TURNING the TABLES of PERSECUTION in IRAN ... the CHRISTIAN WAY+ !

PASTOR SAEED ABEDINI

There is concerted Christian prayer being made
this Saturday, September 26, for this courageous Follower of JESUS. 

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Brothers and Sisters …  LET US TURN THE TABLES in this Spiritual battle being waged via Pastor Saeed in one of Iran’s worst criminal prisons.

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Pastor Saeed traveled to Iran hoping to establish a Christian orphanage, we are told. Instead, the LORD re-directed his efforts, involuntarily, and allowed Pastor Saeed to be placed into a terrible season of imprisonment and torture. It is continuing this day and the governments of our world are ignoring this innocent man’s imprisonment.

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BUT, GOD IS NOT!

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The GOD and FATHER of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST is NOT IGNORING the cries of HIS SON’S + Beloved Follower nor is The LORD ignoring the prayers of the Saints.

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We forget that the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the CHURCH+ of JESUS CHRIST.  

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Brother Saeed’s testimony to CHRIST JESUS in the Iranian prison is NOT being ignored by the other prisoners, either, in that hard-core incarceration camp.  For years now, they have watched Brother Saeed’s Christian behavior, heard him speak, and witnessed his testimony about the Risen CHRIST JESUS, bringing hope that they do not have. 

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Those men ALL KNOW he has harmed no- one nor stolen anyone’s property

… yet he is suffering.

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What they DO NOT KNOW is that The LORD JESUS CHRIST allowed Brother Saeed to be sent there — expressly to them — to give them opportunity to choose Eternal Life+ through JESUS instead of eternal damnation.

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It is likely that few of those men had ever heard the truth about The LORD JESUS CHRIST and fewer still had ever witnessed the behavior of a true Follower of JESUS first-hand. 

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So then, let us agree together …. as we beseech the Throne of CHRIST for Brother Saeed… to also supplicate for an out-pouring of the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT to pour down upon the prison inmates incarcerated with him…

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that the labor of Brother Saeed’s

 imprisonment will not be in vain.

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Where do we stand, in this spiritual warfare ? Let us stand with CHRIST and see His+ Great purpose in allowing the suffering of His+ Faithful Servant Saeed and then, Scripturally apply HIS+ Word … in unison and accord. Hear it: 

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JESUS said:  ” All AUTHORITY is given unto ME+ in Heaven and in earth.”

Matthew 28:18  

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JESUS said: ” Behold, I give unto YOU authority to tread on serpents [Gk.= OpheOn = Sharp-eyed Ones , not the animals which are herpetons ( reptiles, snakes) ], and scorpions , and over ALL THE POWER of the enemy and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you. ”  Luke 10:19

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Let us AGREE to :

• Bind the demonic spirits of islam which are keeping the prisoners bound

• Pray WITH ALL the AUTHORITY that The BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST gives us

• Pray WITH ALL the AUTHORITY that the Name of JESUS grants us

• Pray according to HIS+ WILL, Who+ desires ALL MEN to be saved

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LET US PRAY… 

O LORD JESUS CHRIST, THOU+ Who+ desireth that all men come to the Light of Thy+ Salvation, we pray for the OUT-POURING of the HOLY SPIRIT upon the men in Pastor Saeed’s cell, his block area, his hallway, his building, and his prison complex.

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We bind — by all the authority the Blood of The LAMB+ gives us and all the authority granted to us by the Name of JESUS  and in accordance with HIS+ Will — all the demonic spirits that are hindering these prisoners from coming to JESUS as LORD of their lives.  

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In the name of JESUS, we ask for HEAVY conviction of sin and shame of face to fall upon every inmate, every staff worker, and every official connected to this prison or who has anything to do with Pastor Saeed. 

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Let the fire of Thy+ Blessed HOLY SPIRIT fall upon these men and bring them to salvation, every one of them. Empower them to become evangelists, leading their families and friends across Iran unto THEE, O CHRIST. 

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And Grant, O FATHER of MERCIES, a miraculous deliverance of Thy servant Pastor Saeed, and bring the joy of Thy HOLY SPIRIT upon him this day, healing Thy Servant of every wound in his body and spirit, which are Thine. 

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This we ask for the Sake of Thy Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST, Who+ lives and died for us and ever reigns on High, with thee, Heavenly FATHER, and thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, one GOD, now and forever to the Endless Ages.

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And the Congregation said: “Amen!”

Ah, LORD GOD,

THOU hast made the Heavens

by Thy great power and stretched-out arm and there is NOTHING too hard for THEE !

Jeremiah 32:17

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Passover DISCIPLINE !

Photo by stsylvesters.org.uk

Dear Readers... I  STRONGLY advise you to develop and practice a DAILY DISCIPLINE of worship.... private, individual worship. 

You do NOT NEED a "group" to gather about you to do this discipline, nor do you need anything more than your Bible and a quiet, hidden nook where you will not be disturbed.... be it woods or barn, basement or attic. 

Don some sanctified garment that you have prayed over and sanctified for this use, asking The LORD to bless it. Head-coverings or hoods,  capelets or simple chasubles,  long dresses or skirts for the sisters; vests or tunics or a simple blanket-type chasuble or robe for the brothers. 

Change your position to standing, kneeling, bowing and even sitting, as you worship. Do the sign of the Cross in the air, on your forehead, across your heart, or from head to chin, or even over your mouth! Otherwise, do the "normal" sign of the cross at appropriate places as you are moved to do so when you pray. 

REMEMBER: The sign of the cross is ANCIENT and is not a sign of "group" membership in the high churches or low. The sign of the cross BELONGS TO EVERY CHRISTIAN. 

Obtain or make a simple wall cross and make a simple strand of Christian prayer beads to help you keep your place and memorize Scriptures as you go. Instructions are plentiful on the Internet. 

One person has made Christian prayer beads out of black and brown wooden beads from an old beaded car seat ! This involves 4 sets of 7 beads ( called "weeks' beads"), with 4 Cruciform beads to separate them.  

A string of smaller wooden beads, this time red beads and some green ones obtained for a dollar from a thrift store item, made the "opening and closing" beads and the Cruciform beads... where is said, 

• " Worthy is The LAMB+ !"  ... said at  the 4 Cruciform beads 

and at the 3 opening and closing beads: 

• "Blessed be The HOLY FATHER Who created us, 

• and His HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST our LORD Who+ saves us, 

• and The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT Who sanctifies us."

Follow some pattern of worship, like the OGS Guided Meditations: 

• Open with Worthy is the LAMB+! and some set but short Scriptures of praise. [ The idea is for these opening words to be repeated reverently every day, not simply impromptu praises. ] 

• Invitatory Bead... Come Unto ME+, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I+ will give you rest. 

• 3 verses of Supplications... asking The LORD to bless your worship, such as "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer+. "

• 3 verses of Repentances ... perhaps from Psalm 51 or the entire Psalm, or other verses that bring you into a spirit of repentance. The prayer beads are useful when doing an entire Psalm.

• 3 verses of Affirmations of Faith ... such as "Neither is there Salvation in any other; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" and "At the Name of JESUS every knee shall bow..."

• 3 verses of Exhorations ... such as "Be still and know that I AM the LORD."

• 3 verses of Exaltations ... such as "My soul doth magnify The LORD and my spirit doth rejoice in GOD my SAVIOR+." 

These verses need to be PERSONAL to you, verses that have "spoken" to you in times of need, verses that you can easily commit to memory as you worship through the Guided Meditation every day.  I list these verses as an example of what we do at the OGS daily, to give you some idea of the KIND of verses you might include. 

Then move on to pray through out-loud 3 Psalms. OGS does Psalm 27, Psalm 116, and Psalm 23... but these are able to be changed, as per your leading of The LORD. 

After these items are finished, continue on in worship by using the 

• Agnes Dei, 
• St. Patrick's Breastplate, or the 
• Te Deum.  

These are all very ancient hymns of the Christian church. The words are found on the Internet or on this blog in earlier posts. 

RENUNCIATIONS follow the ancient hymns.
Starting this section of worship with : 

"O earth, earth, earth ! 

Hear the Word of The LORD ! " 

 I John 2:15-17, Matthew 4:10, Matthew 16:23 are the verses which contain the very words of Our LORD when HE+ stood against the adversary. 

The last section involve 2 sets of ONLY the very WORDS of Our LORD ( as in a Red Letter edition of the New Testament ) .  The Beatitudes and John 14, using only His+ Words, are good places to start this section. They can be changed from season to season. 

We end this section with The prayer Our LORD taught His+ disciples, when the disciples said, "LORD, teach us to pray."

CLOSING:  A spontaneous prayer of Thanksgiving , by this time, will be pouring from  your heart and lips ! 

This worship through Guided Meditation is not long nor hard. It can be adjusted as per schedule needs, and can be done in parts at different times of the day.  It can be done morning, noon, or evening; late at night, or in the wee hours of the morning. 

It is IMPORTANT, however, that it be done meaningfully and individually. Groups or families can do it, but ...

 INDIVIDUAL, PRIVATE worship 

can never, ever be replaced 

by group worship. 

This is the cost of discipleship and friends, if you do NOT WANT to pay it you will not be ready for what is about to take place on the face of the earth. 

Terrible, un-thinkable tribulation is about to be legislated by the "civil" countries that will make being a Christian one of the most dangerous identities to have. 

Unless, of course, you take the mark of the beast in order to keep _____ : 
( anything you might name ... keep your possessions, houses, lands, bank accounts, credit cards, social security, disability, cell phones, internet, education, health care, car license, insurance,  children.... )

Then, you will indeed avoid the persecution and grief that The LORD has promised is coming for Christians... the last Great Persecution of the Christian Church.   

Yes, you may avoid it until you die... but then, you will stand before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST.  

Eternity lasts a long, long time.