Michtam

This morning I read Psalm 57. The introductory verse reads:

For the Chief Musician; Al- tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam; when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

The word Michtam immediately grabbed me. Michtam is first used in Psalm 16, then again in Psalms 57-60. A common definition for the word Michtam is “golden,” from which we are to infer that these Psalms are special, worthy of gold. Charles Spurgeon, in Treasury of David, used the term precious, and tells us that one of his friends believes Michtam means secret, as in a precious secret within this Psalm.

It occurs to me how easy it is to get carried away with this idea a secret. Look at all the self-help books that imply there are easy remedies to our problems kept secret from us and if we will buy the book, the author will guide us into truth. Huh! Arrogance. Foolishness. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us; there are things hidden and secret, and He will bring us into the truth.

Back to Michtam. “Rashi suggests that this word refers to an item that a person carries with him at all times. Thus, David here describes this Psalm as containing ideas that he would carry with him at every stage and setting throughout the life, concepts that he deemed vital as part of his day-to-day spiritual awareness.” —Daily Tehillim

The writer of Psalms Blogger refers to another writer who suggests Michtam means “hidden.” Stuff happens in our lives that we don’t understand, its real purpose is “hidden” from us. Ours isn’t to question why, but simply trust. “All things work for the good. . .” even if at the moment the situation isn’t understood or pleasant.

For me, all the definitions fit well in the context of Psalm 57. There are lessons we can learn from King David’s way of turning to G-d as his hiding place, as his refuge. The Psalm is based on King David’s experience of nearly being discovered by King Saul (see Samuel chapter 24), who entered the cave in which King David was hiding. I read the Psalm and see a wealth of wisdom hidden in what could be a simple Psalm. For the perilous days ahead, we can carry with us this Psalm. We can keep a literal print copy to carry with us and remind us of how Kind David handled the seemingly disastrous situations of his life. We can hold the wisdom of this Psalm, as we do all the promises and covenants we are given, in our hearts. We know that as G-d covered King David, keeping him safe, so G-d’s covering over us will keep us safe. We, like King David, will turn to our L-rd Y’shuaJesus Who is the anointed of G-d to redeem us.

Thinking of things secret and hidden: sometimes there are things that the Psalms “speak” to our hearts that we need not have directly explained to us by any teacher. This is true, too, of all the Bible. I am reminded of a comment by a writer friend about the end of one of my stories. He wanted me to “explain” the ending something like “the moral of the story is. . .” While I gratefully accepted his suggestion, I didn’t act on it. Some things a writer shouldn’t “spell” out; it’s up to the reader to infer or interpret the moral from the story itself. Our L-rd Y’shuaJesus understood this when He spoke about parables, and their usage. Paul spoke about the Gospel being hidden from those that are perishing.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. —2 Corinthians 4:3-6

In the context of the Bible, it is the L-rd Who opens our minds to the hidden, seemingly secret wisdom. We seek Him and we find Him, and we find the meaning of His Words. If we carry these various understandings in our hearts, we will find ourselves sheltered beneath the “wings of G-d.”

And if you find someone who wants to tell you all the secrets of the Bible, run. . .

Psalm 55

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
God, You will bring them down
to the Pit of destruction;
men of bloodshed and treachery
will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.
v22,23

This Psalm is explained and its lessons addressed at Daily Tehillim: “. . .according to the Radak and other commentators, was composed during the rebellion mounted by Avshalom, David’s son. Specifically, this prayer was written in response to the news that Ahitofel, David’s skilled and renowned advisor and strategist, had sided with Avshalom. We read in the Book of Shemuel II (15:31) that upon hearing of Ahitofel’s support for Avshalom, David prayed, “Foil Ahitofel’s plan, O God!” David was well aware of Ahitofel’s brilliance and experience in military strategy and thus realized Avshalom’s distinct advantage in this campaign. It appears that Psalm 55 presents the complete version of the prayer David offered in response to Ahitofel’s siding with Avshalom, to which the verse in Shemuel II only very briefly alludes.

“Although David makes no explicit reference here to Avshalom or Ahitofel, speaking generally about the “enemy” and “wicked man” (verse 4), the context of this chapter can be inferred from a number of verses in which David describes his current plight. Firstly, he speaks of the turmoil and chaos that has gripped the “city” (verses 10-12), which likely refers to David and his followers’ frantic departure from Jerusalem and Avshalom’s takeover of the capital city. Even more revealingly, David describes his adversary as somebody who has not been his foe, as a person whom David had actually always admired, to whom he had looked for guidance, and with whom he would frequently confide (verses 13-15). Later, he describes a person who betrays his comrades and speaks in false and deceitful flattery (verses 21-22). These descriptions accurately portray Ahitofel, David’s longtime loyal advisor and confidant who has now committed himself to David’s destruction.

“This Psalm expresses the sense of fear, loneliness and dejection that results from being betrayed by one’s loyal peers. Ahitofel’s betrayal leaves David in a state of such anxiety and disorientation that he wishes he could just fly like a bird to an uninhabited wilderness where he could seek refuge, as if entering an insulated building during a rainstorm (verses 7-9). Having always depended upon Ahitofel’s wise counsel and guidance, David now feels particularly lost, vulnerable and powerless.

“We all encounter situations where a condition to which we have grown accustomed suddenly changes, leaving us disoriented and with a feeling of lonely helplessness. David here advises, “Cast your burden upon God, and he shall support you” (verse 23). When left in a state of loneliness and vulnerability, a person must remember that the Almighty has not left him, and whatever basis for support that has been lost can be replaced by God Himself, who is capable of rescuing an individual from even the most difficult and seemingly insurmountable predicaments.” (emphasis added)

Goodness and Mercy Follows Believers

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. Psalm 23:6

King David experienced the goodness and mercy of G-d and, according to Rabbinic tradition, “composed this Psalm upon arriving in the Charet Forest during his flight from King Shaul (Shemuel I 22:5). This was a particularly arid and barren region, which offered David no hope at all for survival. According to tradition, G-d miraculously provided David with “the goodness of the world to come” to sustain him during his stay in the otherwise uninhabitable forest. David responds by giving praise to G-d for His ability to provide a person’s needs under even the harshest conditions.” (Daily Tehillim)

In his commentary, The Reverend Matthew Henry wrote “Past experience teaches believers to trust that the goodness and mercy of God will follow them all the days of their lives, and it is their desire and determination, to seek their happiness in the service of God here, and they hope to enjoy his love for ever in heaven. While here, the Lord can make any situation pleasant, by the anointing of his Spirit and the joys of his salvation. But those that would be satisfied with the blessings of his house, must keep close to the duties of it.”

Experience. Both Kind David and Rev. Henry experienced hardship during their lives. Like King David, Rev. Henry knew G-d as Shepherd as well as Father and King. I suppose that they each, as they aged, were able to look back upon their lives and see the signs that G-d was ever presence. They testify to all Believers that despite how we may feel during what we perceive as a crisis in our lives, G-d sustains us, will take us through times that seem devastating, yet when we look back upon them later, they were but shadows of death.

Point One: “Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow. . .” shows boldness and intimacy concerning the LORD. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” wrote the author of Hebrews in 4:16. Confidence is displayed in King David’s bold proclamation. It is no simple prayer requesting goodness and mercy, but a statement that it goodness and mercy not only do at the present time follow, but have followed King David in his walk with the LORD, and will continue to do so.

I did a quick web search on “building confidence” and came back with 28 million results in .38 seconds. The first page contained links that all dealt with having self-confidence and boosting self-confidence. King David was a fine leader and military commander, yet his confidence was not in himself, but in the G-d of Israel, our G-d. King David was quick to point out that there was someone greater than he, to Whom his knee bowed. “Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me. . .” declares that the King of Israel was not greater than the least in the nation, for all are sheep in the Shepherd’s flock.

Point Two: King David wrote that the LORD “makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters,” (Psalm 23:2). Green pastures and tranquil water. We, too, as followers and believers, are led across green pastures; we walk beside tranquil water. We don’t always see these pastures. We don’t always notice the still water. We look with our physical eyes, rather than with the eyes of our hearts. Are we not myopic? We become obsessed with the valley of darkness that looms over us? Our immediate crisis takes over our lives, seemingly trying to possess us. The Lord is our refuge: He’s our ever-present green pasture offering the solace of still, untroubled waters. We need only seek Him, and with the eyes of our hearts see the green pasture in which we may reveal. In Him we are drawn into the peace of tranquil waters. “Surely goodness and mercy” follow us all the days of our lives.

Point Three: Daily Bread. Daily Sustenance. The goodness of the LORD follows us daily. This is a principle that drives our journey with our Lord: we must look daily for the sustenance He provides. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not,” (Exodus 16:14). Y’shuaJesus reiterated this principle when He taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” (Matthew 6:11). Our Shepherd knows us. Too little and we are tempted to steal, too much we are tempted to ignore our Provider.

“After the things of God’s glory, kingdom, and will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of this present life. Every word here has a lesson in it. We ask for bread; that teaches us sobriety and temperance:and we ask only for bread; not for what we do not need. We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry:we do not ask for the bread of others, nor the bread of deceit, Proverbs 20:17; nor the bread of idleness, Proverbs 31:27, but the bread honestly gotten. We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend upon Divine Providence. We beg of God to give it us; not sell it us, nor lend it us, but give it. The greatest of men must be beholden to the mercy of God for their daily bread. We pray, Give it to us. This teaches us a compassion for the poor. Also that we ought to pray with our families. We pray that God would give it us this day; which teaches us to renew the desires of our souls toward God, as the wants of our bodies are renewed. As the day comes we must pray to our heavenly Father, and reckon we could as well go a day without food, as without prayer,” wrote Rev. Henry.

Summing it up, We display in our lives boldness and confidence in Y’shuaJesus, so that like King David, we may declare that goodness and mercy follow us. Look again at the words of Rev. Henry, “experience teaches believers to trust that the goodness and mercy of God will follow them all the days of their lives.” We learn to trust through the lives of others who have experienced the way of G-d. We gain this experience our selves, as we live and walk with the Lord. In both these ways we set aside the physical eyesight, to see with the eyes of our heart, to walk at peace with the Lord. Finally, we walk with the Lord, like the cliche, “one day at a time.” He is our Daily Bread, the Bread of Life.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah — Psalm 46:1-3

Ebola Update

The following is an update on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Anita Femiano, from Renewal Ministries Fellowship, is in regular contact with pastors throughout Africa and Asia who have provided a wealth of information.

“When we unite together in prayer even the worst, most terrible situations can be transformed into testimonies of praise. We are beginning to hear such testimonies from Liberia and Sierra Leone, nations that have been so devastated by the Ebola outbreak.

“In May 2014 Ebola was spread from Guinea to the city of Kenema in Sierra Leone. A woman turned up at the Kenema hospital with a fever, and was bleeding heavily after a miscarriage. She and 13 others had become infected at the funeral of a ‘traditional healer’ who had been ‘treating’ Ebola victims in neighbouring Guinea. These people had brought the virus into Sierra Leone and it started spreading throughout the nation. As the hospital started collapsing under the weight of the ensuing epidemic the Red Cross built a treatment centre there. Now some of those who have recovered from the virus are returning to the Red Cross treatment centre to be trained to help others suffering from Ebola. As these Ebola survivors were interviewed on a secular radio program each one gave glory to God as they shared that their recovery was due to their prayers and the prayers of their family, friends and church. One young man testified that after he had been diagnosed people gathered to pray for him and he suddenly felt better and went on to recover fully. These ones who have recovered now have some immunity to the disease and so, instead of hiding in fear, they are boldly returning to the very place where they suffered so much and learning to care for others who are now suffering.

“Contrary to all predictions and expectations the Ebola infection rate in Liberia (the country worst hit by this virus) has started declining. There are empty beds in treatment centres and the number of burials has declined. There may be as much as a 25 percent week-on-week reduction in cases in Liberia.

“This does not mean that the crisis is over. Around 4,000 children in Sierra Leone have now lost one or both parents to Ebola. In Monrovia countless children are left orphaned by Ebola, then shunned by neighbours terrified to even touch them. Liberia and Sierra Leone are suffering food shortages (many small farming communities have lost 30-40% of their population so food production has become most difficult) and huge price increases are making life difficult for everyone in these nations. The health systems in both nations have suffered terribly and people are dying of treatable diseases and complicated labours because so much is consumed with Ebola that these health needs are not being met. A decline in the infection rate is not yet a defeat of the disease, it can easily have a resurgence – we need to remain vigilant in our prayers and continue upholding our brothers and sisters in these nations.

“Be encouraged by the ways that God is answering our prayers and keep on praying until we see this disease eliminated and these nations restored.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Thank You Lord for the Victory

Matthew Henry wrote: “Wherever we are, we may speak to God, and worship him. God must have the praise of that which encourages our faith. And his providence must be acknowledged in events, though small and seemingly accidental”

And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house. . . -Deuteronomy 26:11

It is shameful that I so often forget, in my living and in my praying, that thankfulness and gratitude go much further to bring me into the Holy Presence of the Lord Y’shuaJesus than all my good requests and good intentions. And to live, authentically, I must live in His presence. Saying “Thank You, Lord” when things work out is all well and fine. However, it’s a mark of true Christian Character that when things are difficult, things are rough, when trials are like fire licking my feet, that a man or woman in Messiah’s Care can rejoice in thankfulness to a G-d Who is personal, Who is loving, Who is faithful to show His Light after a long walk through a dark valley.

In these times, which appear to be close to the Last Days, peace with G-d is paramount and is sought by many. We as Believers in Messiah Y’shuaJesus understand the truth that the only way to have that peace is through Y’shuaJesus. We are warned that many will come in the Name of G-d saying many things. We are warned that we will be persecuted for our Truth. So there is physical trials we must endure. But there are other trials: for we battle a spiritual enemy that delights in emotionally battering us. We have feelings that betray us, disrupt our peace. As we are inundated with thoughts and fears, we pray for help and deliverance. We feel like we are dying, perhaps. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, or so goes the saying today. We must remember that we are not going to die. So all these hardships, both physical and emotional, only makes us stronger.

Being thankful to G-d isn’t thanking G-d for the trials, necessarily. Being thankful and rejoicing in that thankfulness, is remembering the past deliverance that G-d has done personally in our lives. Remember the time He did . And being thankful to G-d is rejoicing in the remembrance of those times of His deliverance. I can certainly begin a prayer with “Oh, Lord, please save me. . .” and proceed to go at length talking to Him about all that concerns me, that threatens me, that makes me feel so badly. But how much better it is when I say, “I praise you Lord, I thank You. For in times past You have rescued me and You have shown me that You were near me though I didn’t feel Your presence. Thank You that even today, even now, I can understand that despite how I feel, You are there with me. Together I will overcome, in Your Name by Your Power.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Love one another

How about loving those who torment and persecute you, too. Is it an easy task? Maybe it helps to consider what the Apostle Paul wrote, and how Matthew Henry interprets it.

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Philippians 1:28

“He exhorts them to courage and constancy in suffering: And in nothing terrified by your adversaries, Php_1:28. The professors of the gospel have all along met with adversaries, especially at the first planting of Christianity. Our great care must be to keep close to our profession, and be constant to it: whatever oppositions we meet with, we must not be frightened at them, considering that the condition of the persecuted is much better and more desirable than the condition of the persecutors; for persecuting is an evident token of perdition. Those who oppose the gospel of Christ, and injure the professors of it, are marked out for ruin. But being persecuted is a token of salvation. Not that it is a certain mark; many hypocrites have suffered for their religion; but it is a good sign that we are in good earnest in religion, and designed for salvation, when we are enabled in a right manner to suffer for the cause of Christ. – For to you it is given on the behalf of Christ not only to believe, but also to suffer for his name, Php_1:29. Here are two precious gifts given, and both on the behalf of Christ: – 1. To believe in him. Faith is God’s gift on the behalf of Christ, who purchased for us not only the blessedness which is the object of faith, but the grace of faith itself: the ability or disposition to believe is from God. 2. To suffer for the sake of Christ is a valuable gift too: it is a great honour and a great advantage; for we may be very serviceable to the glory of God, which is the end of our creation, and encourage and confirm the faith of others. And there is a great reward attending it too: Blessed are you when men shall persecute you, for great is your reward in heaven, Mat_5:11, Mat_5:12. And, if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him, 2Ti_2:12.” Matthew Henry.

We are to know two things, if nothing else: first, though we suffer trials at the hands of others, are persecuted beyond what we feel is fair or deserved, those who contribute the our suffering are worse off for it that we, for they are marked for ruin; second, our suffering, when enabled to suffer for the cause of Messiah, marks us for salvation in Messiah. We are blessed; they are damned.

English: oasis (Algeria) — Oasis in Algeria (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we look our tormenter in the face, can we imagine him or her in hell seeing us in Heaven? Probably not. But imagine it this way. Imagine a small park in the middle of the desert, an oasis. We sit upon green grass beneath tall trees. A breeze blows cool air over us. We sing songs, dance, and talk with Y’shuaJesus, who is always present on our oasis with us. Outside the edge of the green is brown sand. It is dry, hot, horrid. An unrelenting burns the skin of those marked for ruin, for damnation. Through baked eyes they look into the oasis they can never enter. Through parched lips they call for help. We don’t see them anymore, but for all eternity they see those they’ve mistreated, tortured, persecuted.

When we are maligned for the cause of Christ, we do best to turn our anger upon the one is causing the torment–the devil and his rebellious minion. Our struggle is not, as Paul has said, against flesh and blood, but against the rulers in the dark realm. . .

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Trample on The Name of Jesus or else. . .

. . .be kicked out of class. Those were the options, according to reports, in a college class in Florida. Hum. What if I decided to make my college class trample on the name of Mohammed. Fatwa time. Big time price on my head. Oh, and I’d be fired on the spot.

Florida Atlantic University student Ryan Rotela provides example of Jesus’ name written on paper that students were instructed to stamp on in March, 2013 class. (source: WPEC-TV)

Read about this injustice and the student that refused to trample on the Name of Jesus here.

My Prayer:
Well, Lord, Bless student Ryan Rotela for his stand against the professor’s acts of violence against Your Name. Mr. Rotela glorified You, and should You desire Mr. Rotela to be exonerated, let it be done. Else, let him find peace and acceptance in another university, if one can be found, that is worthy of him.

As for instructor Deandre Poole. . . You, Lord, know what is best, what course of action is necessary. This professor, and all supporters of him, are trampling upon Your Holiness. They have that right, that freedom under America’s Constitution. But to demand that of others! Is not this akin to the sins of Nebuchadnezzar? Requiring a form of idolatry of others whether requiring worship or violence against G-d, is anathema. Is it not? This is a professor who is currently writing a book that sounds as if it will place a man in the position of a god. He is authoring the book, Obamamania: The Rise of a Mythical Hero. It’s Your choice, LORD. Bring Mr. Poole to his knees before You now. Bring him to repentance now. He doesn’t realize that he will one day kneel before You and confess that You are LORD. Let him do so now, that he may live, else he shall forever live apart from You. Should You desire, discredit him today that his book be smeared openly with its darkness, that it not deceive, that it not be accepted in the marketplace where it might deceive sheep who know no better.

LORD, it concerns me that people want to elevate their leaders to the ranks of mythical heroes, i.e., Greek gods. The people of Germany did this already in the 1930s, and a lot of people died as a direct result. LORD, act as You wish, as You know best. Save Americans from the misguided actions and words of those throughout our land who don’t know You. Else shall we all perish and be no more to offer praise to You, LORD. Your Will be Done, here on Earth as it is in Heaven.

AMEN.

Lord Bless y’all. . .

A pastor in Pakistan wrote the following letter:

Shalom,
I think END TIME started since 2013 beginning in Pakistan.
I personally visited Joseph Colony and talked to the people about the number of homes burned in this tragic incident, but exact number is missing, yet Govt. will prepare 257 homes there.

Introduction.
This is a pure Christian colony, only one Muslim family was staying there at rent with a Christian family, and at last this association become a conflict, and it created such a terrible incident.

Reason.
Thursday last[7th March] both of these families quarrel with each other at drinking table and insulted and humiliated, blaming and abusing each other, and in the end it become Blaspheme. The very Christian person Sawan Masih was arrested under rule, he was in police station at that time, mean while it was planned by Muslims and police requested the people to exit the colony and save themselves. People do so and took refuge in their relatives homes in Lahore considering we will come back when all the matter will resume.
After 36 hours the mob gathered and they have a special ammunition material with them as well as equipped with guns, revolvers, and all type of arms run over the colony. They looted first and then set fire each home, not a single left.

Damages.
The mob looted their household things first, and which they could not able to take with them they burned at the place. The burned things are TVs, Fridges, Washing machines, Almarahs, sewing machines, bikes, cycles, boxes, clothes, household utensils, wooden beds, blankets and quilts, gas pipe lines and electricity connections, fans burned and melted on the ceiling, double and triple stories buildings are destroyed in such a manner that they are no more in use. Iron was melted and bricks were in powder form.

Help.
Government has announced to make new homes for them, and PKR 500000/= as help. Now people from all over Pakistan visit them and serve the with food and other necessities of life. Even Govt. is also providing necessities of life for them. At this time they are sitting and living in tents provided to them by different agencies.

Recommendation.
They all are needy so being brothers and sisters in Christ we must help them and pray for them.
In Him

[Name Withheld for the Pastor’s Protection]

Saeed’s Wife: Iran Doesn’t Know Who They’re Dealing With

It seems like a story from a movie. Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-born pastor with U.S. citizenship, is serving eight years in one of the worst prisons in Iran for doing nothing more than preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

For his wife and children, this story is all too real.

Saeed and Naghmeh Abedini’s love story began in Iran. Naghmeh has been an American citizen since she was a child, but in 2001, she felt God calling her to go back to her homeland to minister to Muslim women.

One night, in an underground church in Tehran, she first saw Saeed. The young preacher was leading worship in one of the churches he helped start.

When asked why she fell in love with Saeed, Naghmeh answered: “His passion. As a young woman I always prayed, ‘Lord, I can’t marry someone who is mediocre.’ But I had no idea how He would answer my prayer, no idea it would be so radical.”

Not long afterward, the couple married in Iran. Their wedding drew hundreds of well-wishers and aroused the suspicion of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

“Our wedding, our union was miraculous because we were both Muslim converts allowed to have a Christian union,” Naghmeh said. “Bibles were passed out; people are still getting saved from that day. It was not a wedding day, it was a crusade.”

Some might say that it takes a special bride to share her big day with others.

“You imagine that day is all about you — it wasn’t but Jesus shined and that’s what we both wanted!” she said.

A Fairytale Becomes a Nightmare

Today, nine years and two children later, Naghmeh is living her worst nightmare.

Last July, during one of Saeed’s routine trips to Iran to establish a government-endorsed orphanage, he was detained and put under house arrest.

In January, the Iranian Revolutionary Court’s so called “hanging judge” sentenced him to eight years in Iran’s brutal and deadly Evin prison. His only crime was preaching the Gospel.

Officials at Evin prison are known for leaving on display the hanged bodies of executed criminals in an attempt to terrify inmates and their family members.

“Just the name really scared me. I’ve had family members who were hanged at that prison, abused, raped,” Naghmeh said.

She is not allowed any personal contact with her husband. Before his sentencing, Saeed was allowed to Skype with his family. But now Naghmeh can only learn news about her husband from reports and letters from her family in Iran.

The latest information is that Saeed is being tortured and pressured to renounced his faith, but Naghmeh said he will never turn his back on Jesus Christ.

“They don’t know who they’re dealing with. It almost made me smile. He would never renounce his faith,” she said.

A Mother’s Heartbreak

No matter how much faith she has in her husband and her God, Naghmeh said it’s difficult to watch her children suffer.

“As a woman, God’s given me the grace to go to Him for comfort, but as a Mom it’s a stab in my heart to see them struggling,” she said. “My son’s character has changed. He’s not as talkative. My daughter, as a girl, cries a lot, ‘Daddy, daddy…where are you?’ They draw pictures of sad children crying, missing their daddy.”

She admitted that she sank into despair for a time.

“I was on the edge of extreme depression, anxiety … almost had to check myself in. But the Lord didn’t let me break…He gave me such peace, such joy,” she said.

“I said, ‘Lord, in Philippians You promise to give peace,’ and He gave me peace,” she continued. “The Scripture is true. He does give peace and that’s my testimony. He’s bigger than the dark hole. Hold on to Him, he’ll get you through.”

Campaign for Saeed’s Release

In the meantime, the American Center for Law and Justice is going full throttle with both a legal and a media campaign to free Saeed.

ACLJ Director Jordan Sekulow said publicity could be a life-saver for Saeed, just as it was for Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkharni. He had been sentenced to death for his Christian faith, but late last year, after a major publicity and prayer campaign, Nadarkhani was freed.

Sekulow told CBN News that putting international pressure on the Iranian regime is the best chance to see Abedini walk free.

“[The] only chance is if people speak out…Chance wise, surviving one day is not great. You could be beaten to death by guards or fellow inmates. If the story is talked about people don’t get beaten as badly,” he said.

People are talking about his case. Nearly 500,000 people have signed the “Save Saeed” petition on the ACLJ’s website and several Christian musicians are also speaking out on his behalf.

Watch Here: Mercy Me, Josh Turner, Michael W. Smith, Toby Mac

Secretary of State John Kerry promised to work for Saeed’s freedom but has made no public comment on the matter since being sworn in.

Naghmeh said she believes prayer — not government — will free her husband and feeds her hope that one day she’ll see him again.

“My flesh wants to say, ‘He’s not going to survive that prison,’ but when I pray, I feel like the Lord, the God of hope, tells me: It’s in His time. He will release Saeed.”

You can sign the American Center for Law and Justice’s petition to free Saeed here.
Related Stories:
Imprisoned Pastor’s Wife: Nightmare is Not Over
Iran Prison Letter: US Pastor Describes Torture
Source: CBN News