I was born in Bulgaria, a country who has recently started its democracy and the church of Christ was released from the communist burden and yoke. Persecuted and chased by the communist party in which my name has also been written, reminding me of the story of Saul (Acts 22-26) as a persecutor to the church after which he was changed by the grace of God as Paul the Apostle, a beginner of the Church of Christ.
I remained an orphan when I was 5 years old, and my childhood was spent in orphanages.
I am not saying this by chance – since my childhood and I want to make a remark that my wife and I have been together during these years when all children and orphans were raised with the ideology of the communist party at the background of the full lack of God and atheism.
This was taught in high school and in the university, everywhere around us. This was the politics of the communist party – to prepare since the beginning its children and to choose the ones that are more active for its future work. After I came back from the army I was accepted to be a member of the communist party and managed a few organizations for a different period of time, I worked for the Bulgarian equivalents of the KGB and FBI. I worked against the religious activities and the evangelism.
The church at that time consisted of a few brothers and sisters from Razlog and the region and a few different places. They used to gather in the basements of some of the believers’ houses. Just like Saul and used to persecute “the American sect” as they used to call the evangelical churches at that time. I used to persecute and cause problems for the group of believers at that time. I talked to them and convinced them in the atheism and looked for ways to cause problems for them and to stop them from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Saul Saul way do you persecute me?
Saul the Pharisee – was a zealous Jew. On the way to Damascus, there he had his heavenly vision. Saul, Saul way do you persecute me?
Who are you Lord? I am Jesus whom you persecute.
The same Paul witnessed before King Agrippa. “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”
Brothers and sisters I can not be like Paul.
But as he fall so did I. But I fall from a motorcycle. I was a persecutor of Christians, but one day 17 years ago, God change my life.
And from persecutor of the church I became a preacher.
After the incident I was taken to the hospital, without a any hope.
No hope no friends no body, only 4 wall in the room and the and suffering.
One night I never forget this night, I was there. I was standing before the heavenly gates, which close before me, and I heard a voice who sad.
“Now is not your time, but one day you will see what I have prepared who those who love ME.”
“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”
My life was changed. The make the long story short I would like to say: God’s Grace is abundant in my life.
I am the vice-national overseer of the Bulgarian Church of God and the chairman and founder of the Association of Roma pastors. I would like to say that we are simply instruments in the hands of God, but he is the One that takes all the glory for the transformation that has taken place. WE are simply vessels used by God in this spiritual outpouring.
