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I 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).

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Every 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.

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Throughout 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.

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As 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.

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What 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.

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The 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.

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My 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.

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Has 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.

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The 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?

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Our 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.

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How 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.

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I 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

Trying 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.

Keywords: believe, faith, flesh, grace, his righteousness jesus is enough, john 3:16, mission to amish people, motives of heart, obeying the law, read bible, romans 11:6, salvation, salvation by grace through faither law, works  |   0 comments

In 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.

Keywords: condition, heart, hosea 10:12, mission to amish people, now, parable of the sower, paul miller, prepare your heart, seed, seek the lord, word of god  |   0 comments

I 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  |   2 comments

Do 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?

Keywords: anger, appreciate, are you a thankful person, depression, glorify, joe keim, mission to amish people, positive, romans 1:21, self, self-centerdness, thank you, thankful, unthankful  |   3 comments

In 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.

Keywords: 2 corinthians 5:17, eli stutzman, faith, john 14:6, mission to amish people, parahutes and safety lines, salvation, trust, works  |   1 comments

I 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

"The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. This was Jesus' message in Luke 10 to the seventy disciples as He sent them out: heal the sick and preach the good news. Those few words were not hard to remember. Nothing about repentance or salvation was said at this time. Thus began the sending of groups of people to speak the gospel to those outside of their community.

Keywords: amish, eli stutzman, good news, kingdom of god, luke 10, mission to amish people, missionary, romans 10:13-15  |   0 comments

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). This morning I went to our school for Grandparent's Day since Mark's parents (my in-laws) were able to come from Indiana to be with our school-age children. During worship we sang the song, "I'm Trading My Sorrows." It says, "I'm trading my sorrows, I'm trading my shame. . . . I'm trading my sickness, I'm trading my pain, and I'm layin' them down for the joy of the Lord."

Keywords: 2 corinthians 4:8-10, amish, distressed, lynn miller, mission to amish people, opposition, sorrows, troubled, trust, will not fear what man can do  |   0 comments

David 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

Dear Friend, I have been receiving your publication, The Amish Voice, for some time. Your publication has a lot to say about justification through faith only. This last one's title was "The Fivefold Appeal to be Justified by Faith Alone." In reading Hebrews chapter 11, the old patriarchs or elders through faith obtained a good report (verse 2). Ironically, it (the good report) came about through the works they did through that faith. Noah in verse 7 says, "By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." How do we know he had faith? I believe it is because of his works that we know he had faith, and the two together need to be evident.

Keywords: amish, amish voice, born again, good news, hebrews 11, justification through faith alone, mission to amish people, noah, paul miller, salvation, saving grace, traditions, works  |   1 comments

It was a good thing that the Christmas carolers has bundled up snuggly in their dark-colored hats, bonnets, boots, and gloves as the snow swished across the countryside. David had been going with the young people to bring goodies and cheer to shut-ins for a few years. He had always loved to sing Christmas hymns with his strong voice, but tonight was different. It wasn't that he didn't still experience the sheer joy of singing, but this time he was not only pushing out words by using his own vocal cords, but it seemed that a voice was calling to him from deep down inside as they sang.

Keywords: amish, christmas, come let us adore him, john 14:6, joy to the world, lydia chorpening, matthew 11:28, mission to amish people, o come all ye faithful, revelation 22:17  |   0 comments

God has been working in my heart recently regarding relationships and respect. Did you know that we teach others how to treat us? Now, wait just a minute, before we take this the wrong way. We can all think of ways we'd love to teach others how to treat us, but those ways would not be beneficial at all. In fact, the results are actually contrary to what we think they will be. This little principle operates using the Golden Rule. If someone has treated me disrespectfully, my natural, human response might be to withdraw (or even to give them a little of their own medicine), because it doesn't feel very safe to be around someone like that.

Keywords: amish, golden rule, heart, mission to amish people, norma miller, relationships, respect  |   0 comments

We all have our own ideas of what we think love is. The apostle Paul writes this on the expression of love: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (I Corinthians 13:4-7).

Keywords: acts 17:28-29, amish, god is love, i corinthians 13:4-7, love, marvin hershberger, mission to amish people  |   0 comments

It was time for the returning of Jesus...The Father was sitting on His throne. There were lots and lots of people sitting in the room. Then it was time for everyone to get in line and receive the Judgment from the Father. The line was endless! There were people I knew and lots of people I didn't know. At first I was surprised to see so many people were happy (they were saved.) but then the stream of lost souls (crying and angry) started pouring out of the building. It was a steady stream...double line...it was so sad! The ones left still standing...waiting in line... had to push their way thru the steady stream of lost souls.

Keywords: amish, blood of his son, judgment, lost souls, mission to amish people, power in the blood of jesus, return of jesus, righteousness is as filthy rags, the dream god gave me  |   0 comments

As church goers and claimers of the Christian faith, I'm sure we have heard of the Holy Spirit. But how many of us can really claim to know the Holy Spirit? Even if we claim to know Him, how many of us are experiencing Him in our day to day lives? Is the Holy Spirit real to you? Have you ever sat and talked with Him like you might talk to a spouse or very dear friend? Does He speak to you?

Keywords: (galatians 5:16-25), (john 14:16-17), (john 3:3-6), 2 peter 1:20-21, amish, born of the spirit, holy spirit, joe keim, mission to amish people, new birth, third person in the trinity  |   1 comments

What 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

Keywords: amish, baby jesus, christmas, god's love, liberty, lydia chorpening, mission to amish people, victory  |   0 comments

The following article shows some of what often happens in the life of Joe Keim. It tells how he and a young Amish man have been communicating by texting over several months, some of the challenges involved, and why Mission to Amish People is so much needed. Some of the names and locations have been changed for privacy reasons. The bold font contains the words of Alvin Martin, the Amish man, while the regular font shows the communication of Joe Keim.

Keywords: baptism, born again, joe keim, joining the church, kingdom of god, leaving the amish, need of mission to amish people  |   3 comments

"Oh, it's so strange," Mattie began. "Last night I had a disturbing dream but I didn't tell you about it, and now I've dreamed it again." "Well, what did you dream?" "I hate to admit it, but remember how you have been telling me that we can only be saved by the grace and love of God toward us?"

Keywords: amish, jesus, love, lydia chorpening, prayer, saved, the dream  |   0 comments