Photo via svali.ru

Church in Iran flourishes, regardless of intense persecution

In Iran, tension continues to grow from within and without. The stance the government has taken and the views of the people grow farther and farther apart since the June 13 elections of last year. Then, when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Iran a nuclear state on February 11 of this year, on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the U.S. and other nations rose up immediately to protest this move, reports MNN.

Evangelist Sammy Tippit of Sammy Tippit Ministries says of the government, "There has been a continual movement not to back down and to continue moving forward with their Islamic agenda."

Despite this, "The church has continued to grow, although it has become much more difficult for the church. We continue this year to receive reports of people who are being arrested," Tippit says.

There was encouraging news, however, from the Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN) who reported that three Christian detainees were released from the Evin Prison in mid-May. They had been held 80 days.

Still, this is a rare case, and Tippit expects persecution to increase. "It seems to me that everything is moving toward some kind of boiling point." He said he does not know when or what this event will be, but that it will be the only end to this downward cycle.

As the stakes grow higher, Tippit believes "there's no place in all of the Middle East that is as receptive to the Gospel as Iran."

People are seeing that Islam has failed them, and God is revealing Himself to them in their time of searching. Tippit shared several accounts where Christ has revealed Himself to individuals through dreams and visions. In this, they are discovering the freedom He offers.

Tippit currently broadcasts in Iran in Farsi, the country's main language. As this ministry continues to flourish, Sammy Tippit Ministries looks to expand their broadcast. They are now working on a translation in Azeri, the nation's second language.

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TAGS: Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nuclear state Islamic Revolution Sammy Tippit persecution anti-Christian violence

[04/07/2010]

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