Religion
Many are escaping Iran as ‘hundreds have come to faith in Jesus Christ’ in the process
IRAN’S BORDER with Armenia – A groundbreaking cultural shift is underway across Iran. Months of protests against the regime have been brutally repressed by police, leaving more than 500 dead. Hundreds of girls schools have seen their students hospitalized in a wave of poisonings. All the fear and uncertainty have left many looking for an escape.
Thousands are fleeing north to one of the only free and democratic countries in the region: Armenia.
There are a lot of global geopolitical conflicts that are represented in this remote border crossing. Russia does a lot of trade with Iran, and a lot of the weapons that end up in Ukraine may come through this area. Then you have Azerbaijan which wants this corridor in order to reach Turkey and the West.
And right in the middle of it all, you have the tiny country of Armenia, which is functioning as a safe spot for Christians and other Iranians who are fleeing persecution inside their country.
Pastor Jacob Pursley of Gateway Missions told us, “Right here you see this river, it’s called the Arax River. And the Arax River is basically the border between Armenia and Iran. And if you go a little farther to the west, it’s the border also from Turkey and Armenia.”
We met up with Pursley at the only border crossing between Iran and Armenia. “This is the only border crossing for Iranians coming in, they can come into Armenia only at this spot,” he said.
“It’s illegal in Iran to proselytize. So as a Christian, you’re not able to go to Iran legally to share the Christian faith. And you’re not even allowed to have a Persian Bible. It’s illegal to have the Bible in the Persian language. So what we have found is that the Persians come to Christian Armenia and they’re coming to look for what Christianity is. To find a church, find a Bible, ask questions. And because this is the only border crossing and that they’re able to, we find that thousands pass every single day.”
He says many of these border crossers are quite receptive to the gospel.
“Those that are coming from Iran are so excited to meet a Christian and to listen,” Pursley said. “And in fact, we have seen many, I mean hundreds have come to faith in Jesus Christ. It’s just they need to hear, they need to have someone that is a preacher or an evangelist to teach them and show them that, and they’re so eager to read a Bible as well as they’re not allowed to have those.”
But the journey can be full of risk. One bus full of Iranians recently caught fire while ascending the treacherous mountain road en route to Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Even still, the greater concern to those coming here is that even after leaving Iran, their family and friends back home may be in danger.
Ghazali, an Iranian woman living in Armenia, told us, “I, myself, you know, was beaten four years ago in Shiraz University because of hijab, because I took off my scarf.”
“In Iran, women are suffering a lot because there are a lot of rapes, a lot of harassment, and it is normal! No one understands that. It is, it is harassment, it is rape. No one understands. They say it’s, it is normal. You are a woman, so you must obey,” she explained.
As the conflict in Iran persists, Jacob and his team are bracing for an increased number of refugees seeking shelter here. And while Armenia faces its own ongoing problems with Azerbaijan, more Russians and Ukrainians are arriving in the country, fleeing that ongoing conflict. And no matter where they hail from, Jacob and his team welcome all with open arms.
“Pray that the Lord would send his lost sheep from Iran to Armenia so that they would find Him, the Good Shepherd of the sheep, and that He would send these people to our church and to churches like us that are doing these outreaches,” Pursley said.
CBN.com
A group called the Virtuous Women of Delta (VWD) has given the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, a 14-day ultimatum to tender an unreserved apology to Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The group made the demand in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Coordinator, Deaconess Eguolo Oghenekevwe.
In the statement, the group expressed their outrage over Akpabio’s alleged disrespectful behavior towards Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing his actions as sacrilegious according to Delta’s cultural traditions.
The statement read, “We have patiently watched as the Senate President has dragged our sister through the mud. In our tradition, such actions are considered sacrilegious and carry severe consequences.”
The group further emphasized their disapproval of Akpabio’s behavior, particularly his decision to have Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan removed from a public space, which they found deeply disrespectful.
“The fact that he had our wife walk out of a public place is enough to make us march to the National Assembly in protest,” they stated.
The group gave Akpabio 14 days to issue an unreserved apology, warning that if he fails to do so, they will be compelled to take action and express their anger in person at the National Assembly.
The controversy stems from previous comments Akpabio made, including the use of inappropriate language referring to a nightclub, despite the fact that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is married to a prominent Delta man.
Akpabio had earlier apologized for his remarks, acknowledging their sacrilegious nature.
“Such words are unacceptable, especially when a married woman is involved. Our men are like lions and will not tolerate such disrespect,” the statement continued.
The Virtuous Women of Delta emphasized that, as Akpabio hails from the same geopolitical zone, he should be aware of the importance of their cultural values and traditions, which cannot be disregarded.
“We politely ask the Senate President to apologize, or face the consequences within the next 14 days,” the group said.
Religion
Sunday Worship Service (16th February, 2025): Topic: The Concept of Love: How to Make the Right Choice
Pastor Kola Oyekale
Verses of God’s promise to us:
Isaiah 30:19 NLT
[19] O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Jeremiah 30:19 AMPC
[19] Out of them [city and palace] will come songs of thanksgiving and the voices of those who make merry. And I will multiply them, and they will not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small.
Meaning of Love
There are different dimensions of love
1. Eros Love: Love between man and woman
2. Philia Love: Love between brethren in church
3. Storge Love: Love between family members
4. Agape Love: God’s love. It is a love that has no condition attached to it. This is the love that is in the kingdom. It is the love that flows from the life of God (Zoe).
When the Bible was talking about marriage, God brought in this love.
For this kind of love to be experienced in a relationship or marriage, it has to be deliberate and intentional.
Marriage is a business. A successful marriage does not happen by chance. It is not cheap. If the only thing you carry into marriage is your physical appearance, you will get no result.
If you make wrong choices you will have troubles. Even when you don’t make the wrong choice, there are still troubles you will experience in a marriage relationship.
Factors to Consider When Making the Choice of a Marriage Partner:
1. Be the right person
You cannot be the right person if you do not know yourself. Knowing yourself is crucial to the kind of person you want to marry.
Singleness helps you discover who you are. Knowing yourself helps you know who you can marry.
Most successful single people find their purpose before they get married.
So when you get married, you have a helper who can help you fulfill purpose.
You need a purpose for your life before you can pick a marriage partner.
Do you have the things, qualities and virtues you are seeking in a spouse?
The journey to finding someone is to first find you.
Find yourself first so you can know your value. If you don’t value yourself, you will sell yourself cheap.
To find the right person, be the right person.
Nobody will increase your value except you. The value you put on yourself is your investment. Don’t wait for a man to add value to your life.
2. Choose the right person
There are marriages you must qualify and prepare for before you enter it.
Don’t be desperate when it comes to marriage. Desperation can make you fall into wrong hands.
There is a plan for your life and a choice for your life.
When you identify your purpose, you will know who to choose.
A woman who chases after a man reduces her value.
3. Do and keep doing what is right.
Galatians 6:9 NKJV
[9] And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
When you marry, you will not get all you want, however you should keep on doing the right thing.
Start doing the things you want your spouse to do.
Don’t marry with the mind that you will change your spouse. Nobody has any power to change anybody, only God does.
Song of Solomon 1:16-17 NKJV
[16] Behold, you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also our bed is green. [17] The beams of our houses are cedar, And our rafters of fir.
The word ’green’ means refreshing, life, a relationship that is renewed, not dirty and not defiled.
There must not be defilement of bed when a relationship starts.
Every relationship must begin and end pure.
The only test you can do before marriage is the test of character not the test of sexual compatibility.
Every relationship begins with Friendship, then Courtship then Marriage.
Believers are encouraged to be friends without ulterior motives.
When you are friends, you can see each other better than when you are in a romantic relationship.
Friendship opens you up to see each other clearly without hiding.
The whole essence of marriage is so that you will produce godly seeds.
Your knowledge of God will help you out in married.
Marriage is an act of faith.
By Pastor Kola Oyekale
God is after making you who he wants you to be. God isn’t so much interested in meeting your needs because your needs can take you away from God. God is concerned with making you align with the purpose of your existence.
God’s primary goal upon your life is to make you who he has destined you to be.
If your purpose doesn’t come to pass, then you are a wasted vessel on earth.
If you have fulfilled your purpose at the end of your life, the angels will salute a man or woman who has lived and fulfilled God’s purpose.
Matthew 9:35 NKJV
[35] Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
You have to be in a place where you are taught.
Matthew 9:36 NKJV
[36] But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
God doesn’t want you to be confused in life.
A shepherd whose life is not in alignment to God cannot be a blessing to his sheep.
You become a disciple by transformation. God is after discipling people who will be in alignment to his kingdom.
The lesser your knowledge of God, the more prone you are to become a victim of the devil.
Devil loves ignorance. He takes advantage of your ignorance of God and his word.
Matthew 9:37 NKJV
[37] Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
The blind cannot lead the blind, they will both fall into a pit. You need the knowledge of God and his word to make you able to draw souls to God’s kingdom.
Psalms 1:1-3 NLT
[1] Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. [2] But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. [3] They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
In this year, let your passion for God and trust in his increase.
Pursue God will all your heart and he will make a difference in your life.
Qualities of a Good Shepherd
1. A shepherd sets boundaries.
2. They are trustworthy and reliable.
3. A shepherd makes provision for his sheep. He brings transformation to your life.
4. A good shepherd sacrifices even his life for the sheep.
5. A shepherd invests in the life of the sheep through nurturing, direction, instruction and teaching.
The Holy Spirits influences your thinking. He changed your value system
Prayer: May the Holy Spirit shepherd our lives through his instruction, guidance and mentoring this year in Jesus name.
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