"The Narrow Road": Blogs By Shane Kastler

The Lordship of Christ

(Note: This article is scheduled to appear in the July 1 edition of the Linn County News.)

What does Jesus Christ mean to you? Some see him as a good example of pious living. Others see him as a religious leader that founded Christianity. Still others see him as a misunderstood “do-gooder” who was wrongly accused and executed.

While there may be an element of truth in all of the above, Jesus is much more than these. Jesus was God, “who became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). As the second member of the Trinity, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), Jesus came to earth and lived a sinless life, thus fulfilling the Father’s law to perfection. As if that’s not amazing enough, God credits Jesus’ perfect life to sinners who repent and place their faith in Him as Lord. Sinners, who are worthy of death and damnation, can receive forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ. But what about our sin? What happens to that?

God doesn’t simply forget about our sin. By his grace, through Jesus Christ, God pays for our sin upon the cross. It was while Jesus hung upon the cross that God the Father poured his righteous wrath out upon His very own Son, who stood in our place. God’s justice demanded a payment, and God’s grace made Him pour out the punishment on Himself.

The question for you is this: Are you a partaker of this amazing gift? Believing in the existence of God doesn’t make you a partaker in His salvation. Nor does simply having an intellectual agreement with the gospel. Jesus said: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 KJV) A change of heart, mind, and direction is required. We are called to turn from our sin in repentance and place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord over our life. Jesus must become more than simply a nice guy from the New Testament. He must become our “all in all.” He must become our Supreme Lord. He must become our Master. Are you willing to submit to Him as Lord? If so, eternal life can be yours. If not, eternal Hell will be yours. Regardless of whether you like it or not….that’s the reality of the matter. The question remains….what will you do with Jesus?

Lessons From The Prodigal Son

(NOTE: This article is scheduled to appear in the April 29, 2009 edition of the Linn County News.)

In Luke 15, Jesus told a story about two brothers who lived radically different lives. One brother took his inheritance; went out into the world and squandered everything he had. He blew his money with wild living, and eventually found himself so hungry and destitute that the only job he could find was slopping hogs. And he was jealous of the food the pigs were getting.

The other brother stayed on the farm and worked hard helping his dad everyday. He lived a clean life and did what he was told to do. Eventually the younger brother came to his senses and returned home begging his Father’s forgiveness. He offers to go back to work as a hired hand, rather than enjoy the privilege of being a son. But the Father was overjoyed that his wayward son had returned and he had a feast to celebrate his lost son’s returning.

Ironically, the older brother didn’t share his Father’s joy. He was angry that such a fuss was made over the wicked son who had turned good. His pride wouldn’t let him rejoice in his brother’s new life. And his selfishness made him jealous of the gifts bestowed upon the younger brother.

All Christians should be able to see themselves in the younger brother. When you first become a Christian you are so happy at being forgiven and eternally saved. But sometimes, after you’ve been a Christian for a while, you may be in danger of becoming more like the older brother. What is your reaction to the wicked being saved? Do you rejoice because of the change in their life and thank God for showing them grace? Or do you quietly grumble about them because you don’t want them around?

The older brother had some good qualities, but he was so prideful that the good qualities were overshadowed by his self-righteousness and arrogance. The younger brother was originally very sinful, but was humbled to the point of brokenness and repentance. We shouldn’t try to emulate his sins, but we should be humble enough to realize our own sinfulness. Then we should turn to Jesus in repentance and faith and walk in the newness of life that was found by the younger brother. Pride kills. But humble repentance and faith in Christ saves. So kill the pride before the pride kills you. And trust in Jesus before it’s too late.

When The Devil Got Saved: The Christian Conversion of Nathan Bedford Forrest

(Note:  The following isn't really a "blog" its more of a "paper" that I wrote on the conversion of Civil War General Nathan Bedford Forrest.  It's pretty long, but its a very inspiring and true story of how God can change any sinner. I hope you enjoy it.  --Shane Kastler)

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When The Devil Got Saved: The Christian Conversion of Nathan Bedford Forrest

By Shane E. Kastler

Nathan Bedford Forrest was not a man that Samuel Montgomery wanted his niece to marry. In the early 1840’s when this young Tennessean appeared in Hernando, Mississippi to court Mary Ann Montgomery, her Uncle Sam tried to discourage him. Mary Ann’s father had died and Samuel, a Presbyterian minister, was her closest male guardian, and no Christian would have wanted their loved one mixed up with Bedford Forrest. “Nathan, you don’t want to marry Mary Ann. She’s a sweet Christian girl and you curse and gamble.” Nathan replied, “I know she’s a sweet, Christian girl…that’s why I want to marry her.” A “Christian” Forrest was not, but a protective and chivalrous man, he could be.

Mary Ann and her mother were on their way home one day when they got their horse and wagon stuck in a creek. While two young men sat laughing at them on the creek bank, another young man rode up into the creek on his horse, dismounted, carried the ladies to safety, and then pushed their wagon out of the creek. He then walked over to the young “no goods” and told them to stop laughing and move on or he would give them both a thrashing. They fled, and the “good Samaritan” went back and introduced himself to the damsels in distress. His name was Nathan Bedford Forrest, and he desperately wanted to see Mary Ann again.

The next week, Forrest rode out to the Montgomery place and began his quest to win the hand of Mary Ann. He promised her family that they would never have to worry about her safety because he would take good care of her. Six weeks later they were married and living their life in Mississippi.

Forrest must have seemed an odd match for the angelic Mary Ann Montgomery. Though raised by a Christian mother, Nathan was anything but a Christian himself. His father had died when he was 17, thus making him the “man of house” with a mother and ten younger siblings to care for. But Nathan arose to the challenge. He ran the family farm with a keen eye and a firm hand, and protected his family honorably. Life on the Tennessee frontier was rough and dangerous, proven by the fact that one day Nathan’s mother came home covered in blood having been attacked by a cougar. Nathan grabbed his gun and whistled at his two hunting dogs and off they went. He tracked and stalked the cougar until his dogs had it treed…..then waited until morning to get a clean shot. He cut off its ears and gave them to “Momma” as a trophy.

When Nathan was a teenager, he killed his first man. He was staying with his 65-year-old uncle when the four Matlock brothers, who were owed money by the elder Forrest, came calling. When they attacked, so did sixteen-year-old Nathan. He shot two of the brothers with a pistol, and stabbed the other two with a knife that was thrown to him by a witness during the brawl. Four Matlock brothers walked into the room that day to fight it out with “Old Man Forrest.” Three of them never walked back out, and one survived to tell the story. Even as a teenager, Nathan Bedford Forrest was not a man to be trifled with.

Nathan went on to become a very successful and wealthy businessman. Though uneducated and “backwoods” by nature, he was a skilled entrepreneur, albeit in an immoral trade. He made his fortune as a slave trader and as a plantation owner, and by the time the Civil War began in 1861, he was worth 1.5 million dollars, an astronomical figure, when considered by today’s standards. When his home state of Tennessee and his adopted home state of Mississippi both seceded from the Union, Nathan understandably sided with them. He enlisted along with his younger brother and his 15-year-old son Willie; and was made a Private in the Cavalry. By war’s end he would be a Lieutenant General, the only man to go from Private to Lieutenant General during the Civil War.

In 1861, Forrest was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given the charge to raise a Cavalry regiment. He did so and soon garnered a reputation as the most skilled Cavalry man the Civil War would produce. Though completely untrained in military tactics, his natural instincts were uncanny, and he was an absolute nightmare to the Union destroying railroads, communications lines, and supply lines. William Tecumseh Sherman declared that Tennessee would never be safe as long as “that devil Forrest” was a live and that they had to kill him “even if it takes 10,000 men and bankrupts the Federal treasury.” Fierce in battle, Forrest would kill 31 men in hand to hand combat, and have 30 horses shot out from under him during the course of the war. He rightly joked that he ended up “one horse ahead” by war’s end. It was said that Ulysses S. Grant claimed to fear no man on earth….except Nathan Bedford Forrest. Once in a fierce battle, while encircled by Union troops, Forrest began running straight for a Union supply wagon, which he then jumped and escaped capture. Another time he was personally fighting four Union soldiers at one time, all of them intent on making their name famous for “killing Forest.” He whipped them all, and yet again managed to escape.

Forrest employed many clever tactics throughout the war. When traveling with his Cavalry, he would determine where the Union spies were observing his men, then he would have his men peel off, backtrack, and ride again in circles past the observation point, thus giving the appearance of having thousands of men, when in fact he had mere hundreds. Then he would send a rider under a flag of truce and tell the Union troops that they were hopelessly outnumbered and must surrender or face the sword. By doing so, he captured scores of Union troops without firing a shot. But eventually his bluff was called and the results were dreadful and controversial, both then and now. At a location on the Mississippi River called Fort Pillow, Forrest ordered a Union regiment to surrender with the promise of honorable treatment as prisoners of war, or to be attacked and likely killed. The Union commander at the time was Major William Bradford, who was a “Tennessee Yankee” from Bedford County, ironically the county of Forrest’s birth, and the county from which he got his middle name. Bradford was seen as a traitor to many of his fellow Tennesseans, and was certainly not a man Forrest respected. Undoubtedly Forrest’s legendary temper played a part as he ordered the Fort charged having concluded the bloodshed was to be laid at the feet of Bradford, a traitor who refused to surrender against overwhelming numbers.

What happened next is disputed and fuzzy. Clearly in the heat of battle there were surrendering soldiers wrongly shot on sight. Fort Pillow being made up of white soldiers seen as traitors, along with 300 black soldiers didn’t gain a lot of sympathy from Forrest’s men. It was called a massacre, and in many ways it appeared to be. Forrest arrived in the Fort twenty minutes after it was overtaken by Confederates and immediately rode his horse between the two sides with saber and pistol drawn ordering a cease-fire. But the damage was done. Forrest would forever be remembered as the man who ordered the massacre of Fort Pillow, though a Congressional hearing by the Union army would eventually find him personally innocent of wrong doing. He was hated and feared that much more by the Northern people.

The war would rage on for another year with Forrest’s army trying to distract Sherman in his march to Georgia and the sea. Eventually it became clear that the cause was lost, and after both Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston surrendered Forrest saw the handwriting on the wall. Forrest told his men, “any man who is in favor of a further prosecution of this war is a fit subject for a lunatic asylum.” Forrest surrendered, and went to be reunited with his wife in Tennessee.

Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was worth 1.5 million dollars in 1861, was now broke. The only money to be found was $10 that his dutiful wife had saved for a rainy day. Forrest sought to take the money to a poker game and increase it, but his wife begged him not to stating that it would be immoral and a sin against God. He asked his wife if she would consent to pray for him as he played poker, so that their money might increase. She refused, but Forrest went to the poker game anyway. That night he returned with $1500, though his wife was unimpressed.

Forrest’s post-war life further soiled his reputation. As Reconstruction commenced in the South, many Southerners resentfully fought against the Northern “carpet baggers” who came down, collected government contracts worth millions, then did little to fulfill obligations. Tensions were high between Northerners, Southerners, and many freed slaves. In 1867 a group of white men in Pulaski, Tennessee formed a group that was meant to be a “protective” squad for Southerners that they dubbed the Ku Klux Klan. A year and a half later, Forrest became a member and was promptly elected as their first “Grand Wizard” thus forever cementing his reputation as the epitome of Southern racism. In 1868, after Tennessee’s pro-Union Governor William Brownlow was defeated at the polls, Forrest resigned from the Klan and urged their disbanding saying their purposes had been fulfilled. His urgings were ignored and the Klan set off on a violent streak of atrocities that would cause them to live forever in infamy. They would eventually disband, only to be re-chartered in 1915 with an even more violent and racist agenda. But the story of Nathan Bedford Forrest doesn’t end with the Civil War, Fort Pillow, or the KKK. As Paul Harvey would say…. “Have you heard the REST of the story?”

Nathan Bedford Forrest had been raised by a godly Mother to be a man of hard work and honor. Though he did not adopt his Mother’s faith, he held a reverence for Christians throughout his life. Chapel services were encouraged in his army, and General Forrest frequently attended. And though Forrest was famous for his profanity when in the midst of a tirade, his speech was relatively clean when he was calm, and he abhorred “smutty or vulgar talk” as being disrespectful towards women. Forrest never drank alcohol, nor used tobacco in any form. And he was absolutely devoted to his wife Mary Ann, declaring on many occasions that it was because of the prayers of his wife and mother that he had lived through so many fierce battles. When enraged, it was said that Forrest’s face would glow so bright red that he appeared to be a different person. Yet it was also said that his Godly wife could calm him down with only a word. He forever adored, respected, and revered her.

As Fort Donelson was falling to U.S. Grant in 1864, Forrest called his second in command, a former Methodist minister named Major D.C. Kelly to his side and implored him, “For God’s sake Parson, Pray! Only God Almighty could save that Fort now.” And as the war, and his eventual capture and death seemed likely, Forrest wrote a letter to his only son Willie imploring him to take good care of his mother and to be careful not to emulate his sinful and wicked ways. Forrest was glad to have Christians in his family, but he confessed that he considered Christianity to be “a woman’s religion.” But all of that changed in the mid 1870’s.

Though Forrest was only in his 50’s, a lifetime of hard living and battle were beginning to take their toll on him. He began attending church with his beloved wife at the Court Avenue Presbyterian Church in Memphis where the gospel was preached faithfully by Rev. George Stainback. And he began to feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction for a lifetime of sin. One day he ran into an old army buddy who had been under his command named Raleigh White. Forrest exclaimed, “Why, Raleigh White, its you! I heard you’d gone down to South America or somewhere!” White replied that this was not true, but that he had in fact become a Christian, having been led to Christ by his wife after the war. After trying his hand in business, White succumbed to an overwhelming call to preach the gospel of Christ to sinners; and was now a Southern Baptist Pastor living in Texas. Forrest listened to White’s testimony with obvious excitement, and then asked White if he would pray for him. The two veterans went into a bank lobby and knelt together as White prayed for Forrest. Then they parted ways. Another gospel seed had been planted that would soon take permanent root.

In the Fall of 1875, Forrest found himself setting next to his wife listening to Rev. Stainback preach from Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall." (Matthew 7:24-27 NASB)

Forrest’s heart was crushed and his spiritual eyes were opened. After the service he pulled Rev. Stainback aside and as Rev. Stainback later recounted: “Forrest suddenly leaned against the wall and his eyes filled with tears. 'Sir, your sermon has removed the last prop from under me,' he said, 'I am the fool that built on the sand; I am a poor miserable sinner.” Stainback told Forrest to go home and read and meditate on Psalm 51 and see where it led him.

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.” (Psalms 51:1-3 NASB)

The next night, Rev. Stainback went by to visit with Forrest, and they fell to their knees and prayed together. Forrest said that he had put his trust in the Redeemer, and that his heart was finally at peace. The final two years of his life seemed to bear out the truth of his confession. Nathan Bedford Forrest the fierce fighter, gambler, racist, and sinner….was a changed man.

In 1875, Forrest was invited to speak to a black civil rights group called the “Pole-Bearers” Association, a forerunner for today’s NAACP. Though mocked by some white people for appearing, Forrest addressed the black people in love saying, “I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to elevate every man, to depress none. I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going. I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment. Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me through the war, can contradict. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I'll come to your relief. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity you have afforded me to be with you, and to assure you that I am with you in heart and in hand.”

At the end of his speech a young, black girl named Lou Lewis presented General Forrest with a bouquet of flowers as a sign of reconciliation between the two races. Forrest accepted the flowers, then leaned down and gently kissed the girl on the cheek, a public act of reverence and respect that was absolutely unheard of for a white man to do in that day. Indeed, Nathan Bedford Forrest, former Grand Wizard of the KKK, was a new creature in Christ.

Nathan Bedford Forrest died from complications from Diabetes on October 21, 1877, when he was 56 years old. He said on his deathbed that there was “not a cloud that separated him from his beloved Heavenly Father.” The lessons from the life of Nathan Bedford Forrest are legion. His battlefield tactics have been studied by military men the world over, and he has been called by many a strategic genius in the art of war. But his personal and spiritual life give us far greater lessons. He is a clear testimonial example of God’s overwhelming power to change even the hardest of sinners. Though sadly, Forrest today is mostly remembered for his sin.

Many efforts have been made by civil rights leaders to have his name removed from parks and schools all across the South because of his being the epitome of racism. And yet, when the complete story of Nathan Bedford Forrest is known, we see him as being the very example of what we would hope to see from all racial bigots: a transformed and changed life. Though he was once the black man’s enemy, he became one of their dearest friends and defenders. His desire to see black people serving in politics and professional occupations was a clarion call for equality that was way ahead of its time. In fact, this “Southern racist” called for greater civil rights than most Northern abolitionists would have been comfortable with. Forrest had once owned and sold slaves for his business. Now his business was to see that they were treated fairly. It reminds me of another slave-trader turned Christian by the name of John Newton, who wrote a hymn you might have heard of: “Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.”

To hold a grudge against Nathan Bedford Forrest is to deny one of the greatest truths Christ teaches us; that the power of the gospel can change anyone. And that we should ask the Lord to “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12) Nathan Bedford Forrest was a sinner par excellence. So am I. And so are you, if you would be humble enough to admit it. For the Bible teaches us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Nathan Bedford Forrest was despised in his day, as he is in most circles today, though Christians should forgive him just as Christ has forgiven us. Union General William T. Sherman vowed to catch “that devil Forrest.” But Sherman never was able to do it. In the end, it was Jesus Christ who finally caught up with him. And rather than kill him….Jesus changed him and on a glorious and providential day in 1875, the unthinkable and impossible actually happened: “that devil” got saved. Let us hope and pray that the Lord Jesus Christ would save many more “devils” like Nathan Bedford Forrest and transfer them from “the domain of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13)

The Bizarre & Backwards Faith of Jonah

Keeping faith in God is sometimes hard. By “faith” I don’t mean “saving faith.” If you have “saving faith” then your salvation is eternal and that “faith” will never be lost. I’m talking about a different kind of faith. The day-to-day faith that lets your heart rest easy because of your confidence in God’s ability to handle any situation in your life. THAT faith is sometimes hard to keep.

As Christians, we frequently face situations that test our faith. We face trials and we are tempted to doubt that God really knows what He is doing. I know as a Pastor, I sometimes wonder if God is using my words or not. A preacher can proclaim the gospel truth week after week; and yet watch people go out and seemingly ignore everything that was said in the sermon. It can be a struggle for any preacher, unless they constantly remind themselves that God is in control…and He is more than able to change and convict any heart. This is why the Old Testament prophet Jonah is so perplexing.

By all accounts, Jonah was a very gifted man. He was a prophet, who was inspired by God to proclaim the truth. He obviously had a high degree of spiritual knowledge that enabled him to preach. And he had a specific call from God to go to a specific group of people and proclaim repentance. But perhaps, the most amazing thing about Jonah was his faith. And ironically, he had a faith that was so backwards that it actually spurred him on to avoid God’s calling to preach to the people of Nineveh. Unlike most preachers who struggle with doubts about their effectiveness and God’s ability to save; Jonah was the exact opposite…..He KNEW God would save the Ninevites through his preaching…and he deeply resented it.

Of course, we know how the story goes with Jonah. He runs from God’s calling and ends up getting swallowed by a big fish on the high seas who promptly pukes him up on the shores of Nineveh. Concluding that he really has no choice in the matter, he preaches repentance to the Ninevites and they repent en mass. This would seem like any preacher’s dream. Thousands saved because God chose to use you to proclaim His word. Yet Jonah’s response is downright shocking! He’s angry at God for saving the scoundrels.

“But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.’ The LORD said, ‘Do you have good reason to be angry?’” (Jonah 4:1-4 NASB)

Fascinating, isn’t it? Jonah, literally, would rather die than see Nineveh saved. So what’s Jonah’s problem? God has blessed him with gifts out the wazoo….yet Jonah is lacking a vital component for the person of God, and the Apostle Paul can show us Jonah’s problem with crystal clarity. Take it away Paul…

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-2 NASB)

Jonah had it all…except love. Which means Jonah really had nothing. As Paul teaches us, all the gifts in the world are nothing, if the love is not there. We should have a love for God that is Supreme over all things in our life. And that love should spill over into a love for our fellow Christians, and that love should spill over to the lost and perishing. Jonah lacked love.

In fact, God goes on to teach Jonah a very valuable and painful lesson. God causes a tree to grow that will shelter Jonah from the hot sun. Then God takes it away, and points out to Jonah that he’s more concerned over the tree (and his own comfort)than he is the perishing masses of Nineveh. “Then the LORD said, ‘You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight . Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?’” (Jonah 4:10-11 NASB)

All Christians have gifts from God…and all Christians have a calling to share the gospel with the perishing. The question is whether or not you will use those gifts and fulfill that calling as God intends. If you hunker down and force yourself to be a witness you might become a very successful legalist. But if you walk daily with the Lord and cultivate a heart for Him, then your life will not be marked by legalism, it will be marked by love. And as Paul said, without love, “I am nothing.”

So use you God-given gifts to glorify Him, and to be a witness unto the lost. This is God’s will…..and this is love. The same kind of love that God has shown towards us.

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)

Prophesy To The Corpses: A Lesson In Trusting the God of The Impossible From Ezekiel 37

I love reading the Old Testament prophets.  Not only is it spiritually edifying, but it can also be very entertaining.  God often forced the prophets to do some really strange things to symbolically speak to the people.  But make no mistake, the prophets spoke the true word of God, regardless of whether or not God’s chosen people, or the world at large listened.  The same should be true of preachers…and in fact all Christians, today.

            We are called to proclaim a message that seems very strange to many modern people.  Just like the prophets of old, we will be construed as fanatic, extremist, and narrow minded.  The world brags of how “open and affirming” they are.  But we know from Scripture that the “open and affirming” road (otherwise know as the ‘wide road’) leads to Hell.  Modern man will angrily reject such sentiments, because they want to enjoy their sin…and then gain eternal life to boot.  That simply isn’t how it works.  According to Jesus, “you must be born again.” (John 3:3) 

            The reason modern man is so messed up is because his ancient fathers were messed up.  The problem is sin, and all people are born into a state of the most dreaded curse.  We are “hard wired” sinners, who are bent that way from the womb….and no thing, nor any person can change that.  The only One who can change us….is the GOD of the Impossible. 

            Ezekiel tells us of an account between God and him, in what is called the “Valley of the Dry Bones.”  God calls Ezekiel to go out and “prophesy unto the dry bones.”  The absurdity of such a suggestion should be obvious.  He was to go the cemetery and preach the gospel to the corpses.  They’re dead.  They’re decomposed.  There’s nothing left but dry bones…..and YET, the GOD of the Impossible has a plan.

            As Ezekiel prophesies, the dry bones begin to come together.  Muscles and tendons appear, flesh appears….and then GOD grants them life.  I’ll let Ezekiel tell you about it:  “Then He said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”  (Ezekiel 37:9-10 NASB)

            Of course, this just doesn’t happen.  Corpses don’t live.  Dead men don’t breathe.  Dry bones don’t live.  UNLESS…the GOD of the Impossible SAYS they do.  And if HE SAYS they do….then all the powers of the Universe cannot prevent their living.  GOD has spoken….LET all the world remain silent before Him.

            The Valley of Dry Bones is symbolic of the Spiritual condition of all people.  We are born into spiritual bondage and death.  Humans are nothing more than walking corpses.  They may be physically living….but SPIRITUALLY…they’re as dead as door nails.  Unless the God of the Impossible changes that.

            “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…But God made you alive...” (Ephesians 2:1 & 5)  If you are eternally saved today….it’s because GOD brought you from Spiritual death to Spiritual life.  You may not realize the extents of His Grace…but you are saved by Grace nonetheless.  Just as you were blessed with “physical air” to breathe.  God has given you “Spiritual air” by the Holy Spirit.  Just as you are born with “physical abilities” God has given you “Spiritual abilities” as well.  Just as you were granted physical LIFE….God has also granted you SPIRITUAL Life.  And though the world doesn’t understand….the spiritual is far greater than the physical because the spiritual will go on for eternity.  The life on earth is destined and guaranteed to end.

            In a physical sense….all people are heading for the Valley of Dry Bones. All will die, and their bodies will decay until that Judgment Day in which Christ calls us forth from the grave.  Yet, in a Spiritual sense, we don’t END in the Valley of Dry Bones, we BEGIN there.  Then God gives us life.

            The God of the Impossible does not change.  The same One who worked dramatic miracles in the Bible, still works today in any way He so chooses.  Do you have faith in the GOD of the Impossible?  You might say that you believe in Him…but do you believe in HIS POWER to do the Impossible? Do you believe in His power to change any situation or circumstance you face?  Do you believe in His ability to soften the hardest heart, change the meanest of scoundrels…and save the vilest of sinners?  If not….then you’re not really trusting…in the GOD of the Impossible. 

            When God showed Ezekiel the Valley, God asked him:  “Son of man, can these bones live?”  Ezekiel answered the only way he could have:  “O Lord GOD, You know.” (Ezekiel 37:3)  Death is not the greatest power.  Life is the greatest power.  And only God can give life to the dead.  He can do anything….and He can change anyone.  HE IS (and in the Old Testament He said ‘I AM’)…..the GOD of the Impossible.

Evolution Takes A Hit----“Creation Museum” Opens In Kentucky

May 28th will mark the Grand Opening of a new museum in Petersburg, Kentucky dedicated to the Biblical view of God’s 6-day creation of the earth and all that is in it. The Creation Museum is the brainchild of Dr. Ken Ham, a well known Creationist, who heads up the ministry called Answers In Genesis, which is devoted to teaching a Biblical worldview (contra evolution).

But, if you visit the Creation Museum (located near Cincinnati, Ohio)—don’t expect to see cheap and pathetic exhibits made of cardboard and construction paper. The Museum was a $27 million endeavor, done in part by engineers from Universal Studios in Hollywood. Life size animated dinosaurs can be seen, along with sculptures of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In addition to this the Museum features a “state of the art” theater, equipped with vibrating chairs to the give the Creation account more effect.

But the Creation Museum is more than simply a Christian view of Science….it has an unashamed motive to equip the Christian, and evangelize the Non-Christian. As the Museum’s mission statement says, it exists to: “Exalt Jesus Christ as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer through a safe, wholesome, family-friendly center for learning and discovery that clearly presents major biblical themes from Genesis to Revelation. This center will equip Christians to better evangelize the lost with a sense of urgency, through a combination of exhibits, research and educational presentations that uphold the inerrancy of the Bible. This center will also challenge visitors to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and to accept the authority of the Bible by providing culturally relevant biblical and scientific answers from a biblical worldview.”

It sounds like a noble cause.  So why are so many Scientists and Educators angry about the Museum? Eugenie Scott, the executive director of the National Center for Science Education told ABC News that kids will “Show up in classrooms and say, 'Gee, Mrs. Brown, I went to this spiffy museum last summer and they say that everything you're teaching me is a lie." When told of the quote, Ken Ham’s response was: “I say, great. Amen. That's what this place is all about, it’s meant to challenge people.”

And herein lies a crucial point I would like to expose. Science Educators are aghast that the validity of their flawed theory might be questioned by a student. Yet Christians are supposed to cower and bow the knee to Atheistic Scientists who mock everything they stand for and believe in. The double standard is shocking, absurd, and of course completely predictable coming from a secular and Godless scientific community. I find it interesting that Science professors (as well as other College professors) take our kids and attempt to debunk everything they believe about God, and claim they are simply challenging the kids to “broaden their horizons” by looking at (and accepting) other viewpoints. Yet, if a Christian parent, Pastor, or Church attempts to teach OUR OWN KIDS of the genuine flaws inherent in the THEORY of evolution, we are accused of brain washing, indoctrinating, and thwarting their education. Why aren’t we allowed to “broaden their horizons” beyond the Science lab? The answer lies in the fact that evolution isn’t really just a school subject. At its core, it's a religious, philosophical, and atheistic worldview that champions "chance and natural selection" over God as the Creator of our world. Not to mention the fact that evolution is rejected, even by many “secular” Scientists. It’s flawed, and it’s unbiblical. Pure and simple.

I also find it interesting that the Scientific Community would attack the Museum because it was so professionally built. Again I quote ABC News: “Mainstream scientists worry that because this museum is so sophisticated it will be more effective at giving children a distorted view of science.” Of course we see the implication here. Biblical Christians are supposed to be backwoods rednecks, who live in log cabins, eat possums, marry their cousins, and cling to their Bibles. HOW DARE a group of Christians raise money and build a museum that is both “sophisticated” and “Biblical” in its approach. Why if we’re not careful we’re liable to……influence our own children. We’re liable to even teach them Divine Truth. We may even (Heaven forbid)…..encourage them to believe (dare I say it) …believe in ……GOD.  AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! Science teachers all over America will begin to run and scream and cover their ears! Kids are going to a Museum in Kentucky and coming away believing in GOD! The next thing you know they might even “bow the knee” to Jesus Christ….rather than Charles Darwin. They might trust their Bible more than a textbook. And, when it's all said and done, they might submit to the authority of GOD......over Science. Rest assured, the American Educational establishment won’t accept that reality…without a fight.

According to the latest survey, 60 percent of Americans believe GOD created the world in 6 days. Like it or not, the Scientists are outnumbered. Though right now, they have most of the power in our Nation’s corrupt educational system. Go to a public university and try to find a Science professor who believes in Creationism (you’re more likely to find a talking unicorn). And even if you manage to find a Creationist Professor….they won’t be allowed to teach it. Paganism rules the roost, and everyone (Christians included) are expected to “toe the line” and accept lunacy as reality, and theories as fact.

I say “kudos” to Ken Ham for having the courage to go against the grain and engage the culture with Biblical truth. I hope the Creation Museum is a roaring success that God uses to change how people think, then change how they believe, then change how they live….by changing WHO they worship.

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“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them.” (Exodus 20:11 NASB)

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“All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (John 1:3 NASB)

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“At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11 NASB)

Spiritual Lessons From Greensburg, Kansas & My Annoyance With Governor Sebelius’ Reaction To The Tragedy

(NOTE: The first section of this blog will be published in a future edition of the Linn County News as a Seeking Higher Ground article. The remainder of the blog is “extra” for readers on the internet.)

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A couple of months ago I had to take a trip to Garden City, Kansas, and at one point, I needed to stop and take a break. A cup of coffee and a tank of gas beckoned, so I looked for a nice place to pull off. About that time, I entered a town I’d never been to before, called Greensburg, Kansas.

I remembered a couple of things about Greensburg. The convenience store clerk had a 9-year-old daughter that was quite chatty. The little girl and I visited while I was getting my coffee, and she was helping her mom “run the store.” Like most small towns in Kansas, the people said hi, and waved when you met them on the street. As I drove through Greensburg I kept thinking about how much that town (and many others I drove through) reminded me of Pleasanton, Mound City, or La Cygne. The Main Streets looked similar. The people were friendly. And the populations were about the same as many towns around here. At the time, I never would have guessed that a couple of short months later, Greensburg, Kansas would be the lead story on the National news.

The town I drove through no longer exists. A massive tornado leveled everything, including the gas station I stopped at. But, I believe there are some spiritual lessons to be learned. First, be ready when your time comes. The book of James says: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.” (James 4:13-14 NAS) What a sober reminder this tragedy is of the fragility of life. Decades of small town history and memories, destroyed in a matter of seconds. And yet, if that tornado touches down 277 miles to the east, Pleasanton is gone.

Every day on earth is a gift from God. What are you doing with those gifts? Are you glorifying God by following Jesus with your life? He came and died on the cross, so that we might be saved. By repenting of our sins and following Him as Lord, we’re given a brand new life…on Earth and in Heaven. I’m not trying to scare you, but I do want to give everyone a reality check. Death will come to all of us. We live in Kansas, and tornados happen. Accidents happen. Heart attacks and strokes happen. Life happens, and death happens. It will happen to you. Your life could end today, tomorrow, or next week. It may be expected, or it may be a surprise. If the next F-5 tornado comes to your town…and your number is called….where will you find yourself spending eternity? Come to Christ today. Tomorrow might be one day too late.

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Another question that kind of haunts me is: What became of the little girl and her mom who worked in the store I went to? Are they alive? Are they OK? Are they Christians? It’s one of those situations where I would have perhaps tried to say more if I had known that the town would be demolished in a couple of months. As I’ve thought about it I’ve come to this conclusion. I’m going to try to do a better job of carrying tracts to hand out and leave with people that I don’t have opportunity or time to visit in depth with. When I went to the gas station in Greensburg, it was late at night, they were getting ready to close, and I was exhausted, as were they. Clearly there wasn’t an “open door” to share the gospel. I joked around a little bit with the girl, but if I had tried to “break the ice” with a little bit of humor with the mom, I’m afraid it might have come across as flirtatious. And Lord knows, I didn’t need to be misunderstood in that way. There was no clear chance to share the gospel…BUT, if I could have paid for my coffee and simply left a little tract for her to read, my conscious would feel much clearer. The problem is finding tracts that are solidly Biblical, rather than overly simplistic. They’re sometimes hard to find, but they are out there. I’ve also decided to make my own tracts that explain eternal issues in simple language (at least I hope). I’ll also print some web addresses on the back so people can get more information if the Spirit so leads them.

Incidentally, tracts can be a good thing to leave at restaurants with your “tip.” Although, if you plan to do this I encourage you to be the friendliest (and least complaining) patron the waitress has ever seen. Then leave them a decent tip. Unfortunately, a dime and a tract from a rude customer might do more damage to the Kingdom than good. Just something to keep in mind.

One last thought I have on Greensburg….and it’s a “political” critique. I was appalled that Governor Kathleen Sebelius thought this tragedy would be a good time to criticize the war in Iraq. She made the statement that our state is “missing” many of our National Guardsmen, and equipment that could be used in Greensburg this week. I have a NEWS FLASH for the Governor. Those resources aren’t “missing.” We’ve located them….they’re in IRAQ fighting a war to defend the freedom of people like Governor Sebelius to criticize them. Regardless of whether or not you support the war in Iraq, this was the WRONG TIME for Sebelius to climb on a political “soap box.” If she wants to gripe about Iraq, fine…gripe about Iraq. But don’t do it standing in the middle of a tornado ravaged town. It showed poor taste. Though appalled, I wasn’t surprised. Many within the Governor's political party (think “Harry Reid”), frequently stoop to shameless politicizing in order to further their agenda. It’s completely uncalled for.

Contrast the Governor’s move with that of President Bush, who was frequently asked by reporters in the wake of Virginia Tech about the issue of gun control. Bush repeatedly told them that it wasn’t the appropriate time, nor place for such a debate. The priority needed to be on healing, not arguing. I found it interesting that when being goaded into debate, Bush declined. Yet with no encouragement from the press, Sebelius volunteered her complaint. If Bush used the same philosophy, he could have seized the moment to criticize gun control and point out the fact that violent crime has skyrocketed in Washington D.C. since they banned handguns. He also could have pointed out that one student with a concealed weapon could have put an end to this massacre after Cho fired his first shot, rather than his 200^th shot. But Bush chose the high road and refused to enter the political fray while the people involved were in mourning. Sebelius should have done the same. Shame on her. With a devastated town in the background, our Governor stood on Main Street, with camera’s rolling and complained about an unpopular war. No doubt it was bit of kissing up to her party leaders. But I was embarrassed for Kansas and felt particularly bad for the people of Greensburg. It looked like she was simply using their devastated lives and town to further her political cause. Rather than lead as a strong and compassionate Governor. Rather than trying to comfort the suffering citizens, she chose to shamelessly throw gasoline on the fire of an unpopular war and stir up strife in the process. Her implication was clear….George Bush and the Republicans are to blame for Greensburg not being cleaned up quicker because they have “taken” our resources to Iraq. Her remarks were ridiculous, out of line, and uncalled for. She looked like she was pandering to Pelosi, rather than protecting her people.

I met Governor Sebelius when she was in Pleasanton last summer. Her personality seemed very kind and pleasant, and I’m sure she hurts for those in Greensburg. But her comments looked awfully shallow, self serving, and partisan. Not only are our “limited” State resources helping in Greensburg, so are our Federal resources, including FEMA and the military. Not to mention charities and other State’s personnel as well. Some of those involved are rallying together to help Greensburg. Some are whining and drawing political lines. Here’s hoping the first group wins the day and the people of Greensburg will be able to unite and heal, rather than have to tolerate more divisive and unnecessary remarks from their Governor.

The Best Gospel Sermon I’ve Ever Heard --- Whitefield, Spurgeon, Lloyd-Jones, and Paul Washer

If this is not the best, clearest, most passionate, most convicting gospel sermon I’ve ever heard….it’s close.  It was preached by Paul Washer, who is the head of Heart Cry Missions, in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  Washer preached this message at the 2002 Alabama Southern Baptist - Youth Evangelism Conference.  You’ll hear him mention Southern Baptists in the sermon, and he doesn’t always speak favorably of their evangelism techniques….and he’s RIGHT ON about what he says.

            I’ve always wondered what it would have been like to hear George Whitefield, or Charles Spurgeon, or Robert Murray McCheyne preach.  I suspect it would be very close to what this sermon sounds like.  Many today don’t know who Whitefield is, but in Colonial America, he was perhaps the most famous name on the continent.  EVERYONE knew George Whitefield.  He was an English evangelist who preached the gospel with power in America.  Benjamin Franklin adored him…though he never became a Christian.  Franklin was once asked why he loved hearing Whitefield preach since he didn’t believe the message.  Franklin reportedly said, “I may not believe what Whitefield is preaching…but WHITEFIELD believes it…and it’s exciting to hear.”

            When you read some of the accounts of Whitefield’s revivals, it’s fascinating.  Farmers would get word that Whitefield would be preaching in town in 3 hours…and they would leave their plows in the field and RUN to hear him preach.  In the days before media, they would announce the planned sermon by word of mouth, and have THOUSANDS of people show up…..to hear a sermon. 

            Spurgeon took London by storm in the mid 1800’s.  He became Pastor of the New Park Street Church at the age of 19.  And within weeks the church went from 200 to THOUSANDS.  People would line up hours in advance so they could get a seat…to hear a sermon.  By the time he was 21, Spurgeon was the most well known Preacher in the world.  The press hated him and frequently ridiculed him.  But God blessed his preaching and multitudes were saved.

            McCheyne pastored in Scotland in the early 1800’s.  His humility and Christ-likeness, coupled with his zeal for the gospel, literally changed the Nation.  When he preached….people wept. The Holy Spirit was thick.  And lives were changed.  McCheyne died at the age of 29……..and all of Scotland mourned.

            Martyn Lloyd Jones was the same type of Preacher.  He left a successful medical career as a Doctor to become a Pastor, and the Holy Spirit used him mightily.  Theologian J.I. Packer described a time when, as a college student, he heard Lloyd-Jones preach.  He said it was like being zapped into “spiritual shock.”  He had never heard such preaching.  Sadly, most Americans today haven’t either.

            The common thread between all of these men is very interesting.  They all preached about God’s Holiness, God’s Wrath, God’s Grace, and God’s Sovereignty….even over man’s salvation.  Rather than preaching the modern day “gospel” of “repeat this prayer after me…”   They preached the BIBLICAL gospel of Repentance and Faith in Christ.  What we must understand is that it wasn’t the men who were great….it was the GOSPEL they preached, and the Holy Spirit’s work through that preaching.  The problem today is that few….painfully few men are willing to proclaim this message.  Pastors today are taught to tickle ears and be cute.  They’re taught to try zillions of “programs” to attract people.  Sadly, many American Pastors have lost faith in the Gospel and the Holy Spirit’s ability to build a church.

            Paul Washer’s sermon addresses some of these things.  As you listen, you’ll probably see why I liked the message.  He says some of the same things I frequently say in sermons….he just says it much better than I ever could. Now for a little bit about the sermon......

            This message was preached in Montgomery, Alabama to a group of 5,000 teenagers in 2002.  It’s a message that all Americans, both young and old, desperately need to hear.  The sermon is about an hour long, but is very powerful.  About ten minutes into the message, the mood of the room dramatically changes.  The crowd begins to applaud something Washer says…and his response SHOCKS them all.  I won’t tell you what happens, you’ll have to listen.  But from that point on, you could hear the proverbial “pin drop” in the room.  I strongly encourage you to listen to the message.   The link below will take you to a website where you can listen over the computer, download to an ipod, or even watch video over the computer, if your computer is fast enough to swing it.  If you’re too technologically challenged to do any of that, let me know and I’ll burn a CD of it and send it to you.  The world needs to hear more sermons like this one.  Pray for the Lord to raise up more preachers like Paul Washer.

Here's the link:

"Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers"   OR... you can click here to go directly to an Audio version on my website, without the other options.

The Head Vs. The Heart: Saul, Stephen, & The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Knowing Jesus with your head won’t save you. You must know Him with your heart. One of the most brilliant Jewish scholars of the 1^st century was a young man named Saul of Tarsus. By his own admission, he was advancing in Judaism “beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen , being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.” (Galatians 1:14 NASB) Not only was Saul bright and zealous, he was also educated by the best Rabbi in all of Jerusalem. Gamaliel poured his vast Hebrew knowledge into his protégé Saul, and no doubt longed to see Saul reach the pinnacle of Judaism. Gamaliel was so highly respected in Jerusalem that he had earned a nickname among the Jews. They called him, “The Rabbi.” Not “A Rabbi” mind you, but “THE Rabbi.”

For a young Jewish man to be educated at the feet of Gamaliel would have been the 21^st century American equivalent of having a Ph.D. from Harvard. Just as the Old Testament King Saul was “head and shoulders” above his cohorts, so this New Testament Saul, was “head and shoulders” above his contemporaries in a Jewish intellectual sense. In fact, Saul may have even reached that pinnacle of Judaism by serving as a member of the ruling group of 70 men, known as the Sanhedrin. And it was about this time, when Saul was around 30 years of age…that he first became acquainted with the Name of Jesus.

Stephen was a Christian. And not just any Christian, he was a faithful, and you might even say, zealous Christian. In fact, he was to be the first Christian martyr, stoned for his faith by the 1^st century Jews. Saul was there when they killed him…and he couldn’t wait to see Stephen die. Saul hated Stephen, and everything Stephen stood for. When it came time to vote on his execution, Saul heartily cast his vote against him. (see Acts 26:10) But Stephen wasn’t quite ready to die. Though his death was imminent, he was going to go down in a blaze of glory. He would die preaching the very gospel that led to his fate. In Acts 7, we read Stephen’s final sermon. In an amazing combination of Old Testament history, reasoned argumentation, and Spirit empowered zeal, Stephen starts with Father Abraham and goes all the way to Jesus. As the Spirit inspired Stephen, his rapid-fire dialogue became more and more bold. With one final pronouncement of judgment upon the Jews, Stephen rails, “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” Acts 7:51-53 (NASB)

And now…Stephen must die. To say the Jews were livid would be the understatement of the millennium. They gnashed their teeth and charged him. Like any good thug, they first took off their coats. It wouldn’t do to get blood on the cashmere jacket. Saul, guarded their coats for them, while they furiously flung rocks at Stephen’s head and torso, until he was savagely bludgeoned to death. But Stephen’s final sentence was chilling: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:60 NASB)

Saul was now, not only enraged…he was also inspired. Young men can be very dangerous, if they believe in a cause. Many have been willing to kill and be killed for something they believe in……even if they’re wrong. And so it was with Saul. He made it his life’s work to destroy these followers of Christ. He would chase them down. He would imprison them. If need be, he would see to their death. And yet, what was it about this message that SO ENRAGED Saul? Perhaps, it was because, way down deep within Saul…if he was honest…he had to admit, that Stephen’s gospel…………made sense. Saul HATED even thinking that…and would have never said it aloud. But that message stuck with him. That witness. That boldness of Stephen. Saul knew the Old Testament as well as anyone. And if he were honest, he had to admit, that Stephen’s sermon was right on. The Jews REALLY HAD killed the prophets sent to them. The Old Testament REALLY DID speak of a coming Messiah. And Jesus Christ fit the description down to the tiniest detail. Saul’s HEAD was starting to believe Stephen’s message……but his hardened heart, cried out against it. And at least for now, Saul’s emotion triumphed over his reason. He would destroy this Christian threat to his brand of Judaism.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Today, some people know the gospel, with their head. If you tell them of their sin and God’s forgiveness through Christ…they know that. If you tell them they deserve Hell, but can go to Heaven…they know that. If you point out that they’re life doesn’t show any commitment to Christ…they know that. They know ALL OF THIS, with their head….but Jesus must be bowed to…with the heart. The responses can be varied. Some people know they’re not living right and simply put off change. They plan to get right with God sometime before they die. Of course 99% of them NEVER WILL. Others, don’t seem to have plans of turning to Christ. They know the truth of the gospel with their heads……and it infuriates them. The more they hear it, the angrier they get! Any talk of Jesus, causes the blasphemy and insults to fly. They don’t want to hear about it! They want to destroy this message that is a threat to their sinful pleasures. They are……just like Saul.

Do you know what causes this anger? The Holy Spirit does. Conviction stings, and they want none of it. Jesus finally had enough of Saul’s antics. On a murderous rampage to Damascus, Saul is knocked off his horse, and flat on his back by none other than Jesus Christ Himself. The biggest problem (from Saul’s standpoint at least) was that Jesus had died. Everyone knew he had been crucified by the Romans, on behalf of the Jews. And yet this blinding figure, towering over the flattened Saul identified Himself, clearly: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5) And then Jesus says something, very telling. Jesus reveals to Saul, and to every reader of the Bible, that the vicious killer Saul, had in fact, been mulling over the claims of the gospel. Saul had, in fact, been convicted by the Holy Spirit. Saul, had in fact, begun to see the truth of the gospel. Jesus said to Saul, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14)

Just like a stubborn cow that refuses to adhere to the shoot…Saul refused to submit to the gospel. His head could see that it was true. But his wicked heart refused to believe……until now. Saul, NOW, would be forever changed. “You are My chosen instrument,” Jesus said. And so it was. Finally Saul’s head and Saul’s heart converged at the feet of Jesus. There was no denying the resurrection, when the risen Christ is standing over you talking. And if the resurrection is true, then the gospel must also be true. Deep down, Saul knew this. His Old Testament knowledge clearly pointed to this Jesus of Nazareth as the long awaited Messiah. At last, Saul was saved.

The Lord’s conviction is a sheer gift of grace. So often, we kick against the very thing we know to be true and saving. God might let us continue on in that rebellion, and many do. They have rejected the truth and will pay for it in an Eternal Hell. Others submit to Christ. If you have come to Christ, be thankful for His Grace that saved you. It wasn’t your brilliance, nor your character…it was HIS GRACE. If you’re feeling that conviction right now…that’s also grace. Stop running. Bow before Him. Find forgiveness. Commit your life to Him. And be forever changed. Saul was. In fact he even changed his name. As a Jew, he went by Saul. But as a Christian he went by Paul. As in “The Apostle Paul.” He’s remembered to this day as one of the greatest followers of Christ.  He wrote half of the New Testament. And just as Gamaliel was known as “THE Rabbi.” Paul is often know as “THE Apostle.” He loved Jesus more than anything. He lived for Him, and He died for Him. And now…he worships Him forever, in Heaven. All true followers of Jesus will one day worship Him there too. Will you?

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And Paul said, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Timothy 1:12-13 NASB)

When GOD Changes Your Plans: Paul and The Spanish Mission

Did the Apostle Paul ever make it to Spain? This is one of the questions that I wrestled with today. Paul WANTED to preach the gospel in Spain. When he wrote to the church in Rome, he asked them to help him along the way, as he ventured on to Spain. (See Romans 15:24-28) Of course, Paul’s plan of making it to Rome happened. Maybe not under ideal circumstances, yet it happened all the same. Paul could have gotten to Rome by boat, horseback, or foot. He ended up going there in chains as a prisoner, after he “appealed to Caesar” in Acts 25:12. But what happened, after Rome?

The book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome, freely preaching the gospel. Yet, Paul’s life ends with him in a Roman prison with much less freedom. In the end, Paul had been deserted, he was cold, he needed his coat, and he longed to have the Scriptures. (see 2 Timothy 4:11-18) Several theories abound, but basically two views are held by Bible Scholars. Either, Paul had ONE imprisonment in Rome. Things started out pretty good, but got much worse. He began with “house arrest” freely preaching the gospel. But he ends with solitary confinement, after being deserted by most of his colleagues. Persecution has a way of separating the true believers from the phonies, and we do know that the infamous Nero ruled as emperor near the time of Paul’s death. Nero was as vile as they come….and he persecuted Christians worse than anyone before him. So if this view is correct….Paul DID NOT make it to Spain, as he hoped.

This is the view taken by Donald Grey Barnhouse, the late Presbyterian Pastor, who sees Paul’s failure to reach Rome as source of encouragement to all of us “common” Christians. Barnhouse writes: “If the great apostle could form plans that seemed most holy and most spiritual, most unselfish and most desirable, only to see them fail, shall we not expect that our plans, too, may fail? The Christian who grieves over broken plans does not comprehend the sovereignty of God…Our trust is in the Lord. He is the Lord of our lives and our plans. He can do with us exactly what He pleases. And in our total commitment to Him will lie our highest joy.” (Romans, Volume IV, p. 101)Barnhouse makes an excellent point. When it’s all been said and done, we don’t know if Paul’s plans worked out…but we know for CERTAIN that God’s plan did. It’s good and wise to make plans. But we must never cling to our plans so strongly, that we won’t accept the Lord’s authority to change them HOWEVER HE MAY CHOOSE. Make no mistake, this is much easier said than done. But if we will cultivate this type of heart and mind, then we will experience FAR LESS frustrations in our life. Sometimes our plans are to go to work, yet we end our day in the hospital. Sometimes our plans are to move home, but we find ourselves on the other side of the world. Sometimes our plans are to live a long life, and yet……we die young. Sometimes our plans are to go to Spain, but instead we end up in a dark, cold prison cell in Rome.

Maybe Paul did make it to Spain. The other prominent view is that he was eventually released from his first Roman imprisonment and went to Spain, only to once again end up in a Roman prison. At the end of the day, we simply must conclude that if God REALLY wanted us to know, he would have inspired Luke or Paul to tell us in the Scriptures. No doubt Paul failed to meet every goal he had in ministry and life. No doubt, you and I will fail to meet every goal as well. That’s OK. It’s not our life anyway. It belongs to the Lord. Christians have been “bought with a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:20) And we must be committed to pouring our lives out as a sacrifice unto the Lord, wherever, and however HE chooses. That’s what Paul did. And he didn’t die a disappointed man. He was executed as a criminal of the State. A failure in the eyes of man. But a VICTOR in the eyes of God. And his reward, was (and is) tremendous. Paul wrote, “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Tim 4:7-8 (NASB) Paul may not have made it to Spain. But he did make it to Heaven. And you will to if you love the Lord like Paul did. All of your earthly plans won’t succeed. But God’s Eternal Plan will. In that, we can rest assured. No matter what life brings.