Olde World Baptists: Mihály Kornya (7)
David Potter
Kornya was known for his home-spun wisdom, some of which an admirer has conveniently collected for us.
On debt: “If you want something for yourself, count your money first. Have you seen a barrel rolling down from a hill? The person in debt is like that. The debt eats up the meat from your plate. Owe no man anything, but to love one another (Romans 13:8).”
“A man gave brandy to a monkey. The man drank before the monkey so that the animal could see how to do it. The monkey took it, tasted it and threw it to the man with anger since it did not taste good. See, how smart the monkey is, but the man keeps on drinking till he gets drunk. A monkey knows what hurts and what is good for him, but the man does not comprehend or accept many times what is good for him and does not want what Christ preaches.”
“See my balled fist. The little finger is able to squeeze the most. In the way in spiritual realm the person who see himself the least can be the humblest.”
After he preached in a village people drove him out with pitchforks. After that he said “No problem, the seed is planted and it will come out even if it takes twenty-five years.”
“The smart one uses more oil at night reading than wine.”
“If someone wants to find God, first he needs to meet Jesus.”
“I would not want to be an angel because angels are only servants and Christ did not die for them, but He died for me.”
“Beware of the flatterer because he either has deceived you or will deceive you.”
“We should be like the threshold which endures people stepping on it.”
“Do you like cleanness? If I only look to the yard from the street I can tell what kind of owner lives there, and if I only enter the house I know what kind of housewife lives there.”
“It is not good to drink wine, especially not on Sunday. It is not allowed to go to the presence of the Lord with wine in us, like the sons of Aaron. (Lev. 10:9) You can learn from the ox. See how strong he is and does not drink wine. No wheat or grass grows by wine. The Lord says ‘Be ye holy for I am holy.’ (1Peter 1:16) But for medical purpose you can drink some with control.”
“Debt eats with man from the same plate.”
“If one of you is sick, he should send his offering to the church because a true believer ought to do it.”
“If someone is saved, there is no such sin that could not be forgiven by love.”
“The centurion says to the soldiers ‘Tailors, step out and fix my coat!’ But some of those who stepped out said ‘Excuse me; our names are Tailor, not our profession.’ This is the way some Christians are: only their names are Christian.”
“We cannot put on the clean clothes until we put off the dirty ones.”
~~~
Kornya said to a girl, “When will you became a believer?”
“When I am baptized” said she.
“First you should be a believer and then be baptized. Whose daughter are you?” asked Kornya.
“My father’s and my mother’s,” she answered
“And when will you become God’s?”
~~~
“Follow the example of the rain, and its water because it flows together to one place, but you are scattered and remain home,” he said, alluding to the fact that when it rained the attendance was less.
“It is in vain to the ox to pull the plow if the plow does not plow the ground. In other words in our lives it should be seen that Christ is working.”
“In listening to the preaching the first quarter is for the heart, the second quarter is for the ear, the third for the seats and the last one is for the walls.”
“Even if the sea would be ink and the grasses would be pens, it would be not enough to write down the love of God.”
“I would rather watch for wolves than hide sins in my heart.”
“It is not a problem to be poor because our Father is rich and He gives when we ask Him.”
David Potter serves as a missionary in Hungary with Baptist World Mission.