Why their rise could be bad news for believers in Iran

Open Doors recently released its updated list of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. The top ten remained largely unchanged, with North Korea, Somalia, and Yemen continuing to hold the top three spots. However, Syria broke onto the list, rising from number eighteen last year to sixth in the latest iteration.

While there are a number of factors that go into Open Doors’ rankings, the primary areas they consider are the extent to which the nation negatively affects a believer’s private life, public life, family, community, and church. Syria ranked high—meaning persecution was rampant—in all five, with the threat of imminent violence tacked on for good measure.

In short, it’s become one of the most dangerous places to live as a Christian, and there are few signs of improvement. However, that is not the case for Syrians in every part of the country. And the reason why could soon prove crucial for their fellow believers in Iran.

Why persecution is rising in Syria

Open Doors notes in their entry on Syria that the pressure Christians face varies by region, with the Northeast generally safer and the greatest pressure coming near the Northwest and in the nation’s two largest cities: Aleppo and Damascus. When the new government took over following the fall of the Assad regime in December of 2024, they met with Christian leaders and pledged to become more moderate than their predecessors. However, that has not been the case.

The government, under the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa, instead established Islamic law as the foundation of the transitional constitution. While that should not come as too much of a surprise, and the nation’s leaders appear to still be wrestling with all that should entail, it has opened the door for extremist groups to expand their activities in several parts of the country.

As Jayson Casper describes, Islamist actors in Damascus and Aleppo “have called for conversion to Islam through trucks laden with loudspeakers in Christian neighborhoods” and “placed posters on churches demanding payment of the sharia-mandated jizyah tax (historically levied on non-Muslims) for those who refuse.” The situation is little better in the South, where Christians face the threat of theft and violence as some Muslim groups in the region “believe they have the right to loot non-Muslim properties.”

And while one local pastor remarked that Evangelicals enjoy “ten times” more freedom than they did under Assad, he also noted that the government is not doing enough to combat the extremist elements within the country.

Syrian believers are hardly the only ones to suffer as a result of a negligent government, though. Open Doors notes that “fragile governments” are one of the leading causes of persecution around the world, and that is particularly important to note given what may be on the horizon for their neighbors in Iran.

Is Iran next?

In this week’s edition of The Focus, I discussed the ongoing protests in Iran and why they could very well result in a change of government. While, as of this writing, it’s looking less likely that America will intervene militarily to support the marches, there’s also a chance they won’t need to.

The threat of American missiles has, for the moment, put an end to the government’s attempts to suppress the protests through murder—though mass arrests have continued—and the economic situation that sparked the protests is not going to get better until the sanctions on Iran are removed and the country can once again engage with the rest of the world market.

The UN sanctions—reimposed last September—could go away if Iran allowed inspectors to monitor their nuclear facilities. That would provide some help, but far more pressure has come from the United States. President Trump has been clear for months that Iran will see no relief until it completely dismantles its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as ends their financing of proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Without those programs and proxies, however, the government of Iran would abdicate the vast majority of what power they have left in the region, which is why they have repeatedly stated that they will not comply. As a result, their days as a regional—much less global—power appear to be at an end, whether that end comes through the government being toppled or through agreeing to essentially topple itself to remain in power.

Either way, the country is in for a great deal of change and, as we’ve seen in Syria, that change can create an even more dangerous climate for the country’s Christians. So, how can they prepare? And what lessons can we take from their situation that might apply to our own lives as well?

Finding peace in the Father

Christ’s promise in John 16:33 is one of the most commonly cited verses in Scripture, particularly in contexts where persecution or hard times feel unavoidable. In that passage, he tells his disciples, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

The “these things” Jesus mentions are in reference to the warning that an hour was coming when his followers would be scattered and abandon him. That’s not exactly something I would find peace in hearing, were I in the disciples’ place. However, the warning was accompanied by the promise that, even when the disciples deserted him, the Father would not (John 16:32).

I’m sure Jesus would have loved to be able to count on his disciples in those final moments before his arrest and crucifixion. He even asked as much of them in the Garden when he requested that they keep watch while he prayed because his soul was “very sorrowful, even to death” (Mark 14:34).

He didn’t need his disciples in those final moments, though, because he had the Father. And the same is true for each of us.

Ideally, when tough times come, you’ll be able to face them with the love and support of friends and family. That’s God’s will for the Body of Christ, but it would be naïve to think that it will always happen that way.

A time will come when people will fail you, just as there are times when you will inevitably fail other people. That’s just part of being human.

When that happens, will you focus on the shortcomings of others or on the presence and faithfulness of your heavenly Father? Jesus was clear that only the latter can grant us peace.

So, whether you find yourself facing persecution on account of your faith or simply going through a rough patch in life, remember that there’s nothing wrong with looking to others for help. It could be that God will bring people into your life or equip those already present with precisely what you need. However, no person can ever take the place of the Lord, and he is the only one who can provide the peace required to remain faithful during those times.

Where do you need that peace today?

Quote of the day:

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through the experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” —Helen Keller

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A Free Press article published this week by geopolitical analysts Matt Pottinger and Roy Eakin begins:

If its first days are anything to go by, 2026 may end up the most pivotal year in geopolitics since 1989, a hinge point that began in a moment of geopolitical calm but ended with the collapse of the Iron Curtain.

Within a few years, the Soviet Union had fallen, the European Union had been born, and an era of hyper-globalized trade took off on the wings of NAFTA and the WTO (World Trade Organization). This year could be equally pivotal—only this time with a vaster range of possible outcomes for world order.

According to the article, a positive reading of such “outcomes” would include the fall of the Iranian regime, which “would deal a major setback to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin’s geostrategic ambitions.” Since Iran is “the de facto proxy for Beijing and Moscow in the Middle East,” they have provided significant support to it as well as several of Iran’s proxies following the start of the war on Israel. Iran, in turn, has supplied drones that Russia uses against Ukraine and oil imports to China. The article suggests that the fall of Tehran could even trigger the destabilization of Beijing itself.

However, the writers state that a negative reading would include the destabilization of NATO over the Trump administration’s designs for Greenland, which could invite Moscow to take military action beyond Ukraine. And the article points to China’s escalating pressure against Taiwan, warning that “if Taiwan does fall, the economic and geopolitical shock to world order would be immense.”

The island nation is tied to American power in the region supporting Japan, South Korea, Australia, and much of Southeast Asia. And since “nearly all the world’s most advanced chips are made in Taiwan,” if China seized control of this supply chain, it would “effectively hold a ‘kill switch’ on American ambitions to lead the AI revolution as well as its ability to compete economically and militarily.”

“I prefer to be true to myself”

How are we to manage our emotional and relational health in a world that seems to whipsaw daily between cataclysmic crises?

According to journalist Sasha Chapin, “congruence” is essential here. Citing the famed psychologist Carl Rogers, he describes it “roughly” as “a state of unity between your experience, your self-concept, and your outward behavior.” In such a state, you “agree with what you’re doing with your time,” refuse falsehoods you attempt to project to others and yourself, and live at peace with who and what you are.

Frederick Douglass offered an example, stating: “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others.” Living in this way elevates us above the maelstrom of media alarmism and political fervor. According to Chapin, we center on our “inner authority” with integrity and integration.

But aspiring to such holistic health is one thing; achieving it is another.

“We must obey God rather than men”

Simon Peter of the Gospels might be the least congruent person in the New Testament.

On his good days, he is walking on the stormy sea to Jesus (Matthew 14:28–29), proclaiming him “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and promising that he will “never fall away” from following his Lord (Matthew 26:33). On his bad days, he is speaking when he should be silent (Matthew 17:4–5), sleeping when he should be praying (Matthew 26:40), and denying Jesus to a “servant girl” (Matthew 26:69–72).

Then came Pentecost and the gift by which Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). The next thing we know, the fearful fisherman is preaching the gospel and leading thousands to Christ (vv. 14–41). He is being used to heal the lame (Acts 3:1–10) and giving the glory to Jesus (vv. 11–26). He is proclaiming the necessity of faith in Christ to the very rulers who crucified his Lord (Acts 4:12) and boldly testifying, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

He ends up pastoring the church in Rome (cf. 1 Peter 5:13) and writing two letters of the New Testament. The largest cathedral of the largest church in the world stands over his traditional gravesite. His faith and life were so congruent that he chose execution over denying Jesus but asked that he be crucified upside down since he was not worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord (cf. 1 Clement and Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History).

Now the same Spirit who transformed Peter stands ready to do the same in us.

“The instrument through which you see God”

A dear friend recently suggested that I read Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God. The author, Jamie Winship, is a former police officer who spent nearly thirty years serving Christ in the Muslim world. His practical guide invites us to experience God’s best for our lives by asking our Lord to:

• Show us where we are not living in truth.
• Expose the false identity that enslaves us.
• Reveal to us our true identity in his eyes and grace.
• Ask him what he wants us to do today in relation to this identity, then pay attention as he speaks through his Spirit, his word, our circumstances, and the people around us.

His inspiring book is filled with examples of God’s miraculous responses to these prayers. As Winship shows, our Father wants to speak to his children. He wants us to walk with him as Enoch “walked” with him before God “took him” home (Genesis 5:24).

When we say to God, “With my whole heart I seek you” (Psalm 119:10), we can pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (v. 18).

Oswald Chambers noted, “Whether or not I hear God’s call depends upon the state of my ears; and what I hear depends upon my disposition.” C. S. Lewis similarly explained that God “shows himself” to us as we are able to receive his revelation:

In other sciences, the instruments you use are things external to yourself (things like microscopes and telescopes), [but] the instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man’s self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred—like the Moon seen through a dirty telescope.

How “clean and bright” is your soul today?

Quote for the day: 

“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” —Mother Teresa

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There is anger on both sides of the aisle this morning.

The right is angry with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after they refused to comply yesterday with a congressional subpoena to testify in an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. They published a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer calling his committee’s attempts “legally invalid.” In response, Mr. Comer said he’ll begin contempt of Congress proceedings against them next week.

The left is angry with the Trump administration after the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome H. Powell. Prosecutors are looking into the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters and whether Mr. Powell lied to Congress about the scope of the project. However, critics believe the action is intended by the administration to pressure the central bank to aggressively cut interest rates.

Whatever our partisan beliefs, both stories illustrate the significance of checks and balances in a democracy.

Congress must be able to investigate current and former presidents so as to hold them accountable to the law. The Federal Reserve was similarly created by Congress in 1913 as an independent agency so it could set interest rates without political interference from Congress or the White House. According to the Brookings Institution, “Central banks in nearly all major capitalist democracies are similarly insulated.” The article explains that politicians could otherwise lower interest rates now at the expense of greater inflation in the future, harming the overall economy.

“The wicked boasts of the desires of his soul”

Forging systems of accountability is not only politically wise but biblically realistic. The psalmist lamented:

The wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lᴏʀᴅ. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.” . . . He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity” (Psalm 10:3–4, 6).

As a result,

He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net (vv. 8–9).

All the while, “He says in his heart, ‘God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it’” (v. 11).

The psalmist therefore prayed, “Arise, O Lᴏʀᴅ; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. . . . Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none” (vv. 12, 15). He can ask this because “the Lᴏʀᴅ is king forever and ever” (v. 16) and will “do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more” (v. 18).

In other words, God provides accountability for the actions of those who are otherwise unaccountable for their crimes. He often does so in this world, such as his judgments against wicked kings in the Old Testament and rulers in the New (cf. Acts 12:20–23). But he always does so in the next world, assuring us that “vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19, quoting Deuteronomy 32:35).

“We have no reason to be angry”

Is God justified in holding us accountable for our actions in this way? After all, his word states that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

However, as St. Basil the Great (AD 330–79) observed,

We have already received from God the ability to fulfill all his commands. We have then no reason to resent them, as if something beyond our capacity were being asked of us. We have no reason either to be angry, as if we had to pay back more than we had received. When we use this ability in a right and fitting way, we lead a life of virtue and holiness. But if we misuse it, we fall into sin.

This makes sense: God cannot be just and judge us for sins we had no ability not to commit. My voice professor in college was frustrated that I did not sing Italian arias as he wanted, but his (unjust) reprobation could not change the capacities (or lack thereof) of my voice.

At the same time, does trying harder really produce holiness?

“Far more abundantly than all that we ask or think”

John warned us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). From David, a man after God’s “heart” (Acts 13:22), to Paul, the greatest theologian in history, all have struggled with temptation and the sin nature of fallen humanity (cf. Romans 7:21–24).

The answer is found in the logic of grace:

• God holds us accountable to his highest intentions for us because this honors his holiness and leads to our best (1 Peter 1:15–16).
• At the same time, he knows that we are unable to achieve this standard in our fallen capacities (cf. James 3:2).
• So his Son died to pay the debt for our sins so his Spirit can now indwell us and empower us to be like Christ (Romans 8:29).

As Paul testified, God is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). The apostle testified that he served Jesus by “struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29). Struggling translates a Greek word meaning to “do one’s best to compete and win a battle.” But Paul did this with all his energy—“according to all God’s action and power”—which God powerfully works within me this very moment.

Thus, we should say with the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, “Save thy servant, that hath none / Help nor hope but thee alone.” But we should also “work heartily in all we do, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

As we work, God works. As we give our best, God gives his best.

Consequently, as I noted on Monday, you and I are as much like Jesus as we want to be today.

Imagine a world like this

Imagine a world filled with Christians living in the holiness of Jesus by the power of Jesus. Imagine the impact on evangelism and missions, war and crime, poverty, racism, and injustice.

Such a world and nothing less is what God wants for and through each of us.

Is this what you want today?

Quote for the day:

“One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.” —Elisabeth Elliot

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