In God, every heartache, every tear, every difficulty, and every sorry that we experience in this life will bring forth the birth of new life. The pains we experience in this world will be forgotten in the next in the joy of new life. Notice the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:
18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:18-23
The source of creation’s groaning goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, to man’s fall and the curse. For Adam it meant having to learn to survive by the sweat of his brow. It meant hard work, thorns, pains, and eventual physical death. For Eve, it would mean the pain of childbirth. Yet, that very ;pain would result in the bringing forth of new life. The curse did not stop new life from coming, but it would come through pain and tears. God’s purposes would still be brought about, but through the pains of labor. The passage above tells us that all of creation is going through the pains of childbirth.
God’s creation was meant to be fruitful and bring forth the life and purposes of God. Creation, however, is in a fallen state. Yet, even in the condition it is in, it will continue to bring forth God’s purposes and life, only now with birth pangs. As dark and broken as this world is, it is still bringing about God’s children. They are born through the pangs of emptiness, disillusionment, frustration, disappointment, broken lives, unanswered longings; of wounding, life’s disasters, and lots of tears. Creation groans and we groan, but God’s life is brought forth in spite of it all.
As it is when a woman, by way of agonizing labor pains, has finally given birth, there is great jubilant celebration and joy amongst those awaiting the new arrival. So it will be with us when we have finally arrived at our destination. The labor pains are intense, sometimes excruciating, but when we are delivered, there will be the jubilation of all of heaven! The pains of this world will be forgotten in the joy of new life and we’ll finally get to see what God intended for us from the very beginning! So groan on…but now is the time to push! We’re almost there!
Quite often when I read the the Romans 8 passage noted above, I find myself thinking of the House of Blessing missionaries. Eleven years of stories, often telling of great difficulties, tribulations, persecutions, indescribable atrocities, and martyrdom for thousands of those in the HOB community of believers. Yet, through it all, there have been miracles of healings, miracles of food being multiplied, the dead being raised, and so much more. The greatest miracle of all is always the salvation of lost souls. I have no idea how many have been reached through the evangelism of the HOB missionaries in the last 11 years, but I am told they number in the hundreds of thousands. As bad as things have often been, there has always been new life brought forth through the power of the Blood of Jesus to cleanse from sin and change a person’s eternal destiny. God is good!
The story of the head-sheikh Mahmoud and efforts to reach those in his mosque continue this week. Omar and a few of the HOB missionary men went with Mahmoud to his mosque again to share their testimonies and the Good News of the Gospel. There were about 20 men who decided they wanted to make a decision for Jesus and so they gathered for prayer. As they did, some of the more radical elements in the mosque who had planned an ambush, attacked them, throwing bottles of oil at them. As the attack continued, the structure of the mosque was severely damaged, causing about a quarter of the roof to collapse. As a result, at least five men were killed when they could not exit the mosque in time. Thankfully, the 20 men who had become new believers were spared and were not numbered among the victims.
In other HOB news, the Lord provided funds through supporters of the House of Blessing and three truckloads of wheat were purchased and distributed among the refugees. As these supplies were distributed by the HOB teams to over 3,000 families along with their special Oregano tea mixture, the Good News about God’s forgiveness through the blood of Jesus was shared and once again, a large number bowed their knees before our coming Messiah and King. Praise God!
As has been the case for many months now, providing at least a limited amount of food supplies to the multitudes helps keep them from desperately trying to harvest the meager amount of vegetables growing wild around the refugee camps. Most of the vegetables are contaminated and add more victims to the tens of thousands who are infected with cholera.
HOB was also able to distribute another 350 Bibles among the new believers. With as many new believers that are being added to the HOB community of believers, there is a need for an additional 2,000 Bibles.
Thank you all for your prayers and support for HOB. Please continue to pray for the courageous missionaries and all of the House of Blessing community of believers all across the Mideast. Also, please continue to pray for Pastor R as he continues to pray for many and encourage each of those who come to him. His health continues to be a challenge but we continue to pray that the Lord will sustain him through these hardships. God is always in control.
I would like to finish today’s update with a few more verses from Romans 8 as an encouragement.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Verses 31-32
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. verses 35-39
Forever in His Service,
Jake