Russian Forerunner almost shut down by coup attempt
An update on the beginning of Predvestnik
By Jay Rogers
10/91
MOSCOW (FR) - Predvestnik is now an officially registered Christian youth newspaper in the USSR. The first printing of this publication amounted to 100,000 copies; these are being distributed in over 100 cities throughout Russia and many of the other Republics. However, since the first run of newspapers occurred during the last week of August, it was not accomplished without resistance from the Communist coup attempt led by Genadi Yenayev.
Alexey Salapatov, the managing editor of Predvestnik, was in Moscow during the week of the "Second Russian Revolution" in order to facilitate the printing of the first edition. According to Alexey: "Communism contributed its mite to prevent us."
Ordering a halt to the printing of all newspapers in the USSR, Yenayev placed Communist troops around the building in which Predvestnik was due to be printed. All paper and supplies were seized. When the coup failed, the orders to print Predvestnik were reissued. However, all the red ink that would have been used in printing the first newspaper had been irretrievably lost.
Rather than wait for extra supplies to be ordered in the slow moving Soviet system, Alexey decided to print the 100,000 copies of the first run of Predvestnik in blue and black ink only.
The first issue of Predvestnik is an eight page newspaper. Some of the articles included are as follows:
* Voice of the New Generation - This article summarizes the current spiritual awakening which is now taking place among Russia's youth. Millions of Russian Bibles have been distributed in the Soviet Union by Western ministries in an attempt to evangelize the Russian people. Questions are posed - such as: "Are these Bibles being read and understood?" - "Are there biblical answers for the problems which confront our nation?"
* Worldview - An explanation of Biblical worldview is given. There is a Biblical paradigm for every discipline taught in the school curriculum. "Now that the philosophy of Marxist-Leninism has fallen, what worldview will replace it?"
* Christian Youth International - A brief history of this student movement is given. The dates of upcoming monthly conferences in Moscow are given, and students are invited to attend.
* Who is Jesus Christ? - The Russian people are now grasping for Truth in a spiritual vacuum. The claims of New Age, materialist dialectics, and false religion are brushed aside. A Biblical view of the claims of Jesus Christ - the Son of God - is presented.
* Alexander Bolotnikov Testifies - Born a Ukrainian Jew, Alex studied in a Jewish seminary for two years before giving his life to Jesus Christ. (His testimony appears in English in The Forerunner, Summer 1991.) Alex now plans to begin Messianic Jewish Fellowships throughout the USSR.
* The Christian Idea of Man and Government - An adaptation from Verna Hall's work on the U.S. Constitution, this is the first part of a series of articles on Biblical Christianity and how the writings of Christian philosophers have influenced civil government.
Predvestnik is now one of the major Christian publications in the Soviet Union. Due to the labor of the newspaper's staff, mass literature evangelism among the Russian speaking youth of the Soviet Union is now a reality.
The next edition of Predvestnik is due out in November; the plan is to do a 16 page, bi-monthly edition in blue, red and black ink which will look similar to The Forerunner. Extra finances are now being raised to tie everything together. The remaining needs are as follows:
1. Finances for the first few press runs. The first few press runs are in need of financial support from American supporters.
2. A laser printer and photo-copier. These two tools make life much easier for an editor. Predvestnik's staff will have the best equipment available for their needs.
If you would like to see a sample copy of the new 16-page Russian language Forerunner, or, if you are interested in supporting this work financially, write:
The Forerunner
P.O. Box 1799
Gainesville, FL 32602
Up one level
Back to document index
The Real Jesus: Who is the Real Jesus? Ever since the dawn of modern rationalism, skeptics have sought to use textual criticism, archaeology 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 archaeology and scholarship have all but vanquished the faulty assumptions of these doubting modernists. Regretably, 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.
|
This presentation 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
|
| The Beast of Revelation: IDENTIFIED
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation? Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry's insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation -- and even more importantly -- amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview! Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue -- but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today. Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study -- for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John's famous letter "... to the seven churches which are in Asia." (Revelation 1:4) |
(Available in DVD only) $17.95 ORDER NOW!
|
INCLUDES A FREE Sixteen Christian leaders and scholars answer some of the most common questions and misperceptions related to this volatile issue: Download the free |
Perfect for group instruction as well as personal
Bible study. Speakers include: George Grant, Howard Phillips,
R.C. Sproul Jr., Ken Gentry, Gary DeMar, Jay Grimstead, R.J. Rushdoony,
Steven Schlissel, Andrew Sandlin, Eric Holmberg, and more!
Ten parts, over four hours of instruction! Watch over 60 streaming videos from God's Law and Society at:
Price reduced! |
| Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism
Over four hours of instruction! Just what is “Calvinism?” Does this teaching make man a deterministic robot and God the author of sin? What about free will? If the church accepts Calvinism, won’t evangelism be stifled, perhaps even extinguished? How can we balance God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility? What are the differences between historic Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism? Why did men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Edwards and a host of renowned Protestant evangelists embrace the teaching of predestination and election and deny free will theology? This is the first video documentary that answers these and other related questions. Hosted by Eric Holmberg, this fascinating three-part, four-hour presentation is detailed enough so as to not gloss over the controversy. At the same time, it is broken up into ten “Sunday-school-sized” sections to make the rich content manageable and accessible for the average viewer. |
$19.95 ORDER NOW!
|
|
The Forerunner Forum is the discussion group for this web site. The purpose of the group is to engage in discussion about the articles on-line. If you want to discuss any article or video on this web site, visit The Forerunner Forum. |
| VIDEOS | WORDS | BLOG | DISCUSSION | WHAT'S NEW | ABOUT US | FEEDBACK | SEARCH | DONATE | JAY'S BIO | HOME |
For more information, contact:
| The Forerunner jrogers@forerunner.com |
|
P.O. Box 362173 Melbourne, FL 32936-2173 |
