Sid Roth

Sid: And I’ve got 2 Jewish people on the telephone they’re married to each other that are red hot for the Messiah. I’ll speak first with Geoffrey Cohen. I’m speaking to them at their home at Ventura California.  And Geoffrey you were raised in South Africa and had a very good Orthodox upbringing are there many Jewish people in South Africa?

Geoff: Well when I was growing up there was about 120,000 I believe now it runs between 70 and 80,000.

Sid: It’s still a pretty pretty good size Jewish community.

Geoff: Yeah it’s very strong economically very strong in the business world over there.

Sid: Well tell me about your Orthodox Jewish background.

Geoff: Well I went to an Orthodox Jewish Schools really from kindergarten of which even kindergarten was Orthodox Jewish.  And most of my friends until my last 2 years of high school were all Jews so I had very little interaction with non-Jews of course that were around me time. But I was brought up in a very tight knit Jewish community because of Anti-Semitism in South Africa it made the Jewish Community even more tight knit.

Sid: You know I’m thinking as the world itself according to the word of God and according to what we’re seeing becomes increasing more anti-Semitic it will cause Jewish people to come back together if could have been lost in the United States but it will cause that. And what we’re believing is that it will cause Christians and Jews to bond together. But you did a nice Jewish thing you went to the university to study law.

Geoff: Yes.

Sid: Why did you go into the military was it required?

Geoff: Ah yeah I was actually in my second year of law in South Africa and I had to do it…it was mandatory to do the military it was never my desire to you know to serve in the military there because of apart-a and these things like that.

Sid: But you bumped into a lot of Anti-Semitism in the military why’s that.

Geoff: Well if you look at the historical roots of South Africa many of the Elfie-Connors that are the ancestors of the Dutch, German and French.  But they’re called Elfie-Connors and many of them during the II World War or the I World War were sympathetic of the Germans. And of course the Nazi’s World War II mainly because of the tension between the British and them because the global at the turn of the century.  And so of course there’s many Elfie-Connors who are wonderful Christians so that definitely the case but many of them are pretty Anti-Semitic because of that sort of Anti-British pro-German kind of sentiment that we experienced.

Sid: And you took up a very un-Jewish profession you took up boxing why is that?

Geoff: Yes well because although I’m not small I’m about 5’1 185 pounds which man Elfie-Connors are very big 200 pounds which describes normal over 6 ft.

Sid: Well I’ll just fit in fine there go ahead. (Laughing)

Geoff: (Laughing) Yeah so basically it was just to defend myself and I actually became quite good at boxing and so I was actually offered a professional boxing contract before I left the country. But I decided that boxing wasn’t for nice Jewish boys.

Sid: But what was why did you leave the country?

Geoff: Basically I just wanted to make my future outside of South Africa. In fact I would have gone to live in Israel and I would have served in the Israeli Army that was my desire but at that the time I was dating a nice Jewish girl in South Africa and because of my loyalty to her to stay in the country and go to the army.  But really my heart was to go to Israel and become a citizen and serve in the Israeli Army.

Sid: You eventually did go to Israel.

Geoff: I did.

Sid: And live on a kibbutz.

Geoff: Yes I did.

Sid: And you met a man by the name of Frank tell me about him.

Geoff: Yeah I hope Frank’s listening to this because I’ve been trying to contact him for about 16 years. (Laughing) All that I remember about him is that he was the son of the Vice Secretary of the America Navy I believe it was in 1984. But really stood out to me about him is that he was a true born again Christian. And basically what happened was while we were on the kibbutz called “Shyin we were sitting outside and having a drink or 2 and just talking about world politics.  And everybody had their opinion as is the case when you discuss politics you can have 20 opinions especially when many of them are Jewish you can have 100 opinions.

Sid: Of course a kibbutz is sort of a communal place that many Israelis live on and it was the way that Israel really started originally.

Geoff: Yes.

Sid: And so you’re just enjoying yourself and how did he start this subject?

Geoff: Well basically everybody was talking about their opinion of politics and if the Russians are right or the Americans are right or if the Arabs are right.  And everybody was trying to decide “Should Israel have invaded Lebanon in 1982 and they were discussing this and everybody had their opinion.  And then basically this guy started to speak and he said “The problem is not America, it’s not communism, it’s not capitalism he said the problem is sin.”  And I thought “Oh no here we go now this guy is going to preach to us this is all we need now.”

Sid: Had anyone ever preached to you now?

Geoff: You know they had and I but I never touched home with me because I thought that it was God’s way of reaching the Gentiles,  I thought that Jesus came for the Gentiles and that’s very nick for now the Gentiles can also have a relationship with God as well as us Jews. And so I was very happy for all of the Gentiles that the too could know God. But I believe that us Jews just go directly to God we didn’t need a mediator.  But I’ve since determined that that’s not the case but that’s what I believed.  And so I never heard the gospel presented in a way that was relevant to me or it made any sense to me.

Sid: But what did he say that had an impact on an Orthodox Jew from South Africa?

Geoff: Well seriously it wasn’t what he said although it was partly what he said.  But what really had tremendous impact on me was this man’s zeal that he was absolutely willing to lay down his life for what he believed.  And with the people around him I mean we some people got pretty mad at him so I just saw that he wasn’t wavering he was unmoved and he was fearless in his faith so that his conviction about what he believed is what’s impressed me the most. But then when he began to explain what sin was for the first time it made sense to me because many people don’t know this many Jewish people don’t have a normal concept of original sin like a Christian would know to be born in sin. Maybe not a real understanding of what sin is or what sin is and I didn’t.  And he said basically every person is selfish and that’s why ever country and every nation wants their way and their culture and everything to predominate because they think that’s the best one.  And because of that basic selfish nature people clash with each with each other and so for the first time it began to make sense.  I thought “Oh that makes sense that’s why there’s wars and we clash and things like that because people are basically selfish.  And so I began to understand what sin was for the first time and I began to make sense. And then he explained how the Lord had come into his life and set him free from a life of drug addiction and peer pressure and growing up in very high circles.  Which I did as well in South Africa because my father was a very successful businessman so growing up under that pressure of can I make it can I follow in my Dad’s footsteps and all of that kind of thing. And his Dad being high in Washington he’d gone through the same kind of thing. And then he’d gotten saved and set free and filled with the Holy Spirit and he knew that his identity was in the Messiah in Yeshua in Jesus.  And so he was secure now in his identity.  And so that’s when it made a strong impression on me and began to make sense.

Sid: Now did you know that Jesus was Jewish?

Geoff: No I didn’t I thought maybe He was a Catholic or He was like one of those priests that wear those giant hats that are about 3 feet high or something like that.

Sid: When did you find out that Jesus was Jewish?

Geoff: Well Frank began to talk to me well this happened to Jesus in Jerusalem and that happened to Jesus in Jerusalem and all of the various things that happened to Jesus and how they bought monuments where Jesus was supposed to have wept. And another church where you know He stopped and looked at someone and He was kind of cynical about you know building a church everywhere that Jesus was supposed to done something. And it wasn’t that that struck me but I thought why are you talking about Jesus in Jerusalem what was He doing there?

Sid: Hmm.

Geoff: And so for the first time I began to think you mean Jesus might be Jewish? I mean if He’s Jewish why did these people who call themselves Christians hate the Jews it didn’t make any sense to me.  So I presumed of course that He can’t be Jewish because then non-Jews couldn’t possibly hate the Jews if He was Jewish then they would love the Jews automatically.  So that’s why it kind of confused me.  And I thought if He really is Jewish then you know this something I really have to look into.

Sid: Well you not only looked into it you had an encounter at the Jaffa Gate where I’ve been many times in Jerusalem.

Geoff: Yes.

Sid: Tell me the circumstances.

Geoff: Well basically after maybe a few days after Frank had shared with us and had been kind of a clash between him and some of the people that didn’t believe in the Lord I had planned to go to Jerusalem. And so what happened was when I went to Jerusalem is go to the Arab market or the shuck was the call it and you get really good bargains there.  And I was with a friend of mine that was traveling with me a friend of mine from Zimbabwe and as we walked into the Jaffa Gate on your immediate left there is the Arab market you probably remember this there is long passage way whatever you call it a market on either side.

Sid: Yes.

Geoff: And we were just beginning to walk towards the market when all of  a sudden Jesus appeared to me as real as this television is or my house is or as real as you are on the other side but even more so.  Jesus appeared he was standing about 20 feet away from me…

Sid: How did He look?

Geoff: Well he was dressed as He was 2000 years ago so He was wearing a robe but really the most striking thing more than anything else was His eyes.  And people say “Well how did you know it was Jesus?” Well basically that’s my thing well how do you know that you saw God?  I was looking at eternity and eternity was looking at me and when He looked at me it was incredible it was like He knew everything about me because right through me I was looking at eternity past and eternity future and yet He totally accepted me and loved me unconditionally and He spoke a word to me without opening his mouth and there’s no way for me to explain that its just what happened. And that one word was Hineini which means “Here am I in Hebrew.”

Sid: Hold that thought Mishpochah we’re going to pick up right here tomorrow….

Sid: I’ve got a Jewish man that’s red hot for the Messiah we find out that he was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1950 to Jewish parents. He didn’t know much about Judaism it was at that time very difficult to be a practicing Jew. He was raised as an atheist. He left the Soviet Union although he was a great Star there in the Moscow Circus and come to the United States and with $150 he borrowed from the Jewish Community he started a business of acro-gymnastics one of the first in the United States and he won a National Championship himself and he had all of the money he needed but there was something missing. He got into drugs got out of control messed up his life spent money like it was water and you know once you’re hooked on cocaine.  He even saw Jimmy Swaggert on television and said a prayer of salvation and something happened but he continued with his life of drugs. He went to Las Vegas with another Russian friend and things began to close in and you were I guess in a hotel room your friend was there and you cried out what did you cry out Igor Ashkinaszi?

Igor: That was just it was 4:00 in the morning I came extremely disappointed with myself me and my friend we walked into the same room he fell in his bed I fell my bed, he fell asleep immediately but I just could not sleep. My whole heart was just tormented and I said “What have I come to and my life has turned out to be absolutely nothing.” And I realized that there’s nothing to life. My friend was still struggling and my Russian Jewish friend was supposed to make it here you know to get some help he thought he was looking about $30,000 a year at that time.  I was making just 6 months ago over $150,000 a year just cash you know, but now I was on drugs of course and discouraged and disappointed.  In my heart I laid down and I cried “If there is God He alone can help me I don’t want to live in this body I don’t want to live in this situation I don’t know what to do I lived in communism, I lived in capitalism I was an athlete no body now I was poor I was rich and I don’t know what is the life?  What do I belong to is there a God please God help me” and just at that moment my heart was so open and so broken I cannot describe to you my whole being was just I couldn’t even feel myself it was like I didn’t exist just my heart spoke. And suddenly I heard a voice, it was dark it was 4:00 in the morning Vegas windows was completely covered with those heavy curtains and you never know time in Vegas there was no clocks it was dark. But it was 4:00 in the morning I looked at the watch when I came and lay in bed. And suddenly I hear a voice “Igor.” I thought my friend called me Igor but he was sleeping he was snoring in fact at that moment I was gripped with fear I thought I cracked up completely.  And I thought to myself “I don’t hear that voice it just seemed to me.” And then I hear it again “Igor I am your God.” And at that point I thought “That’s it I’m absolutely crazy now I know that I’m crazy because there is no God.” But He said “How can you think this you just called to Me and I answered you.”  And truly I remember I did call Him God to help me and I said “And I said “No it can’t happen.” But I heard the voice outside of me and inside of me at the same time. It was a strong powerful voice so strong it was like a thunder and yet it was so gentle it was like my mother and father blended both together.  I couldn’t deny there was a supernatural voice I’d never heard it could be in my mind it couldn’t be anything else.  But it could be something else and I said to myself “But God. no God doesn’t exist.”  And He answered on my thought “But I Am.”  And at that moment for some reason I don’t know why I ask Him loud it was strange when I asked loud “Um, um, um are You talking to me like You talked to Moses?” Why I said it I have no idea the only time I heard about Moses was my grandmother one time told me when I was about Moses.  And I said “Are You talking to me like You’re talking to Moses?” Surprised that I said it loudly and He laughed.” And that was the first time I heard God laughing and He said “Almost.” And now I think He said it because he didn’t want to hurt me but that was the question again I said loudly “But I know that You don’t exist” and this time He repeated strongly again. “But I Am what are you going to do with Me I Am?” That’s how he said to me at this point I felt in my heart I actually know that I talked to God I actually believed that God exist and the moment I knew in my heart I believed that God is the light broke through like the ceiling disappeared a brilliantly bright light with a silver light with gold streams like a veil with a golden rays in it I couldn’t even look at it. And it was not a light it was just a presence of God. And out of this light He said “Igor because you believe I am going to touch you now and you will never stop talking about Me.” And the light began to go down and it began to expand and descend on me. And where I was there was darkness but where the light was there was light and I could see that light and darkness in the middle. And as the light was moving upon me I begin to see my entire life in a whole but God knew everything about my life. I began to feel so bad about myself. Like I was repenting in my heart because I was in a meeting with God I was about to meet God face to face that was like I felt, I felt dirty I felt bad my whole life like a television video tape passed by me my whole…when I said something to somebody but meant something else. When I smiled but hated when loved I mean when I was double-hearted when people didn’t know what I meant but God knew always my heart and I felt bad. And at this moment the light….a hand came out of the light a human hand.  Now I cannot tell whether a human hand came out of the light or light transformed into a human hand.  I cannot remember I try to remember I always wanted to say it was a scarred hand but I don’t remember scars I just remember it was a hand and He touch me He touched my right shoulder. I just read recently Benny Hinn’s book “He Touched Me.” And I felt my God You actually touched me and the moment He touched me I died, I felt like I died, I died. And at the same time I was dying I felt death, I felt I was stiffening I was dying but suddenly at the same time another life starting pouring inside of me. Light life excuse me life full of joy, full of exaltation and the marrow of my bones began to sing and I’m not exaggerating I felt the music of heaven in my bones.  I was filled with so much love and so much joy that I wanted to bring that same joy to my best friend and my worst enemy.

Sid: But then you asked God a question a very strange question you asked Him is Jesus Your Son?

Igor: At that moment first I jump to my feet and my heart began to shout actually God is Jesus is God I didn’t know why my heart was saying that shouting this. And so I screamed from the top of my lungs “God is, Jesus is God.” But then I stopped and I stopped and I said “Jesus.” How could I say this? And I asked and I look up again to this wonderful light I was basking in it and I said “God is Jesus Your Son?” And He said to me very gently not like He’d spoken to me before no with a strong voice but you almost could miss it if you weren’t spiritually so aware and so spiritually alive at that moment.  He just said simply (softly) “Yes.” But when He said it was so dear to Him this question was so important so dear to Him this revelation is so special to Him He just said (softly) “Yes.” And when He said Yes that Yes just stuck to my heart until this day I just know that I know that I know that Jesus is the Son of God!  I just knew that this is that same Jesus Yeshua that is the Savior I just knew that.  And He said to me at that moment “You will never die you will be with me forever.” Oh the joy that flooded my soul I shouted from the top of my lungs again “God is Jesus! Jesus is God!” My friend jumped to his feet saw me at that state and that condition naturally he thought that I lost it.

Sid: Let me ask you a practical question “What about your smoking, your drinkings, your cocaine addiction?

Igor: That moment it disappeared!

Sid: Oh we’re out of time…

Sid: I’m speaking to Igor Ashkinaszi at his home in Brooklyn, New York. He was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1950.  In 1975 after becoming a star with the Muska Circus after winning championships in Odessa for acro-gymnastics he finally got out it wasn’t easy he went through all sorts of humiliation.  At that time it was very difficult for a Jewish person to go to Israel. He actually stopped off in Vienna he stayed there for a few months and instead of going to Israel his mother and grandparents went to the United States.  He didn’t speak any English he got kicked out of his first job I guess because he didn’t speak any English as a busboy. He finally got a job in New Orleans as an instructor in gymnastics but then with $150 you started the all American dream didn’t you Igor?

Igor: Yes I was looking at the Jewish Community Center and so then when my concert was over they asked if they could loan me $150 and with that I just bought paper, envelopes and a letter and it was sent I don’t know 500 people. And I started my first gymnastic school, acro-gymnastic school which became very popular very well to do. The school became…won first place in the nation, in fact 5 years in a row. I myself began to perform to brought myself back into shape to perform rather l United States National Championship.  In fact 4 years in the row was appointed to be a United States National 1^st honorary United States National Coach.

Sid: How well were you doing financially?

Igor: Financially in the beginning of course I started as a busboy and quickly was able to acquire a good some of money it was I had the school and had a lot of students. And enjoyed a very serious popularity in New Orleans everybody knew us everybody family wanted to be part because they started in school they wanted their child to take part in school. We had big shows every year.

Sid: I mean everything is going good why in the world would you try cocaine?

Igor: Well that’s that is that’s what we come to when we get everything we want in life.  That’s what I always wanted to be I wanted to become an American I wanted to be accepted here in the country and I was in New Orleans it’s a very social city and the cities divided by social groups and I was able to break through those social groups and was accepted as a New Orleanian as an American.  Many people came into me I received a lot of money I received everything all of the pleasures of the world.  I’d say that somebody wanted to investigate I did and but it didn’t satisfy me. I asked myself “You have everything you wanted again an athlete of recognition of 1^st place performing Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin Shows, I had my own show at the Superdome in New Orleans. And you know just making a lot of money having everything I’ve ever wanted but something was missing in my heart something was empty in my heart and I asked myself “What haven’t you yet tried.” And did one thing I didn’t try was drugs I never did drugs I drank I smoked like all Russians did, but I never had drugs. And a friend of mine had given me a drug simple marijuana and I tried it and very quickly I became addicted all kinds of drugs including cocaine, hallucination drugs, LSD at the time. I’m talking about 20 years ago I’m talking about more than 20 years and it was much easier to get and the fact that I had money now cash I had no property, I have no family I was by myself only me and my parents. My mother had already had a job at the New Orleans Dental School she is a dentist by a profession. So we were really established and I was using and began spending money on drugs and money began to go right through my hands until I couldn’t quit. I absolutely couldn’t quit.  And so it caused me a great embarrassment because I couldn’t quit I couldn’t work I couldn’t continue to work. So I left New Orleans and went to Los Angeles to live away from everybody and everything hoping that something would change something would break for me I would leave my environment. My business was left to my assistant and there it was left to my family I never returned to it. I don’t know what happened to it I don’t know what happened to it I took my cash and went to Los Angeles where it became worse and worse and worse until I fell into the deepest depression that I’ve ever experienced. I didn’t want to live anymore I was embarrassed ashamed and I could not break from it. And even if I would break from myself where would I go the place that I started that caused me to begin to use drugs because of the emptiness of my heart? And then I experienced what is the life? I came to this country to work hard to achieve some success and I had but what is to life I had it and it didn’t satisfy me what was the reason for life? And just about that time I met a German man that Bob York was in Los Angeles he was a big man in Hollywood and I respected him and he’s the first one that shared the gospel with me.  I did not like Germans ever since my parents were Holocaust survivors and some relatives died in the Holocaust and I didn’t like Germans at all and neither did my family.  But he showed me he first shared the gospel with me but he did not call me to Jesus he just simply told me about Jesus about the Jewishness of Jesus which I thought he was just joking of course. But he was a very nice man and he showed the great love toward Jewish people and that surprised me. And it caused me to think “Why does he really feel like he does love Jewish people?” And after that I had a television experience when I was a little bit drunk and sick and sat on my bed and tried to get away from that feeling of sickness and nauseation I turned television on it was 4:00 in the morning in Los Angeles and guess who was there a preacher was on television pointing his finger towards me literally saying “You are in bed drunk and sick.”  Now I did not know who that preacher was and I would never I didn’t even know that it was a Christian program.  I thought he just found me exactly where I was I was in bed sitting in bed drunk and was sick to my stomach. And caused me to listen to that program and he said that you “No one can help you you cannot help yourself.” And I could identify with that “Your parents cannot help you because you never even told them” and it was me again. And then “Your friends cannot help you because they are just like you.” And I felt that exactly felt same way truly were exactly like me.  “But I know somebody who can help you.”  But when I heard somebody I thought it was a doctor I pulled out a pen and wanted to write a name of a guy that was how absolute even I was at that point. And then I don’t remember a word he said until this day I was just waiting for the guys name but the next thing I remember he was crying and begging something people for something I don’t know what it was.  And he said “Repeat after me” and I repeated after him the sinner’s prayer on television. I don’t remember what I said I just remember “Repeat after me” and I remember I was looking for a guy somebody to help…it was Jimmy Swaggert actually and I didn’t know at that point and I just repeated the prayer it was 1982… oh 1981 and there was when I finished the prayer the tears started coming out of my eyes and I was surprised that it happened but I was glad that nobody was because I was embarrassed I was actually crying I didn’t know why I was crying. I switched television very quickly.

Sid: Was it unusual for you to cry?

Igor: That’s what I’m coming to yes. Yeah I never really cried unless somebody hit me in the nose I was embarrassed to cry I didn’t like to cry it would show certain weaknesses I felt. And suddenly I was crying real literally crying my eyes…and I found myself crying and I did not want to remember this experience. I just blotted it out of my mind and I said “It cannot happen I’m crying and it’s no good.”

Sid: Did you stay on drugs?

Igor: Huh? Yes nothing changed for 4 more months not a thing, but then 4 months later a friend of mine asked me to go with him to gamble in Vegas. And I thought well that would kind of keep my mind away from everything you know from the culture I was in from the group of people that I was with. A friend of mine who a group of people who I grew up together with from Russia and he said “Let’s go to Las Vegas.  And we went to gamble in Vegas I didn’t gamble much money we just simply moseyed around and you know just I felt my time…In Las Vegas I began to feel that I’m totally wasted completely my life is wasted.

Sid: Igor our time is up we’ll pick up right here on tomorrow’s broadcast.  Mishpochah you’re going to find out he got something in Las Vegas he never ever expected.