How does one face life as we find it in 2023, knowing that tomorrow’s news will likely be more troublesome than even today? There are those who live in constant fear. There are also those who avoid knowing what is going on in our world. Others focus on staying entertained and refuse to deal with the more unpleasant realities of a fallen world. But, then there are those who have learned the discipline of keeping their priorities and their focus on something much, much greater, while still being quite aware of what is unfolding in the world around them. This last category is those who have learned to trust their Lord and Savior — not, just trust in name only, but really trust Him with everything that concerns life in this short pass through this troubled world and into eternity.
It is good to remind ourselves often of the real key to life. Picture yourself being in the Apostle John’s shoes (or maybe sandals) when he was placed in God’s Throne Room to see the scene in Revelation 4 and 5. He saw The Ancient of Days on His Throne. Around the Throne, he saw the four Living Beings and the 24 Elders. The whole scene would have left me with my knees knocking and my heart in my throat! But then in chapter 5, John saw Someone He recognized but not as He had ever seen Him before.
Standing before the Throne was Jesus, slain, yet standing. This was the One whom John had been so comfortable with as his young disciple. What he saw was shocking! You and I have read the description of this scene many times and so the effect of it may be partially lost on us, but not for John. Here in the center of the Throne Room, in a dimension that none of us in our limited three-dimensional world have any access to — the very nerve center of the entire universe, the source of all power, energy, in fact all life in existence — stands the slain Son of God with wounds still graphically visible. This majestic figure standing there, who had at His immediate disposal unlimited power, but had been ruthlessly and sadistically murdered by twisted, finite human beings! Here He stood, the bloody, murdered perfect Lamb of God, being worshiped by an immense crowd of glorious beings! What a picture!
That very same Figure, who paid the ultimate price for our eternal freedom from sin, degradation, and death, has promised to return at the end of the Age for His faithful followers. Just think, if He had not been resurrected, life as we know it would have been extinguished! Someone had put it this way, “If Jesus had stayed dead, his death without the Resurrection would have been like pulling the plug on the universe.” So, as we watch the world spiraling out of control, we remind ourselves of our Savior, the price He paid for us, and His promises to us.
1 “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3
On to the House of Blessing…
I had a short conversation with Pastor R and he filled me in on a few new details from the front lines of HOB’s missionaries. For the first time since the great earthquakes that devastated northern Syria and southern Turkey near the Syrian border, HOB missionaries have stopped digging for survivors. It has become so very difficult that they have decided to wait for equipment. Their digging had been by hand or with hand tools. Many of the bodies are still encased below large chunks of concrete that are impossible to move by hand.
On another note, the Lord has made it possible for two more truckloads of wheat to be purchased and the missionary teams are in the process of distributing the wheat to as many as it will supply, along with Oregano tea mix. Each family of the many thousands blessed with the supplies is also prayed with and the Good News of the Gospel is shared with them. This is something that goes on every single day of the week. God continues to bless the supplies as they are made available and they always seem to multiply to meet the needs of many more than should be possible under normal circumstances. We serve a good God! Without detailing each missionary team individually, the teams that reported in were able to bless well over 3,000 according to the numbers I was given. What is most important of all is that a large number of these folks bowed the knee to Jesus and have decided to, not only become believers in Him, but also followers!
Pastor R told me that our Sister Mufiedah and another of the “Widow Sisterhood” women were kidnapped by seven radicalized women. That, for me, is an odd thing to hear! It is almost always radical Islamic militant men who do such things. Yet, not in this case. Mufiedah and her fellow missionary were removed to an undisclosed location and severely beaten by the seven Muslim women. They were also confined without food or water for two or three days. During their confinement, and while the radical women were doing everything they could to extract a denial of their belief in Jesus, one of them remembered hearing about women just like them who were said to talk about Jesus in the same way. She then went to see a high ranking shiekh that she was familiar with in the area. When she told him what was going on and the testimony the two HOB widows had given, he asked her to take him to where they were at.
When the shiekh saw them, he immediately recognized them. After briefly speaking with them, he told the seven women to release Mufiedah and the other HOB missionary lady immediately. He told their captors that these women were doing good things and they should leave them be. He then apologized to Mufiedah for what had happened and sent the two missionaries on their way! Praise God!
God’s miracles come in many forms, often not as we would expect. That was certainly what happened here. It would be most unexpected that a high-ranking Muslim shiekh would be the one to intervene and see to their release! Extraordinary!
As you pray for the House of Blessing, ask for God’s protection over HOB. There are many thousands still infected with cholera and the HOB missionaries are exposed one way or another every single day. They continue to help bury many of them.
Pastor R continues praying for many people on a daily basis. He also continues meeting with HOB leadership as they pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all their decisions. They need us to continue holding them up in prayer as well, in fact, they count on our prayer support. So, thank you from all of the House of Blessing.
On a side-note, I’ll just mention this in passing. There is still someone doing everything they can to sully the reputation of the House of Blessing, Pastor R, and the brave missionaries whose lives are on the line every single day. God is very well aware and He will intervene in His own way and in His own time. Genuine repentance is always the best answer but God will not allow it to continue indefinitely. God is very patient but He is also All-Knowing, All-Powerful, and Present Everywhere. There is a limit to what He will allow.
The war drums continue to beat louder every day all around the world, but especially in the Middle East. It is inevitable that a major Mideast war will break out, and very soon. God, however, is always in control, and His harvest will be brought in regardless of what is going on in this fallen world. He knows the exact number that will be brought in before the end of the Age of Grace and He will see to it! Be encouraged folks, we’re about there!
Forever in His Service,
Jake