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Excerpts from The Gospel in Bonds
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"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Tertullian, 1st century AD |
Back in the 1920s, a young American Christian accepted God's call to a distant mission field in Siberia. Already fluent in the Russian language, Peter Vins left his homeland and traveled to Russia where Stalin now reigned and Christians faced cruel persecution. There he started a small church and began to spread the wonderful hope and promises in God's Word.
In 1927, Peter married Lydia Zharikova. Their only son, Georgi, was born in 1928. By that time, Stalin's henchmen were busy persecuting Christians and shutting down churches. Since Peter refused to abandon his church and faith, he faced arrest and imprisonment again and again. He was executed in 1937.
Peter's only son Georgi would follow in his footsteps. He was baptized in 1944 and married his precious bride Nadia in 1952. Ten years later, God sent him out to preach the gospel to the persecuted church and he soon became a leader in the Christian "underground" movement. Traveling and preaching in hidden groves and secret places, he soon became a frustrating target for the KGB.
Georgi was arrested in 1966 and faced three years of cruel imprisonment. That didn't stop his ministry! Then, in 1974, he was sentenced to ten years of hard labor in northern Siberia's work camps. By God's grace, he continued to share His Word with those who would listen.
"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us." (Palm 62:5-8).
The Gospel in Bonds brings us right into the spiritual battlefield that now rages in much of the world. Biblical Christianity is fast becoming a contemptible foe to those who hate our God and serve His adversary. But we shouldn't be surprised!
Until recently, American Christians has been relatively free to follow our Lord without interference. That freedom is now fading from the West. Our government now seems bent on purging Christianity from schools and workplace, from the White House and the lofty chambers of Congress.
In other words, America is no longer the beloved land of the free! Yet, as Georgi Vins tells his story, we are reminded of the treasure we have in Christ, no matter what challenges we might face in the times ahead.
Chapter 2: The Most Dangerous of All
Anvar and I were the only prisoners in the "raven," a black police van used to transport prisoners. He sat alone in a compartment meant to hold fifteen prisoners while I was handcuffed and locked behind the metal door of a tiny cell reserved for the most dangerous criminals. Two soldiers armed with machine guns guarded us. A heavy metal grille separated them from us.
The harsh Siberian climate had left its mark on the narrow asphalt road. The lurching, swaying raven slowed to a crawl as the driver tried to maneuver around massive potholes. Though it was mid-May, snow still covered much of the ground in this vast territory known as Yakutat, thousands of miles northeast of Moscow. Our destination: Bolshaya Markha, a strict regime labor camp in a remote region in the far north of Siberia.
Anvar shook his head in amazement. "Georgi, why do they treat you like this?" he shouted . . .
Anvar was a stocky man of medium height. . . . A sharp eagle-like nose protruded over coal-black mustache. Muslim by background, Anvar was fascinated that I was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. We had spent many hours discussing the Bible and Jesus Christ.
Anvar openly admitted that he had killed the district attorney in the city of Baku, for which he was sentenced to fifteen year. He quickly earned a reputation among camp authorities for being a dangerous criminal. He had already stabbed one prisoner with a knife and struck another on the head with an iron bar. . . . He turned to me again.
"Ha! It looks as though you are even more dangerous than I!" He shouted something else, but the words were lost under the engine's clamor. The isolation of my tiny cage made it useless for me to reply. Through the window in the door of my cell, I could see Anvar talking with the two soldiers. He kept pointing in my direction. The soldiers were very young. I knew they made no decisions about where or how to move me. Those orders came from the KGB. And the KGB, I really was more dangerous than Anvar.
One prison camp director had told me, "You'd be better of if you were a thief or a murderer rather than a Christian!"
What will the next camp be like?, I wondered as I thought about the past week.
I had just spent ten days at camp Mokhsogollokh, near Yakutsk. Although the camp was as secure as a fortress, guards often fired random warning shots at night to discourage dreams of escape. . .
To be continued!
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ... taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always...." Eph. 6:10-18
