The speaker describes his journey to faith, starting with a near-death experience in a car accident and continuing through a search for truth and meaning in various religions and ideologies. He is surprised to find that the prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures point to Jesus as the Messiah, and ultimately makes a deal with God to accept him as Lord and savior. He encourages others to seek God for themselves and to trust in His promise to reveal Himself to those who seek Him. The speaker emphasises that following Jesus is the most Jewish thing one can do, regardless of one's background or traditions.
Here are the key facts extracted from the provided text:
1. The narrator was raised in a reformed Jewish home.
2. The narrator's father grew up in Germany under Hitler and escaped through the Kindertransport to England.
3. The narrator's father was sponsored by a Jewish family to go to college in America, where he met the narrator's mother.
4. The narrator attended Hebrew school and had a strong belief in the God of the Bible.
5. The narrator felt a disconnect between the living God of Israel described in the Bible and the religious practices in the synagogue.
6. The narrator questioned the existence of God and sought evidence.
7. The narrator started reading books on various subjects, including religion, science, UFOs, and the occult.
8. The narrator came across "The Late, Great Planet Earth," which discussed prophecies related to Israel and the Messiah.
9. The narrator discovered prophecies about the Messiah in the Hebrew scriptures.
10. The narrator felt compelled to explore the New Testament despite initial resistance.
11. The narrator experienced a near-death accident involving a train and called out to God for protection.
12. After surviving the accident unharmed, the narrator made a deal with God to accept Him on their deathbed.
13. Eventually, the narrator knelt on a mountain, accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and was "born again."
14. The narrator's parents initially resisted the idea but later acknowledged the Jewishness of the Messiah concept.
15. The narrator emphasized that believing in Jesus is a deeply Jewish thing.
16. The narrator encouraged others to seek God for themselves and emphasized personal exploration and seeking.
These facts summarize the main events and beliefs outlined in the text without including opinions.