​Enough is enough.
It is time for Christians (who I am addressing today) to take a stand against the irreverent, rampant, revolting, unchecked evil that is ravaging our nation and world.  
Let’s call evil what it is. Evil is evil. Evil will never be good.
Evil people are boldly, unashamedly, unapologetically, fanatically in some cases, standing against everything that is holy, righteous, good and decent. Unafraid, emboldened by the evil one who they blindly serve, evildoers stand up and speak out for what they erroneously believe. Deceived and duped by the devil, they spew their poisonous ideology on naïve people.
I have a question.  Why is it that many of God’s good people are strangely, eerily silent as evil attempts to destroy America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and history?  
I have an idea. It takes courageous commitment and unshakeable convictions to take a stand in our current culture. Demonic forces, evil people and weak Christians put pressure on you and me to sit down and shut up when we should be standing up and speaking up.
People who stand for nothing will fall for anything. There are people, even in the church, who fall for anything because they stand for nothing.
Think about this. Not taking a stand for what you believe is taking a stand that you really do not believe what you say you do.
If you don’t clearly define where you stand, someone else will define your life for you, and you may not like their assessment!
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The Lord declared that His church, the body of Christ, would prevail against hell’s gates. The original intent of the verse means that God’s people would push back the gates of hell, not be pushed back, pushed around and pushed down by the gates of hell.  
How in the world, with a promise like that, can the church of Jesus Christ not prevail over the evil that hell has unleased through its gates? You, me and fellow believers must ask ourselves if we are prevailing or failing in the presence of Satan’s demonic hordes and evil minions.
In the Bible, Peter exhorts us in I Peter 3:15 to defend our faith. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
Defending Christian faith means Christians should take a stand for Jesus Christ in their daily life. You and I should be ready, prepared to share our faith with the people God puts in our path.
 If you profess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, do you stand up for His name and His Word? Is your faith in Jesus settled, firm, steadfast, immovable, unshakeable? Would you be willing to lay down your physical life for the Savior?
Taking A Stand For The Cause Of Christ

• Search your heart. What do you stand for today? Do you stand for good and stand against evil?
• Do you take a stand that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative holy Word of God and Jesus is the only way to heaven? He alone is the way, the truth and the life? John 14:6
• Do you take a stand for sanctify of life for all ages, especially the innocent unborn who are murdered in a mother’s womb by abortion?
• Do you take a stand for moral/sexual purity standards and boundaries defined by the Bible? Do you stand against all forms of abominable sexual immorality and perversion, including homosexuality, same sex marriage and mutilation of gender of males and females?
• Do you take a stand against mental, emotional, verbal, physical, sexual abuse and exploitation of defenseless, children and senior citizens?
• Do you take a stand for pure, decent, dignifying speech, standing against crude language, cursing, profanity and swearing that permeates our society in private and public?
• Do you stand up for truth and stand against lies from the mouths of liars?
• Do you take a stand when “Breaking News” contradicts, makes fun of, mocks and blasphemes the Bible, ridiculing, maligning and marginalizing Christians who believe in God’s Word?
• Do you take a stand to respect and support law and order, lawful authority and law enforcement personnel?

My friends, it is truly time for you and me take a stand for what we say we stand for.
Jesus took a stand when He died voluntarily on the Cross. His shed blood secured salvation for you, me and all who will believe. How can we not stand for Him who died in our place?
There are brothers and sisters in Christ today, right now, in the world who are being killed because of their faith. Regardless of the persecution and suffering, they courageously choose to take a stand for Christ, knowing it may well cost them their earthly life.
My brothers and sisters in Christ. Take a stand. Stand up for Jesus and the Bible.  Arise. Get up off your spiritual fanny (I said it nicely) to stand up boldly for Lord.
Take a stand now while you can. Stand by yourself if necessary. Stand up to evil with the Good News!
Multitudes of people are spiritually lost. Their hearts are empty. Without Christ, they are hopeless, helpless and powerless to save themselves from sin, death and the grave.
 Stand with Jesus to win the lost to Christ before it is too late.   
 “Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13
A Word For Your Week: Take a strong stand for Jesus Christ and Christianity every day.   

Evil from the pit of hell has reared its ugly across the world.
I do not have to tell you that Satan inspired, demon empowered evil is spreading like a deadly  viruss of death throughout humanity. Misguided men and women and their supporters, under the devil’s dominion, are savagely ravaging their fellow human beings with their blind belief that lies and hate are greater than truth and love.  
Unchecked evil, that ruins and destroys innocent people’s lives, gets my spiritual dander up. If you don’t know what spiritual dander is, it means evil really ticks me off! Makes me righteously angry!
Defiance and rebellion towards God. Disrespect for lawful authority. Sexual immorality. Perversion of purity. Violence against others. Murder of the unborn. Taking advantage of the elderly. Lying. Stealing. Cheating. Corruption. Vile hatred. Terrorist attacks. Barbaric butchering of human beings. Being a false witness. These evil deeds, as well as others, get Steve Roll’s dander up in a hurry! 
My friends, it is time to call evil evil.
The words evil, evils, evil doers, evil deeds are mentioned at least 700 times in God’s Word. If you want to know what is evil, pay clear attention to what God says is evil, (not the world, media, political figures or your favorite celebrity!) 
In the Bible, God calls good good and evil evil. Nowhere in the Bible does God tolerate evil. Sorry politically correct world: Tolerance is not a biblical principle regarding evil. Meditate on this ominous, foreboding warning from Isaiah 5:20-23.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink; who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right.”
No comment necessary except if you dare to call evil good or good evil, you better think again.  God’s “woe” means watch out! Hit the deck! Judgment from the hand of Almighty God is coming!
Satan, “the evil one” in the Bible, always makes evil look good. The devil is a deceiver who entices and seduces unsuspecting, naïve, vulnerable people into accepting evil over good. Satan is a liar who peddles falsehood to folks who are not grounded in God’s good Word.
Our current culture, and some segments of the church, are soft-peddling evil, making light of and mocking what is good. Christians who love the Lord and His Word should be appalled, ashamed and gravely concerned about the tolerant attitudes toward evil that are coming from some pulpits. Many so=called Christians are blinking and winking at evil when they should be speaking out and standing up against it.
Making evil palatable and excusable is inexcusable for the body of Christ. Jesus never tolerated evil in any way, shape or form. The Cross was horrifically evil. Jesus voluntarily died on that cruel cross to save you, me and all of mankind from the evil of all evils, eternity in hell.
Compromising and coddling evil by the culture or church invites the displeasure of the One who Sent His only Son to redeem us from sin and deliver us from the evil one.
What do you think about evil? How do you feel about evil’s onslaught on our society and world? Does it matter to you that evil is being exalted while good is being trampled underfoot?
  Steps For Standing Up Against Evil

• Pray for you and your family to be protected from evil. God delivers His people from evil.
• Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Do not lead us into temptation, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”  (Matthew 6:9-13).
• Pray for our nation to return to the Lord. Life-changing spiritual awakening and moral revival forsakes evil and embraces good. We need good, not evil, citizens.
• Pray for the protection from evil for the innocent, naïve, vulnerable, the unborn, children and elderly and all who are preyed upon by evil men and women.  
• Pray that God will shut the mouths of evil speakers and shut down the wicked deeds of evil men and women. It’s time for evil to be dealt with, not ignored.    
• Push back the gates of hell. That’s right. Don’t be pushed around by evil.  Push evil around with good. Jesus said “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). The body of Christ isn’t called to hold on, hang in there, hope it somehow survives Satan’s assaults.  Quite the contrary. Jesus meant that Christians are to push back the gates of hell to hell where Satan and evildoers belong!
• Attend a church where the Pastor stands up for good and stands against evil. If your pastor compromises the Word by calling good evil or evil good, find another church.
• Never return evil for evil. Return good for evil. “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.” Romans 12:17
• Stand up. Speak up. Oppose evil in Jesus’ mighty name. No time for being a wimpy, wish-washy, compromising believer. It is time to stand up boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit for our Lord Jesus Christ, His eternal Kingdom and the Word of God that was given to save all of us from sin and evil.

 Booker T. Washington once said” A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good just because it is accepted by the majority.”
Truth. Goodness. Righteousness. Holiness. What is right. What is just. What is pure. What is sacred. When have these biblical virtues ever been a majority?
My friend, boldly rise up with others as a fully committed, God-loving, God fearing minority that has the full force of heaven on our side to turn our increasingly evil society and world back to goodness and decency.
I am signing up for God’s side. How about you?
“Then Elisha answered, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” II Kings 6:16
A Word For your Week: Evil will retreat when God’s good people stand up against it.
 

​Currently our world is deeply troubled.
 
The ominous threat and unnerving possibility of widespread world war among nations is hovering over humanity. Peace eludes many. Not just peace from war, but peace in hearts torn by fear and terror that war produces.
 
Like me, you dislike trouble.
 
If someone likes trouble, they are in real TROUBLE!
 
Most of us will agree that life is not trouble free. Trouble is part of living in a fallen world. Troubles can find you and me when we are not even looking for them!
           
Trouble’s troublesome head was first raised when Adam and Eve decided to listen to the devil instead of God (see Genesis 3). Humankind and trouble have been traveling companions throughout human history ever since our first parents were booted out of Paradise for disobedience. But man’s Creator had a remedy for trouble.
 
 Jesus Himself said that we would have tribulation (trouble) in this world.
 
“These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”   John 16:33
 
The Lord was no stranger to trouble. Everywhere He turned, the Son of God’s traveling companion was trouble. Because He and we are not of this world system, we will experience trouble too. All kinds of it. We must remember that the servant is not above His Master. We must also remember that trouble did not master our Master.
 
Jesus mastered trouble. So can you and me. We can be courageous in Christ.
 
 Jesus tells His followers to be of good cheer and courageous when troubled. Why? Because He has overcome the world where trouble comes from. We can overcome trouble because Jesus overcame the world. Triumphing over trouble is a hallmark of people of faith in Christ.
 
One of my favorite scriptures is John 14:27.
 
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, or let it be fearful.” John 14:27
 
The Lord tells us specifically to not be troubled in our hearts. Neither are we to be fearful. The trouble with trouble is that it can lead to a fearful heart. A fearful heart loses courage to walk by faith. When we walk in fear instead of faith, trouble triumphs over us.
 
Life may not be trouble free, but our hearts can be. The Master’s key to triumphing over trouble is God’s peace.
 
 Note it is “My peace” that Jesus gives to us. Not the world’s false peace, but God’s true peace. Peace that overcomes is the peace that comes from the Prince of Peace. Jesus’ peace kept him victorious in times of trouble. AMAZING TRUTH: Jesus gives us His peace. I have God’s peace when I trust in Him! His peace stills our spirit, enabling us to stand firm and steady during trouble’s storms.
 
The God of peace sends Christ’s peace to calm our troubled hearts and give Christians courage to rise up and overcome life’s difficulties.
 
Seven Steps For Triumphing Over Trouble
           
1. Believe in God and His only Son Jesus Christ.
2. Receive the peace of God.
3. Be courageous in the face of trouble.
4. Do not allow fear to take hold in your heart.
5. Turn away from your troubles.
6. Turn to and turn up your faith in Jesus.
7. Walk every day in Christ’s victory over the world.
              
Multitudes of people across the world are troubled by trouble. Some of them live next door or down the street from you. You work with folks who are anxious and fearful concerning world events. Governments are scrambling to contain trouble. Even some professing Christians are not sure what to do.
 
How about you? Are you currently troubled by trouble? Please don’t be.
 
Turn the table on trouble. Trouble is in trouble when God’s children are not troubled by trouble. When trouble knocks on the door of your heart, simply tell it to go away. Tell your troubles to take a hike in Jesus’ mighty name! Stand firm in your faith. Send trouble down the road to trouble you no more.
 
I say again: do not be troubled or be afraid. Jesus’ peace has trouble covered!
 
“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.”    John 14:1
 
A Word For Your Week: Triumph over trouble through trust in Jesus Christ.
 

​At this time, you, me and precious, innocent, decent, well-intentioned, good people all over the world are witnessing hell unleashed through evil men and women. Unrestrained, horrific, abominable, Satan inspired, demonic empowered evil from the fiery pit of hell is stalking the world.
 
Anxiety, fear, terror and uncertainty, like a dark, sinister storm cloud, is hovering over the human race.
 
People everywhere are asking “Who will deliver us from evil?” The government? Military power? Political coalitions? New leadership? Economic prosperity?
 
My friend, look no further than God’s Word, the Bible. Who can and will deliver good, righteous people from evil? Almighty God will. The God of the Bible is a God of deliverances.
 
For as long as I can remember Domino’s Pizza advertising slogan has been “Domino’s Delivers!”
 
Personally, I have eaten my share of pizza pie in my seven decades of life. Piping hot  sausage and cheese pizza delivered to my door has a wonderful way of rescuing me from hunger pangs. Yum! Can’t you just taste your favorite pizza melting in your mouth about now? Some of you are ready to dial Domino’s aren’t you!
 
Domino’s is not the only one who delivers. I am not talking about pizza here.
 
God is in the delivery business too. Delivery with a big “D.”  Domino’s Pizza rescues from hunger. But God rescues His people from their enemies.
 
David’s chapter title for I Samuel 17 could read GOD DELIVERS!
 
David was obviously overmatched when the giant Goliath (9 feet tall and weighing 700 pounds) stepped onto the battlefield to taunt him into a fight. King Saul and the Israeli army, paralyzed by fear, stood frozen in their sandals for forty days and nights. Eighty times the gigantic, menacing giant ate their lunch. Israel seemed powerless to do anything about it.
 
Day forty-one, enter David who possessed a bucket load of faith, a laser guided slingshot (okay, I am exaggerating a bit!) and a handful of bunker busting stones (I did it again didn’t I?). You read the story for yourself and see what really happened.
 
With brazen, unbridled, and brash boldness, David decisively defeated the mighty Philistine warrior Goliath. How in the world did this little known, pint-sized shepherd boy bring down the towering, trash-talking giant?
 
David confidently and courageously exercised faith in the God who delivers.
 
“And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”       I Samuel 17:37
 
Where did David’s conquering confidence come from? He was confident of God’s ability to rescue him from Goliath because of past deliverances.
 
As a shepherd tending sheep in the field, David had faced danger before. At least two times. Attacked by a lion and bear, David rehearses how he was rescued from disaster. God’s mighty hand overpowered the paws of the two prowling predators, delivering David and his flock from destruction.
 
Therefore, full of faith, David concluded that as God rescued him from the lion and bear, He would certainly deliver him from this mountain-sized menace of an ungodly man.
 
The God who had delivered David yesterday would deliver him today.
 
How about you? How is your faith in God as your deliverer? Right now? During these perilous, unnerving times in human history?
 
Do you need God to rescue you from an enemy or difficult circumstance? Psalm 68:19-20 declares. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. GOD IS TO US A GOD OF DELIVERANCES; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.”
 
Absolutely Awesome! God is a God of deliverances! Note “deliverances” and “escapes” are plural. He delivers from anyone, anything and everything, every time. However many times we need delivered, GOD DELIVERS! He rescues the redeemed from the hand of enemies. While I am writing I say glory to that!!!
 
The focus of this week’s word is this:  Our God who has delivered us in the past will rescue us in the present and the future.
 
If you are like me, I need my memory jogged from time to time. Especially when I am under attack from the enemy. I need to focus my faith and reflect upon past times when God delivered me from the assaults of Satan, the mockery of men, the hurt of heartbreak or the insecurity of a sudden setback.
 
Let us help ourselves out by not forgetting past deliverances.
 
Remembering past rescues stimulates faith for rescue now.
 
Take a pad and pen and write down all the times God rescued you from the enemy. Refer to it when under attack. Rejoice in what God did for you. Then rest assured that the God who delivered you before will deliver you now!
 
When Facing A Goliath You Need Rescued From….
 

• Remember the lions and bears God has delivered you from.
• Look past the giants’ taunts and lean on God’s promises.
• Remove yourself from the doubting, fearful onlookers.
• Reject man’s unproven armor and strategies.
• Rely on the Lord to deliver you with your God-tailored slingshot and stones.
• Run toward your adversary with faith in the God who delivers.
• Rejoice in your deliverance by the hand of Almighty God!
• Rally others to believe in the God who rescues!

 
A Goliath of terrorism is has raised its ugly head and sword to annihilate decent human being. Who are you turning to: “Breaking News or God’s Good News?
 
When Goliath shows up on your turf resist him with faith. Summon the God of deliverances. Stand back with bold confidence. Watch Him deliver you from your adversary. Then rejoice in the God who rescues!
 
It is time for good people to stand up to evil, trusting in the God who delivers.
 
“But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and Thou has put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted all day long, and we will give thanks to Thy name forever.”                                                                                          Psalm 44:7-8
 
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.”    Hebrews 13:8      
 
A Word For Your Week: The God who delivered you yesterday will deliver you today and tomorrow.