December 3, 2009 by Shane Kastler.

The past week has been a crazy one for world famous super-golfer Tiger Woods. Two days after a National Enquirer story comes out about him having an affair, he is injured in a mysterious 2 A.M. car wreck in his front yard that involves him, a busted mouth, and his wife with a golf club. Sound fishy? Most people seem to think it does. To make matters worse, he refused to talk to the police for several days after the incident. Every time the police would come to his house for an interview his wife would answer the door and say he’s sleeping. I can’t help but wonder how it might go if the police ever showed up at my house and my wife told them to go away because I’m sleeping. I’m pretty sure the police would say, “Tell him to get his dirt-poor, white behind out here and talk to us or we’ll go in and get him.” Being rich and black has its advantages in our racially over-sensitive, country. Ask Barack Obama (or ask O.J. Simpson for that matter). Tiger Woods can tell the police to “stick it” and get away with it. Most people can’t. But the Tiger Woods fiasco is about more than a bizarre car wreck. His life is coming unraveled because his secret sins are being found out. Sooner or later that will happen to everyone and no amount of money, nor public relations firms can change that.

Tiger Woods has been groomed to be a famous golfer from the day he was born. He was on television as a two year old and his dad had dreams for his boy. There’s no denying that Tiger is probably the best golfer the world has ever seen. But even world class golfers are natural born sinners. Everyone is.

Woods is married to a Swedish model…but it appears that he has cheated on her from day one. This week, two different women have been mentioned as mistresses. One of them, a Los Angeles cocktail waitress, saved 3 years worth of text messages, voice mails, and emails to prove her association with Woods. In one embarrassing voice mail, Tiger tells her to take her name off of her cell phone account so it won’t show up on his caller ID. This call was made two months prior to his wife giving birth to their first child, so it seems that his whole marriage has been marked by infidelity. This week, Tiger admitted to “transgressions” but chose not to elaborate. That’s OK, it’s not our business. But Tiger Woods’ greatest need (and everyone else’s) is to elaborate and repentantly confess their sins to Jesus Christ and begin a brand new life that only he can provide.

The Bible says: “Take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out." (Numbers 32:23) and “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) Make no mistake, Tiger’s sins have found him out, and he is in the process of reaping some embarrassingly painful consequences for the seeds that he has sown.

For his entire career, Tiger’s “image handlers” have been able to craft him as a superhuman golfer and world class human being. The golfing skills can’t be denied, but his transgressions are now available for all the world to see. Hopefully, this debacle will be used by God to humble Tiger and draw him to the cross of Christ. Hopefully his wife will show him grace, even though she doesn’t’ have to, and they will work out their problems. Hopefully Tiger will turn from his sin in repentance and commit his life to Jesus Christ as Lord. He’s now in a mess that his handlers can’t fix. No one can fix it, but God alone. Tiger is a sinner, just like you and just like me. The main difference is that his sins are more public because he’s famous.

Tiger Woods is a phenomenal golfer…but he’s not superhuman. He’s a sinful human. Here’s hoping he “sees the light” and comes to Christ before this temporal life ends and the eternal consequence for his sins begin.

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December 1, 2009 by Shane Kastler.

“For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken.” (Jeremiah 48:7 NKJV)

The prophet Jeremiah spoke of coming judgment on the people of Moab because they refused to trust in the one true God. Instead of trusting in God, they chose to trust in their own works and their own possessions for security. Many in our nation today are the exact same way. Rather than trusting in God, they trust in material possessions or money for their security. Rather than looking to God as their ultimate provider, they look to an employer or to the government. In so doing this, they commit idolatry. In essence they are breaking the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

So who is your ultimate God? Are you trusting in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Or are you primarily looking to someone or something else as your ultimate provider. God may use secondary means to provide for us. But we must see Him as our ultimate provider; both in this temporal world and in the world to come.

Not only do many people trust in false gods for temporal security…they also trust in false gods for eternal life. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ will grant a sinner eternal life. The Bible calls us to turn from our sin in repentance and commit our life to Christ as Lord. It’s more than just a one time “decision” for Christ…it’s a lifetime commitment.

Have you committed your life to Jesus Christ? Is there proof of that by your daily love and obedience to Him? We should look to God the Father, through Jesus the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit as our ultimate provider. Only He can truly give us what we need; today, tomorrow, and forever.

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