I received a quick call from Pastor R letting me know that, out of the approximately 2,000 House of Blessing missionaries in the field today, about 800 of them are needing to go find some temporary work in order for the basic needs of their families to be met. Many of the missionaries are separated from their families much of […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…9/2/2020….”Forgiveness”
Over the years I’ve been writing the Mideast Updates for the House of Blessing, there have been many times when forgiveness was a major part of the storyline. Today, I have another brief story to share that again shows the amazing power of God’s love to bring people from the depths of sin and degradation to God’s forgiveness through the […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…8/25/2020…”To Live is Christ, to Die is Gain”
I received a call from Pastor R and, as soon as I heard his voice, I knew something had happened. He was barely able to hold back the tears as he told me that Pastor Farid had been killed just the day before. The details of what all happened are still being gathered but before I pass on what Pastor […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…8/10/2020…”The Awesome Power of GOD!”
For those who have read the previous update, you will remember that an urgent request was made for prayer for Pastor R and several of the House of Blessing leaders. Pastor R had come down with a serious virus of some kind. It was not possible to determine if he was having a recurrence of the COVID-19 or if this […]
SPECIAL PRAYER NEEDED FOR THE HOUSE OF BLESSING…8/3/2020
Greetings All: I received a special email this morning from Jerusalem, passed on by brother Youssef out of northern Syria, letting me know of a special need for prayer to share with all of you. Many of you readers have prayed for and supported the House of Blessing for a number of years. I am told that Pastor R has […]
WEARY REMNANT WATCHMEN
I ran into a short article written recently by Jan Markell, founder of Olive Tree Ministries, and decided to reprint it here. It’s well worth reading! Jake ************************** The Sons of Issachar were men who understood the times (I Chronicles 12:32). Today, very few people have an interest. The following e-mail represents hundreds that I get: “Jan, I am viewed […]
SPECIAL MIDEAST UPDATE…7/25/2020
I received a call from Pastor R asking if I could write a quick special update this weekend. The reason is because of a special Muslim holiday this coming week in which the House of Blessing has yearly made special arrangements for sharing the Good News of the Gospel. July 31, 2020, on the Muslim calendar is the observance of […]
MIDEAST UPDATE….7/22/2020
While getting a few thoughts together for today’s update, I was reading in the book of Hebrews. The chapter begins with these words: Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…6/5/2020…”In Spite of it All”
Just prior to my writing today’s update, I happened to turn to Acts 8-9, where we find the story of the Apostle Paul’s conversion from being a persecutor of Christians to himself becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. The feared Pharisee militant Saul became the beloved Apostle Paul. The first four verses of Acts 8, starting with Saul having just […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…5/19/2020….Nearing the Fullness of the Gentiles
One of the blessings for many people around the world is springtime—especially for those who have been struggling to survive the cold without any heat source. This is the case with most of the people who compose the mission field of the House of Blessing. In his latest phone call to me, Pastor R said that it seemed the weather […]