“And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.”
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
