This is what the Lord says to Cyrus His anointed, whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him and to undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. Isaiah 45:1-3
Cyrus II of Persia, also known as Cyrus the Great was God’s anointed to bring His people out of Babylonian captivity. He was quite an unlikely candidate for this task. However, the Lord specializes in the incredible, improbable and impossible. So why wouldn’t He use a Gentile King of the massive Persian Empire to free His chosen people?
God continues to do the inconceivable in Persia, which is now modern-day Iran, where Cyrus’ tomb still stands strong after over two thousand years in Pasargadae, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He continues to set people free as in the days of Queen Esther of Persia. And as the church in Iran grows at a rapid rate, Christians are devoted to prayer as Daniel was in this foreign land tens of centuries ago even while being persecuted.
Persecution cannot stop the Lord’s move as people hunger and thirst for the One True God who can fill their empty souls. He has kept on wooing Iranians in a variety of ways throughout the years. Approximately 40 years ago, a young man visited his relatives in an Iranian city and as he and a friend walked the streets, the sound of a church bell rang out and it was as if it were beckoning him to draw near. He followed the peal of the bells which were appealing to him, and he wanted to enter the church, but his friend said no as it was not possible because it was forbidden for Muslims to enter a church. It is important to note here that only two churches are recognized in Iran, the Armenian and Assyrian churches, but they are treated like second class citizens.
There seemed to have been another nudge from God for this young man. While at work, a friend invited him to the cinema to watch a movie on the life of Jesus. This friend told him that Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, did not tell the truth and could not be compared to Jesus Christ, who is the true prophet. His friend's words remained in his mind until 25 years later when he saw that same movie on a satellite channel, and he accepted Christ when the salvation prayer and Bible verses came at the end.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29
And there are many more stories of God calling Iranians to Himself. One night a lady was in her house and from her neighbour she could hear mourning at a ceremony for the death of one of the most important persons in Islam. As the mourning proceeded, she asked God who these religious figures were and why they came. Suddenly, a certain perfume entered the house and this fragrance increased and gave her a strange feeling of calm. This aroma was the delightful smell of the message of the Bible, which was God Himself revealing His presence to her and demonstrating to her that He is the Truth and He was with her. She could sense the difference between Jesus’ sweet peaceful presence and the religious meeting she was hearing.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
This was not her last encounter with Christ, however as He was calling her to an aroma from life to life. On another night, she was on the roof of the house as usual crying as she pondered the challenges in her life. Suddenly, she saw a mysterious light about seven meters away from her and peace enveloped her. After this occurrence she yearned for God, so she returned to the roof and her eyes searched the night sky for a sign from Him. Soon, a bright shining star appeared, and it had a different glow than all the others. Once again, God unmistakably announced his presence to her.
Six months before believing in Christ, she decided to write a letter to God. She says, “I wrote in that letter asking God to give me and my family peace. First, I put that letter between the books of the Quran. But I did not feel good about it, and after two weeks of internal and intellectual conflict, I decided to remove the letter from the pages of the Qur'an because I thought the Qur'an was not pure, so I put that letter in a clean new notebook.”
After believing in Christ, while reading Psalm 40 a peculiar feeling flowed over her body and she became hot and then she became very happy.
I waited patiently for the Lord; And He reached down to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud; And He set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:1-3
She learned to wait patiently on the Lord, but she still had many struggles. One day, she was very disappointed with God because of all the problems she was experiencing in her life. Suddenly, both of her wrists began to have a strange burning sensation. She then realized that this was the exact place where the nails pierced Christ on the cross. Christ had felt excruciating pain because He had loved her so much and endured the shame of the cross for her.
These are the experiences of two Iranians. These two individuals are actually married, and all their children came to believe in Christ. Jesus beamed His love through church bells, a pleasant fragrance, a light, a shining start and finally a movie on satellite television brought them to Him. They became His treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places. Now, 15 years later after coming to know Christ, I and and my friends are the first Christians they have met over the Internet as they know no other Christians outside their family in Iran. It is a privilege to be with them as a part of the body of Christ and now they are my Persian family.
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