“What if I told you the best evangelist for Jesus was the Ayatollah Khomeini?” This shocking statement was made by an unidentified Iranian church leader in the film, Sheep Among Wolves, Volume II produced by Frontier Alliance International Studios. The film, available on YouTube has been viewed nearly 600,000 times.
As the leader of the Iranian revolution in 1979, Khomeini led the overthrow of the last shah of Iran and ushered in an Islamic government. This brought the true face of Islam to light, and Iranians now know Islam for what it truly is. After 40 years under Islamic law — a utopia according to the religious leaders — Iranians have witnessed the worst devastation in the 5,000-year history of their nation and they desire freedom.
The Iranian church leader highlighted in the film continues, “What if I told you Islam is dead? What if I told you the mosques are empty inside Iran? What if I told you no one follows Islam inside of Iran? Would you believe me? This is exactly what is happening. God is moving powerfully inside Iran.”
The Iranians are so weary of their religion and the control that is over their lives. They are fleeing Islam in droves and as believers now, they bow their knees to Jesus. It is eye-opening when they begin to read the Bible and see that it contains the history of the Jewish people. Now realizing that Jesus is Jewish, these former Muslims are becoming pro-Israel!
There are less than 20 operating “overground churches,” and the government monitors them. While the government tries to restrict the church, general society is not hostile to Christians. Believers are forced to meet in a house church, most of which have 8-12 members. For security reasons, they are forced to multiply once they reach about 12 people, which helps spread the gospel even more.
Many Christians in Iran are paying a high price for their faith in Jesus. They have lost jobs, homes, or even custody of children. Some have been physically abused, and some are unjustly imprisoned in Iran’s notorious prison system.
Why do Iranians resist their religious leaders, face persecution, and become Christians?
A major reason is the transformations that are happening in their lives. They see healing from sickness, restoration from a past filled with abuse, deliverance from drug addiction, dreams and visions of Jesus. This the power of testimony that family, friends, and community cannot deny. The transformation in their lives through Jesus Christ reveals the unstoppable power of God!
PRAYER POINT
- Persian Christian TV broadcasting by satellite is available to 30 million Iranians despite it being illegal in Iran. It is one of the main reasons there has been remarkable church growth. Pray for significant increase and multiplication in reaching more people through media with the gospel of Christ.
- Pray protection of the churches, individual Believers, and the satellite TV networks.
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