“And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe
wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:12

Dear friends! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

On behalf of the missionary families, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! By the grace of the Lord, we mark once again the beautiful occasion of Christ’s birth. The anxieties and human suffering of our present day cannot extinguish the joy that believers feel this time of the year. This holiday season is full of bright hope, heavenly comfort same today as it was once announced by the angel’s song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” The events of Christmas, described in the divinely-inspired words of the Gospel writers, are full of dramatic and joyful stories. And each fragment of this most beautiful story of Christmas is spiritually rich and edifying in its own way. The words of the heavenly Messenger to the shepherds are very mysterious: «And this will be the sign to you…» What was the sign? What were the shepherds supposed to pay attention to? Perhaps the last words: «in a manger» should have seriously puzzled them. The newborn Messiah, about whom the angels proclaimed, will be found in an ordinary animal feeder? That was really extraordinary! It was truly a sign! Yes, this is how the birth of the Savior took place – there was no place for Him in the hotel.

The seal of rejection by the world was this very sign that the Lamb, Jesus Christ, carried from the very moment of His birth. The Jews who came out of Egypt ate the Passover lamb with bitter herbs, and this was a great image! All those who have been honored to receive the Savior into the world and have at least been involved in it in some way have experienced this bitterness of rejection and sorrow. Joseph and Mary, with the birth of the Holy Child, together with Him experienced a lot of unrest and deprivation, for them the settled, measured way of life ended, they were forced to flee to a foreign land – to Egypt. How much sorrow was experienced by Bethlehem, where mothers lost their young sons. And the wisemen, who merely wished to pay homage to the Newborn, were probably in danger, which is why they returned to their homeland in a different way.

Only those who are ready to taste the «bitter herbs», who are ready to share with their Lord the bitterness of rejection by the world, who prove their love for the Savior by not being embarrassed by sorrows, «follow the Lamb wherever He goes» (Rev. 14:4). On this basis, there is a weeding out, many are not ready to accept hardships and endure persecution with Christ: «when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble» (Mark 4:16-17).

Yet those who truly love Christ perceive tribulations as «our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory» (2 Cor. 4:17). Our lot is not in this world, we are made for eternity! In the eternal kingdom of Christ, those who have suffered sorrow here, will experience fullness of joy and blessing in heaven! Anna, a prophetess, expressed this hope when baby Jesus was brought to the temple in Jerusalem as did the elderly Simeon in his prayer of thanksgiving.

Rejoicing with all of God’s saints, we also want to celebrate the Savior’s birth and wish you a very Merry Christmas!

In Christ,

Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin
REM’s Founder and President

Message Newsletters-2021-5 appeared first on Russian Evangelistic Ministries.

“… a harvest is appointed for you…”
(Hosea 6:11)

Dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ!

This time of the year, believers in Russia are celebrating a Christian holiday called Harvest. In many ways, Harvest closely resembles Thanksgiving that is celebrated by believers in the United States. Harvest is an important celebration appointed by the Lord (Ex. 23:16). In terms of semantics and the spiritual content, the feast of the Harvest is perhaps one of the deepest and most multifaceted celebrations. Similarly to the richest and most vibrant autumn color palette, the harvest contains many spiritual meanings and emotions: the sorrow of repentance for carelessly lived days, the joy of contemplating ripened fruit, anxiety for sinners who are dying, and the exhilarating delight in the anticipation of the fast-approaching return of our Christ.

The Biblical message of the Harvest encompasses the whole world: «the harvest is the end of the age» (Matt. 13:39), while at the same time, it focuses on each person individually: «a harvest is appointed for you « (Hosea 6:11).

People often live their lives in such a way as to distance themselves from others. Whenever they hear a call to repentance, they perceive it to be intended for others in the group. I will use an example from the Bible to illustrate this point. The Samaritan woman who spoke with Christ at the well eagerly discussed religious issues with the Savior. She eagerly brought up the age-old contradicting views between the Jews and Samaritans, but when the Lord addressed her personally, when Jesus began to use the words «you», «your,” it shook her to the core, it resonated with her on a personal level and that was the beginning of her new life.

The Harvest celebration also contains this piercing component. Like an arrow, like a well-aimed spear, these words take aim at every person: «a harvest is appointed for you.» The amazing thing is that each person reacts differently to them. If he is sinful and not saved, they sound like ominous thunder. If he is saved by Christ and has lived his life for Him, these words sound like a melody filled with home of the joy to come.

Dear friends, in the days of harvest, may our heart be filled with gratitude to the Lord, for He is truly good! He still extends His care and grace to both the evil and the good. Let us sincerely rejoice in those good fruits and blessed results in the work of the Lord, in which we have also taken part in. In this time of the year, let’s not forget about the personal responsibility to bear fruit for Christ in our lives.

This year, when the Persecuted Church in the former USSR marks the 60th anniversary of the Awakening, I would like to repeat the words of a faithful servant of God, Pastor Gennady K. Kryuchkov: «We go to church together, we sing together, we pray together, but we will be saved one by one. When we enter through the narrow gates, we will enter one by one. When we give an account to God, we will give it one by one.»

May God bless each one of us on the day when we meet Him to appear before His throne not empty-handed but bearing much fruit for His glory! May you be abundantly blessed! Happy Thanksgiving!

In Christ,
Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin
REM’s Founder and President

Message Newsletters-2021-4 appeared first on Russian Evangelistic Ministries.

1 Chron. 11:18

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the great awakening of the persecuted Baptist churches in the former Soviet Union!

In 1961, a spiritual awakening began and quickly spread through the Evangelical Baptist churches who were, at that time, besieged by brutal persecution being carried out by the hands of the Communist Soviet authorities. Those were very trying times for the church. At that time, not only was the open preaching of Christ suppressed, but any mention of God was publicly condemned. Militant atheism embodied in the Soviet state had set the goal of completely eliminating any and all viable and independent churches. At a certain point in Russia’s history, the Soviet state was close to achieving that goal.

However, the power of the Holy Spirit was much stronger than all the persecution that befell the awakened brotherhood of churches and sustained believers during that time of testing. Among the people of God there were remarkable heroes of faith who stood in the gap, gave their lives, and sacrificed their health, freedom and well-being for the sake of Christ. The spirit of faithfulness and sacrifice was embraced by the church. Ministers of the church and fellow believers, including the young and elderly, fearlessly defended the foundational principles of the church and, without hesitation, many went to prison for years and some even gave up their lives. There were more than thirty martyrs for Christ during that time. These glorious heroes of faith achieved a great victory and helped lead the awakened church to prosperous times of religious freedom and public preaching of the Gospel that came about following the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union.

Since then, believers in Russia have enjoyed relative freedom to openly preach the Gospel. And today, as we mark this milestone, a question stands before us: are we taking full advantage of this God-given opportunity that cost so dearly to those who came before us? The heroes of faith gave their lives and personal freedom, sacrificed all that was dear and precious to them so that we may have this opportunity to preach the Gospel freely. Have we been good stewards of this gift?

The verse above describes a heroic event. While risking their own lives and demonstrating remarkable courage, three strong warriors broke through the enemy camp, drew water from the well and brought it to David. King David’s response to being offered water from the well is an important lesson for us all. Although he was weary and thirsty, he did not drink the water but poured it out as an offering to God.

It is encouraging to see that many Christians who entered the prosperous times did the same thing as King David. They did not use the opportunities and freedoms for themselves, to enjoy what life had to offer, but rather chose to honor God by adopting the same spirit of sacrifice which their predecessors had embraced and devoted themselves to the ministry of evangelism and church planting. This approach is right in the sight of God and honors the memory of Christian martyrs who had gone before us.

Today, thanks in part to the convictions that we see demonstrated by David’s actions and similarly of the believers who have gone before us, the preaching of the Gospel continues to be heard across the countries of the former Soviet Union. A great number of people have responded to the call for repentance and have received salvation in Christ! I thank you, dear friends, that you too are following the example of King David and are making sacrifices to support the great work of the Gospel while foregoing your own personal needs. A great reward awaits all who have lived for Christ and have dedicated their lives to Him!

In Christ,
Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin
REM’s Founder and President

Message Newsletters-2021-3 appeared first on Russian Evangelistic Ministries.

1 Cor. 15:55-57

Dear Friends! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

I greet you with the words very dear to all born-again Christians: “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!” On behalf of Russian Evangelistic Ministries and the missionary families who minister in the former Soviet Union, I wish you a Happy Easter, which marks the celebration of Christ’s life and victory over death!

The Prophet Hosea heard these words of the coming victory from the Lord and wrote them down in his prophetic book. What delight and jubilation these words brought to the godly men and women of the Old Testament! These words of the Lamb’s victory are firm and unshakable: “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? I will have no compassion” (Hosea 13:14).

The powerful echo of this proclamation rings equally victorious in the New Testament: “Death! Where’s your sting? Hell! Where’s your victory?” And there is only one difference: the New Testament saints know Who delivered this victory for God’s people and their praise and gratitude are focused on Him Who Overcame, the Lion of Judah, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).

Dear friends! Victory over death and the hope of eternal life are genuine desires of every person who is able to rationally think. The Apostle Paul wrote about his dream and the main purpose of his life: “That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3:10-11).

Death, which entered the world with sin, and manifested itself for the first time in a terrible and tragic death of Abel, has held the human soul in its deadly grip and accompanied mankind throughout history. And only Christ, who conquered death, extracted its deadly sting from our soul. Only He, our Savior, has redeemed us and has given us the gift of eternal life!

Dear children of God! Take this joyful message of eternal life in Christ to all who are still in the shackles of death! Thank you for your support of the missionaries, so that many more people may hear the Gospel and be saved from death and find eternal life in Christ Jesus!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

In Christ,
Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin
REM’s Founder and President

Message Newsletters-2021-2 appeared first on Russian Evangelistic Ministries.

Jeremiah 29:11

Dear Friends! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

I greet you with the words of our Coming Lord: «Peace be unto you!» On behalf of Russian Evangelistic Ministries and the missionary families whom you support, thank you for your important part in this great work!

As we reflect on the past year, the year that has brought this world so much anxiety and trouble, we, as Christians, can firmly say: «Praise the Lord!» Not because we were not affected by grief, illness, or other challenges that befell the people around us. Indeed, some of us have suffered the loss of loved ones or friends; some of us have experienced the illness firsthand, experienced the loss of jobs, or experienced deteriorating health.

However, despite all this, we can say from the heart, «Praise the Lord!» because we are absolutely confident – beyond doubt – that if the Lord allows anything, if anything happens in our lives, it is intended for good, for the good of our souls, and for the salvation of the people around us.

This good is not always readily apparent to us, especially when we are grieving. We can only grasp by faith that in the end, we will see this greater good.

The year 2020 has ended, and we can rejoice at some of the positive results of that difficult year. Surprisingly, 2020 was more blessed than the previous year in terms of the number of people being saved and the number of people joining the church through believer’s baptism. In 2020, the Persecuted church in the former Soviet Union baptized almost 1,000 more believers than in previous years, and we again proclaim: «Praise the Lord!»

Time proved that the missionaries who strengthened their outreach were right. These are the missionaries who did not agree with the popular sentiment, “Now is not the best time to conduct evangelism.” And the Lord rewarded their labor of faith.

Dear friends, may the Lord turn your support of this great work into a growing stream for eternity! May the peace of God and the heavenly conviction that God does all things well reign in your heart.
The annual Missions Conference recently took place in Moscow, Russia. Through the ministry’s Newsletter we will share with you about God’s work on the mission field in the former Soviet Union. May the Lord bless you and your family abundantly in this new year!

In Christ,
Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin
REM’s Founder and President

Message Newsletters-2021-1 appeared first on Russian Evangelistic Ministries.