As of 1979, there were about five hundred known Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. In 2005, it was estimated that there were 40,000 ethnic Iranian Christians (not including ethnic minority Christians who live in Iran). That number grew to about 175,000 Christians in 2010, according to the Joshua Project. Today, the average estimates of Christians within Iran range from 300,000 to upwards of one million, according to some missions experts. Operation World, a missions research organization, continues to list Iran as having the fastest-growing evangelical church in the world. In fact, more Iranians have become Christians in the last twenty years than in the previous 1,300 years, since Islam came to Iran.
Worth a Thousand Years of Waiting: The Staggering Rise of the Church in Iran by Afshin Ziafat
God is on the move, breaking up strongholds, even today.
Push forward strongly, pull back a bit for a while, push forward strongly, fall back a bit.
THAT is the Kingdom of God!
Unstoppable.
Several factors have contributed to the rapid growth of the church in Iran. Here are four of the most important.
1. Disillusionment with Islam […]
2. Persecution […]
3. The Diaspora Use of Media […]
4. Bible Distribution […]
Three ways to pray
1. Courage […]
2. Unity […]
3. Trained Leaders […]
Worth a Thousand Years of Waiting: The Staggering Rise of the Church in Iran by Afshin Ziafat
Will there be a disillusionment with secularism?
Only when the welfare state, the gravy train of Free Stuff, grinds to a halt.
Then, to push forward thee domain of Christ in this world, courage will be needed, grounded in the confidence of Christ’s victory, here and now.
We also have a need to desire Divine justice – and yes, even social justice (also, see a related video here) – in the world, and sanctification in our hearts. This must be grounded in the law that God handed down, via Moses and Jesus… and not through envy-fueled, God-hating, statist-driven theft & involuntary redistribution.
Finally: The church in Iran is mainly led by women, has no ecclesiastical organization, faces rape and death if caught, and is focused on raising quality disciples, not a huge number of mass conversions.
Something to keep in mind, when it’s time to break the foundations of our own anti-Christ pint-sized oppressors: oppressors and fools who are more protected by our own cowardice and complacency than their own supposed strength and power, by the way.
