Posted: 03/23/2016 at 6:07pm
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Iran has fastest growing evangelical population in the world
March 18, 2016
By Mark Ellis
underground believers in Iran
Iran is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for
followers of Jesus Christ. Almost all of the above-ground,
Farsi-speaking churches have been closed and house churches are raided
routinely, with their leaders and members arrested, according to a
report by SAT-7.
Evangelism by Christians is against the law and may even be punished
by death. But despite Iran’s leaders strenuous efforts to bring the
furies of hell against believers, God is at work and the church in Iran
is growing rapidly!
Iran has the fastest-growing evangelical population in the world,
according to statistics compiled by Operation World. Iran’s hardline
approach and violence perpetrated in the name of Islam throughout the
Middle East has caused disillusionment and a search for truth elsewhere.
satellite dishes proliferate in the Middle East
But with such an ironclad crackdown by the government against
Christian worship and witness, how is the Iranian Church growing so
quickly?
Despite the dangers they face, Iranian Christians are sharing their
faith – and SAT-7’s broadcasts of Christian programming into Iranian
homes have been one tool God is using to penetrate the darkness.
One Muslim woman found healing and transformation from one of SAT-7’s
programs. “My husband and I are both from very religious families,” she
wrote. “I was doing all the required activities until I was diagnosed
with leukemia. A Christian friend told me to repeat, ‘If God is for me,
who can be against me?’ I didn’t really understand it but I kept
repeating it because I was afraid – my health was deteriorating and I
thought I was going to die…”
“One evening, I watched a film on SAT-7 called ‘God is Love,’ and there was a prayer at the end, which spoke to
watching children’s programming
my heart. I knelt down and repeated the prayer… The leukemia has gone
and I feel very good now. I trust that all things have a purpose and I
live by faith.”
Every day, SAT-7 receives reports from people telling them they have
given their heart to Christ after watching a program on SAT-7 PARS, the
Farsi-language satellite television channel.
In addition to the programs, SAT-7 provides 24/7 support for viewers, who often have nowhere else to turn.
recording Farsi program
“Viewers want to know more about Jesus. Some want to pray with a
Christian. Others want to share their testimony and have contact with
fellow believers. Along with phone, email and social media, we are now
using a new secure messaging app called Telegram. It enables users to
share videos and files. SAT-7 is making the most of this, posting
program clips, the Bible and Christian books for people to watch and
read,” according to SAT-7.
Every day, SAT-7 receives more than 2,000 messages from Iran on Telegram and there have been over 60,000 Bible views.
“Anyone with a satellite dish can turn on SAT-7 and hear the Word of
God in his or her language. Our viewers can join a global fellowship of
Christians within the privacy of their own homes.”
To learn more about SAT-7’s work in the Middle East, go here
Source: Godreports
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