Since moving to the United States in 2005, Saeed periodically travelled to the country of his origin to spend time with his family and oversee the development of an orphanage, a humanitarian effort he began years ago. Prior to this, Saeed was the founder of a house church movement in Iran. Over the course of his involvement, the movement had about 100 churches in 30 Iranian cities with more than 2,000 members. "It was just growing so fast," his wife Naghmeh explains. Governmental leaders "see the underground churches as a threat and Christianity as a tool from the West to undermine them."
Saeed converted to Christianity at the age of 20, after undergoing suicide bomber training by a radical Muslim group. The more he sought to be a devout Muslim and the deeper he went into training, the more depressed he became. "Christianity saved his life," Naghmeh adds. Yet when Saeed became a Christian, he became a criminal in his own country. To learn more about the situation in Iran, please go
here.
May God arise and work mightily on behalf of Saeed's situation. Pray that angels will guard over this young pastor and his family, protecting them from further attacks, and that the Holy Spirit will act as their advocate throughout the legal process. Ironically, those involved in this case of imprisonment are themselves held captive by the rulers of darkness. May these perpetrators witness first hand the reality of Christ's glory and His delivering power in their own lives!
Added note: We are thankful that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was released from prison on January 7th. (More on his story can be found
here.) However, please uphold three other incarcerated Christians (and their families) in prayer - Behzad Taalipasand, Mohammadrezer (Johann) Omidi and Pastor Vruir Avanessian - who were arrested for their faith in recent weeks. You can post a prayer for these pastors, along with Saeed, on our
prayer wall.
PAKISTAN: Younis Masih Suffers Serious Heart Attack in Jail
Source: Release International
While serving a death sentence in northern Punjab for blasphemy, Younis Masih suffered a serious heart attack and has since been transferred to a civilian hospital. The situation has been upsetting for his wife Meena and their four children who reside about nine hours' travelling distance away, making visitation difficult since his transfer. There is also concern that Younis could be at greater risk of impending harm by Islamist extremists while in hospital.
Younis, who has been imprisoned for more than seven years, was detained in November of 2005 after a Muslim cleric accused him of making derogatory remarks about Islam's prophet Mohammed. Those in support of Younis report he was falsely accused after requesting that those attending a local Islamic ceremony "make less noise." An appeal has been presented against his death sentence, resulting in a court hearing that is scheduled for January 17th. For more on the challenges facing fellow believers in Pakistan, go
here.
Please intercede to our Lord, the Great Physician, for the complete healing and recovery of our dear suffering brother. Pray that Younis will receive excellent care and protection while in hospital and that he may have the comfort of his family's presence. Ask the Lord for His favour upon Younis at the court hearing, and that all those involved will witness His mighty intervention.
CHINA: Celebrating God's Grace at Outdoor Worship Service
Source: ChinaAid
December 30, 2012, marked the 53rd outdoor worship service of the year for the Beijing Shouwang Church. Despite the arrests of at least 15 participating believers, thankfully all of them were released by noon that same Sunday.
The outdoor worship services are very meaningful for these dedicated believers, especially considering that the overall number of arrests and detentions of Christians in China remained high in 2012. Another concern is that those imprisoned in China are often tortured and medically neglected. The spread of Christianity -- outside the official church (which is controlled and regulated by the government) -- is seen as a threat by communist authorities. You can learn more about this by reviewing (
Link).
A representative of the church reports: "By God's grace, we have gone through this past year while holding outdoor services. We give thanks to God for His protection, and we also give thanks for each believer...persevering through this past year.... As we look back, we want to praise the Lord from the bottom of our hearts:
"You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance" (Psalm 65:11 NIV).... May the Lord strengthen us to follow Him, and may our church continue to experience grace and victory!"
Let's stand with our fellow believers in China as they seek God's continued strength, grace and victory for the year ahead. Pray for the church to flourish and thrive in the midst of many challenges. As a result, may there be a spiritual awakening in their land and the beginning of a great revival!
