MIDEAST UPDATE…7/18/2024…”What If?”

There are a number of Scriptures that remind us that we should be aware of the crucial nature of “time”:

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  Ephesians 5:15-17 NKJV

“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”  Colossians 4:5-6 NKJV

I have added a third Scripture and I particularly like how it is worded in the Living Bible.

“All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent Me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end.”  John 9:4 LB

Many of us who are parents or grandparents have looked at old photographs of when our children or grandchildren were still young and we wonder where the years went. Sometimes, we would like to go back to those times, but time cannot be relived or retrieved.

Life also presents us with unexpected events, sometimes deadly situations in which, if there is not an intervention, our lives could be snatched from us in a flash..

Much of the world has by now seen videos of the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt on America’s former president, Donald J. Trump, who is currently running for reelection this November 2024. If he had not turned his head slightly to the side, the assassin’s bullet would have passed through his brain, killing him instantly. Instead, the bullet only pierced the top of his ear. One moment he was giving a speech, but in a split second he could have passed into eternity!

On December 26, 2004 a monster earthquake in Indonesia killed over 230,000 people, with an additional untold number of bodies never found afterward. Most were killed — not by the mega 9.3 quake, but rather by the tsunami that drowned people in twelve of the surrounding nations. Thousands of the dead were tourists, 2,000 from Europe alone.

The nation of Haiti has experienced a number of deadly earthquakes in its history. The 7.0 quake in 2010 did not cause a tsunami but the quake itself killed an estimated 316,000 people. Turkey’s deadly twin earthquakes in February 2023 are another example of a sudden catastrophic event that caught people totally by surprise. The death toll was reported to be well over 51,000.This number included hundreds belonging to the House of Blessing community of believers as well as HOB missionaries who were killed in apartment buildings that collapsed as they slept.

Here’s a question: What if…? 

Not one of us has a guarantee of tomorrow. We have to live for today! The Bible tells us, Today is the Day of Salvation. Any one of us could suddenly exit this physical earthly realm a month from now; a week from now; tomorrow, or even today. It might be one of us or it might be a family member or even a neighbor. It might be an acquaintance or someone that God has put on your heart to share the love of Jesus with. We only have so much …time…

Here’s my point. All of us have been given a certain length of time to live — whether long or short, it is God who is the Time Keeper.

On to the House of Blessing… 

Throughout the years, the House of Blessing has been able to minister to millions, and hundreds of thousands have become believers in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Things have changed since Pastor Rashid went home to be with the Lord, but the HOB missionaries, even though fewer in number, are doing all they can to continue the work of reaching the lost. In these days of great turmoil all over the world, especially in the Middle East, it is crucial that the Good News of the Gospel about Jesus be presented to as many as possible. Those that are reached with the Gospel are then in need of discipling. This takes prayer and support. 

Brother Talal said that through donations that came from the United States, Omar, Falyih, Mahmoud, Hisham, Bassam, and Taher were able to distribute 50 Bibles among the people in ten of the refugee camps. Finances have, however, been a challenge. This naturally also affects the Bible training classes for women and girls and they may have to be postponed until finances pick up. 

Omar is now planning to go to the Syrian border with Turkey where there are 3 million displaced Syrians. He says that there have been troubles in the towns of Mersin and Tarsus where there have been riots, beatings, and serious aggression against displaced Syrians. He is hoping to find a way to calm matters, and of course present the Gospel wherever possible. He has asked for prayer that the Lord will help him to reconcile the differences between displaced Syrians and the Turks.

As we look at the world, we see changes happening everywhere. Nations are being realigned. There are leadership changes in the making and wars being threatened around the globe, and so much more. People are dying of disease, famine, war, pestilence, and natural disasters. Statistics tell us that on average, about 150,000 souls go into eternity every single day. Circumstances will never be perfect for the work of the ministry. It must go on, regardless. Time is running out!

A thought in closing…

Many of God’s principles are totally backward to our human way of seeing things. To illustrate my point, I would like to use the Jewish people as an example. The Jews were commanded to celebrate the harvests of the Promised Land, and they did, religiously. But in 70 AD, nearly 1.5 million Jewish people were slaughtered by the Roman legions and one year later the city of Jerusalem was plowed under with salt by the Romans. Much of the land of Israel was destroyed and most of the surviving Jews were carried off to nations all around the world. There were no more harvests, no grain or fruit to be gathered. Yet, history tells us that the Jewish people kept celebrating them anyway. Jews everywhere kept repeating, “Next year in Jerusalem!” For nearly 2,000 years they celebrated non-existent barley harvests, gave thanks for non-existent fruit harvests, and rejoiced over non-existent vines overflowing with non-existent grapes. Almost 2,000 years later something very strange happened. After hundreds of years of celebrating non-existent harvests, the non-existent harvests reappeared on the earth, because God brought the Jews back to their ancient homeland as He had promised and the land began to flourish again!

This principle also applies to us as believers. How? It is one of the secrets of God’s Kingdom. People in the world rejoice after seeing their blessings. But the children of the Kingdom do exactly the opposite. They celebrate the fulfillment of their prayers and celebrate the answer before they receive them. They don’t wait to see the blessings before they rejoice. They rejoice and then receive — even if God has to produce the answer out of thin air! After all, He created the entire universe out of nothing! The Bible instructs us: Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you.” We don’t need to wait until our circumstances are right in order to celebrate — as was the case with the Jewish people. Celebrate the blessings / harvest / or answers to prayers that you do not yet see. Celebrate the harvest you don’t have … and you will have a harvest to celebrate. That is the way of the Kingdom of God! Be encouraged, even when there is a lack! Here’s what the prophet Habakkuk had to say. Notice the change in attitude from the verse two in chapter one to the last three verses of chapter three:

“O Lord, how long must I call for help before you will listen? I shout to you in vain; there is no answer.”  Habakkuk 1:2

“Even though the fig trees are all destroyed, and there is neither blossom left nor fruit, and though the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren; even if the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.”  Habakkuk 3:17-19  

We can trust God! If your greatest “harvest” need has to do with family members, friends, or others that you are praying for, God hears and God is at work, whether we see results or not. God has the inside route. If the need is a financial one, Our Father knows, hears, and will answer. Celebrate even if the answer is not visible, as Habakkuk couldn’t see one positive answer in the physical realm to his prayers.

In closing, I want to thank you all for your support and prayers for the House of Blessing. Governments may change, mountains may even be turned upside down, but the work of reaching people continues, regardless. For children of the Kingdom, our priorities must be kept in sync with God’s priorities. Our citizenship is not in this world. Our citizenship is in a coming Kingdom, ruled by Jesus Christ, KING of Kings and LORD of Lords! Praise GOD!

Forever in His Service,

Jake