A Converstion with Elizabeth Hershberger

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Apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know from Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries welcome to truth for a new generation radio and now the man who preached states in 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland when you think about Jesus and the coming of the Savior as we do here Christmas we think about the ministries of Christ. He was prophet, priest, king, and obviously the greatest thing of all was that Christ went to Calvary's cross paid for our sin debt on the cross and rose from the dead. But the Bible says that among his purposes and ministries.

He came to set the captives free advances for new generation we got a very exciting guest who knows what it is to be in captivity and have been set free. We are recording it cares Bible college in Colorado just had a wonderful class on media and public relations, and I meet so many students there in different ways are all memorable but Elizabeth Hershberger grew up in a very special community. The Amish and she's got a story of deliverance and she's got a story not only of the spiritual deliverance that Jesus gives, but actually of literal physical deliverance and Elizabeth Owsley. Thanks for being with us for a few moments and I heard part of your story in the media class. I think you're very courageous to tell your story and I want to say how much I appreciate your willingness to share your story of deliverance with the listeners. Your entry for new generation thank you Alex for having me. I appreciate it and it's just a great honor to share my story and just glorify Jesus and your married and hear a student at a Christian University Ende. How did God bring you to where you are, well, that's a long story. I did first and second year in 2012, and 13. Our house burned down in 2012 and that kind of sugar foundation because were just learning about grace you notice coming out of the Amish and but through a lot of friends that have faith in us.

They just really pushed us through and helped us see that this was not of God and also graduated Karis in 2014, but that a little bit ahead of myself. So how to got call me here on. I used to watch the healing journeys in it and I would watch those people like go up the steps to cares when we were still down in Elkton and I would always like kind of tell God, man, that would be so awesome to be there but I'm still this I had already left the Amish, but is still in the Mennonite community and so that was not a question like Mennonites do this and I believe in what is taught here and so I always kind of brushed it off as a pipedream. It's another one of those dreams that can come true.

Fast forward in 2012. My husband and I decided to come out here for our anniversary and just visit Colorado and we ended up. Karis and Guy specifically spoke to us, not audibly but through people and long story short, Andrew's personally told us that if you come, your school, be free and so we were like okay that's a word, and so I but I kind of had to put out the fleece like you know on the little bit of a Gideon when it comes to hearing from God. And so I set an my husband had just partnered with her friend in a business that we had a one year agreement. I thought Lord that's a problem.

But if this is really you, you're going to send somebody to is that will offer to buy that business are part of the business were not have to look to sell it you will send somebody 30 minutes later I get a phone call from someone who says hey you wouldn't want to sell you part of the business. Long story short, where we go home five weeks later we moved to Colorado with our four children at the time and were first year care student, you know, it's amazing. We're here to hear your story, not mine. But when Angela first got married.

I felt led to go to seminary and Bible college and we are trying to sell our car to pay tuition and we prayed and we prayed and I had never fasted before, but I heard a preacher talk about fasting's of automata go 24 hours without food is that even possible in a well. We had that the day after I completed my 24 hour fast as the Lord please help us all. The score so I can pay tuition and I can enroll in seminary and I complete my 24 facet Lord when I finish this prayer please make that phone ring in your name. Amen.

And I said the word amen and the phone rang and it was a lady said of saw the ad I will buy the car while thanks I'll meet you tomorrow as I was hanging up the phone ring a second time so he says I want to buy your car.

I've seen this ad is a will there's a lady.

This will with. Here's my number if she follows through call back.

I promise you Elizabeth. I'm hanging up the phone. I had not even let go it ring 1/3 time and it somebody said I want to buy the car so there's a First Lady, then there's a second. This will take my name if they faltered. My point is, doesn't God when we stepped out on faith doesn't God affirm and encourage our little feeble heart and he he gives diesel gentle reminders.

I'm with you, and I think he's so gracious with us warmly for me.

I had never heard of hearing from God like this was legit the first time I heard from God like personally and I thought this is so great and I think he's so gracious, especially as we're just learning to hear his voice.

He's okay if we lay out the fleece and go you know, Lord, I'll know if this is used to prove it. You know we got a break in a minute here. If you're just tuning in. This is true for new generation radio were talking with Elizabeth Hershberger assuring about her journey of coming out of the Amish community but briefly what you say to somebody who's, you know, like all of us grow in their faith was saying how I hear from the Lord. How do I know if a voice is truly from from Jesus.

What would you say well for me. I would say just trust and one of the ways that I checked to see if it is God is does it line up with the word of God and so I would say part of first of all you got to get familiar with the word you know the Bible and you'll know you know the Bible says that my sheep hear my voice, but as strangers they will not know. So I would say get familiar get really familiar with the word of God. And often when God speaks to me it sounds like myself, you know, but it's it it's a really inspire thought and like I did not come up with that. But then I check okay.

Does this in any way contradict the word of God and if it does, I throw it out if it doesn't I take it as the word of God. I had a journalist asked me one time consider you one of those Christians that hears from God and I said well yeah said as God leads you like in an audible voice and I said will not an audible voice. It was much stronger than that. We get to come back right after this date, and folks were talking with Elizabeth Hershberger. Her amazing story from the Amish world to a dynamic walk with Jesus true for new generation is back right after this she wanted to raise your hand during the sermon will here's your chance by Alex McFarland hear from the nationalists indicated radio program explored for more than 10 years, Michael Harper and I have taught Scripture and answered hundreds of Bible questions.

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Elizabeth much in the in the news these days are things about human trafficking and people that are abused and set free and you know that story personally, don't you, I do. I was not trafficked but I was sexually abused by my father in the Amish community. I think people would find that hard to believe because I think when we think of the Amish we think of people that are hard-working they farm they not conform to the modern world and their Christians.

I mean, you know, I would say the impression of the Amish is overwhelmingly positive. Help us understand it even more. The old order new order of heard phrases like that. What are the Amish okay so from looking on from the outside. You're right, they look very intriguing, hard-working community people. In fact, a lot of Amish are have loving families. I had the problem I have is their religion will let's go into the different. The old order new order because that is a factor in what I'm about to say so, so there is new new order. There's new order. There's old order their switching tumor and then there is everything from everything in between. So there's like many different don't know if sex is the right word like SC, CTS within the source and trooper Amish.

There are different churches like church splits happen and then you don't have any dealings with them. You know, so still considers Horton to her so there's just a lot of different types of Amish I should say so in the new order. This may not be the case in the old order. I'm not even sure how this works but in the scorching trooper where I'm from any type of abuse that happens is not reported to the law so because of this, a lot of the people that are looking on think oh they're this holy great people because rarely are cases reported from this were trooper Amish big on family just the great human beings literally bake on family most Amish people have 8 to 12. In some cases 15. My aunt had 19 children, no twins so literally big on family which is great.

You know, because there hard-working you know and there's I learned a lot of good work ethic that my problem is there is so much abuse that happens and goes unnoticed that it's kind of it to its really kind of a dangerous place to live because you can be abused. You're not allowed to talk about it. In my case I was told it's my dad's job that what he's doing is what is a dad's job. Don't talk to mom. Don't talk to your brothers. Don't talk to your friends and so I didn't. I was eight years old when he started I listen to my dad right and here's here's was intriguing to me how God created us because even as an Amish little girl with no dreams when he first did this to me. I remember walking away and I walked outside to we had a outside entrance to a basement and there was a little step.

Then I remember sitting there and just crying and I looked up and I said God my life is ruined forever. The creation that God made was now perverted and I just gave me a revelation. I've heard many people say I've had some X Amish people say you can't get healed from this you have to learn how to cope. Why disagree because I am living proof that you can heal. You don't have to cope Lord revealed to me that if you truly want to be healed. You have to open every single door in your heart and let the original designer come in there and restore what has been violated.

So if if you don't want to cope if you want to be healed. You have to let the one who created you, he's the only one who knows how to restore you back to its original purpose. And so that's what happened to me once he gave me that revelation.

It was incredible. The healing that happen inside of me was like how all I have to do is just open that to him.

I don't have to heal.

I just have to open it to him and he did the healing part in Elizabeth.

I made a lot of people around the country. Many who have been abused.

Many who have gone through unspeakable pains and I think a lot of Christians and we know that the Lord will forgive our sins and Jesus can save us and when we die will go to heaven but you're saying even the deepest emotional scars. He can, not just cope, not a Band-Aid. He can make us new and heal us, even if we've been egregiously violated. The answer is absolutely yes now let me point out that healing doesn't mean you won't remember.

You know you can still remember what happened but as I sit here and talk about. There was a time when I couldn't talk to you about this without just crying and feeling sorry for myself and and hurt.

I can now sit here and actually tell you this story with a smile on my face because I know the healer. I am truly healed. Now this happened years and years ago and it took time. It's a journey.

You know, first you want to trust you want to know that you can trust God because sometimes when your father paints such an ugly picture as a piano father figure. It's hard to trust God so to have somebody explain to you who God is and first you need a revelation that God is good and then you can let him in their listen folks, this might be the most important show you here all year because Jesus loves you are the Elizabeth would say this, he is not only the Savior.

He's the healer and he is the friend. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Elizabeth say a word to the person who can believe God would show love to you, but maybe they find it hard to believe God would show such love to them. You know I used to think those exact words. You know I understand that God would do that for you but you don't understand how messed up I am and honestly where that changed was when I came to Karis and I just sat under the word we renew our minds by the washing of the water.

The word insult the word of God is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It will go in and it will literally start as you put the word in it will literally start slicing away at the pain. You know, and so just I guess that's what I would say just the word I completely agree.

One of my favorite verses is first John 227 this is the Holy Spirit that abides in you remains and will teach you all things folks say to working to come right back and continue our conversation with Elizabeth Hershberger because this message of healing and restoration even showing on the journey that the message God has for you, G and G radio America today is like a patient struggling to live yet is being forcibly euthanized by her doctors. The life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself came "caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient economy is crashing crime is exploding.

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If I may. During this Christmas season, try to invite somebody to church. You know, Christmas and the coming of Christ. It's a great built-in conversation starter, and don't let the season pass by without making it a ministry opportunity and of course we're to help you do that with all of the things on on the website Alex McFarland.com there's a tab. What does God say about my relationship with him and that tab has a free explanation of the gospel, how you can know Christ and I do want to say it's been a great year we've done conferences.

We've done camps we've done so many things and you help us do this and we've given away. I don't know how many thousands of books this year. So for all of the listeners that have prayed for us and have helped us financially and in so many ways throughout 2021 from the bottom of our heart.

We thank you we love you we lift you up to the Lord in prayer a couple of things that are very exciting. Our camp, our youth worldview camp July 17-22.

The registration pages up now it and see refuge.org as in NC North Carolina and see refuge.org and if you look for the tab about unashamed building your biblical worldview that the apologetics worldview camp. That is what the teens need in summer will be here before you know it. Right now I want to get back to our conversation with Elizabeth Elizabeth before the break you were talking about how God really does heal and restore and when it says that Jesus came to set the captives free. Don't you think when you were in a hard place a what from the world's perspective would be a hopeless situation, but when we turn to the word of God. The promises of Scripture and Jesus Christ the Savior. We've got hope and there's hope. There was hope for you there's hope for everybody. And Jesus isn't there. Amen there is an I don't know now I didn't grow up listening to radio so now if you're listening to radio the obvious. I have access to a Bible. Personally, I did not know when all the stuff was happening.

I had access to a German Bible which I could not read right so I didn't have access to the word of God and some of you might for some reason not so it's tough. What I did during this time it was.

There was also a lot of spiritual confusion going on because my dad said there's, you know, he did the whole reincarnation stuff and there's many gods in one day you will rule the planet and in so I didn't know who I was praying to. But here's what I prayed I was. I always set to my God and then I prayed and I am still seeing some of those prayers come to pass. For example, my husband was extremely Amish. He was content with the Amish.

His family was super Amish so but my prayer when we were dating. My prayer was always Lord keep me on your side and keep my husband on your site and the picture I had when I was praying that prayer was, I was dangling from a string that will general pop at any moment. On one side of the fence there's this pastor of green grass on the other side there is a endless dark pit and I was hanging over the pit. I was begging God to kind of bring me over on this greenside, but I don't want to go without my boyfriend at the time. All I knew was what was inside me instinctively that there is a higher power and so I prayed with the knowledge I had. So if you're listening to this, you can always pray if you don't have the where you can always pray but to finish that story my husband when when my older brother started talking to us.

He was actually on board to leave before I was because I didn't trust my dad.

I entrust my brothers so he my husband was actually on board with the gospel before I was and he had to teach me. So if you think about him being a a conservative Amish and for somebody to leave the Amish you got understand how the.

The repercussions of that because there is excommunication for life that happens. I still have two Amish brothers and Amish sister that will commit completely banned from we can can't have any kind of interaction with them.

Were you able to your family to talk about Jesus and to say look more more than culture, more than tradition, the most important thing ever is to have a personal born-again relationship with Christ never so basically the Amish, the way they teach you is you don't, you can never know if you're born again you just you just follow the laws and you hope that you get to heaven. So whenever there's a funeral there's no comfort in going we know he's in a better place. It's always, we hope it is not so because you know for for me and I'm sure for you know the vast majority of believers everywhere with great joy is there. The reality the assurance the certainty that when we have Jesus we are secure. That was one of my biggest reliefs when we left was the fact that I can know and how it took me a while. You know, even after we left on back. She didn't happen until we left the Mennonite culture and came to Karis and actually heard you know who God is, but I use to be really scared about the fact that God knows my heart you know that really scared me. Now it's one of my biggest reliefs.

It's one of my it's one of my comforts is to know when I make a mistake. I immediately go. Thank God you know my heart you know and and so that's made a complete 180 from what it was. Growing up, and so even with even with my children, all my children, except for my wallet. I think my five-year-old is born again, he says you know he prayed that simple prayer, so I'm in a say all five of my children are born again so it's easier for me to to commit them into the Lord's hands going. Hey, if you know, I pray over my children.

I pray protection and safety.

But if something were to happen. I don't grieve as those without hope. I want to say listers don't bail out God is with you.

God is for you. God knows Matthew 68 he knows what you need. Even before you ask, and I want us Elizabeth to visit again at some point, but we praise God that he's the one who calls us.

He equips us he saves us he heals us in on that journey, he sustains us folks as we wrap up Jesus went on a journey to be the Lord of your journey. He came from heaven to Bethlehem to a manger to a cross nailed to the tree rose from the dead. The empty tomb. Jesus made the journey so he could give you a journey into his very presence.

So we always say this, Jesus is as close by prayer. He has promised you call on him today. He will be your savior.

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