The Open Door

Janice and I recently returned from a mission trip to Russia. We traveled with the Sons of Jubal, our Georgia Baptist singing men. There were one hundred in the chorus and brass ensemble and they were absolutely incredible. I want to thank our pastors who not only allowed, but also encouraged, their ministers of music to make the trip. We will not know this side of heaven the amount of good that was done for the Kingdom of God, but I am confident that it was significant.

Never have I been with such an outstanding group of folks on a mission trip. Frankly, I can’t ever remember traveling on a mission trip with people who were not outstanding, but this group of one hundred was unique. Their concerts and witnessing impact throughout Moscow and St. Petersburg were incredibly blessed by God. We were not allowed to extend open invitations with an accompanying response from the people, but I am confident that many made first-time decisions for Jesus Christ.

I am particularly appreciative for Dr. John Bryan, senior pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, for his commitment to travel with the group and preach the Gospel with such clarity as a part of the concert presentation. I was blessed to have the privilege of hearing John’s message and witnessing its powerful impact among the people. Allen Hill from our convention staff also preached as well as participated with the Sons of Jubal as they sang the concerts.

Eddy Oliver/GBC

Crosses adorn one of the many Russian Orthodox churches in Russia. Although one venue prohibited mentioning the name of Christ and handing out programs with the plan of salvation, GBC Executive Director J. Robert White shared his comments about the country and incorporated his observation of the crosses and the artwork in the Hermitage Museum.

Our travels took us to the major Russian cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. In fact, we were in Moscow when former president Boris Yeltsin died and were standing in Red Square the day before his funeral. What a privilege it was to declare the truths of Christ in places where there is still a suppression of the Gospel, but also an insatiable hunger for the Good News of Christ.

In St. Petersburg, one of the concerts was at Smolney Cathedral, which is actually a secular concert hall. The officials told us after we arrived that evening that we would not be allowed to pass out the programs because they contained the plan of salvation. We were told that we could not pray, could not give Christian testimonies, and could not bring a religious message.

Jon Duncan implored the management to at least allow the translation of the lyrics to be distributed. Reluctantly this was permitted. Of course, as you can imagine, the lyrics to the songs were strongly evangelical in nature. I shared with our IMB missionary that the night before, God had prepared my heart for this opportunity without my knowing what would occur. God had impressed upon me that I should speak of what I had seen in the city of St. Petersburg and the impact of their culture on my heart. The missionary explained to the manager that I wanted to speak along these lines and he allowed me to speak.

I spoke of the crosses that I had seen in a cemetery we passed along the road as we traveled to minister to the children at one of their orphanages. I spoke of the blessing we had received by being able to go to the Hermitage Museum and see the Rembrandt collection that included the Madonna and Child and the Descent from the Cross. I commented that almost every room we entered in the Hermitage Museum contained remarkable paintings by the masters depicting the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ.

Then I commented upon how impressed I had been with the beautiful crosses on top of all of the cathedrals in their magnificent city. This included the multiple gold crosses over our heads that night on the exterior of the uniquely beautiful Smolney Cathedral. Then I commented to them that the joy they saw on the faces of the men as they sang is but a reflection of the joy in their hearts because of the personal relationship that they have with God through committing their lives to Jesus Christ, God’s Son, whose cross and depictions of His life literally cover the entire city of St. Petersburg. Then I assured them that they, too, could have this joy through believing in and receiving Jesus Who also died on the cross for them.

After the concert, a citizen of St. Petersburg remarked that this had been the first time the Gospel had been declared in Smolney Cathedral since 1917 when Lenin established it as his headquarters for the revolution.

I don’t know if there were any that night who accepted Christ. I do know that there were two thunderous standing ovations. I do know that those present heard enough to know what to do if they desired to receive Christ as Savior. I trust that some of those present trusted in the One Who gave His life for them on the cross – the cross that is so prolifically displayed throughout their city.