An increase in the arrest of Iranians converting from Islam reveals an abundant harvest resulting from evangelism by clandestine house churches in the Islamic state, according to Iranian Christian leaders. ‘Persecution has escalated to an unprecedented level,’ said Abe Ghaffari, executive director of Iranian Christians International. The increase in persecution is believed to be directly proportional to the number of Iranian Muslims converting to Christianity with numbers estimated in the thousands; many of those conversions may have begun after the Islamic state lost credibility in the disputed 2009 national elections. ‘Before the revolution, the clerics were promising that once Iran becomes an Islamic state, it would be utopia, it would be brotherhood, and everything would be fine,’ said Dibaj, but Iranians ‘have seen nothing but war and fighting and international isolation and hatred: now they are thirsting for change.’ Government persecution is making Christianity even more attractive, said Elam's David Yeghnazar.

Praise: God that out of persecution come God’s blessings. (Dt.23:5)

More: http://www.worthynews.com/10262-iranian-persecution-increases-christianitys-appeal-among-muslims

We are overjoyed to report that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor on death row for apostasy, was acquitted and released from prison on Saturday. (See Prayer Alert 36-2012) He is now at home with his family for the first time in three years, but is being tightly monitored by the authorities. It is no coincidence that he was released on a day when Christians worldwide were praying for him around the clock! Thank you so much for the part you played in CSW’s campaign. Pastor Nadarkhani was due to appear in court to face new charges thought to be linked to crimes against national security. Instead during court proceedings, he was acquitted of apostasy, but found guilty of evangelising Muslims. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for the latter charge, but released on relatively minimal bail because he had already served all but a month of this time.

Praise: God for this wonderful answer to prayer. (Eph.3:20)

More: http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=news&id=1328&search=

After watching a Christian evangelistic broadcast recently, an Iranian family prayed to ask Christ into their hearts. But they were worried they might not have prayed ‘correctly’. So they made an audio recording of their prayer and sent it to Voice of the Martyrs ministry broadcast partner, Iran Alive, to make sure they had done it right. Their prayer was sincere and heartfelt, and Iran Alive wrote the family to tell them their prayer was a wonderful way of entering Christ's family. The family in Iran then told their Muslim friends about Christ and played the recorded prayer for them. Within a week, 20 more Muslims had come to know Christ! Click the 'More' button to hear the prayer.

Praise: that in the midst of unprecedented persecution God is revealing Himself to millions through technology. (Ps.103:6)

More: http://deaconjohn1987.blogspot.com/2012/03/iran-one-prayer-twenty-muslim-hearts.html

The church in this city had been wiped out in the early 1900s, and there had been no Christian witness until just a few years ago when a Persian speaking church was planted there. This past Easter Sunday forty-one people were baptized there in a thriving church led by Elam graduates. Thirty-nine of them were from a Muslim background and two were from a nominal Christian one. These two had been led to Christ by an Iranian believer from a Muslim background. During a powerful service, twenty-six Iranians, fourteen Afghans, and one Iraqi shared their testimonies and glorified Christ. Families were baptized together. In one case a grandmother with her daughter and son in law and their two teenage boys were baptized, and in another, an Afghan lady with her five children who are in their twenties. (See also World article above)

Praise: God the power of the cross and pray that God would keep these new believers under the shadow of His wing. (Ps.91:1)

More: http://www.elam.com/articles/Testimonies/

Eleven members of one of Iran's largest evangelical house church movements, who were charged with ‘action against the order of the country’ and drinking alcohol, have been acquitted by an Iranian court. The charges referred to their involvement in a house church meeting and to taking communion wine, Iranian Christians said earlier. Following their arrests in April, the members of the Church of Iran were brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal in Bandar-Anzali ‘for a rushed hearing where their lawyer, Mr. Seyyed Mohammed-Ali Dadkhah, hastily drafted a statement in their defence,’ said Britain-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide. In a written verdict issued in mid-May, the court ruled that since the eleven claimed to be conducting a Christian ceremony, their activities were covered by Article 13 of the Iranian Constitution, which allows Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians to ‘perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education’.

Praise: God for the release of these 11 believers and pray that others still incarcerated would be released. (Ps.136:24)

More: http://www.worthynews.com/10247-iran-court-acquits-11-evangelical-christians

Ten years ago a young Muslim girl dreamt she saw Jesus coming towards her with a necklace. He hung it around her neck. She looked down and saw a cross with the number 10 in the heart. She didn't know what it meant but from that moment on she knew that Jesus existed. She explored Christianity through a psychology course in university and found a church in her city where she got to know Christ. She now has a Christian husband, but it’s too dangerous for them to go to normal church because they converted from Islam. So today, 10 years after the dream, they are teaching other secret Believers in their house group. She says, ‘It isn't easy being a Christian in Iran, but I think this is what Jesus wanted to say to me with the '10' - that in 10 years I would be here, knowing Him and being together with others who also know Him’

Praise: God for the many stories we are hearing of Muslims meeting Jesus through dreams and visions across the nations where evangelism is forbidden. (Joel 2:28)

More: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=12583

‘Every time I visit the Arctic the people ask me, ‘When will we have the complete Bible?’ Now their question can finally be answered,’ says Hart Wiens, director of Scripture translations at the Canadian Bible Society. On June 3, in Iqaluit, the capital of the Nunavut territory, milestones were celebrated as a new cathedral was dedicated, two new bishops were consecrated and God’s Word was celebrated. On this brisk, sunny day the Inuit people finally received what they had eagerly awaited for - The Inuktitut Bible - an entire translation to their own tongue! Inuktitut, the language of Inuit people, is the most widely spoken aboriginal language Arctic. This historic undertaking marks the first Canadian translation of the whole Bible completed entirely by native speakers rather than missionaries. The Inuktitut Bible is also the first full translation produced in Canada using the cutting edge computer software tools distributed and supported by the Canadian Bible Society..

Praise: God for the gift of His Word. (Ps.147:1)

More: http://www.unitedbiblesocieties.org/news/1764-inuit-people-celebrate-arrival-of-their-bible/