In the last couple weeks I’ve heard from H.O.B. three times. One of the questions I’ve asked R* each time I’ve heard from him is how his health is. He always responds the same way, telling me that he is in God’s hands and so has no complaints. R* has faith that when the time is right, God will set him free. For the time being he has visitors flowing through his tent most hours of the day. R* has said that this has given him lots of time to train the newer volunteer missionaries to continue the work that he has been doing.
The location where R* is holed up in his tent, is in an area where 7,000+ new refugees are moving in almost weekly. On top of that, there is a massive military build-up in the same area along the border between Syria, Jordan, and Israel. He said there are at least 12 nations building up their forces in support of the rebels. At the same time Assad, the dictator of Syria has Russia, Iran and North Korea as allies. Each are sending both heavy armaments and soldiers to keep Syria from falling. Syria is doing everything it can to transfer weapons to Hezbollah so that they can complete their plans to attack Israel. History shows again and again how a nation will go to war when there is internal strife that may bring the present government down. Assad has already threatened several times to attack Israel and Biblical prophecy says that Damascus will become a heap of rubble within one night. Both the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah speak of this.
As for the work of House of Blessing, the only agenda is to reach as many as possible in the little amount of time that is left. The Apostle Paul speaks of the need to be diligent in sharing the gospel of Christ so that some can even be pulled right out of the fires out of hell. This has been the driving force for H.O.B. for the quite some time now. Right now when R* can’t walk and is confined to his wheelchair, the best he can do is teach, teach, and teach some more.
In my last call from R*, I found out that the head Mullah whom he had reached several months ago with the gospel of Christ and then was murdered in his mosque, was joined in the Presence of Jesus by his brother who was the assistant sheik. He had been out sharing the gospel in Syria and was caught by six Hezbollah who beat him to death. His widow managed to find R* and let him know what happened.
This is the type of life these people live and how quickly they often die. Yet, as God promised us at the very beginning of our connection with H.O.B., every single Bible purchased brings fruit—much fruit. This message is being carried far and wide, not just in the nation of Syria, but also Jordan, Iraq, and wherever these people and their converted relatives and friends travel. R* told of the great change that happens with the new believers. As soon as they grasp the truth of what they are hearing, they immediately want to make things right with God. The joy that the new believers experience causes them to reach out to all of those around them, even if it means that they bring persecution on themselves. Countless new believers have lost their lives but death is not something that seems to scare them. Their assurance is in the One that died for them and set them free from sin and death.
There are many ministries, large and small throughout the world, including within Islamic nations. House of Blessing is just one of them. This just happens to be an underground ministry that God has seen fit to have us involved with. I once again want to say a great big thank-you to all of you that have prayed and also to those who have contributed funds to purchase Bibles. Only God knows the unabridged version of what has happened in the case of each single Bible. I am anxious to hear them some day!
I think of the investment world and how difficult it is to find anything to invest in that might bring a profit in our chaotic world. Today is a good day to examine where the treasure of our hearts really are. If our treasures are in this world, we will be sadly disappointed. If however, our treasure is in heaven and what the Kingdom of heaven is doing on this earth today, we will see eternal results. The Bible speaks of the treasure we can have in heaven where moth nor rust corrupt and thieves cannot steal. We are at the end of the age and it is a time to invest heavily in what God is doing on the earth. There are no losses with these “investments”!
I am looking forward to the day when there will be a special gathering on the other side of this life, a gathering of all those that have been reached by House of Blessing—especially those whose spiritual lives have been radically changed as a result of the Bibles purchased. It will be a great day, and I believe it will be a large gathering.
As of today, the need is still great and will continue to be great. R* is in the middle of about ½ million people who are desperate to find anything in this life to have any joy about. Jesus has the only answer in the circumstance they are in.
Please continue to pray for R* and the work of House of Blessing. The danger to him and those working in that area is off the scale. These people get up in the morning never knowing if this might be their last day on earth. We still have the freedom to preach and teach as often and wherever we want, but this is not the case there.
It is hard for people grasp the reality that the door of opportunity to share the gospel is about to close. The gospel of the Blood-bought forgiveness will still be taught throughout the Great Tribulation, but under extreme circumstances like none of us have ever seen. This is why the Bible tells us that “TODAY” is the day of salvation. This is not just the case with people in the Mideast though. None of us have a guarantee that we will live through the day. For us, the door is still open today—until our number is called. Only God knows what day is our last, so we need to be wise and make sure all is well—ahead of time.
Address for donations to H.O.B.:
H.O.B. CITY OF JESUS MINISTRY 3206 SW 45th Street Redmond OR. 97756
Thank you again and Keep Looking Up! The KING is coming…SOON.
Jake