The Gospel of John tells us that Nicodemus “came to Jesus by night” (John 3:2), presumably because he didn’t want other Pharisees to know what he was doing. He had a hard time understanding what Jesus told him about being “born again.”

I preached about Nicodemus on the first night of our Festival in Kyiv (formerly Kiev), Ukraine, because I believe his story speaks to the hearts of multitudes who have only a superficial knowledge of Jesus. They have the trappings of traditional religion, but have not experienced the personal relationship with Christ that comes through faith in His atonement on the cross.

Ukraine has been under the influence of Christianity for over a thousand years. Yet on Sunday mornings, its great cathedrals stand mostly empty. According to a national survey taken the month before we arrived, less than 1 percent of the people describe themselves as followers of Christ.

Like Nicodemus, those who have religion but don’t have a relationship with God need to be born again. They need to hear the Gospel, and they need to welcome Jesus into their heart through repentance and know Him personally. That’s why it was so encouraging to see 124,000 people coming to Kyiv’s Olympic Stadium, to hear that 107,000 more were watching on satellite TV at more than a hundred remote locations and to know that 4,000 churches were praying for us.

Ukrainian Christians told us that there had never been an event like this in their country. They were grateful and excited about the work that God has begun in their country.

Ukraine means “borderland” or “on the edge.” The largest country between Germany and Russia, it has been conquered three times in the past century, first by the Soviet Union, then by the Nazis, then again by the Soviets in 1945. Only in 1991 did the country regain its independence and begin to emerge from the shadow of Communism.

Just as Ukraine was a strategic location in the conflicts of the 20th century, I believe it can have an important role now in our efforts to reach Eastern Europe with the Gospel. Two years ago, I preached in Moldova. In the next two years, we are planning to go to Romania and the Baltics. Pray that God will continue to open doors so that we can hold a Festival in Russia.

The Bible says that eternal life means experiencing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3, NKJV).

Wherever I preach, the call for commitment is always a call to knowing Jesus personally as Lord and Savior. Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes of unbelieving sinners to respond, and I praise Him for the powerful working of the Holy Spirit as we proclaim the Gospel.

Please pray for God to prepare hearts even now in Korea and Hong Kong, where I will be preaching in the coming months. Pray that many will experience the indescribable joy of the new birth and thus begin a relationship with the Lord that will never end.