Luke 2:52 Annual Check-Up
Written: January 6, 2010
Dear Friends,
About forty years ago, I began a habit that I recommend to everyone. I was a new Christian in the youth group at Bethel Baptist Church in Pekin, Illinois. It was an on-fire, soul winning, independent, temperamental, fundamental, right wing, chicken-eatin’ Baptist Church. (Whew!) After being raised Lutheran, Mennonite, and Methodist, it was a great place for me, as a sixteen-year-old, to grow in my new relationship with Christ. I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior February 9, 1969.
One of the many great lessons taught by the teen Sunday school teacher, Virgil Hartsock, was on Luke 2:52. It changed my life forever! Brother Hartsock explained that Jesus, as a boy about to enter His teen years, grew in four different areas of life. He drew a series of concentric circles like tree rings on the board and drew a large plus sign to separate the rings into equal quarters like a pie graph. He read the verse and explained that Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” He said, “You just can’t get a better example to follow than Jesus himself. Just as He grew in all four areas of life, you should too. Set some goals in each area and develop a system of checking to see how you are doing in each area.”
He labeled the areas Mental (wisdom), Physical (stature), Spiritual (favor with God), and Social (favor with man). He said a healthy tree grows evenly in each section each year. Some people get way out of balance in one area. Some are so dedicated to learning and growing mentally that they neglect their body or spirit or friends. “Keep a balance,” he said.
So, every year between Christmas and my January 15 birthday, I do a self-check in each area. At fifty-seven (next week), here is my annual report.
1. Mental Area – Pretty good. In the past year, I have read over one hundred books in a wide range of subjects plus 65% of the encyclopedia set in the library. I’ve read and studied much on the Civil War, WWII, American Indians, Shackelford’s failed expedition to the South Pole, the transcontinental railroad, early explorers of the seas, Pilgrims and early American settlers and numerous books about the creation/evolutionism conflict. I love history! I still maintain a good sense of humor and love Far Side and Darwin Awards! I have tutored several men in Trigonometry, Geometry and Algebra. I still have a hard time with spelling. Vice President Dan Quail couldn’t spell “potatoe” so I guess I’m in good company. My curiosity and desire to learn has not dimmed in any way that I can detect. I’ve also read extensively in the field of Biology and Earth Science. Walt Brown’s new 8th edition of “In The Beginning” is awesome! www.drdino.com.
2. Physical Area – Not bad for fifty-seven. I can still do five chin-ups (used to do thirty in high school☹), run 1/4 mile without stopping, do yoga, do quite a few sit-ups and push-ups and jump rope 130 times in one minute. I eat pretty well, sleep like a rock, and don’t recall the last time I was sick. My back hurts every day from several serious car accidents over thirty years ago. They finally gave me an x-ray here and discovered that I had broken my back at T-6 years ago! I knew that car hit me hard while I was stopped! See Jo! It’s not just a trick when I say I need you to rub my back!☺
I was active in softball all summer and can still hit it over the fence—barely! I dislocated my wrist and elbow sliding into second base on August 9, 2009. The BOP will give me medical help after about six months; so I re-set it myself. By the way, I was safe at second, drove in two runs, and tied the game; so, that ought to be worth something! The BOP promises me an MRI sometime in the future. If they ever get to it, I predict it will show torn ligaments around the hamate, lunate, pisiform and ulna head. It is 90% healed and should feel better when it quits hurting. I weigh 198 pounds and probably should lose ten pounds.
3. Spiritual – I still love to read and study God’s Word! My easy job here gives me lots of time to do just that. I love researching various Bible characters for my weekly “Dear God Knee-Mail” letters posted on www.cseblogs.com. I have well over 150 more Knee-Mails started on a wide range of subjects. I get ideas LOTS faster than I can complete them. If God wants me to finish everything before I die, I will live to be 700! I have Bible study in my room every night with several of the men. God has let me lead several men to Him. I see about ten of them in the church services and help them grow in the Lord. I taught an eight-week class on creation, and if I’m still here in March (hopefully not!), I will teach in the weekly Bible study a nine-week series on comparative religions.
I’ve taken about a dozen courses toward a Doctorate in Biblical Ministries this year, and have read extensively on the end times issues. While still very hopeful for a pre-trib rapture any day, I have become less and less convinced that this is the clear teaching of God’s Word. It would be wise to prepare for the worst, and be excited if it doesn’t happen (Proverbs 22:3)!
I love Psalms 4:4 and feel like I’m closer to the Lord than I’ve ever been. He walks with me and talks with me… I see now a small part of why Richard Wurmbrandt, coming out of fourteen years in horrible communist prisons in Romania said he never felt closer to God than when he was in prison and it was a let-down spiritually when he was released. Scores of the books I’ve read on various Bible related topics have changed me forever! The Bible study time for the Knee-Mails has been one of the best ways to study God’s Word that I’ve seen in my forty years in God’s family. I love it! There is an endless supply of material in that book!
4. Social (Favor with Man) – God has blessed me with friends all over the world! I get more letters every week than any other man in the prison camp. I used nearly two hundred stamps in one week last month! Many of the letters of support I get cause me to cry! I see s-o-o-o-o-o many men in prison that get no mail, no visits, and have nobody sending them money for commissary. It almost makes me feel ashamed. God has been so good to me! It would be an awful thing to feel that no man cared for my soul (Psalm 142:4). I have close relations with all my family. My children and grandchildren still love me, write me, and visit me. Lots of men here don’t have that. I get to call my wife of thirty-six and a half years almost every day! This warden will not let her visit, so please pray about that. I haven’t seen her in over two years!☹
I make new friends with nearly all the incoming inmates. I have a little ministry of giving the new guys a tour and helping take away some of the fear and emotional trauma that comes with going to prison. I also make my world-famous (well…prison camp-famous) book markers for each of the new men and their children. If you don’t have one, please send me a list of names of your family members, and I will be honored to make them one. They double as a great little gospel tract and reminder to always look at life God’s way—l-o-o-o-o-n-g term!
Truly God has blessed me in the social area. I suggest you read Proverbs 18:24 in the KJV, and then see how the new versions have messed that one up! If you can tell a lot about a man by his enemies, I’m in great shape! Even though I’ve been locked up three years and two months, there are still lots of anti-Hovind Web Sites by atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and idiots. I love pushing their buttons (in Christian love), to attempt to get them to see how utterly stupid their evolution religion is! Anyone who believes that their great-great-great-great-…grandpa was a rock needs help! Even though they hate me, I’m here for them and am always willing to be their friend.
So, that’s how I’m doing for this year’s check-up. We are still fighting our case, and will continue until we win. The ministry continues under the able leadership of my son Eric and the fantastic CSE team. The government remains poised to seize and sell the ministry property. Eric and his Board of Directors continue to await the price tags set by the government on the properties in order to prayerfully consider what can be purchased, since the government changed their original proposal to settle all property titles as clear from $380,000 to “the government’s appraised value for each property.” In spite of this battle, the work of spreading the gospel via the creation message continues, as Eric does creation seminars, and the CSE team produces new material.
All things considered, God is good!!! He has allowed me to make it another year with good growth in all four areas. I pray that this next year will be even better. Do your Luke 2:52 Annual Check-Up, and see how your growth rings look!
Serve God! He’s coming soon!
Kent
Brother Kent,
What an encouragement to hear of your continued growth and opportunities… even in there! That blessed my soul. As the Lord continues to bless you there, it is a good example for the rest of us to continue the work of the Kingdom, no matter what the consequences (Phil 1:14). It is rare to find someone like Apollos who was mighty in the scriptures and good at convincing men of things in public, but who also desired to grow and listened to others (Acts 18:24-28). Most men have figured it all out already and do not dare question their own theology… especially in the area of eschatology. I’m praying for your joy in the Lord to continue through your entire stay there, and hopefully that stay will not be much longer or will go by very quickly. Thanks for the blessing you’ve been to me, my family, and my church.
Stephen H.
Psalm 37
Sounds like you’re doing great Bro…especially under such circumstances…
We have many noticed many others who we’re staunchly pre-trib rapture softening
their views on the timing also…I guess we’ll see soon…Blessings, FT Tribe
Dear Mr.Hovind,
I have been shocked at how your appeals have come out and look forward to the time you are released. I think your teaching will become even better and more bold. I was a correction officer in Florence Arizona for 2 years and was appalled at how some of the other correction officers treated and talked to the inmates. To make a long story short after two years of working there I had to quit. Not only did the facilty treat the prisoners bad but, they treated the correction officers with disrespect also. I am amazed at your positive attitude and how much you love God. I have been following your teaching for about ten years now. Your teaching has helped me understand how far off evolution is. It has also given me confidence when I have the opportunity to talk to others. God has been working on my attitude. He has showen me that attitude is everything. If a person has a bad attitude God cannot work in their lives to change them or to help them grow. I have upmost resect for you. I know that you are a better person living threw the trails you now endure. I pray for you and wish you the very best. Keep up the faith and the good work you are doing in these troubling times for you.
Love in Jesus Name
Bruce T.
Brother Kent,
God be with you always as he promised. I would like to come visit with you but do not know if it is possible. Our Youth are watching your videos and are encouraged to stand up for our Lord in their classroom’s. Stay safe God Bless and know time is nothing in God’s eyes !!
Luv ya, Praying for ya
Bro John and Family
hi Kent
sorry to see they have you in prison, while hundreds of thieving bankers run about with immunity to prosecution for the money they gambled, and then the theft from the government of taxpayers money to cover their losses, but enough of the passionate rhetoric from me.
I have been thinking about you kent, life certainally doesn’t seem to be fair, glad to see you have been reading up on “stuff” and improving your mental faculties, any way this was just a line to let you know your out of sight but not forgotten, so hang in there kent, and you know what? your right, the education system has so dumbed down the masses (this is a quote from someone else) when people loose faith in God they do not believe nothing, they believe everything.
the mis information is astounding, and i truely believe we could be the last generation, and Jesus is on His way soon
so God bless you brother
your brother in Christ
joebloggs
Dear Mr.Hovind,
I have been shocked at how your appeals have come out and look forward to the time you are released. I think your teaching will become even better and more bold. I was a correction officer in Florence Arizona for 2 years and was appalled at how some of the other correction officers treated and talked to the inmates. To make a long story short after two years of working there I had to quit. Not only did the facilty treat the prisoners bad but, they treated the correction officers with disrespect also. I am amazed at your positive attitude and how much you love God. I have been following your teaching for about ten years now. Your teaching has helped me understand how far off evolution is. It has also given me confidence when I have the opportunity to talk to others. God has been working on my attitude. He has showen me that attitude is everything. If a person has a bad attitude God cannot work in their lives to change them or to help them grow. I have upmost resect for you. I know that you are a better person living threw the trails you now endure. I pray for you and wish you the very best. Keep up the faith and the good work you are doing in these troubling times for you.
Love in Jesus Name
Bruce T.
Dear Brother Hovind,
I am soooo glad to hear that you are doing well despite all you guys have been through. May the LORD continually fill you with His amazing grace!
Concerning prophesy…Oye veh! I’ve heard all the arguments back & forth over the years too. God has a battle plan. If He told us all the details, the enemy would attempt to mess things up! Most Generals don’t tell their soldiers what they are up to until they are ‘in the need to know’!
Some of my friends are convinced that we are going through the Tribulation … and some of my friends are convinced that the Rapture is going to happen first. What I have observed among them is that those who are convinced that we are going through the Tribulation, are preoccupied with providing for themselves & their loved ones during that time. And the ones who are convinced about the Rapture are preoccupied with winning others to Christ.
On the other side of the coin, the friends who are making preparations wouldn’t be doing such a good job if they thought it was just for somebody else instead of themselves. (That’s human nature.) And the ones who believe that the Rapture is going to happen first are probably not loving the Brethern who are going to get saved during the Tribulation like they should, because they aren’t making preparations for them as if they were going to go through the Tribulation personally. (That’s human nature too!) That’s being irresponsible too!
Ok, here’s how I see it: The Tribulation has to do with the Jewish people & God verses the rest of the world. It’s similar to the ‘Exodus Scenario’ on a global scale. The Gentile Believers, who are holding back the evil have to be taken out of the way first. (2 Thessalonians 2:6) The question is, “How is that going to happen?” Well, the LORD said that it’s going to be like the Days of Noah. Have you ever thought about what happened to the rest of Noah’s family? His great granddad was Enoch. What happened to all the rest of Enoch’s descendants? My guess is that the majority of them were murdered by those who followed the evil one. (So what’s new?) And how is it that Noah lived for 500 years without having any other kids? If he was keeping God’s commandment to be fruitful and multiply & fill the earth, he must have had a bunch of other kids. What happen to them? It’s my opinion that the evil one sought to wipe every one of them out because he didn’t know which one would bring in ‘The Seed of the woman’ (Genesis 3:15) By the time we get to Genesis 6:13 the only 3 left are Shem, Ham & Japheth, & Noah is probably on his face before the LORD pleading for their very lives! And at that point God promises him that those 3 sons would go with him in the Ark. (None of the other sons must have been alive by then because otherwise the promise would have included them as well.)
If you look at the big picture, Enoch preaches ‘Jude verses 14 & 15′ & then gets Raptured. He named one of his sons ‘Methuselah’ [The Hebrew breaks it down into 3 words ‘Meth’ (dies) ‘u’ (and) ‘selah’ (sends). In other words ‘He-dies-and-it-shall-be-sent’.] And when he died, God sent the Flood!
Methuselah in turn, named one of his sons ‘Lamech’(Conqueror) because God was going to be the Conqueror! Lamech died when he was 777. That was prophetic too! The other ‘Lamech’, the one who was descended from Cain had said that he would be avenged 70 & 7 fold. But God was saying that Noah’s Dad would be avenged 7x7x7!
(Cain means ‘Spear’ or ‘Lance’)Enoch was Raptured 669 years before the Flood. That’s almost 700 years! Was the Tribulation of those days cut short?
The whole thing about the Anti-Christ is a parallel with those days too. The people turned away from the worship of YAHVEH and began to worship the names of the sons of the Nephilim…those guys became their heroes & the ones they turned to for help. (Genesis 6:4.
The word ‘renown’ is ‘name’ in the Hebrew.) Noah was preaching against this. So he named his sons ‘Name’(Shem), ‘Heat’(Ham) & ‘Vast’ (Japheth. It means ‘from one end of the horizon to the other!’) saying that God’s NAME was the only NAME to be worshiped, & He would give the ‘heat’ of life to those who put their trust in Him, & the ‘heat’ of death to those who didn’t. And His NAME would be vast! It would be known from horizon to horizon & from one end of the heavens to the other & His NAME would be the only NAME! It was basically a continuation of what Enoch had been preaching. {and we are still saying the same thing!}
Then right after the Flood, the Tower of Babel incident happens. Basically, Nimrod & his buddies wanted to be in charge of everybody else (They wanted to be the central government. Sound familiar? ) But God put a stop to it by dividing the language. But pretty soon, God is going to let them have their way…. And think about it, it’s getting so that language barriers are being eliminated.
Babylon has to become the leader in world trade before Revelation 18:11-19 can happen. And we are not there yet…
So where do I stand as far as the Rapture? Revelation 4:1 “Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”
Hi Kent
We live in the UK. My wife Hilary and I just watched a lecture you did some time back (good encouraging stuff)Praise God you are being used where you are. I don’t fully understand your case but I do trust God for my eternity as I know you do.
Bless you
Nigel & Hilary
The Lord is our strength an ever present help in trouble
Dear Dr. Hovind,
Having recently listened to most of your creation seminar lectures, and then seen the backlash from those who want you silenced, I am so glad to see you are continuing the good work right where you are, and giving Glory to God.
You have a heart of compassion and a message of hope that I’m sure is greatly appreciated by those with you.
Your seminar information has been extremely useful and I don’t think anyone in the office where I work believes in evolution any more.
Their Christian heritage that was bought at such great cost during the Reformation is slowly starting to surface again and I am trusting God for some conversions. That is saying something for the U.K., where humanistic school brainwashing has robbed most children and adults of even a knowledge of what Christian faith and Godly morality are.
There is a big drive on at the moment to close the net and place home-schooling under the authority of the dept. of education, & families and their syllabus, under the guise of child safety. Unfortunately most Christians are waiting to be rescued at rapture bus stop and don’t enter the fight against rendering their children to Caesar.
“The Bible says it’s going to happen so I can’t stop it” they say. “Curse Meroz” springs to mind.(Judges 5:23). How come God used faithful men in the Old Testament to deliver Israel from bondage, and yet today’s “faithful” cry to God “help, get us out of here!” Dispensational thinking is undermining the whole purpose of man having dominion under God on earth. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth….” has been exchanged with “get as many to say the sinner’s prayer as possible before the rapture comes, and keep capitulating to the wicked.”
David’s response to Goliath was to take his head off, not beg God to send a chariot of fire to whisk him away to safety.
I’m not advocating violence, but rather Christians standing up and demonstrating living by God’s kingdom law in the workplace, in society and in politics and discipling the nations to do the same. It’s also about challenging man’s “wisdom” in every aspect of life, as you have so courageously done in the area of origins.
I enjoyed hearing about your annual check-up and am praying for your release and a visit from your wife soon. “With God all things are possible”.
God Bless you Sir.
This warden will not let her visit.
Matthew 19.6: …..What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
there is Judgment Day; not man’s judgments, but God’s. I find that very comforting when I read something like this.
there is a day of vengeance.
I’ve been coming to this blog since your imprisonment. Often, I’ve been blessed by your knee-mails, and am among those sickened by the injustice touching you and your family. I’ve never commented here before, but reading this latest post prompts me to speak up, and frankly, I’m shocked that not one person commenting here has brought it up before now. I guess that’s a sign of the times…
You are one of the last persons I would have thought to be so foolish as to be taken in by the pagan practice of yoga! I wonder how many dear saints have read these words of yours and said in their hearts “If Hovind does it, it must be okay.” I pray none are led astray by this carelessness on your part. During these times, where ecumenism, political events, and the groaning of all creation seems to be reaching a crescendo, I think we as Christians ought to be spending more time on our faces before God in repentance and prayer rather than attempting these meditative postures and patting ourselves on the back. Yoga was never intended to be mere stretches, but rather a hindu religious preparation for dying!
“Former Hindu guru Rabi Maharaj, in his autobiography Death of a Guru, said ‘No part of Yoga can be separated from the philosophy behind it.’”
“Yoga’s religious purpose is two-fold: to gain control over the body and to open the mind into altered states of consciousness. To understand the latter, one must understand and believe in the Hindu way of looking at God.”
“The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, teaches that supreme joy comes to whoever practices Yoga, because he becomes one with the Hindu god Brahman, the cosmic consciousness.”
These are just three quotes from Caryl Matrisciana’s book “Out of India” which one should read before defending so-called “Christian yoga”. What an oxymoron! The bride of Christ has no business whatsoever engaging in this most unclean thing. Honestly, can any person reading this, whose sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, say that they can picture Jesus sitting in the lotus position? God forbid. And God forbid that the bride should become like a harlot and take part in it as well.
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1076
http://www.thebereancall.org/node/5748
Dear Brother Hovind,
Hi again! You said something about how you could loose another ten pounds. In this country ‘loosing weight’ has become ‘the in-thing’ to do & has now become an issue for health care reform. The logic of it makes sense scientifically, but I would like to point something out to the contrary, especially in light with all that’s been said around here…
When I was about 22, there was an old guy who lived down the street in an apartment. He was an immigrant to this country & had lived through the terrors of Mussolini’s government. One time he told us a story of his childhood how he had gone outside one morning to find government officials shooting people & seeing a pile of dead bodies in the middle of the street. Then his mother came out & got him & slapped him silly all the way back into the house! He said that those were terrible times to live through because food was scarce, and the only ones who survived were the ones that weren’t skinny. He said that if you were skinny at the beginning of those days, you ended up dying because your body had no fat reserves to sustain itself. When I was 22, this old man had quite a belly, but he refused to loose it out of fear. He also kept lots of plastic milk jugs filled with dried rice.
When I was in my 40s I became friends with an older woman who told me one time that in her younger days her doctor told her that she was too skinny, saying that if she didn’t acquire some fat reserves, she wouldn’t be able to survive if she became seriously ill.
My friend Inna, the one who translated ‘The Age of the Earth’ into Ukrainian once said something to me about how the Russians had starved the Ukrainian Farmers to death by taking their food away. I had no comprehension of what she was talking about until recently when I saw the Glen Beck documentary called ‘Live Free or die’.
There are reasons why the Creator installed in the human body the ability to make fat reserves.
I’m not advocating putting on weight. I’m just pointing out what needs to be considered in light of prophesy.
Kent,
My name in Ken Mills. I live in Kannapolis, NC. The name Kent is what my Grandmother used to call me. I cant wait to see her. I had said to myself so many times I wanted to write you and get you to our church and I did not know until 6 months ago that you had been a victim of our country’s hypocracies and made an example of. The greates thing is how God always has the last word, and his word is so powerful. Kent I want to share my testimony with you . I cant start at the very begining, there will be a time for that in t he future. I first want to tell you , or ask you to please write me back if possible. I know you will do what is right.
In 1988 I came back to God after being in the New Age for 9 years. I was drinking everyday, smoking up to 1 ounce of pot per week,cocaine every few days, and anyother thing I could to stop the calling but he pulled me back. On June 9th, 1988. I went to the altar and surrendered everything. Even 3 packs of cigs per day were gone. NO REHAB OR WITHDRAWALS. Not long after that I saw a seminar in a little baptist church in Concord, NC and there is where I met you. I listened to every word of knowledge that God annointed you to deliver, and my mind went thru a transformation. I have always been interested In the things that are considered “taboo” to talk about in most churches. My pastor knows now how genuine it was because I have been on Yeshuas side every since.
I am writing a book dealing with some of the things that are causing millions to turn their hearts from the truth. I am covering from the begining and before and yes your name is in my book. I will not have it published until you have read it. I should be done by Christmas. I want to know how to send a letter to you so I dont put some of my writings out on the internet before I publish. I have never written anything before but I feel God all over this. Churches are not talking about THE END of THE AGE as much as the History and Discovery channels are, however I pray we ca get a revival started in this last great harvest that is taking place. There are some things that I have seen in visions, or maybe an overactive immagination, sometimes we just are not sure. Kent you inspired me greatly on that day. Now I cant wait to meet you again and set down and listen to the miracles God is performing where you are at. I have not read but 2 paragraphs in this blog but I know by SI, (SPIRITUAL IDENTIFICATION), that you are witnessing things that are definatly of a supernatural nature. Hold on Brother. I do love you and will pray everyday for you. I have 4 children 3 are married anf have c hildren of their own. I will ask them to pray too. I have a sister that I took in after she was living on the streets of Orlando Fl for 20 years addicted to crack. She serves God now. I didnt think it was possible to survive a 20 year crack addiction, but God has a point to make. I better let you git. With Love. My email is kmills40@msn.com
Dear Kent,
Today is my first visit to your blog and website, and I am so so inspired!!
The Word becomes alive when you speak, and God’s hand is touching so many lives through your work…
I am so grateful that God gave us such an easily accessible way to communicate with people all over the world without the need to travel… The internet and similar networks are such helpful tools by which you have impacted thousands of lives and will continue to do so to many more!
I see you as a tremendous blessing to the world, and can’t get enough of your DVD’s. My dad came across it and spreads it very lavishly to many people, it has changed lives of many people in my direct circles and I’m planning on impacting many many more!
Just wanted to thank you and your family for your commitment to your mission, and also to tell you that you are in my thoughts and prayers during this trying time. I must say however, that after reading your letter I can now understand how being in a place such as a prison where you are limited in your territory, how God really can become even closer to you and you to Him, and that is a wonderful place (spiritually) to be… It’s wonderful that you are in good health and have such a balanced lifestyle.
Can’t wait for your release, I think after all the extra knowledge you are building up while there your lectures / preaches will have even more impact!
Glory to God!
With love and admiration,
Sonja
The comments by romans510 is puzzling. I do not find the word “yoga” in Dr. Hovind’s post nor do I find where Dr. Hovind descripts activities which are consistant with yoga.
Dear AIM,
Read carefully under item #2:
“2. Physical Area – Not bad for fifty-seven. I can still do five chin-ups (used to do thirty in high school☹), run 1/4 mile without stopping, do yoga, do quite a few sit-ups and push-ups and jump rope 130 times in one minute. I eat pretty well, sleep like a rock, and don’t recall the last time I was sick….”
Dear Kent,
My husband and I were watching you on Christian TV last night and after listening to some of the content, I said to my husband, “No wonder the government wants him locked up!” They don’t want the masses to know what they have planned but it is all starting to become apparent to those that have “eyes to see and ears to hear”. I’m sorry you are suffering because of the truth but your situation brings to mind when Paul was in prison and rejoicing (!) because he was able to bring others to Christ that might not have heard otherwise. Please be encouraged by this! (Easy for me to say!) Remember that God is in control and has a purpose for you right where you are.
We will keep you and your family in our prayers. I hope we will get to meet in person some day.
God bless you and give you strength,
Susan
Dear Dr. Dino,
Thanks for your wonderful ministry! I’m praying for your release – with God all things are possible.
I don’t know why it has been so difficult up to this point. You are on my heart as I pray and think about spiritual things. I wanted to share these encouraging thoughts that made me think of your current situation
Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
CS Lewis
Acts 5:40-41 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten [them], they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
In Christ’s love,
Yetunde
AIM
Said this on March 17th, 2010 at 5:48am:
The comments by romans510 is puzzling. I do not find the word “yoga” in Dr. Hovind’s post nor do I find where Dr. Hovind descripts activities which are consistant with yoga.
Ekkman said: I couldn’t believe it either so I went back up and this time I saw it. I guess that I was reading too fast, it is point #2. I love Kent but I hate Yoga and everything that I have read that it stands for. Kent is not sinless yet and neither are we but we are to reprove and correct one another when we are in sin, that is love in action.
Ekkman
Yoga is not just about a religion or meditating….. it is about stretching and conditioning. Many Christians practice yoga and there are also Christian Yoga classes for those who want the spiritual side of yoga in a Godly way.
To Andrew C.:
Oh, yeah! Search n’ replace, cut n’ paste theology….I’m familiar with that tendency. The Israelites provoked God to anger as they likewise justified themselves. (Jer. 6:15-17) But even so, dear saints, His Word is sure and unchanging: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man, Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:5) If one is saved, then one already has His Spirit in him! Jesus will not be summoned to action by my will. I must yield my will to His Will and allow Him to live His life in me, not grieve Him. We needn’t attempt to conjure up His presence by practicing meditation, wherein we enter altered states of conciousness via contemplative prayer, getting into “the silence” etc. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then…
Additionally, people who repeatedly subject themselves to these types of practices tend to progressively regard God’s Word with diminishing authority. The Word (if considered at all) becomes to them a “living, breathing” kind of thing…always changing, ever evolving, kumbaya blah, blah, blah…this is emergent theology.
If we’re talking about mere stretches, then, by all means, reach down and touch your toes! But, please, don’t attempt to defend yoga. Get educated first.
Hello brother Kent,
You are a precious brother & I thank the Lord for your life and I’m still praying for your release.
I however got a VERY BIG SHOCK WHEN I SAW THAT YOU WROTE THAT YOU DO YOGA & I quote
Item #2: “2. Physical Area – Not bad for fifty-seven. I can still do five chin-ups (used to do thirty in high school☹), run 1/4 mile without stopping, do yoga, do quite a few sit-ups and push-ups and jump rope 130 times in one minute. I eat pretty well, sleep like a rock, and don’t recall the last time I was sick….”
The Yoga point was the first thing I mentioned to my husband while I was reading this blog and he was EQUALY SHOCKED. WE least expect you to EVER be doing Yoga ….. Sure no one is perfect, but we just assumed that you would know this is totally evil and such would not be named with you….. Now that you know from fellow brethren that this is totally evil, please brother kent kindly desist from it!
I bless the Lord for Romans510 who wrote this: You are one of the last persons I would have thought to be so foolish as to be taken in by the pagan practice of yoga! I wonder how many dear saints have read these words of yours and said in their hearts “If Hovind does it, it must be okay.” I pray none are led astray by this carelessness on your part. During these times, where ecumenism, political events, and the groaning of all creation seems to be reaching a crescendo, I think we as Christians ought to be spending more time on our faces before God in repentance and prayer rather than attempting these meditative postures and patting ourselves on the back. Yoga was never intended to be mere stretches, but rather a hindu religious preparation for dying!
“Former Hindu guru Rabi Maharaj, in his autobiography Death of a Guru, said ‘No part of Yoga can be separated from the philosophy behind it.’”
“Yoga’s religious purpose is two-fold: to gain control over the body and to open the mind into altered states of consciousness. To understand the latter, one must understand and believe in the Hindu way of looking at God.”
“The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, teaches that supreme joy comes to whoever practices Yoga, because he becomes one with the Hindu god Brahman, the cosmic consciousness.”
These are just three quotes from Caryl Matrisciana’s book “Out of India” which one should read before defending so-called “Christian yoga”. What an oxymoron! The bride of Christ has no business whatsoever engaging in this most unclean thing. Honestly, can any person reading this, whose sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, say that they can picture Jesus sitting in the lotus position? God forbid. And God forbid that the bride should become like a harlot and take part in it as well.
Please brother Kent Hovind, I am 100% certain Yoga is of the devil, this might be one of the legal grounds the enemy can be using to do you some harm ………I PRAY YOU WILL NOT ACT LIKE SOLOMON AS YOU STATED in knee-mail titled “Taking an Oath in order to Lie”…. Please brother Kent Hovind, I beseech you to kindly stop this pagan excercise and kindly warn others…….
Remember you an example to so many, it would be a minus if many other believers start to practice Yoga because of you or many that would have stopped Yoga didn’t bother to stop it because of you and they use you as their example like those people used Solomon as their example as detailed in the knee-mail titled “Taking an oath in order to lie”
I felt I would be the only one to point it out untill I read and saw your Romans510 comment. Incidentally, I’ve just re-picked my book on the death of a guru to read it again after reading it about 5 years ago!
Ekkman, thanks for your comment on it as well.
Brother Kent, we love you but we will be happy to hear the good news that you have dropped Yoga completely. I pray you will take this in the spirit of meekness and stop it.
Even if you consider Yoga OK (though I know it is totally devilish), brother Kent Hovind………..Remember the following scriptures in 1 Corinthians Chapter 8:7 – 13.
7 ¶ Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
I pray the Almighty God who alone is true and Holy and who I know is your Lord will deliver you completely and totally from practicing Yoga and anything pertaining to it in Jesus mighty name. AMEN.
Sade Tennyson – UK
Dr. Hovind,
There is a Christian alternative to Yoga for anyone who practices Yoga or thinks “Christian Yoga” is OK, try PraiseMoves instead. Information can be found at http://www.praisemoves.com.
Continuing to pray for you and your ministry!
Thank you, Bro. Hovind for another great illumination of God’s Word. I appreciate all that God has done through you, and will do.
I also have great confidence in how God has led you that He will continue to lead you – and you will follow. THerefore, I have no doubt that the honest rebuke from a dear brother like romans510 will do you good and not harm.
I, too was surprised to hear of your doing yoga, but then again, I have found myself doing other things that were worldly, and in due time God convinced me to reject them.
We are all unprofitable servants, but we need the encouragements that we can each offer each other. As a faithful preacher friend of mine used to always say, “Everyone knows something that I do not know, I must probe until I find it; hence all men are my teachers;” I strive to learn from others. However, I am careful to not pick up something that is not good from someone I love and admire.
Thank you again for all you have done in standing for truth.
God bless you according to your faithfulness to His Word!
A Pastor from the West
Greetings Brother!
As always, I continue to be impressed by the grace of God demonstrated in your writings, and in your life. We serve the very best, almighty, wonderful God ever! It is a puzzle the world won’t run into His arms and delight in His service. I was so pleased to hear how we can pray for you, and will include Jo’s visit to you (as well as the IRS/property issue) in my prayers and share it in our prayer-circles so our petitions will be many in agreement to our great God. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some ideas I’d like to share with you with regards to your evaluation of your year.
Mental – I am currently trying some new homeschool spelling curriculum with my children (12 and 8 yrs.) I too am spelling-challenged. If it works, I will forward you the information. Who knows? Maybe it will even be fun!
Physical – With back pain, I’ve found both accupuncture and TENS to be effective. I don’t know if you have access to either.
They are both a bit…unusual. Desperation led me to both, with good and acceptable results.
Spiritual – I believe I know just what you mean about altering your view from not-definitely-pre-trib-but-ready to something else. My husband and I have long held a pre-trib view. But our recent Bible studies have led us toward the feasts God gave His children in the Old Testament as a shadow of things to come, including His return. Our Lord Jesus perfectly fulfilled the first 3 festivals in the spring during His first advent, even down to the extra-biblical rabbinic traditions! We are studying to determine if the 3 fall feasts might give us the key needed to understand His second advent. Very exciting!
Also, it sounds like a book is in the making on how to study the Holy Bible ala Knee-Mail. I for one would be interested in such a study, if you ever write it.
Social – My family and I would be delighted to receive bookmarks from you. But first, please allow us to send you and yours our family’s gift of bookmarks. Obviously that will be snail mail, but I’m hoping in the next week to send them.
May you continue to be willing and used by our incomparable God, and for His glory.
In Christ-
C.Olson, Grass Valley, CA
Dear Bro. Hovind,
Your report on how you are staying strong inside the walls continues to be inspirational. I have spent over 7 years preaching at a maximum security prison and know some of the troubles that can hinder a man spiritually. I did take notice that you are pursuing a doctorate in the ministry and that is leading you to question the pretrib view. I find this interesting since you devoted so much time talking of how many men have lost their faith in secular colleges, while on the other hand there is so much evidence of many losing their faith in Bible colleges as well filled with the leaven of the Pharisees.
I’ve taken about a dozen courses toward a Doctorate in Biblical Ministries this year, and have read extensively on the end times issues. While still very hopeful for a pre-trib rapture any day, I have become less and less convinced that this is the clear teaching of God’s Word. It would be wise to prepare for the worst, and be excited if it doesn’t happen (Proverbs 22:3)!
I look to one verse as a reminder of how important it is to focus completely on the Word of God for ALL matters of doctrine: I Thessalonians 5:21: “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.” There is only one book that is spiritual, that is the Bible alone. Unfortunately, most Bible studies that I see from a so called scholarly perspective compare and contrast the Bible to secular works such as Hebrew and Greek lexicons. There are many good works speaking of how these lexicons have been corrupted and are not trustworthy. GA Riplinger in her book, In Awe of thy Word really documents this well. So the first issue I would wonder about, is whether your doubts of a pre-trib rapture come from comparing spiritual with secular to come to that conclusion.
For myself, I was lead to start my study on Bible prophecy in Levitucus chapter 23 and the seven feast days and how they were and will be fulfilled by Christ in person. Using this as the backbone of my study, we see that the first four feasts have been fulfilled completely by Christ with His first coming and then the next two, the day of trumpets and the day of Atonement will be fulfilled in person as well. This is a long about way to simply say that I am quite confident that the pre-trib view is precisely spelled out in the Old and New Testament when we look at Colossians 2:17/ Hebrews 10:1 telling us how the OT is a shadow of the things to come, but Christ is the body. When you look at the seven feast days and look for their fulfilment literally in the Scriptures, it is clear that the rapture is pre-trib and that the book of Revelation is chronological. I have written this out in detail on my website in chapter 8 for anyone interested in following this line of reasoning.
http://www.kjv1611revealed.com/Slide16.html
I believe that there is more than ample evidence of a pre-trib rapture but also much evidence of the beginning of sorrows that will preceed the rapture. Yes, we must hope in the rapture, but also realize that at the time of the rapture, the world will already have the stage set for the tribulation to follow which may not be pretty at all.
Dear Mocotolo,
Precious greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Comment based on the post below:
mocotolo
Said this on March 31st, 2010 at 4:47am:
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Physical – With back pain, I’ve found both accupuncture and TENS to be effective. I don’t know if you have access to either.
They are both a bit…unusual. Desperation led me to both, with good and acceptable results.
Just to point out in the love of Christ and in the spirit of being our brothers keeper that acupucture is not of the Lord Jesus Christ. The end does not justifythe means. I pray the Lord will grant you the needed grace to know that acupucture is not of the Lord in Jesus name.
Dear Dr. Hovind,
Great job! I love to read your letters! I always pray for you in my prayers.
But please people do not make such a big deal about YOGA. I’ve been practicing Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Yoga for a long time and I can assure you all that I still believe in Jesus Christ. I feel better then ever and these practices have really helped me a lot in discovering God and cleansing my mind from sin.
I just wanted to let you all know that.
I have heard brother Hovind say many times that he does the yoga excersizes, but does not adhere to any other premise of yogaism. He meditates on the word of God while doing the excersizes.By the way, I am in Belvedere, republic of South Carolina, and would like very much to be able to see brother Hovind. I am only a few miles away. Can anyone help me?
Dear Brother; I had the opportunity to visit a church where your son, Eric was speaking recently. He is turning out to be better than you! Haha – every parent wants to hear that, right? Of course. Well, I am writing to say that years ago, we heard you speak and had lunch with you and have followed you and your plight with thankfulness for your faithfulness. (I will definitely pray that you be allowed to see your wife soon.) We are watching the birth pangs and remembered that you said (I think it was you) that we should watch what they did in Hitler’s day because it will happen again – that was a dry run for the great tribulation. We are your age and want to get involved and do what we can to glorify God and be courageous for Christ before we get too old. We are convinced from scripture and the still small voice that there is no rapture and that this is a huge delusion that will harm God’s church, as they think that God loves them too much to let anything bad happen to them, plus they go about to feather their nests, have their mansions here and the cares of this world have caused them (us) to falter. We were amazed at Eric’s sermon which included a pin-dropping silence when he told the congregation that their purpose as followers of Christ was NOT to be loved but to love and glorify God (paraphrased). Our purpose in following the examples from scripture is not to avoid persecution but to expect it, prepare spiritually for it, as per Alexander Stolyschnysnzysen (sp?) and be honored as the disciples were, to follow Jesus into it. I know that God will speak to you because you are on your knees and suffering for Him, and so I ask you to pray about the rapture lie and ask God to show you how damaging it has been and how many weak christians it has produced, that will never be able to stand when the sun bears down on them. I also trust that if He does show you, you will be bold to present it as you have your other controversial truths. We must help in these end times which will be so very perilous and is about to come upon us. In one hour, I believe, the world will change from light to darkness, and peril that is unimaginable to most comfort-addicted Christians. That day is not supposed to catch the elect unawares. I want to be able to at least TRY to answer Jesus’ question about whether He would find faith in the end-times world with a “yes.” “But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Dan 11:32 God bless you and your family and I would love to e-mail with you about your take on the end time events and why God wrote so much about it in both the O.T. and New.
Brother Hovind,
It is really, very good to hear from you how God is using you where you are at. I sincerely hope and pray you are released soon. But, not as my will but God’s be done. It seems God is using you in immense ways there brother Hovind. And you may only lead a small number of men to Christ, or touch a few men’s lives while you teach there, but even if it is only those few, those are planted seeds, and only God knows how far those few seeds growth will spread among those men’s family and friends. I love you brother Hovind, and your situation is grieving to me, and I’m sure it is many more times grieving to God, so you can bet He’s gonna turn the wicked’s devices against themselves and continually use you in such a big way, that it will make them sorry they ever put you in there. May God Bless You.
For you people chewing brother Hovind out about Yoga, Come On! He has enough on his plate!! The man is in prison, hasn’t seen his wife for a few years, and has legal disputes to boot! People and there “Pagan Origins”. Every christian better quit playing basketball because that factually originated with the aztecs. The losing team would be sacrificed to the gods. A bad origin can be found for anything. Men better quit wearing ties as they were first worn to represent the Phallus. Women better quit wearing pants as they were first worn by women to rebel against men and show they were equal. That is the logical path of origins. Christmas for example, christians are saying everywhere how its bad because of its origins and it shouldnt be celebrated by christians. Well, the world seems mad about it, demanding nativity scenes be taken down,etc. and if the world is mad about something because it has to do with Jesus Christ, I think Satan has successfully deceived “origins christians” into furthering his cause. The book of Romans in the Bible says that one may eat the food sacrificed to idols, unless it is against his conscience or that of present company. Judge not in respect to a holy day (holiday). If Hovind wants to do yoga-style stretches to relieve aches and pains and stuff and he doesn’t do any spiritual mumbo-jumbo(which I’m sure he doesn’t)and it isn’t against his conscience, more power to him!