Bishop's Letter to Member who Left the Amish
April 25, 2012
The following letter was written by a Bishop of an Amish community in Pennsylvania and sent to a young man, Marvin, who had recently left the Amish community. The letter followed soon after Marvin was in a bad car accident.
Hello Marvin,
Heard you were in a bad wreck, one of the guys got killed. As the tree falls, so he will lay. Until Judgment Day. I hear he was only 18? I don’t know him. But unless his parents didn’t try to teach him right from wrong the whole load will lie on him?
I’m older and I’ve learned a lot in my day. Jesus says, How many will be turned down on Judgment Day. They will be badly disappointed, irrnet nicht, Gott laszt sich nicht spotten [God will not be made fun of]. What a person sows in this life, he will harvest in all ewigheit [eternity]. So Jesus says further, Lasset uns gutes thun und nicht mude warden [let us not be weary in well doing], then in the time of judgment he that sowed good seed, shall receive the best, a home in heaven which will never end. He that sowed the worldly seed, shall receive hell in all eternity. “Forever.”
One preacher said, if anyone had the chance to ask the devil, why did you do this to me. He would most likely say, why did you listen to me? You wouldn’t of had to. Now you can see how it goes you.
One of the lessons I’ve learned that done me the most good, is to find out the devil don’t care in no way. His thinking is, you are going with me if I have it to say, “to hell.” First when television came out, I asked my Mother if she ever seen it? She said, No, and she hopes she never has too. Now people can’t hardly live without it and radio and music and all that.
God says, vie Gottlofen haben jein jrierlen, wider mit Gott, oder ihr gewissen [the ungodly have no peace with God or their conscience]. That’s why they have to dig deep in the worldly things so they can live with themselves, otherwise they couldn’t make it. We have two choices, pay attention while we can, or else only one thing left. “Hell fire,” It’s not me saying it. It’s God’s word.
One guy came back and went Amish again, the way he was learned. He said, don’t let anybody tell you it don’t bother them out there, where you are now. He knows better. The spirit that won us over, is the one we are working for. Good or bad? Another thing that tells me a lot is a good number of these that went the way you are headed now say, or have before they died, that they wouldn’t do it now. But it’s too late. The old timers used to say, when the devil is satisfied he has them tied up in knots, he lets them fall and goes and looks for someone else.
The big difference in you and your brothers and sisters, watch that you don’t have to stand back and watch them go to heaven and nothing but hell is waiting for you. If it wasn’t for concern for the undying soul, it’s wouldn’t matter. But that soul cannot die, don’t matter what.
Apocrypha says: Sirah3: 16 the writer, who leaves his Dad, der wird geschandet, und wer seine mutter betribt der ist ver flucht von herren zorn gottes [Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord]. The only way we can get away from the “zorn Gottes [God’s anger]” is to listen to our God fearing parents. And if we don’t listen to them, we will never get away from that. “It’s God Word and it stands.”
You might wonder why do I write this stuff? It’s because one soul is worth more than the world and anything or “everything” in it. Everything in the world will burn up to ashes. But the soul can’t burn up, “just burn.” It’s not me saying it. It’s God’s Word. I’m just writing it out of God’s Word.
Jesus warned His followers, don’t let yourselves be deceived. See to it that no-body “jemand euch verfujre [leads you astray].” That’s the biggest worry we have.
If you want to show this letter to someone else, that’s up to you. If we are ashamed of God’s Word, He will be ashamed of us. No matter who it is. Just hope you can get a full recovery. I’ve thought of you a lot already and probably will too. Bye for now. Love and best wishes.
Nothing would be nicer than to see you home again and in church.
Signed, Bishop D.D.K.
Comments (8) - Post a Comment
betribt...... would translate as bring sorrow.
Ramona at 11:39am EDT - April 28, 2012
This letter shows no love in it. Just condemnation. Matthew 5:22-But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother,You good for nothing; shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, You fool; shall be guilty enought to go into the fiery hell. Maybe God is teliing Marvin to leave, and who is anybody to say otherwise. Just like Jesus told Simon and Andrew in Mark 1:17-Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men. Matthew 5:20-For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Tv, radio, and music, is not evil, it depends on what you listen to and watch. There are good Christian stations on the radio, and good Christian programs on tv. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14-in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting, then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. As you call worldly things. It depends on how the worldly things are used. It may be the only way they are able to obey the command of Mark 16:15-And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. The devil has to listen to the Lord also. In Matthew 17:15,18-Lord have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water. And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Ephesians 6:11-Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able ot stand firm against the schemes of the devil. In Luke 6:31-Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. Would you like to receive letters like Marvin got? I know I wouldn't. Luke 6:36-37-Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.
Wendy at 2:07am EDT - April 30, 2012
When life on earth is over and all the saints gather around in heaven, how many will be able to say, "I am here because I followed the Amish rules so diligently?" I will tell you, the answer is none. Not even one. Just as following the law of Moses could not save anyone, (Galatians 2: 16), following the church rules cannot save anyone. Where then will those stand who have taught otherwise? I shudder to think.If even one person could be partly saved by obedience to any set of rules or ordnung, Jesus would have not needed to endure the cruelty of the cross. But he did so because it was necessary. So I will place my confidence in Him. Let Him write his laws on my heart.
Eli at 11:24am EDT - April 30, 2012
Where do I begin? It will never cease to amaze me how they are no doubt certain of how one goes to hell but in all of their wisdom they can never be certain of knowing they will go to heaven. Did God really send his Son to earth and lead those to write the bible only to leave out the certainty for one to know how they can go to heaven? Come home (even though you will never know for sure if you're going to heaven) or most certainly go to hell? I will never understand regardless of how hard I try. A religion which transpired 1500 years after the birth of Christ cannot be the only way to heaven. There is only one bible. My prayer is that they will read it cover to cover and study the word in it's entirety. May God open their hearts and minds to his teachings and cause them to fully understand His message.
Greg Dixon at 8:28pm EDT - May 8, 2012
Salvation is a choice we work out with the Lord. To keep people in bondage to rules and regulations above relationship never works, it merely enslaves people.Whom the SON hath set free is free indeed. To shun people because they felt in their hearts that to be Amish was not the answer is cruel. They are not leaving Christ, just the Amish order. The rest of Christendom has found that we can love Jesus and serve Jesus with joy and gladness knowing that HE is the Author and Finisher of our faith and He keeps us when we submit to Him. The rest of Christendom pleads with you to move away from your arrogance and pride and allow people the freedom to worship with their hearts in the way they feel led.Yes, you are full of arrogance and pride, the very things you say you preach against.
Kara Moore Kittle at 9:36pm EDT - May 9, 2012
Are you &#^$in serious you guys are &#^$in idiots
Andrew at 3:48am EDT - July 13, 2012
Dear Bishop,You are a man advanced in years, seasoned, if you will. You deserve to be treated with respect. I admire the Amish way of life in many respects, but I fear you have the Bible wrong in some instances or have used only a part of a Scripture to boost your message. If this boy you are writing to has not accepted Jesus Christ into his heart I would try to win him over with love. Telling the poor soul he is going to hell if he doesn't return home is just a scare tactic and makes God out to be a horrible. Nowhere in the Bible does it say if an Amish kid decides to leave the fold he is going to hell. The question of hell comes about when a person is not covered by the blood of the Lamb, namely Jesus. He will be judged for all his sins and since we all sin, well, chances are very good without faith in Jesus Christ he will end up in hell which is a place where God does not reside. Have mercy on these kids. They can know the Lord our of the fold as well as in.
Fran at 3:44pm EST - November 5, 2012
Oh my!! So sad, when people that left the Amish are struggling as it is and then they recieve these letters that are only geared to win them back with fear, judgement and guilt. So much brainwash.
Emma Keen at 2:30pm EST - January 31, 2013
« Back to News
