There was a very unusual incident just a handful of days ago. It has taken a few days to get details in order to relate the story so that it is understandable. First of all, I will share what I learned from the brothers at the very beginning of the story.
“Peace be upon you, my brother Jack. This is Father Aylout, and with me are the brothers Omar, Shahbandar, Mortada, and Dargham. We were passing by on the road near Shahriza on the way to Ahvaz. We found people in a big dispute over a matter of honor and dignity. A husband’s family had insisted on aborting the fetus from a pregnant woman, accusing her of adultery and shame because their son was infertile. So he beat the wife and the fetus was aborted in the sixth month of her pregnancy. The child died and was buried, but the problems did not go away. We understood that we should intervene. There were more than 400 people present to help resolve the dispute between them. We reached a solution that seemed to satisfy them. We went to the wife’s family where the child’s grave was located. We prayed for the two of them and then supplicated at the grave. Shahbandar, Mortada, and I shared the Good News about Jesus with them. After some time, some accepted the message and some refused. The real surprise was that during the supplication at the grave, a dove appeared at the grave emanating a powerful light and flew straight up into the sky. They all saw this as a miracle from Jesus Himself and His mercy to them. They all submitted to Jesus and believed and declared their faith.”
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This of course brought many questions to mind, so I waited to get more information, hopefully to clarify some of the details. I received a little more from Al-Hanini a couple days later.
Brother Jack, how are you? The issue is that Shiites are a very, very difficult religion — beyond what you can imagine. The man had been told that he could not father any children. Suddenly, his wife became pregnant and it also turns out that she was a believer in Jesus. As soon as the family found out, they began to pressure the husband. He went and began to argue with her, accusing her of betraying him. He became violent and hit her in the stomach. It was then that the child died and aborted. They then buried it in a little grave. The devil was controlling the father. When Father Aylout and the brothers arrived, the problem gradually began to be resolved. Aylout began to share the Gospel about the love of Jesus for people and about the sacrifice He made for all peoples. It was Aylout that convinced them to go to the grave. The miracle began with Aylout’s prayers and when he touched the soil of the grave. He asked the father and mother to sit so he could pray for them. As he prayed for them, the Lord opened their eyes, giving them a brief vision of their little son flying with the Lord, like a little angel. It was after that that a pure white dove came from the grave and flew up into the sky. The strange thing was, they opened the grave and their child was no longer there.
Hanini
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I am well aware that this still leaves questions that are hard to answer. Some of the details challenge the theology that some hold. My suggestion is that we allow God to be God and not get too caught up with traditional theology. God will do whatever He decides to do at any given moment. His love is for people and He will intervene in any way He chooses for the sake of souls.
Omar says that Aylout is a man who is never afraid of any situation and has a very strong heart. He says he has never seen anyone like him in his entire life. He seems to have a unique relationship with the Lord, as is the case with Abdelrahem, and the communication between them and the Holy Spirit is very direct. As a result, people are attracted to them both.
Father Aylout has a strange but powerful anointing. Omar went on to say that most people would have a hard time understanding the difficulty of the situation they all walked into when Aylout approached the feuding families. Aylout called on Jesus to break the blood feud and end the conflict between them. God had His own way of intervening and now there are already around 850 people who have become believers and that number is increasing. The danger in the area is, however, extreme.
At this time, Al-Hanini is still gathering information about the miracle. A great many people in the region have been shaken by this miracle. People are talking about it everywhere in the area. Even Abdelrahem, Hael, and Rashid (a different Rashid) contacted Aylout to get more details. The issue of honor and dignity if a wife betrays her husband in areas under this type of Sharia law leads to killing among people. Even in neighboring countries, punishment according to sharia law includes flogging and perhaps death. Al-Hanini said the situation is so dangerous in the region that Abdelrahem has advised the brothers to get out of the area as quickly as possible until things cool down. There are many haters of Christianity and they are quick to attack anyone sharing about Jesus, and this miracle will put the haters on the hunt for Aylout and the brothers. But, the work of the Lord will continue, even mostly as an underground movement.
As Al-Hanini discussed everything that happened, Omar said he has a very powerful feeling that the dove flying from the grave to the heavens was a distinct signal from the Lord that His coming for His faithful people is extremely close…right at the very door. Omar passed a message on to Sister Rolla to pass on to me, saying, “This means, Look to the sky, I am coming!!” The elders, brothers and sisters were so affected and moved, they are all praying earnestly for the Lord to forgive them of any sins that may be lingering in their lives. They now know for sure that the Lord’s coming could be at any moment, minute or hour. The coming of the Lord is that near! Jesus is coming after a peculiar people who will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from before the foundation of the world was laid. When Jesus commanded His disciples to go to the people of Israel announcing that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, He gave them a warning and some advice: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” These birds are seen as gentle messengers, carrying the spirit of the departed to a place of peace across various cultures and religions. They symbolize the soul’s peaceful journey after death. This is possibly why God performed the miracle in the way He did. This baby had just been buried no more than two days earlier. God knew what effect it would have.
Just a quick comment about the man and his wife. They had been going to Islamic sheikhs for quite some time asking for some kind of magic that would cure their inability to have a child. The wife eventually got tired of it all, convinced that the Islamic sheikhs had nothing more than deception and lies to offer. She began studying the Bible on a phone app. She became a secret believer in Jesus and soon asked the Lord to help her become pregnant. When she did in fact become pregnant, she had to admit to her husband that she was pregnant and was also a believer in Jesus. Her husband beat her and then when his family found out, they demanded that he have the child aborted. He was afraid that his wife would be executed and hit her hard in the stomach, killing the child. She then lost the child in her sixth month of pregnancy. Omar says that there will likely be more information made available, but for now, let us move on to the next story.
Many of you received an urgent call for prayer because of a violent attack in a synagogue where some of our HOB brethren were ministering the Word of God. As with other stories, this information unfolded in stages. The first installment was sent by Al-Hanini on the 18th of this month (October). Some spies informed Islamic extremists about the gathering at a synagogue and the attackers came prepared with barrels of asphalt and gasoline. They set the building on fire with everyone inside.
My brother Jack, hello. We were attacked by Shiite extremists. Thank God there was a tunnel under the building and all the sheikhs and rabbis came out. More than 35 people were injured, some of them with burns and wounds. As the attack was taking place, the sheikhs and rabbis began to ask the Lord for a miracle and suddenly a very heavy rainstorm fell. We thank God that they and we are fine. The Lord is the shepherd of His servants. Pray for us please. Abdelrahem tells you that the journey goes on, do not worry. The Lord is the Shepherd and is responsible for His flock. The word of the Lord will reach every home. Trust in God.
Hanini
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More details have now come to light that weren’t available at the time of Hanini’s message. It turns out that there were faithful brothers who provided security for the elders while they were there. They were so intent on protecting them full time that they refused to leave them alone — to the point that they even slept on the stairs near where the elders rested.
When Abdelrahem and the brothers first came, there were only about 30 people gathered at the synagogue. That soon swelled to well over 250, which is probably what got the attention of the enemies. When the attackers came and set the barrels on fire, it caused a real chaos. The electricity went out and people had to pass between walls of fire. You can imagine the intensity of the fire ignited when black tar was set on fire with highly flammable gasoline. It was almost impossible to see anything, but several of the men threw themselves on top of Abdelrahem to protect him from the flames. It was very difficult for 250-300 people to get out of the building.
Afterward, Al-Hanini said it was like a Hollywood movie: “They walked through the fire and came out from underground in the sewer. First, they entered a well and a tunnel, and then, after a distance of 300 meters, they came out.”
What was not known at first is that those who went through the tunnel and sewer system where it was pitch black and no visibility at all, were guided by angels who lit the way! Also, because of the lack of visibility and the chaos caused by the explosion of fire, it was later learned that 13 of the men who threw themselves across the bodies of Abdelrahem and some of the elders were killed by the fire. There were also an additional 42 people burned, some of them having been burned badly enough to disfigure their faces, some of them even losing all their facial features. The ones who died were mostly a mixture of new Jewish and formerly Muslim believers who chose to sacrifice themselves so that the Word can continue to be preached by the elders. Sadly, no one knew the scope of the tragedy early on. The injured were taken to another city and are being treated and taken care of by a group of brothers and sisters who came up from Basra, Iraq. The names of those taking care of the injured are: Sisters Nina, Yasmin, Nisreen, Nihal, and Yara. The brothers are: Arsian, Abak, Elias, Safi, and Asian. These were brethren who were with Shahbandar and Mortada in Basra, but originally from Iran. They have traveled a long distance to help the injured. They are being treated with medicines, but mostly by spending time with them holding hands with each other, earnestly praying for them and expecting healing from the Lord God to happen within a few days.
Below is a message sent to me by Abdelrahem to pass on:
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13
Dear Beloved Friends:
“Peace upon you all with the light of Jesus. Thank you for your love and support. Your prayers have opened the windows of heaven and I praise God His resurrection power has raised me from the dead.” (For those that are not aware, Abdelrahem had a massive heart attack some months ago and was clinically dead for 23 minutes. The Lord raised him up to finish his course for the Kingdom of God). “I know that I am not fighting this battle alone, but you — the army of God — are with me, surrounding me with your love and prayers. This is a great source of encouragement. I want to thank each one of you. How dear you are to my heart that you would care so much to intercede on my behalf.
I am also full of thanksgiving and love for the thirteen men who gave their lives to protect me, and at least another 42 men whose bodies were burned. When the bomb hit the building and the resulting fire, they covered me with their bodies to shield me from death. To see them give their lives in order for me to live, as well as the elders Hayal and Ershad, what love! What faith! There are no words to describe men like that — they are heroes of the faith, angels of God. Whenever I think of them, tears flow from my eyes. I will always remember them and take care of their families for as long as I live.
There is no love greater than to lay down your own life for your friends. I give God thanks — I know they are with Jesus who gave His life for them. He is their Shield and Protection throughout eternity.
Please pray for the safety of the HOB missionaries and the Widow Sisterhood in Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Azerbaijan. In the midst of the deep darkness and destruction, God’s Word is alive and they are winning souls every day for His kingdom. God is good and He is taking care of His beloved ones. They are all doing well and will not allow the enemy to bring defeat to this great move of God in the Middle east. We must speed on while the door to salvation is open — more wheat, more oil to feed the hungry, and more Bibles to disciple the new believers.
God spared my life for great and mighty things, and I am alive to serve Him. I am stronger than ever, and I will continue to be obedient. He has chosen me — He has chosen you — to release ourselves 100% for such a time as this.
Thank you again for your love. The windows of heaven are truly open because of your prayers.
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you
And give you peace.
His servant for ever,
Abdelrahem
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I also want to thank you all for your prayers and support of the entire House of Blessing community of believers. God is doing amazing things in these last few moments of time left in the Age of Grace. Just so you are aware, Sister Rolla has overseen the latest printing of 1,500 Bibles in Farsi, 1,500 Bibles in Arabic, as well as teaching booklets, etc. The new classes will begin very soon. The plan is to have them finished by Christmas, but the teaching will continue until the day the Lord calls us all home. As true believers and followers of Jesus, we will continue living and ministering full speed ahead as if the coming of the Lord is still in the distance, but yet mindful that He could call us home at any moment. For the abundance of prophetic Scriptures left for the last day’s church to recognize, we know that the return of Jesus is imminent. There is no prophecy left to be fulfilled before the “Great Catching Up / Rapture / Harpazo.” 1 Thessalonians 5 tells us that we, the Bride of Christ, are not intended to be caught off guard.
2 “You yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, ‘Peace and Safety!’ Then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober…” 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6
Please note the contrast between the “you”, “we”, “us” and “they”, “them”, “others” printed in bold letters in the passage above. We are intended to know and recognize what is coming in the prophetic future and should not be asleep nor ignorant of the slot in time into which we have been placed by the sovereign will of God. Let’s finish well! We only have this one opportunity gifted us in this short physical life of ours. Considering that eternity is at the door, we must make the most of it.
In conclusion, as you can see earlier in this update, thousands of Bibles and teaching booklets are being printed. They are ready to ship out as soon as funds are available to release them from the print shop. Thank you for helping make that possible. If you have any questions about the ministry of the House of Blessing or how to help with the finances, please contact either email below. Thank you!
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)