the persecuted church: Saeed Abedini

Ephesians 3:20 

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…"

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SO much goes on around this world that we aren't even aware of. So many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being beaten and persecuted and murdered… we don't spend time thinking about them or praying for them and we aren't willing to open our eyes to see the reality of this world. Things aren't so bad for us, not yet anyways, and because we tend to spend so much of our time forgetting that there is more to the battle of Jesus than what we see personally each day - we are completely ignorant. We spend our day {our lives} building for ourselves a comfortable life, a beautiful home, a better status and reputation. We want to advance ourselves in society to make things easier for ourselves. We forget that we are in a war - a spiritual battle. Events are taking place all over the world that we can't even fathom because in our american culture - everyone has rights to believe what they want… but we all know the end of that is coming soon. To hear of a fellow christian serving in a brutal prison is heartbreaking, but in some parts of the world - that is THEIR reality! That is their day-to-day threat.

Pastor Saeed Abedini.

A 33-year-old American Pastor who is serving an 8 year sentence in one of Iran's toughest prisons simply for sharing his Christian Faith. 

"On 28 July 2012, during a visit to Tehran to visit family and to finalize the board members for an orphanage he was building in Iran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard detained Saeed, asserting that he must face criminal charges for his Christian faith. After intense interrogations, Saeed was placed under house arrest and told to wait for a court summons. On 26 September 2012, instead of receiving a summons telling him where to appear, five members of the Revolutionary Guard raided Saeed’s parents’ home in Tehran, confiscated many of Saeed’s belongings, and took him to an unknown location. After four days the Revolutionary Guard informed the family that Saeed was in solitary confinement in the notorious Evin Prison. During solitary confinement, Saeed was only brought out of his small, dark cell to be subjected to abusive interrogations."

• "Saeed had been denied medical treatment for infections that resulted from beatings. The ward doctor and nurse refused to treat him because, as a Christian, he was considered “unclean” and an infidel. Saeed’s family in Tehran may visit Saeed on Mondays, but he is not permitted to make phone calls, cutting him off from his wife and two young children in the U.S."
• "In late February it became known that Saeed was suffering from internal bleeding, an injury from beatings he endured during interrogations. Doctors examined Saeed in early March and determined that his injuries warranted immediate attention, and, in their medical opinion, he needed to be treated in a non-prison hospital. For a month, the Iranian regime ignored this advice. In an attempt to appease international pressure, on 8 April 2013, the Saeed was taken to a private hospital. Before doing so, guards forced Saeed to change his prison uniform to that of a murderer. Saeed resisted, the guards beat him, and forced him to wear the uniform. When Saeed arrived at the hospital he was never admitted or treated because, according to the guards, the doctor on staff was not present. Saeed has reported that several cellmates, who appear to be connected to the Iranian intelligence police, have threatened to suffocate Saeed while he sleeps."
• "Recently, Saeed’s condition became even more serious. Having been denied medical attention, he was thrown into solitary confinement. Beforehand, Saeed complained of kidney pain. He and the several other prisoners wrote a letter to prison officials in peaceful protest of lack of access to medical attention. In response, Iranian officials placed ten prisoners under solitary confinement, Saeed among them. Last time he was in solitary confinement, his medical condition substantially worsened. There is no reason to believe this time will be different. Saeed is now cut off from any visitation."
• "A petition has been started in Saeed’s name, and it quickly received overwhelming media attention. Secretary of State John Kerry has called for his release, the White House has called for his release, and the House of Representatives held an emotional hearing that highlighted Pastor Saeed's plight. Multiple nations have called for Saeed's release, and ACLJ attorneys have argued his case before the United Nations. Saeed’s petition has over 610,000 signatures and a letter writing campaign to encourage Saeed has garnered over 50,000 letters. Artists such as Toby Mac, Michael W Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mercy Me, Skillet, Relient K, and Audio Adrenaline have been involved, and lent their voices to raise awareness."
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• Pastor Saeed has been in prison for now 414 days.
• Leaving 2506 days left to be served.
• All because He proclaimed the gospel in a dark world.
• Unfortunately, in a disturbing turn of events, Saeed has very recently been transferred to one of the deadliest prisons in the world: Rajai Shahr
• "Rajai Shahr is the place where political prisoners who are seen as a nuisance, are stowed away. Going to Karaj is a severe punishment. Once in there one stops to be a human being. One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press. In Rajaï Shahr, political prisoners have to share cells with dangerous criminals like murderers, rapists and drug addicts who don’t hesitate to attack their cell mates. They have nothing to lose: many of them are condemned to death anyway. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence."
• Rajai Shahr was built to house 5,000 inmates, but at present the prison holds roughly 22,000 inmates. Such overcrowding has led to deadly and inhuman conditions. There is no access to fresh air or proper nutrition. Diseases are widespread. This prison is a place where those who are 'hopeless' to be free are sent for their remaining life - which has been proven to decrease significantly due to the conditions. I was considering sharing a few pictures of this prison, but the brutality of the events which take place here keep me from doing so. Images are too graphic to even glance at. 

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How much time do we spend praying for the persecuted church? It's time we start… It's time to start praying ceaselessly for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini. Pray for his release, for his protection, for his courage. Pray for his family in the USA who have no communication with him at this point. Pray and Pray hard. 

Please share this with YOUR friends to help create awareness.

*listen to Pastor Saeeds Letter*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvTS-V0nxc0

*sign the petition and learn more*
http://beheardproject.com/saeed