The closer we get to the second coming of our Messiah Yeshua, the more I notice the outstanding miracles the Lord God provides. In a mission field such as the Middle East where the needs are so very great, every missionary organization finds itself having to make decisions as to which crucial need gets met with the available finances. In the case of House of Blessing, which is a very small missionary organization widely spread over several mideast nations, and in contact with millions of refugees, the needs are always enormous–in fact, impossible other than through God’s sovereign intervention.
Since our own personal involvement with House of Blessing, most of HOB’s missionary endeavors have been located within the many refugee camps scattered over the Mideast. For those of us who have never experienced anything like what has been happening in that part of the world, it is impossible to even imagine. I won’t go into detail here but if the jihadists are not murdering the people, the people are dying from bombs and missiles–often laced with lethal chemicals. If they have managed to live through all this, they next have to deal with starvation.
As has been pointed out in previous Mideast Updates, the United Nations is not meeting anywhere near half of the desperate needs of the refugees, who, even though fleeing the Mideast by the millions, still number in the millions, even just within Syria and Iraq.
Even though there are numerous missionary organizations trying to help alleviate the misery throughout the region, not every organization has their volunteers located on the front lines. House of Blessing, however, has been embedded deep within locations where people have lost all hope of ever returning to normal life. In fact, millions are losing hope of living through the current chaos.
God has blessed the dedication of these fearless and loyal missionaries beyond what most would even dare to imagine. The scope of miracles that God has done is uncomfortable for some to accept. But, that was also the case in the Book of Acts, and throughout the history of the true Church of Jesus Christ in the last two millennia. Now that the world has arrived at the final generation leading into the return of the Messiah, the outpouring of God’s Spirit is greatly increasing. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit naturally is bringing about astounding miracles. Wherever God’s Spirit is allowed to move with freedom, the impossible becomes possible! Unfortunately, much of the Church, especially in the affluent West, has not yet experienced or witnessed–or even allowed the free moving of the Spirit of God such as is happening in the Mideast. Could it be that the West will have to experience desperate circumstances of our own before God is allowed to move as He would like? It is sad, but likely very true in most of the western Church world. But, I digress…
Most every week as these updates are written, a gentle reminder is given of the desperate needs. With every missionary organization sending out appeals for financial help, I am always reluctant to go into any great detail or make a major appeal for support. House of Blessing trusts the Almighty to meet every need at hand. But this week I am very happy to report that the Lord made it possible for Pastor R to order several truck loads of wheat. The wheat was delivered to the Aleppo, Syria and surrounding area, into Fallujah, Iraq, and also into Mosul, Iraq. This is miraculous on several fronts. First of all, each truck load costs approximately $5,000. There is also a great danger involved, including the fact that often supplies such as this are stolen by insurgency groups; even by the Syrian or Iraqi armies. God, however, had His hand on these deliveries and they arrived and the wheat has been distributed over the last few days.
As of a couple days ago, well over 100,000 people had already received wheat to make into bread and the number was still going up. House of Blessing, as a missionary organization, has never purposed to feed the world’s hungry masses, but has found it to be a very good tool for expressing the love of God to people who know nothing about God’s love. The Qu’ran describes an untouchable, unapproachable, and vengeful deity. In spite of the fact that many apostate Christian leaders today say that Jehovah God and Allah are the same God, this is absolutely false. There is no comparison! And, what the missionaries demonstrate to the hungry masses, is the genuine love of God.
When the refugees are given food by the HOB missionaries, they are always asked, “Why are you giving away your own food to people you don’t even know?” As the missionaries and volunteer believers distribute the food, they find an almost immediate response to the good news about Jesus, His death and resurrection, and God’s one and only sacrificial payment made that can remove their sin and provide them eternal life in the Kingdom of God. This is contrary to Islamic theology. Islam does not provide any assurance of forgiveness. Nor does it offer any assurance of eternal life in God’s Heaven. Muslims are taught that it is not possible to know if they will be allowed into paradise until after they die.
It is this very thing that makes this week’s Mideast Update so encouraging. As of just a couple days ago, there had already been over 700 people who prayed the sinner’s prayer and put their lives and eternities into the hands of the true Messiah due to this distribution of wheat! This was a report just from the delivery locations in northern Syria. Reports from the other delivery areas have not yet been received, with the exception of Mosul, where rough estimates have it that hundreds have already been reached with the Gospel as a result of the delivery. Based on what has happened so far and experience from past food distributions there is great expectation of an even greater outpouring of God’s Spirit on the hearts of the people, and thousands of souls reached in a very short period of time.
Pastor R reported again that the missionaries and volunteer believers are sleeping very little at this time. They take one hour naps at best and then are right back out helping and ministering to the people. They have a very great commitment to the Great Commission to which they have been called, and God is providing them the strength, wisdom, and miraculous backing they need…just as He has promised in His Word!
As we know quite well by now, the situation in Aleppo, Idlib, and surrounding cities and towns, is very difficult. The missionaries are embedded with all the people and live in constant danger of being attacked, either by soldiers, jihadists, or aircraft dropping bombs and firing missiles. It is nearly impossible to bury the dead fast enough to keep the corpses from piling up. Mufiedah and her Widow Sisterhood army of widowed women continue ministering to the badly injured, just as they have been for many months. Another 28 have been healed outright of critical life-threatening injuries. There are many reports of phosphorus bombs, cluster bombs, vacuum bombs, barrel bombs, and chemical weaponry being used. The results of these kind of bombings have been photographed but are very difficult to take in. It does however give us a good picture of how much hatred the fallen Lucifer has for the human race.
In the last few days, another six of HOB’s missionaries were killed, as well as five of the new believers and three of their children. It is always tragic to hear, but we are thankful that they are now in the presence of their Saviour, where they will never ever experience pain or suffering again.
Sister Hafezah was again able to serve communion to over 1,400 people. What a miracle this is! God always meets these people and they celebrate His presence into the early hours of the mornings!
Sister Sarah continues, week after week, to gather 180 to 250 people or so as she shares her tremendous testimony. There are no statistics for how many are touched and changed by her story of God’s intervention in her situation. God however knows exactly what that number is!
The reports coming out of Fallujah confirm again how desperate their situation really is. As has been mentioned in past updates, ISIS’ stranglehold has been mainly broken in Fallujah, but other jihadist groups are just as barbaric in their treatment of the innocents. Another 9 missionaries and 23 new believers were killed in the last few days.
Hundreds of new believers are volunteering in the food distribution and preparation in the last few days. Ministry is continuing around the clock.
Continuous ministry is also continuing with the 26 widows who had been captives of ISIS barbarians. The healing process is continuing and the Lord is restoring them to physical, emotional, and spiritual health. These women will come out from their time of rest and healing very strong spiritually. The Lord will then enable them to minister to many who have gone through the same kind of ordeal as they have.
Sister Fatima has been able to serve communion to at least 1,600 and she and her volunteers have also been involved in helping with the wheat distribution and bread baking. They have been able to send extra bread home to the people’s families as well as feeding those waiting in line.
As has been the case, conditions in Mosul continue to deteriorate. The battles continuing to get worse between the Turkish forces, the Peshmerga, ISIS, and many other Islamic jihadist groups. House of Blessing lost a total of 21 of their missionaries and at least 54 of the new believers! Thousands of people are running for their lives but have nowhere to run. It looks absolutely hopeless to the people there. The only message of hope comes from the believers in Jesus. These believers have put their very lives on the line so that the message of God’s love and forgiveness can be shared. As in other areas, hundreds are responding. The conditions truly are tragic and chaotic, but hundreds and hundreds of souls are responding to the Gospel!
In conclusion, we the true Church, need to recognize the time in history that God has inserted us into. Not one of us dare see this as coincidental. God does everything strategically, and to the smallest degree. You, the reader, are no exception. Ask the Lord of the harvest how He would like you to participate in what’s happening in today’s race toward the end of the age. All of us are involved in the race to reach as many as possible before the door of the ark is closed. All of us are being reminded to check our priorities. Whatever we intend to do in our service to the KING, must be done now. Very soon it may be too late. That could come in a year, in a month, a week, or even tomorrow! The KING is coming, SOON! We must reach all who can be reached while there is still time.
Many thanks to all who so faithfully pray for, and support HOB. I also so enjoy the notes and comments sent in the mail. I save them all!
God Bless you all as we watch for the closing of this age and the soon return of our Lord and Master!
In His Service,
Jake Geier
Thank you, Jake for the update. Regardless of what the Western Church has to say, these are, indeed, God sized miracles. All throughout your time with House of Blessing, the reported miracles that have taken place are nothing short of God and His glory. Church, please wake up. Get out of your comfort zone and look at the time. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.