Growth of Christianity in Iran Explosive (200, 40 years ago to 370,000 now)

From:

www.faithissues.com...

. . .
Forty years ago an estimated 200 Muslim Background Believers were living in Iran. Today the estimation is 370,000 MBBs. According to Open Doors, the house church movement has triggered many secret meetings. The growth is happening in all regions, but mostly in the larger cities.

. . .

Open Doors workers think that the growth of Christianity has everything to do with Iranians getting to know the real face of Islam, the official religion of Iran, and the mistrust of the people toward the government and leaders following the fraudulent 2009 presidential election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

. . .

Over the last few months the Iranian government has prohibited several churches from holding services in Farsi on Fridays, the official Muslim holy day. “They thought this would lead to less people attending services, but that didn’t happen,” reports the worker. Another restriction is the Iranian government is forbidding the selling of Bibles and New Testaments.

PRAISE GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS.

Another reason beyond the dissatisfaction of the Iranian people with the heavy handed corrupt Islamic leadership is what God is sovereignly doing among Muslims around the world:

From:

THE JESUS VISION:
Signs and Wonders in the Muslim World

www.jesusvisions.org...

. . .
We can hardly keep pace with reports of dreams and visions of our Lord Jesus! An article published in “Mission Frontiers” magazine reported the following, based on questionnaires completed by over 600 Muslims who had placed their faith in Jesus:

“Though dreams may play an insignificant role in the conversion decisions of most Westerners, over one-fourth of those surveyed stated quite emphatically that dreams and visions were key in drawing them to Christ and sustained them through difficult times.”
. . .

A typical “Jesus dream or vision” with innumerable variations is usually described by Muslims as a peaceful face that they somehow recognize as Jesus. Often they encounter a compassionate figure in a white robe, calling them to come to Him. Sometimes His hands and arms are extended wide, or Jesus reaches toward them in love and invitation. Many dreams are preparatory experiences to encourage Muslims with the possibility of following Jesus. Other visions or dreams are “epic” experiences of such magnitude that the person knows unquestioningly that he or she is destined to walk the lonely path of faith, even martyrdom, with Jesus.

Such believers deserve our prayers.

I don't know how long Christians in any country have until the heavy hand of the brutal satanic Marxist globalist government begins the effort to exterminate all such wholesale.

However, it is clear that Holy Spirit is working energetically to bring thousands to a Saving Knowledge of the Lord Jesus, The Christ.

The courage of such believers in such countries put most Western Christians to shame. They lay their lives on the line for their faith 24/7/365.

May those of us in reasonably civil, somewhat free countries work while there is light to love those into The Kingdom while we can. Night is clearly falling with increasing speed.

Love also must include truth.

As John and Paula Sandford say in their TRANSFORMATION OF THE INNER MAN:

www.amazon.com...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332732884&sr=8-1

My fairly close paraphrase from memory:

Love without truth is useless sentimentality.
Truth without love is brutality.

I don't have any fool proof rule of thumb for when to lean more toward warm fuzzy love vs firm, stern truth. A balance is nice. However, many situations call for much more of one than the other and I think we have to be sensitive to Holy Spirit in all situations to do anything close to the right thing.

It seems to me that the Iranian Christians have a correct priority in terms of sharing their faith in discipleship relationships. That's what The Lord did. How do we think we have a better plan with stage productions and polished media productions. They MAY be OK in their place if the motives creating them are right and the values presented are Biblical.

However, as the Iranian example shows . . . CHRISTIANITY IS RELATIONSHIP--First and foremost with God and then extending His Love through us to others. Sometimes it means declaring accurately but lovingly--THAT'S WRONG--that is missing the mark of perfection--that will bring you death. Yet even such declarations must come out of a heart of authentic love for the one spoken to, if it is to bring life.

May The Lord bless and protect the Iranian Christians. May He multiply His powerful Holy Spirit's work among them whether in dreams, visions and visitations or other miracle working demonstrations of His Love and Power.

I don't have much to add to this one save this.


Amen

reply to post by lonewolf19792000



Perhaps this one will move you to more words. LOL:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

BLESSED BE THE WAYS OF THE LORD.

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

BLESSED BE THE WORD OF THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL--Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

and WHOSOEVER WILL . . . COME TO HIM.

Well said, well said.

reply to post by BO XIAN


Meanwhile in traditional Christian countries, the religion continues to decline as Muslims immigrate and have 10+ children all in the name of tolerance.

reply to post by Jace26



Though . . . as is noted to one of the letters to one of the Churches at the beginning of the NTestament book of REVELATION: most such countries--including the USA . . .

EVEN THE AUTHENTIC CHURCHES--MOST

HAVE LEFT THEIR FIRST LOVE--JESUS.

They are into social parades and games.

The satanic globalist oligarchy has successfully infested, polluted and corrupted most churches and denominations from within . . . as they have long planned and worked to do. Their own writings and speeches from long ago said they would do so. They have now done so and are continuing to do so.

Thankfully, Those with a genuine HEART AFTER GOD--find HE IS ABLE and willing to keep them close to Him.

reply to post by BO XIAN


Glory be to God. I'm praying for the full harvest, and prayers are being answered in a mighty way. What their government, and hostile governments across the globe cannot do, is block the blasting of Christianity into those places via satellite with ministries such as TBN and Daystar Network.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by BO XIAN

 

Glory be to God. I'm praying for the full harvest, and prayers are being answered in a mighty way. What their government, and hostile governments across the globe cannot do, is block the blasting of Christianity into those places via satellite with ministries such as TBN and Daystar Network.

True.

However, Almighty God blasting His Truth and His personage into the hearts, dreams, minds, understanding of hungry individuals around the world is even more unpreventable.

Given that He turned Saul of Tarsus around . . . He can reach anyone truly seeking Him.

And, as usual, those with an experience are not at all at the mercy of those with merely an argument.

reply to post by BO XIAN


Well, yes, not denying that at all. But isn't it awesome that no matter how hard the enemies of the Lord try to prevent the gospel from reaching the masses the more the Lord confuses them and puts them in derision? I love it. These human puppets of demons can't knock our satellites from the skies!!!

Anything that make the enemy rage with anger gets my thumbs up.

reply to post by NOTurTypical



INDEED.

He will have them in derision.

In vain they rail against Him.

It's kind of perversely fascinating . . . folks who fancy themselves as rulers of their own destiny . . . lofty enough to kill off even Almighty God in their construction on reality . . .

fail to realize what a dreadful thing it is

to bet on the losing side.

reply to post by BO XIAN

to bet on the losing side.

Which is why I scratch my head at satanists and luciferians who all believe that at the end satan will defeat God and will rule the cosmos.

Common sense should tell them if satan had that power he would have done that WHEN GOD THREW HIM OUT OF HEAVEN!!

reply to post by NOTurTypical

Which is why I scratch my head at satanists and luciferians who all believe that at the end satan will defeat God and will rule the cosmos.

Common sense should tell them if satan had that power he would have done that WHEN GOD THREW HIM OUT OF HEAVEN!!


ABSOLUTELY INDEED.

However . . . those given to lies . . . are also automatically setting themselves up to swallow lies, hook, line and sinker.

And, those whose hearts are in rebellion against God and God's ways . . . are eager for any construction on reality that trashes God's authority over their lives . . . particularly their sex lives.

I suspect such issues have contributed to the dismay of many Iranians at the

UTTER FAILURE

of strict authoritarian ruthlessness to curb the lusts of the flesh on the part of the corrupt Mullahs running things in Iran. It's plain to see that Islam has no lasting solution for the lusts of the flesh--OTHER THAN--DRACONIAN--close-the-barn-door-after-the-cows-have-already-escaped actions and mentalities.

Killing their own daughters for daring to question or go against the authority worried about how long his manhood is becomes a "righteous" act MORE SO THAN

Righteous behavior to begin with.

It's pretty messed up when blood-thirsty brutality is seen as MORE RIGHTEOUS than loving one's own flesh and blood in God's Name sufficiently that they are motivated from birth to live right FROM WITHIN--and aided by such from an intimate walk with Holy Spirit.

As Christ declared--the letter of the law kills, the Spirit brings life.

The Iranians have had plenty of decades to OBSERVE how deadly the letter of the Mullah's presumed laws are.

That makes them ripe for the liberty of Jesus, walking in His Spirit, submitting to His law of Love & Truth in their hearts.

God loves to fill hungry hearts desperate for Him to fill that "God shaped void within" . . . wherever He finds them.