You've probably noticed the stories in the news media since last year about the pastor in Iran who faces execution because he converted from Islam to Christianity.

One encouraging development in this case is that our friend Jay Sekulow is now on it. You may recall that Jay took our case in Georgia all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court back in 1992-93. (Authorities at Stone Mountain State Park had expelled one of our missionaries for passing out tracts on public property. We took the position that it was a violation of his right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Jay handled all of the legal work in that landmark case and didn't charge us a dime—and we have never forgotten it.) Now he and his son Jordan are on the firing line fighting for Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. You can read the story on the ACLJ website: click here.

If I were in Pastor Nadarkhani's predicament right now, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have going to bat for me than Jay, Jordan, and the ACLJ.

Here's a summary of the case published in Christianity Today last year: click here.

To read an unofficial translation of the ruling of Iran's supreme court (released by Fox News) click here. The reason this document is important is that the Iranians are now claiming that they are executing the pastor for the crime of rape, not merely apostasy from Islam. However, the actual supreme court document says nothing about rape. What it does say is this: "[The pastor] must repent his Christian faith if this is the case. No research has been done to prove this, if it can be proved that he was a practicing Muslim as an adult and has not repented, the execution will be carried out."

When I was a youngster, my dad once caught me in a lie. He said, "Son, if you just always tell the truth, you won't have to try to remember what you've said." That was good advice! The Iranians would do well to live by that simple rule. One of their problems is that they tell so many lies, at times, they can't keep them straight. In this case, they can't decide precisely why they want to kill this evangelical pastor. They're saying one thing publicly, but the actual court documents tell another story.

Secretary of State Clinton was a little slow, at first, to condemn this ridiculous kangaroo trial in Iran; however, she and her people at State have finally stepped up to the plate. Last month (December 2011), Ms. Clinton called for the immediate and unconditional release of Pastor Nadarkhani. To read CBN's story about the State Department's action, click here.

I say, better late than never!

So the question remains: will Pastor Nadarkhani be executed by hanging, like they're threatening to do? Most of our friends in that part of the world are telling us they don't think the Iranians will actually carry out the execution. It would be a public relations nightmare for the mullahs. It would put them on the same level as the Islamists who beheaded Daniel Pearl, a Jewish journalist, in Pakistan in 2002 with cameras rolling.

On the other hand, the Iranians aren't exactly known for acting or speaking rationally. In some ways, it seems like they feed on negative publicity. They love being hated and detested by the "corrupt west." Furthermore, the only people whose opinions they value are fanatical crazies like themselves who would consider the murderers of Daniel Pearl heroes. So who, really, knows what the Iranian mullahs might do?

Let's pray that the the Lord Yeshua the Messiah will use the testimony of that faithful preacher to touch the hearts of the Iranian people. May they come to realize that the Jewish Messiah is indeed "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Pray, too, for strength for Brother Yousef's family during these trying times and for his soon and safe return to them.