“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” Luke 18:13 We, as believers, have much cause to be grateful that God’s justice is not based on man’s opinions of what is just. Most of us, at least in the […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 8/10/2026 …. “There Is No God Like Yahweh!”
Just a thought… Most of us can quote the verse that says: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” I think many people look at that verse and cannot see anything beyond a burdensome task or responsibility, a demand that most of us initially find ourselves unprepared to fulfill. […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 7/17/2026 …. “Count It All Joy”
In place of sharing a short commentary of my own, which I usually do at the beginning of most Mideast Updates, I will defer to something Pastor Abdelrahem shared just a few days ago as an introduction to today’s update. ********** I would like to share some thoughts that the Lord has just inspired in me. These thoughts will be […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 6/28/2026 …. “The Cross — Our Bridge”
Many people today think that if they live a life of honesty and integrity by the golden rule, God will require nothing more of them. That is, however, untrue. The chasm between a Holy God and fallen man is infinite and cannot be bridged by good works. The separation between God and man does not stem from our individual acts […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 6/22/2026 …. “The People Have Seen A Great Light”
In Isaiah 9:1 we find the words: Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first he lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles. Years before this was written, the […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 5/29/2026 …. “God Has All Things Under His Control”
As most readers are aware, a large gathering of the House of Blessing community of believers, including many leaders, elders, and teachers as well as students and new believers suffered a major mustard gas attack. Many civilians were also in the proximity. Dr. Bandis was one of the ones nearly killed, along with Pastor Abdelrahem, Hayel, and Arshid. Dr. Bandis […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 4/9/2026 …. “Lights in a Dark World”
In Isaiah 5, we find a description of a culture that sounds very much like our world today. The very things God was about to judge Judah for are overwhelmingly present in our own generation. In verses 8-23, we have a list of “excesses” that are very much present today. Verses 8-10 is a description of uncontrolled greed. In verses […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 4/6/2026 …. “What Other Explanation Is There?”
In John 6:35 we read these words of Jesus: “I am the bread of life, He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” In Matthew 5:6, He said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” How is this supposed to happen? He […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 3/21/2026 …. “The Clash Of Good And Evil”
Most of us know that we should pray for God’s will in all things, but, whether we admit it or not, many of us are afraid to do so. Why? Because we’re not sure that His will is the best thing for us. We are afraid that God’s will and ours are at times not in sync. If we, however, […]
MIDEAST UPDATE …. 3/14/2026 …. “How Long O Lord, Holy And True?”
In light of events of the last few days with the House of Blessing missionaries, I would like to share a quote from a devotional, dated March 11, 2003. “Jesus has no illusions about human nature. He who came to redeem a fallen race knows that race’s capabilities. He who set His mind on the Cross knows the violence men […]