In Their Courts

August 27, 1991

When courts of the world can lawfully take me under their jurisdiction:

       When I have broken a voluntary contract under their
        jurisdiction.

       When I have damaged someone under their jurisdiction.

Guidelines I have adopted for myself for times when I am not under their jurisdiction:

1.Overcome all questions by speaking the truth of God’s gospel.

       a.Do not let their questions direct your thinking.

2.Concentrate on exercising what God gives--a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. Remain his tool.

       a.Do not become distracted with technicalities of their law, their failure to follow their own rules, or the obvious weakness of their case.

3.Always build on the foundation already laid--Jesus Christ.

      a.Do not accept the foundation of their thinking.

4.Speak when you are led by the Lord to do so, even if it displeases your adversary.

       a.Do not consent to remain silent.

       b.Do not recognize anyone as your attorney.

       c.Do not speak as your own attorney or for yourself.  Simply speak.
       
       d.Be cautious in written communication with an adversary.
 
       e.Let the Spirit of God speak through you in face-to-face encounters.

5.Live in freedom under the exclusive direction of your Lord.

       a.Do not acknowledge or imply that they have an authority or jurisdiction over you, even if they exercise power
(force) over you.

       b.Do not sign anything at their request.

       c.Do not appear anywhere at their request.

       d.Do not remain in their arena unless visibly restrained by   guards, handcuffs, locked doors, bars, etc.

       e.Do not move to another location in their public arena except when led by their hands, unless it is voluntarily to serve them, or to be about your own affairs as led by the Lord.

       f.Do not agree to remain confined if doors are unlocked. An angel may appear to lead you away.

6.Consider a forced appearance to be God’s call for you to witness for Him against them.

       a.Do not appear in their court unless led there involuntarily and in handcuffs.

       b.Do not deposit bond, nor agree to return to their court.

7.Direct all your pleas, prayers, and petitions only to God and to his people. Trust him alone.

       a.Do not enter a plea in their court.

       b.Do not make petitions, motions, responses, or filings of   any kind in their court, unless you are led to make such an appeal so that you may speak to them a word from the Lord.

       c.Do not put any confidence in the result of their legal process.

       d.Do not agree to terms of probation.

8.Be cautious when initiating or facilitating publicity in the world. Only God knows whether it is wise; only he can make good of it.

9.Consider imprisonment in a group cell to be God’s call for you to minister to those inmates, and to prison officials.

10.Consider solitary confinement to be God’s call to prayer and fellowship with him.

11.Always and everywhere enjoy the fullness of the living presence of Jesus Christ.