After thinking about all that is happening in the work of the House of Blessing and praying with the elders, Abdelrahem asked to share some thoughts with us, as follows:
While thinking and praying with the elders, Psalm 27 came to mind: “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked come to devour my flesh, even my enemies stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war rises against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have asked of the Lord and sought after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and inspect His temple. For in times of trouble He will hide me in His tent; He will conceal me in the secret place of His dwelling place; He will set me upon a rock.” Psalm 27:1-5
Also, a short passage from the book of Philippians: “According to my sincere hope and expectation, I will not be ashamed of anything, but with all boldness, as at all times, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1;20-21
One thing that the Beit Baraka (Arabic for House of Blessing) missionaries have learned well is that the next moment is not guaranteed. It’s a lesson that those living in less troubled areas around the world should remember. We read verses in the Bible that indicate that our God reigns in His kingdom, but that doesn‘t mean we are exempt from all the trials and tribulations of this mortal life. Jesus said we will always face trials and tribulations in our lives, but He told us that He has overcome, and we will too. Our task is to continue to trust in Him and follow His guidance. He will bring us home in His time. We will all stay in the way of Jesus our Lord and Savior until His coming. After my meeting with leaders from all areas, we know that the time is so short and the Lord is coming very soon!
God bless you all,
Abdelraham, His servant forever
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There was more information that Abdelrahem shared but I wanted to begin with his devotional thoughts before proceeding. I would like to share with you the first message I have ever received from ‘Father’ Aylout:
Peace be upon you, my brother Jack. This is Father Aylout, and it is an honor to correspond with you. I hope to hear your voice one day or for us to see each other, but who knows, perhaps in the presence of the Lord. His will is above all things. Today, we experienced a tremendous miracle that defied natural law. It is a story about Sheikh Eazat and his wife, Enteesar. The sheikh and his wife have four sons, Mahmoud, Yousef, Omar, and Abed. They also have two daughters, Ne’mati and Khawala. Enteesar has been sick for three years and has not been able to get out of bed. Sheikh Eazat took a Bible which he received from Sheikh Mazen, who had traveled to his home from Karaj to check on them. He took the Bible and began reading it every night. He refused to go to the mosque, which really surprised the people from his mosque. Sheikh Eazat asked us to come and anoint and pray for his wife — which we did, and then spent the night. When we got up the next morning, there was Enteesar, out of bed. Walking and working in the kitchen. She is 75 years old, was sick in bed for three years, and now working in the kitchen, baking bread, pastries, and making tea! All those around had tears in their eyes when they saw her back to normal. Sheikh Eazat then shared the account of what had happened to the entire mosque full of people. Today, more than one child was ‘born’; 360 people believed in Jesus and more than 170 women visited Enteesar and saw for themselves that she was healed.
When Sheikh Eazat gave testimony at the mosque, he admitted to them that he had unknowingly deceived them all with teachings from the Quran. It wasn’t, however, until the healing of his wife that he found Jesus Christ as his Savior. There were a few troublemakers in the crowd that shouted that he was crazy but he answered and said he has never been more sane. They wanted to hit the sheikh but he challenged them by asking them to come up front and he would prove to them Jesus was real. Along with one of the brothers, Alawi, they prayed over them. As they did, the men began to feel an energy flowing through them that was almost too hot to endure. It did not take long until they were totally freed of the demons that had been in control of them. They continued to pray, asking the Lord to forgive them because they did not know who Jesus really was. In the end, the men accepted the Lord as Savior. Before it was all over, all the people attending the mosque and had witnessed what happened, also accepted Christ!
His Servant
Father Aylout
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It was after this message from Aylout that bad news began to come in. In previous updates, I shared how the Jewish translator named Shabo found Jesus as his Savior as he translated the Bible for one of the sheikhs. He and his rabbi friend, Sabazi, then began to share the Gospel with others as the Lord began to provide an opening to Jewish communities. This resulted in nearly a thousand deciding to follow Jesus as their Messiah. Shabo also used his personal print shop and personal finances to begin printing Bibles.
Reports that have now come in are saying that Shabo and his rabbi friend had been watched without them knowing it. They were brutally attacked as they were printing Bibles and were stabbed and their fingers smashed into their palms with the powerful book press. Then they were viciously beaten on their legs, hands, and heads with metal pipes. The men nearly died from blood loss. The militants confiscated all Shabo’s money from the print shop and then burned Shabo’s very expensive printing press. The thugs tried to force the men to deny their faith in Christ but neither man gave in no matter what was done to them.
In reference to what happened with Shabo’s printing press, Hanini said that the enemy can’t stop what God is doing. They will just set up as an underground operation in one of the synagogues and continue on the course the Lord has put them on — until the Lord calls us all home.
I also received a report that six of the sisters, sheikh’s wives, were kidnapped and haven’t been seen since. Their names are Zainab and Ratiba, wives of Al-Saftawi; Shuwaikar, wife of Hajj Shoman; Suad, wife of Wahdan; Muyazouza, the wife of Al-Tabaji, and Taima, wife of Al-Bukhari. Please pray for these women and their safe return to their husbands. There is no humiliation spared when “infidel” women are captured by extremists — no matter whose wives they are.
Another devastating report came in saying that armed men had located some of the brothers. Omar, Dhargham, Aylout, Iban, Murtada, and Shahbandar were attacked, severely beaten and dragged off to an undisclosed location. This report is particularly difficult to read since I had just received a personal message from 90-year-old Aylout. The enemy of our souls has no respect for the aged, children, nor for women. We know they are in the Lord’s hands and many miracles have come out of situations just like this, but it is our job (and honor) to hold them before the Lord of heaven and earth in prayer.
In conclusion, besides the needs mentioned in every update, I am told that winter weather is already showing itself — especially in the mountainous areas. Many of the people are in dire straits, and winter is especially difficult. The House of Blessing is well known in the Middle East and so people come to them for help from everywhere. Only God is big enough to meet such enormous needs. The task of meeting as many of these needs as possible has been laid in Al-Hanini’s hands. Because the response to the Gospel has been so great, hundreds upon hundreds have come to faith in Jesus. This, however, increases the need exponentially. But, we serve a big God!
Abdelrahem put it this way in one of his messages:
We are passing through this life. We are pilgrims searching for “another city, whose maker and builder is God!” But, since we are still here, we share the story of God’s love for humanity with those we come in contact with until we return home. This is our mission, and this is the mission of Beit Baraka (HOB).
Those who love Beit Baraka know that winter is extremely difficult for those forced to live as refugees. The weather is cold, rain and snow storms blow, tents fall, and belongings get wet and often damaged. It is difficult for us who have not experienced such suffering to imagine the conditions. Even though aware of the hardships of refugee life, hundreds of HOB missionaries still choose to integrate with the refugees to demonstrate God’s love by sharing food and provisions (when available), and especially the Word of God. The good news of who Jesus really is and why He came to earth is a story most Muslims have never heard before. It is a great shock when they discover that there is true forgiveness of sins and the assurance of adoption into God’s family. For these people, this passage of Scripture holds great meaning once explained to them. What a merciful God we serve!
Abdelrahem
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For anyone who has any questions or would like to contribute to the ministry of the House of Blessing, please contact either of the two email addresses below. Thank You!
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack); Jake Geier 3206 SW 45th Street; Redmond, Oregon 97756 USA