The Testimony of Howard Rothenberg:
My father's voice occasionally still echoes in my mind of what he told me early in my childhood. The world was headed for disaster and no one was in control. It would have been great to reply to him what I learned many years ago: "God is in control and sent His Son to spare us."
My home was clearly Jewish, yet without a solid belief in God. Growing up with an awareness of belonging to a distinct people, I nevertheless fumbled along from one holiday to another trying to understand my heritage. Without any real religious standards (we were non observant) I quickly learned the one boundary line not to cross, the one dividing us Jews from those "Christians." Before "Jews for Jesus" became a popular distinction, I had already dismissed Jesus as a stranger to my people.
While being lonely and unhappy, I clung to my prejudices, even when I sought comfort in various cults. Only as a last resort would I consider the Bible as a source of light, as a book of answers. My first messenger of hope came through the office where I worked. A co-worker offered me a Bible, after telling me she was a Christian. Months later, I was surprised to learn that she was Jewish! I began to perceive the truth of the New Testament, and later its link with the Old Testament. A visit to a "Jews for Jesus" service really walloped my rigid views. There I saw Jewish people praising Jesus in songs, prayers, and testimonies. It amazed me.
Rather undramatically I accepted Jesus as my Savior on a sidewalk in New York City. But, in the quiet of my heart amidst the clanging of traffic, on that ordinary street, two relationships were fixed clearly in my life: that nagging voice questioning God's existence left me; I was God's child eternally - and that Jewishness which I was reared to admire grew meaningful; I was to be a witness for the gospel from that moment onward.
God called my family and me to be ambassadors to His chosen people in the Greater Miami area. Because of your help and prayers, this is now a reality.
The Everlasting Nation - March - April 2011 p.19 - Reposted with permission.
Photo from Google images.
