Page 9 - Voice of the Persecuted Christians - Jul-Sep 2023 - 123

agents of the Ministry of Information had him under observation as well as others who had come to faith.
When they were in church and preparing to worship, a woman wearing a face covering came
into their meeting, followed by 20 other people carrying guns. ‘They surrounded us and checked to see if we had any weapons like knives or firearms but we only carried Bibles,’ said Matthew.
They then accused the Christians
of tempting other people with alcohol and half an hour later they arrested them and took them away in handcuffs to prison where they faced repeated interrogation.
Matthew could see the men who
had been arrested with him but did not know what had happened to the women. It was only after a few days that they were transferred to the court and there a number of women were being sentenced. ‘When the judge handed down a sentence of execution a lot of the women were shouting to Jesus to help them but the judge just spoke unpleasantly to them,’ he told me.
After seeing a vision of Christ, Matthew took the gospel to a number of cities in Iran © Release International 2023
However, he said the police there asked two or three times every day for their testimonies and some of those who heard believed in Jesus. Because they had to review the Bible in order to charge the church members, officials had to read it and in doing so became believers!
freely and being checked on took its
‘When they arrested us there were a lot of Bibles around so they asked us about these and then asked to take them home.’
His son was also persecuted at his new school because he was not a Muslim and eventually was forced to leave; it has taken him two years to recover from the distress.
A number of prison officers who came into contact with the Christians during their detention were also converted.
As our time together drew to a close, we prayed together before saying our goodbyes and Matthew helped us to carry our equipment to the car.
A month later the group was released although Matthew was placed under constant monitoring. He stayed in Iran for seven years but was told
The joy of having spent time with such an inspiring brother in Christ was tinged with sadness that we would probably never see him and his family again.
that if he was seen with a Bible again he would go straight back to prison. ‘I ignored them,’ he said.
Eventually, however, the pressure of living under surveillance, not being able to call members of the church
*Name changed to protect the identity of those we serve
toll. Friends and relatives also refused
PRAY FOR IRAN
to see him and his family and Matthew
realised the time had come to leave • For God’s protection on His people
Iran. • For strength and provision for believers
There is more freedom in Matthew’s new homeland but also a number of challenges, not least of which is trying to communicate in an unfamiliar language.
such as Priscilla and Matthew who have been forced to flee Iran
• For the church to be free to worship
PLEASE HELP CHRISTIANS WHO
HAVE BEEN FORCED TO FLEE
PERSECUTION
These precious believers and their families need your prayers and gifts to survive - and rebuild their lives. Your gift could provide:
• Food parcels for vulnerable families
• Pastoral care and Christian discipleship
• Vocational training to help believers start small businesses
• Support for believers such as Priscilla and Matthew to help them become active in ministry in a new location
To make a gift please use the enclosed form, call 01689 823491 or give online at woocommerce-1195296-4229685.cloudwaysapps.com
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