"The Narrow Road": Blogs By Shane Kastler

Restraining Grace (A Poem)

Restraining Grace

By Shane Kastler

 

Sinners, wretched to the core

By nature men and women are.

They long for sin still more and more.

The depths they plunge, so very far.

 

Daily living for themselves

Thoughts and actions vile and base.

But O how ugly it could be.

If not for God’s  restraining grace.

 

If you’re in Christ please understand.

It’s not your intellect supreme.

That gets you into Beulah- land,

Its God who chose to set you free.

 

Apart from Him you’re overcome.

Slave of flesh and slave of man.

So used to sin it makes you numb.

A dead man walking through the land.

 

Restraining grace has kept you thus,

From Being Judas yesterday.

From selling Christ to gain some coin,

And squandering your life away.

 

Go see the drunkard in the ditch,

And look intently at his face.

Eerily you’ll see yourself,

If not for God’s restraining grace.

 

The harlot with revolving door,

Of suitors willing to partake,

Would be your lot and destiny,

Had God not chose you to awake.

 

Or maybe still a star out west.

Rich and famous, yet depraved.

They’ve had their treasure here on earth.

Yet weep and wail in future days.

 

Restraining grace has kept you from,

A life so worthless as to be,

A pity to behold by those,

Who once were blind but now can see.

 

So though your life be fraught with pain,

For Christians it won’t last too long.

His grace will keep you till that day,

When in His sight you’ll sing the songs.

 

Of all that He has saved you from.

Eternal Hell should be your place.

But Glory to the Sovereign One.

Who showed you His restraining grace.

 

After Darkness Comes The Light (A Poem on Suffering & Salvation)

A world in sin with mournful groans,

We need a Savior to redeem,

The blood of bulls cannot atone,

All hope is lost, or so it seems.

Yet God’s plan is to condescend,

Into the most unlikely place,

A child is born in Bethlehem,

And He will pay for Adam’s race.

For centuries we needed Him,

A substitute to win our fight,

The sting of death would do us in,

But after Darkness comes the Light.

 

Born depraved, no hope to see;

Blindly groping for a way;

Yet content with thoughts of me;

We want the Lord to stay away.

Darkness ever choking out,

Any spark of the Divine,

Dead within and dead without;

Pursuing sin, that shall be mine.

Then comes the Spirit, with the Word;

Born again, with such delight!

Sovereign grace, that’s from the Lord,

And after Darkness comes the Light.

 

And so begins the narrow road,

With joy and pain now intermixed.

Some days feel like a heavy load.

Yet through it all our hope is fixed.

Upon the One who conquered sin,

Because of Him we persevere,

And one day soon, we’ll enter in;

Till then, our laughter’s mixed with tears.

Testing for the godly one,

Yet only for a season might,

Make us crawl instead of run,

But after Darkness, comes the Light.

 

Then He ordains the ending trial,

That every Christian’s bound to face.

We all must walk the final mile.

We all must finish up the race.

Again it feels like darkness grim,

As flesh and bone give way to pain,

But now we have the strength from Him,

What seems like loss, in fact is gain.

And for the final time we leave,

The darkness of that closing night,

Into the splendor, we’re received,

And after Darkness, comes the Light!

Bethlehem & Calvary: A Christmas Poem

Bethlehem & Calvary

By Shane Kastler

 

This day we celebrate a King.

Born to die, Salvation brings.

A perfect plan to save the ones.

He chose to make His daughters, sons.

 

Sold under sin’s repressive curse.

Hellish torment soon disbursed.

To all who rightly do deserve.

Eternal sentence to be served.

 

But in steps He who knew no sin;

A vict-or-y  for us to win;

The baby born in Bethlehem;

God with us, Behold the lamb!

 

Who would be slain when it was time,

He lived perfection; so sublime.

Then died to make a payment for,

The ones who now walk through the door.

 

To life eternal, thanks to Christ; 

Our Great Redeemer’s sacrifice.

All glory, praise, and laud shall go. 

Unto the One who came below.

 

Was born to us a child today;

Emmanu-el to light the way.

We celebrate Him constantly;

How can we not for we are free?

 

And daily we shall ever sing;

Our praises to the One True King.

And let not Christmas simply be;

A time for gifts and thoughts of me.

 

But rather let us comprehend;

What God hath done for sinful men.

And vow to live and glorify;

Our perfect King who lived and died.

 

So when you think of manger scenes,

This Christmas, that are so serene.

Forget not death and bloody pain,

The babe would take to give you gain.

 

Bethlehem and Calvary;

They both do serve to let us see.

The glory of the Holy One,

We celebrate as God’s own Son.

 

Your First Day in Glory (A Poem of Heaven)

Your First Day in Glory (A Poem of Heaven)

By Shane Kastler

 

A flash of light and instantly, I entered in this place.

I lived for Him below on earth, now I behold His face.

The sights I see remind me of the things I read down there.

Streets of gold and pearly gates; Such splendor bright and fair.

 

There is no sun, there is no need; God’s glory shineth bright.

There is no fear, nor any crime; Not even any night.

I scarce can think of life on earth, or why I loved it so.

It seems like such a dream to me; Back in a world below.

 

The feelings that I feel right now are quite beyond description.

I’ve had some glimpses down on earth, but none like this to mention.

The man from Tarsus wrote about the things he saw up here.

Inexpressible expressions, An enigma to the ears.

 

The angels sing the praises of the Godhead, one in three.

And now I can’t help joining in; The worship is so free.

Unto the Father, Glory goes, for He ordained it all.

The Spirit drew me unto Him, And saved me from the fall.

 

And Christ the Son, Eternal Word who came to earth and died.

A perfect life, A sacrifice; For sinners crucified.

I heard the words I longed to hear, come from His lips to me.

Well done my servant, joy is yours; It lasts eternally.

 

I see departed loved ones, Who before me entered in.

They loved the Lord as I do; And they died but live again.

Reunited with a love; More deep than e’re before.

We worship Him together; With our faces on the floor.

 

The greatest pleasures known to earth, multiplied by billions.

Can’t begin to scratch the surface of each moment here in Heaven.

There is no sin, there is no want; The curse has been destroyed.

Only pure and clean affections; Govern all that I employ.

 

So fear not death, if you’re in Christ.  It is but just a doorway.

To take you from this life below, So you can know a new way.

And don’t forget that all you gain on earth is not the story.

It won’t compare to all you’ll see… Your first full day in Glory.

Sufferings & Glory: A Poem Based on Romans 8:18-19

Sufferings & Glory

(A poem based on Romans 8:18-19)

By Shane Kastler

 

There is a grace that’s only found;

When we are crushed and pain abounds;

We wonder why the Lord allows;

His purposes - past finding out.

Sickness, sorrows dominate;

A broken world so full of hate;

Cursed we are by Adam’s fall;

Yet God still reigns, Yes, over all.

 

And in the pain we learn the more;

Of suffering and of longing for;

The Presence of the Only One;

Who saves us, He is God’s own Son.

His people who with Him must be;

We long to live eternally;

With Christ Who suffered, bled, and died

Our sinless Savior, crucified.

 

Arose, Ascended, Shall return;

To claim those saved, who shall not burn;

Our greatest pains are here below;

Then misery ends, when we behold;

The Son in all His glory bright;

Shines with the Father, what a sight!

And we His sheep forever sing;

Our praises to the One True King.

 

So suffer now, embrace the pain;

Self-denial, eternal gain;

This world is full of trials to show;

There’s nothing for us here below;

One day our hurt will end, REJOICE!

We’ll enter Heaven, By His choice;

With no more pain, no sorrow, loss;

We’ll Praise Him, Praise Him….for the Cross.

 

(“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:18-19 NASB)

And Still (A Poem on Fighting Spiritual Darkness)

(Note: I originally wrote this poem in 2008 while going through a season of darkness. Perhaps it will be of some help to someone else fighting the same battle.)

And Still (The War Against Spiritual Darkness)

By Shane Kastler (originally written Dec. 5, 2008)

Pervading darkness clouds the mind

As sorrow fills the air

Discouragement doth overtake

And all becomes despair

 

I fight it with the tools I have

The battle is intense

I know all things will work for good

In God’s own Providence   

 

But still the pain is piercing

And still the sadness grows

And still the life becomes a trap

Yet there’s nowhere else to go

 

And still I weep in heartache

Though the world may laugh with glee

And still I fight the darkness

That seeks to smother me

 

And still demons attack me

The unseen battle rages forth

And still my flesh betrays me

As I question my new birth

 

And still my Savior loves me

While yet sinners – Died for us

And still the Spirit grows me

Daily heals me from the past

 

And still my Father hath ordained

Both pleasures and the pain

The sunny days of glorious shouts

And gloomy tears of rain

 

And so I must remember

This too shall pass they say

By God’s sustaining power

I’ll live to fight another day 

 

Perfect Peace (A Poem Based on Philippians 4:7)

............

Perfect Peace

(A Poem Based on Philippians 4:7)

By Shane Kastler

 

In this world you will have troubles

Said our Lord so long ago

He warned of pain and trials

Still to the future we must go

 

And so we now confirm it

Passing days reveal new tears

Our battles rage unceasing

Over months and days and years

 

Yet in the midst of sorrows

Lies a peace beyond compare

The Apostle spoke quite often

Of joy and not despair

 

Sorrowful, yet still rejoicing

A paradox and mystery

Though temporal trials assail us

Eternal joy is ours to see

 

So when you get discouraged

And have had all you can stand

Remember Christ Victorious

Who sits enthroned at God’s right hand

 

For the day will come for certain

When in suffering you will sigh

But at that moment, lift your head

Thy redemption draweth nigh

 

Jesus will sustain us

Those He calls His very own

Elect from every nation

Will persevere unto His throne

 

Rejoice, in spite of sorrow

Peace and pain go hand in hand

It all might end tomorrow

And we’ll see the Promised Land

 

Travail for us is passing

But our joys shall never cease

For even through the darkest storm

Jesus grants us perfect peace.

I Began a New Day (Anonymous Abortion Poem)

Below is a poem about abortion that I recently came across on the internet.  I printed it out and included it in Sunday's church bulletin as an insert.  Its author is "anonymous" but it is written from the perspective of a woman who struggled mightily with guilit after having an abortion...and then finding forgiveness in Jesus Christ. 

          Today is the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court decsion that effectively legalized abortion.  And as we remember and continue the fight to save future unborn lives, let us not forget to minister to the women who have been savagely duped by the "Planned Parenthoods" the "Hillary Clintons" or the "Barack Obamas" of the world that have told them they have the Constitutional right to kill their unborn kids.  The Liberals speak the Devil's lie on abortion.  Let's commit to lovingly, yet boldly speaking the truth to these women and the world at large.  Abortion is heinous beyond words....But the grace of God is greater than any sin, for those who will turn in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ as Lord of their life.  Even those who have had abortions...can "Begin a new day" with Jesus Christ.

.......

I Began a New Day (A Post-Abortion Poem)

By an Anonymous Author

                  

In a far away place and a different time,
I killed my first child, a most heinous crime.

The state didn't come, and I didn't stand trial.
Judge Blackmun was calm when he said with a smile,

"Killing is legal," say we the High Court
"But don't call it murder, Just call it 'abort.'"

The judge in my heart would not let the case rest.
I had no defense when once put to the test.

Found guilty I was by my heart's "supreme court."
"You murdered your baby!" it screamed in retort.

With tears on my cheeks it was too late, I knew
to bring back the life of the child I once slew.

The gavel slammed down, and it rang in my head,
"You are guilty as charged, and deserve to be dead.

We now give you torment to pay for your sin," was the
sentence passed down from my own court within.

"You will never escape. You're branded. Don't hide.
Your just due is death. You should try suicide."

I was beaten in prison by daily attack.
I was paying a debt, so I never fought back,

No hope of escaping, and this I knew well.
I cried out to God from my own self-made hell.

That day I met Jesus. He smiled in my face.
He said, "I forgive you. Come walk in my grace."

"Lord, I believe you forgive me, and yet,
Blameless you are. Can you pay for my debt?

"And Lord, please don't touch me, for I am unclean.
I'm filthy with murder, a most wretched being."

I poured out my story. He showed no surprise.
I gazed up with awe at the love in His eyes.

"I paid for your crime, yes, was nailed to a tree.
There's no condemnation, if you'll trust in Me.

"I took on your blame and your curse on My soul
So you may be free without judgment and whole."

I sputtered, "Dear Lord, where's the justice in this?
I killed my first son, and you offer me bliss?"

Tears blurred my vision, yet there on His face
Were eyes of compassion, blue oceans of grace.

I thought to myself, "Now the past has been buried?
I'm free of the guilt that for years I have carried?"

He said to accept. It's a gift that is free.
This is atonement, not justice for me!

My judge was dismissed, my accusers, and jury.
The truth of His love made them leave in a fury.

He smiled,"Walk with Me and come learn My way”
And grasping His hand, I began a new day.

( If you are hurting from an abortion, please call "Project Rachel" toll-free at 1-888-456-HOPE.People are waiting to help you .)

Weeping, Wailing, Gnashing Teeth (A Poem of Eternity)

Some folks had asked about the poem I read at the end of the message this morning, so I've posted it here in its entirety....

...

Weeping, Wailing, Gnashing Teeth (A Poem of Eternity)

By Shane Kastler

I heard the truths of Jesus, as a child in Sunday school.

The seeds were planted deep within, I learned the golden rule.

But teen years came, and I indulged in all my sins galore!

I sought approval from my friends, And Jesus I ignored.

Tomorrow I can turn to Christ, Salvation will be mine.

But first I’ll taste the thrills of sin. In darkness I’ll recline.

Adulthood simply gave more chance for sin without restraint.

But I feared not and lived it up.  For me, the Lord could wait.

By Middle age, my path was set.  My hope was in THIS world.

Jesus had become to me, another cursing word.

The years rolled by, sins added up, My pleasures I’ve attained.

Jesus I’ve forgotten….I’ve chosen worldly gain.

Today I’m bound in Hell with chains.  The darkness is so thick.

I weep. I wail.  I gnash my teeth.  Oh for a different life to pick.

But now the chances are all gone.  My eternity is sealed.

Second chances are no more…..beyond the Potter’s Field.

If only I could live again.  To Jesus I would cling.

My Hell is final.  Pain remains.  But I would caution YOU one thing.

It’s Jesus or the world you pick.  The choices are just two.

Follow Christ --  Eternal life He will award to you.

But take the world, and all its sin.  And this I guarantee.

Weeping, wailing, gnashing teeth.  Forever…..you and me.