WEBVTT 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.759 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:19.039 First of all, I believe that you have to know that you belong to God. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:24.160 You have to be sure that God gave you that job. 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:31.920 The Bible tells us that God can make us wiser than our enemies. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:37.439 There are so many exemplars in the book that tells us that. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:43.600 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:48.079 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:53.439 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from pastor teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:10.319 As a young attorney under Nikolai Kosheshku's brutal communist regime, Virginia had spent her entire life searching for the truth. 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:28.879 When she finally found it in the pages of the most forbidden book in all of Romania, Virginia accepted the divine call to defend fellow followers of Christ against unjust persecution in an otherwise ungodly land. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:38.640 For this act of treason, she was kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and placed under house arrest. 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:45.680 She came within seconds of being executed under the orders of Kalsheshku himself. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:02:03.840 How Virginia not only managed to defeat her enemies time and time again, but also helped expose the appalling secret that would lead to the demise of Kalsheshku's evil empire is one of the most extraordinary stories ever told. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:05.599 So here is Virginia. 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:08.879 Let's stand and give her a big road. 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:09.919 Welcome. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:16.879 Yes, thank you. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:27.439 All right, thanks, you guys. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:28.400 Thanks. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:29.599 Well, Virginia. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:32.159 I have to say that thank you so much. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:39.919 But what you are applauding, I know for sure it's Christ in me that did all the job. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:45.439 I can't believe I get to be here with you. 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:47.680 Well, it was God's calling. 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:50.159 I know that we you organized this. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:52.479 I want to thank you for doing that. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:58.400 I know that some of my friends influence you, came and talked with you. 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:07.680 I want to thank them too, and I want to thank my extended family that is here, that adopted me when I came to the United States. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:11.439 They know me from the time that I didn't know one word in English. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:13.280 At that time, it was quiet. 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:19.759 So I I have a lot to talk to her about, but I just want to I'm gonna camp on what she just said. 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:28.159 So she was involved with defending Christians under Kalcheshku's regime, one of the most ruthless regimes in Eastern Europe. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:35.439 How many of you in the room would be uh let's say under 45? 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:37.280 You're under 45, raise your hand. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:37.840 Okay. 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:42.719 So you guys why are all the under 45s in the back of the church? 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:48.639 Hey, I want to just say to you a little bit older, bless you! Glad you're up here fighting for the front seat. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:52.800 But, you know, we grew up, I'm old enough to remember the Iron Curtain. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.840 I'm old enough to remember the Cold War. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:00.800 And uh under Ronald Reagan, he had a passion um against communism. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:13.439 He had a passion for uh reaching out to Christians in other countries, especially the Eastern European countries, that were involved in uh helping those in the church and getting Bibles to them and stuff like that. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:26.879 And so you came uh so close to dying several times, but there was a correlation there, a connection where the where the embassy became aware, Voice of America began to broadcast and stuff. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.720 And so she comes in 1989. 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:31.839 88. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:32.240 Huh? 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:32.879 1988. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:33.920 Okay, it was 88. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.040 I said 88. 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:36.639 The regime fell in 89. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:37.839 That's the okay. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:42.720 So in 88, Virginia comes here, can't speak a word of English. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:05:00.319 She's been an attorney in Romania, has to go, has to take the LSAT, the law SAT, gets into SMU law school, she's got three kids, and she got into the law school, and two of your kids have graduated from one of one graduated from Harvard. 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:08.720 One graduated from SMU, the second one from Harvard Law School, and my son graduated from United States Air Force Academy. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:10.319 That awesome. 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:17.600 And so she had some sponsors there that were huge. 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:30.639 Uh, Boone and Peggy, thank you for your uh impact and your influence in listening to the voice of God and taking her in and loving her. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:38.879 She needed, we were Peggy and I were just talking about the fact that, I mean, can you imagine going to another land you don't even know uh the language at all? 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:45.839 And then the hoops and the mountains that you have to pass through in the particular occupation that you have. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:52.399 I mean, this is just not an easy occupation to go and get into law school in the United States in your second language. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:53.920 And so, but let's go back. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.199 Okay, I I also want to say one thing. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:10.240 When you read the book, you will understand how God organizes not organized not only my life, but I hope you see how God organizes your own life. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:28.319 If you let God organize your life, and if you look back on on uh uh on your life, I want to share a few things, and I'm so thankful that the the things that you said about um how God organized uh my friends and my family here in the United States. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:38.959 But imagine that I was behind the Berlin Wall, that it was the wall who separated the capitalists from socialists. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:49.040 I was so isolated, fighting there for human rights and religious rights that um it's hard to believe. 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:54.480 And you have to admit that it was God's hands, not human desire. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:02.079 But it was God who moved and organized everything. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:15.600 So, in that atmosphere, you will find in the book how God put heroes in my life that each one in their own position helped me to do the job. 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:23.120 Not only that, but God helped me to find the laws to have the power to defend Christians. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:38.399 Later on, when I came to the United States, I heard from uh Congressman Frank Wolfe a story, and I want to share it with you because it's illustrative of how God organizes everything in your life. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:43.680 And you do not have to know, you know, what God is doing, just trust God. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:56.000 Frank Wolf uh explained to me one, explained uh to a group one time something, and when I went to lunch, I said, I need to know the details of that because I didn't know. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:08:10.079 He explained that he was a congressman in in um uh United States Congress, and he was um doing uh the um roads and other sections of the Congress. 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:11.439 That's what he believed. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:19.040 And one day he was driving home and he was uh listening to a broadcast um from Dr. 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:19.759 Dobson. 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:20.560 And Dr. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:30.240 Dobson was talking about Christians under Berlin Wall, and he was talking about what he heard from Voice of America about me. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:43.440 Congressman Frank Wool started to pray and felt that the Lord said, Go tomorrow and change your position from uh roads to human rights. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:53.279 And he became, with Christopher Smith, one of the most active and powerful fighters for the human rights. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:57.120 And he came to Romania and he talked with me. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:10.480 So the book explains in detail that I can explain it to you this, but you will be encouraged because sometimes you might say to yourself, Am I doing anything, any, I don't have what it takes. 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:12.960 You don't have to have what it takes. 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:19.039 You you have to have faith in God and trust Him, and He will organize. 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:24.960 And sometimes He allows us to know things that He organized, and sometimes He doesn't know. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:32.720 So before I said everything, I when you read the book or when you hear me, I want you to remember this. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:34.879 I am not a hero. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:37.919 I defended a lot of heroes. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:52.000 I am a tool in God's hands, and I'm here to encourage you that God wants to use you as a tool in His hands and change a country like He changed Romania through me. 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:56.080 Now, today is a democratic country. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:10:05.200 You can be a tool in God's hands, and you can be in your area the one that God can do the changes to you. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:06.159 Amen. 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:07.440 How about that? 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:10.480 All right, let's just all pray and go home. 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:11.840 I mean, that's awesome. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:35.600 So, so Virginia, tell us, because many of us wouldn't understand this, and and I only understand it a little bit because I got to go into Hungary and smuggle Bibles in 1980, but um what was it like under Kosheshku, and I'm not even sure I'm pronouncing it right, but his uh regime in um in Romania, you become a believer, you're an attorney. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:38.639 I mean, what was that like daily? 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:45.759 Um I called the land where I was born, and I believe that I was born for a very good reason. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:53.120 As you are born here, you're born for a good reason, and I can't tell you the reason, but God can tell you. 00:10:53.279 --> 00:11:00.320 So I was born in Romania, and all I remember is maybe from age six or something like this. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:22.720 And I remember my parents being politically correct outside as much as possible, but I heard them inside of the house expressing their uh disapproval to the government and how the socialist government will take more and more rights no matter how obedient they were. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:27.200 So you can imagine as a young person, I was terrified. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:33.440 I was thinking my parents will not take care of me and my government will not take care of me. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:43.360 So somehow God put on my heart that I will not grow up and living under lies and under fear. 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:50.480 That little girl in me is asking you a question today. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:54.399 What and how do you act? 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:59.120 Are your children terrified by your actions? 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:07.200 You don't have to say words, you just have to express fear of what's going on and not trusting God. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:11.840 What are your grandchildren seeing in you? 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:21.039 Either you trust the God of the universe, or you say, I'm a child of God, but you leave like an orphan. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:32.320 Because I know what that feeling is, and my heart cries for young people and even older people here in the United States. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:43.840 So I advise you to watch what they what how you act, because it was so petrified to me as a young kid to see my parents and my relatives. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:57.440 But God put uh in my heart uh a desire to search things, so I I started to look around and see, because I I thought why people are so fearful. 00:12:57.759 --> 00:12:59.360 I don't want to be fearful. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:00.559 What is the truth? 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:05.440 What people don't speak the truth, they know the truth, but they don't speak the truth. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.200 What is freedom? 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.759 And how can I find freedom? 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:13.440 And I noticed just looking around. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:17.679 We had like one uh once a year a family reunion. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:35.679 We were a small family, but we got together, and I noticed one thing that are those uh family reunions, relatives will group around three people, and I started to search who up these people are, and all of them were lawyers. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:41.279 So as a six six years old kid, I said, I found the answer. 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:47.759 I'm gonna go to law school, learn about the truth, and find and speak up for the truth. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:52.639 You will find out God had a better plan than that, much bigger plan. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:57.200 That's the thing, you know, there's a there's several themes that run through this book. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:00.799 But the first one is you are a seeker of truth. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:06.080 Now explain that because there's a lot of us that don't seek the truth. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:27.360 Yeah, we don't seek it out, we're not critical thinkers, we just kind of take what we hear at school as gospel truth, and that was different for you because you were in an atheistic, communistic environment, but something God had placed in you was to go after truth, and that motivated you to go into the legal field, didn't it? 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:27.919 Yeah. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:33.600 See, I grew up in a land that I call a land of lies and a prison land. 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:34.960 That's socialism. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:48.879 And the dictator were not allowed us to ask questions, I mean honest questions, about why the government is doing this or that. 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:59.600 They consider those questions as an anti-government approach or or speaking against government. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:03.679 So people were fearful, nobody was talking about it. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:19.200 The government will control our lives with, you know, um everything that we said, people or kids asked to report the parents if the parents said something. 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:26.799 The dictator declared himself God and required each one of us to worship him. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:29.600 It was dangerous to go to church. 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:32.399 We had spies even in our church. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:37.279 We had no idea who was our brother or who was a spy. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:55.759 He starved us to death in uh wanted and in many situations um demolished churches and confiscated the land in order to build for himself a palace because he was God. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:59.120 Again, he rationalized rationalized. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:10.720 Uh, we had a uh a small portion, like three eggs a month, half a pound of uh sugar for the entire family and so forth. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:32.320 And in the newspaper, he will say, by the way, the newspaper was controlled by him, in the newspaper he will say that we should be very grateful to the leader because he brought us in Romania to us, Romanian, the golden era. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:34.879 Yeah, that was his big word, wasn't it? 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:35.679 The golden era. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:37.440 Yeah, yeah. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:41.840 And everybody who will say no will go to jail. 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:51.759 So in this situation, and in this, there God put a desire in my heart to find to find the truth. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:17:04.079 But this I his desire was not only to go to law school and defend Christians later on, but to find him and to find the law. 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:12.799 Because as a a human being, my thought was that I will find the law in the law books. 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:13.599 Yeah. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:21.359 But so you had no idea this journey that you were on, it was just something within you that longed to know what the truth was. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:21.680 No. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:23.440 And then God was moving you. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:23.839 No. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:34.319 Let me let me explain to you how big the lack of knowledge of God was for me, because I didn't hear. 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:45.359 One of my clients um that was so different, so different than anyone else, um, invited me to his church. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:54.960 And the reason is because I spent with him together for more than a year for his case, and he was so different than anyone else. 00:17:55.279 --> 00:18:11.680 And that day that he came to look over his his case and everything, that case that day I came to my uh law office, I put the um briefcase on my uh secretary's desk, and I said, I don't want to be a lawyer anymore. 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:16.319 I can't find uh the truth, and I don't want to be a lawyer. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:19.440 She looked at me like, where have you been? 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.160 What kind of dreams do you have? 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.720 Welcome to reality, you know. 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:25.599 Wake up. 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:32.160 And she gave me three files and said, three people are coming to see you, and one is inside. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:39.920 So I went inside and it was the client that I um um I I have been working for a year. 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:42.720 So in my mind was what is the truth? 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:50.720 I feel so so bad and so sad for myself because that was my dream to go to law school and find the law. 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:54.799 And today was the day when I will say, I quit, I can. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:57.119 And it was a sad day for me. 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:06.079 So here he was putting documents on my my desk and everything, and I didn't hear a word that he said. 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:08.319 That's not good for a lawyer. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:13.680 Okay, so as he put the the things in my mind, is what is the truth? 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:19.440 And all of a sudden I look at him and I said, I wish I had in my life what you have. 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:22.160 And he said, Do you go to church? 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:26.880 And I look at him like, Oh, I'm so sorry, I ask. 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:33.839 I mean, what in the world going to church has to do with what you have and everything? 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.279 But I was so desperate, I um I said yes. 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:40.480 Uh he wrote the address and everything. 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:43.680 And the next day I was uh at his church. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:45.440 You have to imagine that. 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:50.960 I said yes to my client not knowing where I am going. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:20:02.240 I I thought they can take my license away, they can put me to jail because everything had to be according to dictator. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:07.039 But I was so, so determined to go to church. 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:13.359 So I met him and his family at the church the next Sunday, and I followed them. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:18.720 When I walk inside of the church, I realized it was totally different. 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:23.440 I used to go to Orthodox church or Catholic church, and I never heard the gospel. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:30.799 Everybody was speaking in Latin, so I didn't know Latin until later on in law school. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:39.119 So as I walked in uh behind them, I heard a song that I will never forget: Sinner come home. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:45.119 And you cannot imagine that I felt so comfortable. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:48.480 I said, Oh, this is a safe place. 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:51.039 I don't think that I will be arrested. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:21:00.640 Uh, I believe there is a man uh coming today, and his name is Sinner, and they have a celebration for him. 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:06.000 That was my notion of sin. 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:09.359 That was my notion for sin. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:11.039 Oh my goodness. 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:23.039 And he told us where to sit and everything, and the pastor came, opened the Bible, and said, Jesus Christ said, I am the truth, the way, and the life. 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:25.200 Nobody comes to the Father except through me. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:26.799 John 16, 4. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:33.279 And then I realized the law, the truth that I was looking. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:37.279 I was looking in the wrong places in a law book. 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:40.240 The truth is God Himself. 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:44.240 And that day my life was changed forever. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:46.079 I became a child of God. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:48.480 I accepted the divine call. 00:21:48.720 --> 00:22:06.960 I understood correctly from God why he brought me to law school and what he wants me to do, but also my life later on changed in a way that I Have never imagined because I became not only that I defended Christian, but I became a target myself. 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:09.680 You guys, I couldn't put this book down. 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:15.759 You guys know I love to read, and um, but I'll tell you, most books I have no trouble putting down. 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.240 Um, this book is fascinating. 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:25.759 I'd encourage you to get it and get by two or three copies for others because of the riveting nature in which it's written. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:55.519 It's just written so well, it's more like a novel, and uh, and so what you're what you're gonna experience is this world of fear, intimidation, torture, and control of an entire population of a nation by one dictator and his uh secret police, and a woman who will not back down because of her faith in Christ. 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:57.599 Now I want to just ask you a question about this. 00:22:57.839 --> 00:22:58.640 I want to say one thing. 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:04.000 You you just keep interrupting me because you you have so many things to say, so go for it. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:05.920 I'm not gonna I'm not gonna stop you. 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:20.640 I want to I want to say continuing what he said is I want you to know that God thought about you when he took me through all the things in Romania. 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:33.920 He knew that one day you will hear me, you will read the book, and your soul will be in fire for Christ in a time that is so necessary in America. 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:34.960 Love it. 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:40.319 Sorry for the is this appropriate for what's happening in America right now? 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:47.680 So the question I have is I thought it was fascinating that you did the research. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:50.559 You really went back in the law books. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:54.960 You went back in time and you found that law 217. 00:23:55.119 --> 00:23:57.279 Tell them what law 217 was. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:05.599 Law 217 was a law that um was adopted many years ago during the capitalist era. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:21.279 And dictator and the socialist and capitalist um communist uh system decided, by the way, socialist and communist works on lie, and this is another example. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:34.640 They kept that law and did not uh destroy the law or said we are not gonna use this law or so forth, but I kept it in the law books for what reason do you think? 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:42.240 So they could lie to the Western civilization and say, we respect human rights, we have a law. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:45.359 Just lawyers, they don't use it. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:46.240 Nobody. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:57.279 In fact, before Congressman Smith and Frank Wolfe came to talk with me, they used to go directly and talk with dictator, and dictator will say, we don't have any problems. 00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:58.079 Guess what? 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:03.359 After they spoke with me, they used to say, dictator will say, we don't have any problems. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:10.799 And Congressman Christopher Smith and Frank Wolf would say, Well, let us tell you about the problems. 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:14.240 You can't imagine that the dictator was not very happy. 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:15.119 Yeah. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:36.079 So, so you guys give you a little insight of what happened is that as Virginia began to use Law 217 in situations where churches and Christians were being persecuted or their uh uh buildings being confiscated, she kept winning these cases because the judge didn't have any response. 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:37.519 It's right there on the books. 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:56.000 And so as that became known, Voice of America at that time, which was a really huge broadcast that went out even into the Eastern European and Russian nation, um, to to it really actually was there to encourage those that wanted liberty and wanted freedom in those nations. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:05.119 So, do you feel like, Virginia, that that was a key part of why you went along as far as you did without being killed? 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:05.519 Yes. 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:06.880 Because you should have been dead. 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:10.640 I I should be dead by all the kinds. 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:11.039 Yeah. 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:25.200 Imagine that I was surrounded by the Berlin Wall, that I didn't have any access to the free world, and I I fought against what was right. 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:27.759 Imagine now your problem. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:41.039 You have a problem and you feel isolated, you feel that nobody knows, and maybe you think, and because many times I'll give you an example that I thought that even God forgot about my problems. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:43.200 And listen to that. 00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:59.039 Unknown to me, unknown to me, God organized the entire Western civilization to know and come and help. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:05.920 Congressman Frank Wolf and Smith, like I explained, Voice of America. 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:08.960 I never met these people in Romania. 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:17.200 They will tell reports about how I was dressed, what kind of arguments I use, and everything. 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:28.480 And for that reason, my cases became part of United Nations Reports on Human Rights and United States Department reports on human rights. 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:36.799 And that was essential to what is and how God worked for my life. 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:52.559 I want to tell you, you you are the only one knowing where you feel surrounded by the iron curtain or isolated where you feel that even God forgot about you. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:57.440 Be encouraged that He's working and you do not need to know. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:03.599 Do not be discouraged when you cry or even when you criticize Him. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:05.519 Let me explain it to you. 00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:09.680 I was under house arrest and it was very hard. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:16.319 I told my girls that we are not allowed to go outside, we are not allowed to buy food and everything. 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:32.240 Um I will tell you that many times when I wake up in the morning, I found the furniture um moved, so uh I have to move it back so my kids cannot see this because I was worried about the emotional. 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:34.480 So they would come in at night. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:35.359 Yes. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:42.640 So while you guys are asleep, yes, they not only surround your house, they would actually come in and mess around in this. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:47.279 Yes, so they will do everything that was possible to make me afraid. 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:52.160 And and uh and one day I was at the end of my robe. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:59.519 I I did everything that was possible, telling my kids that I don't need to eat and I am not hungry, and giving them food. 00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:06.319 And I was on the sofa one one evening, and I was at the end of my robe, I believe. 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:15.119 And um I remember taking a pillow and putting on my face because I didn't want uh the Sigurd police to hear me crying. 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:22.079 So I put a pillow on my face and I said, Lord, I know nobody comes to see us. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:27.839 I know we have bodyguards and we have policemen around with guns, nobody comes. 00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:30.960 But I feel like even you forgot us. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:34.720 And I knew the minute that I said that that he was not right. 00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:50.160 I knew that, but it was so much pain that I wanted to say to go out of my body, and the Lord in his kindness, he asked me to remember that day. 00:29:51.200 --> 00:30:17.839 Years later, I forgot, years later, from President Ronald Reagan, I heard that that day there was night in Romania, morning in America, God put on President Ronald Hart to make a deal with the dictator and to check on us every single day to make sure that he's not killing us. 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:28.000 You are a child of God, and when he will put the most powerful person in the world to protect you. 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:49.920 I didn't know at that time God never gives me a blueprint, no, just one day at a time, but his love is precious, you have no idea, no matter the pain, the power, the the isolation that you feel, you might feel in jail where you are. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:31:03.680 You have no idea what God is preparing for you, not only for you, but for generations to come, that you will influence others by what you will go through. 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:04.400 Amen. 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:04.960 I love that. 00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:06.000 I love that. 00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:14.880 So, Virginia, when I read this book, um there's actually two things that really resonate with me. 00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:18.640 But the first one is how did you overcome fear? 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:23.680 Because um, we're talking about being beaten, we're talking about the intimidation. 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:33.680 I to me, the way the securitate worked and the way in which they came in and how they were just kind of around every corner, really fearful. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:47.519 I mean, that was so I did so I watched a documentary last night on Romania under uh Koshescu, and it was saying that under the securitate, they they really fear was their main weapon. 00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:49.279 So, how did you deal? 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:59.200 I mean, I already know because I read the book, but explain to us how you deal with fear in in a way where we all can understand that because we all have fears in our life. 00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:01.119 Yes, yeah, and that that's true. 00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:03.599 And I I am under five feet tall. 00:32:03.759 --> 00:32:05.839 I was 82 pounds in Romania. 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:08.480 I'm not too much taller than you, I just want you to imagine. 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:12.000 I I don't scare anyone, you can imagine. 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:24.400 Um, first of all, I believe that you have to know that you belong to God, you have to be sure that God gave you that jab. 00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:32.319 The Bible tells us that God can make us wiser than our enemies. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:43.680 There are so many examples in in the book that tells us that God also took me to grow my faith. 00:32:44.240 --> 00:33:05.839 When I was under interrogation, and and uh they were just like in the movies, one uh part of them were bad guys hitting and you know banging my my um head on on the table or pushing me in the walls and things like this, full of blood and everything. 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:10.400 Others would say, Oh, he didn't mean to do that, and so forth. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:20.240 But knowing that God gave me this, it was uncomfortable, it was painful, believe me. 00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:33.359 But I knew that as they had a job, because I heard many times the voice of the dictator screaming at them and giving them over the phone uh directions. 00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:40.160 I knew that I had a job there, that they might see Christ in me. 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:47.599 Yeah, and God helped me to do that I never imagined that I will be capable of doing. 00:33:48.319 --> 00:33:52.240 And I I will explain the reason why. 00:33:52.720 --> 00:34:01.359 You see, when when the Bible says Romans 8, 28, everything works for the good of the ones that believe in God. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:03.359 Let me give you an example. 00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:14.079 When they push me, torture me, push me, and make me full of blood, I didn't have anyone to help me. 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:19.280 When they pushed me hard into the the walls, they helped me. 00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:20.960 You know what they did? 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:25.519 They pushed me in Christ's arms. 00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:36.719 In his arms, there, full of blood, and alone, I realized that I was never alone. 00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:41.599 I was there so he can do the work in me. 00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:54.079 From the bottom of my heart, I'm telling you, it's not, it's I'm not, it's not something that I said to be polite, but it's an honor to suffer for Christ's sake. 00:34:54.800 --> 00:35:04.159 It is an honor to see that he will whisper in your ear and say, tell them about my love. 00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:14.159 And I have to say to them, I don't like what you're doing, but God loves you, and I choose to love you. 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:25.679 Those huge people with guns on them, on the table, everywhere, they had to turn their heads because they were crying. 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:27.679 They didn't know what to do with me. 00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:37.360 You guys can imagine that part of the theme of this is that something happens, and I'm not gonna tell you what it is. 00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:45.360 Um, there's actually two major twists in this book, and the last one will blow your mind near the end, but I'm not gonna tell you what it is. 00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:54.880 So um, something happens as this story unfolds into a crescendo where something's gotta give. 00:35:55.039 --> 00:36:05.119 Something's either gotta give with Kalcheshka's regime and what they're gonna do with her, or uh something's gonna have to give in her life and she's just gonna have to give up her faith. 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:10.239 And so these two elements are about to collide together in the book. 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:16.239 But I'm not gonna tell you what happens, so you've got to buy the book, and I want her to sell all these books today. 00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:18.880 But I wanted to read one last part here. 00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:21.519 Um, Virginia, I want you to comment on it. 00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:23.920 This is the very last part of the book. 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:33.840 You say, I hope these lessons translate from my life today as an American and into yours, no matter where you live on this planet. 00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:43.360 My desire is that through reading my book and seeing how God used me to accomplish amazing things, you'll realize God has a grand plan to use you as well. 00:36:43.519 --> 00:36:48.480 And I pray you will not put off doing what God is calling you to do. 00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:57.039 God assigns, He provides, he protects, and he gives victory to those whom he calls. 00:36:57.280 --> 00:37:02.320 If this had not been true in my life, I would not be alive today to write this message. 00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:11.199 You are created to thrive and to do great things through God's power, no matter what your circumstances are. 00:37:11.440 --> 00:37:14.719 I hope to meet you one day on our journey together to victory. 00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:15.760 Isn't that great? 00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:17.440 Isn't that awesome? 00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:22.480 So elaborate on that. 00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:30.079 Oh, I am a mother and I'm a lawyer, and I'm a woman, so it's a uh it's a dangerous combination. 00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:35.599 So um I have to tell you that I'm gonna send you home with an assignment. 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:38.320 Um, first of all, I want to say it. 00:37:38.480 --> 00:37:45.679 Um I believe that God brought you here for a very specific reason. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:50.559 Um I want you, and this is this is the assignment. 00:37:51.440 --> 00:38:04.559 I want you to go in your closet and pray and ask the Lord to share share with you his dream for your life. 00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:05.119 Amen. 00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:10.320 Because his dream is beyond your imagination. 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:17.840 Your wildest dream, that's right, it's rubbish compared with what God has for you. 00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:20.639 Yes, yes, yes. 00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:22.159 Beautiful. 00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:28.480 He created you for an amazing thing. 00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:34.880 America brought Christ and freedom to people all over the world. 00:38:35.119 --> 00:38:39.679 It's time for us to bring Christ and freedom back to America. 00:38:40.480 --> 00:38:41.119 Amen. 00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:48.400 The second assignment that I have for you is this. 00:38:48.639 --> 00:38:52.960 First of all, I want to tell you, and it's true what your pastor said. 00:38:53.280 --> 00:39:02.239 I came here, I knew five foreign languages, I didn't know one word in English, and I wrote a book that everybody says I couldn't put it down. 00:39:02.480 --> 00:39:06.480 If you don't recognize God's hands in that, I don't know what. 00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:07.199 Yeah. 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:16.960 Is I want you to encourage the book to encourage you and say, where do I say I can do it, I can have it, and so forth. 00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:18.719 So let God do it. 00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:26.719 The second part is this is a book that explains life in socialists and communists. 00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:32.320 All I did, I took the reader walking with me in this uh society. 00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:38.800 So in this God's economy, we all are together. 00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:48.480 Just because I share with you today, or I wrote a book, it doesn't mean that my role is higher than your role. 00:39:48.800 --> 00:40:01.360 We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and your role in reading the book, sharing with others, asking questions that you will learn from the book are very important. 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:05.599 God has an amazing plan for your life. 00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:11.280 And I have to say it, freedom is precious. 00:40:11.599 --> 00:40:25.280 I live in a country where, and that's the way I sign every book of mine, and I want to tell you, there is no freedom without Christ, not even in America. 00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:26.079 That's right. 00:40:26.400 --> 00:40:29.679 We are the solution for America. 00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:32.400 We the Christians, Christ in us. 00:40:33.119 --> 00:40:39.599 So ask the Lord for your mission, read the book, and be in fire. 00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:49.920 I will I'm happy to hear from you and to hear about your journey because we all have a journey to glorify and magnify the Lord. 00:40:51.599 --> 00:40:56.000 You've been listening to The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:40:56.480 --> 00:40:59.119 We hope you have been blessed by today's message. 00:40:59.280 --> 00:41:03.199 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:07.199 If you are walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:14.400 Go to theroad.org, click on the ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to send us your prayer request. 00:41:14.719 --> 00:41:22.559 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.