Finding Jesus in the 20th Century
You can order Stan's Focus on the Family broadcast - Finding Jesus in the Old Testament - through Focus on the Family Canada's office. (Discontinued through Focus U.S.A.) Call Focus Canada's Order line - 800-661-9800 or order online at shop.focusonthefamily.ca)
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN or
Can you say - religion on steroids?
I was born and raised on Boston's North Shore, a place famous for fishing villages, sea air and, yes, synagogues and a large Jewish population. Many of my family and friend's families had parents and grandparents who came to the U.S. in the early 1900's immigration boom.
My family was of the Conservative Jewish persuasion. As a result, I went to synagogue Friday night, Saturday morning and Sunday morning. Oy! Where did the weekends go?
I was also in Hebrew school 3 afternoons a week after my daily public school involvement, was in a Jewish Boy Scout troop, earned the Ner Tamid (Everlasting Light) award and even played on a Basketball team with our Temple. I was on Temple C team so you can tell how deep my sports talent went.
THE HIPPIE LIFE or
Such a deal I have for you!
After experiencing my Bar Mitzvah and the full immersion into the Jewish way of life, my family moved to a new city. Shortly after our move, I met some folks called "hippies". Oy Vey! There goes the neighborhood.
I spent the next 6 years experimenting, and in many cases, perfecting my use of drugs. You name it - I dropped it, snorted it, shot it, sniffed it, smoked it, drank it. Well, you get the idea. I bought it, I sold it and sometimes I consumed more than I sold. Not a good business plan.
My lifestyle was not the best and, as my high school graduation approached, much had taken place that convinced me that I should join the Air Force and get out of town. I went off to see the world - I was stationed back in the Boston area and then to Thailand.
Early August 1973 I was embarking on my final Air Force assignment...
MY ARRIVAL AT ALTUS or
What's a Boston boy doing in the middle of nowhere?
I arrived at Altus AFB, OK in August 1973 as a wild, radical, Article 15-experienced airman. The Air Force did little to slow down my hippie lifestyle. In fact, my duty assignments fueled the fire for my avid "hobby" of drug taking. Even the receiving of an Article 15 at my first duty assignment didn’t slow me down.
My last duty assignment at Altus began around mid August of 1973. Bill was my base sponsor who showed me around the base, got me acclimated to where the BX, barber shop, mess hall, etc. were located and introduced me to my new teammates at the graphics shop.
REPORTING FOR DUTY or
What an awkward moment to find out what you thought you knew, you didn't know. (What did I just say?)
As I checked in, I had many papers to sign but had no pen. Bill handed me a pen (which I have to this day) that had praying hands on the side and the verse, "Delight thyself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". (Ps. 37:4). When I first noticed this verse I said to Bill, "Well, this is a nice saying." Bill responded with something like, "Stan, that's from the Psalms, a book that's found in your Bible." I can't remember if I responded but I wanted to say something like, "Of course. I knew that. I was just testing you, Bill."
The fact of the matter is that while I grew up in Conservative Judaism in the Boston area, with all that goes with it, Jews (in general) don't study the Bible or necessarily meditate on it day by day. So this verse was totally foreign to me. But, what I did know is it made me feel good inside.
I even remember when Bill first started sharing his faith with me. My very first response was, “I can’t be saved. I’m Jewish!” I’m sure that Bill was caught off guard with that comment but continued to persevere in the power and love of Jesus.
THE COFFEEHOUSE EXPERIENCE or
Tasting the grounds of my faith
Bill kept inviting me to this thing called The Good News Coffeehouse. I kept putting him off but finally relented and took a fellow Bostonian airman with me to the coffeehouse. That was Saturday night September 22, 1973. My friend and I got high on some pot before going into the building. My thought was, "I can't face these religious fanatics straight so maybe getting stoned will help me cope."
As soon as I crossed over the threshold of the door I became immediately clear-headed and all the effects of the marijuana miraculously disappeared. This didn't happen, by the way, to my friend Keith. So I knew something was up!
I saw a guy on stage with a similar 12-string guitar like mine, talking about how he had been on drugs and how Jesus had saved him. Wow! These events were too much for me to think that all of this was just a coincidence. Bill, among a number of other folks from the base, had been sharing Jesus with me for the five weeks preceding this evening and the Holy Spirit was cultivating the soil of my heart in preparation for the truth.
As impacting as that evening was, I went back to the barracks and continued to ponder what all of this meant. Bill had invited me to the evening Base Chapel service on September 23 so I figured, "Hey, I went to the coffeehouse so I might as well go to the Base Chapel".
THE INFAMOUS SHOWER OR
How to get saved and baptized all in one moment!
As Sunday afternoon began to wind down and as I prepared to go to church for the first time in my life, I felt I needed to take a shower. I saw that the family on Leave it to Beaver did that before they went to church so I figured it was something I needed to do.
Well, that was the most unique shower of my life. While in my shower a sense came over me that I was supposed to pray. It had been years since I prayed and even when I did as a Jew growing up we ALWAYS had a prayer book. I had no idea how to pray from my heart. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to pray. Here is the gist of the prayer -
God, I never believed that Jesus existed, much less that He was Jewish and the Son of God and that He died for my sins. God, right now I want to accept Jesus into my life to forgive my sins. God, I want eternal life. Amen.
That prayer took place about 5:50 pm on Sunday night, September 23, 1973 in Room 33, Barracks 316, Altus AFB, OK 73521. I knew based on I John 5 that I was saved. It says in that passage, "He that has the Son has life; He that has not the Son of God has not life" (I John 5:12).
With this major event transpiring, I knew the next thing was to get plugged into a church. Before I accepted Jesus, I had asked Bill one day at work something like this, "Bill, if I accept Jesus do I have to read the Bible, go to church and sing in the choir?” Bill was and is a smart guy. He said, "Stan, don't worry about those things. Just ask Jesus to forgive your sins and let Him make the changes He wants to make."
GOING TO CHURCH FOR THE FIRST TIME or
How to get spontaneous applause in one easy lesson.
After my salvation moment in the shower, I got dressed and went to the Base Chapel. I have very little recollection of what took place at the service that evening of September 23. What I do remember is Chaplain Ludwig asking the group if anyone had anything they wanted to share. My heart started pounding. I shot my hand up, stood up and told the group that I had just accepted Jesus a couple hours before hand. To my surprise, the whole place broke out with spontaneous applause. That threw me for a loop until I discovered that I had been a marked man even before I came to Altus.
Mike, who worked in Base Personnel, got my orders several months before my arrival and apparently started spreading the word to pray for this Jewish guy who'd be coming to Altus in August. Little did I know that there was a "conspiracy" in the works, the kind of conspiracy I like!
FROM THEN TO NOW or
Whoda thunk life could be such an adventure!
Since that day in 1973 I’ve served the Lord faithfully (not perfectly) as He has used me to bring many others to a saving knowledge of Christ. I've traveled nationally, lived in all kinds of places, met and married my awesome wife of 34 years.
God has privileged me to teach and equip many groups around the U.S. concerning three key areas: Loving Jesus more deeply, connecting with healthy community and effectively impacting their culture with the Good News, all in the context of delving into the Hebraic roots of our faith and their implications for us who live in the 21st Century.
One of my key life verses:
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
In other words, we’re “Cracked Pots for Jesus!”
Contact Information: stan@stankellner.com