Below is a letter from an imprisoned Christian Pastor in Iran. While we grumble about the coffee quality in Sunday school, the music in the worship service or the Pastor’s sermon, much of Christianity around the world is suffering for their faith.
I don’t really go for the “guilt trip” stuff, and that is not what this is meant to be. Call it a “perspective adjustment”. If you were in prison being tortured, humiliated and pressured for simply being a Christian, how much would these other things matter that seem to bother us so much about Church or other Christians? If you were the spouse of a Christian jailed and persecuted, what would really matter to you?
Would you respond like the letter below? Would I? Let this dear saint adjust your perspective today:
February 18, 2013
Writing from my heart.
My Dear Friends,
The conditions here get so very difficult that my eyes get blurry, my body does not have the strength to
walk, and my steps become very weak and shaky.
Various(bullying) groups, the psychological warfare, a year of not seeing my family, physical violence,
actions committed to humiliate me, insults, being mocked, being confronted with extremists in the
prison who create another prison within the prison walls, and the death threats…
It is interesting that because I am a Christian pastor, I am carefully watched. I am expected to smile at
them despite what is being done and to understand why they are doing all of these things. But, of
course, I can clearly see what is going on and because I want to serve God, I see all of these difficulties as
golden opportunities and great doors to serve. There are empty containers who are thirsty for a taste of
the Living Water and we can quench their thirst by giving them Jesus Christ. Maybe you are also in such
a situation, so pray and seek God that He would use you and direct you in the pressures and difficulties
of your lives.
There are those who are enemies of the Living Bible and do not want to hear. They are trying to put me
under such horrific pressures (that are sometimes unbearable)so that they can show me that my faith is
empty and not real. And after all of these pressures, after all of the nails they have pressed against my
hands and feet, they are only waiting for one thing…for me to deny Christ. But they will never get this
from me. This is why the Bible is Truth and they are in the way of destruction.
There is another group who does not know the Gospel of Truth. Instead of truly listening and meditating
on God’s Word, they are just waiting to see how I react to all of their pressures and persecution. What
will come out of me during these intense times? But again, this is another golden opportunity for me to
shine the light of Christ in this dark world and to let God to use me.
Yesterday when I was singing worship songs, the head of my cell room attacked me in order to stop me
from praising but in response I hugged him and showed him love. He was shocked.
It is during these harsh conditions, that I deeply need God’s Saving Grace so that I can be the fragrant
scent of Christ in the dark house of Evin prison. I have often seen the Shining Morning Starin the
darkness of this prison and I have seen His amazing and supernatural works. Oh, how beautiful is seeing
the light of the Shining Morning Star of Christ in such evil darkness.
So:
• See your golden opportunities in pressures and difficulties.
• See the Shining Morning Star in the dark times of your life.I Love Him! He is Gracious, Merciful, and Righteous to me. I now know that I have not been forgotten
and that we are together in this path.God givesme Grace.
This is my message for the Church: Stay Strong for His Glory. He will come back soon! Be with God and
give your best efforts for His kingdom.
Pastor Saeed, servant of Jesus Christ in chains for endurance of Gospel. I love you all.
Read a message from his dear wife here and pray for Pastor Saeed & his family.
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