In Luke 9:3 we read Jesus making this statement: “Take nothing for the journey, neither staff nor bag nor bread nor money…” We have a tendency to read right through that statement without thinking much about it — or we pass it off as something that was specifically for Jesus’ disciples — or maybe for missionaries in a foreign field. We might think it has little to do with us today, but we are in error. Whether we are living in the affluent West or in a totally suppressed culture, as believers and followers of Jesus, we are taught in the Lord’s prayer to ask our Father for our daily bread. For many of us, that is not something we take seriously because we have no lack of bread. For others, who are lacking, this Scripture has a very real application. But, what if the meaning is deeper than just the daily “bread” we need to survive?
Are we really supposed to ask for what we already have? If we already have it, we don’t still need to receive it. Apparently we don’t yet have what Jesus is actually referring to. The meaning of that prayer is that we must give up our claimed right to what we already have. This includes our assumed right to decide for ourselves how to disperse what we claim ownership of — if at all. Giving up our assumed ownership of what is in our hands actually opens the door for God’s miracles. If we can see that everything we “own” is really on loan to us from God to begin with — including our daily bread, literally leaving us without owning anything, then God can give us everything — every day. It is then that we truly become thankful for every blessing, whether large or small, recognizing that it is all provided by our Heavenly Father. This makes it easy for us without reluctance to cheerfully pass on anything God lays upon our hearts to give. It is, after all, His to begin with! And it is He who has promised to meet all of our needs through Christ Jesus.
On to the House of Blessing…
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In the last Mideast Update, I had shared the unusual story of how Omar, Ma’touq, Aylout, and Durgham were healed of their catastrophic injuries. In the account, a mullah by the name of Dr. Bandis was mentioned. This man, 72 years old, was reached with the Gospel by Abdelrahem. Dr. Bandis had been a professor of Islamic law in a prestigious university in northern Iran for many years and, as a very well known mullah, has a following of about 10,000. These 10,000 followed their mullah’s example and have also accepted Jesus as their Savior. Dr. Bandis also happens to be a dermatologist; this being the reason why he had been asked to go to examine Omar and the other three men.
Dr. Bandis and Pastor Abdelrahem spent many days and nights discussing the Bible and the Christian belief system after the doctor had committed his life to Christ. His growth as a follower of Christ was phenomenal and, given his trained ability to teach, he quickly became a great asset. I was told that the doctor had asked if he would be allowed to contact me directly and Abdelrahem felt comfortable to give him the green light to do so.
I had received some emails from Dr. Bandis before his interaction with Omar and the others but had not included them in an update because of the emergency situation that the four men were in. Below are the first communications I received from Dr. Bandis. I have included his thoughts concerning some scriptures he was meditating on. I hope you can see the great miracle God has done in this man’s heart. He does love to write!
This email from Dr. Bandis was received on May 16.
Peace be upon you, my brother Jack, and upon all who follow Jesus. I am Dr Bandis, (also Mullah Bandis). It is an honor to be able to connect with you. I have been sitting with Pastor Abdelrahem and the brothers here, the elders. I hope you will accept this from me. After a long study of the Bible, it has become clear to me that God is telling us to do this in light of all these events. I had a few things to say at this point, but I feel that the Spirit of God is guiding me to something different. I would like to explain and elaborate on a passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament. It is in chapter six, and I will quote it in its expanded form. I also feel that the Lord is saying that we should all take the time to read it slowly and methodically, and to absorb every phrase and every word. We have been negligent toward Jesus and we have fallen short in our duty to God in many ways. It is time to rectify this, and very quickly. Please! You may not agree, but I believe that time is already running out, and we are now being given a very short period of grace to finally get ourselves in order as the Bride of Christ. Now to Hebrews 6:
Therefore let us proceed beyond the elementary stage of teaching and doctrine about Christ, and steadily advance toward the perfection and completeness that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us lay the foundation of repentance and abandoning dead works (dead formalities) and faith (by which you turned to God) again with teachings about purification, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment (all things you should have been fully aware of long ago).
If God permits, we will now move on to advanced teaching, because it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who have been enlightened once and for all, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and who have felt the greatness of God’s word and the powers of this age and the world to come, if they stray from the faith and turn away from their allegiance. For as long as they are nailing the Son of God to the cross again (in their own way) and exposing Him to contempt, shame, and public disgrace.
For the land that drinks the rain that falls upon it repeatedly and brings forth vegetation beneficial to those for whom it is sown receives a blessing from God. But if the land continues to produce thorns and thistles, it is considered worthless and close to being cursed, destined to be burned. Although we speak in this way, my beloved, we are absolutely certain that, in your case, better things are close to and accompanying salvation. For God is not unjust, so He will not forget or ignore the effort and love you have shown for his name in serving the needs of the saints (His chosen people), as you have been doing until now.
But we earnestly and sincerely desire that each of you show the same diligence and devotion (throughout the journey) in realizing your hope and enjoying it fully until the end. Lest you become lax and spiritually lazy, or even imitative, walking like those who, by faith (by relying completely on God in Christ, with absolute trust in his power, wisdom, and goodness, and by patience and waiting), now inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:1-12
That was a passage where I spoke about the power of faith, brother Jack, but it also highlights our urgent need to move beyond the first step. Throughout this teaching series, I’ve mentioned the importance of reflecting on the Old Testament washing basin (the laver), which is associated with holiness. The basin was covered with mirrors beneath the water, forming its bottom. One could see every speck of impurity and had to wash it away. We, however, are washed with the “water of God’s Word.” God has made a statement that may seem harsh: He expects us, his people, to be holy — because He is holy! He also says that without holiness, no one will see the Lord!
We are not capable of achieving perfection in this area. To clarify, “holiness” is not about following rigid rituals and rules. Rather, it’s about the growth of our relationship with God, and when He shows us the flaws in our lives, we address them with His help. The problem is that we’ve overestimated “blessing” to the point that we think how we live doesn’t matter because we’re free! There are limits we don’t dare cross in our “freedom”…
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(Dr. Bandis’ comments ended suddenly but a second installment arrived about an hour later.)
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…Although I have many topics I wish to explain, I have noticed a change in many things recently. I feel an urgent and persistent longing that grows stronger by the day. This feeling is not a product of my book readings, but rather of my reading of the Old and New Testaments.
I am not one of those who hear God’s voice clearly, and I sometimes now envy those who possess this ability. Nevertheless, on many occasions, God has spoken to me, and I have understood perfectly what He said, often literally. At other times, He has left a powerful impression on me. I have not had many visions in my life, but so far what I have been given has come to pass in detail.
As for man, he was created as a three-part being. In addition to the physical body, he possesses a soul that includes a mind that transcends the physical organ, namely the brain. Our soul also encompasses our personality, which is unique among all people on earth. Our soul is also the center of our emotions, which are also entirely unique. And then there is the “spirit.” Because of the spirit that God created in every human being, everyone who has lived, or will be born, will live forever. Without delving into theological details in this writing, it suffices to say that a large part of the spiritual aspect of humanity will be part of the immortal being that God created us to be. It is the “spirit”: that distinguishes humans from animals. God did not create animals to walk and talk with Him — while humans were created with this capacity.
This, incidentally, is the primary reason behind Lucifer, the powerful fallen angel, harboring eternal hatred for humanity. Lucifer held a high position in God’s system of governance until pride consumed him, causing him to forget that he was a created being, and he defied the Almighty God. In short, he managed to persuade a third of the angels to follow his disastrous plan to try to defeat God and usurp His position as God. How could any created being ever consider such an attempt? It is beyond my comprehension, but that is what happened. When he did, he lost any chance of regaining his former exalted position. “To whom much is given, much is required.”
God the Creator has given humanity an incredibly powerful tool that determines their eternal destiny. It surpasses even what the fallen Satan possesses now: free will! It is of paramount importance! Satan is fully aware of this “gift” given to humanity, and he strives by all means to prevent us from understanding the essence of this gift, or perhaps more accurately, the responsibility of it. Lucifer, whom Jesus called “Satan”, knows that the most effective way to harm and offend God is to do everything in his power to destroy His precious creation — you and I. We, as humans, have only limited knowledge of the great things that happen in secret, but God has given us abundant information so that we will have no excuse when we stand before Him and are held accountable for what we have done with his precious, eternal grace.
God said this in the Old Testament: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, and that you may love the Lord your God, and listen to His voice and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life…” Deuteronomy 30:19
We must be in harmony with God. The problem of human “sin” lies not so much in our individual sinful actions as in the “fallen nature” with which every human being is born through their lineage. This requires us to meet God on His terms so that He may give us the miracle within us, the miracle for which the price was paid when Jesus was crucified and then rose again three days later, as He promised. Without this, we will have nothing and we’re all about to stand before God!
This brings up a question: Is it possible that our world is facing “end times” events right now, leading to the Second Coming of Jesus? We spend our entire lives learning how to live, but not how to die! God gave us five physical senses to enjoy life, but there is a spiritual emptiness within every human being that can only be filled by a healthy relationship with their Creator. And this healthy relationship can only be achieved by making the decision to accept God’s free gift of eternal life through the only available path, Jesus Christ.
What worries me most is people’s lack of awareness of the timing. It is not helpful for anyone to predict the day and hour of Jesus’ return. The Bible clearly states that this is something only God knows, and He will not reveal its timing to anyone! As a result, people mock the biblical truth about God’s coming intervention in the affairs of humanity, even though the Bible has foretold this. In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter said, “…in the last days scoffers will come, mocking and following their evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” that was promised? Since the death of our forefathers, everything has been the same as it was at the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4
We have come much further in time than most people realize. Even if I were not to believe in the “rapture” of the true Church of Jesus Christ, I cannot ignore the changes that have taken place on this earth in the last few years. We have passed the point of no return. The most significant historical event that began the countdown was the return of Israel to their ancient land and their independence on May 14, 1948. When that happened, all other end time prophecies began to unfold in rapid succession. Jesus Himself explained that the generation that witnesses this world event will also witness the culmination of everything that will happen, leading to the Second Coming of Christ to this earth. But this time, Christ will not return as the Suffering Christ, but as the One who will rule the entire planet as God and King. This is an irreversible and unalterable truth. No one can change it, and no one can escape it! End of the Age prophecies are unfolding and they are escalating!
Your brother, Dr. Bandis, servant of the Lord
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Because I received such a volume of communications in the last few days, to keep this update from becoming any longer, I will share the rest in an additional update in a day or two. As I stated earlier, I hope you will see the miracle God has done in Dr. Bandis’ life. What he has written above, and what will be included in the next update, are materials he is already teaching, and reports are that thousands are listening to what he has to say.
Now for some troublesome news. Some of you are aware that there has been an attack on a very large mixed group of believers and unbelievers. The first news I received was that a large number of people had been sickened by some type of poison. Just this morning (May 25), I received confirmation that it was a Mustard Gas attack and several thousand people were affected to one extent or another, including an unknown number of deaths. Among those hit very hard were Pastor Abdelrahem, Hayel, Arshid, and Dr. Bandis. They have suffered from vomiting, diarrhea, extreme temperatures, and red spots that developed all over their bodies. All four men are sweating profusely and none of the men are able to speak. All they have been able to do is move their lips. They are in very critical condition and need our prayers. In the next report I will be able to share more details of what happened and hopefully, I will be able to give an update on the condition of the four men above.
The devil hates the Good News of the Gospel and he has a great hatred for those who are proclaiming this Gospel. In spite of all that is happening, I am receiving reports that tell of many thousands who are being reached with the Gospel. HOB’s School of Ministry is also continuing at full speed. As teachers are incapacitated or killed, new graduates step in to take their places — knowing exactly what their commitment to the Gospel might cost them. They have already seen it all.
Thank you for your prayers and support. They are very much appreciated. I was told that another 10,000 teaching booklets have been completed and are on the way for distribution. Praise God! The work goes on.
For any questions or comments, feel free to contact either of the email addresses below.
Forever In His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)