One of the wondrous things that happens when a person becomes a true follower of Yeshua / Jesus, is a heart change within. The Apostle Paul described it this way in 2 Corinthians:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God…2 Corinthians 5:17-18a
Most all of us, no matter where we were born, have a way of dealing with life and the people around us. Our training, education, religion, or culture, and even our individual personality have a lotto do with how we interact with others. One thing that has proven an undeniable fact is that those who have asked Messiah Jesus to be Lord of their lives find their relationships with people in their lives being changed. In the Book of Galatians we find some of these personal changes being called “fruits of the Spirit.”
…the fruit of the “Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:23-25
This past week in Fallujah, Iraq, a woman named Sumyah shared her testimony with Sister Fatima and a gathering of over 500 believers. She is the mother of 8 children, and the wife of a Muslim sheikh named Mahmoud, who was one of 70 sheikhs reached with the Gospel recently. Mahmoud just graduated from the House of Blessing School of Ministry course. Sister Sumyah’s testimony before this gathering had to do with how her life changed when her husband became a follower of Jesus. She described how before Jesus changed her husband’s heart, she had never been more than a possession and slave to him. He would wake her at all hours of the night, just to make him a cup of tea or coffee. Sumyah said that she had always done her best to be kind and respond well to him, but it was never enough. He constantly yelled at her, was demanding, and beat her mercilessly on a whim. However, after Yeshua became his Lord, his attitude toward her changed. He now helps her wash the dishes, clean the house, and helps with cooking and with caring for their eight children. She described the change as being a night and day difference!
Testimonies like Sumyah’s are shared again and again among the HOB community of believers. It was Jesus who said that “we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength…and our neighbor (or wife) as ourselves.” It was also the Apostle Peter who not only taught wives to be submissive to their husbands, but also had godly advice for husbands, saying…
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7
Being able to quote verses like this is one thing, but living them out in reality is another. The God who created us, through the working of His Spirit, makes a life of loving and honoring one another the natural way of living!
Along with former Muslim sheikh Mahmoud mentioned above, a list of hundreds more have concluded their training in the HOB School of Ministry in the last few days and as they graduate, they will be joining 2,200-2,500 House of Blessing missionaries scattered across the Middle East. Many of these students did not wait for their graduation in order to share Jesus with those they could. Some of these are 40 of the former sheikhs, whom I have mentioned before. These men have each been passing on what they have learned during their days of intensive training to ten more men for another 4-5 hours each evening!
I am told that currently today, even with all of the teaching and training that is in process, there are still well over 12,000 waiting to take the HOB training course! The hunger for the Word of God is unparalleled and the courage to share the good news of God’s forgiveness of the sins of mankind through the Blood of Jesus, is stunning!
HOB missionaries, teachers, and volunteers go from one refugee camp to another, sharing about the soon coming Messiah, Jesus. Where there are homes, they go from house to house. In other areas, they go from tent to tent, or to caves, or makeshift shelters under trees to share the love of God. I am told that it is the more fortunate ones who have caves to shelter in. One of the great needs is for tents for people as winter approaches quickly. The House of Blessing does what it can, with funds that are sent from folks like you, to purchase tents, clothing, mattresses, wheat for food, and of course the constant need for thousands of Bibles. Every financial gift that comes in is carefully, and prayerfully spent. Not a penny is wasted. HOB missionaries were once again able to collect enough offerings from among themselves to purchase another half truckload of wheat to distribute among the refugees. As always, the doors are then open wide to tell the recipients of the wheat about Jesus and His great love!
Sickness, disease, exposure to the elements are a constant health threat. Four of the HOB women just lost their husbands this last week and of course are grieving. These people have seen so much death and destruction, it is only the sustaining love of God and the strength He provides that carries them through. And, all those who believe in Jesus and are His true followers, have the promise of eternal life in His soon to come kingdom.
Pastor R is continuing to recover and as the latest photo shows, the flesh and skin is growing back on the foot he almost lost to gangrene poisoning. He has asked me to thank you all for your prayers and also your support for the ministry of the House of Blessing.
All of the missionaries and volunteers are well aware that the Age of Grace is soon to close. They also know that a massive regional war is getting closer to breaking out every day. Their entire focus is on the harvest of souls. In our world today, 105 souls enter eternity every single minute. That is an average of 151,600 every day of the year. Jesus Christ died to purchase eternal life in the Kingdom of God for every single man, woman, or child that will believe in Him. How many will be reached before the door of grace closes? Can you help? If the Lord moves on you in such a way, please find the convenient PayPal button located on the home page of this website. 100% of the funds go to the work of the HOB missionaries. Thank You.
May God bless each and every one of you abundantly!
Forever in His Service,
Jake Geier