Persian New Year and Ministry Update from Jacob Pursley
March 12, 2023
(Picture of the Mountains of Iran as seen from our ministry center)
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:7-8).
Iranian professor places her faith in Jesus – Beating your wife makes you a good Muslim.
Below is a story that represents many Persians that come to faith, and other believers from various Muslim backgrounds. Thank you for being a part of her story.
Recently, we prayed with a forty-nine year old, female professor from Iran. She trusted in Christ as her Lord and Savior, and during her prayer she broke down crying. She recounted that she had never felt or experienced anything like what happened to her as she turned to Jesus during this prayer. I would say it was at this point she became born-again. As we have been discipling her, we have been looking at the character and nature of God, and especially how he has revealed himself in the Bible.
(Picture of a Persian passenger bus that exploded on the mountain pass. We witnessed this happen on the way from the border of Iran returning to Yerevan. No one was injured.) Watch a video I took of this here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpZMYzEK2fG/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
Our discussion turned to secular and more atheistically minded Muslims that have rejected Islam, the Qur’an, and Muhammad based upon reading the primary texts of Islam. In jest, I explained that I would also be a Muslim atheist if my only choice was Muhammad’s god. In the Muslim world there is a phenomenon of and rise of atheism. These are Muslims that reject god, yet are rejecting the Muslim god. They are rejecting the Muslim god because they have not been introduced to the true God, the God of the Bible. They were erroneously taught that the God of the Christians is the same as the Muslim god, therefore they throw the biblical God out with the Muslim god in their conclusion that there is no God.
One of the examples that I brought up of how the Muslim god is not true, had to do with the command of Allah in the Qur’an that a husband must beat his wife if she does not listen to him. This triggered Emine, and she recounted that it was about this passage of the Qur’an when she began to learn what true Islam was.
Emine’s Muslim husband would routinely beat her. Out of frustration from the abuse Emine blurted out to her husband that he was not being a good Muslim by behaving this way towards her. The husband, being a good Muslim, told her, “no, I am being a good Muslim, and I am obeying the will of Allah by beating you.” Then her husband, opened up the Qur’an to An Nisa, and began to read where this was “god’s” prescription to good Muslim husbands in how they must respond to their wives.
(I traveled with war correspondent Chuck Holton to the border of Azerbaijan, and Iran. Watch CBN and Newsmax soon for the upcoming news. Here we are recording a clip near our ministry center on the border of Iran.) Check out one his short clips near Azerbaijan:
Emine told me, “I had not really ever read the Qur’an before my husband read that portion of the Qur’an to me. Although I was raised in Iran, I had not studied Islam deeply. I thought a good Muslim meant something else. I was shocked to find out that the Qur’an taught this, and many other abhorrent things. It was through the practical application of a clear command of Allah that I experienced what a ‘good’ Muslim is to behave like. And that was for a man to beat his wife.”
Emine was refreshed to see how the biblical God commands a Christian man to treat a wife, and how a Christian wife is to treat her husband. It stands in complete contrast to the Islamic primary sources
Please pray for her spiritual growth.
International Bible Church of Armenia – Persian Outreach.
Due to persecution and anonymity, it is difficult to estimate the actual number of Muslims coming to faith in Christ. Some have suggested that in Iran alone, there are as many as one million converts, though more conservative figures estimate around 450,000.[1] According to David Garrison, there has never been a time in history wherein so many Muslims have come to faith in Christ (his figures are somewhere between two and seven million).[2]
(Worship at our church in Yerevan)
March 20-25, our International church, and missions students will be doing a street evangelism outreach - engaging Persians that will be coming to Armenia to freely celebrate NowRuz (New Year). We will also have events to invite them to. Please pray that God will send us his lost sheep. Please pray that we will have many open doors to preach, for boldness, wisdom, and that many would turn to Jesus during this week. (This newsletter was not able to be sent out on March 12th, the day it was written. This outreach was amazing, and I will update soon).
(Our church meeting at our new location.)
(Chuck Holton and I overlooking Iran)
If you do pray for our outreach, this YouTube video I made will guide you in how to pray for us:
Agarak Ministry
Please continue to pray for the team leaders in Agarak, A., and S. Pray for unity, protection, wisdom, and open doors for the word to go forth in each village of this unreached area.
(Tuesday evening Bible study at the Agarak ministry center)
(Our ministry team in Agarak is growing. Praise God for answer to prayer for this. We still need many more workers, and more housing.)
Bella needs Surgery
One of the very first and oldest members of the church in Agarak is in need. We are trying to help. A., the team lead and pastor in Agarak is asking for help in this.
“Hello everyone! We have a member in our church plant who is praying for support for her hip surgery. She is currently sick with the flu. Her name is Bella and more information can be found in the video if would like to pray and financially partner with her to make this surgery possible. Thank you!”
Here is a video that A. made about this woman’s situation:
(Bella)
Here is how to help Bella: https://pushpay.com/g/visitgraceway?fnd=yiCWIXSNyMDTs5X3p0c6Fw&lang=en&src=pcgl
Evangelism in earthquake affected areas of Turkey
As you all know, the worst natural disaster in Turkey’s history claimed the lives of over 47,000. I was recently speaking to a Kurdish pastor in Turkey about his own personal loss. Over 25 of his relatives were killed in the earthquake, including his mother-in-law. He also said that over 26 of his relatives are still unaccounted for.
He told me, we could sit in a corner and cry and mourn for days. But at this moment we must share the gospel. He said that God has been encouraging and reminding him of John 15 which states: “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” - John 15:19
He said we really don’t belong to this world. And we are working for Him and His kingdom and we are truly not of this world.
Our Armenian missionaries have mobilized to partner with this man, and others. Below are some of the recent pictures of the relief work, and evangelism.
Dr. Jacob Pursley: Current Situation in Armenia
Please watch this interview to understand the issue with Azerbaijan blocking the Republic of Artsakh off from the world. This impacts our ministry in the region.
https://www.youtube.com/live/m0AocEHBlwM?feature=share
Story of the Van Cats that fled the Armenian Genocide with their owners over 100 years ago.
Watch the short video I made of this here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CorLLwUKaEB/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D
(Van cats have medium length hair, love to swim, and have a blue and green eye.)
Agarak Guest House in Progress - Church Plant in Agarak on the Iranian Border.
As our ministry grows, so does our need for missionary housing. We are in process of making two guest houses.
We have a huge need for funds to remodel two buildings on our properties that will be used for missionary housing. Our ministry center in Agarak, and our new property in K. village, both have two detached buildings that we desire to remodel, and use for missionary housing. We have two couples that have committed to move to help with our ministry, yet we have no place for them to stay. This will be used as their primary housing, and is located on the properties we already own. These two buildings were used as barns, and storage areas. Total amount to remodel, add bathrooms, showers, small kitchen, etc… $12,500 per building. Total needed: $25,000. If you feel led to support these two small homes, please email directly (respond to this email), so I know how much we can designate for these projects. Any amount will help, and this is truly a strategic investment.
(We are trying to complete these homes before May.)
Thank you all for supporting our ministry – you are truly partners in all we do, in this most strategic missions location in the world. Below are the mountains of Ararat (located in Turkey) – the resting place of Noah’s Ark, as seen from Armenia.
Also, Annalee finally got her hamsters – answer to her prayer.
I am grateful for you all,
Jacob Pursley