HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD !..

(The Personal Testimony of Stan Rosenthal) 

     It seemed like yesterday that Fannie Miller came into my family’s luncheonette/candy store in Strawberry Mansion, a very sizeable Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA. Like most everyone else in the community, we too were of Jewish heritage and upbringing.  It was in this setting that Fanny entered into our lives. She was endowed with what Jewish people commonly refer to as “chutzpah,” the audacity, the gall, the nerve to come into our place of business and seek to proselytize my mother Yetta, my brother Marvin and myself with, of all things, the religious belief system of our adversary, Christianity. After all, Jesus Christ was perhaps, acceptable for the “Goyim” those of the Gentile world, but surely not for Jewish people. He may be one of the gods Christians worship, but he was definitely not tolerable by Judaism’s monotheistic beliefs. Additionally, as part of the worldwide Jewish community at large, we believed him to be the force behind Christendom, those responsible for so much of the suffering of the Jewish people for the last two thousand years or so.

     It only took a moment, before my mother abruptly cut Fannie “off at the pass”, advising her in a not so friendly and not so gracious manner, that we were born Jewish and will die Jewish and she had made a great mistake when she had entered into our place of business seeking to convert us to Christianity. With that being said, my mother clearly pointed Fannie to the exit door, accompanying her with the imperative and persuasive comment, “Do not come back here again!”

      As it turned out this was only the beginning of Fannie’s investment of herself into our lives, for she remained “bull doggedly” persistent as she visited our luncheonette once a week, every week, for two solid years. To say that Fannie was on a mission would be an understatement. She was both determined and unrelenting in her burden to share what God had done for her as a Jewish person and what He accomplished in our behalf as well. She was truly a servant of Jehovah God, the God of Israel, the God of our patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who lovingly sent her to introduce my family to the only one who could provide a permanent atonement (kappora) for our sins, not just a temporary covering for our sins, transgressions and iniquities, but a once and for all forgiveness resulting in eternal life. 

     What we thought was an intrusion into our lives eventually became the most important event of our lives. Not only did my mother accept Jesus as her personal Messiah, Savior and Lord, but my two brothers as well as I, became young Jewish believers in Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Christ, the promised Anointed One of our Hebrew Scriptures. We unashamedly became a family of Jewish Christians. We joined our hearts with our Jewish forefathers of the first century who were able to say “we found our Messiah, and His name is Jesus”. We along with them became followers or disciples of the true Messiah. Actually this is the real definition of the term Christian, and yes, all the first followers of Jesus were Jewish.

Flash Back… One Hundred and Seven Years Earlier

     God’s providential intervention in humanity is amazing! In the latter 19th century and early 1900’s during the wicked Russian pograms against the Jewish people living in the Ukraine, my grandmother, a young beautiful woman, fell in love with her older sister’s handsome fiancée and he with her. Oy vey! This all occurred during the time when her whole family was preparing to escape from Kiev with all of its riots and slaughter. Their destination was the Promised Land, Israel, which God deeded to their forefathers.

     In his Divine providence, my Jewish orthodox grandmother seeking to escape both the pograms and the entanglement of falling in love with her sister’s fiancée, at the last minute boarded a ship for America with guess who? They were married on the ship steaming its way to Ellis Island, while my grandmother’s family traveled in an altogether different direction.

     In the sovereignty of God, my mother was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where later in her life she was introduced to her promised Messiah Jesus through a faithful servant of the Lord, Fannie Miller. Do not even think for one moment that this was nothing more than a random act of circumstances. God’s superintendent hand is evidenced in every step of the way.

     The end result is presently not known since it is still in the active stage and far from being finished. While both Fanny Miller and my mother have gone on ahead to spend eternity with the One whom they both loved and faithfully served, those who they have nurtured in the Lord, and have temporarily left behind here on the earth are fulfilling that which God had begun in them.

All to the Glory of God

     Because of one woman’s tenacious resolve and her drive to reach Jewish people for the LORD, untold scores of hundreds and perhaps thousands of both Jews and Gentiles have been touched for Yeshua.   

     Fanny Miller was the vessel that God called into service to lead my mother Yetta, my brothers Marvin and Leonard and I, to our wonderful Messiah, Savior and Lord Jesus 60 years ago. Since that time, God has gloriously added our three wives Marlene, Marion and Marbeth along with most of our children and grandchildren to His wonderful eternal family, the body of Christ.

     Once my mother was led to the Lord by Fanny, she hosted and aggressively sought to have the Word of God and His great salvation message taught in weekly home Bible studies for most of her saved life. Her three sons and their spouses are all in the ministry serving the Lord amongst the Jewish people for the greater part of their adult lives. Additionally, our daughter Bonnie and son-in-law Daniel are both faithfully serving in the ministry among the Jewish people as well as my nephew David and his wife, Ilona. By my count, God has blessed our family with four generations of true Bible believing Jewish and Gentile Christians. He has seen fit to give ten of our current family the blessing and privilege to be in active service for our Lord and soon coming King. I have no doubt that God is still working among our family members and very much expect that should the Lord tarry, more are to come.

     Never let it be said that one person cannot make a difference. Fanny Miller did so as she yielded her life to her Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ.

Stan and Marlene’s Call into the Ministry

     I was sitting in my recliner simply relaxing and minding my own business when much to my surprise the unthinkable occurred. God flooded my thoughts with the notion that I was to leave behind my successful secular career and go into the ministry. What a shock! Yes, I was a born again Christian and involved in our local church, but nevertheless, I was totally unprepared for God’s intervention into my life in this manner.

     After a few moments of reflection and contemplation on my part, I rose to my feet and audibly said, “God, you must be kidding. There is no way that I can do this!”  I reminded myself that after all, I was 30 years old with two lovely children at the time and was as I thought, blessed with a lucrative, successful job which held an extremely bright future. What I really meant was that I enjoyed the rewards of this secular world, and was not willing to give them up. I unquestionably had my feet on both sides of the fence. I thought I could have the best of both worlds. With that I shrugged it off as if it never happened.

Two weeks later sitting in my living room in Long Island, NY and once again relaxing in my easy chair, God brought to my attention the passage in Matthew 6:19-24. A clear message came through. I needed to make my life count for Him, that He was my God, not the things of this world!

     Not convinced yet or perhaps better stated, not willing to yield my life in the manner God was looking for I began to shrink from what was surely God’s personal call for my life of service. I realized, so I thought, that I had a sure fire way out of this dilemma, my wife Marlene. She too had come to enjoy the many benefits that resulted from my business career. I was sure that she would challenge the idea of leaving our life as we have been experiencing it to enter into God’s full-time service. Was I ever mistaken; Marlene had been undergoing some of the same heart tugging from the Holy Spirit as I had experienced.

There was no denying that God had been pursuing both of us. It now was time to seek His will and let go of our own agenda. Once that decision was made, it was as if all of our concerns had suddenly been removed. In the midst of what was a major upheaval in our lives, He provided peace and calm along with His clear guidance. 

     Several months later, after resigning from my secular employment, selling our home in Long Island, NY, moving to Southern New Jersey, and finding out that we were adding another arrow to our quiver, we found ourselves entering the most exciting and fulfilling time of our lives. I became a full time student at the Philadelphia College of Bible at age 30.

     In my senior year at PCB, God opened the door for me to Pastor a small church in New Jersey. What a blessing that was for both Marlene and I! After graduating Bible College and two years of pastoring, God redirected our ministry, this time into Jewish missions. Today, several decades later, we still count it both a blessing and privilege to be able to serve our wonderful and gracious Lord and Savior, the Messiah Jesus, as part of Jewish Awareness Ministries.

     TO GOD BE THE GLORY, AMEN!

2 Responses to “HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD !”

1. Mike and Orit Quasha says:

   August 27, 2010 at 9:17 am

   Stan – we were blessed to read your testimony. We trust that you and Marlene will continue for years to come to minister. We also trust that your family will continue to follow to add generations more of Rosenthals in ministry.

   Reply
2. Janet ,Daughter of the Most High God says:

   September 1, 2010 at 12:43 pm

   What a blessing you and and family have been to me and so many others!
   Keep running the race. Friends 4 Life!
   Let’s Go Cruising!

   Reply