"ZVI" (January/February 2011 "Israel My Glory" magazine)

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From A Voice In The Wilderness

"ZVI" (January/February 2011 "Israel My Glory" magazine)

As it is written in Proverbs 19:21, "There are many plans in a man's heart; nevertheless the LORD'S counsel - that will stand." A few years ago, a religious school invited me to speak about the Holocaust. I was 10 when the Nazis occupied my native Poland. It was the beginning of my journey through the seven halls of hell, as we say here in Israel. Few of us are left who passed through those terrible days. So students listened with great attention. Then they asked questions.

I also spoke about my faith in Christ and how the Lord helped me. That part was difficult for them. In fact, some became angry and said such things as, "This man should not be at our school!" "Why did he come here?" - Who brought him here?" Many questions were not so nice.

When students asked how I came to believe as I do, I told them, "I came to know the Lord according to the Holy Bible." They were surprised and wanted to know where it is written in the Bible about "This Man," meaning Jesus. I was happy to show them.

Afterward, students would see me on the streets of Jerusalem, point me out to others, and say, "This is the one who came to our school and tried to brainwash us to believe in This Man." That was not so good.

But as time passes, things change. Recently someone recognized me on the street. He called out to me and asked if I remembered speaking at the school where he works. "You spoke about the Holocaust. Do you remember?" he asked. "So now we want you to come back. Many of the pupils are new, and they will be very interested to hear you."

I was surprised. I thought the school would never invite me again. I was happy to go. The students were not quiet. Each one wanted to prove he was smarter than I. So they asked many questions and tried to attack me. But my answers came from the Holy Bible, so I was not afraid. They do not know about the Lord from the Bible.

Finally they asked how I came to know the Lord. One asked, "Why did you leave the Jewish faith?" It was for these questions I was waiting.

"I did not leave my faith in the Lord," I replied. "You need to ask yourselves, 'In whom do I believe?' Do you follow the Lord, or do you follow men with such faithfulness that you have almost turned them into false gods against God's will?" I asked them this question because they do not realize they respect their rabbis more than God's Word. They believe what the rabbis tell them and do what the rabbis say.

What I said was too much for them. One demanded, "Now we want to see with our eyes where in the Bible it is written about whom you speak." I opened my Bible to Isaiah 53 where it is written,

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. For He was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgressions of My people He was stricken (vv 5,8 )

Now they began to think. "How did you find this?" one asked.

"I read what is written in God's Word," I replied. "There it says, 'You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him.... You shall not go after other gods"' (Dt. 6:13-14)

"Do you have a Bible with you?" one asked. So I showed them my Bible. They looked through it very carefully, turning it over and over.

I asked, "Have you read enough? What do you say? Am I telling you what is right or not?"

Then they gave my Bible to their teacher, who told the students, "If he is following God according to the Bible, I cannot be against him." Then the teacher started to ask questions. "Why is it that most Jewish people do not believe as you do?"

I replied that it is because so many do not read the Bible for themselves. And when they do read, they do not trust God to show them what is right. Instead, they ask their rabbis and teachers and believe the interpretations they are given rather than what they have read with their own eyes.

"Take a good look around you," I said. "Do most people believe the Bible or what they are told about it? If they will believe according to the Holy Bible only, which was written by the Holy Spirit of God, they would believe as I do."

Please pray for these children, that they will read the Bible for themselves and trust God alone to give them understanding.