In my private devotions, I began reading the Book of Mark again this morning. In chapter 1:21-28 we find the account of Jesus setting a man in the synagogue free of an unclean spirit. Those gathered were apparently used to seeing people plagued with demon spirits, but they had never seen someone freed. The first comment made after Jesus’ teaching […]
MIDEAST UPDATE….3/15/2025….”And God’s Grace Was Upon Them”
One of the promises God has made to His people is that He would never leave them nor forsake them. He also promised that all things would work together for good to those who are called to His purposes. This means that even the evil that the devil intends, is taken by our Lord and turned into His good purposes. […]
From One Evil To Another 3/13/2025
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the Assad family dictatorship on December 8, 2024, there was, understandably, considerable jubilation among the Syrian population, especially among those who have been displaced and have been living in refugee camps all across the nation. The Assad regime had been well known for its barbaric brutality since its beginning, but it only got […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…2/26/2025….”And He Looked Up Toward Heaven…” Part Three
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus made this comment: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” That statement was made 2,000 years ago and it has proven true throughout the centuries. Not only that, but it will continue to be true until the very end of the age. The Church started […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…2/18/2025…”And He Looked Up Toward Heaven” Part Two
Looking at the story of the Church’s first martyr, we see a man who knows he is about to die, but rather than cower in fear, he was bold in his faith. As he was about to be stoned to death, he was given a glimpse into heaven. Acts 7:55-56 says: 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…2/15/2025…”And He Looked Up Toward Heaven…” Part One
— Part One — The story of Stephan’s death in the 7th chapter of Acts is one that is familiar to most Christ-followers. After Stephen’s answer to those accusing him of blasphemy and giving the Jewish crowd a history lesson of God’s dealings with them over the centuries, he was stoned to death. The last few moments of his life […]
MIDEAST UPDATE….1/14/2025….Harvest Time
As most readers are aware by now, there has been considerable celebration in Syria at the collapse of the Assad dictatorship. The rule of the Assad family, especially against any opposition, was extremely brutal and deadly. As time has passed since Assad’s ouster, more and more evidence has been uncovered describing the extent of Assad’s atrocities. Many mass graves have […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…9/30/2024…”Imitators of the Father, as Beloved Children”
Just before sharing a fresh report on the latest from the House of Blessing, I’d like to share what I hope will be an encouragement for the reader. In today’s world in which “normal” is being turned on its head; right being considered wrong and wrong considered right, it is important for us to remember “who” we really are as […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…3/26/2024…”Leaving This World Behind”
Note these words from Hebrews 11: “These…confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland, and truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return, but now they desire a better, that is, a […]
MIDEAST UPDATE…2/21/2024…”God’s Miraculous Multiplication Process”
As I was reading over a few Mideast Updates from years past, I ran across several accounts telling the stories of God miraculously multiplying the food when the available supply did not meet the need at hand. Most of us are familiar with the stories of Jesus first feeding a crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children. Another time, […]