"The Narrow Road": Blogs By Shane Kastler

Is God Really In Control?

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

My Sermon In Stillwater

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

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

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

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

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

 

Making Decisions To The Glory Of God

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

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

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

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