25 – Jan. 25 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

She was found guilty and sentenced to death by drowning. 
The unnamed daughter of Hans Hut, the outstanding Anabaptist leader in Germany died the martyrs death for her faith, by drowning, on Jan. 25, 1527 in the city of Bamburg.  Hut was a convert of Hans Denck, and on May 26, 1526, followed His Lord in believers baptism.  His daughter was one of his first converts who followed him in his new found faith.  Women among the Anabaptists held a superior position above other groups.  They referred to them as “sisters” and the ladies had a ministry of personal witnessing.   Their enemies accused them of practicing “free-love.”  There was no basis to the lie.  In fact, the high basis of morality of the Anabaptists was often mentioned by sincere historians of that era.  Hans daughter lived but a few months following her conversion to Christ.  Hans was accompanied by his family when he went to Bamberg in evangelistic work where he met with considerable success and then left them there when he departed for Augsburg.  While he was gone, his daughter was arrested.  She had participated in many Anabaptist meetings and had a firm grasp on the New Testament.  When arrested by State Church authorities (Lutheran) she gave clear answers as to her faith in Christ and refused to disavow her Lord.  She was found guilty and sentenced to death by drowning.  On this date, she was led to the river where she was placed in a bag with heavy weights and thrown to her death by drowning.  How blessed it must have been, as Stephen of old to have been greeted by our Lord Himself, who no doubt stepped off his throne to greet such a precious prize jewel, and no doubt gave her a name that her Lord has reserved just for her.  Revelation 2:17 “To him that overcometh will I give…a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”
Dr. Greg J. Dixon from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. IIII: Cummins, pp. 51-52.

Morality and Religion

George Washington had insight that our leaders today lack. This makes him a brilliant president.
 

George Washington reveals more insight than any leader we have today.

He understood that there is no standard for morality that has ever been produced by mankind. The Old Testament testimony of the depravity of man in the statement, “they did what was right in their own eyes” testifies that man does not naturally seek the highest level but sinks to depravity. That our leaders would spend the time in the Word of God enough to comprehend the uplifting of the Word and encouragement to the highest level of living and morality. This disregard, even the rulings that remove the influence of God’s Word has moved this nation from a favoured position with God to the point of bring the Wrath of God in judgement. Pray and preach, not only from the pulpit but from the pew.

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Huckabee and Morality

COMMENTARY

Huckabee Laments Lack of Morality In U.S. (Excerpt)

Baptist Press – Jun 24, 2009 – An absence of morality, not a lack of money, is responsible for many of the problems facing the United States, former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told the 2009 Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference June 22 in Louisville Ky.

“Wall Street did not melt down because it was a money problem,” Huckabee said. “It melted down because there was a moral problem, and it’s high time we address that what really is breaking this country is not a lack of money. It’s a lack of morality, and without righteousness and character our nation will perish.”

Huckabee compared the role of a politician to that of a pastor and said it’s important for such leaders not to amass power themselves, but to empower the people they are leading.

“We are creating an entire nation in which people are increasingly turning to a new god – the god of government – to do for us what we ought to be doing for ourselves, starting with raising our kids, taking care of our families and protecting and preserving life and the institutions of this great nation.” Huckabee said.

Huckabee used the story of Abimelech, the son of Gideon, in Judges 9 to warn about the dangers of concentrating too much power in the hands of too few. Abimelech was a power-hungry man who promised to simplify the lives of his followers. But instead, Abimelech killed 70 of his brothers.

Placing too much power in the hands of too few is a sure way to collapse an organization, Huckabee said, whether it is a church or a nation.

“It is not wise for pastors to believe that all of the power should rest solely in them,” Huckabee said. “The purpose of the pastor is not to retain power but to embolden and empower those to whom he is equipping, so that they will in fact do the work of the ministry.

“We today need to recognize that real leadership is not about bringing power to ourselves, but it is about bringing power to those that we are to serve.”