“Patience” Romans 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
Many lawyers and paralegal have looked over our case and said that it will be overturned. They tell me that all I need is patience. Well, I do want patience — I just want it right now! The Lord and I are discussing this often.
I am working in the tool room now keeping track of all the tools used in all departments of maintenance at the camp. I love tools, and the job gives me more time for reading and writing. The 700-man camp is a work camp, so evangelism is a little slower since everyone’s schedule is busy. God has provided many opportunities to reach the lost, however; so please keep praying for God to send revival in this place.
I do eventually receive and read all the blog postings and letters. Thanks for the great encouragement!! I am not currently allowed any phone calls, but I do enjoy the weekend visit from my family and ten friends that are allowed on the visitor list. What a blessing to have that precious time.
At lunch last week, one of the inmates said, “If I could, I would bomb the Christian Coalition. They are the reason we are here.” I was shocked by his statement! I love the Christian Coalition, but I understand the man’s point. For years, Christians have pushed judges and legislators to be “tough on crime.” Most are thinking about violent crimes when pushing for this type legislation. However, only about three percent of those incarcerated in the United States are incarcerated for violent crimes. The unreasonable sentences people are given have come from judges who have never spent even one day locked up and who brag that they will give out sentences totaling “a million years” during their time on the bench.
Having been here for nearly six months, I will forever be an advocate of closing most jails and prisons. What this type of punishment does to families and society is terrible. I believe that we as Christians are unwittingly funding and encouraging the very prisons that will house the Christians as the New World Order approaches!
Well, the Lord is still great. The weather here has been near perfect. I am healthy. The food is good. My family all loves me and comes to visit me—many men, the majority of men, do not have that. By God’s grace, the CSE ministry is still moving forward—winning people to Christ and inspiring children of God to live more fervently for Him. The CSE Team is doing a great job! How grateful I am for these many blessings!
God has taught me a lot during this trial, but I remain eager to get back out preaching! Keep praying!
Kent Hovind
Hi Dr. Hovind and family
I’m heartsore at the treatment you are receiving and pray for you all continually. I’m sure that the demonic realm is working overtime to ensure that you don’t get the opportunity to finish the new children’s series you are working on. In the same way that Satan tried to stop the Messiah from being born through various means, and also thought that the crucifixion would be his victory, so I believe that God, Who is in total control, will ensure that what He has placed in your heart to do, will be done. Despite the negative situations, you are an example to all of us who may very well find ourselves in similar situations in the very near future.
Joseph still remained in prison for some time after the baker and butler were released, but his deliverence came suddenly. I believe that God will ensure that righteousness prevails. His ways are not ours, and His thoughts are not ours, but He is on the throne!!
Psalm 1: 1-3: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth it’s fruit in it’s season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
May you all remain strong in the Lord.
Shalom
Dawn (South Africa)
I waited patiently for the Lord and He heard me.(Ps. 40:1)
What greater blessing can God give then to count us with Him? Many people pray for Dr. Hovind’s release like it is an awful event. It is difficult, yes. But, remember what Christ went through for our souls? And Christ is God. He was spit at and whipped by His own creation. Did not Christ say that the world hates Him and if we follow Him that we will be hated too? To be accepted into God’s Kingdom is to be hated by this world. Man cannot serve two masters. If you choose this world then you will get the rotten fruits for eternity and if you serve God, you will get the blessed fruits for eternity. Suffer a little here and live in God’s Kingdom forever. The history of Christianity has always been a path of suffering at the hands of infedels, from the time of the Apostles.
God is preparing Dr. Hovind to receive his crown of martyrdom. God knows what Dr. Hovind needs to purify him to be accepted into His Kingdom. If an athlete competes in the Olympics, would we try to convince him to relax and not practice because his muscles ache? The spiritual warefare is so much more important to battle. Dr. Hovind knows this. What this world offers is nothing compared to what we would be deprived of if we succombed to the temptations.
Here is a little example from Christian history. The 40 martyrs of Sebaste in the 4th century. They were soldiers and at one point admitted to Emperor Licinius, that they were Christians, for at that time paganism was still active. The Emperor had them tortured and sent to their death. They were in Armenia and the cold was bitter. They were sent to freeze naked on the hard ice. They ran to their duty to God. Well, one soldier was too weak and ran into the little hut that was set up to entice them to the warmth. He dropped dead when he entered. But, there was a sentinel who saw, by God’s mercy, 40 crowns descending, except one was moving upwards. He realized the truth, confessed in believing Christ as the Son of God, stripped and ran out to the others.
Well, when it was time to remove the bodies, they put them on a wagon, but one was still found barely alive so the executioners decided to keep him in order to persuade him to change his mind. His mother saw this, and being a woman of great faith, helped her son unto the wagon because she didn’t want him to be deprived of God’s crown. She loved him beyond what the world understands is love. She wanted her son safe with Christ.
Some here may think this is cruel, but this is a love for God that transends any understanding of worldly love. Someone once said that in her time of persecution, she felt peace; like God was with her. But, when she was released from her prison, she felt anxious again, because she started anticipating the persecution. Believe it or not, but God is closer to us when we are enduring the persecution because our hearts open up to Him…but in times of peace, we think we can manage on our own; we block Him out, to some extent. It’s only in times of persecution that we allow God to carry us, because when we are in a peaceful lifestyle, we think we are supporting ourselves.
What does St. Paul say in 2 Corinthians; chp. 12, verse 10 – Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
We may be strong in faith when all is well, but we prove our strength in faith only when we are challeged to it. Just like the martyrs did. And I believe that Dr. Hovind is experiencing that now.
My prayers are with him, that Christ gives him the courage to withstand the persecution, faith to sustain it and love to overcome it.
In Christ, Joanna
Dear Samphire,
Regarding: who would die for a lie? You mentioned Islamic bombers, but the point is missed. Yes, people have died for a lie – many, many people. For instance suicide bombers. They believe that once they strap themselves with explosives and blow up infidels (Jews and Christians) in the name of Allah and scream “Allah Akbar,” which means “Allah is greater” – that there will be 72 virgins waiting for them in paradise to perform sexual pleasures. That is dying for a lie.
The apostles and early followers of Christ did not only believe that they were dying for the truth of Jesus Christ, they KNEW they were dying for that truth. Why did they know it was true? Because they saw the risten Christ and the testimony was recorded by more than 500 witnesses. In a court of law, only one or two credible witnesses is needed.
So no, the apostles did not die for what they thought was true. They died for what they KNEW was true. They went from being scattered cowards when Christ was being crucified TO boldly contending for the faith and paying for it with their lives.
So the argument here is wrong – someone would not die for a lie if they knew it were a lie. However, some would die for a lie believing it to be true (i.e., Muslims) and some have died for the truth (followers of Christ).
No one has ever died for a lie knowing that it was a lie.
I’m sorry that you have left the faith – it reminds me of this scripture: 2 Peter 2:20-22
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
Why does a pig return to wallow in the filth? Because it needs to cool its flesh. Why do some reject Jesus Christ and return to sin? For the same exact reason – to cool the lusts of the flesh.
Although it’s not yet too late for you – as long as there is breath there is hope and I will keep you in my prayers.
Hi James,
I am not suggesting that anybody died for a lie – actually it has happened – but that is not the argument. Just because people sacrifice their lives for their beliefs does not make their beliefs true. Hence the problem of both Protestants and Catholics being burnt at the stake by the other side.
You wrote: Why did they know it was true? Because they saw the risen Christ and the testimony was recorded by more than 500 witnesses.
There is no evidence that there were 500 witnesses to a living bodily Christ. Paul reports that Christ “appeared” to more than 500 unnamed and unplaced brethren at the same time (does this include women as well?) but this is only hearsay evidence not admissible in a court of law. Strange that the Gospels make no mention of it. Paul seems to imply by the use of the word “brethren” that these people were already converts but there is no other evidence of which I am aware that the Church had become established before the ascension. Paul then goes on to imply that Christ’s appearance to him was to be His last. Firstly, Paul did not see Christ but just a bright light and, secondly, how did he know that Christ would not appear and had not appeared to others. He seems to be taking an extremely presumptious position.
Quite a lot of people believe others have seen the Indian Rope trick. Do you believe they may be deluded?
You write “Why does a pig return to wallow in the filth? Because it needs to cool its flesh. Why do some reject Jesus Christ and return to sin? For the same exact reason – to cool the lusts of the flesh..
Firstly, I was never in the faith. Secondly, your choice of phrase appears to be deliberately chosen to be offensive. Some of us actually believe for a great many good honest reasons that the story of the resurrection is nonsense and talk of pigs in filth does not help your argument. As for the lusts of the flesh – a chance would be a fine thing.
Kind regards
Samphire
I had a good laugh at [...EDITED...] he so reveres is such terrific irony.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Type in your opinions. Can you do it without sadism, though? At least some of the folks who disagree with you, though you are fully right and they 100% clueless, of course, are sincere, caring people. (Sadism is getting pleasure from another person's pain. It can be done physically; it can be done verbally. Refrain from being obvious about this, please.) Do you wish to express honest opinions and to persuade, or to tear down and belittle all who dare oppose you? Minor deity, are you? -Still a teenager? You are better than what you wrote. A man seeks to build up others; any child can tear down. I do not care for "hit messages" that just seek to hurt and then walk away. Please contribute to this conversation in the future. But I request that you do so in a way that makes the world a better place, as you seek to educate and inform others of why they should accept your opinions and conclusions. P.A. ]
Hi Dr. Hovind.
Stan the rubber band target on video camera here from Plyler. I hope you are doing well under the circumstances. Just so you know, your ministry is carried out every Sunday morning at Plyler. Jack Parks and myself teach the youth SS class. We wanted to do something different than the boring SS material we’ve been getting for years, so we started teaching Creation Science. The kids love it, especially when we play your DVD’s. We usually watch about 30 min and take notes, then the next Sunday, we go over our notes and talk about it. It’s been great. Makes teaching a lot more fun too.
I haven’t told the kids about your predicament, but if it comes up, I want you to know I’m behind you and know that you are in no way a criminal. (well except for all those times you were speeding, so I guess we’re both criminals).
Anyway… we’ll continue to keep you and your family in our prayers.
Peace and Grace – Stan