The Iran You Don’t Know, an article by Matt Rogers - 22 May 2008
When the name ‘Iran’ is mentioned, images and words will automatically come to the forefront of our minds. Words such as persecution, extremism, nuclear programs, violent city protests, hardships and even terrorism. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution many Christians have been put in prison, eight key church leaders have been murdered, the printing and distribution of scripture has been made illegal and witnessing to Iranian Muslims is totally outlawed. Any Iranian Muslim who declares themselves as a Christian can be tried and punished with the death sentence. Many Christians think that Iran is one of the hardest countries to reach with the Gospel. If you are one of them, then think again!
God is on the move in the heart of Muslim world! The underground church in Iran is one of the fastest growing in the world today. Iranians are in fact the most open Muslim people in the world to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. More Iranians have given their lives to Christ in the last 29 years than the previous 1,300 years put together! It is estimated that the church in Iran is where China was 15 years ago. The vast majority of people in Iran are tired of the Islamic Regime and have seen the true face of Islam. They want freedom from what has trapped them and what controls them. The underground church in Iran is full of passionate, strong people who are willing to risk it all to pursue the goal of making Jesus known in their country and beyond. They are natural evangelists who share Jesus with those they come into contact with while riding on the bus, the taxi, in the shops, even stopping at a red traffic light.
Last October, an Elam graduate, “Ali”, and his wife, “Shadi” were driving in Tehran at 1.00am and stopped at a red light. Noticing the man in the car next to them, Shadi said to her husband, “I am prompted that we should give this man a New Testament.” Agreeing with Shadi, Ali jumped out of the car and knocked on the man’s window. “I am a Christian and would like to give you a copy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
At first startled, the man “Reza”, shared his amazement and appreciation at receiving the gift. “This morning I said: God show me how I can know you.” The two exchanged phone numbers hoping to meet again.
Then in July, Ali got a message from Reza asking if they could meet. They arranged to meet in the park, a safe place to talk. Reza declared that he had read the New Testament twice through and believes Jesus is who He said He is! He knelt down, repented and yielded his life to Christ. Just before he left Reza said, “You don’t know what happened that night we met at the red light, do you?” Ali answered with a confused tone, “What do you mean?” Reza responded “That night as I was driving home something in my heart told me to follow your car, I was just totally compelled to follow your car. In fact I was following you for 20 minutes through the streets of Tehran until we both stopped at the red traffic light and you stepped out to give me a New Testament.”
Another member of another underground church heard about a little boy who was very sick in hospital. She wanted to pray for him in the name of Jesus but was told that the mother was very hostile to Christianity. Nevertheless, she told her church to pray and fast and set out for the hospital. When she arrived in the ward and saw the mother standing guard over her son, nerves overcame her and she went to the next bed instead. There she told the surprised family that she was a Christian and she liked to visit the sick and pray for them. This family were very happy and so she prayed. Passing the bed of the boy she really wanted to pray for, nerves again overcame her, and she felt unable to make an approach. But the mother did. In desperation she told the Christian that the doctors had little hope for her son – he was going to die. 'Could she pray for him?' The Christian said 'Of course', but then added, 'You know I only pray in the name of Jesus Christ – do you mind if I pray in His name?' The mother said she didn't mind, and the Christian prayed. A few days later she learned the boy was completely healed.
God is at work in Iran and the church is growing daily - so much so that the expectation of the underground church is that at every meeting new people will come and repent. In fact, if they do not have newcomers becoming Christians in their meetings, they wonder what they have done wrong! One small but growing house church network told us they would need at least 20,000 New Testaments in 2008.
For the last fifteen years Elam Ministries has been seeking to help the church in Iran. Elam’s goal is to ‘strengthen and expand the church in Iran and beyond’. Elam has given itself to training church planters, and making sure the precious New Testament, which Elam translated and published together with Wycliffe Bible Translators is put in the hands of Persian-speaking Muslims.
One of Elam’s goals is to send one million New Testaments to Iran in the next five years. The distribution of scriptures played a key role in the growth of the underground church in China. We are experiencing the very same today in Iran. You can play a big part in the growth of the underground church in Iran by sending New Testaments. If you would like to, then please contact us through our website.
There are moments in history when a door is opened for massive change. Now is that time for Iran. John Wesley once stated that “God does nothing except in answer to prayer”. Let’s pray for the nation of Iran in our churches, our 24-7 Prayer Rooms and personal prayer lives. God is moving in this nation, so lets pray for boldness and yet more opportunities for the underground Church and for our Father’s Kingdom to come in Iran and to the ends of the earth.
