Persecution

2 Timothy 3:12 (NIV)

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Mehdi Dibaj was born in 1934 in Iran into an extremely wealthy Muslim family. He came to Christ as a teenager and went to seminary and became an Assemblies of God minister. In 1979 he was put in jail for 68 days because of his faith. In 1984 he was arrested again and for the next nine years he was regularly tortured. On December 21, 1993 an Islamic court in the city of Sari condemned him to die.

During the trial, Dibaj said the following in his defense: "Life for me is an opportunity to serve Him, and death is a better opportunity to be with Christ. Therefore I am not only satisfied to be in prison for the honor of His Holy Name, but am ready to give my life for the sake of Jesus my Lord and enter His kingdom sooner, the place where the elect of God enter everlasting life, but the wicked to eternal damnation." World opinion pressured Iran to release Rev. Dibaj in January 1994. For the next five months he encouraged other believers in Iran. Then in June 1994, he was mysteriously abducted and suffered martyrdom.

Mission experts estimate that 1 out of 200 Christians throughout the world are martyred for their faith.

Dear Lord, we pray for those Christians whose lives are threatened because of their faith in Christ. We pray for strength so they can be strong in their faith and bring honor to you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.