Iran 30 Discover, Pray, Transform

Internet church, growing

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:20:53 +0000

Almost every night a zealous Christian, whom we will call Hussein, has meetings with his internet church. Scores of his members come on line at the same time; they can see him, as he teaches the Bible and prays with people. Unbelievers also come and he answers their questions. He is planning to soon celebrate Holy Communion with his members. He will explain who is eligible to partake in the sacrament and then following his instructions, all will share in the bread and wine together. Prayer, Bible teaching, the sacraments – it is definitely church. And it is proving very effective at reaching many Iranians.

Of course there are always members who experience problems with the connection, but by and large, his members know how to navigate the unpredictability of the internet in Iran. There is no doubt this is an important ministry, and needs serious prayer.

Pray for

• Hussein and other internet pastors
• Security on line
• Stable internet connections

Prayer for peace talks, not in vain

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:19:05 +0000

The call to prayer in the last entry for talks in Istanbul between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany was not in vain. Tehran called the meetings ‘very successful’; Washington said they were a ‘first step’. And already a date and place has been fixed for more meetings: May 23rd in Baghdad. The case for diplomacy has also been strengthened by senior Israeli defence figures strongly criticising the case for war against Iran. Military chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz said he did not believe Iran was intent on developing nuclear weapons, while Yuval Diskin, a former security chief, has declared that any attack on Iran would be ineffective.

Though Istanbul has breathed new life into the peace talks, the shadows of war are still easily seen. Iran’s oil ministry suffered a severe virus attack on its computer systems, which the government blamed on foreign agencies; while sanctions continue to bite, there have now been calls for the International Monetary Fund to cut its ties with Tehran’s banks. Also the US has sent an unknown number of F 22 fighter planes to the United Arab Emirates. The UAE government recently made a territorial claim over the tiny island of Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf. The claim has infuriated all Iranians, as the island has historically belonged to Iran.

The stakes remain very high. It is important that Christians continue to intercede for peace in the region and for a definite breakthrough during the talks in Baghdad in May.

Pray for

• Success of talks in Baghdad
• Security concerns of both Iran, the Gulf States and Israel to be resolved
• Iranians to find true peace and safety in Christ

Arrest of lawyer for Youcef Nadarkhani; the repression continues

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:18:00 +0000

The case of Youcef Nadarkhani faces a possible set back with reports of the arrest of his lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkah on April 29th 2012. Mr Ali Dadkah, a prominent human rights lawyer, was arrested while in court defending a political prisoner*. Meanwhile Youcef Nadarkhani remains in prison, awaiting the verdict of his second trial for apostasy. There are also reports that two Christians in their twenties have been arrested in Tehran. It is clear the campaign against Christians is continuing.

Despite the ferocity of the intimidation, Christian prisoners report sensing God’s comfort in prison, and seeing their situation as an opportunity to share the Gospel with people they will probably never meet again. This includes guards, as well as prisoners.

* source FCNN

Pray for

• Immediate release of all Christian prisoners
• Release of Mohammad Ali Dadkah
• Profound impact of Gospel in prison

Banking scandal(s), still in the news; ordinary Iranians endure 21.5% inflation rate

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:17:20 +0000

As the trial of eight defendants in Iran’s largest banking scam comes to an end, the headlines go on. Again there are allegations that the fraud of 2.6 billion dollars had connections with the government, so the semi official Mehr News Agency has as its headline – ‘Main suspect in 2.6. billion fraud case had links with ex-minister’. The suspect is Mah-Afarid Amir-Khosravi, and in court, it was said he met with a former government minister. It was also stated that the government had called Mr Khosrvavie a model job creator. As this case continues, another banking scandal has appeared in the press. The State Inspector for the province of Hormoz, Momen-Abadi, said last week that his agency had discovered that ‘tens of millions’ of euros, dollars, and tomans had been leant by a state bank to a private company without sufficient security.

The overall impact of these banking scandals is to reinforce the impression in people’s minds that crony capitalism that delivers fabulous wealth to insiders is alive and well in Iran. Meanwhile ordinary Iranians are suffering in the supermarket with prices leaping up 21.5% this year. The ever increasing cost of living is the main topic of conversation in most people’s homes, spiked with a growing sense of injustice that while they work long hours and can hardly make ends meet, there is an elite that is making vast fortunes.

In the midst of economic injustice, it is important Christians focus on preaching Christ as the One who brings true peace and wealth to our hearts.

Pray for

• Justice to be done over the banking scandals
• Inflation to come down
• Church to be able to help those who are struggling financially.

Thousands of New Testaments given out; no refusals

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:57:20 +0000

In the run up to the Persian New Year and Easter one Iranian church in the region gave out over 4,000 New Testaments. Other churches also got involved in Scripture distribution. Despite all the hostility directed against active Christianity by the government, there has been no reports of even one of these New Testaments being refused – again proving the deep love Iranians have for the written Gospel of Jesus Christ. Given that often whole families will share a Gospel, it is likely that these 4,000 New Testaments, all with a clear salvation message, will be read by 10,000 or more people.

Churches have also been full. Between 250 – 300 people gathered to hear the Gospel message in one city in the region. Newcomers came forward to give their lives to Christ. Despite the on-going crackdown in Iran, this remains a season of harvest.

Pray for

• New Testaments to bring thousands to faith.
• Follow up for those who have recently turned to Christ.
• Printing of more New Testaments.

Peace talks in Istanbul, miracles needed

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:56:09 +0000

On April 14th the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (USA, UK, France, Russia, China) plus Germany are due to meet representatives from Iran, led by Sayed Jalili, to resolve the West’s dispute with Iran over her nuclear programme. These talks could prove to be crucial for peace in the Middle East and deserve intense intercession from Christians around the world.

For Iran and the West’s positions seem to be irreconcilable. The West is adamant it will not tolerate a nuclear armed Iran, while the US has repeatedly refused to rule out military action. Tehran insists the programme is peaceful, and President Ahmadinejad, supported by many others, has made refusal to compromise over Iran’s right to nuclear power an issue of passionate patriotism. Requests from the West for Iran to close down its underground plant at Fordo, send its enriched uranium abroad, and freeze its programme to enrich uranium to 20% have all been vigorously rejected by Tehran.

The only glimmer of compromise has been a statement from Fereydoun Abbasi, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, that Iran will only need a limited amount of 20% enriched uranium for her needs. There is no guarantee that Abbasi’s statement will be supported by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamanei; nor is there any guarantee that this would satisfy the West’s concerns, especially as it apparently only takes a few months to turn 20% enriched uranium into uranium suitable for a bomb.

But here might be the key. It has long been suspected that Iran does not so much want a bomb, but wants access to a bomb if threatened. The aim to have 20% enriched uranium might suggest that essentially Iran’s position is defensive, not aggressive, and they want would be aggressors to know they can develop a bomb. In all of this there is no doubt that miracles are needed to maintain peace in the region.

Pray for

• All the diplomats in Istanbul, especially Sayed Jalili, Iran’s chief negotiator.
• Peaceful outcome.
• Security for all countries in the region, including Israel.

Jamming signals, blocking phones, taking down sites: technology under pressure

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:53:45 +0000

Satellite TV and the internet have had a massively positive impact on reaching Iran with the Gospel. There have always been challenges, but in recent months the levels of hostility towards technology has clearly intensified. There have been reports of the authorities trying to jam the satellite TV signals from Christian broadcasters. This has been largely unsuccessful. A key part of the TV outreach programme is the telephone number for viewers to call if touched by what they have seen. There are also reports that some of these numbers have been successfully blocked. Calls to advertised numbers on the screen do not get through.

As for the internet, Iran has always adopted a vigorous censorship policy. It blocks up to 27% of all the sites on the whole web. That amounts to millions of sites. 30% of all sites in the arts, news, and society categories are blocked. This is the section where Christian sites are placed – and sadly some of these are closed down. However, since giant sites like ‘youtube’ also fall foul of Iran’s web policemen, it is not surprising Iranians have learned how to use proxy servers to beat the censors. This is certainly the case for the Christian sites. There have even been rumours that Iran wants to cut itself off from the entire web and have just its own system. Many think this will remain just a rumour. It is not practical. While Iran’s pressure on technology by and large harms the efforts of Christians to reach the country with the Gospel, it should be noted in the government’s favour that it has managed to block 97% of adult pornographic sites.

Pray for

• All Satellite Christian TV programmes to be free from jamming.
• Phone numbers to Christian broadcasters not to be blocked.
• Censorship on Christian websites to be lifted.

Cancer: two thirds of cases diagnosed too late, and a culture of secrecy

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:52:44 +0000

At the end of this month there will be a major conference on cancer treatment in Tehran. One senior expert in the field, Dr Nematollah Rostami, has already pin pointed one of the main problems: late diagnosis. Dr Rostami says that up to two thirds of the patients found to be with cancer each year for two thirds of them (about 45,000 people) the diagnosis has come too late for treatment. This is something the conference wants to deal with.

Other reports show there is a culture of secrecy when it comes to cancer. In one survey of 142 cancer patients, over half of them did not know they were suffering from the disease, and some of them who did know had been not been informed by their doctors, but by someone else. Whether this is something that needs addressing will be open to debate. Some argue that patients are happier if they do not know they have this aggressive disease.

While treatment for cancer in Iran clearly needs improvement, it is ironic that outside the country, there are two Iranians who are making great advances in the treatment of the disease. Dr. Omid Farrokhzad of Harvard Medical School has produced a smart cancer drug that is capable of targeting cancer cells in animals. This could well mean that chemotherapy that attacks all the cells in the body will become something of the past. And Dr Hooshmand Sheshbaradaran in Sweden is also developing drugs that directly attack the cancer cells.

As in all countries, cancer provides Christians an opportunity to share the hope of the resurrection with all concerned, and when they are sure of the Holy Spirit’s leading, to see miraculous healings in the name of Jesus.

Pray for

• Dr Rostami and team to improve early diagnosis of cancer.
• Sensitivity over issue of disclosure.
• Christians to share and pray wisely.

Here I am, send me

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:49:45 +0000

With recent arrests in Shiraz, Isphahan, and Kermanshah, there are now nearly twenty known believers behind bars in Iran for their faith. These include Pastor Hekmat Salimi from the Anglican church in Isphahan, and Masoud Delijani from Kermanshah who has been sentenced to three years imprisonment. There is no sign that the harassment of Christians is lessening. Yet despite this Christians across the country are saying: ‘Here I am, send me’. They have experienced God in Jesus Christ. They have been rescued from a grim one-way journey to hell often fuelled by drugs or domestic chaos. Now they want to share the Gospel. They go prayer walking. They are not frightened to hand out New Testaments. They are ready to take any Christian training offered.

And so despite all the suffering of the last year and more, the church continues to grow. Not because of any fancy human strategies, but because God is at work, calling believers. They know they have been set apart for the Gospel, and they see that it is the Gospel that is the power of God in people’s lives.

Pray for:

• Christians in prison to be upheld, their families comforted
• Courage for the Christians who get out and share the Gospel
• Wisdom for all involved in serving the church at this time

Parliamentary election results; possibly the end of all the presidents’ men

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:49:08 +0000

The Supreme Leader is content that more than three quarters of the new MPs support him, and are critical of President Ahmadinejad. So commentators are talking about a lame duck president. And more. They are talking about the abolition of the presidency. For in October 2011 the Supreme Leader put forward this idea in a speech to academics. He said the presidential system was good, but added, ‘In the future – probably in the distant future – it is deemed that a parliamentary regime, [in which the parliament] appoints the heads of the executive branch, is preferable.’ Under this system, the head of the executive would no longer be elected by the general voters, but by the parliament. Given the trouble the last presidential elections caused in 2009, and the on-going tension since then between the president and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamanei, with this new friendly parliament, might well be thinking about this option. Presidents can be troublesome to Supreme Leaders, as Bani Sadr was to Ayatollah Khomeini, and Khatami to Ayatollah Khamanei, not least because they can appeal to the support of the electorate. This is ruled out under a parliamentary system. If this constitutional reform went ahead, then the new head of the government would be accountable solely to parliament. And the new parliament just elected does not look as if it will cause any headaches for the Supreme Leader.

These parliamentary elections or even the abolition of the presidency will make no difference for Christians. For, until freedom of religion is respected at the highest level of government, Iranians who want to be active Christians will risk the danger of arbitrary arrest and imprisonment. Meanwhile, according to the commands of the New Testament, Iranian Christians must pray for these MPs.

Pray for:

• New MPs to be just and right and fair
• Consciences of MPs to be sensitive to issues of religious freedom
• Central government to deliver stability to 75 million Iranians