GLOBAL PRAYER NETWORK: Orthodox Jew found Jeshua-Jesus in Israel, miracles unfolded in his life

Kamis, 28 Januari 2016

Orthodox Jew found Jeshua-Jesus in Israel, miracles unfolded in his life

By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (January 21, 2016) -- He grew up in the former Soviet Union, but at 17 his Jewish family fled the crumbling communist system and immigrated to Israel.

“When I first came to Israel, I fell in love with the country,” says Neriyah Arabov. “The first thing that touched my heart was the amazing sense of patriotism in everyone that I met,” he told Chosen People Ministries. (A video attached below also captures highlights of his story, recorded by One for Israel)

At first he didn’t fully understand why his family moved to Israel. But as God’s plan unfolded in his life, he began to see their relocation as part of God’s plan for “restoring His people.”

In the former Soviet Union, he was the only Jewish student in his Uzbeki school. “My name–Neriyah–stuck out starkly amongst the Mashas, Sashas and Pashas. I was different in many other respects,” he recounts.

“My skin was darker than that of my classmates, and I was not allowed to eat outside my home because our family kept kosher.”

He rejoiced in one thing after his arrival in Israel, that he “would never again be called a dirty Jew by my countrymen. I was no longer persecuted on account of my race and beliefs.”

When he joined the Israel Defense Forces, his connection to the Israeli people deepened. After he finished his service and found work at the Tel Aviv municipality he met a Russian man who shared with him the surprising news that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel.

“At that point in my life, I considered myself an orthodox Jew,” he notes. “I was curious that he seemed to know the Bible better than I did. I was religious. I would go to synagogue. I wore a kippa, prayed all the prayers, however, in my heart I didn’t even really believe God existed.

“In our conversations, however, I realized that I did not really know the Bible. I started reading it more in order to prove to my new friend that he was mistaken about Jesus.

Photo captions: 1) Neriyah Arabov. 2) Mark Ellis.

About the writer: Mark Ellis is senior correspondent for the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net), and also founder of www.GodReports.com, a website that shares stories and testimonies and videos from the church around the world. He is also co-host for "Windows on the World" with ANS Founder, Dan Wooding, which is carried weekly on the Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network (http://hsbn.tv).