He Cares

Posted on May 7, 2025 by heatonkent

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

He Cares

The world can be a cruel place. Sin took the joyful heart of peace and harmony away when Adam and Eve hid in fear at the presence of God. After being cast out of the garden, Adam and Eve faced an uncertain world as the only two people on earth. It would take years for the world population to grow, and again, sin destroyed the world. In the days of Noah, God killed every human being except the eight who were in the ark. The flood did not solve the ‘sin problem’, but it did establish a lesson that God cares about His creation. His care was his disappointment that humanity had become so vile and wicked. That same care instructed Noah to build an ark for the saving of his household. In a dark world overcome by sin, Noah knew that God cared for him.

There has never been a nation like Israel. God raised His people from the heritage of Abraham to be His own chosen people, a holy nation, a peculiar people devoted to Him alone. He did not forget them when they suffered in Egypt. He delivered them from themselves in the wilderness, and He raised up a great nation so the world could see His glory. God cared for the Hebrews to deliver them from Egypt. During the forty years of wilderness wanderings, the people never lacked for food and clothing. Except for their rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea, Israel defeated all the enemies that came against the people of God because God cared for them.

Joshua took the nation of Israel into Canaan and conquered the land in about seven years. God continually showed His power to the Israelites because He wanted them to know He cared for them. He blessed them and delivered them from their enemies. It was Israel who turned away from God; not God who turned away from Israel. God would reject the nation of Israel because they turned away from Him, but God still cared for them. He sent His only begotten Son into the world to lead His people back to Him. They killed Jesus, but God still cared for them. Jesus prayed for the Father to forgive those who were killing Him.

The central theme of the gospel is that God cares for the world. Jesus is the expression of His care. There is no greater love than for a man to give his life for another. God gave His Son to die to show how much He cared for a world filled with sin and rebellion. When men seek peace and happiness from human wisdom, they fail. There can be no joy if a man refuses to humble himself before God and seek His love and counsel. Man is not the author of his salvation. There is nothing in the mind of man that can create a world of happiness apart from God. True peace comes only when the heart of man humbles itself under the mighty hand of God.

When a man humbles himself, he is exalted before the presence of God. Humility requires giving everything to God and letting Him guide the heart, soul, and mind. It seems counterintuitive to become low to rise up, but humility is the beginning character of being exalted. The only way to be accepted by God is to acknowledge how great the Lord is and to submit the soul to the will of the Father. Then, and only then, will one learn how much God cares for him. The care of God is the expression of God to those who humble themselves before Him. He cares and can provide everything the soul needs. God will punish those who reject Him, but He will embrace near to His heart those who humble themselves and obey Him – because He cares for them.

The message is clear: God cares for you. He has provided everything you need to find joy and peace. Jesus Christ is the divine revelation of God’s care. There is no other place you will find the answers to life and death. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to man to know how much God cares for them. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. He will exalt you when you cast all your cares upon Him. Can you trust God? You can trust God because He cares for you like no other.

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Take Heed

Posted on May 6, 2025 by heatonkent

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Take Heed

The children of Israel were the most blessed nation on earth. They were created by the grace of God to show His glory. Through the power of God, they defeated all the nations around them. The mightiest nation on earth, Egypt, could not stand up against the Hebrews. God promised to bless the people abundantly if they obeyed Him, and He did. But for most of the Israelites, God was not pleased. During the wilderness wanderings, everyone above the age of twenty died as a result of rebellion. When Moses led the people out of Egypt, there were six hundred thousand men, not counting women and children. More than six hundred thousand people died in the wilderness.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, he used the people of Israel as an example of a nation blessed and punished by God. The reason the Holy Spirit told the story of the Jews from their beginning at Mt. Sinai to the rejection by God when they killed His Son, was to show that God is not a respecter of persons, and that sin will destroy. Pride exalted the spirit of the Jews to believe they were God’s chosen, special people and that God would never fully reject them. Jesus was killed because He challenged that narrative. The Son of God rebuked the hypocrisy of the Jewish nation, which denied they were in bondage to the Romans. After killing Jesus, the nation of Israel was destroyed and would no longer be known as the people of God.

Pride is the insidious spirit of believing one’s worth is greater than it should be. Paul warns the Corinthians that a man who thinks he cannot fall will suffer the greatest calamity. When a man believes he can stand up to temptation without the power of God, he is preparing himself to fall. It is a subtle warning that if a man thinks he is standing strong by his own merits, he is about to fall under the temptation of the devil. The nature of man is unchanged. Satan cannot be defeated without God. There is no wisdom in the heart of man that can give him the power to overcome the wiles of the devil. The Son of God had to die to redeem man. There was nothing man could do to redeem himself. God provided the sacrifice that man could not give. How remarkable that a man fills himself with pride.

There is great joy in having salvation in Christ Jesus, but that confidence should never create a spirit of pride that we do not need Jesus Christ. This misplaced spirit of pride is evidence that the soul is in danger. Only when a man is made small can he realize how much he needs the strength of God to overcome evil. Everyone is in danger of the power of sin. Paul uses Israel as an example to show how pride exalted the people above trusting in God and the tragic results. The only source of strength given to man is trusting in God. It was the wise man of old who declared that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride cannot be part of the armor of God.

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Living In The Shadow Of The Last Hour

Posted on May 5, 2025 by heatonkent

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

Living In The Shadow Of The Last Hour

The brevity of life and the suddenness of death are part of the fabric of life. Everyone knows about death and how often it comes with an abrupt unexpectedness without warning. There is no denying death. No one knows when they will die. It comes like a thief in the night with a final swipe that can never be changed. Sometimes, because of illness, a time period is given for a person to live, and death is certain. If a tally is taken of those who die in one day, what percentage of those who died believed when they woke in the morning, they would be experiencing their final days on earth?

God has told us death is certain. He reminds us there will be no declaration of warning when death approaches. Jesus taught the need to watch and pray, for no one knows the hour of their final breath. The key to living is preparing each day as if it were the last; because one day it will. There is a truth that must guard the heart to know that life is short and will suddenly be taken away. The condition in which a man finds himself at the moment of death is the greatest secret yet to be revealed. That decision determines what happens after death because there is life after death.

Jonathan Edwards, one of the great preachers of early American history, once made this resolution: “Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of life.” Edwards understood the need to prepare for an inevitable day that comes without warning. It is an important part of the Christian character to always live in such a manner that while death may be without warning, there is nothing warranting concern as one has lived the best he can for the Lord. Every action of life is with eternity in mind. Each decision that is made has eternal consequences wrapped around it. Jesus said a faithful and wise servant always watches for the final day without regret.

God has given man everything he needs to live with the hope of eternal life in his heart. The preparedness of the soul steeped in the mesh of God’s words is a life living each day prepared. With each sunrise, the resolution of the day is to live that if it were the final day of life, it would be for the glory of God. Make each day count as if it were the last day. One day, Jesus will return. It will be without warning. There will be many who will be unprepared for death or the coming of Jesus, but do not let your life be wasted by not being prepared. There is time to prepare. Make your life right with God. Enjoy the mercy and grace of God because of His long-suffering. There’s a great day coming. Live for Jesus.

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The Greatest Desire

Posted on May 2, 2025 by heatonkent

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:16)

The Greatest Desire

Life can be filled with many challenges that overwhelm the heart. Disease, death, loss, and uncertainty are not uncommon. Time marches on without relief. It matters little how man tries to retain youth and vigor; age diminishes the body and mind. Many have tried to find ways to cheat death, prolong years, and maintain vibrant youth in aging bodies with no success. God has determined the habitation of man’s existence. That will never change. Adam and Eve were created as failed creatures that would die. The reason death reigns on the earth is because sin removed man from the Tree of Life. Science may have given answers to why the body decays and dies, but men still suffer disease and death.

The soul of man can become discouraged by the overwhelming burdens of life. Throughout history, the world has tried to find answers to cope with the challenges of life. Some seek refuge in pleasures, drugs, and alcohol. Many believe wealth will bring them happiness. A man will go through numerous marriages seeking fulfillment and finding none. Denying the trials of life will not remove the burden. What can man do to find peace and happiness in this world? The answer lies in the promises of God in another world, a place beyond the vale of death. Hope comes when the heart of man turns his desire to eternal things.

Sin changed the world to be a place of suffering and loss. God sent His Son to offer the world an answer to find peace and joy. People of God have a different view of life because of the promises of God. When a man comes to know God and understands life’s challenges in view of God’s eternal plan, he finds a peace that passes all understanding. What happens in the heart of those who trust in the Lord is a desire to live in a heavenly country. The eye of faith no longer seeks fulfillment in this life, but the joys of eternal life yet realized. A desire to serve God, to be found pleasing before Him, and to receive an eternal reward promised by a loving Father is how the heart is changed.

The nature of a godly person is the firm desire to live in a better world. Finding a better world cannot be done in this life. Pleasures, wealth, and wisdom never last and can never bring true joy. When the heart turns to God, seeking an eternal home, life becomes a trial of joy. The heart desires to live in a better place, that is, a heavenly country. There is a city prepared by God to receive those who change their desire from this world to eternal life. Desiring a better world brings change in the life of the child of God. To desire a better world is to live so as to be found pleasing before the Lord. Faith motivates the heart to seek the will of the Father. Then, and only then, can life be viewed in its proper form. Life is short, but eternity is forever. Our desire should, first and foremost, be found faithful so that we can enjoy the desire to leave this world for our heavenly home. Where is your desire? What makes you full of joy? Don’t let the trinkets of this world take your heart away from God. He has prepared a place – a city – for you. Desire it. Long for it. Live for it.

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The Narrow Path And The Broad Way

Posted on May 1, 2025 by heatonkent

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

The Narrow Path And The Broad Way

Jesus did not mince words. His sermon on the mountain was a radical change from the teachings of the Jewish leaders who soft-pedaled God’s word, imposing their own rules of righteousness. The Lord was speaking to a Jewish crowd, telling them truths that were not new but needed to be reminded in the hearts of the people who had grown callous to preaching that would convict. Jesus did not offer any path to salvation other than the one in which the Father always revealed through His word. The world is made up of those who are seeking eternal life and those who are seeking worldly pleasures. What made the teaching of Jesus extreme in the crowd’s minds was how He concluded that most people would never see eternal life.

The world does not accept the idea that most will not be saved. There is a feeling that all who die rest in peace (RIP) and are in Heaven. The greater part of the world rejects the concept of Hell as too harsh and cruel, and a loving God would never consider such a thing. With Hell out of the way, everyone will enjoy an afterlife in one form or another. It does not matter how a person lives. Having a belief in God helps but is not necessary. If a person is a good person, they receive special treatment from the Lord. Religious people are guaranteed a place in eternity with God. Those who are left behind view their loved ones as angels in Heaven waiting for other family members to join them for a grand eternal family reunion.

Jesus said there was a narrow path and a broad way. Entering the narrow path requires a narrow gate. The way of the narrow path is difficult. It is not an easy life. The way is hard which leads to eternal life. There is no easy course to follow if one is seeking eternal life. It is not given to everyone. Jesus says that because the narrow path is difficult, which leads to life, few people will find it. If few find eternal life, most find eternal destruction. The reason that most people will be lost is because the way is wide and broad. It is the easy path of life filled with pleasures. There is no accountability because those on the broad path live according to their rules. The broad way is the path of least resistance.

When the Father sent His Son to save mankind, He instructed how men should be saved. What Jesus taught in the mountain sermon was what the Father had told the Son. God will not save everyone. In fact, God will not save most of the world because they refuse to acknowledge Him as Sovereign Lord and Almighty God. False religions permeate the world. Worldliness with carnality is the joy of the masses. The world aims to satisfy self. Most people do not believe in an afterlife, and those who do – believe that everyone goes to Heaven. Nothing is further from the truth. Satan has done a masterful job of convincing people not to fear God. Ironically, Satan is not against anyone believing in God. The devil allows many to accept there is a God, but he persuades them that they are okay and God would never punish anyone. Jesus said Satan is the father of lies. Satan is true to his word to be the father of lies.

There is sadness in Jesus’ message. If one takes a moment to survey the world around them, the startling truth emerges that most people are lost. What that means in reality is that most people will go to Hell. That is the greatest tragedy of the human story. God gives everything man needs to save himself, and most of the world is not interested. Jesus taught that there is a narrow way and a broad way. Everyone is on one of these paths. The gospel of two eliminates other options. You are on a path. The narrow way leads to life. Taking the broad way leads to destruction. Jesus said that. Believe it. It’s real.

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When Men Serve Themselves

Posted on April 30, 2025 by heatonkent

Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 15:13)

When Men Serve Themselves

The Amalekites needed to be destroyed, and King Saul was tasked with the mission from God. Samuel told Saul Amalek would be punished for what the nation did to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt. The instructions given to Saul were direct, specific, and encompassing. God told the king of Israel to attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they had and to spare no one. There was no need for an explanation, but God gave Saul one anyway. He had told him to utterly destroy Amalek, and that meant killing both man and woman, infant and nursing child, oxen, sheep, camel, and donkeys. Nothing was to remain of Amalek. The instructions were clear.

Saul took 200,000 foot soldiers along with 10,000 men of Judah to fight against the city of Amalek. Israel attacked the city with a great slaughter, utterly destroying the people with the edge of the sword. Agag, king of the Amalekites, was captured but not killed. Saul instructed his army to spare the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good. Anything worthless was destroyed. The Amalekites were subdued that day, and Saul felt triumphant after his great defeat of the city of Amalek. He surveyed the destruction of the city and its inhabitants with pride, knowing how pleased the Lord would be. Seeing the flocks of animals captured in the attack, Saul felt assured a great feast and sacrifice would bring praise and honor to the name of God. The reason he spared Agag is unknown. It could have been the king who begged for his life, and Saul saw potential in keeping the king hostage. At the end of the day, Saul was proud of how he kept the commandment of the Lord.

When Samuel arrived at Saul’s camp, the king was anxious to share with the prophet the bounty of his success, giving praise to God and the glory of Israel. What King Saul did not know was that for all his pride in how he carried out the commandments of the Lord, he had been rejected because Saul had done the bidding of his own desire. Saul had spared Agag and all the flocks because the king thought serving himself was more important than worshiping the Lord with truth. He was told to utterly destroy everything of the Amalekites, and the commandment was clear. There was to be nothing left. Agag was supposed to die. The animals were to be destroyed. God had no need for the best of the Amalekites. His commandment was precise, and Saul ignored the word of the Lord.

Samuel confronted Saul with what he had done, and Saul immediately blamed the people. He gave a good reason for keeping the flocks and herds as a sacrifice to the Lord God. Saul failed to appreciate that God cared nothing for the wisdom of men. He told Saul to kill everything, and Saul chose to serve himself. There were no good reasons to keep the flocks and herds. God rejected Saul and refused to accept his repentance, which was insincere. Even in his attempt to restore himself to the Lord, he blames the people. Saul’s heart believed he did a good thing, and God would understand because he believed he could determine right and wrong.

Saul’s folly is how men look at religion today. The world is filled with many different churches that proclaim they follow the will of the Lord, failing to realize they are nothing close to truth. Why are there so many churches? Men think they know more than God. They have taken the New Testament church and formed it into their own philosophies with what the people want to see and hear. How is it possible to defend a church that is not found in the scriptures? Saul had good intentions. Denominations have good intentions. Saul thought he knew more than God. Churches of men believe they know more than God. What then is the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen? It is false churches that seek to justify themselves before a God who denies them.

Samuel reminded Saul there is one truth, one way, and only one life. The prophet told the king that it is better to obey than sacrifice. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. There is one church that Jesus died for, which He purchased with His blood and redeemed. Like Saul, all other churches that deny the word of the Lord will be rejected.

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The Lord Is Our Helper

Posted on April 29, 2025 by heatonkent

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

The Lord Is Our Helper

James Black describes a trip he took through the tulip fields of Holland. He says that the beautiful beds of flowers were divided by canals, which were crossed by foot-wide planks. As Dr. Black and his party visited the various beds of brilliant flowers, they had to cross these little canals on the narrow planks. When they came to a canal that was twelve feet wide, they hesitated. The plank seemed so narrow. Would the owner of the field make a wider bridge for them across the canal? No. He blew a whistle, and a man came and handed them a thin pole which made it easy to cross the canal on the narrow plank. Dr. Black says that he then made a marvelous discovery. “How easy you can cross the narrowest plank if only you have something to hold on to.” You can go through life with all its tensions, uncertainties, and changes if you have something to hold on to.

It is difficult to imagine how hard it is for people to go through life without God. Sadly, the majority of the world tries to navigate the uncertain paths of life on their own, trusting in their own wisdom and seeking their own counsel. God created man so He knows what man needs and desires and how to bring happiness to the human heart. The Bible is not just a book of rules and regulations but instructions on how to traverse the challenging landscape of life. There are many canals that must be crossed. How much easier when the heart leans on the word of God to secure their footsteps and guide their paths?

Everyone needs something and someone to hang on to. When God created man, He said it was not good for man to be alone and made him a helpmeet. God knew His creation could not live by himself and needed companionship. Marriage is the union of a man and woman, two individuals who depend upon one another. In the divine pattern, the husband and wife bless each other with the support to help the other find fulfillment. This can only be done when the marriage is stabilized by the One who created the marriage bond: God. Parenting is fraught with danger. The home must be undergirded by the support of the word of God that puts God at the center of the home.

Nothing in life can truly be accomplished without God. Men will achieve great things, but what value is there if God is not at the center? Everyone needs to depend on the Lord for their strength, hope, and faith. To be godless is to be alone. The power of Christ is the blessing of a loving Father who wants to help His children find the joys of life. God is our Helper. He promises to never leave us and helps us in every facet of life. God is the rock. Lean on Him.

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God Does Not Hear My Prayers

Posted on April 25, 2025 by heatonkent

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1)

God Does Not Hear My Prayers

An unknown author wrote, “Prayer is the effort of man to reach God, to commune with an invisible being, the author and the creator of all things, supreme wisdom, truth, beauty, and strength, Father and Redeemer of every man.” The great challenge of prayer is the vehicle of faith that is required to allow a man to petition an invisible being, allowing the prayer to be received and acted upon without a visible reaction. This makes prayer problematic in the minds of many who believe in the power of prayer and seek the blessings of God through prayer and yet feel as if God does not hear the petitions of a heartfelt plea. One of the most common complaints of prayer is the inability to visibly recognize an answer, which leads to a fear of not being heard.

The scriptures bear out that God hears the prayers of His children – all of them. No prayers are offered in the sacrificial manner of faith the Lord does not listen and acknowledge. The feeling of disparity of unanswered prayer comes from a misunderstanding of the design of prayer. It must be clearly seen that God never sleeps, He never slumbers, and He is never too busy to acknowledge the prayers of the faithful. Jesus taught the power of prayer by His life. In His teaching, the Christ tells the disciples there must be an urgency about prayer. Men should always pray and never lose heart.

It is the second part of the admonition that Jesus reminds the disciples that one should never lose heart in prayer because God is always listening. God is always faithful, unlike the nature of man. It is not uncharacteristic for a man to not hear a request, ignore a need, or become so busy he cannot help his fellow man. Men fail one another constantly. This is not the character of God. There is never a time when He cannot hear and answer prayer. Men should be constant in prayer because the Lord God is a constant presence who will never leave or forsake His children.

Prayer is pleading the promises of God with the expectation that God always hears and answers prayer. Every prayer that comes before the throne of God is received by a merciful God who knows better what His children need than His children. God is not a vending machine where demands can be given. The first rule of prayer is acknowledging the inability of the petitioner to come before the Creator and Maker of the universe. Humility is the posture of prayer. The greatness of God is found in His allowing His creation to speak to Him in prayer. Whatever manner or time God answers prayer is to the glory of how the Lord God decides to respond.

Faith is believing that God always hears the prayer of the faithful. Jesus does not want His disciples to lose heart because there is no reason to lose heart. If a man feels God has not heard his prayer, the answer is probably something he was not expecting. Faith allows the heart to accept the answer of God as the best outcome. The principle of prayer is that God always answers with “Yes” because whatever the answer (yes, no, wait), the conclusion is a “Yes” with God. He knows best. His wisdom far outweighs the thoughts of men. When God answers prayer, it is incredible. Do not lose heart. Pray without ceasing. Above all things, pray.

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Who Is Building Your House?

Posted on April 24, 2025 by heatonkent

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

Who Is Building Your House?

In the art world, paintings are known by the personality and character of the creator. Experts can easily detect a painting by Claude Monet in contrast to the style of Picasso. Music has a defined style that can distinguish arrangements by Mozart from Beethoven and vice versa. The world of literature is determined by the style of writers such as Shakespeare and Mark Twain. Each has a distinctive style, setting them apart from others. Architects like Frank Lloyd Wright created such a defined building style that it was easy to identify the buildings he designed. The buildings he designed showed the handiwork of a master’s touch.

There is another building that is created far above the world of human wisdom. The eternal spirit of man was created by the hand of God to give glory and honor to his maker. Man was created from the dust of the ground, and the woman was formed from man’s rib. God united these two creatures together as man and woman to be husband and wife. Everything the man and woman needed for happiness was provided in abundance. Because of the deceitfulness of the devil, Adam and Eve lost paradise because they listened to the lies of the deceiver rather than the word of God. Man disobeyed the word of the Lord, but God did not leave man without His witness. From the moment Adam and Eve stepped out of the garden, the Lord instructed man on how to find happiness.

Life took a dramatic change for Adam and Eve, but they trusted in God. The Lord revealed His will to the world; many obeyed, but many did not. In the days of Noah, only eight people would be saved from destruction. They followed the plan given to them by God to be saved. Generations later, the children of Abraham became the nation of Israel. The Lord told the Hebrews if they obeyed Him, He would bless them abundantly. If they refused to obey the word of the Lord, the wrath of God would come upon them. Israel did not listen, and the Lord destroyed His Beloved. Jesus Christ came to bring all men to the Father. The world rejected Jesus and killed Him. Through the death of Jesus, God established His plan to redeem men through the church. God has provided the answer to the plight of humanity in these last days.

Solomon was the wisest man of his day, but the truth he gleaned was not new. The son of David writes that unless the Lord establishes the character of a man’s heart, there is nothing to live for. A building must have a designer and builder. The heart of man is the building that will never die. Unless the Lord establishes man’s heart, he lives a foolish and unprofitable life. God made man in the beginning, providing everything he needed to fulfill his purpose. Jesus Christ came to bring the abundant life to those who follow Him. When a man establishes his life without God, he is a fool. There is no value to live a lifetime without God because it will not end well. The temptation that Satan allures the world with is to deny God and live for self. That is a fool’s errand. If a man will not form his life around the word of God, he is wasting his life and endangering his eternal soul. God created man and knows everything he needs and how to bring him the greatest measure of happiness. Human wisdom has never brought man fulfillment.

Solomon reminds the soul of man that failure awaits unless the Lord guards the heart. A poorly designed building will not last. Buildings fail because of the failure of its builder. Lives fail because of the failure of those who live for themselves, seeking the pleasures of life and not God. There is an absolute about the word of God that must be read and understood. If God is not the center of your life, you are a fool and wasting your life. You are building something in vain. There is nothing you can do to guard your life from perdition if you don’t have God. The Lord created us to rely on Him and seek His blessings. Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ, and the blessings will come down. Examine your life. Who is building your life? The Gospel of Two declares there are only two builders: God and Satan. Which one is building your house (life)?

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Evil For Evil

Posted on April 23, 2025 by heatonkent

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Evil For Evil

Retaliation and retribution are two characteristics that should not be part of the Christian’s life. God has always wanted His people to stand above the world in their conduct and attitude toward others – including enemies and evil persons. It is easy to be good to those who show love for others. Everyone wants to show kindness to those who show kindness to them. When an evil person treats others with contempt, the reaction is often to return kind with kind. If someone does something wrong against a neighbor, the offended one will return the evil with evil. Road rage has become a social phenomenon that often ends in someone killing another.

Jesus warned against the spirit of vengeance. He taught in the mountain sermon how His disciples must learn to walk the second mile and never seek retaliation against others. The early church taught the disciples not to render evil for evil to anyone. There were challenges in the First Century church with the blending of Jew and Gentile. Paul repeatedly emphasized that there was no difference between Jew and Gentile and that all were one in Christ Jesus. This removes the stigma of revenge against others. A Christian will not do anything against another that is evil because to do so is sinful and condemned by God. The world teaches the philosophy of “getting even.” This is never found in the heart of the child of God.

Jesus Christ wants His people to seek all things that are good. Following things that are good is how the Christian frames his life. In a world filled with hatred, the Christian aims to bring the light of goodness into a dark world. Revenge is never the tool of the child of God. Getting back at others should never be known among the people of God. Even when the world treats the Christian badly, there is no recourse to return the favor. Jesus is the eternal example of never rendering evil against others. He always pursued what was good for Himself, others, and, first of all, His Father. Jesus forgave those who killed Him. He never reviled when they reviled Him. There was never a curse that came from his lips as those standing before Him cursed Him. Jesus wants His people to seek all things that are good because He gave that example in His life.

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