Conservative churches
have many good things to say
00:00:20.55\00:00:23.89
to our world.
00:00:23.92\00:00:25.55
You and I, for
instance, are honored
00:00:25.59\00:00:28.16
to be a member of
a conservative church
00:00:28.19\00:00:30.63
with a very special message
00:00:30.66\00:00:32.79
for the world
and for our culture
00:00:32.83\00:00:35.16
just before Jesus comes back.
00:00:35.20\00:00:38.17
However, if we
were to diagram churches
00:00:38.20\00:00:42.27
in the shape of a triangle,
00:00:42.30\00:00:45.11
with the most progressive
00:00:45.14\00:00:46.98
or the most
liberal along the bottom,
00:00:47.01\00:00:49.94
and at the very
top of the triangle,
00:00:49.98\00:00:51.51
we put conservative churches.
00:00:51.55\00:00:54.65
That very tip of the triangle
00:00:54.68\00:00:57.39
would be the
Anabaptist churches,
00:00:57.42\00:01:00.69
the Anabaptist peoples.
00:01:00.72\00:01:03.19
And in the very tippy
top of that little area
00:01:03.22\00:01:08.03
at the top would be
00:01:08.06\00:01:09.40
the
Swartzentruber Amish community.
00:01:09.43\00:01:13.90
You've heard of them recently.
00:01:13.94\00:01:16.30
These are very wonderful
people in many aspects.
00:01:16.34\00:01:19.71
Now they are a very tight knit,
00:01:19.74\00:01:22.14
a very hardworking
00:01:22.18\00:01:24.71
and very conservative group.
00:01:24.75\00:01:27.32
I am slightly
biased, I will confess,
00:01:27.35\00:01:30.82
my grandfather, Henry
Miller was old order Amish
00:01:30.85\00:01:34.22
and I was raised Old
German Baptist Brethren,
00:01:34.26\00:01:36.56
I was the eighth generation.
00:01:36.59\00:01:40.00
Now, one doesn't walk in
00:01:40.03\00:01:42.03
or out of that kind
of culture very easily.
00:01:42.06\00:01:44.43
I'm here to tell you.
00:01:44.47\00:01:46.27
I did 30 years ago.
00:01:46.30\00:01:49.17
And 17 years ago,
00:01:49.20\00:01:50.61
I began praying for
the Adventist Church,
00:01:50.64\00:01:53.64
in general, in Ohio.
00:01:53.68\00:01:56.44
We had various challenges there,
00:01:56.48\00:01:58.91
and I was asking God to help us
00:01:58.95\00:02:01.48
and at the same time,
00:02:01.52\00:02:03.32
I was praying also
for my Anabaptist people.
00:02:03.35\00:02:08.32
Why?
00:02:08.36\00:02:09.69
That they would hear
the mighty Adventist message
00:02:09.72\00:02:11.49
and accept it,
00:02:11.53\00:02:14.13
seemed like nothing
was happening though.
00:02:14.16\00:02:18.30
So I kept praying.
00:02:18.33\00:02:20.04
That's what we should do, right?
00:02:20.07\00:02:22.97
I kept praying,
now how many of you
00:02:23.00\00:02:25.11
have read the Desire of Ages?
00:02:25.14\00:02:29.18
Wonderful book, wonderful book.
00:02:29.21\00:02:32.25
And just over five years ago,
00:02:32.28\00:02:34.65
a Desire of Ages found its way
00:02:34.68\00:02:37.05
into the
Swartzentruber Amish community
00:02:37.09\00:02:40.26
in northern Ohio.
00:02:40.29\00:02:43.53
The story that
you're about to hear
00:02:43.56\00:02:45.43
after the special music
00:02:45.46\00:02:48.50
will delve into
00:02:48.53\00:02:51.07
what that Desire
of Ages book meant.
00:02:51.10\00:02:56.24
I could put it this way, it was,
00:02:56.27\00:02:58.47
it was the
wonderful Advent message seed
00:02:58.51\00:03:01.78
dropped into the
soil of an honest heart.
00:03:01.81\00:03:06.41
Two things to consider
00:03:06.45\00:03:08.92
as you listen to
the heartwarming story
00:03:08.95\00:03:11.55
of the Andy Weaver family.
00:03:11.59\00:03:14.79
Number one,
00:03:14.82\00:03:16.83
the Adventist mantle,
00:03:16.86\00:03:19.16
whatever it means
to each one of you,
00:03:19.19\00:03:21.06
it has to be picked up
00:03:21.10\00:03:22.66
for it to have any
real substance in your life.
00:03:22.70\00:03:25.47
You see, it only becomes yours
00:03:25.50\00:03:27.27
when you pick it
up and make it yours.
00:03:27.30\00:03:30.14
Now a parent or a
culture can sometimes drape it
00:03:30.17\00:03:33.14
around your shoulders,
00:03:33.17\00:03:34.74
but it's not yours yet, is it?
00:03:34.78\00:03:36.41
Until it comes into the heart.
00:03:36.44\00:03:39.11
We must make it ours, no
matter if we are a convert,
00:03:39.15\00:03:42.85
or if we are
born into the church.
00:03:42.88\00:03:45.92
Number two, don't
give up praying for people.
00:03:45.95\00:03:48.89
This is a lesson I've
had to learn over and over
00:03:48.92\00:03:50.89
and I know you have too.
00:03:50.93\00:03:53.09
Keep praying and
keep waiting on the Lord.
00:03:53.13\00:03:56.33
And pray for
Brother Andy Weaver,
00:03:56.36\00:03:58.77
his wife Naomi
00:03:58.80\00:04:00.17
and their
children, dear friends.
00:04:00.20\00:04:02.27
You see it's a long ways
00:04:02.30\00:04:03.71
from the hay fields
of Homerville, Ohio,
00:04:03.74\00:04:06.27
to a large inner city.
00:04:06.31\00:04:11.51
The West Salem
Mission is evidence
00:04:11.55\00:04:14.62
of a statement Ellen White made
00:04:14.65\00:04:16.92
that no sooner
does one come to Christ
00:04:16.95\00:04:19.12
and there is
born in sight of them
00:04:19.15\00:04:21.59
or into their heart,
00:04:21.62\00:04:23.09
a desire to tell others
00:04:23.12\00:04:25.36
what a friend they
have found in Jesus.
00:04:25.39\00:04:28.50
And so the West Salem Mission
00:04:28.53\00:04:30.00
is a mission up there in
the heart of Amish country
00:04:30.03\00:04:32.47
in North Central Ohio.
00:04:32.50\00:04:35.04
They have a burden to
share the Adventist message
00:04:35.07\00:04:37.67
with this dear community.
00:04:37.71\00:04:40.68
So without further ado,
00:04:40.71\00:04:42.98
Andy and Naomi,
00:04:43.01\00:04:45.65
may the Lord bless your family
00:04:45.68\00:04:47.42
and may He
bless each one of you,
00:04:47.45\00:04:49.25
as He has been so merciful
to bless the Weaver family.
00:04:49.28\00:04:53.09
You'll hear this
amazing testimony
00:04:53.12\00:04:55.29
after special music.
00:04:55.32\00:04:57.16
God bless.
00:04:57.19\00:04:58.53
Good morning ASI family.
00:07:46.83\00:07:50.70
ASI is a...
00:07:50.73\00:07:52.87
The convention
is a exciting time
00:07:52.90\00:07:56.07
in our lives.
00:07:56.10\00:07:59.14
This is where ministries
and business people meet,
00:07:59.17\00:08:03.21
and we share our
mutual woes and excitement.
00:08:03.24\00:08:08.28
And, of course, this is where
00:08:08.32\00:08:10.39
ministries
encourage business people
00:08:10.42\00:08:12.95
to set their
priorities straight.
00:08:12.99\00:08:16.32
So we're glad to be here
this morning, this weekend.
00:08:16.36\00:08:20.43
Thank you for inviting us.
00:08:20.46\00:08:23.06
There are two
exciting events in our lives.
00:08:23.10\00:08:28.34
When I say our
lives, in Naomi and my life
00:08:28.37\00:08:30.21
and our family each year.
00:08:30.24\00:08:32.17
And the first one
is our camp meeting
00:08:32.21\00:08:34.88
back home at West Salem.
00:08:34.91\00:08:36.44
We've had our fourth
camp meeting last week
00:08:36.48\00:08:39.35
when it was scorching hot.
00:08:39.38\00:08:41.28
And so we always,
00:08:41.32\00:08:43.89
we reach a high in our
lives during that time.
00:08:43.92\00:08:48.02
And then, like most people
when camp meeting is over,
00:08:48.06\00:08:51.56
they go down
through the valleys.
00:08:51.59\00:08:53.90
Well, what keeps
us up is the thought
00:08:53.93\00:08:56.10
that we're going
to ASI next week.
00:08:56.13\00:08:58.93
So we take a little
dip, but we try to stay up.
00:08:58.97\00:09:02.70
But then we go home from ASI.
00:09:02.74\00:09:05.61
And then the ship starts sinking
00:09:05.64\00:09:07.44
and life goes back to normal.
00:09:07.48\00:09:09.01
And we think, well,
it's going to be forever
00:09:09.04\00:09:11.41
until we're going
back to ASI next year.
00:09:11.45\00:09:14.32
But like I said, time does fly.
00:09:14.35\00:09:16.79
And so it's amazing.
00:09:16.82\00:09:19.72
Especially the older you get,
00:09:19.75\00:09:21.49
how fast time actually goes.
00:09:21.52\00:09:22.86
And I'm sure that those of
you that are older to me say,
00:09:22.89\00:09:24.86
well, Andy, you don't know what,
00:09:24.89\00:09:26.23
what it means that time flies.
00:09:26.26\00:09:28.06
I remember when I was
young, I was in school.
00:09:28.10\00:09:30.77
It took me forever
00:09:30.80\00:09:32.13
to get from grade
one through grade eight.
00:09:32.17\00:09:34.90
And then when I
graduated from grade eight,
00:09:34.94\00:09:37.54
I wanted to be 17 years old,
00:09:37.57\00:09:39.14
that way I could
hang out with the youth.
00:09:39.17\00:09:41.24
That was another half eternity.
00:09:41.28\00:09:43.55
And then after I started
hanging out with the youth,
00:09:43.58\00:09:46.21
I met Naomi and
fell in love with her
00:09:46.25\00:09:49.32
and I dated her for
about three and a half years.
00:09:49.35\00:09:51.85
And that was a long
three and a half years
00:09:51.89\00:09:54.92
because it was not up
to us, when we get married.
00:09:54.96\00:09:57.46
We had to be old enough.
00:09:57.49\00:09:58.83
We had to have an
average of 21 years old.
00:09:58.86\00:10:02.00
And I'm glad my parents
had that rule because that,
00:10:02.03\00:10:07.47
that way we didn't get married,
00:10:07.50\00:10:09.10
you know, too young.
00:10:09.14\00:10:10.91
But then after we got married,
00:10:10.94\00:10:14.11
we don't care if
the time can stop now,
00:10:14.14\00:10:16.08
we don't care.
00:10:16.11\00:10:17.48
And then time fly.
00:10:17.51\00:10:19.48
That's how it works.
00:10:19.51\00:10:21.55
So today I want to share
a little bit of our story
00:10:21.58\00:10:24.59
between Naomi and
I, our life story.
00:10:24.62\00:10:28.16
And before I get into
that, I'm a little nervous.
00:10:28.19\00:10:30.79
So I'd like to pray.
00:10:30.83\00:10:32.19
And if you would just
bow your heads with me,
00:10:32.23\00:10:33.66
we'll have a word of prayer.
00:10:33.70\00:10:35.03
Father in heaven, we're grateful
00:10:35.06\00:10:38.30
that You have not left
us in this world alone.
00:10:38.33\00:10:41.54
You care for us.
00:10:41.57\00:10:43.24
And, Father, we pray
we claim the promise now,
00:10:43.27\00:10:45.57
when Jesus was here, He said,
00:10:45.61\00:10:47.01
"If you pray
for the Holy Spirit,
00:10:47.04\00:10:48.38
I will send you
the Holy Spirit."
00:10:48.41\00:10:50.15
So, Father, we
claim that promise now,
00:10:50.18\00:10:51.95
teach us and draw close to us
00:10:51.98\00:10:54.78
and, Father, help
us to hear Your voice.
00:10:54.82\00:10:56.45
Help us to encourage
one another in a time
00:10:56.48\00:10:58.82
where there is a
lot of discouragement.
00:10:58.85\00:11:00.39
In a time when people
seem to feed on bad news,
00:11:00.42\00:11:05.39
Father, help us
to see the good news,
00:11:05.43\00:11:07.46
the excitement, and the
climax of the plan of redemption
00:11:07.50\00:11:10.60
where Jesus is coming
back soon to take us home.
00:11:10.63\00:11:13.27
Be with us, now we
pray in Jesus' name.
00:11:13.30\00:11:15.80
Amen.
00:11:15.84\00:11:18.04
Naomi and I grew up in an...
00:11:18.07\00:11:20.31
Were born and
raised in an Amish family.
00:11:20.34\00:11:22.48
We grew up on a dairy farm.
00:11:22.51\00:11:24.81
We were actually
neighbors growing up,
00:11:24.85\00:11:26.35
we went to school together.
00:11:26.38\00:11:28.68
Naomi was a part
of a family of 11
00:11:28.72\00:11:31.95
and I was part of a family of 8.
00:11:31.99\00:11:35.42
My mother was
part of a family of 17.
00:11:35.46\00:11:38.03
Her mother had 17 children
in little less than 18 years.
00:11:38.06\00:11:43.37
I would tell you
to still pray for her
00:11:43.40\00:11:45.13
but she's sleeping in her grave,
00:11:45.17\00:11:46.50
so it won't do any good.
00:11:46.53\00:11:47.87
She was a very
loving grandmother.
00:11:47.90\00:11:50.81
When my
grandparents died in their 80s,
00:11:50.84\00:11:53.91
all of their 17
children were still there
00:11:53.94\00:11:57.61
with their original spouses.
00:11:57.65\00:11:59.95
They were all
married and had families.
00:11:59.98\00:12:02.35
So I have on my mother's side,
00:12:02.38\00:12:04.92
I have about 180 first cousins.
00:12:04.95\00:12:08.36
On my father's side,
00:12:08.39\00:12:10.39
my dad was part
of a family of 14.
00:12:10.43\00:12:13.53
When my dad's
father passed away,
00:12:13.56\00:12:17.57
well, let me
back up a little bit.
00:12:17.60\00:12:19.80
So my,
00:12:19.83\00:12:23.34
when my dad was 9
years old, his father died.
00:12:23.37\00:12:26.51
And when my dad was 15,
00:12:26.54\00:12:29.11
his mother got
married to another widower
00:12:29.14\00:12:32.11
who also had 14 children.
00:12:32.15\00:12:34.82
So together,
they had 28 children.
00:12:34.85\00:12:38.65
Now I don't think
that, that is where the idea
00:12:38.69\00:12:41.82
where Walmart started, but I'm,
00:12:41.86\00:12:43.99
I'm told that
their basement looked
00:12:44.03\00:12:47.70
a little bit like a supermarket
at the end of the year,
00:12:47.73\00:12:51.67
at the, in the fall.
00:12:51.70\00:12:53.94
So we are part of
a very large family.
00:12:53.97\00:12:58.64
My great
grandma just passed away
00:12:58.67\00:13:00.51
here a couple years ago,
00:13:00.54\00:13:01.88
a couple months ago.
00:13:01.91\00:13:05.25
She was a 100 years old,
00:13:05.28\00:13:06.78
which is very
uncommon for the Amish.
00:13:06.82\00:13:08.45
Usually they don't get as old
00:13:08.48\00:13:09.82
because of
dietary issues and they,
00:13:09.85\00:13:12.52
they work themselves to death.
00:13:12.55\00:13:14.36
She was 100 years old.
00:13:14.39\00:13:16.52
Twelve of her
children were still alive.
00:13:16.56\00:13:18.83
And couple of ideas,
00:13:18.86\00:13:22.10
a couple of presentations before
00:13:22.13\00:13:23.47
and I said she had
950 great grandchildren,
00:13:23.50\00:13:27.24
but I was wrong.
00:13:27.27\00:13:28.60
She had only 830
great grandchildren.
00:13:28.64\00:13:31.94
So talk about
raising a little village.
00:13:31.97\00:13:35.64
She could have been a
mayor of that little village,
00:13:35.68\00:13:37.58
everybody would have
voted for her, I'm sure of that.
00:13:37.61\00:13:40.48
She was my great grandmother.
00:13:40.52\00:13:44.69
Naomi and I grew
up in the country.
00:13:44.72\00:13:49.19
We raised the corn
00:13:49.22\00:13:50.69
that made up our
corn mush for breakfast.
00:13:50.73\00:13:53.13
We raised the wheat
that made up our pancakes.
00:13:53.16\00:13:56.50
We milked our own cows.
We churned our own butter.
00:13:56.53\00:14:02.47
We knew all
about country living.
00:14:02.50\00:14:04.11
We even knew what it is
like to work in the garden
00:14:04.14\00:14:06.94
was your
mother's one acre garden,
00:14:06.98\00:14:08.81
with your mother
and your mean siblings,
00:14:08.84\00:14:11.21
day after day after day,
00:14:11.25\00:14:13.42
and I just couldn't
wait until I grow up.
00:14:13.45\00:14:15.55
And no more gardens,
we're going to buy our food.
00:14:15.58\00:14:18.35
But my children
00:14:18.39\00:14:21.89
are experiencing
what I experienced.
00:14:21.92\00:14:23.26
Now I told my
children last week,
00:14:23.29\00:14:25.06
I said, if you
think I'm hard on you,
00:14:25.09\00:14:28.83
I said, "When you grow
up and you have a family,
00:14:28.86\00:14:31.63
you'll be just like me,"
00:14:31.67\00:14:33.00
because you will appreciate
that you had a country life.
00:14:33.03\00:14:36.60
Even though we had
all these great things,
00:14:36.64\00:14:39.31
there was something missing.
00:14:39.34\00:14:40.68
We knew all
about country living,
00:14:40.71\00:14:43.28
grace reformed, and all of that,
00:14:43.31\00:14:46.45
but we didn't know
how to get to heaven.
00:14:46.48\00:14:49.32
And sometimes there's
something missing in your life
00:14:49.35\00:14:52.15
and you don't even
know it until you find it.
00:14:52.19\00:14:55.22
It's like, "Well, I've
been seeking for this."
00:14:55.26\00:14:59.79
Naomi and I went
to school together.
00:14:59.83\00:15:02.10
And it was a
one, one room school,
00:15:02.13\00:15:05.67
grade one through eight.
00:15:05.70\00:15:08.07
And this is where we were taught
00:15:08.10\00:15:10.04
how to speak English.
00:15:10.07\00:15:12.94
This is the schoolhouse,
how to speak English
00:15:12.97\00:15:15.44
and to speak German.
00:15:15.48\00:15:17.31
Because we
needed to learn English
00:15:17.35\00:15:18.81
in order to associate
with people around us like you,
00:15:18.85\00:15:21.48
and German for,
to read our Bibles
00:15:21.52\00:15:25.25
because our church
services were in German.
00:15:25.29\00:15:29.69
So this little schoolhouse,
00:15:29.72\00:15:31.06
can we go back
to the schoolhouse
00:15:31.09\00:15:32.43
for a little bit?
00:15:32.46\00:15:33.80
This little
schoolhouse, I tell people that
00:15:33.83\00:15:36.40
this is the Swartzentruber
Amish Ohio State University.
00:15:36.43\00:15:40.14
Now, it may, it may
be a humble building,
00:15:40.17\00:15:42.50
but I will assure you,
00:15:42.54\00:15:43.87
lot of great
memories are made in there.
00:15:43.91\00:15:46.54
So Naomi and I went to
school there, thank you.
00:15:46.57\00:15:49.31
After we graduated from school,
00:15:49.34\00:15:52.78
we worked in our
parents' dairy farms
00:15:52.81\00:15:55.18
because in the Amish,
you work for your family
00:15:55.22\00:15:58.32
until you're 21 years old.
00:15:58.35\00:15:59.85
So all the income that I made
00:15:59.89\00:16:01.82
went toward
supporting my family.
00:16:01.86\00:16:04.53
The same was true for Naomi.
00:16:04.56\00:16:06.70
And then after we
turned 21 year old years old,
00:16:06.73\00:16:09.23
we were on our own.
00:16:09.26\00:16:11.07
So I'm still talking
to my children about that,
00:16:11.10\00:16:12.83
I say, "Well, I did
that for my parents.
00:16:12.87\00:16:14.47
If you did that for me,
00:16:14.50\00:16:15.84
I could have a
great retirement."
00:16:15.87\00:16:17.27
But we'll see.
00:16:17.31\00:16:18.64
They're being introduced
00:16:18.67\00:16:20.01
to some
different ideas these days.
00:16:20.04\00:16:21.38
So for those of you
that disagree with me
00:16:21.41\00:16:23.98
that children should
work until they're 21.
00:16:24.01\00:16:27.38
Please don't talk to
our children about that.
00:16:27.42\00:16:29.15
So, in fact, if you see them,
tell them it's a great idea.
00:16:29.18\00:16:32.19
You will always be glad
you support your parents.
00:16:32.22\00:16:34.09
Since Paul told Timothy,
00:16:40.96\00:16:42.76
that he must continue to think
00:16:42.80\00:16:44.97
or he should continue the things
00:16:45.00\00:16:46.90
how he was taught.
00:16:46.94\00:16:48.47
We were taught that this
was the basis of religion.
00:16:48.50\00:16:52.74
If you were born
Amish, you stay Amish,
00:16:52.77\00:16:55.04
if you were born Muslim,
you stay Muslim and so on.
00:16:55.08\00:16:59.55
That is how we interpreted that.
00:16:59.58\00:17:01.05
That is why the
Amish are traditionalist,
00:17:01.08\00:17:03.35
so you just try to never change.
00:17:03.39\00:17:07.56
Never change your dress.
00:17:07.59\00:17:08.92
And you know if the
cars, cars come and go
00:17:08.96\00:17:11.09
and you know, we looked
at cars as a worldly thing.
00:17:11.13\00:17:14.40
I remember my brother got hurt
00:17:14.43\00:17:17.87
when I was young.
00:17:17.90\00:17:19.70
I was probably
about 10 years old,
00:17:19.73\00:17:22.17
maybe 12 years old.
00:17:22.20\00:17:23.91
And he got hurt on the farm,
00:17:23.94\00:17:25.77
went to a
hospital for two weeks.
00:17:25.81\00:17:29.08
And our neighbor offered
us to take us to the hospital
00:17:29.11\00:17:33.11
to see our brother in his car.
00:17:33.15\00:17:35.98
And I was excited about that,
00:17:36.02\00:17:37.72
because I didn't know
00:17:37.75\00:17:39.09
what it was like
to ride in a car.
00:17:39.12\00:17:41.09
So he came and picked
us up, I got in the car.
00:17:41.12\00:17:44.43
And we started going
down the road faster and fast.
00:17:44.46\00:17:48.16
And we were flying.
00:17:48.20\00:17:49.53
When we went around
this curve, we were flying.
00:17:49.56\00:17:51.27
I thought this is great.
00:17:51.30\00:17:52.63
I looked over and we
were going 35 miles an hour.
00:17:52.67\00:17:55.64
Yeah.
00:17:55.67\00:17:57.01
The problem was our
lifestyle was great.
00:18:00.68\00:18:03.35
But the lifestyle we can have,
00:18:03.38\00:18:05.58
we can live in a
country we can have all,
00:18:05.61\00:18:07.72
wear all the right
stuff and everything,
00:18:07.75\00:18:09.38
we get everything right,
but if we don't have Jesus,
00:18:09.42\00:18:11.85
we're still there's
only one of the destiny
00:18:11.89\00:18:15.36
that we're going to reach,
we're going to either be lost
00:18:15.39\00:18:17.33
or we're going to be saved.
00:18:17.36\00:18:18.69
So we had all that,
we had the lifestyle
00:18:18.73\00:18:21.50
but the problem was
00:18:21.53\00:18:22.86
the lifestyle over
the past 125 years,
00:18:22.90\00:18:27.77
the lifestyle
started becoming a religion.
00:18:27.80\00:18:31.07
And today, if you just
forsake the Amish lifestyle,
00:18:31.11\00:18:34.91
you end up being shunned,
00:18:34.94\00:18:36.28
because you have
actually forsaken the religion.
00:18:36.31\00:18:41.92
And so Amish are,
they're Christian people.
00:18:41.95\00:18:44.35
They read their Bibles,
but corporate Bible studies
00:18:44.39\00:18:46.59
or even personal Bible
studies are not encouraged.
00:18:46.62\00:18:49.49
They read the Bible a lot
00:18:49.52\00:18:50.86
and they get
acquainted with the Bible.
00:18:50.89\00:18:52.26
But it's amazing,
like my dad was a bishop.
00:18:52.29\00:18:55.30
He memorized enough
scripture to preach,
00:18:55.33\00:18:57.93
he could have preached
five hours without the Bible,
00:18:57.97\00:19:00.24
just quoting scripture,
00:19:00.27\00:19:02.34
but the man did not understand
the plan of salvation.
00:19:02.37\00:19:05.24
He did not get it.
00:19:05.27\00:19:06.68
It was another book to him.
00:19:06.71\00:19:08.28
To him it was a sacred book,
00:19:08.31\00:19:09.64
but he did not
understand the value of,
00:19:09.68\00:19:14.38
no, the content of the Bible.
00:19:14.42\00:19:15.75
That is transform,
it's the word of God.
00:19:15.78\00:19:17.35
It's the living word of God.
00:19:17.39\00:19:18.72
My dad did not understand that.
00:19:18.75\00:19:21.16
We were taught that
praying from the heart
00:19:21.19\00:19:22.52
was carnal minded.
00:19:22.56\00:19:23.89
So we, we pray from books.
00:19:23.93\00:19:27.10
We have prayer
books that were written by
00:19:27.13\00:19:28.56
our early
Anabaptist forefathers,
00:19:28.60\00:19:30.60
the prayers are fantastic.
00:19:30.63\00:19:32.67
I could not
improve on the prayers.
00:19:32.70\00:19:34.67
They were really good prayers.
00:19:34.70\00:19:36.04
However, they
became very formal,
00:19:36.07\00:19:38.17
because you read the
same prayer every morning
00:19:38.21\00:19:40.84
and another prayer every night.
00:19:40.88\00:19:42.61
And so we had to
make our, you know,
00:19:42.64\00:19:45.31
when we did
something against the church,
00:19:45.35\00:19:47.32
we had to come to
church and make a confession
00:19:47.35\00:19:49.08
to the leaders of the church
00:19:49.12\00:19:50.52
and then go to the
church and everything.
00:19:50.55\00:19:52.22
And there was a constant
flow of people confessing
00:19:52.25\00:19:54.92
that they pray
without thinking about God,
00:19:54.96\00:19:57.66
because they were
praying from a book.
00:19:57.69\00:19:59.96
This was a routine,
after doing that prayer
00:20:00.00\00:20:01.93
for a couple months,
you know in your mind,
00:20:01.96\00:20:04.10
and you just get on your knees
00:20:04.13\00:20:05.70
and do your
thing and you're done.
00:20:05.73\00:20:07.80
And so, but
with that being said,
00:20:07.84\00:20:11.54
even though the
Amish community there's,
00:20:11.57\00:20:13.78
they have their struggles
when it comes to spirituality,
00:20:13.81\00:20:16.95
they have a very
high retention rate.
00:20:16.98\00:20:19.45
The retention rate is
still in the 90s, I believe,
00:20:19.48\00:20:21.65
especially those
that are more strict,
00:20:21.68\00:20:23.35
their retention rate is higher,
00:20:23.39\00:20:25.35
because the young people
00:20:25.39\00:20:26.72
are not introduced
to the world so much.
00:20:26.76\00:20:29.42
And so their
retention rate was still high,
00:20:29.46\00:20:32.39
and to resist the authority
of the church was unacceptable.
00:20:32.43\00:20:39.03
If you resist the
authority of the church,
00:20:39.07\00:20:41.00
you will end up being shunned.
00:20:41.04\00:20:44.14
To live a different lifestyle
to me was unimaginable.
00:20:44.17\00:20:48.21
To leave the
community was unthinkable.
00:20:48.24\00:20:52.11
The pain that the
parents experienced
00:20:52.15\00:20:53.65
when somebody left,
00:20:53.68\00:20:55.68
their child left the
church was unbelievable.
00:20:55.72\00:20:59.02
The parents, some of
them end up becoming sick
00:20:59.05\00:21:01.12
and literally dying.
00:21:01.16\00:21:02.49
The heartache was so, so bad
00:21:02.52\00:21:04.66
because they believe their child
00:21:04.69\00:21:06.26
has fallen away from God.
00:21:06.29\00:21:07.70
And he's going to be tortured
in hell for all eternity.
00:21:07.73\00:21:09.90
That's what they believe,
00:21:09.93\00:21:11.27
and they staunchly believe that,
00:21:11.30\00:21:12.63
and it's true that this
will drive a person to insanity.
00:21:12.67\00:21:16.30
I have seen it.
00:21:16.34\00:21:18.97
Our parents were loving parents.
00:21:19.01\00:21:20.91
They were good people.
00:21:20.94\00:21:24.41
And they were,
they did not enforce,
00:21:24.45\00:21:26.41
they did not make up a religion
00:21:26.45\00:21:27.78
and imposed it
upon their children.
00:21:27.82\00:21:29.32
They just simply
handed down to us
00:21:29.35\00:21:31.12
what was handed down to them.
00:21:31.15\00:21:34.16
Lot of the Amish
people, they would take
00:21:34.19\00:21:36.69
their shirt off of
their back to help people,
00:21:36.73\00:21:39.36
they're very honest people,
but they're traditionalists
00:21:39.39\00:21:42.90
and they see the
wicked world around them.
00:21:42.93\00:21:46.07
They have no interest in
being converted to the world.
00:21:46.10\00:21:48.97
And so they become very
close to receiving literature
00:21:49.00\00:21:54.58
or are even studying
the Bible with people
00:21:54.61\00:22:00.48
that desire to
study the Bible with them.
00:22:00.52\00:22:05.35
After we got married,
00:22:05.39\00:22:07.69
after we were baptized,
when we were 18 years old.
00:22:07.72\00:22:11.89
We got married
a few years later,
00:22:11.93\00:22:13.90
and we were excited
to raise our own family.
00:22:13.93\00:22:17.73
My mother had 17.
My grandmother had 17.
00:22:17.77\00:22:21.54
My other grandmother
had 15, one of them died.
00:22:21.57\00:22:25.81
And so we were excited like,
00:22:25.84\00:22:28.34
we're going to be
this Amish couple.
00:22:28.38\00:22:29.88
And we're going to have,
00:22:29.91\00:22:32.05
I don't know, 12,
15 maybe 18 children,
00:22:32.08\00:22:34.48
my aunt had 19.
00:22:34.52\00:22:36.28
Well, the day that
our first child was born,
00:22:36.32\00:22:39.45
we wondered why
anybody ever had children,
00:22:39.49\00:22:43.19
and our perspective changed.
00:22:43.22\00:22:47.60
For being Amish, we
kept on having children.
00:22:47.63\00:22:50.00
And today we have 8 children
and we're grateful for that.
00:22:50.03\00:22:52.73
We love our children, and
we wouldn't have any less.
00:22:52.77\00:22:56.81
Not long after we got married,
00:22:56.84\00:22:59.47
Naomi told me
that she was dealing
00:22:59.51\00:23:00.91
with some health struggles.
00:23:00.94\00:23:03.48
She had a hiatal
hernia, she had lost her dad
00:23:03.51\00:23:05.88
when she was on her 18th
birthday or 19th birthday.
00:23:05.91\00:23:09.48
And she had a hard
time dealing with that,
00:23:09.52\00:23:11.45
you know,
00:23:11.49\00:23:14.86
if you have a
relationship with Jesus,
00:23:14.89\00:23:16.79
if you lose a loved one,
00:23:16.83\00:23:18.63
you can deal with
heartache like that.
00:23:18.66\00:23:20.63
But if you don't have that,
00:23:20.66\00:23:22.36
it doesn't matter
how sincere you are,
00:23:22.40\00:23:24.47
there is something you
know, you need God to work,
00:23:24.50\00:23:27.00
work through those issues.
00:23:27.04\00:23:28.50
And she didn't have that,
00:23:28.54\00:23:29.87
she didn't have
00:23:29.90\00:23:31.24
a personal
relationship with God.
00:23:31.27\00:23:32.74
We perceived God, we
thought God was like our bishop.
00:23:32.77\00:23:35.84
No, he rarely smiled.
He was a very stern guy.
00:23:35.88\00:23:39.21
He was, you know,
he was a good guy,
00:23:39.25\00:23:41.35
but don't tread on his toes,
00:23:41.38\00:23:42.98
because he will get you back.
00:23:43.02\00:23:44.42
That's the way we view God.
00:23:44.45\00:23:45.79
We didn't look at Him
as a friendly, loving God.
00:23:45.82\00:23:49.29
And so Naomi was,
00:23:49.32\00:23:53.93
she was having a
constant headache
00:23:53.96\00:23:57.43
and she felt sluggish
and I knew she had some,
00:23:57.47\00:24:01.24
some depression issues.
00:24:01.27\00:24:03.00
And during this time
00:24:03.04\00:24:05.51
there was a lot of illness
going around in sickness,
00:24:05.54\00:24:08.28
diseases in the Amish community,
00:24:08.31\00:24:09.64
like heart disease and cancer.
00:24:09.68\00:24:12.35
And this terrified me,
I thought if I lose Naomi
00:24:12.38\00:24:14.88
because, you
know, if you're like me,
00:24:14.92\00:24:16.89
when you hear bad
news, you assume the worst,
00:24:16.92\00:24:19.89
you know, you
start assuming the worst
00:24:19.92\00:24:21.32
and you start coming back down.
00:24:21.36\00:24:23.12
And I thought, this is terrible,
00:24:23.16\00:24:25.19
I might be losing my
wife, so I was terrified.
00:24:25.23\00:24:27.80
So we started reading,
we just started reading,
00:24:27.83\00:24:31.97
like, anything on
health that we could find on.
00:24:32.00\00:24:35.17
And some of those
books that we were reading,
00:24:35.20\00:24:37.11
were actually,
00:24:37.14\00:24:39.41
you know, there were an
element of spirituality in it.
00:24:39.44\00:24:42.14
And this opened our
mind our desperation
00:24:42.18\00:24:45.35
for help for with our health,
00:24:45.38\00:24:46.98
this open our mind to truth.
00:24:47.02\00:24:52.55
One day,
00:24:52.59\00:24:53.92
my brother, I met my brother
00:24:56.62\00:24:58.19
and he said "Andy,
I bought this book."
00:24:58.23\00:25:00.70
And he said,
"Everybody needs this book."
00:25:00.73\00:25:02.36
He said, "It'll
transform your life."
00:25:02.40\00:25:04.63
It was called
the Martyrs Mirror.
00:25:04.67\00:25:06.67
And this book is a compilation
of the Anabaptist people,
00:25:06.70\00:25:09.94
like the minutes that, you know,
00:25:09.97\00:25:11.31
when they had debates
00:25:11.34\00:25:12.67
between them and
their persecutors
00:25:12.71\00:25:14.24
and letters that they
wrote to their family, etc.
00:25:14.28\00:25:19.48
And I read this
book and I was introduced
00:25:19.51\00:25:23.15
to the idea of
righteousness by faith.
00:25:23.18\00:25:26.09
I thought only people
that were indifferent,
00:25:26.12\00:25:30.43
only people that
were not conscious of...
00:25:30.46\00:25:34.10
Not self-conscious or
did not care about God,
00:25:34.13\00:25:36.36
I thought only
the liberals believed
00:25:36.40\00:25:37.90
in righteousness by faith.
00:25:37.93\00:25:39.27
Only the people that were
indifferent about religion,
00:25:39.30\00:25:42.10
and I was astonished and
they gave scripture for it,
00:25:42.14\00:25:45.71
that our salvation is in Christ.
00:25:45.74\00:25:47.91
And so I've started becoming
very interested in this.
00:25:47.94\00:25:51.81
Not long after this,
00:25:51.85\00:25:53.38
a Seventh-day Adventist
couple moved into our community,
00:25:53.42\00:25:55.92
and they shared
with me and my brother,
00:25:55.95\00:25:58.02
the eight laws of health.
00:25:58.05\00:25:59.82
I was very intrigued by that.
00:25:59.85\00:26:02.06
I thought it
makes so much sense.
00:26:02.09\00:26:03.63
Nutrition, you
actually feed your body,
00:26:03.66\00:26:05.19
we didn't know that.
00:26:05.23\00:26:06.56
Exercise, but we had
no problem with exercise,
00:26:06.59\00:26:08.26
because we were committed
00:26:08.30\00:26:09.63
to the sacred sacrament of work.
00:26:09.66\00:26:12.03
Water, I could
have improved on water,
00:26:12.07\00:26:13.94
and maybe drop down
with coffee a little bit.
00:26:13.97\00:26:17.31
Sunshine, I was
getting plenty of that.
00:26:17.34\00:26:18.84
Temperance. Well,
I had no temperance.
00:26:18.87\00:26:21.28
Fresh air, I was
getting plenty of that.
00:26:21.31\00:26:22.84
Rest, not enough rest.
00:26:22.88\00:26:24.41
And I was so
intrigued, I could take you back
00:26:24.45\00:26:26.98
and show the spot
where I was standing
00:26:27.02\00:26:28.55
when he told me that,
that makes so much sense.
00:26:28.58\00:26:32.29
The eight laws of
health, and I thought to myself
00:26:32.32\00:26:33.99
and it's free, it
doesn't cost anything.
00:26:34.02\00:26:38.13
So a little while later
00:26:38.16\00:26:40.23
my nephew ended
up in the hospital,
00:26:40.26\00:26:42.10
so we had our Adventist
friend take us to the hospital,
00:26:42.13\00:26:44.40
my brother and I,
to visit our nephew.
00:26:44.43\00:26:46.94
And during this time,
I had real questions on,
00:26:46.97\00:26:51.84
if God is all loving God,
00:26:51.87\00:26:54.61
why does He allow
so much suffering?
00:26:54.64\00:26:56.88
If He's all powerful,
00:26:56.91\00:26:58.31
why didn't He
just zap the devil,
00:26:58.35\00:26:59.71
and this is all
over, just kill the devil.
00:26:59.75\00:27:01.08
I mean, if I
had the opportunity,
00:27:01.12\00:27:02.45
I would kill him.
00:27:02.48\00:27:03.82
And why wouldn't God kill him?
00:27:03.85\00:27:05.19
I had all these questions.
00:27:05.22\00:27:06.55
Sometimes it
made me angry at God.
00:27:06.59\00:27:07.92
But as we drove to
the hospital that day,
00:27:07.96\00:27:09.56
this Adventist
guy started sharing
00:27:09.59\00:27:12.16
what we know as
the great controversy.
00:27:12.19\00:27:15.10
Why these things occur,
00:27:15.13\00:27:16.46
why doesn't God kill Satan now?
00:27:16.50\00:27:20.54
Why do bad things
happen to good people?
00:27:20.57\00:27:23.10
All those things that
I really wondered about.
00:27:23.14\00:27:25.47
And I was like,
this is fabulous stuff.
00:27:25.51\00:27:28.58
And when we came back,
he gave me a book called
00:27:28.61\00:27:30.38
The Great Controversy.
00:27:30.41\00:27:32.01
And I looked through
this book, but since I,
00:27:32.05\00:27:35.65
you know, started
reading in the front,
00:27:35.68\00:27:37.05
but since I had
read so much history,
00:27:37.09\00:27:39.65
through the Martyrs Mirror,
00:27:39.69\00:27:42.22
I kind of got
bogged down with it.
00:27:42.26\00:27:43.86
And so he came back to my
house one time and I look back,
00:27:43.89\00:27:46.33
and he was
enjoying every bit of it,
00:27:46.36\00:27:47.70
because he knew that
he found an honest seeker.
00:27:47.73\00:27:50.00
And, you know, we
all like to find those.
00:27:50.03\00:27:52.23
And so when he came back,
00:27:52.27\00:27:53.84
he said, "So how are
you doing on the book?"
00:27:53.87\00:27:55.20
And I said,"Well, I'm
not really reading it."
00:27:55.24\00:27:57.41
And so he said,
"Well, here's another book."
00:27:57.44\00:27:58.77
So he gave me
The Desire of Ages.
00:27:58.81\00:28:01.94
And this is where
the rubber met the road.
00:28:01.98\00:28:04.41
This is where I wanted to.
00:28:04.45\00:28:08.58
This is what I was looking for.
00:28:08.62\00:28:10.72
An understanding, a
balanced understanding
00:28:10.75\00:28:12.75
of righteousness by faith.
00:28:12.79\00:28:14.12
But this time I was following,
00:28:14.16\00:28:15.89
you know, like
other denominations,
00:28:15.92\00:28:17.73
their teachings on
righteousness by faith
00:28:17.76\00:28:19.16
and I was
confused, it seems like
00:28:19.19\00:28:20.53
part of the Bible
was being left out.
00:28:20.56\00:28:22.36
Great teaching on
justification by faith,
00:28:22.40\00:28:24.07
but how about sanctification,
00:28:24.10\00:28:25.60
doesn't God want
to change our lives?
00:28:25.63\00:28:27.70
And reading the Desire of Ages,
00:28:27.74\00:28:31.24
I was greatly intrigued.
00:28:31.27\00:28:33.31
One night I was
sitting in my house,
00:28:33.34\00:28:34.68
the family went to bed
00:28:34.71\00:28:36.04
and I was
sitting beside my stove
00:28:36.08\00:28:37.41
and I thought, I need
to check this book out.
00:28:37.45\00:28:38.78
And this is what I read.
00:28:38.81\00:28:40.55
We'll see if they can pop it up.
00:28:40.58\00:28:44.12
I started with
Desire of Ages Chapter 1,
00:28:44.15\00:28:49.12
and it says "His name
shall be called Immanuel,
00:28:49.16\00:28:51.46
God with us.
00:28:51.49\00:28:52.83
The light of the
knowledge of the glory of God
00:28:52.86\00:28:54.53
is seen in the
face of Jesus Christ.
00:28:54.56\00:28:57.57
From the days of
eternity the Lord Jesus Christ
00:28:57.60\00:28:59.77
was one with the Father.
00:28:59.80\00:29:01.20
He was the image of God,
00:29:01.24\00:29:02.57
the image of His
greatness and majesty,
00:29:02.60\00:29:04.34
the outshining of his glory.
00:29:04.37\00:29:05.91
It was to manifest this glory
that He came to this world,
00:29:05.94\00:29:09.14
to this sin-darkened
earth He came to reveal
00:29:09.18\00:29:11.61
the light of God's
love, to be God with us.
00:29:11.65\00:29:14.92
Therefore it was
prophesied of Him,
00:29:14.95\00:29:16.89
His name shall
be called Immanuel."
00:29:16.92\00:29:19.15
Immanuel, and I thought,
00:29:19.19\00:29:21.16
so, maybe this
explains, I always wonder
00:29:21.19\00:29:24.13
why the Bible
doesn't make up its mind,
00:29:24.16\00:29:25.89
was Jesus the Son of God?
00:29:25.93\00:29:27.26
Or was He the Son of Man?
00:29:27.30\00:29:28.70
It just didn't
make any sense to me.
00:29:28.73\00:29:31.67
Next one, so I would
read this and I thought,
00:29:31.70\00:29:35.37
that's really deep,
and I laid the book down
00:29:35.40\00:29:37.87
and walked around my
house, and went back,
00:29:37.91\00:29:41.84
got the book and
read another one."
00:29:41.88\00:29:44.85
The angels of glory
find their joy in giving,
00:29:44.88\00:29:47.52
giving love and
tireless watchcare
00:29:47.55\00:29:49.18
to souls that are
fallen and unholy.
00:29:49.22\00:29:51.35
Heavenly beings
woo the hearts of men,
00:29:51.39\00:29:53.42
they bring to this world
light from the courts above,
00:29:53.46\00:29:55.86
the gentle and patient ministry,
00:29:55.89\00:29:57.86
by gentle and patient ministry,
00:29:57.89\00:29:59.76
they move upon the human spirit,
00:29:59.79\00:30:02.03
to bring the lost into
a fellowship with Christ,
00:30:02.06\00:30:04.47
which is even closer than
they themselves can know."
00:30:04.50\00:30:08.50
And I thought, that make sense.
00:30:08.54\00:30:11.07
They were never
lost, like we were.
00:30:11.11\00:30:13.94
So we were lost.
00:30:13.98\00:30:15.31
And now we have found
Christ, we have been redeemed.
00:30:15.34\00:30:18.11
So it makes sense
00:30:18.15\00:30:19.48
that we can actually
experience a closer with God
00:30:19.51\00:30:22.05
that not even the
angels can experience.
00:30:22.08\00:30:24.72
And it also became so real
to me that angels are real.
00:30:24.75\00:30:28.79
They wooed a human spirit.
00:30:28.82\00:30:30.69
I could, I thought I
could think about this and say,
00:30:30.73\00:30:33.23
"That's true. I
know I can recognize it."
00:30:33.26\00:30:35.90
Somebody was wooing me,
00:30:35.93\00:30:37.27
like God was wooing me
in a certain direction.
00:30:37.30\00:30:40.14
Next one.
00:30:40.17\00:30:41.70
This gets better.
00:30:41.74\00:30:43.37
This chapter blew my mind away.
00:30:43.41\00:30:45.47
"Since Jesus
came to dwell with us,
00:30:45.51\00:30:47.11
we know that God
00:30:47.14\00:30:49.68
is acquainted with our trials
00:30:49.71\00:30:51.05
and sympathizes with our griefs.
00:30:51.08\00:30:53.05
Every son and
daughter of Adam may understand
00:30:53.08\00:30:55.05
that our Creator is
the friend of sinners.
00:30:55.08\00:30:57.29
For in every doctrine of
grace, every promise of joy,
00:30:57.32\00:31:00.42
in every deed of live,
00:31:00.46\00:31:01.79
every divine attraction
00:31:01.82\00:31:03.16
presented in the
Savior's life on Earth,
00:31:03.19\00:31:04.53
we see God with us."
00:31:04.56\00:31:06.93
And I would lay the book
down and walk around my house
00:31:06.96\00:31:08.90
and say, this
is fantastic stuff.
00:31:08.93\00:31:11.80
This is relevant
even to an Amish man.
00:31:11.83\00:31:14.90
Next one,
00:31:14.94\00:31:16.54
this one blew my mind.
00:31:16.57\00:31:18.67
This is
gigantic, "By His humanity,
00:31:18.71\00:31:21.24
Christ touched
humanity, and by His divinity,
00:31:21.28\00:31:24.15
He lays hold upon
the throne of God."
00:31:24.18\00:31:26.61
That is fabulous.
00:31:26.65\00:31:28.22
So you have got, you
had to take a flatter,
00:31:28.25\00:31:30.62
that God has one
hand with humanity
00:31:30.65\00:31:33.25
and another hand
on the throne of God.
00:31:33.29\00:31:36.12
I want to be in that group.
00:31:36.16\00:31:39.69
I was just blown away.
00:31:39.73\00:31:42.46
This next one,
00:31:42.50\00:31:43.83
"Christ was
treated as we deserve,
00:31:43.87\00:31:45.57
that we may be
treated as He deserves.
00:31:45.60\00:31:47.74
He was condemned for our
sins in which He had no share,
00:31:47.77\00:31:51.11
so that we might be
justified by His righteousness
00:31:51.14\00:31:53.94
in which we had no share.
00:31:53.98\00:31:55.68
He suffered the
death which was ours,
00:31:55.71\00:31:57.48
that we might receive
the life which was His.
00:31:57.51\00:31:59.58
With His stripes,"
00:31:59.61\00:32:00.95
we are healing,
is that what it says?
00:32:00.98\00:32:02.55
No, "we're healed."
00:32:02.58\00:32:03.92
I thought that's fabulous.
00:32:03.95\00:32:05.45
Maybe I can have assurance
of salvation even today.
00:32:05.49\00:32:09.29
That's great.
00:32:09.32\00:32:10.66
Next one, this
one was the topper.
00:32:10.69\00:32:13.80
This is the icing on the cake.
00:32:13.83\00:32:15.16
This is still my favorite text
00:32:15.20\00:32:16.90
integrate into the
Spirit of Prophecy."
00:32:16.93\00:32:19.37
God has adopted human
nature in the person of His Son,
00:32:19.40\00:32:25.21
and has carried the
same to the highest heaven."
00:32:25.24\00:32:29.34
That is mind boggling.
00:32:29.38\00:32:31.35
God has adopted human
nature in the person of His Son
00:32:31.38\00:32:34.65
and has carried the
same to the highest heaven.
00:32:34.68\00:32:37.45
"It is the Son of man
00:32:37.49\00:32:38.82
who shares the
throne of the universe.
00:32:38.85\00:32:40.19
It is the Son of man whose
name shall be called Wonderful,
00:32:40.22\00:32:43.36
Counselor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father,
00:32:43.39\00:32:46.33
The Prince of Peace."
00:32:46.36\00:32:47.70
Who says that Jesus wasn't God.
00:32:47.73\00:32:49.06
This is so clear from the Bible.
00:32:49.10\00:32:50.87
And I was blown away.
00:32:50.90\00:32:54.10
Blown away.
00:32:54.14\00:32:57.61
This is another good one.
00:32:57.64\00:32:58.97
"The work of redemption
will be complete in the place
00:32:59.01\00:33:01.14
where sin abounded, God's grace,
00:33:01.18\00:33:03.14
much more abounds."
00:33:03.18\00:33:04.51
I thought that makes sense.
00:33:04.55\00:33:05.88
I always wonder why Jesus said,
00:33:05.91\00:33:07.25
"Blessed are the meek for
they shall inherit the earth."
00:33:07.28\00:33:09.65
I don't want to
inherit this earth.
00:33:09.68\00:33:11.49
I'm not interested,
I want to go to heaven.
00:33:11.52\00:33:13.42
But this explains that,
00:33:13.46\00:33:15.19
"The work of
redemption will be complete
00:33:15.22\00:33:16.93
in the place where sin abounded,
00:33:16.96\00:33:18.56
God's grace much more abounds.
00:33:18.59\00:33:20.70
The earth itself,
00:33:20.73\00:33:22.06
the very field that
Satan claims as his own
00:33:22.10\00:33:24.33
is to be not only
ransomed but exalted.
00:33:24.37\00:33:27.20
Our little world
under the curse of sin
00:33:27.24\00:33:29.50
the one dark blot in
His glorious creation,
00:33:29.54\00:33:31.87
will be honored
above all other worlds
00:33:31.91\00:33:33.48
in the universe of God.
00:33:33.51\00:33:34.84
Here, where the Son of
God tabernacled with humanity,
00:33:34.88\00:33:37.48
where the King of glory
lived, and suffered and died,
00:33:37.51\00:33:40.48
here when He shall
make all things new,
00:33:40.52\00:33:42.72
the tabernacle of
God shall be with men,
00:33:42.75\00:33:44.92
and He will dwell with them,
00:33:44.95\00:33:46.69
and they shall be His people,
00:33:46.72\00:33:48.42
and God Himself
shall be with them,
00:33:48.46\00:33:50.29
and be their God.
00:33:50.33\00:33:51.66
And through endless
ages as the redeemed walk
00:33:51.69\00:33:54.96
in the light of the Lord,
00:33:55.00\00:33:56.33
they will praise Him
for His unspeakable gift,
00:33:56.36\00:33:58.90
Immanuel, 'God with us.'"
00:33:58.93\00:34:03.00
I tell you what,
00:34:03.04\00:34:04.87
false prophets don't
write things like that.
00:34:04.91\00:34:07.74
Who can read the
Spirit of Prophecy,
00:34:07.78\00:34:09.11
and say, I don't want that.
00:34:09.14\00:34:11.98
You know, these writings were
inspired by the Holy Spirit.
00:34:12.01\00:34:15.45
If we're being led
by the Holy Spirit,
00:34:15.48\00:34:17.42
there has to be a connection.
00:34:17.45\00:34:20.16
My friend came back and he says,
00:34:20.19\00:34:21.52
"So, have you been
reading the Desire of Ages?"
00:34:21.56\00:34:23.56
Says, "Yeah, you
better believe it.
00:34:23.59\00:34:24.93
I've been reading
The Desire of Ages."
00:34:24.96\00:34:26.53
I said, "It's fabulous."
00:34:26.56\00:34:27.90
I said, "Where
does this man live?
00:34:27.93\00:34:29.46
I want to meet him."
00:34:29.50\00:34:32.83
I have read a lot of books.
00:34:32.87\00:34:34.24
I've never read
anything like this.
00:34:34.27\00:34:37.07
This inspired me
to read my Bible.
00:34:37.11\00:34:38.97
Paul inspired me
to read my Bible.
00:34:39.01\00:34:41.34
And he knew, you know,
knowing that I was an Amish guy
00:34:41.38\00:34:43.88
and Amish people don't
like when the ladies teach them.
00:34:43.91\00:34:47.35
He said well,
00:34:47.38\00:34:49.55
it was actually a lady
and she's dead a 100 years,
00:34:49.58\00:34:52.42
and I thought, "What?
00:34:52.45\00:34:53.79
A lady writes like that?"
00:34:53.82\00:34:56.02
I don't know about that.
00:34:56.06\00:34:58.56
Might have to reconsider this.
00:34:58.59\00:35:00.96
But I couldn't, yeah,
00:35:01.00\00:35:02.33
I already had all the evidence
in my mind, I couldn't go back.
00:35:02.36\00:35:05.33
So what do you do?
00:35:05.37\00:35:06.70
Maybe I have to be open-minded.
00:35:06.74\00:35:08.07
Maybe God inspires
whomever He wants to inspire.
00:35:08.10\00:35:11.04
And so I was intrigued.
00:35:11.07\00:35:13.71
Then I went to,
00:35:13.74\00:35:15.91
I think it's
Chapter 3 of Desire of Ages.
00:35:15.94\00:35:19.11
And I found my people in there.
00:35:19.15\00:35:20.92
This is talking about
00:35:20.95\00:35:24.45
during the time when
Jesus came to this world
00:35:24.49\00:35:27.09
the first time
00:35:27.12\00:35:28.89
and the condition of
the world during this time.
00:35:28.92\00:35:31.46
And if you want to know
00:35:31.49\00:35:32.83
the condition of the
Amish people these days,
00:35:32.86\00:35:34.66
Amish communities, and this
is true for all communities.
00:35:34.70\00:35:37.23
This is it.
00:35:37.27\00:35:39.20
"At this time, the
systems of heathenism
00:35:39.23\00:35:42.60
were losing their
hold upon the people.
00:35:42.64\00:35:44.67
Men were weary of
pageant and fable.
00:35:44.71\00:35:47.31
They longed for a religion
that could satisfy the heart.
00:35:47.34\00:35:51.05
While the light of
truth seemed to have departed
00:35:51.08\00:35:53.21
from among men,
00:35:53.25\00:35:54.58
there were souls who
were looking for light,
00:35:54.62\00:35:57.39
and who were filled
with perplexity and sorrow.
00:35:57.42\00:35:59.92
They were thirsting
00:35:59.95\00:36:01.42
for a knowledge
of the living God,
00:36:01.46\00:36:04.16
for some assurance of
life beyond the grave."
00:36:04.19\00:36:08.06
That is true for my people.
00:36:08.10\00:36:10.40
These people are
good, fundamentally people.
00:36:10.43\00:36:13.44
These people are
probably some of the best people
00:36:13.47\00:36:16.97
in our country,
00:36:17.01\00:36:18.91
honest people,
hardworking people.
00:36:18.94\00:36:21.78
But sometimes, we get so busy
building the devil's kingdom
00:36:21.81\00:36:25.45
that we don't,
00:36:25.48\00:36:26.95
we don't work our own salvation.
00:36:26.98\00:36:28.88
We don't even find Jesus.
00:36:28.92\00:36:30.62
And I believe this is
true for the Amish people.
00:36:30.65\00:36:35.26
The leadership,
they come together
00:36:35.29\00:36:36.86
and they discuss church issues
00:36:36.89\00:36:40.76
and, you know, rules
that need to be made and,
00:36:40.80\00:36:43.06
you know, people are
wandering and everything.
00:36:43.10\00:36:45.43
Those people are willing,
they're willing to be led,
00:36:45.47\00:36:48.20
they want to be led by God,
00:36:48.24\00:36:49.84
but they are so busy,
they're so sidetracked,
00:36:49.87\00:36:53.17
so distracted with
their man made rules,
00:36:53.21\00:36:56.81
with the externals
that they never have time,
00:36:56.85\00:36:59.45
they never reached the heart,
00:36:59.48\00:37:01.52
even though they
are honest people,
00:37:01.55\00:37:02.88
they are sincere people.
00:37:02.92\00:37:04.32
And, you know, we
see it everywhere,
00:37:04.35\00:37:06.82
we can be so distracted,
00:37:06.86\00:37:08.32
you know, like, I
would like for you all
00:37:08.36\00:37:09.99
to start dressing
like Amish people.
00:37:10.03\00:37:11.43
I like that.
00:37:11.46\00:37:12.79
But you know, we could
get distracted by that,
00:37:12.83\00:37:14.46
you know,
00:37:14.50\00:37:15.83
God looks at the heart.
00:37:15.86\00:37:17.47
And I don't believe
that the way I dress
00:37:17.50\00:37:19.43
is any better
than the way you dress.
00:37:19.47\00:37:20.87
So, you know, it's
just, it's a preference
00:37:20.90\00:37:23.20
because we were
born and raised that way.
00:37:23.24\00:37:25.57
But we can get
hung up with that,
00:37:25.61\00:37:27.54
instead of getting hung up
00:37:27.58\00:37:29.28
with Jesus Christ
and Him crucified.
00:37:29.31\00:37:32.08
And that's what
happened with my people.
00:37:32.11\00:37:33.95
They're good people,
00:37:33.98\00:37:35.32
but they have become distracted
00:37:35.35\00:37:37.19
with things that
are irrelevant in life.
00:37:37.22\00:37:41.59
And so we struggled with
this for a couple of years,
00:37:41.62\00:37:46.39
and eventually I
burned all my books,
00:37:46.43\00:37:49.23
my Great Controversy
book, my Desire of Ages,
00:37:49.26\00:37:51.57
Steps to Christ, I just
burned it and I thought,
00:37:51.60\00:37:53.54
you know, if I, if we step out,
00:37:53.57\00:37:55.40
what will happen
is we will be shunned
00:37:55.44\00:37:57.61
by our own mother and father
00:37:57.64\00:38:01.38
and siblings and
our 500 first cousins
00:38:01.41\00:38:04.88
and everything like this
that the stakes are too high.
00:38:04.91\00:38:08.95
We burned everything,
trying to get away from it,
00:38:08.98\00:38:11.79
and we went to church
00:38:11.82\00:38:13.15
and tried to
forget the things we know.
00:38:13.19\00:38:15.02
But you sit in church,
00:38:15.06\00:38:16.39
and you hear a
preacher preaching something,
00:38:16.42\00:38:18.23
he's sincere, but
you're thinking to yourself,
00:38:18.26\00:38:21.66
that is not true.
00:38:21.70\00:38:24.37
That is the wrong interpretation
00:38:24.40\00:38:25.73
of that scripture.
00:38:25.77\00:38:27.10
And sometimes it
makes God look very cruel.
00:38:27.14\00:38:30.47
And so you sit there,
00:38:30.51\00:38:32.47
you know, Sunday after Sunday,
00:38:32.51\00:38:34.31
and you're
listening to these sermons
00:38:34.34\00:38:35.74
and events, it's like,
I can't take it anymore.
00:38:35.78\00:38:38.51
I love the people,
00:38:38.55\00:38:39.88
but there's something
to be said for separation,
00:38:39.91\00:38:42.62
God says, "Come
out of her, My people."
00:38:42.65\00:38:45.95
And so God showed
me for a few years,
00:38:45.99\00:38:48.86
the alternative
to accepting truth
00:38:48.89\00:38:51.03
and following truth
00:38:51.06\00:38:52.39
and giving our
lives wholly to truth.
00:38:52.43\00:38:54.86
The alternative is,
00:38:54.90\00:38:56.26
stay where you
are, be depressed.
00:38:56.30\00:38:58.23
Wish you could die and hate,
hate the church that you go to.
00:38:58.27\00:39:02.14
That's the alternative.
00:39:02.17\00:39:03.51
And there was times
that I became suicidal.
00:39:03.54\00:39:06.07
I mean, I would
pray and I say, Lord,
00:39:06.11\00:39:07.44
if I go down the road
this morning in my buggy,
00:39:07.48\00:39:09.18
just let an 18
wheeler run me over.
00:39:09.21\00:39:10.85
I don't want to live.
00:39:10.88\00:39:12.25
I don't want to
run my, you know,
00:39:12.28\00:39:14.32
to have my parents go through
all the grief and heartache
00:39:14.35\00:39:18.15
of me leaving the church.
00:39:18.19\00:39:20.16
So if you just, if
you just let me die,
00:39:20.19\00:39:22.29
then everything will be good.
00:39:22.32\00:39:23.66
I think I'm safe.
00:39:23.69\00:39:25.03
I'm not sure, but I just
know that I don't want to live.
00:39:25.06\00:39:27.10
And so we struggled
with this for a while.
00:39:27.13\00:39:30.73
One day, I was
standing in my workshop.
00:39:30.77\00:39:33.94
And I built furniture,
and I was standing there
00:39:33.97\00:39:35.97
and I'm like, I can't work.
00:39:36.00\00:39:37.77
I'm so distressed and
depressed, I can't work.
00:39:37.81\00:39:40.61
And I thought,
00:39:40.64\00:39:42.14
I just wish I could do
something to change life.
00:39:42.18\00:39:45.05
And then I remembered that
I had a Great Controversy book
00:39:45.08\00:39:48.38
in my barn that I was
going to give to my friend
00:39:48.42\00:39:51.12
and I missed that one
00:39:51.15\00:39:52.49
when I threw through
the rest of them out.
00:39:52.52\00:39:54.86
And so I went, I got the book
00:39:54.89\00:39:56.22
and I went back to my workshop
and stood beside the stove,
00:39:56.26\00:39:59.09
and I opened it up,
00:39:59.13\00:40:00.46
and I started reading
the chapter where it says
00:40:00.50\00:40:02.30
that when the
last message goes out,
00:40:02.33\00:40:04.83
children will be
disowned by their parents.
00:40:04.87\00:40:07.67
And parents will be
turned in by their children,
00:40:07.70\00:40:10.54
and all these things.
00:40:10.57\00:40:11.91
And I kept
reading and I went back
00:40:11.94\00:40:13.34
to Martin Luther's chapter,
00:40:13.38\00:40:16.38
where Martin Luther said,
00:40:16.41\00:40:17.75
"You know, I will go
from this city to that city,
00:40:17.78\00:40:20.22
even if the fire is as
high as the skies, I will go.
00:40:20.25\00:40:23.49
If God calls me, I will go."
00:40:23.52\00:40:25.05
And at that day, I told God,
00:40:25.09\00:40:26.45
I said, "I'm coming.
00:40:26.49\00:40:28.12
You open up the way You lead me,
00:40:28.16\00:40:29.59
I don't know how
this is going to work out.
00:40:29.62\00:40:31.59
I just know
that it's not pretty,
00:40:31.63\00:40:33.09
but I know that the
end result is great.
00:40:33.13\00:40:35.36
I want to serve the Lord."
00:40:35.40\00:40:36.80
And so I spoke with my
wife, and my wife said,
00:40:36.83\00:40:40.30
" You know what we have to do,
00:40:40.34\00:40:41.67
we have to
follow our convictions."
00:40:41.70\00:40:43.34
And so, we spoke with our...
00:40:43.37\00:40:47.34
The leaders of our church,
00:40:47.38\00:40:48.71
and if you come
down to our booth
00:40:48.74\00:40:50.41
at the exhibit hall,
00:40:50.45\00:40:52.21
I wrote a book, a life story.
00:40:52.25\00:40:53.72
I'm just going
through real fast.
00:40:53.75\00:40:55.78
We have a book that is available
00:40:55.82\00:40:57.15
with more of our full testimony.
00:40:57.19\00:40:58.52
Also the, that
book I was talking about
00:40:58.55\00:41:01.22
the Martyrs Mirror,
we have it on display.
00:41:01.26\00:41:02.79
So if you want to
come and take a look at it.
00:41:02.82\00:41:04.63
But we told them, we said,
00:41:04.66\00:41:06.06
"Look, we don't believe
that we should shun people
00:41:06.09\00:41:08.00
just because they go
to church somewhere else."
00:41:08.03\00:41:09.90
I don't read
that from the Bible.
00:41:09.93\00:41:11.37
And they said,
00:41:11.40\00:41:12.73
"Well, if you don't
want to shun those people,
00:41:12.77\00:41:14.60
we'll have to shun you."
00:41:14.64\00:41:15.97
And I said, "Well, you
do what you want to do.
00:41:16.00\00:41:17.34
I got to have a
clear conscience."
00:41:17.37\00:41:19.17
And so this led to
our excommunication.
00:41:19.21\00:41:21.98
And a few years later,
00:41:22.01\00:41:24.75
about a year later,
00:41:24.78\00:41:26.11
we were actually
baptized and became members
00:41:26.15\00:41:27.85
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:41:27.88\00:41:29.55
And we have, we were
excited when we came,
00:41:29.58\00:41:33.29
went down to the
water, into the water.
00:41:33.32\00:41:35.02
We were excited
when we came back.
00:41:35.06\00:41:36.46
We were excited ever since.
00:41:36.49\00:41:37.99
We tasted ministry,
00:41:38.03\00:41:39.46
and we were excited about truth,
00:41:39.49\00:41:40.96
because we know what
it is like to be confused,
00:41:41.00\00:41:44.50
and to finding freedom in Christ
00:41:44.53\00:41:48.04
makes life worth living.
00:41:48.07\00:41:49.77
To finding your calling in
life makes life worth living.
00:41:49.80\00:41:53.74
And so we are very excited
to be part of this movement.
00:41:53.78\00:41:57.28
And we are, we
love each one of you
00:41:57.31\00:41:59.41
as our own brethren,
00:41:59.45\00:42:00.82
and we are grateful
00:42:00.85\00:42:02.18
that God has called us
to this marvelous movement.
00:42:02.22\00:42:06.59
Soon after we got married,
00:42:06.62\00:42:07.96
some of our friends
came by and they said,
00:42:07.99\00:42:09.32
"So, Andy, what do you
want to do with your life?
00:42:09.36\00:42:10.79
I hear you have a
burden on your heart?"
00:42:10.83\00:42:12.56
And I said, "I do."
00:42:12.59\00:42:13.93
I said, "I found
this fabulous truth."
00:42:13.96\00:42:16.67
Now we started
reading material before,
00:42:16.70\00:42:19.37
you know, when we were studying,
00:42:19.40\00:42:21.80
from White Horse
Media and Amazing Facts,
00:42:21.84\00:42:23.91
and like, we were
learning this fabulous truth.
00:42:23.94\00:42:26.68
And I said, "I want my
people to know about this truth.
00:42:26.71\00:42:29.04
It's relevant for everybody."
00:42:29.08\00:42:30.78
But how do you
reach Amish people?
00:42:30.81\00:42:32.98
You can't throw up, you know,
00:42:33.01\00:42:34.65
a tent and have an
evangelistic meeting,
00:42:34.68\00:42:36.89
or a prophecy
meeting, they won't show up.
00:42:36.92\00:42:39.15
And so, what we are learning
00:42:39.19\00:42:41.32
is God is reaching those people
00:42:41.36\00:42:44.13
through seeds being planted
00:42:44.16\00:42:45.83
through
colporteurs and other means,
00:42:45.86\00:42:47.53
but God is
reaching those people.
00:42:47.56\00:42:49.46
Those people are,
God is inspiring them.
00:42:49.50\00:42:51.77
And so our friends,
00:42:51.80\00:42:53.13
they went and they
invested in a property,
00:42:53.17\00:42:55.80
that has, it was 10 acres
00:42:55.84\00:42:57.27
that was close
by and it's amazing,
00:42:57.31\00:42:59.77
this is real close by
where my parents live,
00:42:59.81\00:43:02.31
just behind the woods.
00:43:02.34\00:43:03.68
I used to work on that
place, there is 10 acres.
00:43:03.71\00:43:06.48
There was Phantom
Fireworks at one time.
00:43:06.51\00:43:08.75
And so we
purchased this property.
00:43:08.78\00:43:10.69
And this is the building
00:43:10.72\00:43:12.19
where we're
meeting in currently.
00:43:12.22\00:43:15.09
Now well, this is where our
little congregation will meet.
00:43:15.12\00:43:17.79
It'll take a long time
before anybody responds to us.
00:43:17.83\00:43:21.46
Because we know, when
we first found the truth,
00:43:21.50\00:43:23.40
we started sharing
with everybody like
00:43:23.43\00:43:25.00
everybody's going to love this,
00:43:25.03\00:43:26.37
it's going to
transform the Amish community,
00:43:26.40\00:43:28.20
but we were surprised,
00:43:28.24\00:43:29.80
not everybody's
excited about the truth.
00:43:29.84\00:43:31.91
And for anybody
that is in ministry,
00:43:31.94\00:43:33.68
you know that everybody's
excited about the truth,
00:43:33.71\00:43:35.58
but sometimes
people are not ready yet,
00:43:35.61\00:43:37.85
but they will be ready.
00:43:37.88\00:43:39.21
So we need to
always treat people as if,
00:43:39.25\00:43:40.62
well, they're not ready yet,
00:43:40.65\00:43:41.98
but the seed is planted here.
00:43:42.02\00:43:43.35
Let the Holy Spirit do its work.
00:43:43.39\00:43:44.72
And so we started,
00:43:44.75\00:43:46.09
we started meeting in
here on Sabbath back in 2015.
00:43:46.12\00:43:51.39
Today this building is
crowded, we're very full.
00:43:51.43\00:43:55.73
Numerous Amish
families have followed us
00:43:55.76\00:43:58.07
and are meeting
there each Sabbath.
00:43:58.10\00:44:04.67
The next picture,
00:44:04.71\00:44:06.71
is the picture of
the fireworks store,
00:44:06.74\00:44:08.54
was Phantom Fireworks.
00:44:08.58\00:44:10.15
We started looking at
the building and we said,
00:44:10.18\00:44:13.21
well, I said, maybe on
this end of that building,
00:44:13.25\00:44:15.72
we can put a bathroom in.
00:44:15.75\00:44:17.65
And the other
end of that building,
00:44:17.69\00:44:19.72
we can put a kitchen in,
00:44:19.75\00:44:21.32
and we'll have
church service in there,
00:44:21.36\00:44:22.69
we'll have more room.
00:44:22.72\00:44:24.06
We got together, we
started pushing pencil.
00:44:24.09\00:44:25.43
Well, we have to
go a little bigger
00:44:25.46\00:44:26.80
and have a little addition.
00:44:26.83\00:44:28.16
And this way kept going on
until we had a big addition
00:44:28.20\00:44:32.93
and we're about to move into.
00:44:32.97\00:44:34.30
Let's do the next picture.
00:44:34.34\00:44:36.10
So we renovated that building.
00:44:36.14\00:44:38.57
And this is what it looks like.
00:44:38.61\00:44:40.04
This is our new building.
00:44:40.08\00:44:42.38
Another month or
so, we'll be in it.
00:44:42.41\00:44:44.65
We have about 35 young
people are 14 year old years old
00:44:44.68\00:44:48.18
and down in our community,
00:44:48.22\00:44:50.19
in our church community there.
00:44:50.22\00:44:51.92
And so this is where we
want to bring Mark Finley
00:44:51.95\00:44:54.46
and all the good
evangelists we have
00:44:54.49\00:44:56.36
to train our young
people to be missionaries
00:44:56.39\00:44:59.03
and to be
excited about the Lord.
00:44:59.06\00:45:00.76
And so, if you come
down, meet us at our booth,
00:45:00.80\00:45:03.00
we have more
information on there on that.
00:45:03.03\00:45:05.03
But, so thank you
for each one of you
00:45:05.07\00:45:07.34
that have supported us
with your prayers and finances,
00:45:07.37\00:45:10.17
we really appreciate that,
00:45:10.21\00:45:11.54
because we could never
have pulled this off on our own.
00:45:11.57\00:45:14.64
And so today we are a
little thriving group,
00:45:14.68\00:45:17.48
you know, in West Salem, Ohio,
00:45:17.51\00:45:19.58
we are a little
mission with a big mission.
00:45:19.61\00:45:21.48
We're excited about being
part of God's end-time movement,
00:45:21.52\00:45:26.35
God's last day
message to the world.
00:45:26.39\00:45:29.42
You know, when we get to
heaven, we're all excited.
00:45:29.46\00:45:31.99
We want to meet
David, and Isaiah,
00:45:32.03\00:45:35.03
and those people that wrote,
00:45:35.06\00:45:36.40
you know, all the
great stories in the Bible,
00:45:36.43\00:45:38.47
but I believe when we get there,
00:45:38.50\00:45:39.97
they're going to be looking
00:45:40.00\00:45:41.54
for the people
at the end of time.
00:45:41.57\00:45:43.34
They would, they
wanted to live in our time.
00:45:43.37\00:45:46.01
We are privileged.
00:45:46.04\00:45:47.78
It's true that we have
all these distractions,
00:45:47.81\00:45:49.88
and there's so many
things in this world
00:45:49.91\00:45:51.95
that want to bring us down.
00:45:51.98\00:45:53.35
But if we can find our calling,
00:45:53.38\00:45:55.25
and God will lead us
and He will provide for us.
00:45:55.28\00:45:58.12
That's what's happening for us.
00:45:58.15\00:46:00.19
I never saw this happening.
00:46:00.22\00:46:01.92
But God is working.
00:46:01.96\00:46:03.32
And God is working
among the Plain People.
00:46:03.36\00:46:05.29
And I believe Jesus
is coming back soon.
00:46:05.33\00:46:07.90
I know He is because it's true
00:46:07.93\00:46:09.90
that the three angels' messages
is going to all the world,
00:46:09.93\00:46:12.77
including the Amish people.
00:46:12.80\00:46:14.14
I hope when we get to heaven,
00:46:14.17\00:46:15.64
there's going to be a
little corner reserve,
00:46:15.67\00:46:17.67
where we as Amish people gather
and sing our German songs.
00:46:17.71\00:46:20.94
I wonder if we're
going to sing those songs.
00:46:20.98\00:46:22.34
So I'm excited about that.
00:46:22.38\00:46:24.18
And so thank you
for supporting us.
00:46:24.21\00:46:26.18
And I want to
appeal to each one of you,
00:46:26.21\00:46:27.85
don't give up,
00:46:27.88\00:46:29.22
we need the
endurance of the saints.
00:46:29.25\00:46:31.32
When we get to
heaven, it'll be cheap enough.
00:46:31.35\00:46:35.02
Being in ministry
here on earth is great.
00:46:35.06\00:46:37.56
It makes life, you know,
00:46:37.59\00:46:38.93
we can breathe the
atmosphere of heaven.
00:46:38.96\00:46:41.06
If we know that
we're in the will of God,
00:46:41.10\00:46:43.70
that is good enough.
00:46:43.73\00:46:45.10
And we can
experience the excitement
00:46:45.13\00:46:47.44
of working along with Jesus.
00:46:47.47\00:46:49.30
And so thank you for
taking time to come out
00:46:49.34\00:46:52.71
and for your support to us
and come see us at our booth.
00:46:52.74\00:46:55.81
We appreciate that.
00:46:55.84\00:46:57.18
So let us bow our heads
00:46:57.21\00:46:58.55
and have a brief word of prayer,
00:46:58.58\00:46:59.91
we'll let you go.
00:46:59.95\00:47:01.28
Father in
heaven, we're grateful.
00:47:01.32\00:47:03.39
You have called us from darkness
00:47:03.42\00:47:05.29
to Your marvelous light,
00:47:05.32\00:47:07.02
even those that are
fourth generation Adventists,
00:47:07.06\00:47:09.36
this is a relevant message.
00:47:09.39\00:47:10.99
It is still a message
that has to be chosen by,
00:47:11.03\00:47:14.30
you know, accepted
by each individual,
00:47:14.33\00:47:16.13
accepted or rejected.
00:47:16.16\00:47:17.57
Father, help us to be
excited about Your truth.
00:47:17.60\00:47:20.94
Father, help us to eat Your word
00:47:20.97\00:47:23.87
so that we get the nutrition
00:47:23.91\00:47:25.24
that makes us
thrive and excited,
00:47:25.27\00:47:27.54
and then makes us grow
like trees and bear fruit,
00:47:27.58\00:47:31.35
not to secure our salvation,
00:47:31.38\00:47:32.98
but to be a
blessing to this world.
00:47:33.01\00:47:34.95
Father, we pray
this in Jesus' name.
00:47:34.98\00:47:37.25
Amen.
00:47:37.29\00:47:38.62