A personal note from the author:
Hello followers and fellow bloggers! I have some amazing news.
Pastor Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-born pastor from Idaho, USA, traveled into Iran to “visit family and help create plans to build an orphanage” in a city called Tehran. In September of 2012, Pastor Saeed was detained, and imprisoned, in Iran.
Now, over 3 years later, Pastor Saeed has been freed!!! Along with 4 other men of dual-citizenship, Pastor Saeed Abedini was freed from this Iranian prison in the morning hours of January 16th, 2016!!! For all those who have been praying– and for his family and loved ones– this is an amazing, moving answer to prayer!!!! PRAISE JESUS!!!
The ACLJ has said in this video that Pastor Saeed is not currently in the United States, but is in a “safe zone,” along with the four other men who have been freed (Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmati, Nosratollah Khosrawi, and Matthew Trevithchick [source]). Praise be to Jesus!! The number of days in captivity these men endured have been entirely counted and known by Him– and the days of captivity the Chibok girls, and all other captives, must endure, are in His hands as well. Pastor Saeed being freed has shown me something important: that nothing is impossible with Christ, and that prayer truly does work!
Although Christ has given him victory in this, the fight in Pastor Saeed’s life is far from over. In November of 2015, Saeed’s wife, Naghmeh, sent emails to friends, describing Pastor Saeed’s abuse towards her in their marriage, and an addiction to pornography. After writing the emails, they were somehow made public. Naghmeh, a day after they were shared, said that she regretted writing the emails, and was “taking time off to heal and to rest and to spend much needed time with my kids” (ACLJ). Although this is a very dark
thing, Saeed is still loved by Christ in and through all of this. Naghmeh believes that Saeed can be freed from these things, too– and truly, this woman of God is completely correct. “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible‘” (Matthew 19:26).
Please continue praying for Pastor Saeed, his wife, Naghmeh, and his children, Rebekkah and Jacob– especially as his wife, Naghmeh, and his children, see their husband and father for the first time in three years.
As Pastor Saeed has been freed, there are still many in captivity; more than can be numbered. As of January 16th, 2016, thousands lie captive to ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram, while many more thousands lie in prison cells because the government above them wants to do away with Christ followers completely. Will you continue to pray for these men and women, including Pastor Lim and the Chibok girls?
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). As long as there are Christians in prison, we must pray for them– not only that they will be released, but that Christ would use them mightily while they are in prison to bring others (even their persecutors!) to Him. As we rejoice in the freedom we have in Christ, and as we enjoy His near Presence, let us do all we can– in prayer, and in action, as Christ leads– to help liberate our brothers and sisters.
“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”
(Hebrews 13:3, ESV)
To take further action, you can read, sign, and support these two petitions by sharing:
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#FreePastorLim: Get Canadian humanitarian out of North Korean prison!
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Tell President Buhari: Locate the Chibok Girls by April 14th, 2016!
I praise and thank Jesus for your prayers and support. Let us not give up in doing good (Galatians 6:9)!
Be blessed! 🙂
ISAIAH 62 PRAYER MINISTRY 
One response to “Praise Report: The Sweetness of Freedom”
[…] of Christian persecution, many of which have been written about on this blog (such as the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini). A well-known persecuted Christian, Asia Bibi, is living in prison, sentenced to death, for […]
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