Anabaptists Exposed
Greetings sisters in Christ!
I praise you for your obedience and steadfast determination to not fall back and to continue pressing on! I pray for those who are weak and in troubled situations, take heed that our Father knows this and there's always a reason for everything.
A couple days ago we had a very eventful day in witnessing and I wanted to share it with you as a learning experience. I want to first say that in our ministry website as well as all our blogs, we do it out of love to help people discern and NOT be deceived. There are teachings to help people learn, there's encouragement, we share part of our life so you can see we are real people AND we expose false teachers and the groups (denominations and non-denominations which are really a denomination of their own) that are sweeping away the sheep. (Ex: Baptist, Methodist, Roman catholic, Lutheran, Assembly of God, Church of God, Church of Christ, Mennonites, Amish, Jehovah Witness, Mormon etc.....)
One such group are the anabaptists (Mennonites, Amish, German Baptist, Brethren and many others) who are more deceiving than your average worldly, carnal churches you see all over. I have a personal righteous anger over such groups (I love the people but not what they teach and stand for) because I may have been swept away in them as a babe in Christ if I would have been weak and alone. I have spoken to women throughout the years who seem to have fruit of the Spirit but they are compromising in these sinful places just for fellowship. Today I want to expose the darkness of their theology and no, not every single anabaptist person fits this category but just like in any other denomination, FEW will find eternal life.
I'll preface this with the fact that we come from Wisconsin where there are MANY Amish, Mennonites, German Baptists and the like, and we have had many, many dealings with them throughout the years. We are also very familiar with the groups in Missouri and various groups around the country. We are not novices of their beliefs and practices and have had their man made traditions verified from their own mouths. In fact, we've had many from within, tell us such things first hand.
Let me share with you the 'main' issues of the anabaptists. (There are more.)
* They don't teach a biblical gospel.
* They don't even proclaim a gospel to the lost world.
* Most are not born again.
* Many don't teach being born again.
* They practice pagan traditions such as Christmas and Easter.
* They ignore 1 Corinthians 14 where the gathering is open for ALL men to teach. (They have only a few selected teachers.)
* Women's headcoverings are man made traditions and not biblical veils.
* Women's clothing is tight and some are adorned.
* Men's clothing is tight and some are adorned.
* They set up man made rules to keep the power over them such as: no driving cars, no technology, communal living, following their heritage over God's Word etc.
Not long ago brother Jim was talking to an Amish man and when Jim asked him why they don't preach the gospel to the lost world and doesn't he care that there are millions going to hell? The man said "That's their problem not mine." Other anabaptist type men have laughed when Jim asks them that question. What we have found is that they (most) are just as dead as the denominational churches even though they look and act a bit more biblical and so we reach out to them to come out of their false, man made traditions and worship in Spirit and truth. Sadly, they are just as mean and angry as the worldly people even though they preach vehemently, Matthew 5 beatitudes.
While we travel, we look to see if there are any groups on our route and then reach out to them. It just so happens we were heading by a big community that they come to in the winter to vacation. First of all we were shocked that they would spend so much money coming down to vacation and then when we learned what they do and the sins they promote, we were astounded! This community has many houses owned by them all in one community. They are also associated with a group of anabaptists that own a multi million dollar resort style Inn (a big fancy hotel) that has big screen tv's in their room, a swimming pool, hot tub, spa and work out gym right in the middle of their community. They are catering to the world and encouraging them in their sins!
Brother Jim decided that we would hold our gospel signs on the corner of a busy intersection by their community to witness to the world as they drove by and then he would verbally talk to the anabaptists (who were mostly Amish and Mennonite) as they walked or rode by us. (Most ride bikes.)
We stood out for many hours that day and were only 3 anabaptists (out of MANY) stopped to talk. One was a man who talked with brother Jim for quite some time and agreed that there were many false teachings in the anabaptist world. Another was a VERY angry anabaptist that brother Jim had to walk away from as he was getting very wild. The last one was an Amish woman that tried telling us about the mark of the beast in China and how its coming here. (We encouraged her to have her husband contact us.) There were several people in the world that stopped to talk or get a tract as well so praise God.
Anyway, after we were done, we walked back through the community to a (public) park where they congregate to play games in the evening. We picked a picnic table off to the side and brother Jim walked around to the groups, telling them why we were there and did anyone want to come over and talk about the things of God.
There's brother Jim in the middle of one group before moved on to the other groups with his invitation.
I want to note that this is not just one specific group of Anabaptists vacationing here. It's Amish from many different states, Mennonites from different states and various subgroups within them.
We sat there for a while after Jim offered the invite and a man walked over. He and brother Jim were talking when one by one, other men started coming over. Brother Jim was sharing the biblical gospel, reminding them that they have to be born again and he was also sharing the false doctrines that they cling to and they sure worked hard at clinging to their man made traditions by defending their sins before getting mad and walking off.
My bible tells me that those who love God, love His word...
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22
And how do we LOVE God?
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15
We OBEY His commands. The anabaptists do not obey God, they obey their elders false doctrines and cling to their heritage instead of the Word of God.
It was a pitifully sad thing to hear them say 'We all sin, we're all sinners' instead of hearing them striving in truth and obedience. The world looks at them as godly and closer to the truth but their hearts are just a wicked and dark as the worldly church. They were like a pack of wolves trying to find a weak spot in brother Jim and when they thought they had one, they would pounce. Jim asked them why they thought we were there? We could be out fishing in the ocean and enjoying ourselves but instead we withstand the trials of being on the streets preaching the truth....for the glory of God and for their souls. The could've cared less...
11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
Psalm 35
I warn you sisters, do not join these groups because they look more godly and are more separate from the world, that would be fellowship idolatry if you do because you would be uniting and approving of much sin.
We love them but we do have a righteous anger in that we have seen them sweep away potential sheep into their unbiblical, sinful fold. Sheep that have left the worldly carnal churches, are looking for truth but are not discerning enough to see through the sins in their teachings and life.
Brother Jim rebuked the mockers for not preaching the gospel to the lost world but they spend their money to come thousands of miles on vacation to sit on the beach and ride their bikes around town. Below you will see a quick video of their youth. Instead of teaching them to be sober minded and going out on the great commission to preach the good news...they teach them to take vacations and be goofy.
No, vacations are not necessarily sinful but encourage people to test themselves first. Is it a wise use of the resources God gave you? Are you redeeming the time? What will you be doing on your vacation? (The anabaptists sit on the beach and flop around in the water next to the naked world.) Is it all about you and filling the desires of your flesh or is it a quiet time to refresh in the Lord? Are you making sure you are doing what God would have you do in your ministry? Sadly, we see people taking vacations to fulfill the lust of their flesh (as we saw in that community) and they could care less about the proclamation of the gospel and bringing God glory.
The good news was this...after most of the men walked off, there was a very old man who was listening to most of the dialog and he asked:
"How do you get born again?"
Of course brother Jim answered him by sharing the gospel and how we get a new heart and a new mind after we repent and then the Holy Spirit guides us in all truth. (He went into great detail for him.) That also means coming out of the lies of man made religion such as the anabaptist faiths. The man thought for a moment then said:
"I could cry out to God myself and then stay in the Amish religion."
Brother Jim told him no, that's not possible. We are to worship in Spirit and truth and the Amish religion is composed of many lies so he would have to come out of it. The man reminded me of the rich man that turned away from Jesus when he was told to give all away and follow Him because this Amish man simply turned and rode his bike away.
After all that, 3 young men rode over and asked brother Jim many questions and once again he gave the hard truths in love. It was encouraging because they had a good conversation and asked some pertinent questions.
The masses rejected the truth but from a long hard day of witnessing, there were some potential sheep. Praise God, His name was glorified in this dark world!
Sisters, test all things and DO NOT compromise on even one doctrine, lest you be led astray yourself. You are better off alone than you are with those who compromise the truth no matter how hard you try to justify it. Just because someone looks like they might be biblical, test their theology and see if they are fully obedient before you unite to them.
We love anabaptists, worldly church people, those in the world....we love them all and that's why we do what we do. Preaching the gospel to call them out of their sins and into the truth of God's Word.
God be praised!!!
Love to you sisters, stand strong in the faith.
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...