Uriah Shetler

November 17, 2010

The following testimony was written several months before Uriah left the Amish.

Uriah writes: We lived in New York until I was 13 years old when we moved to a Wisconsin settlement with only five families. My Dad bought an 80 acre farm. About a year later, I started work milking 80 cows for our neighbor. I began to listen to Christian radio and heard the gospel. Living an Amish life, I had never heard the true gospel. The only gospel I had heard was you have to do this, that and the other in order for you to go to Heaven. Well, the true gospel was very new to me. I tried to argue and prove the radio ministers wrong by reading the Bible. Can you guess my surprise when I found out what they were saying was true?

But even after I knew the truth, I still didn’t want to get saved because I knew I would be shunned from my family. That’s what the devil wanted me to think; he didn’t want me to get saved. The Bible says “behold today is the day of salvation”. But the devil says: “wait until tomorrow.” He says that because tomorrow never comes. You see he says, “Uriah, you want to go out and have a fling in life and do as you please, and somewhere along the line, you’ll get saved before you die.” There are probably a lot of people in Hell right now that said the same thing. But my mind was prideful and my heart was stoney and prickly.

I listened to the devil for about three months before I got saved. At last I saw that this life wasn’t worth living without Jesus, so I cried out to Him one night, October 3, 2009. My heart was filled with so much peace and joy! I was born again, redeemed by His blood that was shed on the cross for me. He loved me so much, He sent His Son to die for me that I didn’t have to die. I was a new person.

The Bible says “therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.” (II Cor. 5:17)

I am a Christian living the Amish culture, which makes it very hard. I go to the Amish church and the preaching seems to me like a barrel with a hole in it. It doesn’t fill your up; it’s just man’s opinion. In other words, it isn’t built on the Bible. If you would take the Bible out of the Amish church, not much would change. But if you would take the rules away, the church would crumble to the ground. That’s because it isn’t built on solid foundation (the Bible). It is very hard living in the Amish group if you are a Christian.

My friends may desert me, my family may desert me, but there is one thing for sure: Christ will never leave me nor forsake me, even though the waves of life shall thrash at me, and the arrow of my enemy shall hit me. My ship shall still stay afloat. I shall put my sails higher in the wind that my strength may be tested, but nothing shall be able to overturn my life with Christ as my anchor.

I had an accident on December 5, 2009. A big milk tanker hit me, killing the horse and tearing the buggy into pieces. I didn’t have one scratch; I surely believe God was watching over me! But I will stay with the Amish and endure persecution until the right time to leave. Even though my family is against me, and my friends, Christ suffered a lot more. There is a scripture that comforts me, Psalm 23:

Psalm 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Even though the wiles of the devil may hit me, I shall be wearing the armor of God all the days of my life.

Whoever reads or hears my testimony, and isn’t saved, I plead with you: do ask Jesus to come into your heart and repent of your sin. The Bible says, “…unless you repent, ye shall likewise perish.” Your life isn’t worth living without Jesus. There are only some things that this present world can give to make you happy, and your happiness will only last a little bit. Jesus can give you peace and joy that will last forever--if you will only trust Him today. You can’t do anything to save yourself. Isaiah 64:6 says, “Our righteousness is as filthy rags.” Only through the blood of Jesus can you have everlasting life.

--Uriah N. Shetler

 This testimony has been published with permission from the owner.

Note to the reader:

We would like to encourage you to leave a message for Uriah below.  When you do, it will notify Uriah and be an encouragement to him.  God bless you!

Note from Joe Keim: The day that Uriah got saved, he came alive—not only in a spiritual sense but also in the physical.

Over the next 6 months, he frequently called my cell phone to talk about his conversion and hunger for truth. We often prayed for his family’s spiritual condition, since he desperately wanted his parents, brothers and sisters to place their faith in Christ, rather than a man-made system of beliefs.

At first, his family was open and wanted to understand where their son was coming from, but once they understood that this new belief might lead them away from the Amish, they changed very rapidly. In fact, the father became so upset one day that he burned all of his son’s Bible study resources and two Bibles that were translated in English.

After praying and fasting, Uriah has decided to leave his family and friends. Just this week, he walked away from his family with $50 in his pocket and the clothes on his back. Anyone who knows Uriah, knows that the Lord has His hand on him—His desire is to become a missionary to the Amish.