A Life in Service to the Lord – From the Life of Paul Moser

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In the last issue, Brother Paul Moser, the pastor of the Papenburg congregation, shared how the Lord called him to ministry. This is a continuation with testimonies about God's work in his life.

My Bible

In the Soviet Union, it was nearly impossible to obtain Christian literature, especially a Bible. Possession of Bibles from abroad was even a crime, as one was suspected of espionage. Copying and memorizing were therefore common methods for reproducing biblical texts. The scarcity of the Bible intensified our hunger for the word of God.

When I was asked about my faith, I didn't always know the answer because I lacked the necessary understanding. During my military service, I therefore learned what it meant to pray constantly. This was crucial, as one could be summoned to the special unit for interrogation in the middle of the night. Without the filling of the Holy Spirit and God's help, I wouldn't have been able to get through that time.

When I was drafted, I received a small, pocket-sized copy of the Gospel of John, coated with paraffin (wax) to protect it from moisture. It was my treasure. I didn't get my first Bible until after my military service.

The pigeon

Before my conscription, I was shown a vision in which high waves were coming towards me, but God promised to remain faithful and to place His protection over me. The Holy Spirit said, “I will show you my way. You will see it with spiritual eyes.” I understood that God would baptize me with the Holy Spirit. I soon experienced the fulfillment of this word.

During my military service, I was transferred from one unit to another and ended up in Chelyabinsk. There, I worked for a company as a soldier. Generally, we soldiers weren't allowed to leave our unit or be in the surrounding area without permission. Doing so would have resulted in arrest. My boss, who was Jewish and had certain connections, issued me a permit allowing me to be in the city around the clock. I often took advantage of this in the evenings to visit the church. In Chelyabinsk, I met a Christian family who warmly welcomed me. To the Buller family, I was like a son. I even called them Papa and Mama. Right from the start, I told them with conviction that I would be baptized there with the Holy Spirit because God had promised it to me.

Even though I didn't always think about it, I was filled with the inner certainty that God had given me this promise.

Shortly afterward, I went away with one of the Bullers' sons to do some church work with the youth. There we met some brothers who were visiting and invited us to prayer. Among the brothers was Paul Stepanovich Egorenko, the Elder Bishop of the Northern Region and an elder from Chelyabinsk. There weren't many members present, but during this prayer, God baptized some of the young people and me with the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands by Brother Paul Egorenko. We were filled with indescribable power and joy.

After that wonderful evening, when God had fulfilled His promise to me, we set off again for Chelyabinsk. On our way back, we stopped at the post office because I really wanted to send a telegram home. The woman at the post office tried to dissuade me from sending such a seemingly unimportant message at such a high price, but I sent word to my parents as quickly as possible: I received a dove from my father.

Victims at Christmas

I had already been in the military for six months. In December, my colonel came and offered me and my colleague the job of repairing the soldiers' kitchen. As a reward, we were allowed to go home for New Year's. That was wonderful. Well, who wouldn't want to go home! However, we had to do the work in our free time. When all the work was finally finished, we reported to the colonel. It was early in the morning of December 26th. We received confirmation and were even allowed to dress up for the occasion. Then we were to receive our tickets and provisions to begin our journey home.

After my colleague had received the tickets and everything else he needed, he excitedly called me to the colonel. I entered the room, and the colonel said to me, "We completely forgot that you didn't take the oath. But no problem, here's the logbook. You just need to sign it, and then you can go." I smiled at him and said, "You know, in the White Army, an officer kept his word when he promised something. But in the Red Army, I already had my doubts about whether you'd keep your word. I won't sign it." I turned and left the room. My friend asked me what was going on. I explained that I hadn't received permission. He looked at me, uncomprehending, and I explained how the conversation had turned out. My friend angrily said, "I'm going to go and throw all this in their faces." I said, "No, then neither of us will be allowed to go. You go home in peace."

My time in the military shaped me and showed me that the body also has its limits. God allowed spiritual as well as physical attacks. Yet in everything, I was able to see God's loving hand upon me. After I finished my military service, I was able to return home and participate in church life again.

From perpetrator of violence to believer

Even though we constantly lived in danger, we have often experienced that God's hand is never too short and that perfect love truly casts out fear. One experience shows that God has an astonishing plan, especially in the darkest hours of our lives. One evening, after dark, a sister was walking home. She was praying in the Holy Spirit and suddenly realized she was being followed. Immediately, she tried to run away and prayed even more fervently, but the man caught up with her and pushed her to the ground. She didn't know why, but a short time later, he let go of her, allowing her to escape.

She met this man again and learned how wonderfully God had watched over her at that moment. Her pursuer was a prisoner on day release. It wasn't the first time he had attacked someone. But as he pushed this sister to the ground, he suddenly heard a voice say, "If you attack my daughter, I will judge you!" Terrified, he looked around for the speaker but couldn't see anyone. He was about to turn back to his victim when the voice rang out a second time. Shocked and disturbed, he let her go. He had never experienced anything like it.

He felt a growing desire to know who this girl was, whom an invisible power seemed to protect. He followed her and thus came to the believers. There he recognized Jesus and found grace and forgiveness for his sins.

God's angel

God protected us in many ways. Once, while visiting Moscow, I attended a meeting in the woods. Brother Ivan Fedotov sent a brother and me to look out for police officers. Sure enough, we encountered two police officers with a dog not far away. We quickly hid behind a bush and overheard one of them radioing: “We’re right here in the square—it’s completely quiet.” We were only a few meters away and could clearly hear the congregation singing. God closed the ears of the men and the dog to protect His people.

One sister was a seamstress and sewed for the upper-class women of the city. One day, one of the leading women came to her and said, “Galina Ivanovna—where have you been? My husband was supposed to visit yesterday. When he drove to your house, he saw a large lock on your door. Where did you get such a lock?” Later, this sister told us that that very evening, brothers were visiting her house for a meeting. The spies were looking for them. The front door was clearly visible from the outside. However, God showed them a large lock on the door and protected the meeting that evening.

To the Lord be the glory!

Edited by Tina Pazer (Municipality of Speyer) based on an interview with Brother Paul Moser