Pastor Youcef Refuses To Recant

The Voice of the Martyrs is reporting the following concerning Iranian pastor Youcef. Earlier this summer, we learned that pastor Youcef was told to recant or be executed; as expected, at his recent hearings, he has refused to recant his faith in Christ -- a decision which could lead to his execution. Here is the story:

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor sentenced to death for apostasy in September 2010, refused to recant his Christian faith during two court hearings held on September 25 and 26, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

In July, the Supreme Court instructed the Revolutionary Tribunal of Gilan Province to review his case to verify whether he was previously a practicing Muslim (for more information, click here).

At the recent hearings, the court in Rasht ruled that Pastor Youcef was not a practicing Muslim before becoming a Christian but that he remains guilty of apostasy because of his Muslim ancestry. Further sessions have reportedly been scheduled for September 27 and 28. If Pastor Youcef continues to refuse to recant his faith, it is expected that he will be executed.
For the full report, click here.

Please pray!

• Pray for continued strength and grace for Pastor Youcef. 

• Pray that all charges against him will be dropped. 

• Pray that Pastor Youcef will rely on the Lord to give him the words to say when he stands before accusing authorities (Matthew 10:19). 

• Pray that Iranian authorities will act justly in this case.