Salvation Testimony
Of Pastor Re’uben R. W. Drebenstedt
One Fall Sunday morning in 1975 I was sitting at home in my easy chair
watching television. My then 3 year old daughter Lisa walked in front
of the TV, stopped and changed the channel to a "religious"
Christian program, then continued on her way playing cleaning lady. I
immediately started to get out of the chair to change the channel, but I was
just to emotionally tired to get up. Believe me, if I had had a remote
channel changer then (I am still amazed that I did not have one) I would have
switched the channel. Since I was alone in the room I resigned myself
to remaining in my chair staring out a bay-window away from seeing the
television. I do not remember what the half hour program consisted of
but I know that at the end of the show as I turned to view it, the preacher
pointed with his finger from the TV set as he said "God loves you!!!!".
I felt a comforting presence all over me and remarked, "Well if that is
true I am going to find it out." However I did not know how.
I ordered the free book being offered, read it and started seeking for God; a
God I soon re-realized I did not know. If you had asked me up to this
point in my life about God I would have said that I believed He existed; but
I knew that I did not know Him.
I did not at the time tell anyone about this experience nor of my search for
truth and God. Seven months later at this same preacher's out of state
meetings I had been invited to, I saw my first altar call and fled scared.
The next evening I answered the altar call. But, it wasn't until the
following evening when I went forward again and really gave my life to
Messiah Jesus that the deep love void was filled. That empty
"unloved" deep feeling never has returned! One and a half
years later the Lord asked me to get off of my throne and allow Him to sit
there. He also asked me to follow Him and become a preacher. With
full trust and confidence in God's will for my life I turned my business firm
over to my partners and stepped out of every financial holding. Despite
being considered meshugah (crazy), I know that this
dramatic change in my life was and is the greatest life for me. I have
never looked back nor regretted my new life, walk and career with the
Lord.
While there is much more that I could tell, today after being a Jewish
Christian for over 36 years, an ordained preacher for over 29 years and a
Jewish missionary for 26+ years, I can say that God has always loved me for
just who I am. It was a heart condition which God needed to
touch. I praise Him for coming into and using my life. God and
His love is the answer for not just me, but for all Jews... for all
people. John 3:16 Jeremiah 29:13 Romans 1:16-17 _____Re’uben is an ordained
minister through the Evangelical Church Alliance and The Southern Baptist
Conference. He has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the
University of Colorado, a Masters of Divinity degree from Denver Seminary, is
a Certified Biblical Instructor through the Evangelical Teacher Training
Association and is pursuing work in Judaic Studies and early Hebrew
Christianity. His background
includes considerable management and private business experience. He
was adopted in his infancy. His
Jewish birthright roots are from his natural father's family __Bitle; a fact at first he felt best to not reveal due to
a personal conviction, except initially to a few friends in 1994.
After receiving the Lord in July 1976, at age 31.5, Reuben was subsequently
called into the ministry in October 1978. He has served on the staffs of
several churches as well as in rescue mission work and other evangelistic
ministries. In May 1985, God answered Reuben's prayer and sent him to
live the summer within the Old City walls of Jerusalem. While there he was
able to gain insights into his own roots plus, to travel extensively
throughout Israel; especially to Biblical sites. Considerable time was also
spent with the Israeli people and local evangelical ministries.
In route to Israel, the Lord gave Reuben a new appreciation for his own
Jewishness and love for the Jewish people and the land of Israel. After returning, the Lord called him
to labor in missions and placed Menorah -Menorah Ministries- in his heart. Pastor Reuben
has spent many years within the Jewish community and synagogue life plus
service within the Messianic Jewish movement. He has served as a
full-time missionary with Menorah
since 1986 as its founder and executive director. He returns to Israel often, leads
small group study tours of the Bible Land and often is a speaker for churches,
conventions and other groups. Pastor Reuben lives in the Jewish
Community with his wife Donna in Denver, Colorado. |