John Evans
John W. Evans was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on February 25th, 1928, the
fifth child of nine to be born to his parents. He received his public
school education in Oklahoma, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1946 for
two years, graduated from Bob Jones University in 1952 with a BA in English
Bible, the year he married his wife, Joyce Runyon, whom he met there at the
university. They have four children by this marriage and nine
grandchildren. Mr. Evans also has graduate degrees from Grace Theological
Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind. and Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. He
was a public school teacher in Indiana for 33 years and also served
concurrently eight congregations as pastor in Indiana and Ohio. Having
taught poetry in English classes as a public school teacher, he took up
serious poetry writing himself after retiring in 1991. He is currently a
co-director of the nursing home ministry of the First Baptist Church of
Jacksonville, Florida, and the teacher of a large adult Sunday School class
of the church.
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Shut In
In this life we are saddened for shut-ins,
who so often lose out on so much.
They're sometimes by others neglected,
& must lean on their friends for a crutch.
But in Genesis seven, I am reading,
of an ark where God's man was "shut-in."
Where the skies were made ready to rumble,
& rain torrents of judgment on sin.
Dear friends, number me too with this Noah;
Please list me in the ark of God's grace.
For like Noah, I too heard God calling,
found forgiveness, my sins were erased!
Now I am "Shut-in" from sin's awful power.
I'm reborn by God's Spirit, you know;
"Shut-in" from the fate of the Devil;
I'm "shut-in" from his hell & his woe.
Yes I'm "shut-in" & happy in Jesus,
& as "shut-in", you'll not hear me pout.
I'm "shut-in" with a sure hope of heaven,
For me, "shut-in" means I'm not shut out!
And I'd say this to physical Shut-ins,
with afflictions so trying to bear;
Flee to Jesus, our ark & salvation.
And be doubly "Shut-in" to His care.
John W. Evans
Jacksonville, FL
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