Sad to say in a split second's moment of thought--when you think of Iran you may think about nukes, religious fanatics, and missiles pointed at Israel for a showdown. If you give it more thought you may think of it as a country full of humanity. For instance somebody's loving mother, father, brother, or sister lives there. God loves each and everyone. Then as you get closer you can see something or rather sense that there are prayers going heavenward on behalf of it's underground church of Muslim Background believers. That is powerful when you think of the hostility they must face to make a simple decision to follow Christ. We can allow media to dim our eyes or dull the senses in forgetting that God's love and Spirit can penetrate into a country like Iran and grow. Here is some excerpts from an article that caught my eye:
Despite the Iranian government's ongoing crackdown of Christians living in the primarily Islamic country, the number of Muslims converting to become Christians is growing at an explosive rate, according to the persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA.
There is even talk of witnessing a Christian revival, especially among young people living in the country, say Open Doors ministry workers in the Middle East.
A house church movement within Iran is part of that revival and has triggered "many secret meetings." The growth in the number of Christians is happening in all regions, but mostly in larger cities, say Open Doors workers in the region.
In one city alone, Isfahan, more than a dozen Christians were arrested in less than a month, beginning in late February.
As The Christian Post has previously reported, although the established church in countries such as Iran suffers great violence, it is the underground, invisible church that continues to grow. Christians are putting their lives at risk for their continued faith.
According to Open Doors USA President and CEO Carl Moeller, a stream of Christianity has arisen in the Middle East's invisible church, sometimes referred to as the Muslim Background Believer Church.
"Men and women, out of emptiness of their current situation spiritually, are turning to faith in Jesus Christ despite the literally lethal risks in doing so," Moeller said. "That's only attributable to the work of the Holy Spirit."
"Iranians are very outgoing and want to speak about their faith," the ministry worker said. "That is why discipleship training (with elements of outreach and communications) for Iranian believers is successful. If you tell them that a Christian should share, the Iranian Christian shares."
See this article http://www.christianpost.com/news/open-doors-growth-of-christianity-in-iran-explosive-71946/
Open Doors the Source: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/
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