Y
YESHUA
Guest
Behind the Black Veil.
In the midst of tragedy and persecution a vibrant underground church is growing in Iran.
Overwhelmed by the pressures of life, Afrooz a young Muslim student in Iran, cried out to her god-allah- to help her, to give her a sign that he was with her. That night, while Afrooz knelt on her prayer mat waiting for allah to respond, a bright light flooded the room.
“I lifted my head and saw Jesus wearing white,†she recalls. “I recognized that this could only be the Messiah.â€Â
In the midst of this startling vision, Afrooz- who – had never seen the Bible wrote in her native Farsi language: “Come to ME, all who labour and area heavy laden, and I will give you restâ€Â
(Matt 11.28). It was the beginning of a spiritual journey that would bring her inner peace yet also test her resolve in her fires of persecution. As her newfound faith in Jesus came to light, Afrooz refused employment and treated with contempt. On her wedding night, the secret police burst into the newlyweds’ and interrogated them. Afrooz experience is not uncommon in this fiercely Islamic theocracy, were Christians-especially converts from islam-face harassment, blacklisting and physical threats. Her remarkable testimony, however reflects the growing number of Iranians being drawn to Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
New faith, Ancient People.
Jesus is building HIS church in this biblical region of ancient Persia –the home if such Bible heroes as Nehemiah, Esther and Daniel. Acts 2 lists Elamites, Parthians and Medes (all Iranians) among those present at the first century Pentecost celebration in the first century when the Holy Spirit came in power. Today, the church is growing-spurred by a fresh, sweeping move of the Holy Spirit and strengthened through the fellowship of suffering believers.
Missions experts estimate 20.000-30.000 indigenous evangelical and Pentecostal believers are in Iran today, most from Muslims backgrounds. Some experts-citing and unknown number of “secret†believers-claim the true figure could be much high.
Missiologist Patrick Johnstone, co-author of Operation world, estimates Iran has 17.000 evangelicals, 7.000 charismatic and 4.000 Pentecostals. With annual church growth of 7.5 percent, Pentecostal is the fastest growing religions movement in Iran.
Everywhere, the charismatic influence is strong. Many indigenous churches practice prophecy and healing. Services. Which are marked by vibrant worship and fervent prayer, can last for hours.
Yet church leaders often lack training and basic resources, including bibles. As one missionary put it: “A Persian-language bible is a hot item in Iran.
Spiritual hunger.
For most Americans, the mention of Iran conjures images of Islamic extremist, woman I stifling black chadors and bearded zealots declaring America “The Great Satan.†Islam certainly has a grip on this nation of 67 million people-of whom 99 percent call themselves Muslims-but extremist represent a very small minority. Many Iranians are nominal Muslims simply because they are immersed I an Islamic society that marries the Muslim faith with the Iranian identity. For millions of Iranians, there has b been no alternative-until now.
Mounting social problems such as drug abuse, alcoholism, prostitution and suicide belie the public face of “unshakable†Islam while unveiling a culture riddled with despondency. In reality, many Iranians-especially the young-are soul-searching, disillusioned with the Islamic Revolution 25 years ago. Increasingly influenced by Western culture, Iran youth are rebelling against the strict Islamic code. They are eager to express their individuality-and they are open to the gospel. Today US. - based ministries with a heart for the Middle East are grasping unprecedented opportunities for evangelism in Iran. In February, San Antoniobased evangelist Sammy Tippit launched gospel broadcasts (with Farsi interpretation)into Iran via satellite. Since May 2003, Oklahoma-based Harvesters World Outreach has beamed its Farsi-language Day of Salvation into Iran three times a week. The response has been incredible, according to Harvests’ founder, pastor Reza Safa, a convert from Islam. “We’ve had hundreds of callers from Iran desperate to know more about the Jesus who saves, heals and delivers, “ Safa says, “Most callers use phone cards to avoid surveillances; many stay on (the line) for 45 minutes from Iran. Ongoing testimonies of conversions and miraculous healings provide irrefutable evidence that many Iranians crave a personally for a soul-satisfying experience with the Holy Spirit. (not Muhammad) It’s also natural for Iranian Muslim to be intrigued by and attracted to the “Christian Jesusâ€Â. That’s because almost all Iranians are aware of Jesus through their own poets and the teachings of Islam (which revere Jesus as a prophet but deny HIS DEITY) “they are hungry to learn, eager to discuss the Bible and, in particular, Jesus. They’re searching for the truth.†Explains Tom White, director of The Voice of the Martyrs, an Oklahoma-based ministry to persecuted Christians worldwide. He notes that the courage and spiritual passion of Iranian believer is a key factor in the “spontaneous growth†of Iran’s house-church movement. Driven underground by persecution, thousands of Iranian Christians-as many as 30.000, according to White-meet I homes. They switch locations to avoid detection. “In the past eight years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of converts from Islam,†White told Charisma, “Much of the evangelism goes on inside people’s homes.†Most Iranian believers shun the few official, state-sanctioned churches because the secret lice scrutinize church membership rolls to root out what they call Muslim “apostatesâ€Â. Although violent persecution has subsided, conversion to Christianity during the last decade has resulted in beating, imprisonment, torture and even execution. Despite the risks, some congregations continue to worship publicly-even placing crosses on the front of their buildings.
Persecuting: An ‘Honor’
Although Iran’s constitution claims to guarantee religious rights, Christians face widespread discrimination. Those who openly acknowledge their faith in Christ are ridiculed and denied meaningful employment. Consequently, many impoverished believer’s face urgent housing and medical needs, and churches struggle to support pastors. Yet believers in Iran count it a privilege to suffer. “It’s an honor to experience persecution for the gospel, “ Iranian pastor church leader Mehdi (not his real name) told charisma. “ (Persecution) has been helpful in strengthening our faith and spiritual growth. Iran’s autocratic rulers expect church leaders to “knuckle under†their demands just like the prophet Daniel was expected to conform to King Nebuchadnezzar’s decrees centuries ago. During the 1990s-a period of intense persecution- Bishop Haik Hovsepian-Mehr, leader of a Pentecostal church in Iran, was given orders by the Iranian Government that no services were to be conducted I Persian (the native language); all church identification cards: member-member only services to be held on Sundays only; no new members were to be admitted without the Ministry of Information and Islamic Guidance being notified. According to U.K-based human-rights group Jubilee Campaign, Hosepian-Mehr responded that “never would he or his ministers bow down and comply with such inhuman and unjust demands.†He added: “Our churches are open to all who want to come. If we die or go to jail for our faith, we want the whole world to know….I am ready for anything,†Soon after affirming this faith with such boldness, Hovesepian-Mehr was murdered. Other Iranian church leaders have, like Hovsepian-Mehr, paid the ultimate prices pastor Mohammad Bagher Yusefi- a 35-year-old Pentecostal evangelist and convert from Islam-left his house early one morning to pray. Later that day, his wife and two children were told, his body was found hanging from a tree. Hearing such stories, many Christians in America might excuse their Iranian brothers and sisters from publicly proclaiming their faith. But Iranian Christians use the book of Acts as their guide to evangelism. They are prepared, if necessary, to follow in the footsteps of Stephen, who was martyred; Paul who endured severe civil punishments, and other first-centuries believers who were persecuted for Christ. They take to heart the rallying cry of Tertullian, the early church writer: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.†Call All Prayer Partners
Christianity in America might seem fare removed from such suffering and sacrifice. However, pastor Mehdi insist that U.S Christians are intertwined with the persecuted church: “Do not thing that being ….in America (should) give you total security, peace and rest. Instead, you should be thinking of your brothers and sisters in the faith undergoing persecutions and trials. The gospel born in the East-has reached you. Now the burden of intercession…. is being placed on you. In these latter days, it is your responsibility… to help and support (suffering believers).†Many churches in America are catching pastor Mehdi’s vision. “Right now, we in America have the incredible opportunity to partner with Iranian churches toe see tremendous church growth,†says the leader of a missions organization that works closely with churches in Iran. During a visit to Iran, the leader, 8who for security reasons is not identified) spoke to an evangelical charismatic congregation, encouraging them and prophesying over them. “They locked the windows and bolted the doors,†he recalls." It was a powerful experience that reaffirmed to me that we-the church in America-have a GOD-given mandate to support our brothers and sisters amid their tribulations.
Pointing to Iran’s political and cultural influence in the Middle East and Eurasia, Missions strategists believe the church in Iran could hold the key to dramatic gospel breakthrough in neighboring Muslim nations, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Turkey.
Pastor Mehdi said he believes Iran has “a pivotal role in the establishment of God’s Kingdom in the Middle East.†It is not surprising then that the church today encounters such intense opposition amid this critical “battleground,†which spiritual forces have wrestled over since Old Testament times. Daniel 10 records that the archangel Michael battled against “the prince of the Persian kingdomâ€Â-whom some believe was a demon exercising influenceover the Persian realm. As this centuries-old struggle approaches its climax, Iran’s unflinching believers say they are looking toward the new era describing in Jeremiah 49:39 when their daring faith amid tribulation will be rewarded: “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam (Iran) in days to come declares the LORD†(NIV) (And I declare AMEN to that). “Iranian church faces shinning days ahead-days of blessings and GOD’S FAVOR pastor Mehdi says, “GOD has taken Iran into HIS own HANDS and has given us a chance to share HIS REIGN.
In the midst of tragedy and persecution a vibrant underground church is growing in Iran.
Overwhelmed by the pressures of life, Afrooz a young Muslim student in Iran, cried out to her god-allah- to help her, to give her a sign that he was with her. That night, while Afrooz knelt on her prayer mat waiting for allah to respond, a bright light flooded the room.
“I lifted my head and saw Jesus wearing white,†she recalls. “I recognized that this could only be the Messiah.â€Â
In the midst of this startling vision, Afrooz- who – had never seen the Bible wrote in her native Farsi language: “Come to ME, all who labour and area heavy laden, and I will give you restâ€Â
(Matt 11.28). It was the beginning of a spiritual journey that would bring her inner peace yet also test her resolve in her fires of persecution. As her newfound faith in Jesus came to light, Afrooz refused employment and treated with contempt. On her wedding night, the secret police burst into the newlyweds’ and interrogated them. Afrooz experience is not uncommon in this fiercely Islamic theocracy, were Christians-especially converts from islam-face harassment, blacklisting and physical threats. Her remarkable testimony, however reflects the growing number of Iranians being drawn to Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
New faith, Ancient People.
Jesus is building HIS church in this biblical region of ancient Persia –the home if such Bible heroes as Nehemiah, Esther and Daniel. Acts 2 lists Elamites, Parthians and Medes (all Iranians) among those present at the first century Pentecost celebration in the first century when the Holy Spirit came in power. Today, the church is growing-spurred by a fresh, sweeping move of the Holy Spirit and strengthened through the fellowship of suffering believers.
Missions experts estimate 20.000-30.000 indigenous evangelical and Pentecostal believers are in Iran today, most from Muslims backgrounds. Some experts-citing and unknown number of “secret†believers-claim the true figure could be much high.
Missiologist Patrick Johnstone, co-author of Operation world, estimates Iran has 17.000 evangelicals, 7.000 charismatic and 4.000 Pentecostals. With annual church growth of 7.5 percent, Pentecostal is the fastest growing religions movement in Iran.
Everywhere, the charismatic influence is strong. Many indigenous churches practice prophecy and healing. Services. Which are marked by vibrant worship and fervent prayer, can last for hours.
Yet church leaders often lack training and basic resources, including bibles. As one missionary put it: “A Persian-language bible is a hot item in Iran.
Spiritual hunger.
For most Americans, the mention of Iran conjures images of Islamic extremist, woman I stifling black chadors and bearded zealots declaring America “The Great Satan.†Islam certainly has a grip on this nation of 67 million people-of whom 99 percent call themselves Muslims-but extremist represent a very small minority. Many Iranians are nominal Muslims simply because they are immersed I an Islamic society that marries the Muslim faith with the Iranian identity. For millions of Iranians, there has b been no alternative-until now.
Mounting social problems such as drug abuse, alcoholism, prostitution and suicide belie the public face of “unshakable†Islam while unveiling a culture riddled with despondency. In reality, many Iranians-especially the young-are soul-searching, disillusioned with the Islamic Revolution 25 years ago. Increasingly influenced by Western culture, Iran youth are rebelling against the strict Islamic code. They are eager to express their individuality-and they are open to the gospel. Today US. - based ministries with a heart for the Middle East are grasping unprecedented opportunities for evangelism in Iran. In February, San Antoniobased evangelist Sammy Tippit launched gospel broadcasts (with Farsi interpretation)into Iran via satellite. Since May 2003, Oklahoma-based Harvesters World Outreach has beamed its Farsi-language Day of Salvation into Iran three times a week. The response has been incredible, according to Harvests’ founder, pastor Reza Safa, a convert from Islam. “We’ve had hundreds of callers from Iran desperate to know more about the Jesus who saves, heals and delivers, “ Safa says, “Most callers use phone cards to avoid surveillances; many stay on (the line) for 45 minutes from Iran. Ongoing testimonies of conversions and miraculous healings provide irrefutable evidence that many Iranians crave a personally for a soul-satisfying experience with the Holy Spirit. (not Muhammad) It’s also natural for Iranian Muslim to be intrigued by and attracted to the “Christian Jesusâ€Â. That’s because almost all Iranians are aware of Jesus through their own poets and the teachings of Islam (which revere Jesus as a prophet but deny HIS DEITY) “they are hungry to learn, eager to discuss the Bible and, in particular, Jesus. They’re searching for the truth.†Explains Tom White, director of The Voice of the Martyrs, an Oklahoma-based ministry to persecuted Christians worldwide. He notes that the courage and spiritual passion of Iranian believer is a key factor in the “spontaneous growth†of Iran’s house-church movement. Driven underground by persecution, thousands of Iranian Christians-as many as 30.000, according to White-meet I homes. They switch locations to avoid detection. “In the past eight years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of converts from Islam,†White told Charisma, “Much of the evangelism goes on inside people’s homes.†Most Iranian believers shun the few official, state-sanctioned churches because the secret lice scrutinize church membership rolls to root out what they call Muslim “apostatesâ€Â. Although violent persecution has subsided, conversion to Christianity during the last decade has resulted in beating, imprisonment, torture and even execution. Despite the risks, some congregations continue to worship publicly-even placing crosses on the front of their buildings.
Persecuting: An ‘Honor’
Although Iran’s constitution claims to guarantee religious rights, Christians face widespread discrimination. Those who openly acknowledge their faith in Christ are ridiculed and denied meaningful employment. Consequently, many impoverished believer’s face urgent housing and medical needs, and churches struggle to support pastors. Yet believers in Iran count it a privilege to suffer. “It’s an honor to experience persecution for the gospel, “ Iranian pastor church leader Mehdi (not his real name) told charisma. “ (Persecution) has been helpful in strengthening our faith and spiritual growth. Iran’s autocratic rulers expect church leaders to “knuckle under†their demands just like the prophet Daniel was expected to conform to King Nebuchadnezzar’s decrees centuries ago. During the 1990s-a period of intense persecution- Bishop Haik Hovsepian-Mehr, leader of a Pentecostal church in Iran, was given orders by the Iranian Government that no services were to be conducted I Persian (the native language); all church identification cards: member-member only services to be held on Sundays only; no new members were to be admitted without the Ministry of Information and Islamic Guidance being notified. According to U.K-based human-rights group Jubilee Campaign, Hosepian-Mehr responded that “never would he or his ministers bow down and comply with such inhuman and unjust demands.†He added: “Our churches are open to all who want to come. If we die or go to jail for our faith, we want the whole world to know….I am ready for anything,†Soon after affirming this faith with such boldness, Hovesepian-Mehr was murdered. Other Iranian church leaders have, like Hovsepian-Mehr, paid the ultimate prices pastor Mohammad Bagher Yusefi- a 35-year-old Pentecostal evangelist and convert from Islam-left his house early one morning to pray. Later that day, his wife and two children were told, his body was found hanging from a tree. Hearing such stories, many Christians in America might excuse their Iranian brothers and sisters from publicly proclaiming their faith. But Iranian Christians use the book of Acts as their guide to evangelism. They are prepared, if necessary, to follow in the footsteps of Stephen, who was martyred; Paul who endured severe civil punishments, and other first-centuries believers who were persecuted for Christ. They take to heart the rallying cry of Tertullian, the early church writer: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.†Call All Prayer Partners
Christianity in America might seem fare removed from such suffering and sacrifice. However, pastor Mehdi insist that U.S Christians are intertwined with the persecuted church: “Do not thing that being ….in America (should) give you total security, peace and rest. Instead, you should be thinking of your brothers and sisters in the faith undergoing persecutions and trials. The gospel born in the East-has reached you. Now the burden of intercession…. is being placed on you. In these latter days, it is your responsibility… to help and support (suffering believers).†Many churches in America are catching pastor Mehdi’s vision. “Right now, we in America have the incredible opportunity to partner with Iranian churches toe see tremendous church growth,†says the leader of a missions organization that works closely with churches in Iran. During a visit to Iran, the leader, 8who for security reasons is not identified) spoke to an evangelical charismatic congregation, encouraging them and prophesying over them. “They locked the windows and bolted the doors,†he recalls." It was a powerful experience that reaffirmed to me that we-the church in America-have a GOD-given mandate to support our brothers and sisters amid their tribulations.
Pointing to Iran’s political and cultural influence in the Middle East and Eurasia, Missions strategists believe the church in Iran could hold the key to dramatic gospel breakthrough in neighboring Muslim nations, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Turkey.
Pastor Mehdi said he believes Iran has “a pivotal role in the establishment of God’s Kingdom in the Middle East.†It is not surprising then that the church today encounters such intense opposition amid this critical “battleground,†which spiritual forces have wrestled over since Old Testament times. Daniel 10 records that the archangel Michael battled against “the prince of the Persian kingdomâ€Â-whom some believe was a demon exercising influenceover the Persian realm. As this centuries-old struggle approaches its climax, Iran’s unflinching believers say they are looking toward the new era describing in Jeremiah 49:39 when their daring faith amid tribulation will be rewarded: “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam (Iran) in days to come declares the LORD†(NIV) (And I declare AMEN to that). “Iranian church faces shinning days ahead-days of blessings and GOD’S FAVOR pastor Mehdi says, “GOD has taken Iran into HIS own HANDS and has given us a chance to share HIS REIGN.