Iranian Pastor Condemned to Death - Please Pray!

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has received execution orders for refusing to recant his faith in Christ. You can read more here, and here, and here.

Pastor Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old father of two, was arrested over two years ago on charges of apostasy. Now it seems he could be hanged at any time. He apparently loves Jesus more than his life.

Please pray for him and for his family.

People choose to live and die for so many unworthy things. They throw their lives away for perverted pleasures, drugs, cults, adrenaline rushes, hopeless causes, violent gangs, and contemptible people.

But Christ is worthy. He is more than worthy of our love, worship, obedience, and of our death, if He so chooses. The first followers of Christ thought suffering for Him was a privilege. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name (Acts 5:41, ESV).

As Paul waited for his own execution orders to come down, he told the church at Philippi that his imprisonment was a cause for rejoicing because Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice (Phil. 1:18, ESV). So for him, both release and execution had their advantages. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21, ESV).

He even told the church that suffering was not just a cross to bear, but a gift: For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake (Phil. 1:29, ESV).

As we pray for Pastor Nadarkhani's release, let's also pray for his witness and his courage. And for our own. Because Christ is worthy--to live for and to die for.