As much of the Western world has been inundated with ridiculous circus acts of western politics, many have questioned if the conflict in the Mideast has cooled. Not so. Storm clouds have continued to gather, and although there have been movements of troops and military weaponry shifted from one location to another, with nothing major having broken out yet, the […]
SPECIAL MIDEAST UPDATE Part Two “THE REST OF THE STORY”
This is Part Two of a story written four years ago that many current readers may never have read. The first part of this story reprinted a few days ago had to do with a man named Nabil who had formerly been a Muslim head-sheikh before becoming a believer in Jesus Christ. The second part of the story which you […]
MIDEAST UPDATE 7/20/ 2017
This week’s update is in two parts, the second part being a story that comes directly from people in Mosul who are experiencing the reality of the civil war battleground that is both Iraq and Syria today. This story will be on line in a couple days. Many people hear little or no news about what is actually happening in […]
MIDEAST UPDATE 2/28/2017
As we come to the end of February 2017, I received news for this update through a phone call as I was traveling south along the Dead Sea. As is usually the case, I have received both good news and also tragic news. Before I get to the actual House of Blessing update, it will be helpful to give a […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 1/21/2017
I have used Ephesians 5:14-17 as a passage of Scripture lately in Bible studies and even mentioned it on occasion while writing these Mideast Updates. The passage reads like this: Therefore He says: “Awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 12/13/2016
In one of the calls I received from Pastor R this past week, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with three of the new graduates from HOB’s School of Ministry. These three men, whose names were Mahmud, Abdullah, and Gaze, knew very little English but were able to greet me on the phone. They felt it a blessing to […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 11/9/2016
The Psalmist wrote these powerful words in Psalm 91: Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. Psalm 91:14-15 […]
MIDEAST UPDATE, 9/13/2016
As I begin writing the current Mideast Update, I think of the confluence of events in the Middle East today. I have stacks of papers scattered on my desk covering the so-called “Arab Spring”, the Syrian civil war, the escalating military involvement of numerous world powers in the Mideast, the resulting ever-deteriorating refugee crisis, and then of course the fearless […]
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 […]