“The Things Which Have Happened Unto Me” Philippians 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
January 25, 2007
The last six months of my life have been both a challenge and a blessing at the same time. July 13, 2006, the day before my thirty-third anniversary, my wife and I were arrested without notice or warning that the IRS thought we were doing something unlawful. We were shocked to say the least—and even more shocked when the jury found us guilty.
Our attorneys had advised us not to even give a defense because they were confident that the government had not proven its case. Well, that is water under the bridge.
Last week the judge sentenced me to ten years and delayed sentencing on my wife until March 6th. Some details of the case are on www.penaltyprotestor.org. There is still a great chance the case will be overturned on appeal for multiple reasons, but that is in God’s hands.
Previous blogs record the Lord working in the jail. So far, sixteen men have trusted Christ for salvation. The spiritual need in here is staggering to the mind. I encourage everyone to get involved in, or at least support a jail ministry. I know that some are “stony ground” but some “will bear much fruit.”
When Paul was arrested (who knows which time), he wrote to the Philippians that his arrest resulted in three things.
1. The furtherance of the gospel (v. 12)
2. Political peers heard the gospel in the palace and in all other places (v. 13)
3. Believers were made more bold to speak the word (v. 14)
What more could a preacher want? Judging from the blogs our ministry has received, many people are spreading the creation message and winning souls even more since my arrest. One man wrote and said, “When I realized you were not out preaching, God impressed on me to spread the message in your place. I had gotten your slides some time ago, but now I’m using them to preach on creation.”
I know many of you have asked for more details that show our side. The time will come when we will be able to share that information. In the meantime, to those of you who are praying for us and supporting us during this trying time we say, “Thank you.” To those who do not know the whole story but have condemned us as evil doers anyway, please read Job 42:7-8 and Proverbs 18:13.
Eric has done a great job managing things in my absence. He continues to do creation seminars as well. Dinosaur Adventure Land is still open for Winter Park hours, Thursday through Saturday, 10:00 – 5:00. The park hosted about 80 this past Saturday. The spirit of the CSE Team is good, and we still get daily reports of souls saved and lives changed by the simple message of God’s incredible creation. Please keep praying as we continue to learn how all this is for God’s glory.
In Esther chapter three, we see the Jews had already been condemned and sentenced when God stepped in. See Esther chapter seven for the results.
Keep an eye on the blog site for updates to see God at work in this story. I am still in jail, but the Lord’s church is praying. Read Acts 12:5 and see what happens when the church prays for the preacher.
More later,
Kent Hovind