I
n 1 Kings 19:11-12 we find these words:
“And after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire, and after the fire a still small voice.”
One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 46. This psalm refers to the earth shifting below our feet, mountains threatening to crash into the sea, and waters roaring. In our world today, nations are raging, kingdoms are being moved, the sound of war is heard throughout the world, weather patterns are out of whack, our sun is changing, and scientists confirm incoming threats from the cosmos above. Yet, Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still and know that I am God.” Verse 11 goes on to say: “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
It is important for us to listen for that inner Voice — the Voice of God, which is not like the excited shouting of our nervous and panicked world. His Voice is not heard on the street but it can be plainly heard in the heart, like Elijah when he heard that still small voice on the mountain in 1Kings 19. And what we hear from that Voice is what really matters. Verse 4 goes on to say:
“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.” vs. 5: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved… “ vs. 7: “The God of Jacob is our refuge.’”
Today is a time when we need to take God’s Word and His promises to heart and apply them. Be still and know…
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I have separated the latest news from the House of Blessing into two parts. Today’s newsletter will be part one. We will begin with a report received from Dr. Nibras on 2/4/2026. Many of you will remember that in a previous newsletter, we learned that thousands of HOB missionaries and students were attacked and were run out of the area where they were. All roads were blocked and they were forced to survive out in the open without food, water, or cover. A very large number were blinded by the poisonous gas they had been attacked with. Dr. Nibras refers to this incident, what has happened since, and more…
Peace be upon you, brother Jack, and upon all who love Jesus. Omar and his companions, along with a large number of missionaries they trained, buried as many of the 2,122 victims as possible, and then did what they could to reach as many of the injured as possible with the Gospel. The work of these dedicated missionaries bore abundant fruit, as many called upon Jesus to be their Lord and Master.
Omar and the brothers, along with many men from the House of Blessing, joined this effort. They also treated more than 536 wounded, some with relatively minor injuries, and others with serious ones. Each of these people is treated with the love and care that the Lord Jesus Christ would have shown them.
I tell you that Sister Sharifa and Sisters Hafiza, Ferial, Labiba, Sarah, and Mufida, along with their service teams, which grew to 970, also went to several areas. I don’t know the total number of HOB missionaries — 4,680 in the north alone — who went to the conflict zone between the tyrannical Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but it’s a large force of dedicated missionaries. All of them are aware of the grave dangers of going directly to the front lines in the conflict zone. Each one of them knows they could lose their life at any moment, but they feel that God has sent them to fulfill their role in the greater mission in this way. I remember what God said to Joshua when he was to succeed Moses in leading the Israelites:
“Did I not command you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, and do not do anything, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
One of my favorite Bible verses is in Isaiah 26:3-4, and its encouraging words say:
“You will keep in perfect peace the one whose heart is set on you, for he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord is everlasting strength.”
What the HOB missionaries are doing now reminds me of movies where we see soldiers armed with swords and shields, rushing at full speed toward the enemy army — facing death head-on! I can find no other explanation for people moving from one dangerous place to an even more dangerous one. For us, it’s hard to imagine what’s happening in the East, North, and West right now. Great violence and persecution. For those who don’t flee, there’s a good chance they won’t survive this onslaught. The missionaries will, however, be in these locations, combing through the rubble for any sign of life. Often, they will find someone on the verge of death, and they will do everything they can to change their eternal fate before they breathe their last.
Although the House of Blessing sends a large number of missionaries to the western, northern, and eastern regions, it has hundreds of missionaries spread throughout many other locations in the Middle East. In northern Syria, Sisters Hafiza and Fariel celebrated Holy Communion last week with more than 1,740 believers. As has been mentioned repeatedly, these celebrations, whether in large gatherings or in small groups wherever they can meet, are special times for the renewal of the faithful as they praise God. Brother Omar and his colleagues continue to provide spiritual support to the 18,878 missionaries who survived the brutal attack a week earlier. He reported that they had recovered by 70% and have returned to teaching. The HOB teachers, Shahbandar, Mortada, and Dargham, continue to meet with their elders, Aylout Eban, and Habibullah, in the eastern and western regions of Iran. Their gatherings include their former congregations, which once consisted of thousands of men and their families. All of them are thirsty for the Word of God. They number 50,000, and the survivors have been added to their ranks. They gather for long hours to study, memorize, and continue their training until they are complete, so that they too can join the ranks of the missionaries of the House of Blessing.
In this report, I was unable to provide details about the Azerbaijan region or the many locations where HOB congregations of believers are located, but they continue to serve the Lord. Pastor Abdelrahem continues to pray for between 500-600 people daily. People are being baptized, and he is assisted in this demanding task by about 35 men and 100 trained women. These people come to him with all kinds of needs. Many of them are very ill. The Lord touches them — and the Lord gives him the strength he needs. Soon his mission will be accomplished, as will all of our missions in serving the Lord. We all know that the end times are here. Soon the Age of Grace will end. But until then, every missionary has learned to live according to 2 Corinthians 4:7-10:
“But we carry this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the power may be of God, not of us. We are persecuted on every side, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, but we do not despair; we are oppressed, but we are not abandoned; we are thrown down, but we are not destroyed — always bearing in our bodies the death of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies. We who are alive are always given over to death for Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal bodies.”
I thank everyone who has sent financial donations to help the House of Blessing bear the heavy burden it carries. Most of us would be shocked to know what it truly takes to maintain this level of service in a place where people die daily, whether from conflict, persecution, or even from the bitter cold or hunger. The HOB missionaries share their last crumbs with anyone they can find and then pray that God will multiply them. And God does. But this does not absolve us of the immense responsibility we bear to help those who live by faith alone. These people have no choice but to support themselves. Now, precisely because they have chosen Jesus, they are enemies of the system and depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I read in one of my reflections today that martyrdom is not something most of us face; not all in the Body of Christ are persecuted. Yet, we can all say with certainty that following our Savior is not easy. He asks us to sacrifice, He asks us to obey, even when it is painful. And although He does not ask us all to die for Him, He does ask us all to live for Him. When He redeemed us with His blood, we became His. His in all glory and joy, but we remain His. Thank you all for your devotion to the Lord, and for your care and love for the House of Blessing.
Dr. Nibras, servant of the Lord
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I received another report from Aylout Eban on 2/5/2026. He excitedly tells the story of a stunning miracle witnessed by multiplied thousands. We serve a great God!
My brother Jack, peace be upon you from me and all the friends of Jesus. For those who believe that miracles don’t happen in our time, it may be difficult for them to accept this great event, but it has happened before, and here it is happening again! Our God is sovereign, and He will do as He wills in His time. We find one account of Jesus’ action in John 6:
Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him. He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for He knew what He would do. “Have the crowd sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place, and the men sat down, and there were about five thousand of them. Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks to God, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down. He also gave the fish, until they were all satisfied. When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the pieces that are left, so that nothing is wasted,” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five loaves that were left over from the people who had eaten. When the men saw the sign Jesus had performed, they said, “This is the Prophet who is truly coming into the world.” John 6:5-6, 10-14
Brother Jack, I tell you that it is true that God intervened in His sovereignty and provided a provision very similar to the gospel account recorded by the Apostle Matthew in the reference mentioned above. The story goes like this:
In an area between Zahedan and Kerman (far eastern border area of Iran, adjacent to Afghanistan and Pakistan), in one of the large sites of the believers where the brothers had settled after being saved from the enemies of the Lord, the supplies of food, medicine, water, and most of the necessities for the believers’ survival ran out. The people had nothing to eat for several days, and hunger began to weaken them. Then the Father of our Lord Jesus, spoke to me and the brothers and instructed us to gather all we could and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The HOB missionaries had long ago learned not to doubt the faint voice of their conscience, and that is precisely what the brothers did. They managed to gather about 400 kilograms of lintels, 10 kilograms of salt, 300 kilograms of wheat, and some water. Then they were instructed to prepare a special soup for the people.
Omar, Shahbandar, Mortada, and Dargham’s assistants gathered firewood and lit some fires. Then they began combining the ingredients and preparing the soup. At the same time, others took the wheat and prepared a type of thick flatbread that resembled a large tortilla.
While the soup was being prepared, 10 very large bowls were placed in their positions, ready to be distributed to the people. When the entire quantity was finished, everyone paused to pray and ask God to bless the food. As they prayed, they also asked God to alleviate the bitter cold so that the people could obtain the food and deliver it to their families.
People lined up in long lines, some carrying bowls for three children, some for four, and others for five or more. God answered their prayers, and the snow almost stopped, turning to a light rain. While the soup was being distributed to the hundreds waiting, and more was being prepared, the cooks ran out of water. Without water, it was impossible to make any more soup! But they had prayed to God and trusted in Him from the beginning! And God was surely going to answer!
Around that time, they noticed a hole in the food preparation area. Strangely, this hole was an old well located between two dwellings. The brothers and I prayed and called upon the Lord, and water gushed forth from the ground. Those preparing the soup were able to collect the water from the well and continue cooking! Some might say it was a coincidence, but if you had asked the missionaries who were there preparing the food, they wouldn’t have agreed! This was God’s plan!
The HOB missionaries continued distributing soup and bread for over eight and a half hours, feeding more than 25,000 people, and they still had plenty left! They quickly announced they had even more soup and bread, and by the end of the distribution, another 5,000 people had arrived and received God’s great blessings! But this wasn’t the whole story of what God did that day!
It wasn’t long before the missionaries began receiving reports that the people who received God’s miraculous gift were not only fed but also healed! The bread and soup that God provided were healing hundreds! The refugee camps were suffering from a severe outbreak of influenza, diarrhea, bronchitis, severe colds, and many other illnesses, many caused by exposure to the elements. It’s important to understand that most of the people in these food lines were non-believers. These people experienced God’s love in a literal, clear, and miraculous way — a way that could only come from the Almighty! And now, the harvest of souls is beginning to appear! Is not God generous? Glory to His name forever!
We ask you to pray for all the believers in the House of Blessing in the Middle East. They are going through difficult times, and because of what the Bible tells us about what will happen, the situation will not be easier. But God watches over His people and protects them. The return of Christ is very near.
Aylout Eban, servant of the Lord
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In summation of today’s update, I have included a teaching by Aylout Eban, HOB’s 91-year-old elder. This material is being taught to all the elders and teachers of the House of Blessing and is being taught all across the Mideast. I was asked to include this so that all those who love and pray for the House of Blessing have some idea of what is being taught. Keep in mind, teachings like this are being taught in the middle of the Islamic world. It is totally contrary to Islamic theology, but is opening the eyes of Islamic sheikhs, imams, and mullahs all across the Mideast. Incidentally, it is also being taught to Jewish communities. This is because many Jewish rabbis have come to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah! Praise God!
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My brother Jack, peace be upon you. A special greeting from me, Aylout Eban. Today I’ve been teaching on this topic, but let me first of all say that I am nothing more than a servant of the Lord and of His work. This multi-part study, which will be based mostly on the Book of Revelation, will examine what Christ Jesus did as the founder of the Church.
Many people, even born-again Christians, largely avoid the Book of Revelation. However, the third verse of the first chapter gives us this encouragement:
“Blessed are those who read and hear the words of this prophecy and who take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”
It doesn’t say, “Blessed are those who understand,” but rather, “blessed are those who read.” Then it adds, “and take to heart what is written in it.” Needless to say, if we don’t read the words, we won’t know what we are being asked to take to heart. Then the Holy Spirit Himself explains why we must read and take to heart: “because the time is near.” The time was indeed near when John was given this vision, for the Church was then considered to be in the “last days.” And here we are today, two thousand years later, in the very last of these “last days.”
Brother Jack, let’s now look at the wording of the first two verses of chapter 1:
- The vision of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servants, things that must soon come to pass. He sent it and delivered it by his angel to His servant John who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ with all that he saw.
The last book of the Bible is often called the “Revelation of John the Theologian,” which is completely incorrect. It is the vision of Jesus Christ the Savior. This unique “vision” begins by affirming the truth of Jesus, and it is also the conclusion of the Bible. Between chapters 1 and 22, a continuous stream of visions of Jesus Christ is revealed to us.
The revelation described in this book was first given by the Almighty Father to the Son, Jesus Christ, who in turn gave it to His beloved disciple, John. John was, among the disciples, part of the inner circle of three, along with Peter and James. Of these three, it was John who seemed to have the deepest spiritual connection with the Master. And now, John, an elderly man, but by the will of God, still alive, receives this great revelation from the Master Himself.
We find John conveying a very special greeting in verses 4-8:
- Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne,
- And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and King of the kings of the earth. To Him be the glory and the dominion, who loved us and washed us from our sins by His blood,
- And made us to be a kingdom and priests to His God and Father. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
- “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
In this particular greeting, we find expressions that affirm the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father, as well as between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who is depicted in this scene as the seven-faced Spirit of God.
John then affirms that Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, is the firstborn from the dead. Because He was the ultimate redemption for sin, and because He triumphed over sin and death for us, He is the firstfruits of the great harvest of souls that has continued ever since. Although He has not yet ascended His throne on earth, He is King of kings and Lord of lords. The earth, which has been under Lucifer’s control since the fall of Adam and Eve in Paradise, has been legally restored. It will be truly restored to Christ’s control at the time God chooses.
Because Jesus has triumphed, we have become kings and priests in His kingdom. It is not our own merit that has qualified us for this position in His kingdom, but His own merit and righteousness with which He has clothed us. The apostle Paul said this:
But you are from Him in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption — so that, as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
In the letter to the Hebrews, we read:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that easily throws us off. Let us run with perseverance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured all this hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow faint and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
We live this earthly life only once, and then we pass on to eternity. Only what is done in accordance with Christ’s plan for our lives has eternal value. The apostle repeatedly described this life in his writings as a race, and if we are truly in a race, we must run it with the Lord leading us. He is the one who established and perfected our faith. Remembering this helps us avoid despair and exhaustion.
In Revelation 1:7, the Bible reminds us that our Christ will return. This is good news that the church in the first century desperately needed, and it is the same for us today. This time, Christ will come as King of kings, not as the suffering Christ whose death was witnessed by the disciple John. He will return in all His power and glory. All eyes will see Him, and the unbelieving world will grieve over the cost of its unbelief.
Then Jesus makes a statement that has upset many people over the past two thousand years: He declares Himself to be God! There is no other way to understand His claim that He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” For context, these two letters are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus reinforces His claim, so to speak, by asserting that He is the eternal and all-powerful God.
Throughout history, many have been offended by Jesus’ audacity in claiming to be the only way, the only truth, and the only life! Who has the right to stake such a claim? God alone! And we must accept him…or lose our eternal souls.
May the Lord bless all the brothers and sisters of the House of Blessing,
Aylout Eban, servant of the Lord
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Thank you all for your support of the House of Blessing, both in prayer and financially. I would like to include a special request for prayer today. Thousands of Bibles and teaching booklets have just been transferred from the print shop and are in the process of being delivered all across Syria, Iraq, Azerbaijan, the Kurdistan area, and Iran. Prayer is needed for successful deliveries and safety for those doing the delivering. Thank you!
Please pray to the Lord of the Harvest for the means to continue the printing needing to be done before Ramadan, which is less than two weeks away. The print shop is working feverishly to print multiplied thousands of copies of both the Scriptures and teaching booklets. Thank You. If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to contact either of the email addresses below:
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)