קהילה משיחית בתל אביב-יפו יהודים משיחיים בתל אביב-יפו
Adam – The true freedom
And you will know the truth and the truth shell set you free – John 8: 32
My name is Adam. So I called myself about 10 years ago when I became a believer, independent of patterns and definitions of persons regarding national identity, religious or political of any kind. I aspired to be free to be a citizen of a world similar to the one the first Adam had. I was born to a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother in Ukraine (former Soviet Union). I grew up in a non Atheistic environment, that did not care about God. My parents and my sister do not believe and grandmother was the only person I ever met who was a traditional Christian. She told me a little about Jesus and she died when I was 12 and now I know for sure she had no idea of the Jewish context of the Christian gospel and of the Bible. She was a very good and very simple woman
In addition, I used to watch regularly a cartoon series called “Super book” which was translated into Russian in the early 90s after the split of the Soviet Union. The series presents stories from the Old and New Testaments in a clear language to children. Since then the figure of Jesus was seen in my eyes as full of light. He was for me the perfect mythical hero. Only after many years I understood what he really is. In 1993 I and my parents made aliyah (imergration to Israel). I went to school to the sixth grade and my mother warned me not talk to anyone about Jesus as in Israel people do not believe in him
I tried to adjust the environment around me and celebrated the holidays in Israel and even fasted on Yom Kippur in the first year. Some time later, someone told me that I am a gentile because my mother was not Jewish and I do not have anything to do with holidays and traditions. I got so offended and soon convinced myself that all this is nonsense, and in any case I had no interest in Judaism. I always loved to underestimate the religious sector, particularly yarmulke-wearing Orthodox who were hypocrites in my eyes. I always felt the presence of something supreme and invisible to watch over me but I did not know how to build a relationship with it. I got to the conclusion: God exists, but certainly has nothing to do with all doctrines and religions invented by man
Around the age of 16 I went completely off the rails and started to consume alcohol and drugs, I tried to create my own reality, I never had a connection with other people around. Eventually I dropped the army service and was looking for fun going out into nature, drugs, music, sex and everything related to wild life. In 2005 I started to get tired of being savage and I went to clear my head by hiking a cross Israel and the first day I met a guy named Chris from Pennsylvania (USA). He told me that he is a messianic believer coming to Israel to experience the presence of places described in the Bible where Jesus himself walked
And he knew about all these places more than the average Israeli so I continued walking with him on the trail for a month with many stops and reading the scriptures, he explained in depth the Gospel to me. Now I understand that it was Ananias, the Lord sent so that I may see again (Acts 9: 17). Just before our paths parted I asked Chris (who was already eight years a believer) how come he does not feel a lack of enjoyment from what the world suggests?, he laughed and said that these things only lead to slavery while truth leads to freedom …… Since then I started reading the Bible, but I must admit that my faith had a lot of ups and downs, my sinful nature was in control of me often. Many times I saw Jesus as an alternative to the religious hypocrisy rather than as a way of life and the Lamb of God who died for me and for all of humanity.It took a long time to realize that we are all sinners and guilty in front of the Creator, and only faith in his son, Jesus gives us forgiveness of sins and give us back the closeness to God which was taken from us by the ancient sin
In 2010 I met my wife Susanna which like all Israelis was not devoted to the Bible and saw in the New Testament a foreign book to Judaism, without ever reading it. However, the wisdom of God is boundless and all the good in Susanna completed the gaps in my spiritual life. A little later we had a son named Eliya and God continued to work and strengthen my faith. Despite everything, the devil did not give up on me and helped me to turn off the road to the right and to the left. I went into depression because I felt like a hypocrite before God. One day I was sitting alone in the room and opened the Gospel of John, Chapters 14-16, in which Jesus instructs his disciples and ends with the words: “I overcame the World” .. wow …. I read it so many times but only now it captured my heart
All the sufferings, death and resurrection from the dead of the Lord moved me like a conveyor belt. I did not feel anything except the desire to fall on your knees, look up and say: Forgive me Father! I do not deserve it, but you know everything about me. It was a moment of surrendering. And since then I feel the Holy Spirit in my life and I believe he will guide me to write the continuens ofthis story
PS: lots of times I walk with my dog and followed him. When he is ranning without the leash that limits it, he keeps eye contact with me and listen to my voice, he knows that his life depends on me and still he is free and happy. Also man has a sheperd who gives him the freedom of choice but also the wisdom to listen to his voice and follow the path he shows him. Is not that the true freedom
Love in the messiah
Adam
