Posts by David Potter
Olde World Baptists: Liviu Olah (1)
David Potter Transylvania would not seem to be the likeliest place to search for heroes, much less for Baptist heroes, but two outstanding servants of Christ sprang from that region nevertheless, born 90 years and 75 kilometers distant from each other. Their names were Mihály Kornya and Liviu Olah. I have already devoted a series…
Read MoreOlde World Baptists: Mihály Kornya (9)
David Potter Kornya’s ministry had a remarkable range, both in time and in space. He traveled in what is now western Romania from beyond Oradea in the north to Arad and Timisoara in the south. He concentrated on this area and the corresponding area on the other side of what is now the Hungarian-Romanian border.…
Read MoreAbortion Clinic Horror
David Potter I first heard about the horror story from the Philadelphia abortion clinic two years ago. Finally, after all this time, some of the media have been shamed into covering it as the trial unfolds. If you depend on the mainstream media for your information, you will need to look on the internet to…
Read MoreOlde World Baptists: Mihály Kornya (8)
David Potter Kornya was also famous for his thorough examination of baptismal candidates. He first questioned the candidate on his understanding of Bible doctrine in general and of the Gospel in particular. Then he questioned the candidate about his change of behavior after salvation. Here are sample questions on each topic. On Bible doctrine: “Who…
Read MoreThoughts on gay marriage
David Potter Having lived in the San Francisco area for almost 20 years, I have had the chance to look at the gay marriage issue from many angles. For instance, one of my students at San Francisco Baptist Seminary died of AIDS. He had contracted the disease before he was saved. I am thankful to…
Read MoreOlde 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…
Read MoreOlde World Baptists: Mihály Kornya (6)
David Potter Mihály Kornya recognized the importance of music. Three of his daughters, Mária, Sára and Teréz, translated most of the early Hungarian Baptist hymns from German. This they did anonymously and without material compensation. The three daughters traveled with their father, and even without him, to teach the new hymns to the people. Kornya…
Read MoreOlde World Baptists: Mihály Kornya (5)
David Potter This post is the fifth in a series concerning the life and ministry of Mihály Kornya, the Peasant Prophet, who preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Hungary and Romania. (Part One; Part Two; Part Three, Part Four) The following story was told to the author by a Romanians Baptist preacher…
Read MoreComments on government debt
David Potter With the current debates going on in Congress about raising the debt ceiling and other measures with regard to the US debt, reference to ancient wisdom on such matters would serve us well. “The … borrower is servant to the lender”–Proverbs 22:7. The biggest US creditor is the People’s Republic of China, our…
Read MoreOlde World Baptists: Mihály Kornya, the Peasant Prophet (part 4)
David Potter This post is the fourth in a series concerning the life and ministry of Mihály Kornya, the Peasant Prophet, who preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Hungary and Romania. (Part One; Part Two; Part Three) Few incidents show his raw courage like the time he was about to be attacked…
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