From the very beginning of his Christian walk, Iranian Reza loved telling people about Jesus. But this soon led to unwanted attention: he was arrested by Iranian intelligence.
Yet as a young Christian, Reza was only nervous, but not cowed. During his detention, he refused to renounce his faith and even shared the gospel with the others in prison. He was eventually released with a warning.
But Reza didn't listen to the warning. Two years later, Reza was arrested again. Once again, he shared the gospel in prison and another inmate, Morteza, came to faith in Jesus. Reza was released on bail, but Morteza remained in prison and became a powerful Jesus witness. According to Reza, around twenty prisoners have so far come to faith through Morteza's testimony - much to the frustration of prison staff.
Years later, Reza, along with other believers, was arrested for the third time. With their legs shackled, causing wounds from the chains, Reza and the others were brought before a judge.
In the courtroom, Reza spoke encouragingly to his fellow believers and happily announced that they were chained because of their faith in Jesus. The judge ordered them to stop evangelizing or they would be prosecuted for undermining Iran's security. To this, Reza replied that being a Christian is being a good, loyal citizen. Once again, he was released with a warning.
The third time Reza was arrested, he was no longer afraid. "I already experienced God's presence with me in prison," he says. "So I wasn't afraid to go back in there. I'm proud that I went to prison for Jesus. Despite all the challenges, it was also a blessing for me because I grew in my faith."
We can thank God for preserving and strengthening Reza to share his faith in Jesus with others, despite the risks.
God is building his church in Iran. While persecution is hard - especially for those who experience mistreatment or physical torture during interrogation and carry these scars for the rest of their lives - persecution is never the end of the story.
God is faithful and always walks with his people through suffering.
Thank you so much for praying for Reza and the other Christians from Iran. It costs 40 kr. to print and smuggle a copy of the New Testament into Iran or import it into neighboring countries to Iran.
The hunger is great, and in this favorable moment, we can extend the word of life to people who are taking to the streets and demonstrating in frustration, and other Iranians who long to meet a merciful God.
