I'm going to discuss something very serious today, and something every Christian needs to know. Believe me, after you read the article that I'm linking to in this post, it will change the way you view your walk with God. We here in the west have been blessed with over 200 years of freedom of religion. We can own Bibles, attend church, pray in public, and even share our faith without fear. All these freedoms will soon be taken away from us, as we race toward the end of the age. But what have we done with our freedom? Yes there are some who have taken the torch God has given them and run the race with it, spreading the gospel and going into other countries. Others have not given up on fighting for Jesus here in America. I thank God for these dedicated believers.
But they are few and far between. In the 25 years I've been a Christian, I can count on one hand the people I've met who are serious about their faith. Yes, I've met Christians who attend church regularly and read their Bibles. I've met others who even go to a weekly Bible study. All that is great, but is it enough? Are we risking anything for Jesus? Or are we far too comfortable in our religion and our Christian friends and groups to want to step out into the deep?
Let me tell you where the fastest growing church is. It's in Iran. From the article, which I'm linking HERE:
“The fastest growing church in the world has taken root in one of the most unexpected and radicalized nations on earth,” according to “Sheep Among Wolves,” the outstanding two-hour documentary about the revival that has taken place inside Iran. “The Iranian awakening is a rapidly reproducing discipleship movement that owns no property or buildings, has no central leadership, and is predominantly led by women.”
Below I'll list some things I found compelling about the church in Iran
Islamic persecution is the best thing that ever happened to the church in Iran. When intense persecution came, Christian "converts" abandoned their faith, but the "disciples" remain, willing to die for the Lord. The church model inside of Iran is not to convert people and then disciple them, but disciple believers so they can convert. This really made me think about what we do in America. We may make converts in our churches who say a prayer, but do we even disciple them? Is listening to a sermon on Sunday disciplining? Even so, is this the right way to do things?
They teach an obedience based discipleship. Everything is based on the authority of the Bible and must be obeyed. They are not just reading the Bible for information but reading it to get transformed.
Women are leading this movement in Iran. they are "going out in the highways and byways sharing with prostitutes, drug addicts, with everybody they come into contact with, and that takes courage. They are courageous women." They do not embrace a feminist ideology either. They are submissive to church authority and the Lord.
A woman who came to America to live wanted to return to Iran. Why? This is her description of the church in America: “There is a satanic lullaby here. All the Christians are sleepy and I’m feeling sleepy.”
They have an intense faith and belief in eternity. When asked if they fear being arrested and tortured, they reply: “When we walk outside, we really don’t care if we get arrested, we are not upset if we get arrested. What is 50 years in prison compared to eternity with Jesus?”
I wonder how many Christians here in America would say that? I had to ask myself that question too. Am I willing to go out and witness on the street, knowing I could be arrested and never see my family again? Are you?
I actually watched part of the documentary described in this article: Sheep among Wolves. I highly recommend it. It comes in 2 parts, which I will link below. Within the documentary, the interviewer asked one of the women what they would do if a band of Muslims came into her home and started raping her because she was a Christian. Her response went something like this:
I would tell Jesus that I've already given him my soul and spirit, and now I give to him my body.
Let that sink in for a moment. Here in America if we lose a job or don't get something we've been praying for, or some minor tragedy befalls us, we get mad at God.
This article made me really stop and take inventory of my faith. How serious am I about God? What am I willing to risk? I hope you ask yourself the same questions. We need to wake up here in America. Persecution is coming and we are asleep. The Lord will require a full commitment from us in these last days. Are you ready?
Sheep Among Wolves, Part 1
Sheep Among Wolves, Part 2
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