Miracles are something not often seen in the Western church. This, however, as stated in previous Mideast Updates, is not the case in these last moments of the Age of Grace in third world countries. The Mideast is only one such location. This is what Jesus had to say about miracles:
10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:10-12
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; 21 that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:20-23
Jesus lived His life totally through the empowerment of His relationship with His Father and the Holy Spirit. He was all God, yet all man, all at the same time. The miracles He performed were intended to be duplicated through the ministry of His followers right on through the end of the age. In John 17, Jesus laid out to His disciples a unique relationship that made it possible for them to be brought into the center of the unity enjoyed by the Holy Trinity — but not only them, but all those who would believe in Jesus afterward. That is us! We, as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, are His vessels. That is the source of the amazing things that are happening among God’s people all around the world today.
One of the recent reports I received was originally sent to me by Sheikhs Hael and Rashid. The two men were together with Al-Tarhi and Hisham to visit Rashid while he was receiving treatment in a hospital in the heart of Damascus from a Dr Nibras. After they finished with their visit, they came across an old well known sheikh named Al-Saftawi who had been in a coma for several weeks. There were people with him and a number of women who were crying. Dr. Nibras said that all hope had been lost that Al-Saftawi would ever come out of his coma. As Al-Tarhi and Hisham walked by, and because the gathered people thought they were Druze sheikhs for whom they had great respect, they were asked to visit Al-Saftawi. Because the surgeon, Dr. Nibras was still with them, he was able to take the men into the room and close the door and provide some privacy.
As soon as the door was closed, the men approached Al-Saftawi, laid a Bible on his chest and began to pray for his healing in the Name of Jesus. After about ten minutes of prayer, they left his room and as they were walking down the hospital corridor, a man shouted that the sheikh had just woken. It was like he had returned to life! The first thing Sheikh Al-Saftawi wanted to know was where he was? When they told him, he wanted to leave immediately!
The people of course were in total shock. Here was a man whom they knew very well, who had been in a coma without any signs of life for three weeks, now totally coherent and wanting to immediately leave the hospital! They kissed the hands of the HOB brothers for their prayer and asked them what their secret was. Hael answered and said, “We worship a Lord that is merciful to His servants. We invite you on Friday to come and gather with us in Suwayda and we’ll celebrate the occasion of Al-Saftawi’s return to life.” The brothers left without telling them that they were believers in Christ as the situation would not allow it in the middle of Damascus. They decided to save it for when they came to Suwayda.
Without the brothers knowing it, the story continued at the hospital in Damascus with Dr. Nibras. Dr. Nibras, who had been in the room when Al-Saftawi had been prayed for, and a follower of Jesus himself, gave his patient Al-Saftawi a special gift. He presented him with a Bible. The old sheikh had two wives named Zainab and Ratiba who had been caring for him in shifts for the entire three weeks. They used to read the Quran to him every day, as did a number of sheikhs who came to visit him during his hospital stay. Yet nothing changed. He was totally dead to the world. They were absolutely shocked when their husband suddenly woke up after being prayed for by the brothers. Once they learned that it was the power of the God described in the Bible given to their husband by Dr. Nibras, they began to read it for themselves — whenever they could pry it from their husband’s hands! The good doctor would not release Al-Saftawi from the hospital and so, because no visitors were allowed in the old sheikhs room for the time being, he and his wives didn’t sleep a wink but devoured the Scriptures instead.
What happened next can only be attributed to the sovereignty of God. The sheikh and his wives began to pray for people, even people they did not know. They wanted to test the power of the Word of God and so they began to pray for anyone they were led to in the hospital. They prayed for people with heart problems, women who had urinary stones and many other medical issues. What happened? These people were healed! The new life of the Holy Spirit was shining through them on all they came across. Zainab and Ratiba prayed for at least 25 women who were healed. Al-Saftawi prayed for 21 people who suffered from urinary retention, heart problems, and other illnesses. All the healings were verified by Dr. Nibras.
It did not take long before other sheikhs who heard the news and found the story of Al-Saftawi’s healing were true, wanted to read the Bible for themselves. This became a problem since there was only one Bible for them all so Al-Saftawi solved the problem by reading the Scriptures to them all himself. Dr. Nibras said what he was watching was very much like it was during the days of Pastor Rashid’s ministry. It is reported that the Good News of the Gospel is being accepted by some of the most devout sheikhs in Islam after verifying the restoration to life of Al-Saftawi, but also the miracles that have happened through the prayers of he and his two wives. As a result of these events, many other men and women have come to Sheikhs Hael and Arshid, asking for prayer and then praying for each other. It is amazing how the Gospel is being spread far and wide!
Sheikh Al-Saftawi is well known and very much respected. In spite of the fact that women in Arab culture are considered little more than property and can be discarded for spurious reasons, sheikhs have begun teaming up with their wives and forming ministry teams. Sheikh Al-Saftawi and his wives Ratiba and Zainab, Hajj Shoman and his wife Shuikar, Sheikh Wahdan and his wife Suad, Sheikh Tobji and his wife Maazouza, and Hajj Al-Bukhari and his wife Taima are examples of this. They have declared their sincere faith in Jesus to everyone and have agreed to provide teaching throughout the countryside of Homs. With the healings in the hospital in Damascus and the verification by Dr. Nibras, a new door is being opened. There is an appointment being planned soon to work out the details. The heat, the dangers from authorities, and the lack of electricity for most of each day, has presented its problems but the work continues as the Lord makes it possible.
In Iraq, Omar, Murtada, and Shahbandar have helped Zalatimo and Jaafar very cautiously escort brothers and sisters coming over the border from Iran to safety. As has been reported in the previous update, there are a large number of students that have graduated and can now serve as assistants. The number of students under instruction has reached approximately 600 in each region. This does not include a large number of young people and the elderly. The approximate combined total of students when adding the different regions together is presently over 3,750 and the number continues to increase. Abdelrahem asks us all to pray for the Lord of the harvest to provide the means to do what needs to be done. God is able.
There is one more story I would like to share. I received a report from brother Omar telling of an event. Sisters Amiras, Zahra, and Yara were with leaders Aslan, Safi, Sheikhs Al-Salwadi and Qleibo. There was a planned attack in which a rape of the sisters had been planned. The group of HOB missionaries had been taken to the Nasiriyah area during the Friday prayers and after arriving there were pointed out as ‘foreigners’ by some of the women at the mosque because they were heard conversing in Farsi. Both the men and women began to be assaulted before the service was even over. There was a man in the mosque named Darwish who became obsessed with the women because they were young, only between 35 and 47 years old, and beautiful. He decided right there that he wanted to marry at least one of them and demanded that they comply. The problem was that the women refused. Because this man had no scruples or morals of any kind, he was not about to be denied. I am told that adultery and all forms of debauchery are quite widespread. Darwish was not about to be humiliated in public so he and his cohorts began to assault the men by beating them. He also had the women tied up. Instead of fighting with their captors, they began to pray for them. In front of about 310 men and approximately 190 women in the mosque, their captors began to feel something choking them. It did not take long until they could not breathe at all. Soon they realized they were dealing with
a power they had absolutely no control over and they prostrated themselves on their knees and begged Jesus for forgiveness, not only for abusing the HOB missionaries, but also for their sins. What a miracle! Even the sheikh of the mosque, Al-Sadawi became a believer. And as we have seen again and again, the story never ends as we think it does. Let’s see what God does next!
This brings me to the conclusion of this update. What a mighty God we serve! Please continue to pray for the entire House of Blessing community of believers. They request your prayers and support and depend on it. I want to thank you all.
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)