As I read one news article after another, I think of a great event that is soon to come. Soon, the Lord of Glory will return to this world which today is spinning out of control, and He will take full control over it once again. The Psalmist penned these words in Psalm 24: The earth is the LORD’s, and […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 11/15/2016
In the Mideast Update dated 11/9/2016, the story was told of a young 28-year-old graduate of the House of Blessing’s School of Ministry named Same (pronounced Sammy). Same felt it was God’s task for him to go to his elderly father’s mosque and share what God had done for him. The story of Same reaching out to the 82-year-old head-sheik, […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 9/5/2016
As the world leaders meet to “solve” the world’s problems, and as high-paid political figures do their negotiating, the world continues to fall apart. For all of the peace proposals and supposed cease-fires, thousands of people continue to die. If they do not die from the bombing campaigns, they may be murdered by any one of the many Islamic jihadist […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 8/6/2016
One of the things I’ve noticed while writing these Mideast Updates for the last 53 months, is that if I am not careful, the updates become “routine” reports. This is a grave mistake because these are not “numbers” being reported, but rather a written record of events and the people who are the subjects of these same events. These people […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 7/24/2016
For the House of Blessing missionaries, as well as Pastor R, the founder, it has been both a trying, yet miraculous past two weeks. Anyone having read recent update articles will know that, not only have many of the HOB missionaries and new believers lost their lives, but the founder of House of Blessing, Pastor R, was nearly himself if […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 6/26/2016
As I began to write this Mideast Update, the Iraqi military was involved in an all-out effort to free the city of Fallujah from ISIS. As I look at the news reports I have on my desk, officials estimate that approximately 84,000 people had been forced to flee their homes since the start of the government offensive in May against […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 6/14/2016
I suspect I have read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, known as the Faith Chapter with 15 verses beginning “by faith,” more times in the last four years than I had during my entire life before becoming involved with the House of Blessing. This “faith chapter”, provided a long list of many of the heroes of the faith and why […]
“And Once Again”, MIDEAST UPDATE, 6/12/2016
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25 Stories travel fast in the Middle East when fueled by hope and a hunger for evidence of goodness, or mercy, or, ultimately, loving kindness. When Jesus walked in village or countryside, desert or shoreline, people walked great distances to hear, to see, and […]
“Sarah’s Sequel” MIDEAST UPDATE, 6/8/2016
When we heard Sarah’s story of seeing God’s glory and seeing her children alive and happy in His presence, we could only imagine the impact that had on her and those around her. To see into the heavenly realm is not easily described or even imagined, but to also see your loved ones in His Presence, is beyond our ability […]
“Sarah’s Story”, MIDEAST UPDATE, 5/31/2016
Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1 The lines of people coming to Pastor R’s tent, asking for prayer, continue day by day. People who have so little, living only moment by moment, asking for prayer, seeking the comfort of a God they have […]