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A Fast Pleasing to God
| March 1, 2015Isaiah 58:11 caught my eye this morning. It says: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
We all desire to have God guide, bless, and prosper us continually. But what does it take for this to happen? Many times we feel more like the people in verses 1-5. God's children were fasting and seeking Him, but they were not happy with the outcome. They asked; Why have we fasted and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls and You take no notice (verse 3)?
What Do You Believe?
| March 1, 2015People of many different faiths, churches, and denominations can tell you what they believe. You can probably tell others what you believe. Often, though, our beliefs are little more than tradition or opinions. Is it okay to get drunk? Is homosexuality wrong? What kind of music should you listen to? Is it wrong to steal? How do we get eternal life? Is it wrong to study the Bible on our own?
Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself
| March 1, 2015I was recently asked to speak on the subject, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” After studying and doing my research, I was very much amazed at what I found.
For instance, consider that:
Eight times in the Bible we are commanded to love thy neighbor as thyself.
The phrase, love thy neighbor as thyself, is one of the most repeated commands in the Bible.
Jesus said: to love God and your neighbor as yourself is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.—Mark 12:33
Why do Amish Wear Beards
| February 21, 2015Why do the Amish men have to wear long beards? Is it Biblical? Why do they not have mustaches?
Amish Ordinance Letter
| February 21, 2015Parts of the Schwartzentruber Amish Ordinance Letter, Written by David Yoder. He writes: An enormous amount of time could be spend writing out the guidelines for women’s clothing, but the goal is to give you the basics of the Amish Ordinance. If you were to read the actual Ordinance Letter you could very easily take a couple of hours.
Can I Lose My Salvation
| February 15, 2015I have a question. What does Hebrews 6:4-6 mean? It sounds like you can reject your salvation that you once had.
Maps Inside
| January 1, 2015Many years ago if you wanted to get somewhere, you would ask directions from someone who knew the way. They might tell you to turn at a certain landmark, which could be a large rock, a tree, or a big red barn. All was well if you had good directions and followed them carefully. Since then, maps and compasses and GPS (global positional system) have guided us. Knowing the old way of getting directions did not necessarily help in using a new method of navigation. With a map, you need to know where you are at any time. You have to learn to read a map in order for it to be useful. It is a whole new method of finding your way. The difficulty we have in changing from a system of law to a life of grace as expressed in the New Testament is like learning a new type of navigation. Living under the law was a lot like getting directions. If you followed them carefully, all was well. If you listened carefully, memorized them exactly, and if the instructor was accurate and clear, it could be simple. Any glitch and you could easily be lost, but with practice you might get good at it. With the advent of maps, your previous understanding does not help.
The Way of True Love
| January 1, 2015Two major components in relationships worth having are trust and communication. If either of these components are missing, there is breakdown.
If you cannot trust someone, usually you do not feel too inclined to build a relationship with him or her. On the other hand, if you feel that someone does not trust you, you often feel quite disrespected.
Salvation is a Gift
| January 1, 2015I feel sad that some people think that they can earn their salvation and fear not entering into Heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that our salvation is truly a gift and not of our own works.
Songs and prayers repeated only from the head do not please God. God is not impressed with vain repetitions and man-made traditions. The Pharisees also had them and Jesus rebuked them for it. Man looks at the outer appearance, but God observes our hearts. We need to pray and sing from our hearts!
Time
| January 1, 2015What is Time? To some, time seems to drag on and on forever and ever. To others, time seems to be flying past like a loose kite caught in the wind. For some people, time is a gift that they cherish while it lasts. For others, time is work that must be struggled through day by day until it is gone. How can time be one thing, yet different to everyone?
My Picture of God
| November 1, 2014My Picture of God. Jesus taking my burden:
Here I am in this world. I have struggles and burdens and there are things I don’t understand. Then I think of God and take my cares and burdens to Him in prayer. Then I try to picture God and Jesus taking my big burden and sorting through it.
The Heart of God
| November 1, 2014I know the days are evil and many of our country's leaders are corrupt. You know that, too. Feelings of powerlessness go to bed with us, and when we awake, they are right there waiting to follow us another day. The results: many are gasping for relief, but be aware, be careful who you open yourself up to and what you grab onto for relief. God has already warned us that "many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." He also warns us that "there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24).
Do you Know What you Believe?
| November 1, 2014Every single hour of our life, we are faced with distractions and interruptions in this world, which makes it ever so difficult to stay glued to what is most important. And as we enter into the last hours before Christ’s return, we must push forward and not lose focus.
Relationships in the Body of Christ
| November 1, 2014Throughout our lifetimes, we meet a lot of people. We connect with many people, and develop relationships with quite a few of them. Seasons come and go, and people come and go. Sometimes we are ready to let go of someone before they are ready to let go of us, or maybe they are ready to let go before we are.
Convulsions
| November 1, 2014As we see Muslim conflicts imploding worldwide, we should pause and reflect silently before our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those of us who are alert know that we have entered the hour of international conflicts heralding the coming of Christ and the horrific tribulations ahead of us.
What Christmas Means to Me
| November 1, 2014What does Christmas mean to me?
It's more than gifts beneath the tree
It�s God�s love so rich and free
Sent to this earth for all to hear and see.
The Dance of Fear
| September 1, 2014The Dance of Fear
We circle each other, skirting around,
Edging closer, then jumping out.
Slowly advancing, the swiftly retreating;
It's our little dance of fear.
My Darling Daughter
| September 1, 2014My Darling Daughter, it is not My will that you go through this. My heart bleeds and cries with yours; but we won't let it go to waste, will we? Use this time to draw near to Me, with full assurance of faith, for I am faithful. You will not be in this place forever. I will not leave you comfortless. Listen for My soft voice in your ear as I lean over your shoulder in eagerness to share every moment with you, My love.
Family Leadership
| September 1, 2014Has there ever been anything as beautiful as a man and a woman walking in harmony? Coming together in marriage, harmonizing in music, yielding, giving, leading, following? King Solomon wrote of four things that were too wonderful for him to comprehend; one of the things was “the way of a man with a maid.” There is something amazing about the way a man and a woman interact with each other, especially when they are in God's will.
It's His Nature
| August 29, 2014The Bible says that we are sinners by nature. What does that mean? Could we stop sinning if we tried hard enough? Make the penalty very severe and people will not dare to break the law. Is that even possible?
Christianity: Faith or by Sight?
| August 29, 2014Our God is a giving God and has given mankind many things in this life to use and enjoy. Among the many things He has given us, one shows up at the top of the list. Like all His gifts, this one cannot be bought with money; it is free, without strings attached. The gift I am going to discuss with you today is used continually throughout our lives, and the more we exercise it, the better and more powerful it becomes. It is named in the list of fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, and is illustrated for us throughout the entire Old and New Testaments. What is it? It is FAITH.
What About The Church?
| July 16, 2014How would you respond if I asked you this question: “What is the church?” It has become popular to answer, “The church is all of us.” - While that is a “popular” answer in the day and time that we live in, This is NOT how the word ‘church’ is used in the New Testament.
Give it to ME, Says the Lord
| June 29, 2014I have been learning a LOT about true surrender; what it involves, what it looks like, and how much it costs. What does true surrender involve? It involves truly letting go of someone or something (a situation, goal, desire, or dream) and giving it totally to the Lord. It does not mean giving up life or hope. It means realizing that God has a wonderful plan for us, if we are willing to give Him a chance.
Keywords: closed door, cost, give it to me, incomplete, let go, letting go, loving father, mission to amish people, normal miller, open door, painful, surrender, torment | 0 comments
Salvation by Grace through Faith
| June 29, 2014Trying to be saved by keeping the law and being saved by grace are two entirely different approaches. Christ’s provision for our salvation will not help us if we are trying to save ourselves. Obeying the law does not make it any easier for God to save us. All we can do is accept His grace through faith.
Prepare your Heart!
| June 29, 2014In the parable of the sower and the seed that Jesus told, the seed is the word of God. All of the seed sown was good. The problem was the condition of the soil—the heart. How is your heart? Is your heart prepared to hear from God? Are you seeking Him? Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy.
The Spirit of Rebellion
| June 28, 2014I believe that most, if not all, who have left the Amish and our parents, live life with a spirit of rebellion. And truthfully, if we had not been carrying some of that rebellion back in the day, we would not have left our culture in the first place. It is that rebellion that caused us to throw our arms up and say "I had enough _______________", and you can fill in the blank. Those who give in and yield to their parents and the rules of the Amish church are still at home and, well, life goes on for them.
Keywords: anger, argumentive, bitterness, depression, joe keim, rebellion, stubbornness, undisciplined, unteachable | 1 comments
Are You a Thankful Person?
| May 1, 2014Do you consider yourself a thankful person? What I mean is, when was the last time you stopped, looked someone in the eyes, and said, “Thank you?” When was the last time you sat down and wrote a heartfelt note to a friend or spouse using those powerful and amazing words, “Thank you for what you did for me”? What about God? Do you appreciate Him for all He does for you? Do you tell Him thank you? How many years has He provided you with food? Breath? Protection? Health? Finances? Family? Love? Roof over your head? Job?
Parachutes and Safety Lines
| May 1, 2014In October 2013, we decided to fly to Minneapolis-St Paul and then drive to Wisconsin to visit. As we sat in the boarding area waiting for our plane, the pilot and crew walked by. I wondered what the crew would have thought if we had strapped parachutes to our backs as we boarded the plane. Wouldn’t their first reaction be: these people don’t trust our flying? Yet that is exactly what I see some who call themselves believers do! We know salvation is by grace, but to be safe, we add a lot of works that are designed (in our own minds) to please God. Now good works are not a bad thing, but we cannot base our trust in God on two different systems. Either Jesus is sufficient or He is not. The function of safety lines and life preservers is to help when other means fail. Things that fail need the extra backup device.
True Intimacy
| May 1, 2014I felt as if I had to work like crazy for every spiritual breakthrough I got, requiring a much higher standard than others, with God requiring perfection before blessing Imagine a wall. It needs to be torn down.
Keywords: bitterness, false religion, god is good, lack of trust, lack of vision, lay down defenses, norma miller, perfection, push down, true intimacy, unbelief, unfair, wall, walls | 0 comments
Conflicting Choices
| March 1, 2014David and his life-long buddy, Jonas, stepped into the darkness of night as they left the singing and headed for the barn. Neither one had asked for a date as they stepped into the late winter night. Under the cover of darkness, David cleared his throat and then spoke: "I want to tell you what happened to me about a month ago. I hope you'll understand me better than some did whom I have talked to about it."
"Does it have to do with our church rules and regulations?" Jonas wanted to know.
Keywords: amish, forgiveness, godly lifestyle, grudges, hurt, lydia chorpening, map ministry, mission to amish people, regulations, rules | 0 comments
