Salvation Testimony
of Keith Brofsky We
like to think that coincidence is a funny thing. Those things just happen by
chance, sometimes for good, and sometimes for bad. But really, what it all I
grew up in a Jewish home in Queens, New York. I attended Hebrew school to
learn the culture, religion and traditions of Judaism and prepare for my
bar-mitzvah. I learned to read Hebrew and studied the Torah, and at thirteen
I had a wonderful bar-mitzvah in the Synagogue. There ended my efforts to
study Jewish culture and religion. After
a number of years of G-dless living I found myself
in Denver, Colorado. I had not thought about G-d or Judaism for years. I
still believed in G-d, but figured He created the world and left it to run
itself. I believed man was the ultimate authority of earth. I
was soon to find out something much different. One day I was in a local
bookstore with a friend. While she was browsing the Christian books, I was
nearby looking through the Jewish book section. I turned around and noticed
"The Jewish New Testament."(This and other Messianic Jewish
authored books were placed there by Menorah –Menorah Ministries) I thought to myself "What is
this?!?" I knew that Jews do not have a New Testament, or so I believed.
I picked it up and glanced through it. It looked intriguing, so I bought it.
After reading the introduction and part of the Gospels I was amazed. The
translator had put the Gospels and other writings back into their Jewish
context. I had known that Yeshua (Jesus) was Jewish, but reading through the
Jewish New Testament I was amazed to find that all of His followers were
Jewish, almost every book in the New Testament was written by a Jewish
person, and all of the events of the Gospels happened in Israel. Reading this
created a yearning to know more. I learned that the first Messianic community
was in Jerusalem where it was considered another sect of Judaism which could
even be found in the Temple teaching and praying. This whole thing was
Jewish!! My interest peaked and I thirsted to know even more. I looked in the
phone book and found a Messianic Congregation in Denver called Roeh Israel. I went to visit one day after work. I drove
there and planned to go in, but at the last minute I lost my nerve and did
not go in. G-d, however, had a different plan for me. Two
days later while walking on campus at college, I noticed a single table set
up in the student union. Normally this area was full of displays from various
groups, but this day the only table was for Menorah-Menorah Ministries-. Their table
contained information about Yeshua and Messianic Judaism. I picked up
literature about a computer bulletin board service called Midrash and a
listing of local congregations. Again I saw the name Roeh
Israel. I started talking to some people on the bulletin board and attended a
service at the congregation the following Shabbat. I observed a Torah
reading, the recitation of the Sh'ma and other
Hebrew prayers, and a praise and worship service which contained Israeli folk
dancing and Jewish praise music. I met some people who explained to me what
Messianic Judaism was and how it differed from Rabbinic Judaism. They
encouraged me to read the Scriptures and search for the True G-d. I took up
their challenge. I
read the Scriptures, both the Tenakh and New
Covenant, and asked G-d to show me the truth. I went to the library and read
anti-missionary materials and books (written by Jewish scholars and rabbis)
and pro-Messianic books to get an even better understanding of what this all
could mean. It seemed that the Jewish and Christian writers had different
interpretations of key passages in the Bible. When I looked deeper and read
material on some of the older Jewish interpretations of these same passages.
I realized that today's Jewish teachings about the Messiah differed from some
of the ancient Jewish writings. There are ancient Jewish teachings about a
Messiah who would suffer and die, and there were many passages and
prophecies, in the Tanakh, which the ancient rabbis believed to be speaking
about the Messiah. I realized that Yeshua fulfilled many of these Bible
passages and prophecies. From these studies G-d showed me that He is Holy and
we have been separated from Him by our sins. I learned that His system of
sacrifices for atonement was His way of forgiving our sins, and that the
Messiah is the way to G-d. A short time later two friends and I prayed to
G-d; I asked G-d to forgive my sins, received Yeshua as my Messiah, L-rd and
Savior and gave my life to Him. Since
becoming a Believer in Yeshua I have found that G-d is truly a G-d of mercy
and love, and seeks for all to know Him and the Promised One whom He has
sent. I have seen G-d at work in my own life and the lives of many others
bringing about love, transformation, and glory to His Name.
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