In the last post entered onto this blog, I inserted an e-mail sent to me by the Missionary Pastor we came in contact with during our trip to Jerusalem. I have spoken to him several times since coming home and wanted to take this opportunity to give an update to what his plans are in the next few days.
As already mentioned, our happening to come in contact with this man and his ministry was no coincidence. I have only covered bits and pieces of the story, but it was an answer to prayer for us—and also him, as it turns out. As I have mentioned before, I cannot give his name over the internet due to the fact that the internet is worldwide, and there are many that do not want God’s Word spread in the Middle East. He does have a legitimate ministry, a bank account set up here in the U.S., and any funds written to his ministry are tax deductible. I will give information on how anyone can contribute if you so choose, below.
About two or three months ago, the Lord had spoken to him about stepping out in faith and ordering 2,000 Bibles, in order to get them distributed. In telling me the story, he said that he has never done anything on a scale like this before, and it scared him—but he obeyed. Some of the Bibles were translated into Hebrew and the rest into Arabic. One thing the Lord had laid on his heart was that the bulk of the Bibles were to go into Jordan. He has some contacts there in several places to where the Bibles are to go.
The timing of this is crucial, as it will not be long until the government of Jordan turns against Israel completely once again, and joins Israel’s other enemies in a major regional war. It has been in the process of backing off from the treaty signed between Israel and Jordan for some time now, although the treaty is still officially in place. The Bible actually describes this war, and it appears that it is going to be a war with a great many casualties. The news says quite a lot of the danger of Iran to Israel, but several places in the Old Testament describes a war that Israel has with its immediate border neighbors that could happen without warning. I won’t go into the details of this now as that is not the purpose of this post. The point is this: The Bibles need to get distributed as soon as possible, while it is still possible to do so. The war itself is imminent; Israel knows it, and is prepared to face the worst.
Our missionary pastor friend is planning to leave on this trip on Monday, God-willing. There have been a number of you that have asked to be kept informed with how things are going, and I will do so as I get word. This man and his volunteer crew are going to need lots of prayer support. What they are taking on is extremely dangerous. I also want to thank those of you who have e-mailed me to let me know that you have a desire to help with the purchase of these Bibles, and I have already begun receiving some funds as of yesterday which I will put into this ministry’s Stateside account. Some of you have asked what the status is on his purchase. Of the original $31,000 needed, $26,000 has been covered. The last $5,000 will pay for the last 200 Bibles and travel expenses for the 15 or so volunteers and their vehicles. The cost of living in Israel is quite high, and their taxes are very high. Fuel runs at $9.00 per gallon.
Originally, he had figured that he needs to get the Bibles in and distributed within a day or two because of the extreme danger, but told me by phone today that he is going to try and stay for about a week because there are so many of the people needing encouragement and teaching. He did not want to rely on the poor that he is going to visit to feed them, and so he is seeing to it that everyone is fed, but out of his own pocket. He has 30 days to pay off the balance. He has not once asked me for money, nor has he asked me to ask anyone. God however has connected us with this man and his ministry, and we pray together over the phone, long distance two or three times a week. I decided on my own to gradually tell you his story and share his concerns, needs, and prayer needs. He has been in this ministry for some time, and I know he has been caught before, not knowing if he will live through the events. God has watched over him and through each experience has been able to show a number of people the love of God each time before He suddenly found himself free again. This really is where the rubber meets the road. When I look at what is being done, no matter how much I can help him financially, it feels to me that he has the hard part to do. Yet, this is the way God seems to have laid it out. Each have their own task in God’s Kingdom. We all have an opportunity to help someone find Christ, whether we are distributing Bibles ourselves, or helping fund the projects.
Once this project has been completed, there are plans to get more Bibles purchased and taken over the border into other neighboring countries, as long as there is time to do so. I am going to leave the story right here for now, and provide updates periodically.
Thanks once again for those of you that have decided to pray for this ministry that is centered in Jerusalem, but is reaching out to the neighboring nations as well. There is no web site for the ministry due to the dangers it would bring, but I will gladly provide the name of the ministry to anyone expressing a desire to be involved, financially or with your prayers. I will gladly share the easiest and quickest way of providing help. My e-mail address is [email protected]
Thank you for your interest at this very crucial time, especially in Jerusalem and the Middle East. The Bible tells us all to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We all know that this is not going to happen for real until the Prince of Peace returns. This however is very, very close now. What a privilege it is to be part of what is happening in such a turbulent area of our world. If you have never been there, it is hard to imagine.
Thank you.
Jake