Imagine that you are called to pastor a small church in a town of twenty-two. All the residents are men. The town is less than 3,000 square feet, and everyone stays there 24/7. Over 90% of the towns people are drug addicts or pushers, and most are repeat offenders.
You must eat with all them, every meal, everyday. The whole town has 2 toilets, 2 showers, 2 tables, and 1 TV that picks up 4 channels. The men hear and see everything that you do and say. Every church member is a brand new convert. Everyone has multiple problems in their personal life and family life. You have 2 King James Bibles and 3 other translations.
Of the nine men who have trusted Christ in the last six weeks, one has gone home, two have moved to a new town next door, and another was told that he would go off to prison for ten years starting next month. A fifth watched the news last week, as the death of his two best friends who drove into a building, was reported. He cried for two days because he could not go to their funeral or visit the only survivor who is now paralyzed in the hospital. All three were in their mid-twenties.
A sixth new convert is full of hard questions like, “Should I marry the mother of my three children who now live with another man, or should I marry the woman that I have been living with for the last four years when she gets out of jail? Should I have my second child, who is fourteen, get a DNA test to see if he is really mine, or just keep quiet about it? Should I get my last tooth pulled, or keep it?” This new convert seeks sincere advice from the pastor for about an hour everyday.
The seventh church member just came off a drug spree and learned that his daughter is now married, has a two-year-old, and is having another baby any day. His long term girlfriend is pressing charges against him for pawning her jewelry for drugs. His trial is in six weeks.
An eighth church member accepted Christ yesterday, and just got in bed this morning. He and convert number five were sent to spend the night in “the tank” for playing cards after lights out. “The tank” is a small holding cell downstairs that is very cold, and has only a concrete bench and toilet.
New men, often high on drugs or drunk and often cursing loudly are brought in and out all night long. It is not a good place to spend the night!
Your ninth church member has been saved two days and is a quiet African American man in his late forties. He’s been in jail many times. However, he now shows great interest in the Bible and wants to change his life and serve God.
At least five struggle daily with profanity. All want to go home to be with their loved ones. Two of the nine converts, seldom come to church, but still come to evening prayer circle.
The other town members range from “quiet and reserved” to “loud, vulgar, and disruptive.” Some listen-in on your conversations, and some watch your every move, to see if this “Jesus Stuff” is real. A few, can’t wait to see you fall.
Your church meets four to five times a day, for thirty to sixty minutes.
What would you preach on, twenty to thirty times a week? Get ready, church starts in 45 minutes.
Pastor Kent Hovind
Why in the world are you being held without bond?
Tim
Dr. Hovind,
My pastor says you threw away your highly effective ministry by not obeying the secular authorities in a non-critical matter. Nobody was asking you to deny Christ or take the mark of the beast – just pay taxes like we all do.
I know about Acts 4:19-20, but I could argue that you did more good for the kingdom of God outside than inside jail. Any comments?
Tim Tyler
A friend of mine sent me an email with the subject line “Because I know your heart is in prison ministy”
My reply was “Many people are prisoners. The exciting thing about prison ministry is those behind bars KNOW they are prisoners where prisoners on the outside think they are free”
Dr. Hovind presents real life questions that I desire more Christians to be able to answer. We often go to church and “preach to the choir” when the “gates of hell” are holding people in bondage. While we sing “Amazing Grace” there are those who never see the piano that would love to hear of that grace.
Some Sunday morning just stop for a minute and think of the part of your community that will never be in the pew with you. They are working at WalMart, sitting in a jail, guarding our cities, caring for those hospitalized, sleeping off alcohol, shooting basketball, milking cows, etc. One hour spent in the blood and the mud of real life in a year during Sunday morning will not hurt your “church”. In real life you will see the face of Jesus.
Please pray with me for Dr. Hovind to remain encouraged and for his release but you should also envy him. He sees more of the real power of an Almighty God who loves broken vessels than a huge congregation may see in a lifetime. Just as God has not thrown away a single in G20, neither has He thrown away the ministry of Dr. Hovind. While Satan claps in glee and the religious shake their self-righteous fingers, God is still on His throne. I have read the final chapter and God wins. Dr. Hovind’s ministry is in the Hands of and Almighty God and the best is yet to come.
Dr. Hovind says church starts in 45 minutes. Yep, it sure does. It starts when you walk into the store, show up for work, or start a conversation. Your sermon starts in 45 minutes, what are you going to preach? See life is real easy on Sunday morning in a church pew. It is tough in G20 or whatever the name of your cell happens to be. My cell is a desk with my name on the door and that is where the Christian life is tough for me.
So many people are posting to encourage Dr. Hovind and such postings will continue. Others who are posting are prisoners even though they are outside the barbed wire. Read their posts and you can see the anger, the pain, the addictions, and the chains that bind them. By what they write they show the same characteristics of those in G20 who do not know God.
Pray also for answers for Dr. Hovind as he struggles with questions from these who have been set free from sin. Dr. Hovind really desires to teach G20 converts how to get the answers from God because Dr. Hovind will not always be there with the answers. After all, God is the same God that gave Dr. Hovind the answers which he has shared with many of us for several years. This same God speaks to all of His children who are willing to listen.
I have typed way too much and I am not sure why. I don’t know if anyone will read this nor if they do, that it will change anything.
However, I do know that God hears my simple prayer “God let G20 shout ATW because they heard Kent’s name called before Christmas.” “Please, Papa, please”
Tim Tyler,
I think Kent is a great man for standing up for all of us. I just watched Russo’s Freedom to facism. Here is the link. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4312730277175242198&hl=en
What the IRS is doing to him is unconstitutional and illegal. He is just standing for your rights as well as mine.
I also urge you to tell your pastor to view the video as well and you both might flip your opinions around.
Nevertheless, God bless you Tim.
Pastor Kent Hovind is shining more in his place. It is like he shines everywhere. God bless you and your ministry. I just see what you are doing is great, and I am happy to hear what is going on with you. I praise the Lord because He has a purpose for us all. You give example of what we should be doing in our “relaxed” life. I thank God because He always reminds us of what we should be doing.
wrkeener:
I was so happy to read your comment and see the blessing of it. I don’t like to praise people, only the Lord, but what you have written motivates people like me to work harder for the Lord. I have seen many ignorant God hating people writing, and I am fed up with it. I find grace when I read encouragement and guidance and thank God that these people exist and they are sharing their thoughts with everyone else.
I wonder what an evolutionist or anyone who attacked Kent would do in his place….
Hi,
Has anyone seen the wikipedia article about Kent Hovind? I wish that someone expert might try to change that article because it sounds extremely biased.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Hovind
Kent,
The Holy Spirit has you right where He wants you. He has prepared these good works for you to do in advance of the earthly decision to send you there. Do not worry about what to say to these men. Pray to and trust in the Holy Spirit of God. He will give you the message and the words. I am praying for you Kent Hovind. You have been and continue to be in God’s service.
-Mel
*** My pastor says you threw away your highly effective ministry by not obeying the secular authorities in a non-critical matter. Nobody was asking you to deny Christ or take the mark of the beast – just pay taxes like we all do. ***
What if someone was asking Kent to commit an abortion? Would your pastor still say no one was asking him to deny Christ or take the mark of the beast? Our religious liberty includes much more than just the freedom to preach. Our command of obedience from God include much more than just preach the gospel.
We all know that going to jail wasn’t worth it for Jesus, the apostle Paul, John Bunyon, or Kent Hovind, right? They all threw away their critical ministries, right?
But what if Bro. Hovind’s arrest inspires 10 others to decide to take up the mantle and minister in his absence? What if only half of them stick with it and each are only half of what Hovind was? That’s still 2 1/2 new Kent Hovinds out there – a 250% return on the investment.
What if 50 people get inspired to take up that mantle? 100? 500? How about 1,000? That certainly could happen with the popular following he had.
Sometimes we suffer from tunnel vision, only seeing the immediate. Do right – let God take it from there.
Praise the Lord for Dr.Hovind!
Romans 8:28 says: “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Pastor Hovind was sent there by God to win at least nine people for Jesus! He doesn’t waste precious time for useless things. He uses as much of it possible to get people saved! He isn’t Jesus, but he sure is one of the best examples of Him I’ve ever seen!
Dr.Hovind did so much for Jesus. What do we do? Many people spend their time judging servants of God like Dr. Hovind and his wife for what they heard of from the news. They did everything possible to throw him into jail, stop his ministry for God, punish him for what he hasn’t done. People are just too irritated of Dr.Hovind always telling them they have to turn away from sin and turn to God. They didn’t like him letting everyone know about the lies the textbooks teach us in school. They hated him for saying evolution is a bunch of nonsense.
He is in jail not because he didn’t pay taxes, but because he remained truly faithful to God. He will be crowned by God for his faith, as God said: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10)
Dr.Hovind is doing what God told him to do. What are we doing? Most of us are just living for ourselves, not even thinking of serving God like we should have.
Lets not judge him for his work. We are not doing even half of what he has done.
Tatyana Voronina
Sal – I agree. It is worded in a very biased manor. I think of our Lord’s trial as being conducted in a likewise one sided format. The people doing those articles were likely wicked. (wickedpedia)
Praise the Lord for Dr.Hovind!
Now I really see that he was sent there by God to spread the gospel. God always has a purpose for his works. God put Dr.Hovind in that jail to let at least nine other people be saved! What a dedicated servant of God! He knows how to use his time well for Jesus, unlike most of us who use lots of our time for nonsense. Not many of us worry about getting others saved, as well as ourselves.
What are we doing for God? Life is just a short time period that God allowed us on this Earth. What would we bring before God on the judgement day? How many people did we bring to Jesus? Why are we living on Earth anyway, if we’re not doing anything for God? Not many people worry about their souls being saved. Many just fill their heads with the evolution theory to try to get away from God’s justice.
Lets not judge a truly God’s servant. He was not put to jail because of some taxes. He is put there for his faith in God! Many people were irritated for his spreading of the truth. They didn’t like him overturning evolution into nonsense and putting creation in the right place. They hated him for lettin everyone know of the lies the texbooks teach us today. After all, their dislike towards him was for telling them to turn away from their sin and turn to God.
If we don’t do anything for Jesus, if people don’t even know we’re Christians because we’re trying to hide it, we are in big trouble. Everyone will answer before God for what they have done.
Thank God, He still gives us time to change our attitude towards Him. It’s not too late to start doing something for Jesus! If you don’t know how, ask Dr.Hovind. He will tell you.
Tatyana Voronina
Tim Tyler
Kent didnt throw nothing away ,his dvds are still out there serving GOD, hes still preaching, and he standing up for something he believes is inportant . so dont criticize him why dont you try to encourage him .that would be the thing to do. Buy some more of his dvds and give them to your library or school like kent said theres a war going on do something .
Champ – Watched the jaw-dropping video, thanks, we all needed that. Come quickly Lord Jesus.
Have you seen http://www.calvarychapel.org ? Chuck Smith wrote a book where he shares how he started Calvary Chapel with its verse by verse format. He indicated he had about 2 years worth of topical sermons. When he went to the verse by verse format, the problem was solved. Check out http://www.ccgulfbreeze.org for an excellent local example of this format. Sermons are available online as podcasts or as live broadcasts.
Our family is praying for you. Thank you for the blog updates. We like to keep up with you and know how we should pray. Please update as often as you can. We pray for you daily.
Whoops. http://www.ccgulfbreeze.com
The point is that Dr. Hovind is not in jail for preaching against abortion or for denying Jesus Christ. He is in jail for tax evasion. I assume we all pay taxes, right? Even state sales and income taxes (No Income Tax in Fla.)
In fact, Jesus and Peter paid tax with the coin in the mouth a fish that Peter caught. Render to Caesar.
Dr. Hovind showed poor judgement, took bad advice, and threw away his highly effective Ministry for nothing!
If every Minister followed his example, it would not change the government, it would just just elimiate all free ministers! That day is coming anyway, but why hand the enemy an easy victory!
Tim Tyler.
We support Kent Hovind. We are glad to see that there are some other people out there who are supporting him too.
Thank you, Kent, for the updates, it is nice to know what is going on that side. We will keep checking back. YHWH be with you in January 2007.
Shalowm
C + V
South Africa
Bro. Kent
I can relate real closely with the chruch in G20. Each Sunday at 8:00am I hold services for three cells 1,6,and 7 at a county jail.I have been doing this now for 8 years. It can be very rewarding and very heart breaking all at the same time. I love to see the men get saved and be faithful to the services and grow in grace. But it is very gut wrenching to see what men do to each other and especially difficult to watch them reject Christ. I am praising the Lord for the ministry you are doing while there. My call from God is in the Jails and prisons. I also visit two State Prisions at one we have a bible colloge. I praise God for those you have impacted with the gospel, befriended, and even educated in math. But at the same time we pray for your freedom. God Bless You and PREACH THE WORD !!!!
God speed,
Bro. Stephen
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” Isaiah 61:1
Tim
“Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasars” is the conventional wisdom used to avoid the reality of this situation. Exactly what the IRS wants you to quote. You and I are supposed to pay our taxes and we do, but it does not apply to this case, we are not under Caesar. We are a government of the people, we agree to do certain things for the common good. We have agree that ministries do NOT pay taxes the principle is in our constitution. Someone has changed that without our consent, where that agreement has changed is the responsibility of the governed to discern and correct, Hovind is right to challenge it. This is a constitutional question that needs to be clarified. Right now the IRS is imposing it’s will on the voice of the Church. There is a war going on the cripples the churches freedom of speech and the main line churches have capitulated and “you cannot speak our on politics or be part of the government” most will not realize this until it is too late.
Our constitution protects ministries from the government. From what I gather from those who openly support Hovind is that Hovind was actively requesting the IRS to clarify the law especially the “exemption to the 501 c 3″ the “508 c 1″ section, in response to their intrusion upon his ministry. The IRS response was to arrest him when he pointing out the law to them. This is a thinly vieled persecution and they want him quieted, so they find a law to prosecute him under that has public appeal. It is the same principle “they” used with Jesus, they found a point of law to crucify him with even though it did not apply.
Here is the scripture that does apply: Matthew 7:16a, 20 “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Is Hovind a criminal, a false prophet? What is his fruit?
Do a word study on Fruit or Fruits and you will see that Jesus had much more to say about Fruit than “Render unto Ceasar”. What is the fruit of Hovind’s ministry. I know what the Lord has done in my life through his ministry, what about you? Are you still believing the lie that satan started “Hath God Truely said?” about Genesis. Do you believe God and his Word as afruit of Hovind’s ministry. I do!
Where is my post, do you review them first?
The wikipedia article only sounds “biased” as you claim because it is stating the facts. It is not the author’s fault that many of the facts do not work to Kent’s advantage. Did you know that Patriot University, where Kent recieved his ph. D, is not even an actual university but just someone’s house? You can see a picture of it here: http://www.patriotuniversity.com/Resources/PUcampus.jpg
It really is a non-accredited diploma mill, and I find it rather deceitful that he would take advantage of ignorant people by proclaiming himself as “Dr.”
I have worked in a County Jail for 14 years. It is one truly miserable place to be. When I think of the sentence Dr. Hovind could get it makes me sick. Example: A man is found to be molesting a child. The County Attorney comes up with a figure; say 30 Counts, (who knows how long this man has been molesting.) They offer the molester a plea bargain and he pleads gulity to 1 count of Attempted Child Molesting or 1 Count of Sexual Conduct with a minor. He gets 1 year in the County Jail and is immediately eligible for Work Furlough or Work Release. He leave jail everyday in civilian clothes and works where ever in the community. Hopefully he comes back at night. (Many don’t.) Many people do less than three years in prison for actual murder (as long as the case isn’t sensationalized in the media).
Now here is a true man of God. One who stands up and says what a lot of today’s milk-toast preachers won’t: evolution is a lie, abortion is murder, homosexuality is a sin, etc.
They want to give this man the maximum – 288 years? If that’s not the Satan’s handi-work, I don’t know what is… Petition President Bush to give Kent Hovind a FULL PARDON!!!
JamesWS writes:
Petition President Bush to give Kent Hovind a FULL PARDON!!!
Geno:
I don’t think that will work. Accepting a pardon carries with it an implied admission of guilt. AFAIK, to this day, Hovind claims he has broken no law.
Dear Dr.Hovind,
Please, do not pay attention to the discouraging messages and comments. What was it like for Jesus Christ to confront the system? What was it like for John the Babtist to confront the sinners with a direct appeal “Repent!” This word was offensive for the majority! The corrupted system has to be confronted. Otherwise, it will serve the world of darkness.Especially, if there have been already the signs of the deception and sin.
What can you do if the Lord gives you the call and the message to speak out, and yet your human “wisdom” tells you, “You should be pleasing to anyone, even to those who are blind and ignorant about God’s ways.”? Such the godly men like Dr.Hovind have such a special mission from the Lord to be obedient to the Lord in any situation: no matter what! .
Such the guys who send the comment like the previous one by name Tim (seems like it), what would you tell Paul about what God called him to do. He suffered through persecutions, and not only he… It is nobody’s business to recommend how Dr.Hovind should have behaved or ministered: he was obedient to the Lord, and still is passionate to do His will. When the Holy Spirit leads, even donkeys can speak, if people are not able to hear God’s voice anymore! If the Holy Spirit was leading Dr.Hovind to speak something out and act in freeedom that Americans are so proud of, then, he was obedient to the Lord, no matter what! Simply people do not want to listen or hear.
If the Lord reveals you the truth, how can you hold it from others?
Dr.Hovind, welcome to Ternopil, Ukraine. The group of Ukrainian Christians here have been thinking how to spread your teaching in more effective way. I have been working on the translation of the sub-titles for your seminars. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME! HE TEACHES HIS CHILDREN AS A LOVING FATHER AND PROTECTS THEM! HALLELUJA!
Peace, love and joy to you!
With many prayers,
Inna Viller, Ternopil, Ukraine.