WHO ARE THE AMISH ?
On the surface, many Amish look like they stepped out of the rural 19th Century.
The most conservative, Old Order groups of these reclusive, religious people drive horses and buggies rather than cars. Many have no telephones or electricity in their homes.
They send their children to private, one-room schoolhouses until the age of 13.
They eschew technology and preach isolation from the modern world. They do not join the military or accept assistance from the government.
The Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was a model for the 1985 film Witness starring Harrison Ford, a thriller which contrasted the violent modern world with their peaceful existence.
The Amish experience many of the same problems as other communities, but keep them private.
Strict regulations
Some 200,000 Amish people live in more than 20 US states and in the Canadian province of Ontario.
FACTS ABOUT THE AMISH
Anabaptist Christian denomination
Communities in the US and Canada
Many communities reject links to outside world
Most Amish shun modern technology including electricity and cars
Plain clothing - no buttons allowed in some communities
Speak English and a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch
The oldest group of Old Order Amish, about 16,000-18,000 people, live in Lancaster County, a rural, farming area where Amish first settled in the 1720s - many fleeing religious persecution in Europe.
The Amish are divided into dozens of separate fellowships, broken down into districts or congregations. Each district is fully independent and lives by its own set of unwritten rules, or Ordnung.
The Old Order are the most conservative of these groups, and observe strict regulations on dress, behaviour, and the use of technology, which they believe encourages humility and separation from the world.
Old Order Amish women wear modest dresses with long sleeves and a full skirt, a cape and an apron. They never cut their hair, but wear it in a bun on the back of the head.
Men and boys wear dark-coloured suits, straight-cut coats and black or straw broad-brimmed hats. They grow beards only after they marry.
Modern technology is not rejected out of hand. Some farms have telephones and local groups can allow electricity to be used in certain circumstances.
Most Amish are trilingual. They speak a dialect of German called Pennsylvania Dutch at home, use High German at their worship services, and they learn English at school.
In some ways, the Amish are feeling the pressures of the modern world. Commentators say child labour laws, for example, are threatening long-established ways of life.
While many Amish own firearms, used to hunt and kill wild animals, their communities have until now been largely free of violent gun crime.
Story from BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5400904.stm
more on the Amish
-AMISH NET
posted by vero at 10:18 AM
6 Comments:
Some of the conceps of the Amish are more tending towards righteousness through works than through faith
Sat Oct 07, 07:29:00 AM
yea i agree joel, good point....also it could be the concept of 'worldliness' is also distorted and maybe why they don't use modern commodities like cars, electricity etc...
Mon Oct 09, 05:19:00 AM
I aggree with what you said Joel.The bible does however say that faith without works is dead.
James 2v"20": But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
"26": For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The question then comes, what is this 'works' the bible is talking about?
We have to be very careful when we distinguish between biblical fundamentals and culture.When you confess faith In Jesus Christ, there are certain fruits of this action such as holiness,righteousness,reverance and fear of God.Always ask, what does God think,What does the bible say?.
I also aggree with your point Monica, certain people just take things way over the top, im sure you know what I mean.Like lifeguards that just want to sit on their high chair and blow the whistle at EVERY possible danger.
I'll leave it on this point.Are this Amish community reading the true bible? The Holy Bible, the word of God? and following after what God wants? By that recent event with that bus driver in the states i'd say no they're not.
God bless you guys,
Arnesto G
Tue Oct 10, 05:36:00 AM
Yeah...Paul talks about righteousness through faith for justification before God whereas James talks about justification before man. They are two different things which need each other to complete the picture; on their own they provide only half the picture.
Mon Oct 23, 11:28:00 AM
AMEN Joel!!!!!!!!!!!!
And you know Joel we need to pray for the church of God today because so many people are looking only at half pictures and are heaping false impressions of a righteous,holy God.
Take care and God bless you Joel,
Keep reading and accepting the word of God for what it is and never be influenced by those who take the word of God for what it means to them.
Arnesto
Tue Oct 24, 05:28:00 AM
Yet, this is the very thing that you have done, you have taken the beautiful gospel of grace and truth and interpreted it as what it means to you.
Acts 11:17-19
Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Note: repentance was granted by God.
Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
2 Timothy 2:25
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Repentance comes after the gopel of grace and truth is preached. The Holy Spirit's role is not to convict of sin as you have implied on this blog -
John 16:8-11
8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9Of sin, because they believe not on me; NOTE: (This is what Jesus was refering to when he first cried, Repent! To repent for not believing that He was the Son of God, the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, for believing your own law keeping and works can make you righteous before God. Much like you do, you boast of your own love for the Lord and how you follow Him and deny the flesh, yet let us instead boast of how the Lord loves you (1 John 4:19: we love him because he first loved us))Works of the flesh is anything that is self effort. It does not merely refer to issues of lust and greed. You don't know how to rest in His grace and therefore do not know how to show grace.
10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more. NOTE: (Jesus is our righteousness. When you mess up, his grace is sufficient. Those that go to hillsong who have believed and confessed Jesus Lord and have believed in His word, that He has forgiven them of their sins not because of anything they have done or not done or how well they obey but because by faith they believe on the Son of God Jesus Christ to wash them clean and forgive them, they can rest in grace. Your accusations are completely unbiblical, regardless of how many out of context verses you may quote here. They by faith believe the blood of Jesus washes them clean...(see Rev 12:11, Rev 7:14) who are you to say they are not saved. Are you so foolish to forget the grace and gospel of our Saviour? Galatians 1:6
11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. NOTE: (those covered in the blood of Jesus are now not under judgement! It is the prince of this world who is judged and condemned, and those who did not believe on Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Yet God does not want one to perish so He is sending us out there as His witnesses.
I challenge you to go and find the scripture verses that say we are to preach judgement from God and the wrath of God. The wrath of a Holy God was taken out on the Beloved Son of God Jesus Christ. He became sin in our place. he took the place of our punishment. What a glorious gospel! Preach the cross, not Judgement! God is Holy, God is righteous, and His wrath does come on the children of disobedience, those that do not believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of their lives. However, that wrath came down on Jesus Christ, at the cross Jesus cried it is finished! Preach the cross and resurrection, not judgement.
Please refer for eg to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. All wanted to judge her by stoning her. Much like the repentance of sin teachings, each stone is like a 'repent of your sin' imposed on an unbeliever. Surely you should cry repent of your unbelief on the Son of God, who came down in grace and love and took your place of judgemnet on the cross. receive the gift of salvation! Jesus does love you and died for you!' After Jesus said He without sin cast the first stone, they all left and only the woman and the Lord were left there. Did he say 'woman repent of thine sin?' The answer is no! Jesus said he did not judge her and told her to go sin no more. First grace, then repentance, which is a fruit of the gospel of grace and truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ.)
The purpose of this message is not to cause more division, but I write in love. You have not understood the gospel of grace. We are under the new covenant. You are preaching another gospel, for I nowhere find in the scriptures that we are to preach repentance of sin. The baptism of repentance is what is mentioned. Look it up to see what it means.
John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ
Grace and truth CAME by Jesus christ. He is grace and truth.
By the law is the knowledge of sin, not righteousness. The law demanded righteousness (much like you do to the poor people you come across and on this blog), yet grace (Jesus Christ himself) imparts righteousness. He is our Righteousness. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Not repentance first and then knowing the goodness of God, as you imply.
I pray you come to the knowledge that you are loved by God and resting in His grace. I marvel to think how you treat yourselves when you sin (I'm sure you know that if you even think on a woman with lust, you have committed Adultery. What was Jesus saying? He knew this was impossible to keep even for a believer. He brings you to the end of yourself and your own self efforts to righteousness(works of the flesh) so that you can look to him alone.)
Perhaps then we can begin to love eachother, and you at this blog can love eachother instead of coming against eachother.
The grace and mercy of our Lord be with you.
Love, a woman who Jesus loves
Other thoughts:
1 Corinthians 15:56-57
56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
NOTE: The blood of Jesus washed you clean, the sacrifice was made ONCE> IT IS FINISHED!! believers need to understand the love of God and the grace He bestows. A revelation of this will not lead to people sinning but to people falling in love with Jesus.)
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
20Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Tue Oct 24, 06:32:00 AM
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