Faithful Unto Death Remain
The following account was printed in a “Freuet Euch” periodical (translated “Glad Tidings”), published by the Evangelical Baptist Church in Switzerland. It was dated September/October 1955.
In Hungary in the 1950’s, a certain man was searching for the truth, and in his study of the Bible, he came across Acts 24, verse 5, where Jesus was identified with the sect of the Nazarenes. This set him to thinking, and he speculated that surely there must be some Nazarene group still existing.
One night the man had a dream about a group of people working in the fields, singing a beautiful song about being faithful until death. In his dream, the people began to rise up slowly and disappear into the clouds.
The man had a yearning desire to go with them and in his dream, he shouted, “Take me along!”
They called back to him, “Follow us!” But soon they were out of sight, and he awakened from his sleep.
What could this dream mean? He wondered. As the days went on, the dream kept coming back into his mind, and he often pondered its meaning and the significance of the song he had heard.
Some time later, the man became very ill and was taken to a hospital in Budapest. There he was put into a hospital room with a young man who was also a patient, and to pass the time, the two men talked about many things. The older man disclosed that he was looking for a group of people called the Nazareans and wished he could find them. Amazingly enough, his roommate said that his grandmother belonged to a church of Nazarean people, and he would get the address of her church in Budapest for him.
Time passed and health returned. After he was released from the hospital, the desire to find the Nazarean people still burned in the man’s heart. One day he set out to investigate the lead and try to find the Nazarean church. At that time, many brick buildings in European towns had their outside walls next to the sidewalk, and the buildings were closely connected with each other.
As the man approached the address he had been given, he knocked on the door, and a man answered. The searching man hesitatingly asked if this was the Nazarean church, and the man at the door explained that it was connected to his house in the back, and they were the keepers (custodians) of the church.
Still standing on the steps, the searching man inquired, “Are you familiar with the hymn, “Faithful Unto Death Remain”?
“Yes, please come in,” said the Nazarean brother as he opened the door.
“Would you please show me this hymn?” pleaded the man.
The Nazarean brother led him to an inner room, picked up a hymnal, and said: “I will even sing this hymn for you.” As the beautiful song was sung, the man was amazed. Not only was the melody the same, but the words were also identical to the song he had heard in this dream.
Believing that GOD had led him to these Nazarean people, he began to assemble with them and learn of their ways. In time he came under conviction of sin and began to repent. The Lord was merciful and gave him peace, after which he gave his testimony and was baptized into the fold. The newly-converted Nazarean brother rejoiced in his salvation and resolved to remain faithful until death called him Home.
Faithful unto death remain!
Faithful unto death remain!
Toil and care, O may they never
From the cross of Christ, thee sever!
Gladly suffer grief and pain,
Faithful unto death remain!
“Be Faithful” (#260 Zion’s Harp Nazarean [Apostolic Christian Hymnal], #225 Hymns of Zion)
A sister-in-faith had read this moving account in the “Freuet Euch” while living in Europe, and in impressed her heart. Many years later after moving to Canada, she began thinking about the story and happened to ask another sister if she had ever heard of the account. “Oh, yes” replied the other sister, “I was there the night the man recounted the story at his proving in Budapest.” What a wonderful testimony!
Stories of Faith and Courage Volume 2, page 73
The following account was printed in a “Freuet Euch” periodical (translated “Glad Tidings”), published by the Evangelical Baptist Church in Switzerland. It was dated September/October 1955.
In Hungary in the 1950’s, a certain man was searching for the truth, and in his study of the Bible, he came across Acts 24, verse 5, where Jesus was identified with the sect of the Nazarenes. This set him to thinking, and he speculated that surely there must be some Nazarene group still existing.
One night the man had a dream about a group of people working in the fields, singing a beautiful song about being faithful until death. In his dream, the people began to rise up slowly and disappear into the clouds.
The man had a yearning desire to go with them and in his dream, he shouted, “Take me along!”
They called back to him, “Follow us!” But soon they were out of sight, and he awakened from his sleep.
What could this dream mean? He wondered. As the days went on, the dream kept coming back into his mind, and he often pondered its meaning and the significance of the song he had heard.
Some time later, the man became very ill and was taken to a hospital in Budapest. There he was put into a hospital room with a young man who was also a patient, and to pass the time, the two men talked about many things. The older man disclosed that he was looking for a group of people called the Nazareans and wished he could find them. Amazingly enough, his roommate said that his grandmother belonged to a church of Nazarean people, and he would get the address of her church in Budapest for him.
Time passed and health returned. After he was released from the hospital, the desire to find the Nazarean people still burned in the man’s heart. One day he set out to investigate the lead and try to find the Nazarean church. At that time, many brick buildings in European towns had their outside walls next to the sidewalk, and the buildings were closely connected with each other.
As the man approached the address he had been given, he knocked on the door, and a man answered. The searching man hesitatingly asked if this was the Nazarean church, and the man at the door explained that it was connected to his house in the back, and they were the keepers (custodians) of the church.
Still standing on the steps, the searching man inquired, “Are you familiar with the hymn, “Faithful Unto Death Remain”?
“Yes, please come in,” said the Nazarean brother as he opened the door.
“Would you please show me this hymn?” pleaded the man.
The Nazarean brother led him to an inner room, picked up a hymnal, and said: “I will even sing this hymn for you.” As the beautiful song was sung, the man was amazed. Not only was the melody the same, but the words were also identical to the song he had heard in this dream.
Believing that GOD had led him to these Nazarean people, he began to assemble with them and learn of their ways. In time he came under conviction of sin and began to repent. The Lord was merciful and gave him peace, after which he gave his testimony and was baptized into the fold. The newly-converted Nazarean brother rejoiced in his salvation and resolved to remain faithful until death called him Home.
Faithful unto death remain!
Faithful unto death remain!
Toil and care, O may they never
From the cross of Christ, thee sever!
Gladly suffer grief and pain,
Faithful unto death remain!
“Be Faithful” (#260 Zion’s Harp Nazarean [Apostolic Christian Hymnal], #225 Hymns of Zion)
A sister-in-faith had read this moving account in the “Freuet Euch” while living in Europe, and in impressed her heart. Many years later after moving to Canada, she began thinking about the story and happened to ask another sister if she had ever heard of the account. “Oh, yes” replied the other sister, “I was there the night the man recounted the story at his proving in Budapest.” What a wonderful testimony!
Stories of Faith and Courage Volume 2, page 73