Messianic Forum: Personal Stories: A True Story of Life

By Erich Weinmann

Thirty years ago I would have declared any man crazy who had made the following confession to me.

Both my parents were Jewish, and they brought me up in the Jewish manner, yet in the liberal way. As is well known, there are two directions in Judaism: the Orthodox, who take the Law and the Traditions of their forefathers very seriously, and the Liberals, who adhere only to the form and order of Judaism – similar to Christians who have only the form of Christianity.

As you see my parents were liberal-minded. At the most once a year, on Yom Kippur – the Great Day of Atonement – did I enter the synagogue while a child. I thought that, with this attendance at the synagogue, I had done enough for my religion.

Of course, I believed in God, indeed I prayed to God, when I was in need – for example, before a mathematics test. I also experienced answers to prayer. Oh, yes, the goodness of God is great! My relationship with God was limited to such experiences. Had I died then, I would have never seen the glory of God. Death stood then closer to us German Jews than many other things. I know not, dear reader, whether death might not stand just as close to you or to me today or tomorrow.

We take it for granted that God will allow us to live long enough to turn to Him.

My father was a county court judge in Krefeld, in the Rhineland – as I said, he was a liberal Jew, a fine man in his own way; however, religion was a matter of secondary importance to him. He took me once into his library and declared, “Here are books, seek out the best religion for yourself, and leave me in peace.”

However, I had a devout grandmother, who believed her Hebrew Bible, sincerely trusting in God and His promises – a pious woman. When I used to say goodnight to her, she would lay her hands on my head and bless me. During seventeen years evening by evening, she pronounced the blessing of Israel upon me: “God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” For seventeen years – a noteworthy faithfulness.

I did not then understand this blessing too well, so I endured it, so to speak. How many children endure in the same way the religious customs of pious elders, without suspecting that they will be blessed thereby for their whole life. In any event, I trace back much of the grace which I have experienced in my life to the prayers of blessing of my grandmother.

Now, most people are informed about the political situation of the past decade. It was hard for the Jews in Germany, especially in the year 1938. We experienced then all kinds of hardships. I will not go into details, it would serve no purpose here. Necessity teaches prayer. I still know exactly how I once fell on my knees, and cried to the living God, with words like these, “Thou God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, thou living God, thou God of my fathers, lead me out of Germany.”

It had become difficult in those days for the Jews to cross borders. The U.S.A. had a quota system, and most countries took only such Jews as had a large sum of money at their disposal. We were in great distress.

Eight days after my prayer, as if by a miracle, I found myself included in a children’s transport and I came to England. To God be praise and thanks. I was then still unacquainted with the grace of God.

In order to understand the marvellous leadings of God one needs a new spirit.

So I came to England in February 1939, shortly before the beginning of the Second World War. It was not possible for my parents to emigrate any more from Germany. In November 1940 I voluntarily joined the British Army. Later I took part in the invasion of Normandy. And, as the saying goes, one thought, “If I should perhaps die, then I will first enjoy life.” So as a soldier I took part in everything going. If in those days I did not get the whack which I deserved, I recognized in that the grace of God which preserved me in advance. Then in the year 1946 I returned to Germany with the army of occupation. I was assigned as a sergeant – interpreter to a Div. H.Q. of the Royal Engineers of the 21st British Army Group, which was stationed in Hilden in the Rhineland. There I met for the first time in my life – hear and be astounded – a Christian who had life in God.

He was a British soldier, a master house-painter from London, formerly a great sinner until he met Jesus, who made a new man out of him. Since then his heart was on fire for Jesus.

When I arrived in Hilden, he sat there in pioneer headquarters in the telephone exchange. When he heard that I was a Jew, he began to pray for me. I took notice of this man. I observed him. On the table in front of his really old-fashioned switchboard always lay a Bible. I thought, “Why is this man so one-sided? There are surely many valuable books. Why was he always reading just the Bible?” Today I know why! One thing impressed me. This telephone operator was the most cheerful of men that I had met so far. He beamed with an inner cheerfulness that I could not explain. In those days I asked myself, “What actually does this man have? You do not have it, and the others do not have it either.” In general, soldiers are no angels. The man at the switchboard was an exception. He went calmly about his way and his fellow-soldiers respected him.

One morning we two were sitting alone in the office. There he addressed me. Without any introduction it came across his lips. “Tell me please, how is it possible that you, a Jew, do not recognize in Jesus of Nazareth your Messiah and King?” No one had ever put such a question to me. I was moved uncomfortably and answered only, “The Jews do not believe in Jesus. My parents have not believed in Him, what should I have to do with Him?” He wouldn’t give up with that. “Have you then ever verified the words of your king Jesus?” Oh, yes, I had read a lot. Yet up to the age of twenty-five I did not know the New Testament at all. Most of the Jews never read it. I said therefore, “No, I have not.”

Then he voiced the opinion, “How then can you
say you do not believe in Jesus? Surely one can
believe or not believe only what one has proven?”

At this point our conversation was interrupted. But the fishhook stuck! Since that hour the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who spoke to me through this person, has not let me go. Today I know that the witness of a Christian who is impelled by the Holy Spirit never lets an unbeliever go.

This master house-painter spoke not a word of German, but he managed to find fellow believers. He came to Solingen-Ohligs and there he met the renowned evangelist Hermann Zaiss, with whom he immediately had fellowship.

Some time passed, then he invited me to a lecture. “I am going to a meeting,” he said, “a man is speaking there. He’s on fire.” I thought it would be interesting to hear a speaker on fire, and I went with him. My friend did not reveal what kind of fire he meant. If he had said anything about the Gospel or Jesus I certainly would not have accompanied him.

So for the first time I went into a regular Christian meeting. Never shall I forget this first meeting. Herman Zaiss spoke on the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. “Oh,” I thought, “that is a very beautiful story.” I didn’t think any more about it. The vital part went right past me, yet one impression would not leave me – THIS man believes what he says. The message, I confess, I did not grasp. All unbelievers do that, more or less, they inspect the believers. Now I got the impression that these Christians were really set free. I must say that I felt really good in their company, why, I really could not explain. Today I know that it was the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit.

On the way home I consented to go again with my friend at the next opportunity. He did not press me any further. Instead he continued to pray for my salvation. A few days later he brought me a Bible. I should read the words of the King of the Jews at least once. “Oh, well,” thought I, “one doesn’t insult such a fine person by refusing them outright. Accept the Bible and put it in your locker. You don’t need to read in it.” However, the Bible exercised a previously unknown power of attraction upon me. Furthermore, I began to think about Jesus of Nazareth. Here and there I would attend Christian meetings. I heard the ‘Good News’ but I did not understand it. But the Christians prayed for me, and I made the decision to get to the bottom of this matter and to investigate the Bible. “One must surely be able to find out whether this Jesus is a fraud or the Son of God,” I pondered.

So far I could clearly see that there was no third possibility.

You also, dear reader, have to form your own opinion. A faith acquired by study, without personal conviction, will not save you on the day of God’s wrath. During the time that I read the Bible, to be able to form my own opinion, I called on God. It is written, “To him that knocketh it shall be opened.” God will respond to the sincere person, so the door was opened unto me.

I read the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of John, the so-called “High Priestly prayer” of Jesus. This prayer inspired me. I read it two, three, or four times, one right after the other.

“You have never read anything so beautiful!” thought I. This Jesus must have been a wonderful person. Anyone who speaks like that with God, cannot be a fraud. My heart began to love Jesus and to trust Him.

I confess that I did not yet see in Jesus the promised Messiah. How was it at all possible that the rabbis during His lifetime did not recognize Him? They were clever and, moreover, pious people. God saw the questions of my heart. Without human guidance I was inwardly urged to read the ninth chapter of the prophet Isaiah. In the sixteenth verse it is written, “For the leaders of this people cause them to err: and they that are led of them are destroyed.” I was most deeply impressed to find such a statement in the Old Testament. Did this also point to the leaders of the people who rejected Jesus?

Another time I was sitting alone in my room and was reading in Zechariah, chapter twelve, the declaration of God about Israel – “… and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him…” God Himself says here, “they shall look upon me whom they have pierced…” When then had God been incarnated among His people and been pierced?

In the whole history of the people of Israel no prophet had ever come forward, except Jesus of Nazareth, who said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father, I and the Father are ONE!” Had He not been pierced on Golgotha? As I reflected on that, the light came on in my heart.

In a moment I came to the inner certainty – JESUS IS GOD!

I remember it as though it were yesterday. Quite excited, I paced back and forth in my room. My thoughts raced. God had revealed something quite shocking to me: in Jesus God Himself had come to His people! Indeed, God Himself in Jesus has been pierced on the cross at Golgotha. On account of the trespasses of His people, upon Him the punishment had fallen. He had to die because of our sins, because of my sins.

That I was a sinner, nobody needed to convince me. That Jesus died for sinners, I had learned in the Christian meeting, therefore Jesus actually died for me also.

Now a further miracle of God took place. Deep in my heart awakened the longing to talk to JESUS. God opened my heart and mouth, and at that time I prayed something like this, “Lord Jesus, it is true that I do not really know You yet, but I have now grasped that Thou art God, and I want to ask You for forgiveness that for twenty-five years I have passed You by. Today it has become clear to me that You have died for my sins. For that I want to thank You.”

I had scarcely finished this prayer when an indescribable joy came into my heart, such a joy that I jumped into the air in the middle of my room. It was as though streams of godly joy had been poured into my heart. Such a thing I had never experienced. All joy which man can attain in gratification of pleasure and inclination is a cheap substitute compared to the joy which God bestows on us in Christ Jesus.

From that hour I knew that I was a child of God. Wonderfully, I
simply knew. There is a Spirit in my heart which witnesses this to me.

Still something else happened to me which I could not explain. All at once I had to testify of Jesus. I proclaimed the Gospel even in the streetcar. I was compelled to tell about my wonderful experience.

That is not to say that you, dear reader, will have the same experience when you meet Jesus. Every conversion is different. Certainly all genuine conversions have certain common characteristics; in the hearts of the believers a great love for the Saviour will be born, and one feels attracted to those who have received like precious faith.

I also began to read profusely and regularly in the Bible. I had need of that, not least of all for discussions with nominal Christians, who often vigorously attacked me, a converted Jew.

What a paradox! I cannot remember that a Christian ever spoke to me personally about the Lord Jesus during my seventeen years in Germany or during my time in England.

Do you comprehend the enormity of that statement? Jews have surely lived among Christians, yet they have never given a witness of the saving power of Jesus Christ to them. One day we shall have to give an account for every Jewish soul from whom we have denied the message of the Gospel. For what is written in Romans 1:16 is still valid – “to the Jew first…”

Grace was given to me through the prayers and witness of a simple child of God. Furthermore I received grace not to stumble at the mockery of nominal Christians. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God strengthened me against all the attacks, and gave wings to my testimony.

Thus I was allowed to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, and finally also lead people to Jesus, especially German people.

When I learned that Jesus had died for the sins of all mankind, then I could also love all men without exception. I could forgive from the heart without effort; because of that I became a very happy person.

Dear reader, do you know the blessedness which one experiences when one knows that one has been reconciled with all men?

The Lord Jesus Christ wants to give you this blessedness today.

Reach out for the outstretched hand of God – today – now!

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