iran a christian country

Iran Will Be a Christian Country, Part 2

Hormoz Shariat Uncategorized, Lives Transformed , , , , ,

In a previous post, I explained that the Bible says Iran will become a Christian nation. Even as Islamic terrorists bomb airports and subways in Brussels, even as a disgruntled Muslim Taliban member in Lahore, Pakistan, bombed women and children celebrating Easter at an amusement park, God is right now drawing the people of Iran to Himself in the greatest defeat of Islam in its 14 centuries of existence.

How can I say this?

Reason 2: The Research Confirms That Iran Is Becoming a Christian Nation

Establishing an exact number of people following a forbidden faith in a closed country is difficult, but there are processes that help us.

Operation World is a well-known and respected missions research organization that publishes a manual reviewing the condition of every nation in the world. Its latest edition lists Iran as the fastest growing evangelical population in the world, with yearly growth at 19.6 percent. That means the number of Christians in Iran is doubling almost every four years.

In 1979, at the time of the Islamic Revolution, there were less than 500 Muslim Background Believers (MBB’s) in Iran.

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 By early 2012, Open Doors, a nondenominational organization tracking Christian persecution, estimated that at least 370,000 new Christians from a Muslim background had been added to the rolls, with further growth continuing explosively. Today a conservative estimate of total Christians in Iran puts the number around two million. Iran as a nation has rejected Islam. After 35 years of Islamic rule, the people of Iran have concluded, “Islam is not the answer, but the problem.” As a result, in Iran right now, Islam is experiencing its greatest defeat in history.

The work is far from done, however. The government of Iran and the Revolutionary Guard continue to put obstacles in the way of sharing the Gospel. They are afraid of the growth of Christianity in Iran because they have been powerless to stop it despite arrests, persecution, and torture. They have closed all church buildings, yet they know that the number of MBB’s and underground house churches are growing.

So we can expect the persecution to increase as more and more Muslim-born Iranians turn to Christ.

Will the government be able to stop the nation from becoming a Christian country? God willing, I don’t believe so. By God’s grace, we are seeing the underground church spread throughout the nation, and an “army” of transformed, discipled Christians are loving their family members and neighbors into the arms of Christ.

This transformation that is changing a nation will be the subject of my next post.

Iran Will Be a Christian Country, Part 1

Hormoz Shariat Uncategorized, Lives Transformed , , ,

Are you shocked? You are not alone. Most people are shocked when I say that Iran will be a Christian country. I don’t blame them. They have formed their view of Iran based on the information they receive from the secular news sources. As a result, when they think of Iran, they may think of nuclear bombs, threats to “wipe Israel off the map,” and chants of “Death to America.”

Knowing what is happening inside Iran, I have a different view.
Over the next several weeks, I will unpack for you the reasons for my confident statement.

 

 

Reason 1: The Bible Says So

Many Christians are familiar with Jeremiah 3:17 where the Lord promises that He will set His throne in Jerusalem:

“At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.” (NIV11)

the persecuted 3_16
Underground Church in Iran

 

This prophecy is indeed an amazing and encouraging statement, inclusive of not only people of Jewish heritage but also “all nations.” Yet I do not rely merely on God’s promise that “all nations” will subject themselves to His throne when I declare that Iran will be a Christian nation.

In Jeremiah 49:38, God specifically declares, “I will set my throne in Elam.” (Elam is an ancient, biblical name for a region that is a part of Iran today.) Most Christians are unaware of this prophecy, made in the sixth century before Christ and as yet unfulfilled.

But what does it mean that the Lord will set His throne in Iran? I believe it means more than seeing millions coming to Christ, as is currently happening in Iran, or having a country with churches on every corner. I live in Dallas, Texas, where a great number of Christians and large churches populate the area, yet I do not think the Lord would say that His throne is established in Dallas.

I believe our Savior would say this only when He is worshipped by the nation and obeyed in every area of personal conduct, in families, the marketplace, the media, and in education, art, and the government. Yes, this is the future of Iran according to Jeremiah 49:38! Do you believe it? I know when you look at the secular news, believing that Iran will be a Christian nation might seem too big a leap of faith. But the Bible says so, and that settles it.

In times like ours, where widespread war and terrorism make it seem like the enemy has the upper hand, fear of the future often rules our hearts. But the Bible clearly declares God’s victory over physical and spiritual evil in Iran and the world. What are you doing to join God in making it happen? Are you hindering or helping the cause? I pray that you would consider the times and the opportunity before us.

Even as terrorists bomb airports and subways in Brussels, God is drawing the people of Iran to himself in the greatest defeat of Islam there in history. How can I say this? The research confirms it. I will share more on this with you in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, especially as we celebrate this week our Lord’s victory on the cross, I pray that when your neighbor or coworker despairs over the battle against Islam, you will tell him or her, “Iran will be a Christian nation, God willing, in our generation.” Then, as the Lord leads, partner with me to make it so.