{"id":46840,"date":"2023-05-19T16:10:28","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T07:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?page_id=46840"},"modified":"2023-05-20T11:03:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-20T02:03:54","slug":"nl-06-2023","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/nl-06-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"IRAN \u2013 A Letter from a Father to a Son"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_custom_heading text=”IRAN \u2013 A Letter from a Father to a Son” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|line_height:2em” css=”.vc_custom_1684543466853{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”custom” el_width=”60″ accent_color=”#333333″ el_class=”line-for-40″][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]Hossein his friends were talking about movies while sitting in a park one afternoon, when a stranger walked up and handed him a book and a magazine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Hossein asked the man how much the magazine cost, he was told it was free. \u201cThese are gifts from God,\u201d the man said, smiling.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Hossein got home, he started reading the magazine. After reading the review of a foreign film he had seen, he continued reading and discovered that the magazine was a Christian publication. Then he realized the book he had received was a Bible \u2014 a book that is illegal to own, print, import or distribute in his Iranian homeland.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Suddenly, he was gripped with fear.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI was so scared, because my family are devoted Muslims,\u201d Hossein said. \u201cMany things went through my mind that night, and I wished I hadn\u2019t been given those books.\u201d He then got rid of the Bible and magazine the next day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then, just days later, Hossein was shocked to see his brother, Mahmoud, come home with a Bible of his own.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”46842″ img_size=”450×450″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1684479067110{margin-bottom: 0.1px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_single_image image=”46841″ img_size=”450×450″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1684479091375{margin-bottom: 0.1px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”Many Muslims in Iran are turning to Christ through the courageous efforts of Christians who risk distributing Bibles in open areas like public parks and on the streets. ” font_container=”tag:h5|font_size:14px|text_align:center|line_height:1.4em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1684543685858{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Fearing God” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|line_height:2em” css=”.vc_custom_1684543774512{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”custom” el_width=”60″ accent_color=”#333333″ el_class=”line-for-40″][vc_column_text]Mahmoud had been studying twice a week with a student named Ehsan since recently falling behind in his college classes. As Mahmoud was preparing to leave Ehsan\u2019s house after studies one night, he saw his friend\u2019s family surround Ehsan\u2019s gravely ill grandmother, place their hands on her and pray for her healing in Jesus\u2019 name.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Mahmoud returned to Ehsan\u2019s home for the next study session, Ehsan\u2019s grandmother opened the door and cheerfully welcomed him inside. Mahmoud later asked Ehsan if the family\u2019s prayers had led to his grandmother\u2019s healing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, thank God,\u201d Ehsan told him. \u201cIt\u2019s because of God\u2019s power and his authority.\u201d Ehsan then told Mahmoud about Jesus, giving him a Bible when he expressed interest in learning more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mahmoud\u2019s parents were incensed when they discovered his Bible. After demanding to know where he got it, Mahmoud\u2019s father, Khodayar, grabbed the Bible and threw it toward a far corner of the yard. He expected Allah\u2019s immediate wrath for having the book in his home.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”46844″ img_size=”450×450″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1684479243273{margin-bottom: 0.1px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”Iranian Christians boldly and creatively share God\u2019s Word despite constant risk of arrest and imprisonment for owning a Bible or even talking about Christ.” font_container=”tag:h5|font_size:14px|text_align:center|line_height:1.4em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1684544121318{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Answered Prayers” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|line_height:2em” css=”.vc_custom_1684544180723{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”custom” el_width=”60″ accent_color=”#333333″ el_class=”line-for-40″][vc_column_text]After seeing how angry it had made his father, Mahmoud wanted nothing more to do with the Bible. But in the middle of the night, he got up to get a drink and noticed a small beam of light coming from Hossein\u2019s room. When he looked in, he saw his brother sitting in the corner of his otherwise dark room, reading.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As Mahmoud walked toward Hossein, he noticed that he was flattening the pages of a book with his hands. Then he realized his brother was reading the Bible their father had thrown out of the house.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Startled by Mahmoud\u2019s shadowy figure standing over him, Hossein shoved the Bible under a rug.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what will happen if Dad catches you with this Bible?\u201d Mahmoud asked him. \u201cDo you want me to get in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI want to see your friend Ehsan,\u201d Hossein replied, insisting that he was going to keep the Bible. But Mahmoud, upset by his brother\u2019s defiance, ignored Hossein and walked away. Over time, and after continuing to read the Bible in secret, Hossein placed his faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Months later, when the boys\u2019 mother was unable to have a needed heart surgery because of her diabetes, Mahmoud felt helpless watching her groan in pain. As he worried about how the family would pay for his mother\u2019s treatments, he remembered that Ehsan\u2019s grandmother had been healed through prayer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With Hossein\u2019s help, Mahmoud took their mother to Ehsan\u2019s home, where they received a warm welcome. Ehsan\u2019s family then surrounded their mother, praying for her in the name of Jesus.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hossein, as a new believer, joined them in prayer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was confused at first,\u201d Mahmoud recalled. \u201cBut after that, she said that the prayers made her feel so light and happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When the three of them returned home, Khodayar scolded the boys for taking their mother to the Christians. \u201cIt would have been better for your mother to die than for you to bring shame to our family!\u201d he yelled. Their sister also shouted at them, accusing Mahmoud of being responsible for their family\u2019s problems.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That week, Ehsan stayed in touch with Mahmoud, encouraging him to read his Bible. Eventually, the two met at their neighborhood park, and Mahmoud, like his brother, came to faith in Christ. From then on, Mahmoud prayed for his mother and the rest of the family daily, and within weeks his mother was free of pain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When his sister took their mother to a doctor\u2019s appointment a short time later, they learned that she had been completely healed.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=”Breaking Through” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|line_height:2em” css=”.vc_custom_1684544586359{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”custom” el_width=”60″ accent_color=”#333333″ el_class=”line-for-40″][vc_column_text]That night, when Khodayar came home from work, Mahmoud noticed that his father seemed troubled. As Mahmoud approached him to see what was wrong, he saw a Bible in his father\u2019s hands. The Bible, Khodayar explained, had been gift- wrapped and placed in their mailbox.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Overhearing their conversation, Hossein walked over and took his father\u2019s hand. \u201cDad, please, it\u2019s the second time you\u2019ve had a Bible in your hands,\u201d he said. \u201cPerhaps God wants to talk to you. Before crumpling it up and throwing it away, please read it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Expecting their father to explode with rage, Hossein and Mahmoud held their breath. Then, after a brief silence, Hossein reminded Khodayar about his oldest son, Mohammad, who had died in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War. \u201cDo you remember when you wrote those letters to my brother to give him strength?\u201d Hossein asked his father.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy son never read them,\u201d Khodayar replied, crying at the memory that his letters hadn\u2019t reached Mohammad before his death. \u201cHe never heard my voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hossein hugged his father. \u201cBut now you have this opportunity to read God\u2019s letter to you and to hear his voice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Despite an intense fear of punishment from Allah, Khodayar agreed to read the Bible \u2014 at least a little bit of it. But he told himself that he would just take a quick look, because he still considered the Quran his holy book.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”46843″ img_size=”450×450″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1684479736265{margin-bottom: 0.1px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”As a former sheepherder, Khodavar came to understand how immensely he was loved by his own Good Shepherd. ” font_container=”tag:h5|font_size:14px|text_align:center|line_height:1.4em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1684544841237{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=”A Revelation” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|line_height:2em” css=”.vc_custom_1684544860337{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”custom” el_width=”60″ accent_color=”#333333″ el_class=”line-for-40″][vc_column_text]One of the first things Khodayar read about Jesus was how he restored sight to the blind. But he had a hard time believing that Jesus, if he were really God as Christians claimed, could be both all-powerful and all-loving. Khodayar had always viewed Allah as authoritarian and had even blamed him for taking his oldest son.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Khodayar eventually read John 10, in which Jesus describes himself as \u201cthe good shepherd\u201d whose sheep \u201cfollow him, for they know his voice,\u201d he was reminded of his own childhood as a nomadic sheepherder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He remembered how deeply he cared for the sheep in his flock and how he slept in their pen when they were sick or injured. He recalled how the sheep in his care followed him wherever he went and could find their way to him even when they were lost among hundreds of other sheep.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thinking of Jesus Christ as his \u201cgood shepherd\u201d helped Khodayar understand that Jesus loved him immensely, even more than he had loved his own sheep. In that moment, he saw God in a new light.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat night, all my fear was replaced by trust,\u201d Khodayar said. \u201cI was certain that these were God\u2019s words \u2014 a letter from a father to his son, a letter to the lost sheep that is seeking a secure home. That night, God brought peace to my heart and I started talking to him.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=”Revealing Secrets” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|line_height:2em” css=”.vc_custom_1684545342999{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”custom” el_width=”60″ accent_color=”#333333″ el_class=”line-for-40″][vc_column_text]One morning as Hossein and Mahmoud were eating breakfast in the kitchen, their father walked in and placed his Bible on the table. \u201cThis is God\u2019s Word,\u201d Khodayar said. Then, after telling his sons that he had placed his faith in Christ, he urged them to read the book carefully for themselves.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feeling a new sense of safety with his father, Hossein began to talk openly about the Bible and his own love for Christ.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI was so surprised,\u201d Khodayar said, \u201cby [Hossein\u2019s] knowledge and found out that he had been visiting home churches for a long time. After that, Mahmoud admitted that he had also come to Christ. That day, I realized that God had entered our house long ago but that I hadn\u2019t been able to hear his voice. Now I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Days later, the boys\u2019 sister approached Mahmoud and asked how she could come to know the God who had healed their mother and given their father peace. One by one, each family member came to faith in Christ \u2014 all through the gift of God\u2019s Word.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe really saw the power of God,\u201d Mahmoud said, \u201cthat every knee will bend before him and every tongue will declare that he is the true God.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”100px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_custom_heading text=”IRAN \u2013 A Letter from a Father to a Son” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|line_height:2em” css=”.vc_custom_1684543466853{margin-top: 1em !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”custom” el_width=”60″ accent_color=”#333333″ el_class=”line-for-40″][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]Hossein his friends were talking about movies …","protected":false},"author":903,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-46840","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"campaignId":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/903"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46840"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46850,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46840\/revisions\/46850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}