"The Narrow Road": Blogs By Shane Kastler

How God Brings Deliverance

It might come as a surprise to you to discover that Christians are not immune from suffering.  In fact, when you look over the course of history, Christians have frequently suffered much more than non-Christians.  As those who have been born-again by the Spirit and are bound for Heaven, we are frequently reminded that this world is not our home.  Furthermore, Jesus said that we should not be surprised if the world hates us since it also hated him and we are his followers (see John 15:18-19). In this fallen, sin-cursed world, afflictions abound for the righteous.  The Bible says in the book of Psalms: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19 NASB)

So we experience afflictions, but we also experience deliverance provided by the Lord.  But there can be many different ways in which God grants deliverance.  Sometimes He delivers us from the affliction by changing our circumstances.  He removes whatever it is that has been causing the pain.  Other times, God delivers us by allowing the affliction to stay, even to the point of taking our earthly life.  You might be prone to ask, “What kind of deliverance is this?”  In all honesty, it’s the best kind you can receive.  For the Christian there is no greater thing that can happen then that they leave this world and enter the presence of God.  The Bible says to be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8) Once we’re with the Lord there is no longer any possibility of pain, sorrow, heartache, or affliction.  Heaven is a place of perfection and eternal joy which is only experienced by those who know Christ as Lord of their life.

Will you go to heaven when you die?  The Bible teaches that all people are sinners by nature and that they must be changed by God into new creatures who love and follow Christ.  When God’s Spirit touches a sinner’s heart bringing conviction and change, that sinner will turn from their life of sin and follow Christ as Lord for the rest of their days.  Has this happened to you?  Plead with the Lord to grant you mercy and begin the experience of following Christ.  You’ll still face many trials, but take heart, the Lord will deliver you from them all.  Sometimes He will do it by preserving your life.  Other times He’ll do something even greater.  He’ll take your life and bring you safely to His eternal kingdom.

 

Righteous Men, Worthy Women, & Bad News

Nobody likes bad news.  Sometimes bad news is minor.  Other times, it’s catastrophic and life changing.  Everyone tries various ways to deal with it, but only the righteous really have the capacity to endure the initial blow and then victoriously persevere through the aftermath.

The Psalmist wrote of a righteous man saying:  “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.” (Psalm 112:7 ESV)  The righteous have a firm, or “established” heart because their trust is in the Lord.  In other words, the righteous know that whatever may befall them cannot befall them unless God allows, and even ordains it.  The righteous know that God is sovereign over all things and is in control of their life.  Whatever happens is in accordance with God’s purposes and they trust that God knows best.

Incidentally, the Bible says a similar thing about a “worthy woman.”  In Proverbs 31 it says of a worthy woman that “strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.” (Proverbs 31:25 NASB)  You might wonder how she can smile at a future so full of uncertainty.  It’s because she knows that God is in control of it.  Just like the “righteous man” the “worthy woman” has a heart that is steadfastly trusting in the Lord whom she loves and follows.

So regardless of your gender, you can be righteous and endure suffering and uncertainties with the calm assurance that God is in control.  But this can only be done by having a relationship with Christ as Lord.  In fact this is the only way one can become “righteous.”  The Bible teaches that all are sinners by nature and deserving of God’s wrath.  But Christ came and lived a perfect life, dying a sacrificial death for all those who would repent and place their faith in Him as Lord.  Have you done that?  If so, you can “smile at the future” because eternal Heaven is in it for you.  And you can have a firm heart that trusts in the Lord and not be afraid of bad news.

Righteous men and worthy women are few and far between these days.  Make a commitment to be different than the world.  Be righteous.  Be worthy.  Be an imitator of Jesus Christ.  And smile at your future, with a heart that firmly trusts in the Lord.

Two Sons Crucified

Most parents have dreams for their children.  We want them to live a good life, have a family, make an honest living, and most importantly know the Lord.  If you could look into the future and see your children would die a violent death, certainly it would be upsetting.  Yet what if that death was one of martyrdom?  What if they were killed for being committed to Jesus Christ?

            There was once a man named John who had not one, but two sons crucified for being Christians.  This “John” is probably the least known in the Bible.  He wasn’t John the Baptist.  Nor was he John the Apostle.  He was John, the father of two fisherman brothers, named Peter and Andrew. (see Mark 1:16)

            Certainly the most significant death in world history was the death of Jesus Christ.  His crucifixion paid the eternal price for all those who would turn to him in repentance and faith.  When we turn to Christ our lives are eternally changed for the good; but our suffering in this sinful world often increases.  Jesus promised that all those who followed him would suffer persecution to some extent.  Not surprisingly many of his followers in the New Testament church suffered violent deaths for their faith in him.

            Jesus made a reference to how Peter would die when he told him:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.’  Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.” (John 21:18-19 NASB) 

Peter would eventually be crucified.  Though church tradition says he requested to be crucified upside down because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same manner as Christ.  Likewise, church tradition says that Andrew was also eventually crucified on an “X” shaped cross.

The world would look at John’s sons as losers, executed by the government as religious zealots.  Yet in reality, what greater honor could there be than to be so known for your love for Jesus that the world kills you for it?  John’s boys loved Jesus.  They followed Jesus.  They died like Jesus.  And today they live eternally with Jesus.  Will the same be true of you?

            As sinners we are born as enemies of God.  The only way to know him and be reconciled is through God’s son Jesus Christ.  We must turn from our sin in repentant faith and follow Christ forever.  This will mean suffering.  It might mean martyrdom.  But it also means eternal life.  So fear not.  Your days on earth might very well end as John’s sons did.  But your time in Heaven, in the presence of Christ, shall never end.  Your suffering will be over, and your joy will be complete.

           

Sunday Morning Christians

Are you a “Sunday morning Christian?”  A “Sunday morning Christian” is someone who goes to church and puts on a show every Sunday morning, then goes out and lives much differently the rest of the week.  Every town has them.  Every church encounters them.  And deep down, every church attender knows if they are one.

            In Jesus’ day he dealt with a group of people very similar to “Sunday morning Christians” who were called Pharisees.  He said they were “white washed tombs” who looked good on the outside but were inwardly rotten.  He frequently called them hypocrites for trying to look righteous in front of people, but actually being wicked in their hearts.  So what might Jesus say of you?

            Is the Christian character that you show on Sunday morning the same character that you exhibit Monday thru Saturday?  Would your friends at church be shocked to hear how you talk at work or school?  Would your friends at work or school be shocked to hear that you claim to be a Christian?  And most importantly, what would God, who knows all and sees all, say of you?

            You see, the sad reality of “Sunday morning Christians” is that they are not really Christians at all.  Phony Christians who specialize in Sunday morning charades are very similar to the Pharisees that Jesus condemned, and to the false prophets that Jesus spoke of in his day saying:  “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:18-20 (NASB)

            Another common trait of “Sunday morning Christians” is that when confronted with an article like this one, they immediately grow defensive and begin to point the finger at others, rather than examining themselves.  I ask you to avoid doing this.  And in all honesty before God, examine your life, test your heart, and truthfully ask yourself if you are a “Sunday morning Christian.”  If so, there is hope.  Some “Sunday morning Christians” have been changed by God’s grace into genuine Christians.  They’ve repented and placed their faith in Christ and now follow Him every day, including Sunday.  But there are others who have gone to the grave living the lie.  Today they are in Hell, and all hope is forever gone.  May this never be said of you.  If you’re a phony Christian, repent before it’s too late.  You might fool your friends at church.  You might fool your pastor.  But rest assured, you’ll never fool God.

           

Seeing With Your Ears?

Even children know what eyes and ears are used for.  Eyes are for seeing and ears are for hearing.  But recently I heard an interesting statement by Sinclair Ferguson , Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC, regarding how Christians are to live in the world.  The statement is this:  “Don’t see the world with your eyes, but rather see the world with your ears.”

            What is meant by this is that we don’t simply make our observations about the world’s behavior by what our seeing eyes tell us.  We make conclusions about the world’s behavior by what our God has told us in His Word.  Our lives are governed not only by what we see, but by what we hear.  We can see sinful behavior with our eyes, but we must remember what we’ve heard from God’s Word regarding right and wrong…and make our decisions in life accordingly.  In this way, we “see” the world through what we’ve heard from God with our ears.

            The world in which we live is a very sinful place.  Much confusion exists in our day about what is right and what is wrong.  Yet the Bible speaks clearly on matters of morality.  According to God, right and wrong are not up for debate, nor a vote of the people.  And the wise person will “see with his ears” and adhere to what God says is right and wrong.

            The deeper question is “do you have ears to hear?”  This was a statement Jesus frequently used in Scripture: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  (Mark 4:9; Luke 14:35; Revelation 2:29) Most people simply ignore what the Lord says in His word.  They don’t have “ears to hear.”  But by God’s grace, we can be granted a new life in which we turn from sin and submit to Jesus Christ as Lord.  Though by nature you are a vile sinner, God has the power to give you “ears to hear” and then you can use those same new “spiritual ears” to see and make decisions in this life that honor and glorify God.

            So where do you stand today in relation to God?  Are you living your life for His glory?  Or are you letting your sinful eyes lead you into greater and greater depths of depravity?  Has the Lord given you “ears to hear” or for that matter has he given you “ears to see”?  Apart from a life of submission to God and His word; you will be constantly confused and frequently led astray by a cursed world that does not seek your good.  Turn to Christ today and be saved.  Ask God to forgive you and grant you a brand new life.  Then live each day, trusting what you’ve heard with your ears from God’s Word; applying it to what you see with your eyes, and thus learn the fine art of “seeing with your ears.”

 

Beware When All Speak Well of You

You might think that it’s a good thing for people to speak well of you.  In many cases it is; but not in all cases.  Christians are called to be kind, gracious, loving, and patient people.  They are also called to live lives of holiness and undying devotion to their Lord Jesus Christ.  They are called to imitate Him and to tell others about the forgiveness available to all who repent of their sin and submit to Christ as Lord.  Living such a life will endear you to some people, but it will elicit hatred from others.  Some will speak well of you…others will not.

            Jesus warned, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26 NASB)  Don’t misunderstand what Jesus is saying.  As Christians we are not to go looking for trouble.  But rest assured, if you truly follow Christ and imitate Him in this sinful world; trouble will find you.  At times, this world will have serious problems with those who proclaim that salvation is only found in Jesus Christ.  At times, people will be offended when Christians say that all are sinners in need of forgiveness.  Even when a Christian speaks in a gracious manner, he or she will at times be maligned.  That’s simply the way of the world.  At least it’s the way of this fallen and depraved world.  Following Christ will at times lead to you being ridiculed and even persecuted.  But if the happens, Jesus has something to say to you as well.  “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23 NASB)

            In the greatest of ironies Jesus tells us that in days of old, the false prophets were praised while the true prophets were scorned.  The same holds true today.  So who will you imitate?  If you’re like Christ and the true prophets…expect trouble in this life.  If you’re like Satan and the false prophets, many may speak well of you.  But as you ponder this, remember the eternal realties of both paths.  Following Christ leads to eternal life in Heaven, following Satan and the world leads to eternal condemnation in Hell.

            So how are you living today?  Is everyone speaking well of you?  Beware! That might not be a good thing.  Are you ridiculed for following Christ?  Rejoice! Your reward in Heaven is great.

The Friendship & Lordship of Christ

When a person stops to truly think about God becoming a man, it can be overwhelming.  Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity came to earth as a man, living a perfect life on behalf of sinful people like you and I.  John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory.”  What a fascinating concept to consider.

            Also fascinating is the notion that Jesus, who is God in the flesh, would be willing to call us “friend.”  Indeed, in the gospel of John, Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14 NASB) While most people love the first part of the verse; most also seem to overlook the second part.  We’re dazzled that Christ would call us friend.  But are we equally excited to ascribe to Him absolute lordship over our lives?  This is what being a friend of Christ is all about.

            We have friendship with him, but not at the expense of his lordship over us.  I suspect that if you tried to start a friendship under such circumstances, you wouldn’t make many friends.  “I’ll be your friend if you do whatever I command you” wouldn’t fly with most people.  Nor should it.  But Jesus isn’t like most people.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

            So be aware that when Jesus calls his followers “friend” he is not saying that you are his buddy, pal, or chum.  He is not saying that you are his equal.  He’s speaking in terms of intimacy.  He’s talking about the closeness you can have with him.  But he is still your Lord and Master.  And if you don’t want him as Lord and Master, then neither will he be your friend or savior either.  His friendship goes hand-in-hand with His lordship.  Let his words ring loudly in your ears and let them sink deeply into your heart:  “You are My friends if you do what I command you.”

Joyful Persecution

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23)

In the Bible, Jesus warns his followers that there will be a price paid for following him.  When we suffer for being Christians, our typical reaction is surprise.  Yet when we examine the life of our Lord we should not be surprised at all.  He was persecuted.  He was mocked.  In fact he was killed.

            The Apostles and early Christians who followed Christ were likewise often persecuted, mocked, and many were killed.  So what has changed in our day?  Very little if you look at Christianity worldwide.  Although persecution in America may not be at a fever pitch right now, it is in other countries.  It’s been said that the 20^th century produced more Christian martyrs than all previous centuries combined.  Christians are killed every day, just for being Christians.  Christians are persecuted.  Christians are mocked, just for being Christians.  Have you faced any persecution lately?  Or perhaps and better question would be: does anyone around you even know you’re a Christian?  Do you speak of Christ?  Do you act like Christ?  Are you actively seeking to follow Christ with your life?  If so, then there will be times at which you will suffer at the hands of others because of it.  The persecution may be mild in comparison to others, but it will be there nonetheless. 

And when it comes, don’t be sad.  In fact, Jesus says to rejoice because your reward is great.  What better situation could there be than to realize someone hates you…because you love Jesus.

If Christ is not Lord of your life, I encourage you to turn from your sin and place your faith in him today.  Don’t fear persecution.  In fact you can embrace it.  But only if Christ is truly Lord of your life and the Holy Spirit indwells you giving you the daily strength to follow your Lord and suffer for his Name’s sake.

Why People SHOULD Hate You

It’s interesting to note how Jesus so often turned the world’s thinking on its head.  One might think that if everyone liked them that means they’re good.  Likewise, you might assume if people were constantly criticizing someone that person might be bad.  Yet this is not always the case.  In fact if you’re following Christ this most certainly won’t be the case.

    Jesus said:  “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23 ESV)  Take note, that it’s not that people hate you for no reason.  It’s that they hate you on “account of the Son of Man.”  In other words they hate you because of your association with Christ; that you should rejoice. 

Let’s face reality.  In Jesus’ day, he was hated.  In fact he was hated so much that he was murdered by those who hated him.  He was a threat to their way of life; and he declared without exception that no one would enter Heaven apart from a relationship with Him.  The world doesn’t want to hear that.  But the world desperately needs to hear that.  And if you tell them, you will be hated.  Are you willing to be hated for the cause of Christ?

    Maybe you would rather everyone speak well of you.  If so, Jesus has words for you also.  In the same book he says:  “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” (Luke 9:25 ESV)  Do you see the irony?  The world speaks well of false prophets who tell them what they want to hear.  And world despises true prophets who tell them what they need to hear.  Which group would you rather fall into?  You can be loved by the world and loathed by God.  Or you can be loathed by the world and loved by God.

    Like most complicated matters, its boils down to a very simple truth.  You are either with Jesus, or you are with the world; because ultimately, you can’t have both.  Let the words of Christ ring in your ears and consider carefully which side you will take:  “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his soul?” (Luke 9:23)

Will You Suffer For Christ?

Are you willing to suffer shame for the cause of Christ?  It’s a question that most Christians might like to immediately answer yes.  Yet their actions show that deep down the answer might be no.  Are you willing to die for the cause of Christ?  Again, you might want to say yes; but fear might cause you to say no.

    In one sense, it’s good if we hesitate before answering the question.  In our pride we might proclaim our adoration of Christ, and then crumble when tests of faith come our way.  Peter boldly claimed he was willing to die with Christ.  Then a few hours later his fears got the better of him and he denied that he even knew him. (see Luke 22:31-62)

    But Peter was a much different man in Acts 5.  By then he had been humbled.  By then he was walking in the Spirit.  By then he really was willing to die.  Before he was all talk.  Now he was action.  Having been flogged for proclaiming the gospel; the book of Acts tells us the Apostles rejoiced.  “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (Acts 5:41 NASB)

I must admit that this passage is convicting.  How often do we consider it a badge of honor to suffer for the name of Christ?  How often are willing to risk our reputation for the sake of the name of Christ?  How often, in all honesty, would we be willing to die for the name of Christ?  Such courage can only be attained by a deep relationship with God the Father, through Jesus the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Do you have such a relationship?

    Jesus said “no one comes to the Father, except by me.” (John 14:6)  Have you repented from your sin and placed your faith in Christ as Lord?  If so, are you walking with him daily?  And lastly……are you suffering for the sake of his name?  If not, then something might be missing in your life.  Believe it or not, Christians are supposed to suffer in this sinful world that is not their home.  Yet because of Christ, even in the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because we are counted as worthy to suffer for his name.