A CALL TO YESHUA SALVATION EXPERIENCE

While working for the Dept. of Mental Health in E. Moline, Illinois in Feb, 1965 I was living in dormitory facilities provided by the State for their employees when I had the most radical and life changing experience that was the beginning journey of my salvation experience with Yeshua. One winter Friday evening I was preparing to go to sleep in my room (at the Nurse's Dorm) the women employees were living on the 1st and 2nd floors, and the men were living on the 3rd floor). I was channel surfing on my T.V., very restless, chain smoking cigarettes and finding it very difficult to relax. Previously before lying down on my bed, I had been reading the Bible (Psalms) about King David's life. The Gideon International People (Reps.) had placed bibles in all the State institutions on the grounds. Finally I got tired enough to try to sleep, as I was sleeping on my bed tossing around on my stomach and then turning on my back somewhere between the hours of 12:00AM and 2:00AM in the morning I heard an audible voice calling my name " Nathan, Nathan, Nathan " 3 times, each time it seem to get louder, I sat upright in my bed immediately it was as though as a bolt of lighting had struck my room and myself. I lifted up my arms upward and out of my mouth came the words "Is that you Lord? And what do you want me to do?" I was conscious enough to know that something radically and phenomenal was happening too me! I tried to lift my head up to the ceiling of the room but I could not as it was in a frozen and locked state of being. It was unusually hot in the room and my body temperature as well, this was in the month of February but it felt like the month of August! I was also aware that the room had an aura (radiance) of multi-colors absolutely beautiful it would be hard to describe. At that particular time I was later told by men and women who had and who were experienced in the visitations and personal encounters with G-d that it was the "Shecaniah Glory" of the Lord's presence in that room. I'm not sure how long the experience was to last 2 or 3 minutes? I do not know. I was finally conscious enough to get out of my bed, and I walked to the window as to look outside in the morning darkness to ask, "Lord, where are you?" By that time the room had begun to become its original darkness state of being. I came back to the bed trembling and shaking something out of the extra ordinary had happen to me. And then I began to rationalize (or to explain to myself) perhaps that one of the men who was living on the floor of the dormitory was knocking on my door and calling my name telling me to come to the hallway telephone, that I had a phone call. And as I opened the door, thinking and expecting that person would be on the other side of the door, much to my surprise there wasn't anyone! And then I began to think that someone was making a joke with me, even though it was very late in the morning, I was determined to find out who was knocking on my door, I began walking down the hallway and knocking on each door of that dormitory floor there were 18 rooms and 18 men living on that floor and not one man was in his room they were all gone and out for the night and morning. I came back to my room trembling and shaking now I was convinced something radically had taken place the evidence was overpowering too me. While lying in bed I began to think who could I tell, who would believe me? Certainly not the Staff Rabbi, or the Staff Psychiatrist or my best friend. And if I would have told the Staff Psychiatrist I would have most likely have lost my job and trying to explain to him this wonderful and strange encounter and visitation from G-d.

So the next two weeks I would come back to my room and began to read the bible and try to discover what happen to me. I knew that the answer had to be in that book. To my discovery after two weeks I wasn't any closer to the answer from the beginning of my search for what had happened in my room. When I couldn't find the answer I became very frustrated and slowly slipped back into a lifestyle down a slippery slope of self-destruction and defeat that was emotionally and physically draining.

5 YEARS LATER

In the winter of 1966 I transferred to another Mental Health Institution down state Illinois where I continue to work in the Special Education Department. By 1969-70 I had developed quite a drinking problem and things had began to get out of control. One weekend while driving I was stopped by the County Sheriff who pulled me over and placed me under arrest for DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) I spent the weekend at the county jail. Later I was charged in court for DWI and fine (penalty) for $750.00 plus court charges, and separate attorney fees.

My life continued to become more depressing. At that time I often wonder what the future held for me and what was the meaning and purpose of life? I was extremely disillusioned with life period. One Friday while driving home from work, (at that time I was living in a trailer court about 30 miles from where I worked) I began to talk to G-d telling Him that I knew "He had called my name audibly" in my dormitory room and that I knew that I was not Crazy or mentally disturbed, but that I had to hear from him I had to find the answer! And soon or else I was going to destroy myself or be sentenced to prison for injuring or killing someone on the highway due to the drinking problem. I knew that I had heard His Voice! While driving I turned the radio on and on a local music station I heard the sound and the voice of well known artist by the name of Joan Collins singing "Amazing Grace" and as I pulled off the exit headed toward my trailer home, I suddenly found myself pulling into the parking lot of a Christian Book Store, getting out of the car and walked into this store seeing all kinds of bibles, pictures, and gospel music etc. A lady walked up to me and asked if she could help me, and before I knew out of my mouth came the words "I think I need a bible." She asked, "What kind?" I replied that I really didn't know. She said we have many versions "may I suggest one?" I said I thought I needed a modern one, and she suggested the Amplified Bible. I bought the bible and continued home. It was around 5:00PM in the afternoon when I sat down and began to read the bible I had just purchased. As I began to read the Word (I started in the New Testament) I was so attracted to that Book that I couldn't put it down, here was a Book that was describing my miserable and failing condition of my heart and that my life and sins of the flesh was keeping me in bondage, but a plan of salvation was provided for my release and to save me from eternal separation from the Messiah! Yeshua ! The G-d of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

As I began to read further and to discover the wonderful attraction of that Book, I began to take a pencil and underlined scriptures that were convicting me of the stage of my life, and I notice that the scriptures seem to be much larger than the print on the bible; I thought something was wrong with my eyesight? They just seem to lift off the pages of the Book. As the hours seem to roll by I notice I had read half of the New Testament, and I knew I was not a speed reader. But here was a Book that spoke to my very soul, my heart exploded into a million pieces, that here was a book that had the meaning and purpose of life, up until then my life was like the "the Spirit of Greek, the Spirit of Man in its fallen nature" I couldn't put that Book down, it so captured every emotion, every feeling, every disappointment that I had experienced in life all my failures and sins could be forgiven. And just as importantly here was a Book that was written by Jewish Men about a Jewish Messiah (Yeshua) I could not deny the evidence. Later on in the morning around 5:00AM I began to speak to the Lord and ask Him if He could turn my life around from all the foolish decisions, and mistakes I had made, people that I had injured and hurt (including my personal family) Mother & Father and family members that I wanted to be forgiven and that I wanted to received Him in my heart, I began to pray a prayer of repentance, I didn't know how to pray, but just to talk to Him and plead my case. As I began to speak, I began to pound my chest screaming at the top of my voice "Stop it! Don't Hurt Him "Stop it! Don't hurt Him Anymore" Stop it! Stop it! As I fell on the floor pounding my chest with my fist I felt as though I was being emptying out like a "glass of muddy water" all my sins and hurts were being forgiven by the blood of Yeshua! I would try to raise myself from the floor and I would fall down over and over again, and the little trailer I was living in was like "Noah's Ark" I was floating everywhere in my small space. So a little tiny baby was born in late morning hours in a smelly stable of that small trailer. Then I began to sing that great old Gospel Hymn that I had earlier heard on my car radio that Joan Collins had sung. "Amazing Grace" and began to break down crying as His mercy was poured out upon me. Later as the morning began to turn into daylight I began to get hungry and I began to prepare some scramble eggs and as I sat down to eat them, I began and literally cried tears into my breakfast I couldn't stop crying as I couldn't understand how the Lord could love me so much, that I was born anew that morning. Later as I stepped outside of my trailer, a sense of His creation I had never experience before or was even consciously aware "the air and breath of air was so refreshing, his nature and creation was everywhere! A beautiful aroma! Grass was greener, the sound of birds singing, I had never seriously heard before. Then I had the strongest urge to share this wonderful news with someone, because a wonderful light had jus been turned on shown in my heart. I went to my next door neighbor to share what had happened, all I could do was stand there and cry and look at him, and he said to me "Oh Nathan give me the keys to your car then go back to bed and sleep it will be alright!" He had thought I had been drinking pretty heavy and needed to sleep. The following Monday after the weekend I return to work and right away my co-employees and patients knew that something major had really had happen to me as they (patients) thought I had found a new girl friend and the beginning of a wonderful relationship. I briefly shared with them it was more wonderful than that (human relationship)

A CALL TO ISRAEL

In Jan of 1974 I resigned by position at the Dept of Mental Health, and after seeking the Lord in personal prayer and receiving counsel from a small group of men who really had my best interest at heart there was confirmation from the Word and from the men who had been praying and standing with me in prayer to enroll in a Bible College in San Antonio, Texas. I felt led by the Spirit of G-d that this was the best approach to continue serving Him and to get direction for my life. The first 6 months was wonderful being in an atmosphere of soaking in and bathing in the Word. The summer of 1974 came very quickly while most of the students went home for vacation, I remained to find a job to help support my education. I began to put my applications in the various schools for the summer session, and had an interview to teach vocational training at a high school. I had an interview with School Superintendent of San Antonio, which she informed me 5 other candidates had applied for the same position. The end result was I did not get the job. However she gave me an hour of her time where I witness the saving grace of Yeshua! And explain what He was doing in my life and why I was living in San Antonio at that time. I later began to apply for jobs anywhere there was an opening, but much to my disappointment I couldn't find a job to pay for my living expenses and for my tuition expenses for the coming school year. My savings were getting very low, so I returned to my parents home in Illinois.

In 1972 I had toured Israel with a group of other tourists for about 12 days, I had met an Israeli who had a Bible Distribution Ministry on the Mt. of Olives, While in Illinois I wrote him a letter explaining to him I would love to come and work with him if the Lord would bless and guide me into that direction. In a matter of just a few days he answered my letter asking me to join the team and how soon could I come to Israel. I flew to Israel and joined the team, where I had many wonderful witnessing experiences sharing the love of Yeshua to both Jews and Arabs for several months. Later that year 1974 I went to work as a Vocational Instructor at one Jerusalem's Mental Health Centers for several months. Money appropriations (budget) failed to continue my employment, as I was seeking the Lord for further employment a job opened up for me (temporary) at one of the local hotels at the Reception Desk for several months, then I went on to be employed at a major hospital as a Nurse's Aide on a Geriatrics Ward again having the wonderful opportunity to share the Love and Saving grace of Yeshua. And then later I became self-employed after working for a nursing agency first to gain valuable experience, taking care of senior citizens in their homes and caring for their needs.

SERVICE IN THE ISRAELI ARMY

I served in the Israeli Army from 1980 to 1988, doing a lot of guard duty, guarding public institutions, doing identification checks on Jerusalem streets, Western Wall, bus identification checks, weapons and training missions etc.