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There was a time when I knew nothing of victorious living! There was a time when others'
misinterpretations of Scripture, adopted as my own, defeated me!
Late evening, October 29, 1999, alone in the observation cell of the Parke County Jail,
watched by the officer at the desk and by other strangers on surveillance TV, I am seeking
God for an explanation! I have done no wrong! Why am I in jail? Why are people
accusing me of despicable acts! And why are they permitted to twist my truthful
explanations to fit their sick accusations! Why can't they, or why won't they hear the truth!
I pray Psalm 51, over and over. Surely I must have committed some terrible sin since God
is allowing this to happen to me. I am very willing to confess and repent of it, Lord, if you
will just let me understand what it is! I want to continue as your faithful servant.
A verse of scripture comes into my mind: "Abstain from every appearance of evil."
Suddenly I am plunged into defeat and despair! Have I prided myself in worshipping the
Lord, not with public displays of piety but rather with practical, everyday Christian service,
"caring for the fatherless?"
Lord, have I sinned against You by disregarding what other people chose to suspect,
chose to imagine, chose to believe and then to say about my ministry with foster children
and children with special needs?
This question motivated my actions over the next several months. I then believed -- and
still do believe -- that God spoke to me, instructing me then to "submit to the governing
authorities." I entered a guilty plea agreement rather than to argue my innocence before a
jury of my neighbors. And I was sentenced to prison for a crime I did not commit.
But God did not leave me in ignorance for very long. As I used all my "free" time in jail and
prison praying, studying and sharing God's Word, He began to shed His light on scripture
after scripture after scripture, and filled my soul with understanding! As free access to
Bible College courses, materials and textbooks became more and more my reality, even
in the noisy madness of jail and prison, I realized God was answering my prayers for His
very best education to make me His more useful servant!
There I learned what I want to say now, very clearly:
God's Word does not tell us to abstain from every appearance of evil! That is,
unfortunately, the very poor translation we find in the King James Version of the Bible. But
a better translation of the original, Greek language is: "Abstain from every known
form, kind, or fashion of evil!" (1st Thessalonians 5:22 ) (See almost any better English
translation.)
James 1:27 not only commands us to care for those who are not being cared for but also
to "keep ourselves unspotted and uncontaminated by the self-centered and selfish world
of unbelievers!" Hey, those folks -- whether they claim to be Christians or not -- will always
see evil where there is none. We have only to look at the actions of Christ, which almost
never lined up with the expectations and traditions of the "religious" crowd, but without fail
demonstrated God's genuine love and concern for those who needed it. 2nd Timothy 3:12
says that "anyone who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted." Certainly Jesus was.
And James 4: 17 says: "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to
him it is a sin." Isn't it true that very often the crowd will pressure us to not do the good we
know in our hearts we should do? Shall we be crowd pleaser's, or God pleaser's? Are we
willing to pay the price -- Oh, Yes! There is always a price! -- for doing good which may
appear evil to someone?
misinterpretations of Scripture, adopted as my own, defeated me!
Late evening, October 29, 1999, alone in the observation cell of the Parke County Jail,
watched by the officer at the desk and by other strangers on surveillance TV, I am seeking
God for an explanation! I have done no wrong! Why am I in jail? Why are people
accusing me of despicable acts! And why are they permitted to twist my truthful
explanations to fit their sick accusations! Why can't they, or why won't they hear the truth!
I pray Psalm 51, over and over. Surely I must have committed some terrible sin since God
is allowing this to happen to me. I am very willing to confess and repent of it, Lord, if you
will just let me understand what it is! I want to continue as your faithful servant.
A verse of scripture comes into my mind: "Abstain from every appearance of evil."
Suddenly I am plunged into defeat and despair! Have I prided myself in worshipping the
Lord, not with public displays of piety but rather with practical, everyday Christian service,
"caring for the fatherless?"
Lord, have I sinned against You by disregarding what other people chose to suspect,
chose to imagine, chose to believe and then to say about my ministry with foster children
and children with special needs?
This question motivated my actions over the next several months. I then believed -- and
still do believe -- that God spoke to me, instructing me then to "submit to the governing
authorities." I entered a guilty plea agreement rather than to argue my innocence before a
jury of my neighbors. And I was sentenced to prison for a crime I did not commit.
But God did not leave me in ignorance for very long. As I used all my "free" time in jail and
prison praying, studying and sharing God's Word, He began to shed His light on scripture
after scripture after scripture, and filled my soul with understanding! As free access to
Bible College courses, materials and textbooks became more and more my reality, even
in the noisy madness of jail and prison, I realized God was answering my prayers for His
very best education to make me His more useful servant!
There I learned what I want to say now, very clearly:
God's Word does not tell us to abstain from every appearance of evil! That is,
unfortunately, the very poor translation we find in the King James Version of the Bible. But
a better translation of the original, Greek language is: "Abstain from every known
form, kind, or fashion of evil!" (1st Thessalonians 5:22 ) (See almost any better English
translation.)
James 1:27 not only commands us to care for those who are not being cared for but also
to "keep ourselves unspotted and uncontaminated by the self-centered and selfish world
of unbelievers!" Hey, those folks -- whether they claim to be Christians or not -- will always
see evil where there is none. We have only to look at the actions of Christ, which almost
never lined up with the expectations and traditions of the "religious" crowd, but without fail
demonstrated God's genuine love and concern for those who needed it. 2nd Timothy 3:12
says that "anyone who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted." Certainly Jesus was.
And James 4: 17 says: "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to
him it is a sin." Isn't it true that very often the crowd will pressure us to not do the good we
know in our hearts we should do? Shall we be crowd pleaser's, or God pleaser's? Are we
willing to pay the price -- Oh, Yes! There is always a price! -- for doing good which may
appear evil to someone?
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Vulnerability