Testimonies

A Young Jewish Man Finds the Truth

I grew up as a Jewish boy in Dallas, Texas. However, my family was not very religious, attending the synagogue only a few times a year during the major Jewish holidays. I did, however, attend Hebrew school once a week from fourth to tenth grade and had a bar mitzvah at the age of 13. I remember my time at the synagogue as mainly a social activity for the Jewish kids of the city. We were taught Jewish culture and history, but had very little contact with the Scriptures. I don't recall any mention of who God is, what He is doing, or why we are here.

My parents were very loving and supportive and worked hard to provide for us materially. Basically, I was able to have everything I wanted. However, I soon realized that the things that I yearned to have became uninteresting a short time after my parents bought them for me. I learned that material things could not satisfy me.

In high school I excelled academically, was active in sports, and had many friends. Yet often I would have times of despair and depression, without knowing why. I was hoping that I would get some kind of answer, a purpose and direction in life, when I went away to college.

I did very well my freshman year as a Biology/Pre-Med student. I also met new friends, developed relationships, and had many new experiences. Yet, I still felt dissatisfied, unsure of my future, and unhappy with myself.

During my sophomore year I had to withdraw from a physics class I was failing and suffered a strained relationship with my roommate who had been my best friend since the fourth grade. These, as well as some other personal situations, caused me to drop to a new level of hopelessness.

It was in this condition that I returned to Dallas for the winter break. While there I spoke with a friend who grew up across the street from me. We hadn't seen each other in years and I was interested to know how he was doing. During our conversation he mentioned the Bible. This shocked me because of all my friends he seemed the least likely to have anything to do with the Bible. He shared with me how he had come to know Christ during a low point in his life. Just from his speaking I realized that he had touched something real and that it had radically changed him.

Growing up Jewish, I had never heard the gospel (good news) of Christ. I knew generally about Christ, but that knowledge seemed distant and impersonal. As my friend spoke I realized that what he had was not a dutiful attendance in an organized religion, but a close relationship with a living Person. I was astounded when my friend said, "I believe the Lord brought you over here tonight, so that you can get to know Him." My friend told me about how I could come to know God directly by my human spirit (John 4:24). He told me that I didn't have to go to a special place or to go through someone else-that man can contact God directly by means of his human spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).

This contact with my long-time friend piqued my interest in Jesus. I began to wonder if Jesus was really the Messiah since I had been told from an early age that He was not. I returned to college to continue my studies with an awakened spiritual hunger. One day that semester my roommate entered our apartment with a huge family Bible in hand. He said, "I found this in the trash. Does anybody want it?" I gladly took it and began to read the New Testament for the first time at the age of twenty. I was captivated by what I sensed was THE TRUTH. The more I read, the more real the Lord Jesus became to me, and the more I wanted to have a close relationship with Him as I had seen in my friend. I finished reading the New Testament that semester and looked forward to speaking again with my friend in Dallas.

When I returned home for the summer break, I quickly got in touch with my friend. He, along with some other Christians, shared a simple gospel word with me and asked me to kneel and pray to receive Christ as my Savior. They then baptized me in my neighbor's pool. Although I did not have the intense emotional experience that I expected, I did have a lasting inner peace. I felt that I had found the meaning of human life. I then began to meet with Christians in various homes for informal meetings of prayer, Bible reading and fellowship.

That Fall I returned to college and at the end of the semester began to meet with Christians on Campus, a long-standing student organization. I was impressed with their focus on the Scriptures, their love for the Lord and their living for Him absolutely. In the evenings and on weekends I enjoyed rich fellowship in the homes of families in the community who cared for the students. I appreciated the warm supportive environment, the mutual prayer, and the discussion of the Bible. My relationship with the Lord began to deepen as well as my understanding of God's eternal purpose. My involvement with Christians on Campus made my remaining semesters in college the most enjoyable and fulfilling.

Michael Zinn
Norman, OK