A Bad Story

On March 27, 2009 I rec'd an e-mail from a Justin Clark. He wrote to tell me and several others, including the President and Vice-president of OCI, that he couldn't believe we would have a certain worker at EVI. He told of his adultery when married to his first wife etc. (I actually talked to the first wife. She said her husband never committed adultery when they were together.) I sensed that Justin was not who he said he was so I asked him to call me. I figured if he was true he would call. If he had assumed a different name then he couldn't call because I would recognize his/her voice. He didn't call, he is too close.

In the meantime, I shared the defaming e-mail with Justin's target. In retrospect, I probably should have deleted it, but than again, how do we ever get to the bottom of things like this if they are not ferreted out. The victim decided to hire a private investigator and for $600 they promised to find the person. Soon, they claimed to have the person, but they can't tell us who it is because if they did they would be fined $10,000. What we must do now is hire a lawyer to supeona?? Yahoo and everyone down the line and press charges. Apparently, it is someone on EVI.

Our victim wanted to do just that, but wouldn't do it without my permission. I couldn't give my permission because the Bible says we don't bring a brother to court. (Now what?)

I believe the Lord gave me a plan. I called everyone at EVI to come to a meeting. I told them what happened and I asked the guilty party to come forward. If no guilty party would come forward within a week, then I would have to deduce that no one at EVI is guilty of this crime. This would free our supposed victim to press charges and carry through with the court action. No one came forward, as expected, but I made a strong appeal based on six principals.

(I would like to share these without going into details.)

1. The person who sent the e-mail does not realize the sinfulness of sin. Do you think Achan was planning a defeat for Israel when he stole the accursed thing, the goodly Babylonian garment? No. Likewise, the writer of the e-mail doesn't realize he is bringing the frown or God on EVI.

A year ago, nearly the same thing happened to one of our young ladies. Someone tampered with her e-mails and sent it to me. It told of her sexual exploits. Not pretty. It doesn't matter whether any of it was true or false. The intention was to corrupt my mind against her. (There is a sick mind behind these intrigues.)

2. "The displeasure of God," according to ST 1, 224, "will rest upon a people or a nation until the transgressor is searched out and punished." 

We are weak enough as an institution without having this kind of nonsense going on among us. I am determined to seek them out as God leads. He led Joshua, didn't He? He can lead me also. 

3. 5T 157:1 "If the presence of one Achan was sufficient to weaken the whole camp of Israel, can we be surprised at the little success which attends our efforts when every church and almost every family has its Achan?" Serious!

4. Confession is hard in the best of times, but have you ever thought what the alternative will bring?  Would someone throw away their salvation for fear of coming forward when they have sinned? Millions do! But it is INSANITY in the highest sense. 

PP 497:4 "Achan acknowledged his guilt, but when it was too late for the confession to benefit himself. 

Confession will come, of this I am certain, but what a tragedy when it must be forced from an unrepentant individual. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.  If the person came forward, we would forgive. No one is trying to rid EVI of anyone, but we can't have sin like this on the loose among us.

5. Numbers 32:23 "Be sure your sins will find you out." I didn't write this. God inspired Moses to set this warning out. We won't get away with anything. To think so is to work against ourselves.  It is all a matter of when, not if. And, another thing: "God is not mocked, what we sow, we will also reap." Gal 6:7-8. What we do to others will be done to us. Matt 7:2. (Obidiah 1:15.)

6. Now there is good news in all of this: 1 Kings 14:7-8 "Go tell Jeroboam, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch  as I exalted  thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel. And rent the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant  David , who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes."

This was written about David after his death. Did David do "only" that which was right in God's sight? How could God say such a thing? The reason is, God forgot. Notice Jer. 31:34 "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more." He chose to forget David's failures, specifically because David repented fully.

So with this I made a strong appeal that the person come forward. One mistake, or even many mistakes do not make the eternal punishment worth it. Like God, I would forget, we all would. I believe that, but pride will not let the individual off easy. 

In the end, this kind of stuff destroys my courage. How long should I stay in an institution where there are people willing to destroy each other? I wears my strength away. Bad story!