​I was born and raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA.  My father’s family is Orthodox Jewish. Even though my father had drifted away from his heritage, I tried to learn what I could about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

From the time I was four years old, my original goal was to be a professional actor.  I got involved in every play and theatre production I could find.  After two years of college majoring in theatre, I had the male lead in every production. I began working with various professionals that came through our area.  At this time, I was working during the day at a department store in downtown Pittsburgh and doing as much theatre in the evening as I could.  It was then, when I was twenty years old someone that I worked with began to tell me about Jesus.  This was the first time in my life that I ever heard the phrase, "born again."

It took about six months for me to really listen.  I noticed that this girl who was witnessing to me had changed her life for good.  She invited me and a friend one Saturday morning to meet at a place called Teen Challenge in downtown Pittsburgh.  The place was filled with people who looked like hippies but believed in Jesus.  Being from an orthodox Jewish family, this was all different to me, but I saw the excitement on their faces and how Jesus had changed their lives.  It finally occurred to me that they were telling me I could be a child of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; through His Son, Jesus.  All of sudden, the reality of it all seemed real to me. After meeting with the ministers there and talking with them, I realized I needed to open my heart.  That Saturday morning, I opened up my heart to the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. 

When I got saved and starting going to church, I realized I had to give up everything.  I stopped smoking pot.  I had already given up cigarettes, and eventually learned that I needed to give up beer as well.  While at this local spirit filled church, they invited me to go to a campus visit at a Bible College in Springfield, MO.  At 21 years of age, while visiting this Bible College, we were in some tremendous services where the gifts of the Spirit were in operation.  After one of the services we went back to the motel and were talking about it.  My friends were sharing scriptures with me about the Holy Ghost and they prayed with me to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I told my friends, "I made some sounds in another language, but I don't even know what I said!"  They assured me, "You're not supposed to!  It's your language with God.  It's the Holy Spirit language that will change your life!"  

Within a year, I was off to Bible School, with a vision to learn how to reach the world for the Messiah, Jesus. I had worked hard to save up enough money to pay for the first year in cash.  I thought I would never act again because acting was so sinful.  While I was there, a professor from a different Bible college in Texas approached me and said that they were starting the first Christian drama group!  He offered to let me become the assistant director for this group that would travel across the country depicting the crucifixion scene and sharing the story of Jesus.  Although the only Christian friends my age I knew were at my school, I knew it was God and I moved to follow His voice.  We traveled to at least 22 states doing something I had always dreamed about.  We were seeing lives changed and working in the altar to see people saved and baptized in the Spirit. 

After two and a half years of Bible School, I met a guy named Mike Evans and he said to me, "We've been praying for somebody like you! We need a  Jewish young man that would start a Jewish music and drama group. We feel like you are the man."  We started this group in the late 1970's and my wife (to be) joined the ministry to be a part of this group.    We became good friends and were in this ministry together for almost two years before we got interested in each other romantically.    

Since the early 1980’s, my wife, Joy and I have been traveling across the Nation and other countries reaching people for the Lord.  Over the past 36 years, I have had the privilege of seeing thousands come to know Jesus as their Messiah.

Deke Silverman - Psalms of David Ministries

Personal Testimony