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New Testaments For Iran
You Can Help Give Iranians The Truth of God's Word For Only $6 Per Copy

Written by ANM Publications Staff,

IRANIANS ARE HUNGRY FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD:

A pastor in a city in the south of Iran receives a few copies of the Holy Scriptures from some visitors and simply says, “These are like gold-dust here.”
A lady comes to faith in Christ through a program on satellite television and must write down Bible verses shared during the program to compile her own ‘Bible.’
Two students watch the film The Passion of Christ being shown on an inter-city bus, and one is overheard saying, “the Koran says Jesus never died on the cross, but this film says He did…How I wish I could have a New Testament to know what really happened.”

A pastor, a new believer, and an enquirer all wanted the New Testament.

THESE TRUE STORIES HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR NEW TESTAMENTS IN IRAN, where there is unprecedented spiritual hunger. Over 85% of the population are disillusioned with the hard-line fundamentalist regime, which in the name of Islam has given them war, totalitarianism, and economic chaos. Though Iranians are tired of the government's religion, there is still great interest in spiritual things. This hunger is prevalent especially with the children of the 1979 revolution ignited by Ayatollah Khomeini's regime (over 50% of the total 70 million population) and who are seeking for answers beyond Islam.

The good news is this: There is a tremendous openness and interest in Jesus Christ! The Christians in Iran, both from the over-ground and under-ground church, are keen evangelists and are more than ready to share Christ with the people despite the risks involved. Before any evangelistic effort, they will first pray and fast, sometimes for days, asking God to supernaturally guide them to people who are open. They then find that the Lord leads them in miraculous ways.

After much prayer one lady felt led to visit the sick in the hospital. When she arrived in the reception area she saw a lady sitting on the stairs, covered in her traditional black robes, her body shaking with grief. The evangelist started to talk to her and found out she was crying for her sick son. The evangelist then asked if she could pray for the lady’s son in the name of Jesus. When the lady heard the name Jesus she looked shocked. “Jesus. Did you say, Jesus?” “Yes,” the evangelist replied. “Jesus loves you and can heal the sick.” The crying lady then explained that the night before she had had a dream. She had seen Jesus and He had told her that the next day His prophet would come and visit her. “So, you are the prophet of Jesus,” she said. The evangelist now knew for sure that she was exactly where she was meant to be. She prayed for this lady – and went on to pray for two other families that day. We know that at least one of the sick was definitely healed!

IT IS THESE OBEDIENT SERVANTS who are pleading with the global church to send more New Testaments to Iran. They are willing to risk their lives to share Christ with those they are sent to – but they know they must leave people with copies of the Bible in their own Farsi language so they can read for themselves about Jesus, their HOPE and ALL in ALL.

These servants are particularly keen to have supplies of the pocket size New Millennium New Testament. They like the size as it slips easily into a bag or a coat pocket; they like the quality; the print is exceptionally clean and clear, and it has a beautiful soft imitation leather cover. Plus, they are thrilled with their own language. It is accurate, modern and elegant. The old version is now very difficult for young Iranians to understand. They also love the fact that at the end of this slim New Testament there is a “Help Section” which shows the reader where to find passages that will answer his or her particular questions or needs, and right at the end there is a clear explanation of the Gospel.

A note of particular interest to North American Christians: Iranians respect, value, honor and protect their Bibles of the Christian faith. Never, ever would an Iranian place the Bible on the floor even for a moment or treat it in any way disrespectfully. His Book is normally kept on a high shelf, protected from the fray of casual every-day life. There’s more! When an Iranian picks up the Bible to read, he first kisses the outside cover to show affection, love and respect for God’s Word. Don’t you know that each and every New Testament placed in Iranian hands will receive the respect and appreciation the Scriptures command. We can learn from the Iranians not to take God’s Word for granted or to treat His Book in a casual manner.

THE URGENCY FOR THESE NEW TESTAMENTS in Iran is not just reflected in the stories coming out of the Country and the pleas of the church’s brave and faithful evangelists. There is also a sense among many mission leaders that this is a very special time for the nation of Iran. Never before has this Muslim nation shown so much openness to the Gospel of Christ, and it is a fact that more Iranian Muslims have become Christian since the 1979 revolution than in the last 1,300 years! Not only are people in Iran coming to faith, but you will find that from New Zealand to Turkey, France to Germany, Pakistan to New York there are new fellowships of Iranian Christians.

In our generation Iranians are open, and that lends urgency to the need to take the Gospel to these people. Nobody knows how long this openness will last. Let it not be said that the American believers missed one of the most extraordinary opportunities in the history of missions to let the Christ of the New Testament change the character of a nation.

OUR STRATEGICALLY-BASED PARTNERS WILL HELP PROVIDE NEW TESTAMENTS
in the Farsi language to the hungry and desperate-to-know-Christ Iranians. This ministry has recently printed 50,000 copies of the pocket New Testament, but such is the demand that they have to immediately send in another order to the printers. The question is – how many should be printed? At the moment the ministry is planning to print 100,000, but perhaps the churches in the West should be thinking bigger.

Iran

has a population of 70 million – would it be overly ambitious of the church to want to print at least one million?

Advancing Native Missions and its ministry partner believe it is right to be at least dreaming about sending one million New Testaments to Iran as soon as possible, but ultimately this depends on funding. As it is illegal in Iran to print any Christian material (let alone New Testaments) in the country’s national language of Persian, they have to be printed in Europe and then taken into Iran. This brings the total price of placing one New Testament in a God-starved Iranian hand to $6.00.

It’s our hope and prayer to make this dream a reality. You now understand more of our passion to bless Iranians with the Word of God in the Farsi language. We urge you to seek God’s guidance in how you can participate in this awesome opportunity to bless Iranians with what they hunger for the most: LIFE! To that end will you please send one copy (or more) to help change the character of the Nation of Iran? You know full well that Iran is in the national news on a daily basis…Nuclear weapons threaten to change our world…Why not ask God for a ‘news miracle’ that reports: “The Christian Bible changes the Nation of Iran!”

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