I read a devotional dealing with living out ‘the story’ of our lives. I would like to share a couple excerpts that struck me. The storyline had to do with Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph experienced very difficult things, but also blessings. He was falsely accused and sent to prison but was later released and eventually given a position of great honor and power, saving Egypt from a great famine, and eventually being reconciled to his own family. Was his story sad and tragic or was it a story of triumph? We’d have to say it was ultimately a story of triumph. There are many stories like this in the Bible.
Now here’s something to think about: The parts of a story are not all of equal weight. A happy story with a tragic end is not a happy story, but a tragic one. A tragic story with a triumphant ending is not a tragic story, but a triumphant one. A story can’t be judged by its beginning or middle, or by any of its parts before its ending. It is the ending of the story that determines the weight of everything that went before it. Always remember that. The nature of the story is determined by its end … so too the story of your life. You can never judge your story by your current circumstances or problems. As long as you’re breathing air on this earth, your story is not finished. But, if you are a child of God, the ultimate end of your story is revealed in advance.
The end of the believer’s story is victory, restoration, triumph, blessing, joy, and glory. And it is that end that makes your life a good story — in fact, a wonderful story. Therefore, when you look at your life, see everything in the light of that ending — every problem, every defeat, every sorrow, every failure, every evil — they’re only the components of a story of triumph and glory. Fix your eyes on the end of the story and press on to that mark. (Excerpts from Jonathan Cahn’s Book of Mysteries)
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The first email I received was from Dr. Nibras on April 8, 2026. As you read, please hear the heart of this man.
Peace be with you, brother Jack, and with all the friends of Jesus. I would like to share my thoughts, and those of the brothers and sisters, with you. It is astonishing how quickly changes are happening around the world today. Yet, the center of the earth will remain in the Middle East until our Lord, the King of Kings, comes to reign for a thousand years as He promised. The fallen Lucifer knows the Bible and is fully aware of the special place the Jewish people hold in God’s heart. He also knows that humanity has been granted the grace of forgiveness and a personal, intimate relationship with the father, a relationship even the angels cannot comprehend. Lucifer is jealous of this forgiveness and this gracious relationship bestowed upon humanity and intends to annihilate as many people as possible. But God has a plan, established long before the creation of the earth, which neither the fallen Lucifer nor any of his cohorts can thwart.
God has chosen to use humanity to spread the Gospel among people for the salvation of souls. Many may see this as foolishness, but for others who understand God’s love for what it truly is, it is not merely life, but eternal life. The Apostle Paul expressed this through inspiration from the Holy Spirit:
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. 19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21
This is the work of the missionaries today. Indeed, it is the work of every believer and follower of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world. And in one of the most difficult places on earth today, this is the work of the House of Blessing. As Syria slides further and further into catastrophic disaster, there are still those who live for one purpose only: to convert one soul before they depart forever. And there, despite the difficulties, the HOB missionaries continue to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the cross. This week, many countries around the world celebrate the Eastern Orthodox Easter weekend. What has been distorted in Western culture by pagan influences, reduced to the Easter Bunny and children’s egg hunts, is in fact a completely different story. The “Passion Story” is the greatest story ever told, for it is the story of Almighty God’s love for humanity. It is a love so great that it is beyond human comprehension. In a world where some religions teach their followers to torture and kill those who disagree with them, we find the story of God expressing His love by becoming incarnate as a human being, allowing Himself to be placed on a wooden cross and crucified as the ultimate sacrifice — the only sacrifice that could bridge the gap between the holy God and fallen humanity. All religions teach of some kind of paradise after death, but true paradise is only available to humanity in one way: the way of the cross of Jesus Christ. There is no other way.
Today, as I write to you, my brother Jack, and pour out these words from my heart and the heart of every believer in Jesus, and from my own mind and the mind we have instilled in the elders and the clergy, a great battle is being waged between the fallen Satan and our God, the Creator of all things. But the outcome of this battle, contrary to what many believe, is beyond doubt. God has been in control from the beginning. He is in control today, and He is the ultimate ruler of the future. This means that we, the followers of the one true Christ, Jesus, who are truly subject to Him, have no reason to fear the near future, or our eternal future to come! God will guide us through every event that unfolds between now and the moment we hear that great cry and the blowing of the Trumpet, when we are lifted up into the presence of the Lord King, our eternal Friend, Jesus, God Himself! This is how the Apostle Paul described this event:
13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
In the northern, eastern, central, and western regions of Iran, Mullah Malih, Omar, and the brethren administered Holy Communion to approximately 23,600 believers during their travels in the region. Many of these believers consider this one of the most important, if not the most important, activity they perform weekly, as they gather to worship the Lord by receiving the symbols representing the Body and Blood of Christ. In northern, southern, and central Iraq, through the efforts of Al-Hidmi, Al-Fishawi, Jaarar, Zalatimo, Sister Fatima, and their associates, at least 7,400 additional souls were converted.
In several areas of Syria, God[s work has not been hindered but has continued through His servants Sheikh Zakaria, Hab Riman, Al-Kalani, Jaafar, and Zalatimo. The brethren, along with their helpers, continue to teach new brothers and sisters in the three mosques that have been converted into Christian churches. Lessons are offered regularly, and Bible verses are memorized for easy recall when needed.
Sisters Hafiza, Ferial, and their team continue to guide more than 500 families, and Sarah and her husband receive the Lord’s blessing. Over 1,390 people have gathered to hear her encouraging word from the Heavenly Father. Many continue to benefit greatly from the special message that the Holy Spirit helps them deliver.
As in Azerbaijan, God’s people are striving to reach as many people as possible before they depart for eternity.
Last but not least: Please continue to pray for a miracle regarding the opening of the Children’s School, which we will establish with your prayers and the Lord’s support. The need for support, booklets, and Bibles continues to be urgent. My heart aches at their absence, and I apologize for mentioning this, but we do not want to discourage those who have believed in Jesus and taken him as their Lord. The need truly is dire.
Your brother,
Dr. Nibras
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The second and last email transcribed for today’s update was received from Dr. Nibras on April 10, 2026.
Peace be upon you, my brother Jack. I have often spoken of the great miracle of the Gospel reaching every soul, promising humanity the assurance of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life in God’s paradise. Those raised in churches that teach this may consider it self-evident, but it is different for those raised in other cultures. Islam acknowledges Allah as God, and its Prophet Muhammad as the writer of the Quran. Westerners may not know it but there is nothing in the Quran that explicitly points to a path to eternal forgiveness. The more good deeds a Muslim performs in this life, the greater their chance of reward on the Day of Judgment, but the Muslim can never know for certain.
When a Muslim hears the message that Jesus is the true Messiah, and that, as God incarnate, He died for the sins of the world, making forgiveness a reality for those who seek it, then that Muslim, man or woman, will gladly place their eternal trust in the true Messiah — because these are not obscure writings or the figments of a false prophet’s imagination, but the true word of God. They understand that there is only one Christ, and one God, whose name is not Allah, but Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament.
Contrary to the beliefs of many in the West, God is not one route of many that leads to eternal life. In fact, there is only one way, and Christ expressed this two thousand years ago. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is unacceptable in today’s world to claim that there is only one path to eternal life. Yet, to Muslims Islam is considered the only solution for humanity, and following Muhammad as the prophet and the Islamic faith is seen as the solution to all of humanity’s problems. The truth is that only Almighty God, known in the Old Testament as Jehovah, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, is capable of ruling the Earth with perfect justice and righteousness. In the past two years, and continuing to this day, the number of converts through the ministry of the House of Blessing in Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Syria has increased by more than 250,000. Reports indicate that these are among the most difficult places on Earth, yet the largest number of people are finding the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the one true way.
Abdelrahem visited a mosque with the sheikhs and rabbis, Shabu and Savazi. There was a sheikh named Al-Qarmazi and his family, who have more than 7,000 followers. They wanted to go on pilgrimage next month. Abdelrahem asked them to sit on the ground so he could pray for them. He placed a white cloth on their heads and prayed for them, telling them not to open their eyes until he finished praying. Then the visions began for them. They saw things of Paradise and its delights for those who follow Jesus. They also saw Jesus descending on a mountain surrounded by olive trees emanating a very, very bright light. They were fortunate enough to see the Promised Land. They were too afraid to say what they saw. They had been Muslim sheikhs for more than 50 years, but they in time submitted to Jesus as Savior and Lord. At the end, they kissed Abdelrahem’s hands and feet, asking him and the brothers to help them pray for forgiveness, acknowledging that they had been wrong in following Muhammad and his religion, and that Jesus is the truth. “How could we have been in such ignorance? We thank the Lord that we are alive and have been saved, and we will continue in the ways of Jesus. The next generation will learn the Gospel.” The elders hear many testimonies like this as they play the part of a crimson-clad midwives, bringing about new birth after new birth!
Your brother,
Dr. Nibras, servant of the Lord.
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I was thinking about that last phrase in Dr. Nibras’ report, and it may seem an odd thing to say as he closed his comments, but think of it this way. These brothers and sisters who are leading the people into the experience of the new birth, are doing the job of midwives. And, the crimson color may reflect the blood that many have shed in order to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel. Ultimately, the crimson color is representative of the Blood of the Perfect Lamb of God who shed His Blood for the sins of the world. This is the good news of the story!
This update was almost complete when I received the news of 51 male HOB believers that were shot to death. Most of them did not die of the bullets but could not be saved before they bled to death. There were also over 1,000 new students that were horribly beaten by rods and left badly injured. Details are still trickling but I will have to share them in a follow-up update.
Knowing what goes on in the “normal” life of a House of Blessing missionary, makes it imperative that we earnestly keep them in our prayers. God answers prayer. It has proven over the years that for every HOB missionary that has fallen as a martyr because of his faith in Jesus Christ, there have been at least 100 or more souls reached to step walk in their place. The House of Blessing needs our prayer support, not just the finances, to continue the work they have been tasked with. Thank you!
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)