Category: evil

Overcoming Evil With Good

On Wednesday, an assassin shocked the world by killing Charlie Kirk, a man known for his traditional viewpoints. Although he faced accusations of holding objectionable views, his actual offense was his effectiveness in conveying conservative and Bible-based concepts. Unable to defeat him in debates, his opponents resorted to silencing him with a bullet.

Brent Pollard

On Wednesday, an assassin shocked the world by killing Charlie Kirk, a man known for his traditional viewpoints. Although he faced accusations of holding objectionable views, his actual offense was his effectiveness in conveying conservative and Bible-based concepts. Unable to defeat him in debates, his opponents resorted to silencing him with a bullet.

Thursday commemorated 24 years since the 9/11 attacks that profoundly impacted our nation and altered countless lives indefinitely. For those of us who can recall, those feelings remain vivid. The haunting images of the smoldering World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and that desolate Pennsylvania field remain etched in our memories. Unease lingers in the pit of our stomachs when we hear the audio from that day: the radio chatter of first responders and the frantic calls to loved ones from the cellphones of those trapped on doomed planes or in the World Trade Center towers from which there was no escape.

Occurrences such as these deeply affect us and lead us toward hopelessness. If we are not cautious, they may also lead us to feelings of anger, a desire for retaliation, or a sense of hopeless withdrawal.

In moments like this, the words of the apostle Paul resonate: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12.21). These words serve as a vital reminder, encouraging us to go beyond mere resistance to evil and to face it with the goodness of Christ actively.

Evil’s Real Power—and Its Limit

Evil exists, and the Bible presents it plainly. Paul had witnessed persecution, political corruption, and violence up close. Nevertheless, he refuses to let evil prevail in the end. Why?

Because Christ has already achieved victory through the cross and resurrection, the most formidable weapon of Satan—death—has been rendered ineffective. Evil may inflict pain, but it cannot prevail against the people of God.

Responding to hate with hate allows darkness to take root in our hearts. Responding with retaliation might seem instinctive, yet it merely compounds the damage. As Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, drawing inspiration from the words of John 1:5, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” Paul articulates the same concept in a compelling, Spirit-inspired statement: “overcome evil with good.”

Goodness as an Active Weapon

This call does not constitute passive avoidance. Paul’s instruction serves to motivate. In the lines of the surrounding context of Romans 12.21, he clearly articulates it:

• “Bless those who persecute you…” (v. 14).

• “Repay no one evil for evil…” (v. 17).

• “…if your enemy is hungry, feed him…” (v. 20).

Kindness transcends mere courteous expressions. This love, filled with the Spirit, nourishes, forgives, and serves, even when faced with mistreatment. This type of goodness illuminates a realm that transcends our earthly existence. According to the latter part of verse 20, such actions can “heap burning coals” upon the heads of those who wrong us. While vengeance ultimately belongs to God (Romans 12.19), we can find solace in the understanding that our goodness serves as a formidable weapon against evil.

Three Gospel Tasks Reframed

Considering Romans 12.21, the church’s mission takes on renewed urgency:

Evangelism: Proclaiming the ultimate good.

The goodness we provide transcends mere humanitarian efforts; it embodies the message of Jesus Christ, who was crucified and has risen from the dead. As the world grows weary of violence and retribution, individuals seek hope that evil cannot extinguish. Our testimony of forgiveness and reconciliation through Christ serves as a powerful act of overcoming evil.

Edification: Strengthening the saints.

It is not uncommon for believers to feel disheartened or frustrated as troubling news continues to accumulate. Romans 12 encourages us to uplift one another in maintaining a gentle spirit. By engaging in worship, study, and fellowship, we nurture goodness and stand against cynicism.

Benevolence: Doing tangible good.

Addressing needs—nourishing the hungry, providing solace to the grieving, assisting neighbors in distress—is not a secondary endeavor. We are fighting a battle of the spirit. Each act of compassion proclaims that darkness does not hold the ultimate authority.

Living the Verse Today

How can we apply Romans 12.21 today?

• Pray for enemies and victims alike. Name them before God.

• Guard your words. Refuse to spread hatred online or in conversation.

• Share Christ. Offer the gospel as the deepest good, the cure for sin’s root cause.

These actions may seem insignificant in the face of widespread evil, yet they hold great power because God amplifies them. The kingdom flourishes through small, Spirit-inspired acts of kindness.

Hope That Overcomes

When Jesus confronted the greatest evil—an unjust cross—He triumphed not by summoning legions of angels but by surrendering His life and rising again. His resurrection demonstrates that goodness is not a sign of weakness, but rather the unstoppable power of God.

The anniversary of 9/11 and Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination serve as poignant reminders of the urgent need for strength in our world. Let us stand firm against the shadows of this time. With our hearts anchored in Christ, let us overcome evil with good—making the most of our time through evangelism, edification, and benevolence until His return.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12.21).

All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), © 2001 Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Split Rock Of Horeb

Rising stark and solemn from the barren Saudi wilderness, the Split Rock of Horeb stands like a silent sentinel of ancient power. Towering nearly 60 feet high, the colossal granite monolith looms over the desolate plain, its weathered and tan flanks are etched by wind and time. But what sets it apart, what seizes the imagination…

Dale Pollard

 —————————————————

It’s not just a rock. 

It’s a rock surrounded by empty silence and scorched earth. It appears, not as a mere geological feature, but a thunderstruck altar where the desert drank. A place where a miracle met stone. 

Rising stark and solemn from the barren Saudi wilderness, the Split Rock of Horeb stands like a silent sentinel of ancient power. Towering nearly 60 feet high, the colossal granite monolith looms over the desolate plain, its weathered and tan flanks are etched by wind and time. But what sets it apart, what seizes the imagination—is the cleft. A prodigious vertical split that is so unnaturally straight it’s as though it were torn by an invisible hand. 

The two halves, still joined at the base, are separated by a gap so wide a man could walk between them. Where is the magic sword from heaven that must have struck it so cleanly? 

At its base, the rock bears smooth channels and grooves—as if torrents of water once burst forth, carving trails into the stone that in wild obedience submit itself to divine command. Light filters through the divide, casting shadows that whisper about that day even to this day.

Yes, the rock still stands. 

Despite centuries of exposure to harsh desert winds, sand, and temperature extremes, the massive split rock remains tall and intact. It has an imposing presence, seemingly sliced vertically in a way that defies typical erosion patterns. The site receives occasional attention, but not too much and rarely up close. 

It’s in a remote, restricted area which is often under military control, and access has historically been limited or even outright prohibited by Saudi powers. 

NO TRESPASSING?

Many of the widely circulated photos and videos of the rock come from unauthorized expeditions, but here’s a couple  stand outs (Ron Wyatt won’t get any attention here). 

Jim and Penny Caldwell

 (1992) 

They were just the average American oil workers living in Saudi Arabia, but with a neat twist.

On numerous occasions they took considerable personal risk by sneaking into restricted areas to document the rock and other sites, including:

  • The Split Rock 
  • The blackened peak of Sinai 
  • Altar-like structures and petroglyphs of bulls (linked to the golden calf story)

Oh, and they had to smuggle all  pictures and footage out of the country. 

Bob Cornuke 

(Late 1990s-Early 2000s)

He was just your average former police investigator, but with a neat twist! 

He collaborated with the Caldwells and visited the site to gather photographic and testimonial evidence. His trips were perfectly reasonable, just slightly (ok, entirely) unauthorized and clandestine.

Other explorers have faced interrogation, arrest, or deportation by Saudi authorities and the government has since built a fence around Split Rock. Access is now heavily restricted or off-limits to the public. 

                      ————————-//————————

Bonus Neat 

Local Bedouins have called it the “Rock of Moses” for generations and their oral traditions speak of how water once flowed from it. Some Bedouins avoid the site entirely. 

Bread Facts 

“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink.’ And Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.”

Exodus 17:6-7 

(see also, Numbers 20:1–13) 

Half Mast

Carl Pollard

We have an American flag in the front yard of our church building here at Scottsville. Sadly, I’ve noticed lately that is has been flying at half mast more often than not. It is a common practice to fly the flag at half mast after a tragedy occurs. Our world has always been filled with evil, but the method of acting on evil impulses has just changed over time. Why is the flag always at half mast? Because evil people continue to do what they have always done. Hurt others. 

Despite our political differences, we should all be able to agree on these facts: Shooting up a school is evil. Taking an innocent life is the epitome of wickedness. And yet we get distracted by the politics of the situation and fail to see who is truly responsible. Satan has a firm grip on our world, and if we don’t do something to bring people out of his hold, bad things will continue to happen to good people. 

We shouldn’t be surprised at the state of our country. We have removed God from every place, and a godless country will only ever be evil. If we truly want to fix the problems that are constantly happening, we need to start by bringing others to Christ. Parents need to raise their children in Christ and stop making excuses for bad behavior. Mankind is naturally inclined to wickedness. Genesis 6:5 says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” The further we move away from God, the closer we get to continual evil. 

Our flag has been at half mast far too often. I’m tired of hearing about all the innocent lives that are lost due to wicked people. Let’s put the politics aside and start focusing on the real issue. People are obsessed with following their own desires (James 1:15), and Satan loves to cheer us on. Only evil people would do what has been done lately, so let’s start teaching the love of Christ to a lost and dying world. There’s only One who can remove our wickedness, and now more than ever we need to proclaim Him! 

Why Does God Allow Evil To Exist?

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

The problem of evil is a very difficult issue for many Christians. Most people reading this article have seen someone lose their faith or justify atheism with this exact problem. Maybe some of you have struggled with it too — I did for a long time. 

Evil is dysfunction. What God made in the beginning was functional and good. At some point, forces outside of this earth rebelled against God. We don’t know when this happened, but it was before mankind sinned (Genesis 2.16-17, 3.4-5; Ezekiel 28), likely before humanity was even created. 

But evil exists on earth because we introduced it. We opened that pandora’s box because we were given the freedom to do so. God warned us not to, but we did it anyway. So why doesn’t he stop bad things from happening to good people? He often does. Hebrews 1.14 and Matthew 18.10 prove that he uses angels to help his family. Evil still exists because it allows us to choose our own destiny. 

We do have to remember, though, that satan runs the planet right now (II Corinthians 4.4). This is his time, before he’s tortured around the clock for eternity (Revelation 20.10). 

When we introduced dysfunction to earth, it had far-reaching consequences (Romans 8.15ff). Evil is short-lived and on borrowed time. Jesus defeated satan when he came back to life (Hebrews 2.14; Colossians 2.14-15). Evil affects us all, but it won’t last forever. Just because it still exists now does not mean that God doesn’t exist or doesn’t love us. His unlimited forgiveness should be enough to get us through this life so we can leave evil behind forever (II Corinthians 12.8-9). It’s hard to have that mindset, but it’s worth it. 

Gary Pollard

The Coolest Intro

Wednesday Column: Third’s Words

gary and chelsea

Gary Pollard

One of the most concise and beautiful teachings about God is in John. He plainly states some awesome things, full of impact and depth.

“The Word existed in the beginning…” This, along with other statements made in this context, highlights how tragic it is that the world systemically rejects him. There was only a “beginning” because of him.

“…the Word existed with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God, who created everything through Him. Nothing that exists was created without Him.” God took a demotion to save us (Heb. 2.9). The same one who used the Father’s power to fabricate reality.

“Life came from Him…” Humans only had the power to take life away from the source of life because He let them.

“…and this life was humanity’s light.” His selflessness gave us hope for a better existence.

“This light shined through the darkness, and darkness can’t smother it.” Evil is on borrowed time and it knows it. Jesus put a countdown on the existence of evil. When its time runs out, it’ll never bother His people again (II Pet. 3.13; Rev. 20.12-15).

We deal with real problems thanks to darkness. What Jesus did wasn’t just a nice gesture. He destroyed the very possibility of darkness, creating a reality in which His own – made eternally perfect through His sacrifice – can never mess things up again. I want to live in that kind of reality with that kind of God.

Evil Never Sleeps

Friday’s Column: Supplemental Strength

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Brent Pollard

Have you ever heard the expression, “Evil never sleeps?” I tried finding the origin of this expression with those tools available to me. From my limited search, I believe the expression likely originates from Proverbs 4.16.

“For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.” (NASB)

I have taken note of how this is true even during a pandemic.

The first thing striking me was my state still advertised its lottery. Are lottery tickets an essential item for which people should leave their house to buy?  I would think not. This soon became a moot point, though, since the state began advertising its existing lottery app one could use to buy lottery tickets online from the “safety” of their own home.  Evil never sleeps.

Second, I had seen the news reports of how pornography was profiting from the shutdown. As soon as people began sheltering in place, one purveyor of internet porn noted an immediate spike in visits to their site. India experienced a 95% rise in porn viewership. 1 Only South Korea, who did not shutdown as much of their country, did not see such a porn patronage spike. 2 When other businesses are shutdown, pornography has likewise become lucrative for women seeking employment during tough economic times. 3 Evil never sleeps.

Third, while being disappointed by the designation of religious assemblies as nonessential by government, I’ve noted that they have propped up vice as essential. For example, in Denver pot dispensaries and liquor stores were exempted from stay at home orders. 4 Meanwhile, churches have not been able to meet in their buildings, even with efforts to practice social distancing. On the weekend of April 12th, you may recall that Louisville, Kentucky, mayor, Greg Fischer, even criminalized “drive-in” church services. Fortunately, a judge overturned Fischer’s “edict.” 5 Evil never sleeps.

Fourth, the abortion industry remains alive and well during shutdown. While certain states successfully closed abortion clinics at the outset of the shutdown by stating such clinics offered only elective procedures, judges have overturned such decisions in favor of granting access to it. 6 So, we are currently living at a time when cancer screening is non-essential, but killing your unborn child is “necessary.” Yes, evil never sleeps.

Since evil never sleeps, what are we, as children of God, to do?

Be on guard (1 Peter 5.8). As we have shown, our enemy never sleeps. He is looking to devour us. Thus, we must keep up our alertness.

Redeem our time (Ephesians 5.16).  Given the uncertainty of our life, we must make the most of the opportunity God gives us to do His will. Even though COVID-19 is deadly, we note that the things taking a man’s life are far more numerous than viruses (cf. James 4.14).

Pray (1 Thessalonians 5.17). We must always maintain a prayerful heart. It is an avenue allowing us to “cast our cares” upon our Lord (1 Peter 5.7). It is likewise the only means whereby we can discover peace surpassing our ability to comprehend (Philippians 4.16-17).

Evil never sleeps, but we can avoid its darkness by remaining on the path shining as bright as day (Proverbs 4.14-15, 18), while devoting ourselves to doing our Lord’s will.

shelter in place

REFERENCES

1 Kannan, Saikiran. “Pornography Gets a Pandemic Boost, India Reports 95 per Cent Rise in Viewing.” India Today, Living Media India Limited, 11 Apr. 2020, www.indiatoday.in/news-analysis/story/pornography-gets-a-pandemic-boost-india-reports-95-per-cent-rise-in-viewing-1665940-2020-04-11.

 

2 Ibid.

 

3 Dorn, Sara. “Business Booming for Cam Girls amid Coronavirus Outbreak.” New York Post, NYP Holdings Inc., 16 Mar. 2020, nypost.com/2020/03/14/business-booming-for-cam-girls-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/.

 

4 Del Giudice, Vincent. “Denver Exempts Pot Shops, Liquor Stores from Stay-at-Home Order.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg L.P., 24 Mar. 2020, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-24/denver-exempts-pot-shops-liquor-stores-from-stay-at-home-order.

 

5 Lord, Shaquille. “District Judge Says City Can’t Stop Louisville Church from Holding Drive-in Easter Service.” WLKY, Hearst Television Inc., 12 Apr. 2020, www.wlky.com/article/district-judge-says-city-cant-stop-louisville-church-from-holding-drive-in-easter-service/32115835.

 

6 Tamburin, Adam. “Federal Court Tweaks Abortion Order, Still Allows Procedures during COVID-19 Pandemic.” The Tennessean, Tennessean.com, 27 Apr. 2020, www.tennessean.com/story/news/2020/04/27/court-tweaks-tennessee-abortion-order-procedures-still-allowed/3033007001/.