All of us have wondered at one time or another where we fit in God’s overall plan and what His will is for us. When we are young, we see the potential of many years ahead and we wonder what our life’s work should be. As we age, we wonder where we still fit in God’s plan. In Psalm 139 we find some interesting thoughts:
You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in Your Book! How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly! Psalm 139:15-17 (Living Bible)
It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for “book” refers to a scroll. In other words, God’s scroll holds the Word of God, the will of God, and the plans of God. So, how are these things revealed? The only way to see what’s inside of a scroll is by unrolling it. The only way you or I can see the fullness of God’s plans for us as life unfolds, is “as it unrolls.’ With a book, we can skip ahead to later chapters and discover the outcome before revealing all the steps that were taken to arrive at the given outcome. With a scroll, that is not possible. It has to be unrolled a little at a time.
As mortal humans, we can’t be shown all that lies ahead of us. We would probably be overwhelmed and we wouldn’t understand it, nor would we be able to deal with it. God’s plans for our lives were written before we were even born. He has prepared good works for us to walk out. What is the key? The key is to live in the present. As we live in the present, following God’s directions for the present day, each tomorrow will unfold as “God’s Scroll of the Days of our Life” unrolls.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (Living Bible)
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This first update was sent by Omar, through Dr. Nibras on April 14, 2026
Peace be upon you, my brother Jack, and upon all the beloved of Jesus. Centuries have passed since Jesus commissioned the Church and gave it power on the Day of Pentecost in the first century. The fallen Lucifer has done everything in his power to destroy it. Jesus warned that just as he was hated, so too would his true followers be hated. The Apostle Paul described the circumstances of the Corinthian church with these words:
11To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. 1 Corinthians 4:11-13
Peace be with you from the heart, my brother Jack. This is Omar. For the past week, I have been in northern Iran preparing the leaders to get ready for the brothers to open their very basic school, which has nothing but empty rooms and no chairs. The believers have been attacked in eastern, western, and central Iran, and the congregation of believers at the House of Blessing has suffered another great loss. My friends know that HOB has been organizing remarkable missionary efforts for the past year and a half, and this was planned for this year as well. Groups of leaders from various regions met to plan missionary activities for this period. These groups were led by Pastor Abdelrahem, and brothers Aylout Eban and Ma’touq, on the pastor’s recommendation, oversaw the efforts throughout Iran. The meeting was primarily for the leaders, but others participated, perhaps to help facilitate it. Among these men are Shahbandar, Morteda, Zargham, Musa, and Sami in the north.
In my conversation with Abdelrahem about the 51 who lost their lives, he described each one as a strong man of God. The pastor asks for continued prayers for the additional 1,000+ students who regular readers may remember had been severely beaten in the same incident when they were caught being taught God’s Word in a mosque. We trust that God will give them life. I don’t have the names of the deceased.
The 51 leaders were men who, in spite of having found Jesus such a short time earlier, had already proved their worth time and again. Judge Qadi Hamoush’s name was mentioned many times since they became believers. This man and his companions endured horrific trials, witnessing events that most of us couldn’t even imagine in our worst nightmares. Yet, they also witnessed time and again God’s power to intervene in situations in response to the faith of his people and their sincere prayers. Hamoush and his companions remained in and around Iran during the severe siege, when the regime’s deadly grip began to hunt them down for their ‘apostasy.’ Instead of seeking safer places to minister, they stayed, along with the many dedicated missionaries and volunteers who worked within them, and were able to reach a great many who were dying or knew they were unlikely to survive. HOB has lost a significant number of its missionaries and trained volunteers at the hands of the brutal Shia Islamists. The men’s 51 widows have voluntarily joined the multitude of besieged peoples in order to reach as many as possible before their deaths. As the psalmist says of the death of God’s people: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Psalm 116:15)
This is the House of Blessing story, repeated time and again. The details differ in each story, but the end result is always the same: lives. The meeting of HOB leaders that was attacked was intended to plan the most effective ways to spread the love of Christ, Jesus, among the people during Ramadan this year. Such plans provoke intense anger and hatred toward Christian missionaries. Islam does not tolerate Christianity. Yet, Muslims see that Shia Islam would attack the followers of another sect simply because of their differing interpretations of Islam. The only hope many of them have is to hear the Gospel message brought by the blood of Jesus, the true Messiah. This simple message about God’s love for humanity has brought countless lost souls to the Kingdom of God. Hundreds, sometimes even thousands, join them every week.
Jesus had a unique perspective on the persecution His people would face:
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12
Despite the tragedy of the attack on the leadership gathering in the House of Blessing area, the work of HOB continues. Sister Ikhlas (widow of Judge Qadi Hamoush) and her assistants focused their efforts on slowing the flow of large crowds trying to flee from one area to another. Everyone is searching for any glimmer of safety, but it is nearly impossible. Ikhlas and her team managed to share the Gospel message with approximately 8,430 people. They then did their best to bring them into some of HOB’s congregations of believers. These people have nothing, but the missionaries are doing everything they can to provide them with shelter in their tents or wherever else they can. This enables them to begin teaching the Word of God and strengthening their newfound faith.
In other areas, our groups of believers were preparing for Eid al-Adha, hoping to bring as many people as possible to faith in Jesus and change their minds and beliefs, or they were still completing their Bible course at the HOB School of Ministry. Thousands have completed the course in the past few months, but many more are still waiting to enroll. The need is great! What a wonderful opportunity for us to help them provide copies of the Bible and educational materials that the brothers continue to copy whenever money allows for these courses. Thank you, brother Jack, but know that we pray for you every morning and evening. I also want to thank our sister, or rather, our mother, Jackie, who has embraced us and continues to support us, even though she is far away, but she is in our hearts and within us in the fields. I also thank Pastor Mina, Pastor Terry, and Dr. Susan for their tireless work in providing the Lord’s blessing and guidance. There are many, many others to thank for helping us to hold up the truth and spread the Word of Jesus and His Gospel.
Your brother, Omar, and all those with me,
Servants of the Lord
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This second report was sent by the former Mullah, Ma’touq, through Dr. Nibras on April 16, 2026.
Peace be upon you, my brother Jack, and upon all the beloved of Jesus. Elderly men arrived at Sister Ikhlas (Judge Hamoush’s widow). They were high-ranking judges: Judge Farouk, Judge Antar, and Judge Haroun. They wanted to know the secret behind the killing of Hamoush and what the sacrifice was all about. We thank the Lord for arranging for myself and Aylout to be there. I explained to them why the judge and his men had chosen Jesus and gave them the Gospel. This passage of Scripture had been read to them:
7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — 10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 2 Corinthians 4:7-11
They began to read, ponder, rejoice, and sing the words of the Gospel. Each o f them knew they could lose their lives at any moment, but they felt that God had sent them to fulfill their role in the great mission in this way. I remember what God said to Joshua when he was to succeed Moses in leading the Israelites:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
And one of my favorite verses in the Bible is found in Isaiah 26:3-4. Its encouraging words say:
3You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 4Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
Brother Jack, this is from Ma’touq and Aylout Eban. What the missionaries of the House of Blessing are doing now is much like soldiers armed with swords and shields, rushing at full speed towards the enemy army … facing death head-on! I can find no other explanation for people moving from one dangerous place to another that is even more dangerous. For those of us still living in relative safety, it’s hard to imagine what’s happening in Iran now. These widows are ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Jesus’ word and His Book, as were their husbands before them. My brother Jack, we are witnessing the age of the Gospel, the Book of Truth. These elders have believed and asked for forgiveness and prayers. They came from far away, even from Isfahan. They have over 10,000 followers, some of whom already want to confess their sins — which may perhaps cost them their lives. They will join us here to learn and teach the Gospel. What a blessing from the Lord! We pray for your health and pray to the Lord that we may some day meet you, not here — but with our Lord Jesus. He is coming, coming very soon!
Your brothers in God, servants of the Lord and His work,
Ma’touq and Aylout Eban
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Thank you all again for all your prayers and support. Bibles and booklets are still being shipped out as soon as they are completed. Please keep the print shop and all staff in your prayers as they are constantly in danger. The Bible and Christian literature is not allowed. Feel free to contact HOB through either of the email addresses below. Thank you.
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)