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February 2005
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the love of Jesus! God is moving in a powerful and sovereign way in the Middle East. Since September 11th there has been much activity to moderate Islamic understanding of the Koran. This is being called the reform movement and has impacted all of the Gulf region, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and countries in North Africa. The reform movement is seeking to open the society to more democratic expressions for many governmental, educational and economic regions of the society. However, barriers remain to anything that challenges Islamic teaching. This creates a tension as the reformers must reinterpret the understanding of many.
In addition, a number of the Gulf states are recognizing that oil and its income will not last. It is estimated that there are enough reserves for 80-90 years. As a result efforts are being made now to establish alternative economies so that the region will be able to prosper in the future. Over half the Arab population is now under 20 and there is a need to provide jobs and a future for them. This economic pressure is causing the different nations to open their societies in ways that will allow for a strong interface with the West for sustained alternative economies.
God is working through all of these situations to open doors for the gospel to be shared and to bring the greatest witness of Christ to this region of the world in recent history.
Presently the Lord is visiting His church in the region with invitation and opportunity to enter in to something new and awesome for the region. It reminds me of the Apostle Paul as he went throughout the Roman Empire. He always came to the Synagogue first to share that the Messiah had come and to give opportunity for them to come into that which God was opening in the region. Of course many responded and the church grew rapidly in the Gentile population.
The Lord is extending an invitation for them to come into what He is doing in the Middle East. He is calling them into a relationship with His manifest presence. Through this renewal of fellowship God is building His testimony in their lives. By testimony I am speaking of the Lord meeting them supernaturally in places of need that are normal in life. As He encourages them, and leads them into overcoming victory a testimony is built of His goodness.
God will put Himself on display by using His people to share what he gave them to bring them through the trial to His overcoming victory. As this testimony is shared and people pray with the lost God will extend His hand to heal and to save.
This is a season in the Middle East where God will do extraordinary things with ordinary people.
Many are beginning to recognize Him in the Spirit as He comes to where they are in barrenness, disappointment, confusion, failure, or need. There He is meeting them to give them a testimony by leading them into victory so they can give to those around them in a similar way.
While ministering in the Gulf States the Lord showed me how He was going to reinforce the church in the region by releasing the Chinese church to strengthen whatever He is doing.
The Church in China has lived under greater restrictions than the church in most of the Gulf States. Yet they have learned to really touch God in all night prayer meetings, boldness to declare His name, and have shared with coworkers, family, friends, and neighbors. God has consistently confirmed His word with signs following until the Church in China is one of the fastest growing in our generation.
In the 1920's a vision was given to the Church of China to evangelize the people between China and Jerusalem before Jesus returns. This vision has been revitalized in China today and has become known as the Back to Jerusalem movement. Already the Chinese church is sending out missionaries to achieve this vision.
While I was on this journey a news article came out about the United Arab Emirates plan to build the largest Chinese business center in the world outside of China. Already God is building the channel to release His church to help evangelize the Middle East.
It is exciting to see the hand of the Lord extended in a sovereign way in the nations. Let us pray and believe God for the great harvest in this part of the world.
QATAR
In the nation of Qatar God is bringing a great day of growth and opportunity. Four years ago it was illegal for one to have a Bible. If an expatriate had a Bible they could be deported, and the locals could be put in prison. However, this has changed and the church has been given permission to meet in houses and some complexes that are being built for this purpose.
Because of this situation much of the leadership is young and are lay believers that God has put His hand on. There is much work to be done in building the leadership, the church, and reaching to the population with the gospel. There is a great openness and hunger for the Lord.
In the outreach services there were many healings and a few salvations. Some of the healings included carpel tunnel syndrome, hand injury, knee injury, and a boy that was born with water on the brain. Over the time I was there the boy's condition was healed.
We had about 80 in the Leadership Conference and God met them powerfully. There was a strong anointing in the word and in the Spirit. By the end of the conference they were all slain in the Spirit, some deeply.
BAHRAIN
It was wonderful to be back in Bahrain after my time there last October. The body of believers has learned to recognize and enter into His manifest presence in worship. Now they are reaching to find Him more consistently in their daily lives. This is new. They are open and hungry. Because many were healed in the meetings last time their faith is growing.
Now they are learning to hear His voice and to be led by the Holy Spirit. As the Lord has been building the testimony of His work in their lives He is beginning to put it on display to the lost and harvest is coming.
The medical doctor who had thyroid cancer that God touched last October is completely healed. He is now reaching to fulfill the vision God gave him and has started an inter-faith youth fellowship. It is growing and drawing young people from various expatriate communities as well as the local Bahraini people.
Several pastors testified about breakthroughs in their lives since last time. One Philippino pastor who has several pastors in his group (some Indian, some Nepalese, and Philippino) told me of 2 Bahraini men that have gotten healed and saved. One had a stroke and partial paralysis on his right arm, another had leprosy. God is beginning the work here and it will spread.
The Lord met us in every service, both with the combined churches and the Leaders. There were some salvations and quite a few healings. For example: a paralyzed shoulder, kidney stones, ruptured disc, breast cancer, and various tumorous growths.
The Arabic pastor introduced me to a man that was a former PLO sniper. He has been saved now for 11 years and the Lord is using him among some of the more radical elements for a testimony. God is working in powerful ways to bring a witness of who He really is.
One of the converts from the Arab church in Bahrain was arrested in Saudi with 4 others for having a network for evangelism. They are praying for the group. Please believe God with us for the release of these brethren.
DUBAI
God was moving in each service with healings, revelation in the Word, and a call to new levels of fellowship and service.
Some of the healings were:
Blood disorder, Phlebitis, Skin problem, Back, Knee, Deaf ear, Kidney infection
In each church God gave me words for individuals about their lives. One note that came to me by email said,
"When Pastor Houtsma was giving the word to us on 3/2/05 I felt so relaxed and was so much at peace and felt a different person. I came home that evening and prayed to God and thanked him for Pastor Houtsma. God transformed me and its great. Thank you Pastor Houtsma as when you came in our church that is the time for me. I am changed totally, even though I accepted the lord as my lord and personal savior, I was not changed totally but since the third I am a totally different person and I praised and thank God."
DIVINE APPOINTMENT
I received a letter under my door from a young man working at the hotel. He was born with a disease called Primary Complex, a condition that makes the whole body weak and vulnerable to various diseases.
The drug therapy caused damage to his digestive system so that he was not able to eat much. Most of his childhood was in hospitals and on a liquid diet.
The night before his 9th birthday he was awakened by a soft voice calling his name. He says,
"The moment I looked up in that dark bedroom of mine, I was shocked to see what I never ever dreamed of. I saw a huge glowing white Man standing before my bed. He was so white, just whiter than white. I almost began to cry with fear. It was for a moment like a nightmare for me. But I clearly heard the voice saying, 'My child, don't be afraid. I am the Lord that heals you. I have seen your condition and I am a God of compassion, so I decided to give you a birthday present, a New Healed Body, so from now on go and play and eat as much as you can and become a strong man for I will use you in the days to come.'"
The next day he felt stronger and began to eat. Later his medical tests proved no sign of any problems. He was normal. Now he had a desire to know the White Man who came to him and gave him the best present he ever had.
At age 15 he attended our Baroda, India Crusade. Somehow he made it to the Leadership Conference on the first day. He says,
"On the very first morning service I had a second experience of the same presence. I saw the same Glowing White Man who came down from the clouds and looked at me. I spoke out this time and said Lord Jesus is it you? The Lord said, "Yes it is me. I chose you even before you were born. I came to remind you that I would do exactly what I told you when I first visited you. When the time will come you must go into the whole world and preach the Gospel and I will heal sick bodies and when you pray for them. I will anoint them and bless all those who follow me. That very second the Mighty Holy Spirit came upon me and I began to soak in His presence. For over three hours, I was completely soaking in His presence. What a Blessed hour that was. I received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and my entire life changed.
Jesus became my personal Lord and Savior. Everyday of my life I began experiencing His presence. I told my friends that I lost my rights that day, my life was not my own, I belong to another."
God brought this young man to me and he is now going to study in our Bible School and prepare for ministry. Already God is using him in the healing ministry. Please pray for this chosen vessel that the Lord will continue to guide him into all that He has planned.
KUWAIT
The meetings with the combined churches in Kuwait began with about 1500 attending. There was a good flow of the Word, several words of knowledge with healing etc. and some slain in the Spirit. In the first 3 nights over 60 came forward to receive Christ. The pastors told me that they had never seen so many salvations in Kuwait. This is just a foretaste of the harvest God has prepared for these days.
God was showing Himself strong and visiting the people with a mighty manifestation of His presence. In every salvation altar people have gone down under the power, not knowing anything or hearing anything about it. God knows how to get through the barriers and bring people into something fresh.
In one service one lady that got saved went down in the power and began to laugh. This released the joy of the Lord in the service. None had ever seen this expression of the Holy Spirit in a person's life before.
In one service the Lord told me He was healing a lady with a paralyzed arm. This lady came forward and her left arm was completely paralyzed. She held it like it was in a sling. I asked the Christians to pray with me and as I prayed I began to straighten her arm. There was no resistance. Then I lifted her arm and began to move it around. Again there was no resistance.
Then I asked her to move the arm and she said she could not. I said you are now healed you can move your arm. She began to move it and weep as she realized the Lord had completely healed her.
The time is now for the Middle East. God is beginning a powerful visitation of His Spirit in answered prayer, deliverance, salvation, and manifestation of His goodness. For an oppressed church this is truly rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19
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