Ukrainian student Alexander Borisov testifies
By Editorial Staff
Published September 1991
The following is from a tape recorded testimony from Alexander Borisov made in Moscow in July 1991. The interview has been rendered in places to better reflect smooth English usage. I met “Sasha” at the CYI conference in April 1991 and then again in July. I walked with Sasha in Red Square at midnight in April with Alexei Salapatov — also from Ukraine. I also made a tape recording of that conversation and it formed the basis for the following article: A Walk Through Red Square that was published the following month in The Forerunner.
- Jay Rogers
I am a student of physics at Kiev State University. I have been studying for two years. There were two parallel processes involved in my coming to know Jesus Christ: first, my study in a Rabbinical seminary; and second, my education at Kiev State.
Although I was raised in an atheistic home, I am Jewish and my uncle is a Rabbi. I didn’t know anything about God because my parents didn’t tell me I was a Jew. But I soon met with anti-semitism. This was a very great problem during the age of stagnation.
I began to study in a Rabbinical seminary two years ago. My field of study was apologetics of Judaism and debating with Christians. I studied for two years and got a diploma for passing the first step of Rabbinical education. Then I tried to practice my knowledge. I debated with Orthodox priests. They were afraid of me because I showed them scriptures about idolatry and compared it to icon worship. They called me “a devil.” I was very happy because I had such success in my field of study.
I was also studying in the university as a parallel education. One day in my dorm, I met some Pentecostals and I began to debate with them. I expected that they would be afraid of me and consider me an enemy. But it didn’t happen. Instead, I saw a great love which I had never seen before.
We began to debate and I showed them the same scriptures about idolatry. They told me: “We are full gospel Christians. We have no icons; we don’t bow before crosses; etc.” I didn’t know what I could say to them to prove my position. We became very good friends after that and we had many more discussions. They showed me prophecies from the Old Testament about the Messiah – Isaiah 53 and Daniel 9. Everyday in the synagogue we read a chapter from the Bible. But we never read Isaiah 53 because the Rabbis were afraid of this passage about the Messiah. I read this chapter for the first time with Christians.
Another factor that influenced me was that when I was in the synagogue, I did not have a serious attitude toward God. God was a formal substance for me. But when I began to have fellowship with Christians, I began to become afraid that God would judge me for my sins – I began to have a fear of God. I was very involved in sin before my friendship with Christians. But now I began to be afraid to sin. I tried to follow the Law, but it was very difficult. But I didn’t want to accept Jesus because I was afraid that I would lose my Jewishness. So I began to consider Jesus as “another way to God.”
Then one day as I continued debating with my friends, I couldn’t answer one question. I said: “God, if you want me to be a Christian, then I will be a Christian.” But in my heart I didn’t really want this.
Another time – I don’t really know what inspired me to ask this question – I said to my friend: “Do you think that in the future I will be a Christian?” I considered this question as a joke. I half expected him to say: “No, you are too strong in Judaism.” Instead he said: “I love you. I pray for you. I am sure that you will become a Christian!”
This posed a great problem for me. I could not reject this conversation, because rejection of love is an eternal sin and I was afraid to sin. I began to pray. I prayed all night and cried out to God, “What can I do? I cannot reject such great love.” Then I heard a voice saying, “You must accept Christ.”
I began to discuss with this voice, “But if I accept Christ, I will lose my Jewishness!” The voice said, “Don’t worry! Be Jewish and Christ will be your God. He will be as an addition – a very useful addition – to your Jewishness. Follow me and you will see that it will be good!”
So I decided to follow Jesus. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and my God.
Forerunner - Home » The Forerunner Newspaper » Apologetics
Your comments are welcome!
Visit The Forerunner's Discussion Forum!
The Real Jesus: A Defense of the Historicity and Divinity of Christ (DVD)
Who is the Real Jesus?
Ever since the dawn of modern rationalism, skeptics have sought to use textual criticism, archeology and historical reconstructions to uncover the “historical Jesus” — a wise teacher who said many wonderful things, but fulfilled no prophecies, performed no miracles and certainly did not rise from the dead in triumph over sin.
Over the past 100 years, however, startling discoveries in biblical archeology and scholarship have all but vanquished the faulty assumptions of these doubting modernists. Regrettably, these discoveries have often been ignored by the skeptics as well as by the popular media. As a result, the liberal view still holds sway in universities and impacts the culture and even much of the church.
The Real Jesus explodes the myths of these critics and the movies, books and television programs that have popularized their views. Presented in ten parts — perfect for individual, family and classroom study — viewers will be challenged to go deeper in their knowledge of Christ in order to be able to defend their faith and present the truth to a skeptical modern world – that the Jesus of the Gospels is the Jesus of history — “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the real Jesus.
Speakers include: George Grant, Ted Baehr, Stephen Mansfield, Raymond Ortlund, Phil Kayser, David Lutzweiler, Jay Grimstead, J.P. Holding, and Eric Holmberg.
Ten parts, over two hours of instruction!
Running Time: 130 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)Click here for more information
The Four Keys to the Millennium (Book)
Foundations in Biblical Eschatology
By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. High quality paperback, 167 pages.
All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the signs of His coming (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation and apostasy or revival and reformation before the Lord returns? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation?
These and many more questions are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. Each view is then critiqued by the other three authors.
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)Click here for more information
Massacre of Innocence (DVD)
Exposing The Occult Roots of Abortion
This presentation looks at the spiritual roots of abortion and exposes the myths surrounding child killing. Little known historical facts about abortion and how they relate to modern feminism are presented logically and accurately. Has been effective in converting many to a pro-life position.
Massacre of Innocence goes where no pro-life presentation has gone before in “tearing the lid off abortion” to reveal the spiritual realities we must battle if we will bring an end to this crime. The presentation is absorbing, fast-paced, informative and incredibly devastating to any attempt to justify abortion.
“… an extraordinary statement … a powerfully articulate presentation about what abortion really means, and why a great and moral nation like the United States must not allow the slaughter to continue.”
— Congressman Robert K. Dornan
Running time: 85 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)Click here for more information
Go Stand Speak (DVD)
With “preaching to the lost” being such a basic foundation of Christianity, why do many in the church seem to be apathetic on this issue of preaching in highways and byways of towns and cities?
Is it biblical to stand in the public places of the world and proclaim the gospel, regardless if people want to hear it or not?
Does the Bible really call church pastors, leaders and evangelists to proclaim the gospel in the public square as part of obedience to the Great Commission, or is public preaching something that is outdated and not applicable for our day and age?
These any many other questions are answered in this documentary.
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)Click here for more information
Abortion Clinic 911 Calls (DVD)
Exposes the Dangers of Abortion to Women!
These shocking eyewitness accounts expose the dangers of abortion not only to unborn children, but to the health and lives women as well. An antidote to the smokescreens of the liberal media, these six short clips show what really happens in and around abortion clinics.
Although the content is emotionally gut-wrenching, these videos have been used in church seminars and small groups to educate Christians on the abortion issue and to lead people toward a pro-life position.
Watch these pro-life videos on-line.
“These videos helped change my mind from pro-choice to pro-life. Your videos are what did it for me. I will be walking in next year’s March For Life in San Francisco.” — A. Jackson, California
“I was going to have an abortion until I saw your video. Praise Jesus!”
— M. Drew, YouTube Commenter
$4.95 — ORDER NOW!
(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)
