Middle East Multiplication and Iran
JN499-1. TYPICALLY GOD: Church multiplication in the Middle East
There is a growing underground movement of house churches in the Middle East and North Africa, reports a DAWN missionary who developed a church planting network in that region. In the early 90s there were around 1500 churches in the region, but in just ten years time this number has tripled to 4500.
In a number of key nations leaders have been trained who carry the vision to saturate their whole nation with house churches. The church planters often take high personal risks as they face death threats and work in dangerous areas, even in Darfur. But they also experience miracles. Muslims receive dreams and visions of Jesus, and miraculously meet church planters. Many of them decide to follow Christ and new local churches are being formed.
Source: Joel News
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JN499-2. NEWS: Iran heading for the Gospel
"Not only Iranians in western exile, but also Muslims in Iran are coming to faith in Christ in their thousands," reports ministry Open Doors. "In the 1980's, we rejoiced over two or three new believers each month. In the 1990's, we were impressed when we heard about a group of new believers. Today, we are just somewhat surprised to discover an entire new underground church," says an Iranian pastor.
ISLAMIC REVOLUTION LEFT A SPIRITUAL VACUUM
The Islamic Revolution took place in 1979; the Shah was deposed, and
Ayatollah Khomeini ruled the nation with an iron grip. Almost all Iranians were at least nominal Muslims. There was a minority of around 250,000 Armenian and Assyrian Christians who were allowed to practice their faith, but not in Farsi, the national language, and were forbidden to evangelize, of course. That caused an exodus of Iranians; half of the Christians emigrated. But after 25 years of Islamic Revolution and its propaganda, promising answers to all life's questions, people are disappointed in Islam and its broken promises.
60% OF ALL IRANIANS KNOW THE GOSPEL
So the nation set off on the quest for alternative answers, also looking at the repressed Gospel. People are coming to faith in Christ as never before: an Iranian who emigrated to Scandinavia for economic reasons found Christ there. On his first visit to Iran, he was itching to tell his relatives of his new faith. Within one month, 50 of his relatives came to faith. By the time he returned again one year later, the church had grown to over 250 believers. "60% of all Iranians have heard the Gospel. We find these people everywhere!" said one member of the Iranian security services. Children of ministers and Mullahs are also coming to faith. Every day, 50 Iranian youths secretly join a Christian church, according to Shiite leader Hassan Mohammadi of the Iranian Ministry of Education, speaking to a group of students in Tehran. "By saying that, Mohammadi inadvertently admitted that the Iranian Republic has failed as a theocratic regime," the father of one student commented to the Iranian press agency IPS.
THE WEEPING MULLAH
One example of the openness to the Gospel: an Iranian Bible courier was on a long bus journey. The bus was very modern, with air conditioning and a video player. The Bible courier went to the driver and gave him a video of the Jesus Film, asking him to play it. The courier was then shocked to discover a Mullah a few seats behind him. How would the Mullah react to the Jesus Film? The man could not keep his eyes off the video, and soon jumped up, shouting with a shaking voice "Please be quiet! This is a film about a holy man, the Prophet Jesus. His life deserves our full attention!" Immediately, the noisy bus fell silent, and the passengers concentrated on the video. At the end of the film, which ends with an evangelistic call, the Mullah sat in his seat, weeping.
FAR MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A MILLION CHRISTIANS
These developments are a catastrophe for the Islamic authorities. They have lost control of the church. In September 2004, they arrested 86 Assemblies of God pastors, "an act of desperation," according to Open Doors. Pastor Hamid Pourmand, who is still in prison, could face the death sentence, because he is an ex-Muslim. The other pastors have since been released. Christians meet in independent groups which are springing up like mushrooms - with the exception that they are invisible. In contrast to most Islamic nations, new believers are not immediately expelled from their families. Quite the contrary - the relatives often follow the new believers in their change of faith. There are now far more than a quarter of a million believers in Iran, according to the Iranian authorities - in a naturally conservative estimate.
Source: Open Doors
RCVD from Joel News: www.joelnews.org
There is a growing underground movement of house churches in the Middle East and North Africa, reports a DAWN missionary who developed a church planting network in that region. In the early 90s there were around 1500 churches in the region, but in just ten years time this number has tripled to 4500.
In a number of key nations leaders have been trained who carry the vision to saturate their whole nation with house churches. The church planters often take high personal risks as they face death threats and work in dangerous areas, even in Darfur. But they also experience miracles. Muslims receive dreams and visions of Jesus, and miraculously meet church planters. Many of them decide to follow Christ and new local churches are being formed.
Source: Joel News
---
JN499-2. NEWS: Iran heading for the Gospel
"Not only Iranians in western exile, but also Muslims in Iran are coming to faith in Christ in their thousands," reports ministry Open Doors. "In the 1980's, we rejoiced over two or three new believers each month. In the 1990's, we were impressed when we heard about a group of new believers. Today, we are just somewhat surprised to discover an entire new underground church," says an Iranian pastor.
ISLAMIC REVOLUTION LEFT A SPIRITUAL VACUUM
The Islamic Revolution took place in 1979; the Shah was deposed, and
Ayatollah Khomeini ruled the nation with an iron grip. Almost all Iranians were at least nominal Muslims. There was a minority of around 250,000 Armenian and Assyrian Christians who were allowed to practice their faith, but not in Farsi, the national language, and were forbidden to evangelize, of course. That caused an exodus of Iranians; half of the Christians emigrated. But after 25 years of Islamic Revolution and its propaganda, promising answers to all life's questions, people are disappointed in Islam and its broken promises.
60% OF ALL IRANIANS KNOW THE GOSPEL
So the nation set off on the quest for alternative answers, also looking at the repressed Gospel. People are coming to faith in Christ as never before: an Iranian who emigrated to Scandinavia for economic reasons found Christ there. On his first visit to Iran, he was itching to tell his relatives of his new faith. Within one month, 50 of his relatives came to faith. By the time he returned again one year later, the church had grown to over 250 believers. "60% of all Iranians have heard the Gospel. We find these people everywhere!" said one member of the Iranian security services. Children of ministers and Mullahs are also coming to faith. Every day, 50 Iranian youths secretly join a Christian church, according to Shiite leader Hassan Mohammadi of the Iranian Ministry of Education, speaking to a group of students in Tehran. "By saying that, Mohammadi inadvertently admitted that the Iranian Republic has failed as a theocratic regime," the father of one student commented to the Iranian press agency IPS.
THE WEEPING MULLAH
One example of the openness to the Gospel: an Iranian Bible courier was on a long bus journey. The bus was very modern, with air conditioning and a video player. The Bible courier went to the driver and gave him a video of the Jesus Film, asking him to play it. The courier was then shocked to discover a Mullah a few seats behind him. How would the Mullah react to the Jesus Film? The man could not keep his eyes off the video, and soon jumped up, shouting with a shaking voice "Please be quiet! This is a film about a holy man, the Prophet Jesus. His life deserves our full attention!" Immediately, the noisy bus fell silent, and the passengers concentrated on the video. At the end of the film, which ends with an evangelistic call, the Mullah sat in his seat, weeping.
FAR MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A MILLION CHRISTIANS
These developments are a catastrophe for the Islamic authorities. They have lost control of the church. In September 2004, they arrested 86 Assemblies of God pastors, "an act of desperation," according to Open Doors. Pastor Hamid Pourmand, who is still in prison, could face the death sentence, because he is an ex-Muslim. The other pastors have since been released. Christians meet in independent groups which are springing up like mushrooms - with the exception that they are invisible. In contrast to most Islamic nations, new believers are not immediately expelled from their families. Quite the contrary - the relatives often follow the new believers in their change of faith. There are now far more than a quarter of a million believers in Iran, according to the Iranian authorities - in a naturally conservative estimate.
Source: Open Doors
RCVD from Joel News: www.joelnews.org