HERE I STAND- MARTIN LUTHER

When God revealed to Martin Luther "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17b), there was a revolution in his soul, which ultimately led to another revolution called the Protestant Reformation. This was to influence history for most of the following 500 years. While others before Luther had seen some of the truths he did, he was the catalyst. He was not a perfect man, but a man God greatly used. When a prominent Christian TV network founder recently sat with a Catholic priest (who has a program on his network), and he said "I am not a Protestant -- I am not protesting anything", this man was sadly exhibiting an attitude held by many professing Christians. He is not only ignorant of history, he is seemingly unaware of what is going on in our day. How can we not protest abortion, gay marriage, the coddling of child molesters, public indecency everywhere, and the attempt to silence preachers from speaking on biblical issues? Ironically, the Roman Catholic Church agrees with most evangelical protestants on much of this. They are being picked on by the liberal media and politicians as well as evangelicals. I still believe Luther was right, but we may have to fight the common enemy for now. Can you and I stand for righteousness and say what Luther said in 1521? "Here I stand -- I can do no other -- God help me!"

LENINGRAD- 1978

I took this picture 30 years ago this coming August. So much has changed in 30 years! Instead of Leningrad, it is St. Petersburg (it's original name under the Czars). Instead of the USSR, it is Russia again with less territory under it's control. Instead of widespread persecution of believers, there is much freedom. I was in a camp meeting here in Georgia USA this week, and a brother told of passing out Christian literature and witnessing in Moscow's Red Square. You could not do that in 1978 without getting detained and possibly arrested. Pastor Bob Doom, director of Russian Bible Society, P.O. Box 6068, Asheville, NC 28816, showed me the Latvian Bible they have recently printed, which was only a dream of Latvian Pastor Yanis Smits back in the 70's. They also have published an Interlinear Russian/English Bible, a Russian Bible Dictionary, and many other excellent tools that can be freely shipped in now. When I worked in ministry to the communist lands, this could not be freely done. Our ministries had to take them in secretly. Yes, so much has changed for the better, not only in the USSR, but in all Eastern Europe, and even China, . Our land has changed too, but sadly for the worse. If the liberals and socialists that are out to take away our religious freedom have their way, America will be no more. Pray for all these countries, and ours! You may call RBS for more info at (800) 252-8896.