In the last few weeks, every weekly conversation I’ve had with House Of Blessing’s founder, R*, I’ve spoken to him in Syria. As most know who have read these updates, R* was badly injured weeks ago when he and two other men were attacked by ten men belonging to Hezbollah. While they proceeded to kill the three men slowly and methodically with clubs and by stoning them, a larger insurgency group came through the same area shooting people dead at random, killing several people right in front of them. As the ten Hezbollah ran for their own lives, they left R* and the two other men for dead. They were then picked up by friends and taken to a tent where R* has been staying ever since. Every time I ask him about how he is doing with his health, he tells me that he has no complaints. He says he knows that God has him right where He wants Him for the time being, and when it is time for him to move to another location, God would enable him to do so. He says again and again that his whole life and subsistence is in the hands of God, and Him alone.
Since this incidence, thousands of people have been touched by the Gospel of forgiveness and hope that is only offered through the Son of God, Jesus Christ right there in Syria. A large group of sheiks have been reached since that time as well. One of the men that had been with R* that day, when they were left for dead, was the son of a sheik. The two men with R* who were attacked were both healed instantaneously in front of this sheik and 80 other people. As a result this sheik set a goal to reach 50 other sheiks and has ever since been leading them one at a time to a true commitment to their Creator through Jesus Christ. As I wrote in a previous update, both of these men were shot to death about two weeks ago. R* however is still confined to his wheelchair, still not being able to feel much of anything below the waist, and spends all his time training new missionaries to reach out to the seeming unlimited numbers of people who do not know anything about the God of love Who was willing to pay the price necessary to redeem humanity. All He asks is for us as people to make the choice to allow Him to be Lord in our lives. Tens of thousands have done so within the last few months of R*’s confinement within the tent that Miriam used to live in before she was martyred. The area where this tent is located how has about ½ million people, most of them refugees, having lost everything and trying to escape the civil war in Syria. Most are there with just what they could carry with them.
During her Bible reading time, my wife Anne, ran across a passage of Scripture that describes R* and the ministry he is involved in. It is found in 2 Corinthians 6: 10 and reads like this:
“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors, known, yet regarded as impostors, known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
One thing we know, there isn’t a one of us that can do anything of value in God’s kingdom without the power and influence of the Spirit of God, not you or I, nor R*. R* has said again and again, there is nothing great having anything to do with him, no matter the apparent numbers of people that have been reached in the last 15 months or so with this last project God asked of him. We are God’s people and we either follow through with what He puts on our minds and hearts, or we don’t. His part is to go out and do what he is doing. Our part is to keep him covered with prayer and help him with the endless need for Bibles to give these people as they begin their new life in Christ.
Another thing that has been a real provision of God has been through the huge U.N. containers that have been made available to help the refugees. As you might remember, not long ago, one of the representatives became a believer in Jesus, and it happens to be a person with influence enough to make containers available off and on, having supplies and often food for the people. Two containers were made available within the last two weeks stocked with tens of thousands of dollars of food. Between being able to make these supplies available and as many Bibles as can be purchased from the printer, the numbers of people reached is large.
R* said that he has been able to train a new batch of 75 volunteer missionaries that are going out amongst the vast number of people to share the love of God. This last week the Spirit of God, working through these folks, touched the hearts of several thousand more souls. What is happening there is much like we read of in the book of Acts in the New Testament. Thousands upon thousands were reached within a short time after the 120 in the upper room received the power of the Spirit of God. They then went out and touched the lives of not only Jerusalem, but of all the areas around, and eventually into distant countries. This is what has been happening this last 15 months.
Folks, the world is in great trouble today, and the eruption of the Mideast is imminent. What has started cannot be stopped anymore without the hand of God stopping it. Yet, what is happening was foretold by the prophets in the Bible. I believe things would have exploded two years ago if God was not holding the eruption back long enough to receive the great harvest of souls that is being brought in as I write this update. R* is not the only one doing what he is doing of course. There are many. God however ordained long ago that this contact would be made with House of Blessing, March of 2012. What a wonderful story of the grace of God we have been seeing unfold! God however has timing already set for everything and time is literally gone. Not only is it gone in the Middle East, it is gone everywhere else in the world. Jesus is going to return very, very soon. Those of us that have met God’s requirements will be called out of this mess just before the very worst of it happens. This is what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation—or “The Day of The LORD”. This world is hurtling in that direction faster every day.
I’m convinced that we are well into the “birth pains” that Jesus spoke of—in fact, we may be closer than any one of us really thinks. We dare not be so attached to what this world is all about and our personal agendas that we miss the urgency in the air. The world is in great turmoil and not even Americans will be able to escape what is coming. There is only ONE answer, and it all has to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died on that cross 2,000 years ago and paid the horrible price for our sins and broken relationship with our Maker. The answer for our lives and our eternities is in the hands of our benevolent God. He did everything necessary for us, but He will not force even one person to decide to let Him be LORD of their lives. WE have to make that choice, and it is not just a simple prayer under our breath that it takes. It means that we honestly turn to Him, and bow ourselves before Him, because He is GOD. There is none other. I pray that everyone reading this will see to it that all things are right between you and Him.
For those that would like to contribute to the massive need for more Bibles, please send your tax deductible donations to:
H.O.B. CITY OF JESUS MINISTRIES; 3206 SW 45th Street; Redmond, OR. 97756. I thank you and so does House of Blessing, and R*, its founder.
Thank You and God Bless You All. KEEP LOOKING UP! The KING is about to call us home; the door to the ARK is about to close!
Jake