The Amish Voice 9
of Acts, it was easy for them to see that
Jesus was the Christ, that John the Bap-
tist was a true prophet, and that their dis-
ciples were righteous. They had no prob-
lem seeing that the scribes and Pharisees
who rejected them were children of the
devil. These state church leaders were
positive that if they had lived in the days
of the apostles, they would have lived in
perfect unity with each other. They were
sure that if the apostles could somehow
step into their own era, Peter, John, Paul,
and the others would have given them a
right hand of fellowship. But they could
not identify the righteous people and true
prophets among them, and thus rejected
them.
When we, today's descendants of the
Anabaptists, read about the revivals of
the Reformation, it is easy for us to see
that the Anabaptists were the true church
and righteous followers of the Lamb. We
easily recognize that the Catholics and
Protestants who rejected and persecuted
them were children of the devil. We are
positive that if we had lived at that time
we would have been in one accord with
them. We are sure that if the early Ana-
baptists could somehow step into present
-
day America, Conrad Grebel, George
Blaurock, Hans Hut, and the others
would surely give us the right hand of
fellowship. But can we identify the right-
eous people and true prophets that are
among us today? Or do we reject them?
Having 20/20 vision when we look
into the past, but being totally blind to
the present day situations is not a prob-
lem of certain people in certain areas at
certain times. It is a universal and perpet-
ual problem. In fact as I compare what
has happened with what is happening, I
believe the adage that the more things
change the more they stay the same!
Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were
mighty prophets of God. But they did
some very peculiar things. Imagine your-
self living in their days, if you can. You
would have seen one of these men walk-
ing about barefoot and naked for three
years (Isaiah 20). Or you might have
seen one of them build an illustration of
Jerusalem with a tile, an iron pan, and
some other objects. He then reclined be-
side this odd array of objects. Every day
as you passed by this scene, there this
man lay. He never turned from one side
to the other. For 390 days he remained
there on his left side. After that he rolled
over onto his right side and lay there for
another 40 days. During this whole year
and two months he remained there in all
kinds of weather eating a multigrain
bread he had baked with manure
(
Ezekiel 4).
Or perhaps you would have seen a
young man standing at the busy, public
gate weeping, lamenting, and lifting up
his voice, declaring the doom that was to
come. His message was so dark and
dreary that the hands of the men of war
were weakened. Even the most positive
thinker could turn negative by listening
to him (Jeremiah and Lamentations).
What kind of men were these? They
were radical, odd, eccentric, and disrupt-
ers of peace and order. Where did they
get their authority?
Also bear in mind that among those
who rejected these prophets were many
nice people, men who were level-headed
and friendly. Men who helped those in
need. Men who were older than the
prophets. Men who preferred righteous-
ness over iniquity.
How easy would it have been to dis-
cern who the true and righteous ones
were? Which side would you have identi-
fied with?
We tend to think if we had lived in
Palestine two thousand years ago, we
would have recognized Jesus as the Son
of God, and believed that every word he
spoke and every deed he did was right
and holy. But can we be sure? Remember
that at the time we would not have antici-
pated His death on the cross or His resur-
rection. There was nothing about His
form that would cause us to desire Him
(
Isaiah 53:2). There were times when He
got visibly angry (Mark 3:5, Mark 8:12,
John 11:38). Many times His speech and
rebukes to people were anything but tact-
ful (Mark 7:25, Matthew 23, Luke 11:39-
52).
He called Herod a fox (Luke 13:32).
One day He turned around and told His
followers that they must hate their fa-
thers, mothers, wives, children, brethren,
sisters, and selves to be his disciple
(
Luke 14:26). He walked into the temple
one day, and with a mighty heave He
overturned the seats and tables where the
people sat. He made a scourge and drove
the animals and people out of the temple
(
Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and
John 2). This same man tells us that if we
don't eat His flesh and drink His blood
there's no life in us (John 6:53-58).
What kind of man was this? He was
radical, odd, and He stirred up all the
people with His teaching. Where did He
get his authority?
Bear in mind that among those who
rejected Him were many nice people.
Men who were level-headed and friend-
ly. Men who helped those in need. Men
who were much older than Jesus. Men
who preferred righteousness over iniqui-
ty.
Picture a people in this land today,
yea right in our midst who are zealous of
good works and on fire for the truth. A
people whose teachers would go about
baptizing anyone who truly repents,
sometimes by immersion, sometimes by
pouring, day or night, and at any time of
the year. These men would be found on
the street corners and alleys of our small
towns preaching the Word of God to
passers-by. They might publicly sing and
leap and praise God. Even their women
would witness of the truth and, being
constrained to do so, would not keep si-
lent.
Picture them meeting and having
Children of Who?
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