I find it interesting as I write this on March 3, 2026, it happens to be the Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim is a joyous, Jewish festival celebrating the ending of an evil Persian plot to annihilate the Jews nearly five centuries before the first coming of Jesus Christ. This ancient genocidal plot was foiled through God’s sovereign protection, as He worked miraculously through the help of Queen Esther (read the book of Esther for the full story).
Here we are nearly 2,500 years later and Israel still has enemies in Persia (modern day Iran). And once again, evil and repressive leadership in that nation has communicated their genocidal desire to annihilate Israel (and America). This desire has been well documented for decades since the Ayatollah took power in that historic land. However, with the recent elimination of Ayatollah Khomeini, the nation of Iran and the Middle Eastern region as a whole are at consequential moment.
On this holiday of Purim, I am praying for God once again to protect Israel. But I am also praying for God to liberate the Iranian people and to open a wide door for Gospel advancement. After a more recent revolution in the nation of Egypt, our ministry partner, TC Egypt, has seen over 4,000 people come to know Jesus Christ these past 15 years. May God do a work like this once again now in the nation of Iran!
I encourage you to join me in prayer for the peace and security of Israel (Gen 12:2, Ps 122:6). But may we not forget to pray for the safety and salvation of the Iranian people. “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
I encourage you in a moment like this to be prayerful and not fearful. Read your Bibles, not just the news. Spend more time interceding than speculating. Are we in the last days? Yes, because God has already poured out His Spirit on us (Acts 2:17). Is Jesus about to return? No one knows (Matthew 24:36). We are simply called to be ready (Matthew 24:44) and be found faithful doing what He told us to do (Matthew 28:18-20). May God protect our troops, guide our governing leaders, and may He be glorified through this season of turmoil.
NOTE: Some of you know I was scheduled to lead a group to Egypt this week. I was going to introduce church members to our ministry partner, TC Egypt, and I was going to train a couple hundred Middle Eastern pastors. We were planning to then embark on a special Bible tour throughout that incredible nation. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the trip due to safety concerns. The U.S. State Department issued a warning for Americans to evacuate 14 Middle Eastern nations, including Egypt. While I am disappointed, I do believe we made the wisest decision given the region’s current volatility. I do look forward to leading more groups back to the Middle East in the days to come to see Scripture come alive and experience the remarkable things God is doing. Bring a friend this Sunday, and I look forward to unpacking Genesis chapter three with you.
Onward and Upward,
Dr. Jonathan Spencer
www.jonathanspencer.org 