Let My People Go!!

Could you remember a few names for me??

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani
Yosef’s wife, Fatemah Passandideh
Pastor Behrouz Sadegh Khandjani
Behrouz’s wife Fatemeh Tork Kejory
Pastor Behnam Irani
Omid Kalibarnejad
Afshin Yafadaran
Mehdi Sedin
Nahid Karobian
Alireza Sedian
Mehdi Karbalay
Hamed Pishkar

No, these are not your ordinary run of the mill Joe down the street names. Yet I want you to have them firmly planted into your memory.

These are some of my Christian brothers and sisters. You see I have Christian brothers and sisters all over the world, in every far flung corner of this ever-shrinking globe.

In spite of that fact, I draw your attention to these.

You see these men and women are presently imprisoned in Iran and several of them (the Pastors) are scheduled to be executed.
The rest have been handed life sentences. Their crime? Well, I am glad you asked. They are guilty of being Christians.

Several years ago, these pastors were converted by a Montreal based pastor who began using a web-cam and the internet to reach out to his fellow Iranians within the country. During the last three years, these pastors have evangelized within Iran, resulting in somewhere between two and three thousand people being baptized in Jesus name. A large number of former members of the Iranian Orthodox Church have been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result of their efforts, they have been arrested and beaten on different occasions. Finally, they went through the court system and are now facing these serious punishments for doing nothing more than believing and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the press, these people are referred to as the “Only-Jesus” people for their firm adherence to baptism in Jesus name!

What can I do? I ask myself this question and I know the answer. First, I can pray. Prayer can change the hearts and minds of men and reverse situations that seem to be heading for disaster and make them alright. Second you could write to the Iranian Embassy in Canada and request that these people be released from prison. Copy their names and request that these people be granted pardon for the “crime” of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is the address: 245 Metcalfe St. Ottawa, ON K2P 2K2. Or you could send an email to consulate@salamiran.org.

You may also find it informative to watch this short clip about these believers: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-487128

Let’s pray and let’s act on behalf of these God-loving and God-fearing men and women. While they are prepared to lay down their life for the Gospel sake, let’s pray and believe God for a miracle of their release and an even greater miracle of Revival in Iran!