Plucking the Eagle's Wings

Plucking the Eagle's Wings

fulfilled. Mikhail Gorbachev (who had a large birthmark on his forehead), became the leader of the Soviet Union. "Glasnost" became a global word. A lesser-known part of the story concerning Mr. Gorbachev reveals the timing of the Almighty in the affairs of men. Christian Mother Influences Gorbachev Lavon Riley is a tour operator from Texas. In the late 1980s, Mr. Riley planned a trip to Russia and took many Christians with him. The Christians boarded a huge plane for their journey and stashed thousands of Bibles within their belongings. When they arrived, it was difficult to get permission to bring the Bibles into the country. Miraculously, Mr. Riley acquired a permit to do so and the army came with trucks and delivered the Bibles directly to the churches. Lavon Riley personally told me how, during this trip, the KGB called him into their offices. Great fear of being arrested came upon him. The KGB proceeded to tell him that they were aware of his every step. In fact, the head KGB agent said, "Let me show you your file." He proceeded to pull out a file that was about four inches thick that gave details of every time Lavon had traveled to Russia. It included the places where he had spoken, the hotels where he had stayed, and the restaurants where he had eaten. It turned out that the meeting was not to arrest or interrogate him, but to demonstrate to him that a new Russia existed and that the new Russia would permit religious freedom. Lavon was given a permit from Gorbachev's number three man to bring as many Bibles into Russia as Lavon desired! It was at this time that Lavon learned that the mother of Mikhail Gorbachev was an Orthodox Christian. She had prayed for him for many years that he would become a leader in Russia. He also learned that, during Mikhail's birthday, his mother would make a special cake and place certain Scriptures on it. This was confirmed when Gorbachev appeared on the Hour of Power with Robert Schuller on October 22, 2000 and spoke about his mother's prayers and the fact that practically all of his family were Christians. During the interview, Mikhail said, "There can be no freedom without spiritual freedom, without human beings being able to choose." Mikhail kept close ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Perestroika created an atmosphere of co-existence and opened the door to freedom of religious expression for at least seven years. Apparently,

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