"The Narrow Road": Blogs By Shane Kastler

When Jesus Comes Back

By Shane Kastler

Your life on earth will end in either one of two ways.  Either you will die, or you will live until Jesus returns.  In both cases, your life as you presently know it will be over.  And what awaits you on the other side will either be infinitely glorious or infinitely miserable.  The Bible speaks of the glorification of Christians, saying: “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NASB)

                Many people scoff at the idea of Jesus returning.  Of course the Bible told us 2000 years ago that people would scoff saying: “In the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4 NASB)  But, just as sure as the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening; so shall Christ one day return.  This he has promised and this he will do.  Are you ready for this?

                The fact is that some will rejoice at the return of Christ while others will mourn greatly.  For those who know and love the Lord, the return of Christ means the end of suffering.  No longer will there be persecution, pain, or sorrow.  Christians will be in the presence of their Lord who died for them.  And their joy will be complete.  But a much different future awaits those who are not followers of Christ.

                For unbelievers, the return of Christ will be a time of judgment and condemnation.  Just as believers will be judged and declared innocent and righteous based on their faith in Christ, so too shall unbelievers be judged and condemned because of their rejection of Christ.  The Hell to which they go shall be eternal, just as Heaven will be eternal for believers.

                Once Christ returns, all hope for salvation will be gone.  The time to consider these eternally important truths is today.  There is hope today, while you still have life.  Are you ready for the return of Christ?  If it were to happen today would you be joyful or sorrowful?  On that day, will Jesus be your savior or your eternal judge?  Consider these things today.  Repent of your sin and believe in Jesus.  Follow him and have life.  Then look with eager expectation toward his return.

Numbered Days

By Shane Kastler

Recently I heard about a man who was dying of cancer.  He was once young, strong, and healthy.  Now his days are marked by pain and suffering.  Furthermore, his days are numbered.  Of course, they were numbered before he got sick also.  It’s just that no one knew what the number was, except for God.  Cancer doesn’t catch God by surprise.  Nothing catches Him by surprise.  He knows all.  He sees all.  He controls all.  But we don’t.  So we need reminders of what is truly important.

Life is precious.  But life is short.  While you might be prone to say that life is short for those who die at 30, but long for those who die at 90; the fact is life is short for everyone.  What difference does 30 or 90 make in light of eternity?  Since this present world is all we can see with our physical eyes; we wrongly assume that this present world is the most important thing.  But this is a tragic error that most people succumb to.  In truth it is the unseen spiritual world that matters infinitely more than this present, fleeting existence.  The Bible says, “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14) Wise is the man or woman who embraces this truth and lives their earthly life accordingly.

Are you living for the “here and now?”  Or are you cognizant that this life is temporal and eternity awaits.  The Bible teaches us that all who know and love Jesus Christ will spend eternity with him in glory.  Heaven is a place of no pain, sorrow, sickness, or death.  A place where we will be in the very presence of Christ for all eternity.  But those who reject Christ face a much different fate.  Hell is described as a place of “eternal” death, misery, torment, and grief.  Jesus described it in graphic terms when he said, “the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:46) 

As painful as this life seems at times; it is nothing compared to what awaits those who die apart from Christ.  Likewise, the greatest pleasures of this life are nothing comparted to the infinite joy that those who know Christ will experience in eternity.  Are you ready to stand before your maker?  This life is fleeting.  It will be over before you know it; and almost certainly before you expect it.  Live for eternity.  Love Jesus.  And don’t be afraid to leave this old world behind.  It’s temporal.  But Heaven and Hell are forever.  Plan accordingly.

Brother Saul & Brother Abdul

By Shane Kastler

Saul of Tarsus despised Christians; so much so that he terrorized the New Testament church. When the first recorded Christian martyrdom took place at the stoning of Stephen; Saul was there giving “hearty approval.” After that he became somewhat of a Christian bounty hunter, chasing believers from city to city so that he might persecute them. The Bible says, “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2 NASB)

While on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, Saul was confronted by the risen Christ and was converted by an act of God's sovereign grace. Being physically blinded, Saul was told to go to a specific house in Damascus where a man named Ananias would pray for him and he would regain his sight. Saul's reputation was so violent, that even when the Lord appeared to Ananias in a vision about Saul's conversion, Ananias hesitated. In fact, years after Saul's conversion the early Christian church remained fearful and skeptical. His past persecutions and reputation died hard. But his conversion was genuine as the remainder of his life would show.

When Ananias came to pray for Saul he addressed him by calling him, “Brother Saul.” (Acts 9:17) While this may seem insignificant when you consider that “Brother” is a common title in Christian circles, the fact that this was Saul of Tarsus who was now a “brother” is astounding. Christianity's fiercest opponent was now “preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” (Galatians 1:23) By an act of sheer divine grace, “Terrorist Saul” had become “Brother Saul.” And the world would never be the same again.

Saul's conversion could be likened unto a fierce Muslim terrorist being saved and becoming an outspoken preacher of the gospel. “Brother Saul” could just as easily be “Brother Abdul” or “Brother Muhammad.” In fact, such things have happened in the past and continue to happen today; not just within Islam but within all religions. God's sovereign grace calls sinners of every stripe and creed out of spiritual darkness and into the kingdom of His beloved son (Colossians 1:13). You might be hesitant to accept this, given the past history of persecution that some Muslims have been a part of. But God is bigger than any man or any religion. As the classic hymn "Jesus Paid It All" states, He can “change the leper's spots and melt the heart of stone.” In all honesty, Saul's conversion is no more miraculous than your own. Though you might not have been a persecutor of the church, you were a spiritually dead sinner just the same (Ephesians 2:1). And unless God opened your eyes to the truth, they would have remained forever sealed shut.

As Christians we should praise God for “Brother Saul.” We should also praise God anytime a “Brother Abdul” or “Brother Muhammad” comes into being. When this world passes away, there will be gathered around the throne of the Lamb in Heaven, those from every “tongue, tribe, people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:9) Christians from every people group will be represented. Saul of Tarsus (better known as Paul the Apostle) will be there. Former Muslims will be there. Former Jews will be there. Former atheists will be there. All those who turned from sin in repentance and trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord will be there. It will be a worship service unlike any ever experienced on earth. It will be a sight to behold. Will you be there to see it?