"The Narrow Road": Blogs By Shane Kastler

Job's Arrogant Friends

(NOTE: This article is scheduled to appear in the Feb. 3 edition of the Linn County News.)

The book of Job is well known because it speaks of intense suffering.  Though Job is described as a righteous man he loses almost everything he has.  At the beginning of the book we are shown a scene between God and Satan, where Satan accuses Job of only loving God because he is blessed.  God allows Satan to torment Job with an eye towards proving whether or not Job’s faith is simply based on blessings from God…or God himself.

    Once Job has suffered for a while, his friends come on the scene to comfort him.  Anyone who has studied the book knows that Job’s friends are the type of friends he could have done without.  Rather than encourage Job they accuse him of being unjust.  They assume that since he is suffering God must be mad at him.  Clearly they were in error, but in some ways their theology was correct.

    Job’s friends speak of God’s sovereignty and his justice.  They speak of him rewarding the good and punishing the righteous.  These are all genuine truths about God.  But Job’s friends error in some ways.  First, they misapply the theology of God’s justice in a way that demeans Job and elevates themselves.  While it’s true that God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked, it is not necessarily true that just because someone is suffering they are being punished by God.  The Bible makes clear that often times the righteous will suffer in this world.  In fact many times the righteous will suffer in this world, because they are righteous.  Job was described by God himself as “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1)

    When we see people suffering in this world, we can’t simply assume that we know all the facts behind the suffering.  All people are sinners, therefore all deserve God’s judgment.  But what Job’s friends should have realized was that they too were deserving of God’s judgment.  Job was being tested.  At times all of us are tested.  And when we are tested, we must humbly submit to God’s sovereignty and trust in his ultimate goodness to bring his will to pass.  And when we see others suffering we must not always assume that it’s God’s punishment upon them.  It may be, but it could just be a test as well.

    All of us need the grace of God found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Apart from Christ we will be judged eternally by a righteous God.  Have you turned from your sin in repentance and committed you life to Christ as Lord?  If not, do so today.  Then don’t be surprised if suffering comes your way.  In this world the righteous often suffer.  If you don’t believe me….ask Job.

 

 

Is God Really In Control?

Sometimes in life you might be tempted to wonder if God is really in control.  When we see tragedies unfold on the world scene, not to mention the trials of our own personal life, we can be tempted to despair.  We might question God’s goodness, or we might question his power.  If God is good, why doesn’t he change my circumstances?  Or, is it because he doesn’t have the power to?

    Regardless of what you might be facing, it probably pales in comparison to what Job endured in the Old Testament.  He was a righteous and godly man, yet the Lord allowed him to be tested in numerous catastrophic ways.  He lost his money.  He lost all of his children. And eventually, he lost his health.  Yet through it all his thoughts about God remained accurate.  Though he may have questioned why some things happened, he never doubted who was really in control.  In Job 42, he cried out to God saying, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2 NASB)

    Satan inflicted great harm upon Job, but Job knew, just as Scripture teaches, that Satan does nothing without a sovereign God allowing it.  This might cause you to ask why God would allow evil things to occur.  But once again the Bible teaches us by reminding us that God can even take things that are evil and use them for good. (see Romans 8:28)

    The best example of this can be seen in the cross of Jesus Christ.  Certainly everyone would agree that the public execution of an innocent, indeed a perfect man is evil.  Yet the crucifixion was a part of God’s perfect plan to pay for sinners who would turn to him in repentance and faith.  The Pharisees meant it for evil.  The Romans meant it for evil.  The Devil meant it for evil…..but GOD used it for good.  And after all, it is HE and no other…who is really in control.

    Have you come to the place in your life where you believe this?  Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith? He and no other, has the power to forgive sins and eternally save.  He and no other can change your heart from dirty to clean.  Because it is of him and no other that we can truly say:  “no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”

 

 

My Sermon In Stillwater

This past Sunday (Jan. 17) I preached at Eagle Heights Baptist Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  Brent Prentice, the Senior Pastor there, is a longtime friend and invited me to preach a sermon from Galatians 6:1-10.  Brent is currently preaching a series in Galatians called “Plus: Minus” which addresses the Galatians perpetual habit of trying to add or subtract from the true gospel. 

    This was the first sermon I had preached since my last one at FCC, Pleasanton, Kansas on November 15.  I was afraid that I might be a little rusty, but the Lord was gracious to me and it felt good from the start.  I hope that the sermon adequately explained the text and that the Holy Spirit used it to strengthen His church.

    The basic idea of the message was “Doing Church to the Glory of God” and much of the sermon centered on the topic of Church Discipline.  Needless to say, this is not an easy topic to broach, but it’s a practice that is absolutely essential to the church truly being what Christ called it to be.  I didn’t really have time to adequately explain the “ins and outs” of church discipline/ restoration, but I did try to point out that the main goal is not to sling mud at sinners; but rather to help restore the repentant in a spirit of gentleness.

    At any rate, for those interested in hearing the message online or downloading it; Eagle Heights has the podcast up on their site.  (Click here to go to the link.)   It is listed as “Episode 13” in the series “Plus: Minus.”   Thanks again Brent for having me over.  It was great to preach again.

    I’m not sure what God has planned for me over the next couple of months; but my next scheduled event will be a revival from March 14-17 at First Baptist Church, Ridgeway, Illinois; where our good friends Rob and Amy Gallion have served for the past 5 years.  I’m looking forward to it and I’m hoping that mid-March will prove to be Springtime in Illinois.

 

Making Decisions To The Glory Of God

Sometimes life is complicated.  But a lot of times it’s simpler than we make it out to be.  Everyday we face numerous situations that require us to make decisions.  Some of these decisions are huge; some are minor.  But every decision in life would perhaps be easier if we kept in mind why we exist.  Speaking of the Lord, the Bible says that all things were created “through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16)  Furthermore, the Apostle Paul reminds us that “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do. Do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) 

    So why do you exist?  To glorify God.  What should govern the decisions you make in life?  God’s glory.  Usually, we make decisions based upon our pleasures and comforts.  We decide to do whatever will make things easiest for us.  But when we put God’s glory ahead of our comfort…our lives are radically altered.  When God’s glory is paramount, we become willing to embrace suffering rather than avoid it.  When God’s glory is paramount, we become willing to take chances that we believe God is leading us to take.  And, when God’s glory is paramount, we find that he provides us with far more peace and joy in following Him, than we ever had when our decisions were based on sinful desires.

    You exist for the glory of God.  Does your life reflect that?  Are the decisions you make in life governed by that?  Have you turned from your sin in repentance and committed your life to Jesus Christ as Lord?  That is the first and greatest way in which you can glorify God.  In fact, your life is meaningless until you do that.

    There is nothing greater than knowing Christ as Lord and living a life that glorifies Him.  Look to Jesus.  Follow Jesus.  And live a life of sacrificial service that brings glory to God the Father; through God the Son; in the power of God the Holy Spirit.  Then your life makes sense…because it’s being lived as it was meant to be; for the glory of God.

How God Draws Sinners

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6:44)

The Bible teaches that all people should turn from their sin and place their faith in Christ as Lord. And while the offer stands, the question remains: “who will come to Christ.” Jesus taught a very sobering reality that the answer to that question is “no one.” Indeed because of the devastating effects of the sin curse no one will naturally turn to Christ. They need supernatural help. The Apostle Paul taught that: “The natural man does not accept things taught by the Spirit of God; they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

For any person to be saved, their spiritually dead condition must be altered. They must be brought to life. Or as Jesus taught, they must be “born again.” (John 3:3) This supernatural act is brought about by God. If you have any desire to turn from sin and embrace Christ; it is because God first drew you to Himself. He convicted you. He gave you a new nature; and he gave you a spiritual re-birth. The cold hard truth is that you would have never come to Christ without God first working in your heart through the power of the gospel.

Have you given your life to Christ and submitted to him as Lord? Seek the Lord while he may be found. Pray for his grace to come to your heart. Perhaps as you read this, God is at work drawing you. Maybe he’s convicting you of the sin in your life. Rejoice that he would show a sinner like you such mercy! Repent! And turn to Him. No one comes to Him unless the Father draws them. Is the Father drawing you?

Worshiping The Creator vs. Worshiping Creatures

When it’s all said and done…everyone is a worshiper of someone, or something.  In fact when you really boil it down to its simplest point, you worship one of two things.  Either you worship the Creator, or you worship the creature.  The Bible speaks of sinners in this way, saying:  “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:25 NASB) 

    When we think of idolatry, we usually think of people bowing down to a statue of some sort.  That certainly is idolatry, but many other things can be idols as well.  Your “god” is whatever you devote your life to.  Whatever is most important to you.  Whatever you ascribe the greatest “worth” to.  Because that which you ascribe the greatest worth to is the very thing in life that you worship.  You might argue that you don’t ascribe worth to anything.  Yet in truth, you probably ascribe the greatest worth to yourself and your own desires.  If so, then ironically, YOU are your own idol. 

    Maybe your idol is a person or a group of people such as your family.  You should love your family, but you should love God more.  Maybe your idol is money.  Maybe it’s a sports team.  Maybe it’s a house.  Maybe it’s a job.  Maybe it’s a car.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  If your “god”…is not GOD…then you are an idolater.  And you will one day perish in Hell because of your idolatry.

    It doesn’t matter what “creature” you worship.  No creature compares to the Creator.  God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to live a perfect life on this earth, then die a sacrificial death to pay for sinners who would turn to him in repentance and faith.  Those who do this worship the Creator.  Jesus is their Lord and Heaven is their future.  Those who elevate anything else above God are idolaters.  And will perish unless they repent and give God the worship He deserves. 

    Who, or what do you worship?  Who or what is your idol?  Who or what is your god?  Forsake them all and turn to Christ.  Don’t worship and serve a creature.  Worship and serve the Creator, “who is blessed forever.  Amen.”

Undeserved Grace

The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) And because of this we all rightfully deserve the eternal judgment of God. The Lord calls us to perfection…and every single one of us has fallen short. At this point most people simply relax because they know that God is a God of grace….but what if He wasn’t? Have you ever considered that? Have you ever stopped to think that grace, by definition is something you receive that is undeserved?

The gospel is called the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). God could have simply chosen to send all people to eternal Hell because of our sin. But instead, He chose to send His very own son, Jesus Christ to pay the price for sinners like you and me. Jesus came and lived a perfect life, which none of us could ever do. Then Jesus died a sacrificial death to pay the price for those who would turn to Him in repentance and faith. It’s pretty amazing when you really stop to think about what we deserve and then think about what we’ve been given because of the grace of God.

So what about you? Is Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? Have you turned from that sin you were born into and placed your faith in Him as Lord? A relationship with Christ is the only way to salvation, because the cross of Christ is the only payment for sins. Apart from Christ we perish. In Christ we are saved. As the song says, the gospel of the grace of God is truly a gospel of “amazing grace.” But what’s even more amazing is that God chose to show us grace….even though He didn’t have to.

Is The Gospel Foolish?

  “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB)

Many people in this world find the gospel foolish. Maybe if you’re honest, there was a time in your life when you found it foolish also. Maybe you even find it foolish now. Think about it. A man named Jesus lived 2000 years ago, and somehow because he was crucified as a criminal people have the chance to spend eternity in Heaven. On the surface, does that sound odd? Does it not make sense to you? Does it sound foolish? Now let’s explain it a little deeper.

We are sinners. God is perfectly holy and just. For a sinner to gain entrance into Heaven he must be perfect and his sins must be paid for. God’s standard is perfection and His justice requires a payment for wrongs committed. The problem for us is that the Bible teaches “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) thus disqualifying us from Heaven. Because of sin we deserve nothing but God’s judgment in eternal Hell. Now the cross enters the picture.

Jesus, who was (and is) God became a man and “dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He was the only man to ever live a perfect, sinless life. Then he died a sacrificial death upon the cross. For those who repent of their sin and place their faith in Christ as Lord forgiveness is attained. Because God grants those “in Christ” credit for his perfect life. Then His justice is fulfilled because He punished Jesus upon the cross as a “substitute” for those who rightfully deserved God’s wrath.

To those who are perishing, this whole thing sounds ridiculous. But to those saved by the grace of God, this whole things sounds like a glorious and merciful manifestation of God’s power. So how does the gospel sound to you? If it still sounds foolish then keep reading God’s Word. Keep praying for God to make His plan clear. And start regularly listening to someone who accurately preaches the truth of the Bible. Eventually, by God’s grace, you too may see the power of God and the Divine wisdom of the cross.

Thy Will Be Done

“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39 NASB)

It would probably not surprise you to hear that God wants us to pray to Him. However, it might surprise you, to know why He wants us to pray to Him. Believe it or not, God doesn’t desire your prayers because He’s confused about what needs done in your life. No doubt you have many needs, as all people do. And by all means you should bring those needs to God in prayer. But in all of your prayers, never forget the petition that Christ made while praying in the garden: “Thy will be done.”

As Jesus prayed in the garden, he was facing something far worse than you and I could ever imagine. The next day he would be crucified. And while the physical pain he was to endure would be unimaginable…the spiritual pain would be even worse. For during that time, while Jesus hung upon the cross, he would be separated from His Heavenly Father. Because during that time, rather than having perfect communion with one another, the Father would pour His righteous wrath out upon the Son, in order to pay the price for sinners like you and I. That’s what the cross was all about. And when you consider what Jesus would face, you can see why he prayed that the cup might pass from him. But his ultimate prayer was this: “Thy will be done.”

Your prayers should be the same way. Ask, but submit. Seek His will, but be willing to accept it when His will is not the same as yours. True prayer doesn’t involve us telling God how to run the world. It involves God telling us how to live our lives.

Jesus fulfilled the Father’s perfect plan for our redemption. But you and I must turn from our sin in repentant faith and give our life to Christ if we are to take part in that redemption. Otherwise, you perish in eternal Hell because of your sins.

We can be saved because Jesus the Son was obedient to God the Father. He prayed “Thy will be done” and then He did it. Make the commitment to follow Christ as Lord today. And make the commitment to pray like Jesus did. God doesn’t need your counsel…but you and I desperately need His.

What Awaits Beyond The Grave

(Note: This article is scheduled to appear in the October 7 edition of the Linn County News.)

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 NASB)

Death is the great unknown. And for the majority of people in this world, it is their greatest fear. When you stop and think about it, much of your life is spent avoiding death. The way we live; the things we do; the food we eat; and the dangers we avoid all have to do with prolonging our life and dodging death. There’s nothing wrong with trying to live a long and healthy life. But if you are a Christian, then there is also no reason to fear death.

Deep down inside, everyone knows that their life on earth will not last forever. Death looms over the horizon for each and every one of us. For some it may be many decades away….for others it might be a few days away. Does the thought of dying appeal to you? Probably not. But what about the thought of what awaits on the other side of the grave?

For those who have turned from their sin in repentance and placed their faith in Christ as Lord; eternal joy awaits. Jesus spoke of Heaven as a place where no pain, death, sickness, or sorrow can enter. Heaven is a place where no sin exists. In fact we won’t even have the capability, nor the desire to sin in Heaven. For those who long to please God, that sounds glorious. And it will be.

But those who reject Christ in this temporal world won’t experience Heaven after they die. They will spend eternity in Hell. As glorious as Heaven is…Hell is just as miserable. The sin of rejecting an infinitely glorious God is an infinitely heinous crime. And will thus require an eternal punishment. Maybe you think eternal Hell is too harsh. If so, it’s because you don’t think much about God’s holiness, and you don’t think your sin is that big a deal. But it’s a big deal to God. So big in fact that He sent His very own son, Jesus Christ to pay the price for those who would turn to Him.

So what will it be with you? Heaven or Hell? Jesus or the World? Eternal joy or eternal torment? Life or death? Turn to Christ in repentance and faith today. Tomorrow might be too late.