Protests erupted across Iran following the recent death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody. The Iranian government has responded to the demonstrations with force and brutality. When soldiers shot at a group of protesters and hit a passing bus, an Iranian Christian was wounded.
Read MoreInternet conferencing services are powerful tools for front-line workers to reach and train Christians in restricted countries. One web-based course offered live lessons focused on spiritual healing. The class profoundly impacted one Iranian woman: “The lesson examined Bible verses on forgiveness. We also discussed the power of unforgiveness on our emotions,” she said.
Read MoreChristian convert Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh was arrested on June 24, 2016, when 30 intelligence agents raided an engagement party in the town of Karaj, near Tehran. Naser spent two months in solitary confinement before his case went to trial.
Read MoreAt the age of twelve, Azadeh was raped. She then started having panic attacks, seizures, and severe depression. She attempted suicide several times. Eventually, Azadeh committed her life to Satan, but after making that dedication, her health only worsened.
Read MoreMina was a devoted Muslim, but one night, she had a dream encouraging her to read John chapter 15. Though Mina didn’t understand the dream at the time, she watched a Christian TV broadcast a few days later, and the hosts read passages from the book of John.
Read MoreThe daughter of an Assyrian front-line worker attends an Iranian public school where Quran classes are required for Muslim students. As an Assyrian child, the girl is exempt from the class, but a new teacher forgot to excuse her from class one day. When the teacher asked the girl questions about Islam, many of her classmates answered that the girl is a Christian and should be excused from answering.
Read MoreIn the past, the Islamic government of Iran banned Christian seminaries from operating within the country. The lack of formal training centers prevents most local pastors from receiving practical, hands-on theological instruction.
Read MoreLast fall, three Christian workers were imprisoned after attending a house church. Though officials promised to reduce their sentences if they remain silent about their Christian faith, one of the prisoners is using this opportunity to share the gospel. “Now I understand why God let me be brought here to this prison,” she said.
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“Benesh” has been a believer in Christ less than five years, but in that short time she’s already planted more than 30 house churches in The Islamic Republic of Iran! Benesh grew up in a Muslim home, but over time she began to question many aspects of Islamic teaching. As a teenager, she overheard some women talking about the fact that Christian women—without the oppressive restrictions of Islam—were more free than Muslim women. Benesh was curious to know more about Christianity and the peace and love Jesus offers. While she was in college, Benesh’s father became very sick. Her mother prayed repeatedly to Allah to heal him, but it didn’t work. Her father died. Shortly after, her mother died also. Her grief at the loss of her parents pushed Benesh further to seek answers about Christ. First, she looked on the Internet. When she moved to a bigger city for employment, a coworker there invited her to a church meeting. Experiencing Christian worship and fellowship for the first time, she knew Jesus wanted her to put her faith and trust in Him. In spite of her parents’ death Benesh had peace from God, which shocked her sister and other family members. Many were curious why she was different, which gave her open doors to share Jesus. At first, Benesh feared what her family or others would say or do if she shared Christ with them, but she quickly overcame that fear when she realized how hungry Iranians are for the truth. Sharing your faith can be a dangerous task in Islamic countries, but Benesh was so focused on sharing the joy she’d found in Christ that she almost forgot about the threat of the Islamic regime! Listen as Benesh shares how we can pray for her ministry, for the Iranian regime, and for bold witnesses for Christ in the Middle East—and as she challenges every Christian to tell others about Jesus. Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Podcast.
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Sharing God’s Word in the Depths of “Hell” As Pastor Houmayoun led a prayer meeting at his home in Shiraz, Iran, in 2012, secret police stormed in and arrested the pastor, his wife, their 17-year-old son and four other church leaders. The seven Christians were blindfolded, shoved into vehicles and taken to an intelligence prison for questioning. After days of interrogation, they were moved to a public prison and ordered to keep quiet about why they had been arrested; the guards rightly feared the spread of Christianity among the prison’s 6,000 prisoners. But Houmayoun and the other believers felt compelled to obey a higher authority. “It would have been comfortable just to be quiet and not talk about Jesus,” Houmayoun said. “Things would have gone better for us in prison.” As they shared their testimonies and the gospel with their Muslim inmates, one thing became very clear: They were going to need Bibles. Collecting Verses Instead of despairing over their imprisonment, the Christians saw an opportunity to spread the gospel among their fellow inmates. As they shared their testimony quietly with one inmate after another, they received a variety of responses. A few threatened to kill them, while many others
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