E xhortations
The Newsletter of the
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
Volume 2 Number 1
“I Will Remember the Works of the LORD”
— A Historical Sketch of the Apostolic Christian Church —
as told by Brother Henry Michel
Part 1
I was a lad of fifteen years
when “Uncle” Henry Michel
first came on the scene in Cen-
tral Ohio where I grew up. His
endless energy, love for young
people, and French accent cre-
ated a magnetism that drew us
to him. For some reason, hard
to explain, he didn’t seem old
at all to those of us who could
have been his grandchildren.
He quickly became a part of
us.
His Spirit-filled messages of
salvation pricked the hearts of
many, creating a revival unpar-
alleled in times most brothers
could remember. It could be
said each time he was finished
preaching in his poor English
dialect as the Apostle Paul
wrote to the Corinthians: “For
the kingdom of God is not in
word, but in power.” (I Corin-
thians 4:20).
Perhaps his greatest contri-
bution to the life of the church
Spring, 1997
Apostolic Christian Publishing Company
in America was introducing us
to our roots, the history of the
Church. With great enthusi-
asm he brought the wonderful
stories of God’s great work
through our forebears to life.
We were awed and greatly in-
spired to embrace our blessed
heritage and “contend for the
faith which was once delivered
unto the saints.” (Jude 3). The
series of articles in Exhorta-
tions of Brother Henry’s pres-
entation “I Will Remember the
Works of the Lord”, given at
Camp Lake Bloomington in
1947, will bless many and in-
spire hearts all over again to
faithful stewardship of this
pearl of great price.
Respectfully,
Robert W. Freund
Foreword
few days before the
A opening of the Ap-
ostolic Christian
Camp at Lake Bloomington,
— II Timothy 4:2
Spring, 1997
Illinois, on August 24, 1947, sion of being a complete his-
the wish was expressed at a tory or a piece of carefully
meeting of the organization worded literature. I have,
committee that one evening however, made some
at Camp should be devoted changes, especially regarding
to the history of the church. I sayings of Samuel Fröhlich
accepted this assignment joy- which have particular histori-
fully. I gave my message out cal value, and have corrected
of memory in an extempora- my memorized quoting of
neous talk that was recorded these to conform to the word-
on a recording machine.
These notes, based on that
talk, do not have the preten- Continued on page 4
In This Issue
+ “I Will Remember the Works of the LORD”
— Page 1
+ Jesus Lives! — Page 2
+ What You Have Done to One of the Least of
These — Page 3
+ Hold Fast Without Wavering — Page 8
+ Arise, and Go Down to the Potter’s House
+
— Page 13
Effective Prayer — Page 16
Exhortations • 1
E xhortations
The Newsletter of the
Apostolic Christian Publishing Company

Behold how beauteous,

How good and pleasant,
Jesus Lives!
Edward Baer
Reprinted from The Visitor,
April, 1930, pp 75-76.
“Therefore we are buried
with him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was
When among brethren unity dwells! raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even
This phrase from hymn 327 in our Zion’s Harp states that so we also should walk in
unity among brethren is something beautiful and pleasant. For
newness of life.” (Romans
us to be unified as a brotherhood we need to know what we 6:4).
believe and why we believe it. To this end the Exhortations
newsletter was begun. In these few words is
pointed out what Christ’s res-
This is the first issue of the publication’s second year. I have urrection shall work in the
heard from many of you over the course of our first year
life-walk of the Christian, the
expressing thankfulness to God for this work. Please continue follower of Christ. There is
to give feedback regarding topics that you feel can be useful in
strength to be had: and those
furthering our Father’s kingdom. Surely the adversary will who have been
reach further into his arsenal as he attempts to lead the Bride
baptized into
of Christ astray. We must continue to work together to “ear-
nestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
Christ, who “The
have died with
saints.” (Jude 3). Him and have message of
Many of you must be sharing information regarding Exhor- been buried
tations. We have received requests from all over the world for with Him, shall Christ’s
also rise with
this publication. Loved ones from Germany, France, and Aus-
tralia are now also receiving Exhortations. What a blessing it is Him. They who
resurrection
to see how the Lord draws His children together through a have been really
joined in dying
is that in
common love for the Truth.
May our Father in Heaven continue to work in all our lives
with Christ Him there is
through sincere
to lead us closer to Him and each other. May our love for the repentance and power, and
Truth burn within us until the day of our Lord Jesus. the giving up of
O loving Concord! Abide thou ever their own often that His
As sacred bond where the brethren dwell: stubborn will,
and who have
followers
Forsake them ne’er While they live here;
Let naught their hearts divide; believed in the shall have
To endless joys do thou them guide, power of
There at the Savior’s side! Christ’s blood power.”
to cleanse them
from their sins, and who have
then also been buried with
Exhortations is the newsletter of the Apostolic Christian Pub- Christ in baptism, these shall
lishing Company, Syracuse, New York. Its purpose is to declare also rise with Him to a new-
and promote the original doctrinal standpoints and practices of ness of life. Christ gives them
the Apostolic Christian Church through the publication of rele- the strength to obey Him. In
vant articles, both historical and contemporary. such is fulfilled what is writ-
Correspondence regarding this newsletter and other publica-
ten: “For it is God which
tions identified herein may be addressed to: Apostolic Christian worketh in you both to will
Publishing Company, P.O. Box 416, Syracuse, New York 13215- and to do of his good pleas-
0416. Email may be sent to: exhort@acpub.org . Visit our World ure.” (Philippians 2:13).
Wide Web site on the Internet at http://www.acpub.org
When we in whom God has
Gregory D. Kufchak — Editor
begun His work and who bear
Gaius W. Laubli — Associate Editor the name of Christian see the
David M. Freund — Business Manager
standard which the Lord has
set for men, and in particular
for His people, and when we
also view that standard not as
an unapproachable ideal, but
rather as God’s measuring
line, we see that we must be
humbled. For the standard is
high; and even though the
Lord has given us grace and
has sustained us in it so that
we no longer live in sin, yet
too often we do not measure
up as we should.
The message of Christ’s
resurrection, however, brings
with it the message that in
Him there is power, and also
that His followers shall have
power. They
shall have
strength so that
they do not
need to yield to
sin. They shall
walk uprightly
and in love.
Those who do
not and cannot
do this can also
have no right to
call themselves
Christians. The
Word of God is
clear on this
point. Jesus has
said: “Verily,
verily, I say
unto you, Who-
soever commit-
teth sin is the
servant of sin.”
(John 8:34). And the Apostle
John wrote: “In this the chil-
dren of God are manifest,
and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not right-
eousness is not of God, nei-
ther he that loveth not his
brother.” (I John 3:10).
The standard which the
Lord has set is the one by
which men’s works are to be
measured (John 12:48-49). It
is higher than men set for
Continued on page 3

2 • Exhortations Spring, 1997

Jesus Lives!
Continued from Page 2
themselves — often much
higher — and to a still
greater degree it is higher
than what men’s acts meas-
ure. One need only honestly
try to live as God asks him to
do and he will experience
that he is not able to do it
alone, and he will find that he
needs a greater strength than
his own.
Sometimes a person seeks
in various ways or in various
places for the ability to live
right, but in vain: until he
seeks at the one Source of
power. For in Christ only —
nowhere else — can a person
find the strength he needs to
overcome whatever tempta-
tions come his way. Only
Christ was able to overcome
the evil one, and the Savior
Jesus lives! And with Him I!
Death no longer can appall me.
Lo, He lives and reigns on high,
And from death and grave will call me.
I shall then be glorified:
In this faith I here abide!
Jesus lives! His healing’s mine;
My life give I to my Savior!
Ne’er oppose your Lord divine,
Then He will dwell in you ever;
Truly God doth aid dispense:
This shall be my confidence!
By the bond of hope and love
I am bound unto the Master.
Faith looks up to Him above,
Rests on Him through all disaster.
Even death now cannot keep
From my Shepherd me, His sheep.
— Zion’s Harp, Hymn 120
Spring, 1997
shares His victory with those
who live in union with Him.
Christ’s resurrection is an
outstanding evidence of His
power and of His victory. An-
other token, and a most con-
vincing one, to anyone who
sees it is the power of Christ
shown in the lives of His fol-
lowers. If we live consecrated
lives, if we love our fellow
men, if we live holy lives that
are fruitful in good works,
and if we humbly strive to
obey God’s commands — if
we do these things, and only
then, we are clear evidence of
the living Lord to the world,
and then we also have the
assurance in our own heart
that Jesus lives.
Jesus lives. May He live in
us. +
What You Have
Done to One of the
Least of These
Otto Seeger
Excerpted from The Visitor, November, 1930, pp 243-244.
“But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried be-
neath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-
bachuth.” (Genesis 35:8).
This is a brief account of the death of an old servant, Debo-
rah, the nurse that accompanied Rebekah, Jacob’s mother,
when Rebekah left her father’s house to marry Isaac. How often
does the Word of God make mention as in a passing way of
some event which means nothing to us if we hurriedly pass over
it looking for some great truth, when right in one word many
thoughts and wholesome lessons lay before us.
Through the many, many years of Rebekah’s married life this
faithful nurse was her standby: she had helped rear her family.
It appears from the account that when Jacob returned home
his mother must have been dead. It seems the joy was not his
to greet her again. The good Lord deals out to His loved ones
joy and sorrow as He deems it best. We often must feel, “For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9). A child of God learns to
deny himself more and more as he advances in Christ’s school,
and he grows accustomed to give up and surrender privileges
once enjoyed. It seems the closer to the goal we get, the more
narrow the way becomes. It is good so. If we climb higher and
higher, reaching lofty heights, we should not expect smooth and
level highways.
I believe it must have been a great pleasure to Jacob to find
his old nurse, the one that helped to rear him, still alive. He
brought her into his household to make her last few days
comfortable and thus repay some of the love and care she had
shown to his father’s family and to himself.
How not short of wonderful is his kindly disposed and good
influence upon his entire household. We observe this in the
name of Deborah’s burial place: Allonbachuth means “Oak of
Weeping”. It was called this although Jacob’s family had not
known Deborah except from what Jacob had told them and also
from their short acquaintance with her during the time she
spent at his home in the sunset of her life.
Does not God deal with us thus? Are we not but unprofitable
servants? Still God does not forget those who serve Him. It is
human to honor and to do reverence to those who are above
us, but it is Godlike to condescend and show kindness and do
good to those who cannot repay.
Jesus speaks of his “least ones”. He found His Father’s
business not only in the temple, but He sought and found it
among those who have no helper. We must look for those and
bring comfort to those who are comfortless. +
Exhortations • 3

“I Will Remember the Works of the LORD”
Continued from Page 1
ing of his diary.
It may be of interest to
state here that a more com-
plete history has been com-
piled in Switzerland and is
being edited and published
by Elder Brother Hermann
Ruegger of Zurich. At pre-
sent, however, it is available
only in the German language.
The real purpose of the
message given at Camp was
with the help of the Lord to
kindle in the younger genera-
tion the spark of zeal, joy, and
faith that existed in those he-
roic times. If, under the
Lord’s gracious blessing,
these notes can help to
awaken the true flame of the
“first love”, the earnest urge
and the zeal to bring souls to
Christ, and if they can help to
preserve the generation of
our youth of today from the
danger of living a leisurely
and selfish life — dangers
that are brought through
wealth, comfort, and modern
conveniences — then the
purpose of the assignment
will have been fulfilled.
Henry Michel
Introduction
his is not a history of
T a church; it is not a
history of a sectarian
group; it is a history of the
power of Christ revealed in
the last days. This power has
not changed through the cen-
turies, but is still the same as
it was at the time of the apos-
tles.
When the suggestion was
made that one evening at
Camp should be devoted to
view the history of our broth-
ers one hundred twenty years
ago, I was so moved in my
4 • Exhortations
heart and so joyful that I
could not sleep the whole
night. I had waited a long
time for this opportunity to
interest our people in what
our grandparents were do-
ing. It is not merely a history
that I am bringing; rather, it
is a most fervent appeal into
which I put my whole heart
and my whole soul, that we
may be reminded of the faith-
“This is not a
history of a
church... It is a
history of the
power of Christ
revealed in the
last days.”
fulness and the zeal that they
had one hundred years ago,
and which through the years
we have lost. It is an appeal
to each one of you.
What I am bringing to you
is not hearsay or gossip. I
went and dug the historic
points out of old letters and
out of diaries of old brothers
and also interviewed old peo-
ple, and I know whereof I
speak. I devoted many of my
evenings to this endeavor,
and what I am bringing you is
the result of fifteen or twenty
years of research. The more I
heard, the more I became
zealous. When I was digging
the details out of a diary,
sometimes the writing was so
small I had to use a magnify-
ing glass. Sometimes I
worked till three o’clock in
the morning on this, and I
went to bed then only be-
cause my wife insisted that I
should take care of my
health. However, I could not
sleep. My heart was filled
with thankfulness for what
had been done; but often I
felt ashamed that we are now
such quiet citizens, sitting in
easy chairs and just watching
the time pass on.
I was so moved when I saw
this zeal, the life that was in
all the old people, that I was
moved to say, “Now don’t
speak about new things, new
suggestions: just take the old
ones that have been forgot-
ten, and then we will be very
zealous. We will be ‘full of
pep’, if I dare so to say. We
will be filled with the Spirit of
God.”
A Faithful Remnant
believe, my dear
I ones — I am sure of
this — that from the
time of the apostles until now
there was always a small
number, a little flock of peo-
ple who remained on the
truth that Jesus brought, the
truth which the apostles af-
terwards used and whereby
was created the church of
God, the church of Christ.
There was a long sequence of
people. They suffered, but
they never lost their faith.
The apostles, you know,
continued gazing after Jesus
was risen to heaven. They
were looking at the sky. They
were disturbed. They had lost
their Savior: “What can we
do without the Savior?” Then
the angel came and said that
Jesus will come again, and
then they had a reason for
their lives: “We are preparing
our souls. We are witnesses of
His death and of His resur-
rection until He comes.”
One after the other, these
apostles disappeared. Peter
was crucified. Andrew, the
apostle, was crucified. Paul,
the apostle, was beheaded.
Poor, poor Thomas had a ter-
rible death. They heated a big
table of iron until it was white
hot, and then put poor
Thomas on this and roasted
him. Others died different
deaths: Luke was hanged on
a tree, and so on, one after
the other. Timothy was of the
younger generation, and he,
like the others, had to seal
with his blood the faith that
he had found in his youth.
One after the other they dis-
appeared as a testimony of
the glory of God revealed in
Jesus Christ.
Then comes the long his-
tory of the Martyrs. One after
the other died for his faith. I
was moved when I was young
by the history of a boy who
was thirteen years old, and
who was bound — one foot
and one hand on one side,
“Then comes the
long history of
the Martyrs.
One after the
other died for
his faith.”
and the other hand and other
foot on the other side. Then
his persecutors put two
horses — one on one side,
and the other on the other
side — and you can easily
imagine what happened to
the poor boy. But he ac-
cepted his fate: he died joy-
Continued on page 5
Spring, 1997

“I Will Remember the Works of the LORD”
Continued from Page 4
fully. There are other thou-
sands we could speak
about — for hours, for the
whole night — about all
these wonderful witnesses
that sealed the faith they had
found in Jesus Christ with
their blood. And the more
who were killed in this won-
derful way, the more joyful
“After a while,
the larger part of
those that were
called Christians
just had the
name of Christ,
but not the
power that was
revealed in Him.
But a few still
remained,
keeping this
faith...”
they were in dying, the more
the Gospel was going from
house to house. The fire of
which Jesus had spoken was
burning, and the Gospel was
going from country to coun-
try.
Already in the early church
came great tribulation. There
came the persecution in Jeru-
salem, and they had to go in
all directions. One of the
apostles even went as far as
India. One went to Arabia.
And you know that Paul went
first to Greece, and then to
Italy, and later on to Spain.
Everywhere the joyful mes-
Spring, 1997
sage was given of Jesus, the
Savior of the world. Then, af-
ter a time, men tried to extin-
guish the fire, but it never was
completely put out. Others
tried to make the way more
easy. They set up all kinds of
institutions so that people
would not have to repent,
would not have to be con-
verted, would not have to go
through a hard school before
they would be accepted as
children of God. They made
all kinds of laws, all kinds of
man-made churches; and af-
ter a while, the larger part of
those that were called Chris-
tians just had the name of
Christ, but not the power that
was revealed in Him. But a
few still remained, keeping
this faith from generation to
generation, and this long se-
quence of witnesses is what
historians have called the Pil-
grim Church. We have a few
records in history about
them, telling how they were
persecuted. We know that
the emperor Nero used
Christians as torches in his
garden at night so that he
could see when there was a
feast. They also used believ-
ers for torches at other times.
We know that in one year, in
the year 302 A.D., in one
month alone in Rome they
killed seventeen thousand
believers. They tried to de-
stroy these faithful witnesses.
The larger number of them
was killed, but a small flock
was always here from genera-
tion to generation.
The Baptism of
Faith
n the year 400 A.D., in
I the southern part of
France and in other
countries, there were those
who were believers and had
the baptism of faith as we
have. Baptism of faith is not
an invention of our church,
but always was since the
apostles, when these teach-
ings were spread through all
of Europe. I have read the
history of some who went by
foot from Spain to Germany.
Those who know a little
about geography can realize
what a distance it was from
Spain to Germany, crossing
all of France. These pilgrims
could spend every night dur-
ing the long journey in the
homes of baptized Chris-
tians, of ones who were in
faith. I don’t know how many
miles they made a day, but it
required shelter in many
homes until they reached
their destination. Every-
“The beginning
was the baptism
of faith, based
on conversion
and new birth.”
where they found believers
who were peacefully and joy-
fully going the way of truth.
Then came a big awaken-
ing. You know the history of
the Reformation. I don’t
want to speak about this all
evening, but perhaps the
thing that you do not know is
that the beginning of the Ref-
ormation, that eventually
created the Lutheran
churches and other churches,
was really a beginning, an
awakening, a revival of peo-
ple believing in the baptism
of faith. Even Luther be-
lieved in the baptism of faith.
The one who brought the
Reformation to Switzerland
was a man who was visiting a
small Swiss congregation
where they preached the
Gospel exactly as we do and
where they were baptized af-
ter a conversion. After a
while he received a vision of
a big, big church and, wanting
to have a big church, he had
to make a great big door.
Having a big, big door, the
way had to be made easy. Ba-
bies had merely to be brought
on the eighth day after they
were born. They were sprin-
kled, and a document was
given stating that they were a
member of the church, and
that was all. That was not the
beginning. The beginning
was the baptism of faith,
based on conversion and new
birth.
Persecutions
fterwards the
A Täufer, as they were
called, these poor
people living in our wonder-
ful country of Switzerland,
were persecuted to death.
The prisons were so filled
that people could not stand,
they could not sit. They were
heaped one above the other
for days, for months, for
years, until they died. A terri-
ble persecution raged from
about 1517 to 1525. In this
persecution thousands were
killed. A person even re-
ceived one hundred dollars
when he denounced one of
these people. One hundred
dollars was a fortune at that
time! In a certain forest in
Switzerland in a very silent
place, about three hundred
used to come together. In-
formers denounced them,
and so there was three hun-
dred times one hundred dol-
Continued on page 6
Exhortations • 5

“I Will Remember the Works of the LORD”
Continued from Page 5
lars paid. All went to jail, and
all died.
Many thousands were
killed in other places. At the
shore of one of our beautiful
blue rivers, called the Limat,
in Zurich, Switzerland, there
is still a small chapel. From
this chapel they used to put
the believers in a cage, and
then let them down into the
water in this cage for a few
minutes and then lift them
back out. When they did so
all the spectators were yell-
ing, and then they put them
in the water again and contin-
ued so, up and down, until
they were dead.
Many had been beheaded,
and then something hap-
pened. One was the last who
was beheaded. Before he was
beheaded, he said, “I am dy-
ing for Jesus my Savior. I am
dying because I believe in
Him, because I have been
cleansed by His blood. I am
His child; and because I am a
child of Jesus, I have to die.
You can behead me — the
Lord will probably allow you
to do this — but as a proof
that what I say is right, as a
proof that I am a child of
God, it will happen that after
I am beheaded my head will
jump by itself into the basket
that you have prepared for
my body.” But they laughed
at him and beheaded him. In
a moment, however, they
were badly frightened, for af-
ter the head fell to the
ground, it made a big leap
and fell into the midst of the
basket! Then the govern-
ment of Bern, where this hap-
pened, decided, “No more,
no more!” There is a monu-
ment in Bern of a man with-
out a head, and holding his
head in his hands. That was
6 • Exhortations
the last one of these believers
who was beheaded in that
town; and not only in that
town, but in the country. This
was in 1571.
During the time of the Ref-
ormation these persecutions
had continued until it was not
bearable anymore. Even the
Dutch government, the gov-
ernment of Holland, made a
petition to the government of
Switzerland to let these peo-
ple get out of the country and
“It was not a
question
whether he likes
it or not —
Samuel Fröhlich
just had to be a
preacher.”
come to Holland. “They are
welcome in our land,” they
said, and the Swiss govern-
ment allowed them to go.
They were put on such a mis-
erable boat, and such miser-
able food was given to them
on the way, that from fifty-six
who remained of about one
thousand, thirty-four died on
the way, and the rest died
when they arrived.
These fifty-six who left
Switzerland at that time
wanted to go to America,
knowing that it was a peace-
ful country, but they never
reached it. They all died in
Holland before they could
get the next boat to come to
your beautiful country. But
there were always small
groups, a small flock, of
whom the Word says, “Fear
not, little flock, because it is a
good pleasure of the Father
to give you the kingdom of
God!”
And now we are coming
nearer, and we are coming to
the 19th century. There was a
revival in many places, and
one of the results of this re-
vival is this wonderful and
dear crowd that we have be-
fore us. That is the wonderful
story that I want to tell! Un-
derstand me rightly: I don’t
want to praise people. I don’t
want to make people higher
than they are, but we do have
a lot of respect for these peo-
ple who were persecuted
through their whole life, who
were full of zeal, and full of
the Spirit of God, leaving the
comfort of their homes and
going the way of self-denial,
bringing the good Gospel
and the tidings of peace to
the people.
Samuel Heinrich
Fröhlich
have now to mention a
I name that is perhaps
going to be mentioned a
few times: that of Samuel
Fröhlich. This was a French
family. Their name was De-
Joyeaux, which is a French
word meaning “the joyful”.
These people were living in
France up to the persecution
of 1648. On this date, the
Catholic church decided that
everyone that is not Catholic
should either be killed or
leave the country right away.
In one night, the terrible
Bartholomew Night, forty
thousand were killed, mur-
dered in a terrible way. In the
name of the “holiness” of the
church, of the “universal
church”, the only church
through which, as they pre-
tended, people could go to
heaven. Many escaped, and
one of the families that es-
caped was this family of De-
Joyeaux. They went to Swit-
zerland and settled there in a
part of the country that
speaks the Swiss German.
They changed their name
from DeJoyeaux to Fröhlich,
which means “joyful” in Ger-
man.
This joyful family had a tra-
dition that one of the family
had to be a preacher, had to
do something for the Lord.
That was something decided:
it was not a question whether
he likes it or not, if he is fit for
this mission or not — he just
has to be a preacher, and Sa-
muel Fröhlich was the one
who just had to be a preacher.
He did not believe, he did not
like it, he was not interested:
but he was rather mocking.
Anyway, that did not matter.
He had to be a preacher.
That was all. He went to
school, he went to college, he
went to the theological
school of Zurich; and in his
diary he says, “When I came
to the theological school, I
had just a little bit of faith;
but this little bit of faith I lost
there completely.” When he
was graduated from theologi-
cal school, he was an atheist.
He would rather be blas-
pheming against God than to
be praising Him. He was in a
terrible state of unbelief, but
nevertheless he was gradu-
ated a preacher ready to be
ordained.
Fröhlich’s
Conversion and
Calling
he Lord was watch-
T ing this boy, and He
made him sick. He
had a terrible sickness of the
lungs: a sickness that was the
Continued on page 7
Spring, 1997

“I Will Remember the Works of the LORD”
Continued from Page 6
reason for his early death, the
reason why later on he was
sick practically two months
every year and never recov-
ered completely. He was in
such a miserable condition
“His sermon was
a wonderful
message of
the power of
Christ.”
that every doctor had no
hopes whatsoever. And in his
terror of death, he was asked,
“Now how will you present
yourself before the Lord in
the resurrection of the dead?
With your graduation paper,
with your diploma and your
hatred against God?” He
came into a terrible condi-
tion. He was not only very
sick, but his soul found nei-
ther rest nor peace, and was
full of “yearning, sadness,
and anxiety.” He found out
that he was the poorest
among the poor, and he came
slowly but truly into repen-
tance, crying days and nights
for the wickedness of his soul.
And he went through weeks
and weeks of crying to the
Lord that He would help him.
Everybody wanted to help
him for the sickness of his
body, but there was no one —
not a single one — who could
be of any help, and comfort,
for his soul; and he suffered
more than can be told.
In this misery of his repen-
tance, suddenly he looked to
the Bible: the book he had
been studying for years, criti-
cizing and trying to find what
Spring, 1997
was right and what was
wrong; and when he had fin-
ished his study there was
nothing right in the Bible
anymore, but everything was
wrong. He took this book as
much as he could in his weak-
ness, and he found the reve-
lation of Jesus. He found the
reason why Jesus died: that
Jesus died for him and for his
sins. Joyfully he accepted sal-
vation by grace and stretched
his two hands towards his
Savior, and he found a won-
derful peace in his heart. As
soon as his soul was saved
and rescued, the body started
to recover; and instead of dy-
ing as they thought he would,
he recovered — not com-
pletely, but anyway he was in
fairly good health.
Then it was just the time
when he should be ordained
as a preacher. I don’t know
how they do it in this country,
but over there when you are
to be ordained in the State
church, you first have to de-
liver a sermon, bring a sam-
ple of your wisdom, of your
ability. The people who listen
to this first sermon are not
the public who are generally
in church, but just ministers
and all the authorities of the
church. A church is filled
with preachers, old ones and
critical ones, and they listen
to this sermon and have to
decide whether this man will
be ordained or not. He was so
joyful about the miracles that
he experienced in his sick-
ness that his sermon was a
wonderful message of the
power of Christ. He told how
he had been, how he went to
school, how he lost his faith,
how he was sinful as a stu-
dent — regardless of the fact
that he was a theological stu-
dent — just as sinful as any-
one was, and he gave the
glory to Jesus. He spoke
about the conversion he ex-
perienced, about the peace
he found, and about the re-
mission of his sins. The more
he spoke, the more the peo-
ple were concerned; and
when he finished they said,
“Such a man is no good. We
cannot use such a man.” They
thought that he would turn
the whole church upside
down, and they did not want
such a disturbance. They
wanted ministers able to
keep the people quiet and si-
lent, and able to keep them
coming to church and faith-
fully paying their dues.
So he waited for one year
and then made application
again. They thought, “Now
let us see if this man has lost
his extravagance.” I do not
know exactly if his second
sermon was as joyful as the
first one. He, at least, had a
year’s experience behind
him, and it certainly had been
joyful, but perhaps in a mod-
erate way, and he was or-
dained “on trial”. It was said
“He died in
peace in the arms
of Samuel...”
to him what is generally said
when you receive your li-
cense only on trial: “We have
a right to withdraw this li-
cense on a moment’s notice.”
So he was joyful anyway:
“Now I can live for my Lord.”
There was a certain Lu-
theran church near the Lake
of Constance, between Swit-
zerland and Germany, where
there was a very old preacher.
He was sick in bed and could
not preach anymore. So he
always had to have somebody
from outside to come, and so
Samuel Fröhlich was sent as
a vicar. He started to give a
testimony of Christ, and the
result was so marvelous that
after the first or second
preaching, the whole church
was deeply moved and in
tears. And not only was the
church deeply moved, but the
old preacher in his bed, like-
wise, was under conviction.
He had a whole life of
preaching behind him, and
yet he did not know Jesus. He
was in his sins, and now he
was dying and did not know
anything about salvation. Sa-
muel, who was a very zealous
man, not only preached in the
church, but he preached to
the preacher. The Word
wrought such a wonderful
miracle that the preacher
found peace before he died.
He died in peace in the arms
of Samuel, thanking him for
what he brought to him, and
he gave him permission to
have the funeral service.
So this young man who just
had a license on trial had to
give the funeral sermon be-
fore a big congregation, most
of whom were ministers and
authorities of the church.
They watched this young
man, and the more he spoke,
he wrote in his diary, the
longer the faces became. Af-
terwards they took him aside
and said, “You are dis-
charged.” He had the cour-
age to say at the funeral serv-
ice that the old preacher had
found peace and remission of
his sins on his death bed. That
was terrible in the eyes of the
authorities, but he could not
do otherwise. The old man
had wanted him to tell, but
that was an offense to the
church. So he was discharged
and had to leave immedi-
ately. +
Exhortations • 7

Hold Fast Without
Wavering
K. Stäubli
This article is taken from the
work compiled by Brother K.
Stäubli of Pfäffikon-Zürich,
Switzerland, in 1928, describ-
ing the suffering of the Serbian
brethren because of their re-
fusal to bear arms or swear to
an oath. The complete work is
published by the Apostolic
Christian Publishing Com-
pany under the title of “The
Nazarenes in Yugoslavia”.
Brother Stäubli served with
Brothers Eduard Geistlich
and Henry Michel as a dele-
gate on behalf of the brethren
of our faith to the official con-
ference of the Alliance of the
Societies for the League of Na-
tions, in Brussels. He was in-
strumental in addressing the
matter of non-combatant al-
ternative military service with
the Yugoslavian and Roma-
nian authorities.
This work is the result of his
research and investigation into
the persecution of the Serbian
brethren, and documents the
trials of faith they had to en-
dure.
The First
Christians
When beginning with the
day of Pentecost the Apostles
of Jesus Christ, imbued with
the spirit of God, were asked
by inquiring people who de-
sired eternal life, “Men and
brethren, what shall we do?”
they were told: “Repent and
be converted and believe in
Jesus Christ and be bap-
tized...” He who then was
obedient, who repented of
his sins, who was converted,
who believed in our Lord Je-
sus Christ as the Lamb of
God, and then made a cove-
nant with God in holy bap-
8 • Exhortations
people — God’s own — own, by a spiritual rebirth, as
whose members are dis-
persed all over the world, liv-
John the Evangelist says:
“But as many as received
ing quietly and in seclusion,
far away from politics, far
him, to them gave he power
to become the sons of God,
away from the pleasures of even to them that believe on
tism, was added unto the peo- the world. his name: Which were born,
ple of the Lord (Acts 2). not of blood, nor of the will of
Although they are not the flesh, nor of the will of
bound together by race, by
The Brothers of origin, by language, nor by
man, but of God.” (John
the First 1:12-13).
economic, political, nor any
Christians other kind of earthly bond, They are wedded to their
they are firmly united among Redeemer and Savior, Jesus
The brothers in faith of the themselves by a mighty spiri- Christ, and they serve Him
first Christians were to be tual bond, by divine love. with soul and body, because
found throughout all the cen- Their Ruler and King, Jesus He has bought them with His
turies, across the world. To be Christ, said to them, “A new own blood from the world.
sure, the prophetic word of commandment I give unto His divine teaching is their
Christ was fulfilled again and you, That ye love one an- guidance for life. “Ye shall
again in their lives: “If they other; as I have loved you, know them by their fruits”
have persecuted me, they will that ye also love one an- (Matthew 7:16).
also persecute you.” (John other.” (John 13:34).
15:20). It is impossible to become
They, too, became mem-
Today there still exists a bers of this people, God’s Continued on page 9
A Widow’s Petition
I send this petition for my son, Paja Tordaji, born in 1898. He served at first for two
months without arms in the battalion of pioneers in Senta, from February 21 to May 5,
1920, then he served in Kumanovo in the 22nd Inf. Regiment, 5th company. Then he was
called in again on July 22, 1920. Not having been able to take up arms because his
Nazarene religion does not permit him to do so, he said, “I have never learned to serve
in the army with a gun. I have even served in the war without arms of any kind, I have
never taken an oath, and I shall also do now what I am able to do.” Hearing this, they
took pity on him and they transferred him to the Transportation troops. He served 18
months in Serbia, six months in Albania on the battlefields, and after he had served his
time, the commandant had him tried before a court-martial, and this court sentenced
him to five years and eight months in prison. He has patiently suffered everything,
because he was born in the faith of the Nazarenes, that is, his parents were Nazarenes.
He served his sentence in Srem Mitrovica until July 18, 1926.
Now they have called him again into the army to serve in it. The commandant of the
22nd Infantry Regiment, 5th company, added up the time and found that he had served
a month longer than he would have if he had served under arms. And if he would take
up arms now, he would be allowed to go home at once. The commandant Ljubomir
Toschic ordered him to take up the arms, and this he could not do. The commandant
said to him, “Now you must do it,” and gave him a slap in the face. At the same time he
called a corporal and together they hung rifles on him by sheer force. Then the corporal
Petar Knezevic drove him into the camp of the soldiers; there they commanded him to
take up arms and a lieutenant of the 8th company, Anton Milekic, gave the order to lead
him into a store room in order to beat him. As he had no cane at hand to beat him, he
took out his sword, but he did not want to break his sword on him and he gave the order
to tie ten rifles around his neck. This was done. Three times he was like dead. They nearly
choked him to death.
Then my son sent word to me: “Mother, do come, while I am still alive.” I arrived three
days later. Then he was thrown into prison and two machine guns were tied to his body.
Continued on page 9
Spring, 1997
 year 1857, a true and faithful Pápa, published a book
Hold Fast Without Wavering servant of the Lord. which tells of the origin and
growth of the Nazarenes in
Continued from Page 8 ally died down, the bright Hungary and adjoining coun-
glory of Christ’s teachings The Nazarenes tries. The following are a few
a citizen of heaven, that is, to dimmed in proportion.
It is written of Jesus Christ, excerpts from his book.
be “saved”, by physical birth
or origin. For this reason they Then it was that God awak- in Matthew 2:23, “He shall be
have passed through real re- ened in Switzerland in the called a Nazarene.” The Jews Excerpts from the
pentance, become free from year 1828 a true and faithful called the Apostle Paul “a Account of
the burden of their trespasses witness in the person of the ringleader of the sect of the
Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). The
Károly Eötvös
and from the deeds of dark- preacher S. H. Fröhlich, who
ness, been given the living entered into the new life in first believers in Christ were The Hungarian journey-
faith in Jesus, and made a Christ by his rebirth. It was he called “Nazarenes” in the man-locksmiths Johann
covenant with God through who rekindled the candle of earliest times! “And the disci- Denkel and Johann Kropat-
their baptism. the bright light of the Gospel. ples were called Christians schek came to the city of Bu-
For that reason he was dis- first in Antioch.” (Acts dapest in the summer of 1839.
The teachings of Christ missed from his office, his ec- 11:26). To this very day the In their travels they came as far
and His apostles are wonder- clesiastical duties, in 1830. believers in Christ are called as Zürich where they became
ful and full of peace. Begin- He began to preach the pure Nazarenes in Austria, in Hun- acquainted with S. H. Fröh-
ning about the year 34 A.D., Gospel and brought together gary, and in the Balkans. lich, who converted them to
many thousands of faithful many believers in communi- the true faith, and were bap-
believers gladly suffered ties (congregations). He A Hungarian man named tized by him. Denkel immedi-
death for it. As the flames at evangelized from Switzer- Károly Eötvös, born in 1842, ately spread the new faith
the stakes where the first land up to the city of Stras- a professor at the Protestant among his fellow workers in
martyrs were burned gradu- bourg, where he died in the Law Academy in the city of Budapest, one of whom was
Ludwig Hencsey from Szent-
Péter-Úr, born in 1820. He was
Continued from page 8
introduced to the new faith by
He had to remain in the same position the entire night; he could not sleep nor move. For Denkel on November 20,
three days they tied him six times every morning and six times every afternoon to the 1839, and was baptized in Bu-
machine guns. dapest on May 8, 1840. He is
At the time when he was to take the oath, the commandant tried to force him to swear, the real founder of the Naz-
but he said, “I can give a ‘promise,’ as my faith permits me to do, but I cannot take an arean communities in Hun-
oath.” Thereupon two officers struck him with their fists. They loaded him up with rifles gary.
by force. They pricked his hands with bayonets, that they might compel him to take up
arms. They kicked him brutally. He was bloody from head to foot. When the commandant In June of 1840, Hencsey re-
saw how bloody he was, he said to him, “Go and wash yourself.” After this he struck him turned to his home for a short
again and again. His head was all swollen, the face bloody all over. He suffered such time and made good use of his
agonies of pain that he was unable to eat for five days. Once the officer struck him on time to gain new converts for
his abdomen so that he fell down as if he had been killed. The soldiers lifted him to his the new faith. The first of these
feet and the commandant fled. When he heard that he was not dead, he returned and converts was the nobleman
beat him anew. Josef Kovács, a man of educa-
tion who later began a corre-
The commandant Dragoljub Caric took his New Testament, spat into it, and then tore spondence with Fröhlich.
it up. Often they gave him nothing to eat and they made a bed from boards into which Their letters were written in
nails had been driven from below, so that the nails might tear his flesh. And, so that he Latin. In July, Hencsey came
might not be able to stir, they built a partition from above the boards, and they wanted back to Budapest to continue
to lock him into this bed of nails for three days and three nights in order to torment him. his work of conversion. Josef
Fortunately the commander of a battalion happened to come along. He asked the Trulavs, Johann Klein, and the
soldiers, “What’s that?” They told him, “That is a bed for this Nazarene, to have him sleep widow Anna Nipp were ac-
on it.” Then the commander of the battalion said, “This is not permitted, you must not cepted as new members. The
do such things. It is better to court-martial him.” This was not done, but they continued last of these, whose husband
to beat him. When the doctor came, and he reported himself “sick” and said he would had been the master of a trade,
send in a complaint, they kept on beating him still more. After this he kept quiet. placed a room at their disposal
where the little community
Therefore, I, his mother, petition you to ask you if something could not be done in this could hold their meetings. In
matter. I think the state officials have no knowledge of this. And now they are going to the years 1840 and 1841,
court-martial him. He has now been for three months in the 5th company of the 22nd
Infantry Regiment in Kriva Palanka (South Serbia). I beg you to help me and my son. +
Continued on page 10

Spring, 1997 Exhortations • 9


Hold Fast Without Wavering
Continued from Page 9
Hencsey wrote three books in
which he set down the princi-
ples of the true faith. These
books were copied by his con-
verts and distributed among
the people.
Josef Bela was baptized in
the fall of the year 1840. He
became Hencsey’s most loyally
devoted and useful assistant.
Later the following members
were added: Georg Ihász, who
began his activity in the county
of Sopron, a little later he went
to Austria in order to preach
there and to make converts;
Andreas Hortész was active in
Lippa and in Nagyszeben;
Philipp Waidenhof, a journey-
man oil miller and an eager
disciple, preached and made
converts in the county of Békés
and its vicinity; Josef Samor,
the most efficient disciple of
Hencsey, was very active in for-
eign countries.
Sixteen additional members
were baptized on May 16,
1841. In June, 1841, several
members left Budapest with
the firm decision to preach the
new faith everywhere. Hencsey
again returned to his parents
and was very active in the en-
tire countryside, where he
made many converts.
In 1842, we find Hencsey
again in Budapest. He and
Bela left this city to go to Lippa
for a visit. Here Andreas
Kertész had been very active
and had won over many new
members. Hencsey returned to
Budapest on May 16, 1842,
where he received a few more
members. On October 11,
1842, Hencsey and Bela came
to Zürich and remained with
Fröhlich in order to become
acquainted with “the brother
in Christ”. From Zürich Henc-
sey wrote many letters to Hun-
gary, and in those letters he
constantly urged the brothers
10 • Exhortations
and sisters to remain faithful
and steadfast. His desire to be
able to return to his native land
within a short time was not
realized. He died in Zürich on
March 14, 1844.
In the year 1843, Hencsey’s
brother Imre also came to
Zürich. After his brother’s
death, Imre and Bela visited
Fröhlich in Strasbourg. Imre
returned to Hungary in 1846,
Bela in 1847. Both took up
their accustomed activity
again when they arrived. In
1850, Bela went to America
where he was very active and
had great success. He often
came back to Hungary, the last
time being in 1871.
Spreading the
Gospel
The communities of the
Nazarenes from this time be-
gan to spread in the sur-
rounding countries, so that
their members were to be
found up to the frontiers of
Turkey during the World War
[World War I].
The Nazarenes had every-
where acknowledged the
constituted authorities and
had served them loyally. Only
when the questions of the
bearing of arms and of the
taking of an oath arose did
conflicts ensue, owing to the
Nazarenes’ convictions of
conscience.
The Problem of
Bearing Arms in
the Light of the
Gospel
“For Christ is the end of
the law for righteousness to
every one that believeth,”
wrote Paul to the Romans
(Romans 10:4). “For the law
made nothing perfect” (He-
brews 7:19).
Christ Jesus put an end to
the teaching of the Old Tes-
tament, “An eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth,” and in-
stead demanded: “Love your
enemies, bless them that
curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you; That
ye may be the children of
“Only when
the
questions of
the bearing
of arms and
of the
taking of an
oath arose
did conflicts
ensue.”
your Father which is in
heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).
“Therefore all things whatso-
ever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even
so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
Now, does anyone desire to
be killed by his fellow men?
Do as you would have done
to you.
John the Baptist, the her-
ald of Christ, said to the Ro-
man soldiers: “Do violence to
no man, neither accuse any
falsely” (Luke 3:14).
When they wanted to seize
Jesus, His disciple Peter
struck “courageously” with
his sword against a superior
force. With it he cut off the
ear of Malchus, but Jesus said
to him, “Put up thy sword into
the sheath” (John 18:11).
Peter wrote, “Not render-
ing evil for evil” (I Peter 3:9).
And Paul advised, “There-
fore if thine enemy hunger,
feed him; if he thirst, give him
drink: for in so doing thou
shalt heap coals of fire on his
head.” (Romans 12:20).
What a great difference
there is between the one who
forgives his enemy and does
good to him according to the
teaching of Christ, and the
one who treacherously kills
his enemy — who, perhaps, is
better than he himself — and
whom he does not even
know.
Human life is not the prop-
erty of men. It has been given
to them in trust by God.
Christ says, “Render to Cae-
sar the things that are Cae-
sar’s, and to God the things
that are God’s.” Human life
is a gift and the property of
God. No man, according to
the Gospel, may have the ab-
solute power over the life of
his fellow man. This right be-
longs solely to God who gave
life.
The Redeemer, captured
by His enemies, takes up the
ear cut off by Peter with his
sword, and heals it to its place
on his enemy Malchus (Luke
22:51). How beautiful is
medical service.
To Take an Oath
or to Swear in the
Light of the
Gospel
The Son of God explicitly
forbade His disciples to
swear. “But I say unto you,
Swear not at all” (Matthew
5:34). “But let your commu-
nication be, Yea, yea; Nay,
nay: for whatsoever is more
than these cometh of evil.”
(Matthew 5:37).
The Apostle James writes
concerning this: “But above
all things, my brethren, swear
not, neither by heaven, nei-
Continued on page 11
Spring, 1997

Hold Fast Without Wavering
Continued from Page 10
ther by the earth, neither by
any other oath: but let your
yea be yea; and your nay, nay;
lest ye fall into condemnation
[probably of God].” (James
5:12).
A logical conclusion de-
duced from the teachings of
Christ as mentioned above
leads to the fact that true
Christians should not kill a
human being and that they
should not swear. For this
reason the Nazarenes have
consistently refused to serve
with arms, as well as to render
the oath; but they serve faith-
fully in the medical corps, or
among any unarmed
troops — and although they
do not swear or take an oath,
they do keep their word.
Even the terrible World War
in the years 1914 to 1918
could not induce them to
take up arms against one an-
other or against others. A
number of Nazarenes are
said to have been shot in Aus-
tria-Hungary during this war
for the sake of their faith.
The Nazarenes in
Yugoslavia
“And at that time there was
a great persecution against
the church which was at Jeru-
salem” (Acts 8:1).
In September, 1924, all
men of military age, from 20
to 50 years of age, living in the
territories ceded to Serbia
from Austria-Hungary as a
result of the World War, were
called to arms for the “de-
fense” of the new govern-
ment of Yugoslavia. Because
the Nazarenes could not take
the oath, in accordance with
the Word of God, about 1,400
of their number were impris-
oned. Some of them, fettered
in chains, were led through
Spring, 1997
the villages. A high officer is
reported to have said: “Kill
them, rob them of every-
thing, burn down their
houses, do not buy anything
from them. If you do this,
nothing will happen to you.”
For a few weeks they even
had to, in part at least, furnish
their own board. This impris-
onment lasted for about four
months.
Nearly all the meeting
places of the Nazarenes were
sealed, but many of them
were reopened again by tacit
understanding. In a confer-
ence which was held in Bel-
grade in the fall of 1924, an
agreement was reached be-
tween some of the elders and
the higher military authori-
“Kill them,
rob them of
everything,
burn down
their
houses, do
not buy
anything
from them!”
ties, that in the future they
were no longer to be com-
pelled to swear, but that they
were to be given the permis-
sion to “promise.” There-
upon the 1,400 Nazarenes
were set at liberty towards
the end of December, 1924.
Contrary to all expecta-
tions, only the Nazarenes of
the military district Veliki
Beckerek were called into
the army on August 1, 1926,
under the pretense of a mili-
tary drill. There were 56 men
all told. The greater number
of these had already given
their “promise” in Decem-
ber, 1924. In spite of this fact,
they were not asked for their
“promise”, but the officers
insisted on the complete oath
and on taking up arms. Be-
cause their faith did not per-
“... a long
and severe
period of
suffering
for the sake
of their
faith.”
mit them to do this, they were
arrested and tried for “insub-
ordination” and also for be-
longing to a religious sect not
recognized by the state.
Shortly after, fifty of these
fifty-six men were sentenced
in Belgrade for up to 10 years
imprisonment. Among them
were men nearly 50 years of
age, some of whom had al-
ready been sentenced in Aus-
tria-Hungary two and three
times for the same refusal,
and had served from 8 to 12
years in prison — a long and
severe period of suffering for
the sake of their faith.
One hundred seventy-six
Nazarenes living in the mili-
tary district of Stari Beºej
were unexpectedly called
into the army on September
10, 1926; without exception
only Nazarenes were called
for the same reason men-
tioned above. Because they,
too, for religious reasons, re-
fused to take the oath or to
take up arms, they were also
arrested, tried, and sen-
tenced; and in every respect
treated just like the men in
the Veliki Beckerek district.
Six Nazarenes were called
into the army in December,
1926, from the military dis-
trict of Sombor to “swear and
to take up arms.” Four of
these six men had already
given their “promise” in De-
cember 1924. In spite of this
fact they were again asked to
take the oath. This they re-
fused to do. They suffered
the same fate.
Among the imprisoned
Nazarenes were men close to
fifty years of age when they
were arrested, and now they
were supposed to serve 10
years in prison among the
worst of criminals. They were
to remain in prison under the
severest of conditions until
sixty years of age.
The Nazarenes in Yugosla-
via again and again have
given assurances that they
are ready, at once and gladly,
to serve their time as soldiers
in the medical corps, or, if
“Because
their faith
did not
permit
them to do
this, they
were
arrested
and tried...”
this is not possible, among
other unarmed troops. In-
deed, they have even made
the offer to the War Office to
serve for a longer period, if it
would comply with their re-
quest.
Besides the men already
Continued on page 12
Exhortations • 11

Hold Fast Without Wavering
Continued from Page 11
mentioned, there are still
more than fifty other young,
active men imprisoned in the
different prisons of Yugosla-
via, every one of them serving
a sentence of four to eight
years. Some of them are kept
in solitary confinement,
while others must mingle
with the worst of criminals —
and all this for conscience
sake.
Among the prisoners in Pe-
terwardein, thirty percent of
the Nazarenes ought to have
been excused from any mili-
tary service at all, because
they were physically disabled.
These have again been sen-
tenced to nine to ten years
imprisonment. Imagine —
physically disabled, yet in
army service — because they
are Nazarenes!
A Nazarene in Srem,
twenty-five years of age, was
sentenced at the close of the
war to five years in prison be-
cause he refused to take up
arms for the sake of his con-
science. After having served
half of this time, he was “par-
doned” by the king and set
free. He was then called into
the army again and sen-
tenced anew to nine years in
prison.
Attempts at
Intervention
The distress of the Naz-
arenes in Yugoslavia could
not remain a secret. Their
brothers in faith in Switzer-
land and America became in-
terested in their case, and in
January, 1927, four Swiss
brothers made a trip to Yugo-
slavia to investigate the
trouble. They were con-
vinced of the truth of these
facts.
12 • Exhortations
active men remained prison- doned” March 7th were again
ers in different prisons. imprisoned. The torture be-
gan anew to swear, to take up
In the beginning of Febru- In order to get these men arms, and to renounce the
ary, 1927, another group of out of prison and, perhaps, to faith of the Nazarenes. As
eighty Nazarenes was sen- be able to bring the problem they refused again to do so,
tenced to nine and a half and of taking up arms closer to a they were tried again in court.
ten years in prison. solution, three Swiss brothers Practically all of them have
went once more to Yugosla- again been sentenced six to
via in July, 1927. The king
Now the Society for the ten years of hard labor in
had gone to Bled (Slovenia)
League of Nations in Swit- prison. Among them are men
to take up his residence in
zerland interceded in their who are completely unfit for
this health resort. They
behalf. In a meeting of the military service.
waited for three days trying
International Commission to get permission to see the
for the Minorities held in king, but to no avail. They A young Nazarene in
Brussels on February 23, could not penetrate the iron Srem-Mitrovica is said to
1927, Professor Bovet ap- ring of the court. have been examined four
pealed to the delegation times by the army surgeons,
from Yugoslavia, and this The joy of those who were and each time he was de-
delegation promised to re- pardoned March 7th was of clared to be completely unfit
dress the grievances. As a re- short duration, let it be said. for military service. But the
sult of their magnanimous On the 11th and the 14th of commandant in authority
mediation the king pardoned July, 1927, Nazarenes up to took away his certificates and
more than 200 Nazarenes on 50 years of age — and only his testimonials and had him
March 7, 1927, and they were Nazarenes — were again escorted under military
dismissed from prison. But called into the army. Nearly guard to a distant cavalry bar-
more than 50 other young, all those who had been “par- racks. +
An Afterword by Brother Stäubli
Brother Stäubli concluded his writings with this brief appeal to the hearts of all the brethren,
whether known as the Nazarenes in eastern Europe, the Evangelical Baptists in western Europe,
or the Apostolic Christians in the United States. Let us recognize that this appeal is not limited
merely to Brother Stäubli’s generation, but is just as urgent for our consideration today.
Let us pray for our brethren in Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Romania, that none would falter
in this time of tribulation (I Thessalonians 3:3). Remember those who are in bonds (Hebrews
13:3).
Who are they who will be found at the left hand of God? Those who have neglected the
following, spoken by Christ: “I was in prison...” (Matthew 25:36, 40, 43-45).
Therefore let us intercede in prayer for our brethren before the Throne of Grace, if we
cannot physically visit them; for who knows whether the Lord will not hearken to our earnest
entreaty as at the time of Peter (Acts 12:5).
The following sentiments from the Zion’s Harp come to mind:
“Suffering giveth faith its power... here men call thee but a burden, yonder thou wilt be a
guerdon that not everyone may share.”
“Sowing tears brings joyous harvest when to Jesus Christ we cling. Thousand-fold the trials
befall us who to Jesus Christ belong.”
Therefore let us pray for one another.
“Soon, perhaps, you too may enter where the golden harps resound.”
“Blessed Zion, be contented, God is present in thee still; to be thine He hath consented;
He hath Fatherly goodwill. When, as often, tears of sadness are thy food and drink, and
though often in thy songs of gladness may be heard a note of woe; if with anguish thou are
shaken, if men bind and torture thee, thou wilt never be forsaken — think upon eternity! O
rejoice, life’s day is ending, soon the evening thou wilt see.” +
Spring, 1997

Arise, and Go Down to the
Potter’s House
Brian Palanacki
Brother Brian Palanacki is a
minister in the Windsor, On-
tario, Canada, congregation.
The Scripture text for this
meditation is taken from Jere-
miah 18.
The prophet Jeremiah is
recognized as one of the ma-
jor prophets. His service as a
prophet spanned forty years
and oversaw the rule of five
kings in Israel. But he was a
weeping prophet, a prophet
who was burdened with serv-
ing a people who were a stiff-
necked people, a people who
soon left the ways of their
God. Jeremiah
was burdened
with the task of
informing those “The potter does
people, as we
have read this af-
not put the clay on
ternoon, how the
Lord works in the
the wheel until he
lives of His chil- feels that it is
dren. And unfor-
tunately, he was right.”
burdened with
having to tell
those children of the living
God that their future in-
cluded captivity, for the very
reason that they had left the
ways of God.
Time and time again, if we
read through these chapters
of this book, we will find that
the prophet speaks the same
message over and over again.
While others said it’s not so
bad, Jeremiah alone pre-
dicted that the captivity
would be long and hard. And
so it was, when those who
looked in retrospect realized
that they should have lis-
tened to Jeremiah. I believe
that Jeremiah was so bur-
dened at times that he didn’t
know what to tell those peo-
Spring, 1997
ple, until the Lord told him to
go down to the potters house,
“and there I will speak to
you.” To us this afternoon, I
believe the message is the
same. I believe that the Lord
would have us to go down to
the potter’s house. It is my
prayer that the Lord would
speak to you as, together, we
go in thought to the potter’s
house.
Consider the process of
making a pot. In this area, it
is not any longer a common
practice in this day and age to
make pots by hand. But there
are still places in the world
where it’s done the way it was
over three thousand years
ago. The clay is taken from
the earth. It is put into a pit,
and there, mixed with water,
it is trampled by the potter.
Literally stepped on, over
and over again. It is beaten; it
is spread: until the lumps and
the hard parts are dissolved
away. It is brought to a table,
and it is rolled and mixed un-
til it is just right, and ready for
the wheel. The potter does
not put the clay on the wheel
until he feels that it is right.
Not too hard, not too soft.
We can all imagine that a
hardened piece of clay, not
right for the wheel, would
only give the potter prob-
lems, would only give the pot-
worked according to the art-
ful skill, and to become a
work of art. And when it is
ready, shaped to the potter’s
will, it is then fired — put into
a furnace — that it might be
ter trouble, as he tries with solidified in that shape. It is
masterful hands to change this process which makes the
the shape of the clay. Every vessel ready for its intended
time a hard lump comes by, use. A vessel cannot possibly
the vessel becomes de- be used until it is properly
formed, and not according to fired, properly
cured, that it
might withstand
“A vessel cannot and fulfill its in-
tended purpose.
possibly be used You and I,
until it is properly brother and sis-
ter, were once just
fired, properly clay. In a spiritual
sense we are
cured, that it might taken from the
miry clay. But be-
withstand and fore the Master,
the Lord God,
fulfill its intended could make some-
purpose.” thing useful of us,
He needed to
bring us down, to
the shape within the mind work with us, to break apart
the hardened lumps, to break
and the heart of the potter.
And the potter has to strive down the old nature, to make
with it if this is the case, has us ready and fit to be turned
to use force. Sometimes the into a vessel by His own
pot is ruined, because the hands.
clay is not right. Because the My friend outside of
clay was too hard to be
Christ, pay close attention to
shaped properly
by the touch of
the potter’s hand.
And the potter at
“Pay close attention
times has to leave to how the Lord
that and start
anew. prepares those who
If the clay is too
soft, the potter
are not His children
also has trouble, to become the sons
because when he
makes the shape, and the daughters
just by the very
nature of gravity of the living God...”
itself, by its very
own weight, it will sag and how the Lord prepares those
change shape. It will go back who are not His children to
to a shape that the potter become the sons and the
does not have envisioned. So daughters of the living God.
you see, the clay has to be just
right, in the hands of even the
master potter, if it is to be Continued on page 14
Exhortations • 13
 And that is the same lesson when they began to seek van-
Arise, and Go Down to the which God would have us to ity, and to seek ways not cast
Potter’s House learn again this afternoon. up. Perhaps the beginning
You see, Jeremiah went to a was their wish to have a king.
Continued from Page 13 people whom the Bible says And what could be wrong?
had forgotten the Lord. They What was wrong with having
There is a process of humili- world, cannot change it. You one to rule over
ation. Humbling. Down- see, by nature we gravitate them? What was
grading. Painful. Yes, repen-
tance can be a very painful
towards our own will. By na-
ture we are all in the flesh,
“He continues to wrong, brother
and sister, was
process. It certainly is a hum- and we tend to follow our mold and to fire us, that the Lord did
bling process, without which own way. But God would not not set them a
none can come to God, the have us as such. God would that we might be king. This was
Bible says. When we are bro- have our will to be com- something of the
ken down, when we are pletely dissolved, so that His set firmly...” world that they
beaten down spiritually, hands can continue to work wished to have.
when we are humbled to the in our lives the things that He have burned incense to van- This was not a way cast up by
extent that we realize we are would shape. When the Lord ity. And they had caused the Lord Himself in the law
nothing but clay, it is then we has saved us, when He them to stumble in their ways of Moses. And the Lord said
are ready to go on from the ancient paths, to that when Samuel came,
the potter’s wheel walk in paths in a way not cast grieved that these people
and be shaped by up. You see, Israel’s sin was wanted a king. And the Lord
His hand. “So you see, a that they pursued vanity. suffered them that, for the
The skillful heart must be They left the ways of God, hardness of their heart. But it
master at his what God had set down in didn’t end there.
trade has fingers right. It must be Moses’ law, and pursued The end of these people, as
which know how ways not cast up. prophesied by Jeremiah in
to shape: not too soft enough for God Now, we all know when it this very chapter, was further
hard a touch, not to change, but hard all started, and where it all wandering from God’s way.
too soft. And the started. When they were in They did mingle with the
Lord God is a enough that the bondage in Egypt, when they people around. They did take
Master Workman cried to the Lord, when they their customs. They did take
when it comes to elements of this were just clay, be-
shaping a soul. ing worked and
The Lord has world, the nature trampled and “God promised that
promised that he
will not do any- of this world, shaped by God,
they were faithful. when their
thing that we can-
not endure; that,
cannot change it.” They prayed to
calamity would
God. They sought
though painful
some processes may be brought us through baptism
His ways. And
they believed in
come, that He will
through which He will bring
us, He will help us through. If
and called us by His name, Him. They turn His back, and
then He continues to mold wouldn’t have
our heart is too hard, then the and to fire us, that we might dreamt of taking not His face.”
Potter will strive to soften us be set firmly, though some- Egyptian customs
again. The Lord said in His times by adversity, by trials, into their lives. No place does their gods. And they did sin
Word that He cannot work by temptations. Yet in victory the Bible say that the chil- against the Lord. And Jere-
with a hardened heart. If the we become hardened in His dren of Israel sinned in miah prophesied the worst
heart is too soft, and affected will and His ways, hardened Egypt. for them. He prayed to God
by every breeze, we cannot in that faith which we had that when the day of calamity
retain and keep the statutes received and which we con- But when God had brought
would come, for God to keep
which the Lord Himself fess, keepers of our promises, them out, and when they had
His word, because God
would have us to keep in our walking in the way cast up for inherited the land, and God
promised that when their ca-
heart. us by this Word — that is the warned them of ways not cast
lamity would come, that He
will of God. up, warned them not to min-
will turn His back, and not
So you see, a heart must be gle with the people in the sur-
His face. You see, while they
right. It must be soft enough rounding areas, warned them
for God to change, but hard That is the lesson which not to take their wives, not to
enough that the elements of God had intended that Jere- take their customs, lest they
this world, the nature of this miah would bring to Israel. be polluted with them, that’s Continued on page 15

14 • Exhortations Spring, 1997


Arise, and Go Down to the
Potter’s House
Continued from Page 14
were in Egypt, God had His
face turned towards them.
He heard their prayers. He
saw their affliction. But when
they were in Babylon, He
didn’t. God turned His back,
according to His promise.
But praise God that, al-
though He brings destruction
to those who leave His ways,
He also brings salvation to
“Oh, if we only
knew the value
of humility in
God’s eyes, how
we would seek
after it.”
those who sin — not a sin
unto death — those who are
born in sin, those who fail, see
their mistakes, and return
unto the Lord. His grace is so
great that He is willing to lis-
ten to the repentant heart.
He is willing to listen to the
heart that gives up its will,
that leaves its stubbornness,
and is willing to be shaped by
God’s hand. God, the Bible
says, resists the proud. He
considers stubbornness as
iniquity and idolatry.
But humility He prizes.
Humility He rewards. Oh, if
we only knew the value of
humility in God’s
eyes, how we would
seek after it. How we
would seek to be just
right in His hand, to
be molded whichever
way He would have
us to be. How we
would heed the Word
that we read and that
we listen to in serv-
ices. How we would
appreciate more the
goodness of the Lord God.
How much less we would
pursue our own ways. How
much less we would think of
our own goodness. How
much less we would pursue
the things that benefit only
us. The Lord God is willing to
make our life an artful vessel.
But He must continue to
shape and to mold our lives.
As the potter in this story
didn’t like the vessel that was
made, and made it over
again, so the Lord continues
“If only we would
be willing to go
along with the
Potter’s hand.
Then, when life is
ended, we will
indeed be... a
masterpiece.”
to shape our lives, to change
the things that are not fitting
for His service into ones that
are a glory to Him. If only we
would be willing to go along
with the Potter’s hand: when
the Potter makes a mark, that
it stays there; when the Potter
makes a shape, that we do not
go back to the original shape
that we were before. And
then, when life is ended, we
will indeed be a piece of the
Master’s hand, commonly
called a masterpiece. God is
indeed a Master Worker.
With good clay, He can work
that masterpiece in your life.
O, blessed is he that can con-
fess that he is will-
ing and ready to be
used and to be
molded by the Pot-
ter’s hand.
A songwriter put
it this way:
The potter saw a ves-
sel that was broken
by the wind and the
rain;
And he sought with
so much compas-
sion to make it over
again.
O, I was that vessel
that no one thought
was good;
I cried, Lord, You’re the potter,
and I am the clay;
Make me over again, I pray.
Then, God picked up the
pieces of my broken life that
day;
And He made me a new vessel
and revived my soul again. +

T wo ways, O man, before thee lie

That lead to just two places:
One, narrow, to the throne on high,
That many a cross embraces;
The other road is smooth and broad,
T herefore, O man, take thought today,
While yet the choice is given;
Reject the road that leads astray
And choose the way to heaven.
Great glory shall to them betide
But does not give the peace with God, Who in the faith of God abide,
And leads to utter ruin. But woe awaits the sinner!
— Zion’s Harp, Hymn 106

Spring, 1997 Exhortations • 15

 Effective Prayer
Peter Fibison

From The Visitor, February, 1929, p 44.

A person may do well to ask himself, “Has the Lord been hearing my prayers, and if not, why not?” David confessed
in his prayers, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). It is plain to all of us that
anyone who keeps iniquity in his heart cannot pray so that God will hear him.

God will not hear the man who cherishes sin in his heart. God looks at sin with abhorrence. He is “of purer eyes
than to behold evil” (Habakkuk 1:13). Herein lies the very simple explanation why many people pray and are not
heard.

But if we are in a position to pray to God rightly, are we daily fulfilling the Lord’s call? “Pray ye therefore the Lord
of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2). Here is a duty given to us Christians,
that we should pray in our chambers for ministers of the Word. Those whom God has called to devote their lives to
the ministry of the Word should be the objects of the prayers of God’s people. The neglect of prayer on the part of
God’s people accounts very largely for the absence of more power on the part of God’s ministry.

The apostle Paul wrote: “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be
glorified, even as it is with you” (II Thessalonians 3:1). We complain of the slow progress of the Word: are we praying
that it may have a free course?

E xhortations
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P.O. Box 416
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