ESCAPE FROM PRISON

GOD'S BIBLE SMUGGLER

At the airport Joseph was stopped by the Soviet authorities and his bags were searched; the bibles were discovered and brought out into the open; the custom officers quickly seized the opportunity to amuse themselves. As they openly mocked the beliefs and the sheer audacity of Joseph's faith and courage, something within the bible smuggler was about to burst.

 

The Lion of Judah was about to roar. The crowds swelled, a perfect opportunity to preach the Gospel.

Joseph's father was born in Russia (today's Belarus) and the language was also taught in schools, so being quite fluent in Russian the preacher grabbed one of the confiscated Bibles, opened it and fearlessly started to preach. No one dared to interrupt him, people stood still as if commanded by some high-ranking general. Their faces turned red, perhaps from too much vodka or from fear; and their faces dripped sweat. Obviously they did not know how to handle this bold youngster.

No one rushed to pass through the checkpoints; all eyes were turned toward something they have never witnessed before. There were several hundreds gathered around that particular spot being in no hurry to pass through. The announcer repeatedly informed the people that other checkpoints are free, but no one moved, they all stood around the preacher who held up high the 'forbidden book' commanding the attention of them all.

In Matthew 24:14 Jesus said, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached throughout the whole world for a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Someone has to bring witness before the end of time. The young preacher was saying within himself; “whatever happens to me at least I’ll fulfill the scripture and be alright with the Righteous Judge.

Joseph ended his discourse with these words: "You are taking the bread of life out of the hungry mouths, remember that at the last day you will be judged for it." After he finished his speech he asked the audience if they would promise to read the book he was preaching from; affirmatively almost all nodded their heads.

Things started to move again and people proceeded to the checkpoints.

One of the custom officers, a short man, approached Joseph and whispered to him saying, ‘my mother believes like you do.’ Then Joseph asked him if he is also a believer; he nervously looked around and grinned and said ‘yes.’ Joseph then asked him again if he knew what to do with this precious literature? The officer winked and assured Joseph that the bibles were under his supervision. On the black market In those days a bible fetched about 500 Russian Rubles, (same equivalent in US Dollars), or more. 

Before Joseph was taken away he said to all the officers that the bibles are a gift to them. They laughed. When he was about to cross over to the other side Joseph knew that once they find two different documents in his pocket he will be doomed. One document was an American re-entry permit, which had multiple entry visas to Israel, while the other document, which was in their possession, was a Polish Consulate Passport issued in Chicago, which was not stamped.

Joseph stood perplexed. All of a sudden he begins to drift away. As if in a trance or fainting state, he hears a voice, ‘take the re-entry permit and put it in your bag.’ He obeys and zips the duffle bag.

He came back to himself when someone tapped him on the shoulder and was asked to follow. Joseph was about to take the bag, but was told to leave it behind, next, he was stripped and searched

The American re-entry permit was not found, but only a mini tape recorder, a western novelty in those days. The officer had asked Joseph if this is a ‘fotoaparat’ (camera). He replied saying that this was a ‘magnetofon’, (tape recorder). They asked him to play the tape, but as he played it he noticed his secretary’s voice that used some Bible verses; and the Hebrew word SHALOM just leaped out. In those days, in Russia such words were a big ‘no, no.' Instantly he pushed the record button erasing the message. The officer grabbed the tape out of Joseph’s hand and screamed, ‘what did you do? ‘I erased few things I did not want you to hear’ he said. This disrespectfulness infuriated them even more.

After the interrogation Joseph was escorted to a photo shoot area, but the photographer had difficulties with the camera. He made many pictures, but what he really seemed to enjoy was his vulgarity. After he finished the photo shoot and his verbal abuses, he left the room. But on the way out Joseph cursed his camera so that no film would develop.

Holding a Kalashnikov pointed at the prisoner a young soldier was now escorting Joseph to a bus and on to the arrest house.

It was mid winter and it was freezing cold, the heating did not work and there was no hot water; the toilet was unusable and in the middle of the room there was a puddle of frozen water. The sealing was leaking and the bed was wet, the measly brown rag of a blanket could not warm a mouse let alone a human. A soldier guarded the door. An awful stench permeated the air.

Joseph was frightened, all sorts of alarming thoughts raced through his exhausted brain. Did he mishear the Lord; was he talking to himself making all those brave decisions? The confusion grew even worse. The only way out of this was to sing, dance and quote scriptures; and that's what he did, not only to cheer himself, but also to warm his body. There was no way he could even touch the filthy bed.

The exhaustion was getting to him and the words started to mix with tongues of the Spirit so he just let it out and spoke words that felt good, but to the conscious mind made no sense. He was now solely at the mercy of God and his faith was being severely tried.

Finally the first light peered through the frosted window. A soldier with AK-47 aimed at the detainee opened the door and as they were exiting the building Joseph asked where he was being taken? He scathingly replied, 'we are sending you back to Warsaw, chuckling with scoff, they are waiting for you there.'

The Russians had enough time to contact the Polish authorities only to find out that the apprehended bible smuggler was in fact a deserter, a crime punishable by 6 years of prison. A cold sweat drenched the bible smuggler and to make things even worse they were now sending him back to Poland and straight to prison. On the way to the airport he could only pray and reason with the Master. "If you wanted me back in Poland then you could have prepared me for it Lord, why this dreadful way?" All of a sudden the scripture bank in his mind popped open and he could reason some more. "The Lord did not bring Israel out of Egypt so that He might bring them back to Egypt... He brought them out in order to bring them into the Promised Land." He'd not only supernaturally brought me out of the communist oppression, but brought me into 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'." At that moment his longing for the liberties of America became intensely present; he could not wait for his pending US citizenship. (Scheduled in San Francisco two months later) Being an US citizen would have entitled him to a more civilized treatment and some protection. But the Sovereign One had His hand on the entire situation from A to Z.

Joseph remembered the promise of supernatural deliverance so he kept looking at the soldier, but what he found was only a hateful face. "He couldn't be an angel... No.

At the airport he was left alone in a room with a guard. At any moment now he was eagerly anticipating a miracle.

For no apparent reason joy flooded his soul and his spirit revived. The door opened and an officer asked him to step out and stand against the wall; obediently he moved towards the wall. At that moment he thought… ‘they are going to shoot me!’... and yes, they were.

From behind his back the officer pulled out a Polaroid camera. Obviously the film used last night did not produce any results so two new photographers were employed. This time they tried their luck with a Polaroid, but this particular model held only 8 shots and the papers had to be peeled off from each other and then an image would gradually emerge. But even then no image 'wanted' to oblige. They made another photo, and another. Joseph was counting. They'd reached the seventh shot with no real results. Joseph knew that in time of trouble the supernatural is present more than in any other situations; he prayed that the 8th photo would develop, but that it should fade after he's gone.

The officer examined the last photo and asked his minder if it’s acceptable. (In regimes of fear and constant intimidation everyone must have a minder.)

Joseph was sent back to his room.

A departure of two planes was just announced; one was going to Warsaw and another to Frankfurt - West Germany. Both planes were departing around the same time.

The rescuer and the rescued together ran through all sorts of security checks. They rushed towards the gates, but instead of being checked they were being saluted to. Above the gate the sign said, ‘Warsaw’. Joseph froze and almost fainted, it was just too much. The natural mind was telling him that his angel made a mistake, got confused, or he was no angel at all, but the man kept on running after he passed the 'Warsaw' gate.

With the door closed he hears a loud voice within saying, “arise, take up your bags, your deliverance has come!" He sprung up to his feet, grabbed his bags and watched the door, which opened that instant and a smiling face of a perfect being appeared. "I have your passport and ticket, follow me quickly" he said and then started to run. Joseph desperately tried to see his face, but all he could observe was the fact that the man had no wrinkle, or any blemish on his face; his skin was perfectly smooth and glowing. But above all, as if the only person in all of Russia, he smiled emanating confidence and joy.

They stopped at a gate above which was written, ‘Frankfurt am Main’. The plane was about to taxi away and the door was closing. At that very moment the promised messenger of deliverance pulled Joseph inside the plane and seated him in the first class, but when Joseph turned to thank him, he was gone.

Exhausted by his ordeal Joseph fell into deep sleep only to be awakened by a flight attendant in Frankfurt; his sleep seemed to last but a minute.

He stopped on the bridge, which was cast over a highway connecting the Airport with the Sheraton Hotel, and looked at the traffic below. Then on his almost confiscated mini tape recorder recorded these words, “I do not know if this is a dream or reality, but I am recording it as evidence of what's just taken place. He summarized it all in few short words and then checked in.

This time no one tapped him on the shoulder trying to wake him. Joseph awoke not to a stench-filled cell, but a luxurious bed, hot bath and spacious room.

Joseph played the tape then opened the window; took a whiff of fresh air and bellowed out, “I’m free!!!