burned. Praise God!
I am sure there will be more details to follow. We serve a God that doesn’t miss a thing. He is always in control, no matter how things might look to us. Our faith must be in Him, and not in anything else. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1.
Thank you all for your prayers and financial support. Sister Rolla let me know that another 1,000 Bibles and 5,000 teaching booklets have been sent out to be distributed to the HOB communities throughout the Middle East. Let’s pray that much fruit comes from this shipment! Let’s also trust the Lord of the Harvest for the funds needed to print what is needed for this year’s evangelism during the month of Ramadan, which begins February 18th, a mere month from today. A great deal more needs to be printed ahead of time. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email either of the email addresses below. Thank you.
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)