I ran across a thought-provoking comment that I would like to pass on. There is not a genuine Christian alive that has not had struggles with doubts — especially the “big” questions having to do with the existence of God, life after death, the origin of life, etc. As we grow established in the faith, we become settled on these big issues, but we still struggle with the more subtle ones. Does God really mean it when He says He is my refuge? Does He really hear me when I pray, or am I just imagining it — or hoping so? God promises my daily bread; can I really depend on it? We are nagged by the feeling that God is not really dependable — especially when we really need it! Even some of our modern music in church reflects that subtle worry. We sing songs that include phrases like, “I know you won’t fail me now” or something along that line. Maybe I am being too critical, but God cannot fail or else He is not GOD. There may be more to His plan than I understand, but He cannot fail, or He is not all that He says He is!
We can live in one of two ways: a downward cycle, in which doubt undermines our faith, which undermines our experience, which further undermines our faith; or we can experience an upward cycle, in which faith births the experience of God’s intervention, which in turn supports greater faith. God responds to our trust. Read it again: GOD RESPONDS TO OUR TRUST IN HIM!. Our doubts must simply be forsaken and faith grabbed onto and not let go of — ever!
On to the House of Blessing…
Today’s first report was from Pastor Abdelrahem on July 7, 2026 in which he shares one of the miraculous things that happened as the brothers embedded themselves in the massive crowds at the Ayatollah’s funeral processions.
Peace be with you, brother Jack, and with all the followers of Jesus. We will never forget the great miracle that the Lord just performed, but we never want to lose sight of the Lord’s miracles. Once again we have been reminded of His sovereignty. We, as human beings, struggle, suffer, and are in pain, often because of things beyond our control. Yet, as true believers in Jesus, we have a direct connection with the One who possesses us. We must trust everything in our Almighty Lord, and so we take what challenges our abilities and surrender it to Him in complete submission.
Do not worry about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
As I reflect on the wonders God is doing in the Middle East through the House of Blessing and its thousands of missionaries, the hundreds of thousands of students enrolled in its School of Ministry, and the hundreds of thousands of Christians who have joined the underground church in our region of the world, my amazement is beyond all comprehension! I think it’s more accurate to say that I feel awe and admiration, not for what people have accomplished — though the loyalty and commitment of everyone involved is beyond question — but for how God has orchestrated this harvest from its beginning to the writing of this update on the Middle East. He planned it, enabled it, and will complete it – exactly as He willed! Note the inspiring story below that our God has given us.
A man named Sheikh Ajroufi met Brother Ma’touq and some brothers with him who were able to guide him to God. Ajroufi told them that a month and a week earlier, he had found the body of a man clutching a Bible and a booklet about the Blood of Jesus to his chest. He took the Bible and the booklet from the man’s hands and, after burying him, took them home. For the next few weeks, he and his family read this remarkable book and were amazed by what they found written within its pages. Because they knew nothing about Christianity, they didn’t know how to pray the prayer of repentance, and because they didn’t know who to ask, they continued reading. As Al-Ajroufi recounted his story, tears streamed down his face. He was an elderly sheikh with a mosque, hesitant to tell the story to all his followers. He lived in a region very close to Shahriza, near Isfahan, and had over 1500 followers. By the grace of God, all souls were brought to faith in Jesus. They all submitted but realized there was a considerable display of anger from several sheikhs. Ma’touq and Aylout Eban, however, managed to bring the situation under control. They were taught the prayer of repentance and are now planning their baptism. Omar, Dr. Nibras, Mortada, Shahbandar, and their companions continue the mission of bringing in the lost, raising new leaders, cultivating the land, and spreading the love of Jesus and His teachings. Please pray for us and for sustenance from the Lord of the harvest. There is a great need for educational / teaching booklets and Gospels. May the Lord bless you.
Your brother,
Abdelrahem, servant of the Lord
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There are more scattered reports coming in from the brothers who embeded themselves in the Ayatollah’s funeral events. These observances and the processions that were part of them were moved to many locations, from city to city across Iran. The brothers did their best to stay as incognito as possible but had many opportunities to share the Truths of the Gospel. These men were willing to go from one lion’s den into another; from threat of one fiery furnace to another, just for the sake of Christ. Pretty amazing!
A few details have been sent to me by Telegram recounting how many sheikhs met with Drs. Nibras and Bandis. They knew they were practicing physicians. As they mixed in the crowds, they began to carefully pray for many suffering people. They had copies of the Bible in both Arabic and Farsi to use when they prayed over people. As they prayed, they laid their Bibles on the sufferers. God responded to the faith of these men and hundreds of people were healed of whatever it was they were suffering from. This kind of thing happened wherever they went and the number of people who responded to the Gospel they then shared was phenomenal.
I was told that on the 8th of July, Omar, Mortada, and Shahbandar were traveling with the crowd to Karbala and Najaff, Iraq. These two cities are just inside of the border of Iraq from Iran and are about 45 miles (80 km) apart. Dr Nibras and Dr. Bandis, on the other hand, are traveling with a group of sheikhs. The brothers report that about 15,000 have already come to faith (as of this report on July 9). I received an additional report from Abdelrahem on July 11, 2026.
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Peace be upon you, brother Jack. I am grateful that God in His sovereignty chose for me to be born in the nation that He did. He also commissioned me to the work necessary to complete my part in the Great Commission found in Mark 16:15-18:
15“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Jesus Christ gave this commandment, and it has been given to every believer and follower throughout the world. Sadly, it seems that the most devoted servants of Christ are those who possess the least material possessions, enjoy the least political freedoms, and live in the greatest danger. It is human nature that, when we are living in the best of times, we take these things for granted, forgetting the source of our blessings and overlooking the meaning of our short existence in this fleeting life. This is a cycle we see repeated time and again in the pages of the Bible with the Israelites. But, as we learn from the Scriptures, the example of the Israelites in the Old Testament is left for us to learn from so that we do not fall into the same traps. However, we too, like the ancient Israelites, overlook the essence of life. The spiritually wise, on the other hand, reexamine their true priorities in life and ask the Lord if anything needs adjusting. We are in the final hours of this age, and we will soon stand before our King. This thought has been on my mind every moment these dazed, and I hope it is on yours as well.
When I spoke with the brothers and sisters today, they told me how believers gathered in various locations celebrated the blessings they had learned from God’s Word. As we know, classes were held, and thousands gathered in many places, while thousands more were divided into smaller groups to facilitate learning and increase individual interaction. Not all classes have concluded, but those have decided to hold a large celebration. What a great blessing it is to celebrate ourselves! While many of us today tend to take God’s Word and the freedom to gather with believers for granted, the community of the House of Blessing believers does not. They have come, and continue to come, at a great price.
By the grace of God, the HOB organization was able to print 10,000 copies of the teaching booklets and get them ready for delivery. This was a great blessing, and these copies will become most prized possessions. Through their intensive courses, they spend a great deal of time poring over these new copies, searching for the treasures God has placed within their pages.
The completed Bible classes are still ongoing throughout Iraq, Syria, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Kurdistan. Hundreds of thousands gather to attend classes taught by the House of Blessing teachers. Each one of them will be added to the number of volunteer House of Blessing evangelists. I cannot help but recall one of God’s promises made more than 14 years ago when this present House of Blessing project began. God said that every copy of the Bible would bear fruit, and much fruit indeed. These were the words of the Holy Spirit, and this is what has happened. It was my personal prayer, and Pastor Rashid’s as well, that God would compensate every fallen evangelist with at least one hundred souls entering the Kingdom of God. As the number of new believers increased, I changed my prayer and asked the Lord for a thousand souls for every missionary who sacrificed their life for their faith in the Lord Jesus. I have sometimes been asked if this is a proper prayer. Personally, I don’t think I could “make up” such a request of God, but why not? And considering the vast numbers the message has reached in the past year and a half, it seems He has answered this request as well! What a great God we worship!
Note from Jake/Jack: This next section had to be rewritten in my own words as the original email transmission needed more than some minor editing…
Among the great testimonies of God’s grace in the past few weeks is the story of Sister Ikhlas and her late husband, Hamoush, the Islamic “hanging judge” who was led to the Lord by Omar and the four suffering men with him after a week and a half of brutal savagery. Fifty soldiers / guards under Hamoush’s supervision also submitted to Jesus. Within a very short period of time, they were all slaughtered in one of a number of vicious attacks by ISIS. Sister Ikhlas, Hamoush’s widow and the widows of the 50 guards are now carrying on the work of evangelism that their husbands, after immediate intensive training, had been carrying out when murdered. Then there was the miraculous story of Sheikh Dari and the thousands touched through his testimony. But, then he was also murdered. The murderer was a man named Zaqouqa, who after stabbing Dari to death, took his Bible – although he didn’t recognize it for what it was. For an unknown reason to him, Zaqouqa’s mind was tormented for killing Dari and he could not sleep. One night, there was an electrical short in his house wiring system and the house burned down. While laying there severely injured, he noticed the Bible was the only thing not on fire. He cried out to the Writer of the Book to save him. God heard — not Allah, but GOD! Zaqouqa was severely injured, as was his wife and children. His daughters were blinded and his sons injured. He and his family accepted Jesus as their Savior. Once again God intervened, giving him an extraordinary vision of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse circling in the sky above, and shouted what he was seeing to everyone within earshot. Although he was not healed and succumbed to his wounds, he was able to receive forgiveness from Dari’s wife for what he had done. His wife has now been trained and is helping with the work of evangelism with other sisters. Many thousands were reached because of the story of Zaqouqa and, as new believers, have joined the HOB community of believers and participate in communion and worship services. They usually have a meal before communion, and after communion sing songs of praise and worship. The services usually last into the early hours of the morning! Then they go out the next morning and continue spreading the Good News of the Gospel to everyone that will listen. So many stories, so many lives touched by God’s grace and mercy — often at a very high price paid by the missionary ambassadors of God’s Kingdom.
Abdelrahem then continues:
Didn’t the Great Commission state that this is what would happen through the preaching of Jesus Christ’s followers? These evangelists and new believers believe in God’s word and put it into practice!
With the constant influx of new believers, copies of teaching / discipleship booklets will never be enough. Thousands are needed today. God is generous and will provide the necessary resources in these circumstances. We, whom God has blessed with many gifts, have the opportunity to share these blessings with those who are most in need. That is how it works. The Apostle Paul spoke about giving to the believers in need:
1Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 3And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 16:1-3
Thank you all for your prayers and support. The pressure of war in the Middle East continues, and events are heading toward a major conflict. Time is running out to reach those who still need to be reached before the Lord calls His bride to Himself! Today is the promised day.
His Servant Forever,
Pastor Abdelrahem
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In the next Mideast Update, I will share a special prophetic update that Dr. Nibras, along with a number of the brothers, have sent. It is already in my possession. I received word today that another 10,000 teaching / discipleship booklets have been completed and will be shipped out this week. Thank you all for your help. It could not be done without your help. Another 20,000 are planned directly afterward. Praise God. Many lives will be touched and eternally changed!
Feel free to contact either of the email addresses below with comments or questions.
I would like to add a special prayer request. I received word today from Dr. Nibras that there were at least two separate attacks on the House of Blessing missionaries that just happened. Brothers Zakaria, Al-Bazarmit, Al-Fishawi and Al-Hadmi were attacked, tortured, brutally beaten on their legs and heads with clubs for not being willing to deny their faith in Jesus Christ. In another location, a number of HOB sisters were captured. Sharifa, Hafiza, Mufida, Ferial, Sarah, Hafaya, and Aziza were taken to an unknown location. Please pray for them and for their captors, that they will be reached with the Gospel and the sisters released. God has done it before…
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)