We are all familiar with the verse in Matthew 26:28 that says: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” There may not be many who are familiar with a quote by British evangelist and author, Roy Hession: “At Calvary, the naked truth is staring down at us, challenging us to drop the pose and own the truth.” Pastor and author Chris Tiegreen made these comments:
Our human responses to sin would be amusing if they weren‘t so contrary to truth:
- We cover it up, like Adam and Eve in the Garden. We know it’s there, but we don’t admit it to God, and we certainly don’t let others see it — that it would be too humiliating.
- We deny it’s there. We come up with justifications such as “Everyone is basically good,” and “I’m OK, you’re OK.” We relegate sin to the aberrant folks who end up in prisons and psychiatric wards.
- We redefine it. It’s not sin — it’s a weakness, a character flaw, human nature.
- We try to compensate God for it. We do good works, we come up with all sorts of religions and rituals, we make vows of obedience for tomorrow to make up for disobedience yesterday. We try to make the good in us outweigh the bad.
This week we observe Palm Sunday, the crucifixion of Christ on the cross, and His resurrection. All of our approaches to the “sin problem” become undone as we are reminded of that disfigured, bloody form on the cross. There on display to the whole world was the innocent sacrifice who took all of our shame upon Himself. The choice we all have is whether we will admit our need for that sacrifice or if we continue in our own pitiful human solutions listed above. The bottom line is that the sins of the whole world — your sins and mine, put Him on that cross. We dare not degrade His sacrifice with our shallow attempts to deny our need. As we look at that cross and the Man hanging there, we see the reality of who we really are, and it is humbling. We see the ugliness of our sin and we are left without words. We find these words in Hebrews 2:3: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” Indeed!
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Two of the reports I have received are included in today’s Mideast Update but I have already received three more. These will be sent out in a day or two after today’s installment. One of them is from Pastor Abdelrahem — who you will remember the Lord brought back after having been dead for at least an hour. Stay tuned!
The message below was received early afternoon on March 25, 2026:
Peace be with you and with the followers of Jesus. My brother, most people find it difficult to believe in miracles. Yet, supernatural events do occur. It is not true that the miraculous events recorded for us during Jesus’ three-and-a-half year ministry in Palestine, and later by His chosen apostles, came to an end with their passing into eternal life. Church history is full of accounts of supernatural divine interventions over the past two thousand years. This is part of what the Great Commission included, and as we approach the end times, these special interventions are increasing. Our topic today is the account of one of these unique blessings from the Lord of the harvest. But first, let me share with you a familiar passage from God’s Word.
14And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” 16But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17And they said to Him, ”We have here only five loves and two fish.” 18He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Matthew 14:14-21
A few hours earlier, as our friends in Iran were lining up to receive prayers from Pastor Abdelrahem, the first of the four elders asked if there was any food available. Pastor Abdelrahem knew that he only had five sacks, each weighing approximately 10 kilograms, of rice. The potatoes were about 100 kilos, and there were two pots of lentil soup. As he pondered what he could do with such a small amount of food for the large number of people lined up, the Holy Spirit inspired him to prepare the rice, potatoes, and soup he had and begin distributing them. Knowing that God sometimes works in hidden ways, Pastor Abdelrahem did as he was instructed.
Preparing the small amount of rice didn’t take long, and while he was trying to understand what the Lord wanted from him, he was instructed to give each person two spoonfuls of rice and potatoes, and a small bowl of soup. It seemed strange, especially since most of the people were hungry. But he felt that this was truly a command from God.
As Abdelrahem handed out the prepared rice and potatoes to the people, the elders looked up and noticed an unseen Being beyond him. They reached out and touched Abdelrahem as he distributed the food. The elders were immediately moved, and it was clear that he was receiving the blessing of the Holy Spirit. It was only moments before the people receiving the food could no longer stand, and they fell to the ground, prostrate. While he was distributing the food, Abdelrahem continued to praise and glorify God, instructing the elders to stand beside him. He also instructed Ma’touq, Aylout, Hayel, and Arshid to keep watch. The same thing happened with everyone who came forward. Each person received their spoonful of rice, potatoes, and soup, and like those before them, they prostrated themselves on the ground, blessed by the Holy Spirit. Those who needed healing were also healed.
As Pastor Abdelrahem distributed the spoonful of rice, potatoes, and soup to each person, people quickly spread out. It was noticeable from the beginning that the supply of rice, potatoes, and soup never ran out. Those who ate and felt the Lord’s blessing said that their hunger was completely satisfied. God’s angel had taken every spoonful and transformed it into a hearty meal!
Ma’touq told me that by the end of the day, they had fed more than 13,000 people! None of them left without receiving God’s special touch. Each one was healed and their hunger satisfied. The people were so happy that they stayed for hours, rejoicing and praising God. The blessing was that everyone who ate the food was not only healed but also baptized in the Holy Spirit.
All God asked was that they take the little they had, and God would provide the rest. God proved what He had said years ago through the American evangelist Billy Graham: “A little is much when God is in it.” Pastor Abdelrahem gave the little rice, potatoes, and soup they had, and God’s angel multiplied it, healed the people, filled them with the Holy Spirit, and gave them strength and steadfastness in faith.
In these last days / weeks / months, however many they may be, we still have the same commission given to the early church. Jesus gave them this commandment:
15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. 19So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:15-20
My brother Jack, I am still thinking about the spoonful of cooked rice that fed the hunger of so many. It reminded me of the simple meal given to the prophet Elijah when he was fleeing. That special food gave him strength for forty days of wandering in the desert! The same God who provided for Elijah in his distress is the same God who performed this miracle for thousands of hungry and desperate people. How great is God’s generosity!
Your brother, the servant of the Lord,
Dr. Nibras
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The second message was received later in the afternoon of March 25, 2026
Peace be with you, brother Jack, and with all the followers of Jesus. When we reflect on the history of the Church, we find that, whatever the circumstances, the true Church, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has been able to flourish and grow. We see this clearly in many parts of the world today, including the troubled Middle East. The Book of Acts provides many examples of this, one of which is in chapter 2:
42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all as anyone had need. 46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
In my report today, we will add more to the story of the five who recently believed in Jesus Christ and were baptized with water. In the previous update, we learned that the three men, Mellah Bartoushi, Zanusi, and Jitan, asked brother Omar to come and share the Gospel with a group of family members and others. Omar accepted their request and brought along a team of missionaries from the House of Blessing. After hearing about Jesus and the free grace of forgiveness offered through His sacrifice, all those present decided to follow Jesus, just as the elders and their sons had done that day. They were then baptized before spending the entire day in communion and celebration. Omar and his team of missionaries left three Gospels to distribute to the elders, and they also left twelve teaching booklets on three other subjects to distribute to the family before returning to their daily ministry.
The elders contacted Omar again today. This time, they asked if the House of Blessing could send some missionaries to teach them the basics of following Christ. They were very eager to learn so they could begin their own ministry. He told them that he didn‘t expect the House of Blessing could offer anything right now beyond some teachers. Omar, Shahbandar, and Mortada saw this as a great opportunity, and after praying, they were certain that God would grant them success. He told me that Omar had chosen missionaries to go and begin the process of teaching and training their sheikhs, their families, and their followers, numbering over 5,000.
Omar asked us to pray especially for this family, and that God would bless the missionaries who would spend intensive hours with them, helping them to understand the teachings of Jesus and His apostles fundamentally, and to learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit. What a great opportunity and a tremendous honor!
I know that many wonder if such hardliners are really capable of such a radical change. The House of Blessing has witnessed the Gospel message reach a large number of hardliners from various Shiite groups. The Gospel has also reached the hearts of many great sheikhs. God is able to change hearts and turn the course of a life away from destruction, changing their destiny forever!
The story of the House of Blessing church family in the Middle East is one example of what God does through the community of believers as the House of Blessing is used throughout the Middle East. Most of the stories of the miracles God works in people’s lives will remain untold until we are all gathered in the Kingdom of God. I believe the celebrations will be truly overflowing when we begin to hear how each individual has joined the people of God and our Christ.
In all regions, preaching and teaching continue at large. Congregations pray and baptize whenever possible. Communion is celebrated daily everywhere as soon as the missionaries are able to gather the necessary supplies. As always, these communion services are times of great spiritual renewal and joy. The Spirit of the Lord touches many, and many are healed of a wide range of illnesses and ailments during these celebrations.
As March draws to a close, Resurrection Sunday arrives. This will be a great opportunity for HOB to tell the true story of what happened during that special weekend, both the crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection. This is a story known only to a few Muslims, as most have been taught that the crucifixion never happened.
As you know, the month of Ramadan has ended, and as most of our followers know, this month was a season of abundant harvest. Given the current global situation, it is clear that we are in the end times! We know that we are very close to the end of the age prophesied by John the Revelator in the Book of Revelation. This means that we are also very close to the time when the true Church will be called to the presence of the Lord.
When I spoke to Pastor Abdelrahem today, we touched on the urgency of this moment. The Pastor confirmed what many, including myself, feel. We have never been at such a critical juncture in human history, and unfortunately, not enough people realize how urgent this moment is. Whatever we do in the name of the Lord, we must do it now — before it is too late. Humanity has crossed a watershed in history, and there is no turning back. We are living in a time of accelerating events, and the coming of the Kingdom of God is very near. The Prophet Zephaniah pointed to the time we are living in today and, inspired by the Spirit of God, he spoke these words to the Jewish nation, and consequently to the rest of humanity:
1Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation (unashamed, without longing), 2before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you! 3Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility, it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger. Zephaniah 2:1-3
This is a message God is sending us loudly and clearly today, and it must resonate within us — now!
Your brother,
Dr. Nibras, servant of the Lord
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It is difficult for us who are not on the mission field with the House of Blessing missionaries to comprehend the amount of activity and preparation for Resurrection Sunday. The print shop has been printing Bibles and teaching booklets in staggering amounts. I’m not sure that the folks running the four print machines get much sleep. The feeling is that we are out of time. We in the West may not feel the urgency of the hour, but the HOB missionaries who are directly in the middle of war and the chaos it brings, are well aware. It is not just the awareness of the exploding Middle East, and the wider world situation. It is what the Spirit of God is putting into their hearts during their prayer and worship times. God knows exactly what time it is and He is telling His people the same. So, every effort is being made! I understand that not all will be in agreement with me, but the Age of Grace is closing!
Thank you all for your prayers and for your help in meeting the staggering need. The reason the “need” is growing so much is because of the thousands of people responding to the Gospel. They are coming into the Kingdom by the multitudes. Jesus is coming! Very SOON!
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)