An evening, while I prepared the High school diploma (baccalaureat), curious one event, totally unexpected, occurred: my elder sister who lived for several years taken away from the family, taken the phone to announce us: " God is alive! I want to live as the first Christians, in community. Jesus is the only Master of my life now! ".

We were all in a big confusion in front of such revelations. Although my mother is Jewish, my parents  had never given us the slightest religious education. Our subjects of conversation was around the sport, some music and around the school. It is true that my sister was of the eccentric and unpredictable genre! But from there to be allowed influence by I do not know what a "sect"!...

Finally, it will have been necessary to return us to this Community for beings reassured on its legitimacy. His members who were called between them "brothers" and "sisters" gave in fact the feeling to be united, happy and balanced. As for me to live so?
Anybody becomes moldy! Even if I respected the courage and the objectives of these people, it was unthinkable so this world seemed to me foreign.

My sister sometimes came to see us and it was necessary to admit that she showed signs of change: in the way she gets dressed, in her friendly maintaining attitude.

While she seemed to continue up to here, any real purpose in its life, her had now a passion, an ideal, something to tell and to defend. Nevertheless, the idea which it had been allowed influence by weakness, seemed to me evident.

After my admittance at the university, I was even more categorical as for my convictions. I thought: " ll has always a rational explanation there to explain a behavior,  or a phenomenon, and say that God is the cause of everything is an easy excuse, but certainly not an answer. This fact shows the ignorance of people, their lack of instruction and opening on the modern world! " In fact, I remained totally persuaded that the man had created God in his image!

Now, I was soon going to conceive things differently. It is not certainly my four years of university studies that had facilitated this beginning of change in me, but the experience, or more exactly the failure of my life of couple.

I thought of being the master of my existence and that in 26 years, I was rather mature to be able to manage myself my life. I believed the feelings more important than everything. But I soon had to discover that only, they are not enough to build something long-lasting. I saw in the compromises, an intelligent means to avoid the quarrels. In fact, all this was only accelerating our separation.
Furthermore, during the same period, the other things escaped my control.

 I was always very close to my mother. Often exchanged us our projects and our ideas. We could not conceive that the misery, the hatred, the disease or the murder can be approved by a just and good God.

It’s then that one evening, having gathered all the family and our most close friends, Moms announced us in his turn her "conversion". She came, as my sister, to know God. She asked no more questions, but had that certainties:
She said." It’s in the man to come to Him, because Jesus leaves us the responsibility of our choices and our acts! "
In fact, it was rather disconcerting to see small - in young his own family to change direction. I wondered: " how do they make to accept an invisible and impalpable God as Master of their life? ". What confused me was, that in the slightest problem, my sister as my mother answered by opening the Bible and by quoting verses...
But, some months later I decided to confide in mom.

"  What do you advise me to face the bad faith of an inspector who refuses to give me a contract to teach? "
I suspected what my mother was going to answer. But, made a break, I needed her opinion.

And so I prayed for the first time. Incredible! The next day, after my second inspection I was stunned. Which reversal of situation: the same inspector congratulated me now on my patience and on the quality of my work! He encouraged me even to persevere in my teacher's profession!

I understood many things, this day. But I was still very unbelieving.

During a weekend with friends, I understood in which direction I had to look. I had brought with me a recording. It was a preach of the minister Michel Genton.

He told it a strange story: A young man asked to a wise person how to find God. This last one took suddenly the head of the novice and plunged it into the water during several minutes. It is only when the young man was at the edge of the drowning that the wise person terminated the test by saying to him: " you see, if you look for God with the same strength as you used to hold your breath, then, are persuaded, kept silent will find him! ".

But the days which followed were the worse than before: I did not find the sleep so I was frightened. I woke up in the morning without will.

I had no more certainty as for my future. The depression invaded me little by little. I was under the influence of miles questions without answers. Then, I asked God, of all the strengths that he stayed in me. And of a strong conviction I shouted: " No, it is not the love of a woman of whom I need, but God's Love today! "

In 28 years, I had just become aware of the divine. There was nothing rational, nothing to demonstrate, nothing to do, because Jesus is accepted before being understood. I didn't get in touch with a religion. It is My Creator who, by coming to me, closed the wound which my separation had caused Him. Now, I unite voluntarily with Jesus by his link of love. He gives me a concrete mission: “Because you love me and because you don't see me, give your life for your friends. Because they, you see them, your brothers and sisters in the faith! "

Since I have the peace with God by the faith in Jesus Christ, I understood many important things which had stayed in the mysteries since my childhood. Being Jew of origin, I had difficulty in understanding how the Christians could have some relation with God, because the law of Moses having been given to the Jews, I didn't understand that the other thing was able to be given to "goyim" (that is, to the non-Jews).

Now, by reading the Bible, I knew that God had spoken by the prophets, repeatedly and of diverse manners, to our ancestors. I understood that Moses who had been faithful, had been in charge of proclaiming what God had declared him. Moses had to return testimony to the One who would be revealed only much later, the name of Jesus. Because it is written: "  the Lord your God will raise up to you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, One like me. To him you shall listen" (Deuteronom 18:15).

The contemporaries of Moses received a promise: that to enter the rest of God. But this word which they heard was of use to them as nothing because they didn't accept her with faith. Now, this promise remains valid, because it is the Good News announced by Jesus. As far as we believe, we enter this rest. To arrive there, it is enough to show the faith in the made promise, not to fall in the incredulity as the Jews at that time, because the incredulity leads to the disobedience

On the contrary, the faith leads to observe God's law. Now, Jesus hasn’t never told to observe any more this law. He said that ' He had come to accomplish it in our place because we were incapable of it. Today, it is thus enough to believe in the perfection of the salvation that he offers us, because he gave Himself in sacrifice for us.

In fact, God asks us all, Jews and non-Jews, to be obedient Him, to continue to follow His instructions, to lead up to the end, in the God's holy respect, the salvation which was given to us. God asks us to translate into acts the salvation which he offered us free of charge.

This salvation having been acquired to us by the merits of Jesus in cross, we have to work it as a fertile ground to produce a good fruit. Furthermore, I understood that God works in the one who has faith in Jesus, both to do and to will, because it is a God who arouses in us at the same moment the will and the action, so that Its perfect plans are executed.

By reading the Holy Bible, I understood that in fact, the law intervened to unmask the sin and to bring to light its power. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”

The conclusion is not that the law and the sin are a single thing, but, by the law, we learnt to identify the sin and to become aware of our fault. For example, I shall not have known that it is bad to wish what the others possess if the law had not said to me: “You shall not covet! ".

In fact, the sin which is in every human being, finds in the law the occasion to show itself. Because without the law, the sin died. By experience, we know us the Jews, that there is nothing good in ourselves. We know it more than the others, because it is to us that the law was given.

However, there is an exit, and it is what the Bible made me understand by revealing me that God Himself delivered us by Jesus Christ the Lord. The salary of the sin being the death, Jesus paid of His life my acquittal. Us, the Jews, as well as all other men and women throughout the world, us are forgiven and cleansed of our sins, of our transgressions to the law.

There is not thus condemnation anymore for those who belong to Jesus Christ. If we are united with Him by the faith, we have no more judgment to dreaded, because we live at the moment under a new regime: that of the Holy Spirit.

This Spirit gives us the life which was in Christ-Jesus and introduces us into the communion with Him.
This vivifying power of the Spirit pushes us outside the vicious circle of the sin and the death.

This new order allows us to escape of the evil which led us to the ruin.
Because, it is necessary to admit that the law turned out incapable to realize in us, a holy life. Well, what the law was not able to do, God does it!

It is extraordinary to realize that the impotence of the law is due to our human weaknesses and to our selfish will which remove any strength in the law.

That's why God gave His only-begotten Son under the shape of a simple man dressed in a body accessible to the sin. But He, He triumphed over the sin! And by giving Its Life for us, He broke the yoke of the evil. Henceforth, a just life, in compliance with the requirements of the law becomes possible, on the condition of placing our behavior under the control of the Spirit of God.

That is what I understood, and I ask that all my Jewish brothers and sisters read my testimony, so that they understand that Jesus is really the Messiah and that they have to expect no other one from it.

TESTIMONY D’ERIC RUIZ (Next)

Since my arrived in Normandy, nothing took place in a really normal way.

From the first months, a work of sport teacher was offered to me, in a High school, in about forty kilometers of the castle.
 We were, nevertheless several candidates. But God allowed whether it is I who ' obtain this work, while I wasn’t the most experimented.

That it was far then, the hard professional High school of the Parisian suburb! I had the impression to change profession. Here, the pupils were quiet and attentive and the exceptional working conditions.

 Nevertheless at the beginning, the future seemed less promising. I had a colleague who did not bear my presence. And when he known what I lived, I became more than an opponent: a real enemy.
He did everything he can so that I resign. Unsatisfied to impose me insults, slanders and malicous gossip, he plotted with parents against me.

But the Lord is faithful to his Word: “Look! I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to destroy all the enemy's power, and nothing will ever hurt you.”Gospel of Luke chap 10 verse19.

Then, the violence of this teacher turned around against himself: depressive, heart patient, in loss of influence, tired, it is him who left retired early.

During the same period, I obtained the qualification for which I hoped since the university. Having failed during three years in a very selective national competition, the fourth was the maid. The context was, it is true very different. My life was this time, led by God. For the first time, nothing, nor anybody could shake me. I had the certainty to succeed before even the publication of the results. Jesus inspired me in greatest detail. I worked without knowing it, the subjects of  the recruitment by competitive examination .
Today, I collaborated to give a new identity to my High school, by creating a special class: canoe kayak. My alumni sometimes mean participating in the training courses, to find the atmosphere of past. That's right also my payment!

Sentimental side, the Lord did not forget me either, because he put on my road, four years after our installation in the castle, my future wife: Sandrine.

I got acquainted in the marriage of my sister Edith and my brother-in-law Jean.
She is very additional me. Very practical and manual, it is the queen of the screwdriver. She takes up a piece of furniture to the speed which I need to decode the note of use.
She dreamed about a big family. And it is what we are today. Julie arrived very fast, on one year after our marriage, on June 14th, 1995. Then it was Benjamin's tour the following year.

 A little surprised, it is a God in a sense who gave us, four years later Nathanaël (who means in Hebrew: given by God). Finally, next year the Lord gave us Nohémie (who means in Hebrew: My grace).

All our children are beautiful and in full health. They go to the school of the Commune with enjoyment and enthusiasm.

In our time, it is not easy to assume a family of four children. The couples often work both and are little present in their home. From the first months of the life, the children are entrusted to day-nurseries or to "baby-sitters".

We are conscious Sandrine and myself of the precious support whom are our brothers and sisters of the community; of the enjoyment also to have her mother and her sister at home and on which we can count. We can say as said  king David: " See how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!"
The Eternal always provided at our needs and even beyond. My wife was able to be available full-time for our children and the community thanks to numerous financial blessings. We simply lived that   Ecclesiastes said: " Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might".
 
I so obtained several promotions, hours of overtime, new responsibilities, training courses all this, paid often beyond our own expectations.

As parents, we want to follow the education which shows us the Bible. The real wisdom emanates from children having got used to obeying their parents; themselves obeying the biblical laws. 
But this obedience cannot inculcate without love. The religious education so good is done us glimpses its limits. The excess of prohibitions, contraints is another imbalance.

Jesus showed us the perfect way : " whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, because this summarizes the Law and the Prophets.”

What means, that you should not be harder with our children than with ourselves, at the risk of irritating them, then discouraging them; nor too do over liberal at the risk of seeing them disdain us. 
Then, to have this balance, we pray every day that Jesus helps us. Because the willingness is not enough. The education is a spiritual thing based on the prayer and the submission to God.
Any attempt done except this context will end only in what we know regrettably today in our modern societies and the apostle Paul prophesies in the Epistle of Romans:
" As they refused to have God in their knowledge... the children will be rebel to their parents "