Honoring the Memory of my Dad Clarence Paul Steiner

Honoring the Memory of my Dad. Clarence Paul Steiner, was born in Clarksville, Michigan on April 17, 1902. 

I only have a few photos of Dad, since he was the photographer in the family and was not in many pictures. But I have several “heirlooms” and mementos I inherited from Dad. The first one I want to mention is his pocket watch.

He always carried it with him. I believe he got it for his years of serving the New York Central Railroad. I wanted to make sure it didn’t get lost. So, I recently and happily gave it to our son Justin as a keepsake.  Dad also had this billy club. 

Now, most of you probably don’t know what it is. But it’s a wooden stick the policemen used to carry. I personally have never seen one used in a disciplinary fashion. 

Dad was too young to serve in WWI and too old to serve in WWII. Also as a Mennonite who practiced peace Dad was a conscientious objector. So during the war he volunteered in civil defense and had a downtown Cleveland Auxiliary Police beat close to the YMCA where he lived.

The civil defense served as the police since most young policemen were all serving in the war effort. When he was on duty, he wore the civil defense badge. 

Having never yet been married, after work Dad had time on his hands and was glad to serve. I’m glad that I have these mementos of his service in Cleveland during WWII.

But today I want to thank my dad, and honor and give thanks to God that he raised me to be God-fearing. From an early age he taught us boys from the Bible, taught the value of hard work, taught us to honor and respect our mother, and also instilled in me an appreciation for model trains and being a good steward of my earthly possessions.

This is significant when you consider that he passed away just over a month after I turned nine years old. But I remember Dad well and the trips we took together as a family in our ‘49 Oldsmobile and on the NYC passenger train across several eastern states.

We sang as a family quartet, too — Dad played his guitar and sang — his lovely resonant bass voice belting out the low notes.

He taught us chords on the piano and autoharp, too. Dad loved music, so he bought a reel-to-reel tape deck and microphone to record our singing. 

Dad taught us how to safely whittle wood and peel potatoes, how to fish, play checkers and chess, build a crystal radio, how to use a hammer and saw and wrench, solder wire, sharpen tools on his grinding wheel, how to mow grass with a push reel mower, rake leaves, burn leaves safely, weed the garden, shovel snow, tie knots, tie our shoes, and even tie a four-in-hand dress tie. We learned all this before I was nine. 

Dad prayed over us nightly, too. We always ate together as a family; and Dad would lead us in saying grace. Dad hugged us often and told us how much he loved us. 

After school John and I would often walk to the bus stop a block away to meet him when he came home from work in downtown Cleveland. And he would hug us and rustle our hair as we boys skipped home — just happy to be with our dad.

Clarence loved people, and many people loved and appreciated him. He was faithful to God, to our mother Bernice (who he affectionately called Bea), and was a wonderful financial provider who worked at the same railroad job for 39 years.

Dad also loved our cocker spaniel Pepper. Each night John and I would bring in Pepper from the doghouse outside, have Dad’s slippers, and the evening newspaper ready for him to come home from work so he could sit in his living room chair and while waiting for dinner listen to recordings of symphonies on our Victrola. And our job as kids was to feed Pepper and then to vacuum our carpet (nearly daily). Dad cared for us and wanted to provide the best for us. We always ate well, and ours was a peaceful and safe home. I don’t ever remember hearing our parents argue or raise their voices. Dad was quiet and reserved and truly a gentleman, loved and admired by many. 

But one interesting memory I have was when we were all riding in our car down our neighborhood street, and a kid hit a baseball that slammed into the door of our Oldsmobile. Dad quickly stopped the car, got out, grabbed the boy by the arm, asked him where he lived, then marched him right up to the door and explained what happened to his mother. Of course we rolled down our windows and could hear him sharing how dangerous it was for kids to play in the streets. That’s about it. But the memory stuck with me. 

Well, to summarize, this chapter has been a perfect opportunity for me to give honor to Dad’s memory and legacy. Dad passed away on November 9, 1957, exactly eleven years to the day that he married Mom. That was many years ago; but I’m so glad we’ll have a heavenly reunion someday with him, our mom, and then an eternity with our Lord.

"'Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise)" ~~ Ephesians 6:2 (ESV)

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you” ~~ Exodus 20:12. 

"God said, 'Honor your father and your mother'” ~~ Matthew 15:4a (God's WORD).

New Birth Because of Jesus Christ

New Birth Because of Jesus Christ 

Through the new birth every believer has attained the greatest position that anyone could ever hope to achieve. We’ve become children of the Most High God. When He adopted us into His family, it wasn't just a legality. Jesus gave us His full authority to act on His behalf as a wholehearted member of the Family.

Before this transformation called salvation, we were spiritually dead. Now we are raised with Jesus to new life in Christ!

But the word “ATTAIN” is not really accurate, because salvation is a finished work and free gift that cannot be earned.

But declaring the "old nature" to be dead means we are dead to sin, not that we cease to exist. Yet Jesus has separated us from that old, sinful person we used to be— and He has placed His Spirit within us. Hallelujah!

Now we have His nature, and His power, and His authority to overcome all the work of the enemy. I am so glad that I am a born of God and a co-heir with Jesus!

"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again'" ~~John 3:3.

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”  ~~ Romans 8:17.

"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father'" ~~ Galatians 4:6.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him" ~~ 1 John 3:1.

"as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" ~~ John 1:12-13.

“Time is running out and you know it is a strategic hour in human history. It is time for us to wake up! For our full salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Night’s darkness is dissolving away as a new day of destiny dawns. So we must once and for all strip away what is done in the shadows of darkness, removing it like filthy clothes. And once and for all we clothe ourselves with the radiance of light as our weapon. We must live honorably, surrounded by the light of this new day, not in the darkness of drunkenness and debauchery, not in promiscuity and sensuality, not being argumentative or jealous of others. Instead fully immerse yourselves into the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, and don’t waste even a moment’s thought on your former identity to awaken its selfish desires” ~~ Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭(TPT‬‬).

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Trusting, Enduring, Being Restored

 

God only asks us to trust Him and endure through every difficulty by faith. 

The promise in God’s Word reads "After you have suffered a while you will receive the promise," if you endure with faith and endurance.”     ~~ 1 Peter 5:10.

The Promise Translation puts it this way: 

“And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up.”

A Christian Ministry Pioneer for God’s Glory

Fifty years ago while a student at Oral Roberts University, I received God’s call to serve as a Christian media pioneer. I am so thankful that the Lord guided and led me for decades to produce thousands of ministry and Bible teaching TV and radio programs. I feel very fulfilled in that, and I have no regrets. But if there's one aspect of my story that I have been understandably ill-prepared for, it is during my latter years knowing that I have so much more to give as His vision continues to burn brightly within me, but that opportunities seemingly have escaped me.  We face things that we cannot explain, and they drastically affect our plans and potentially even our destiny. But I am not deterred from following the Lord. I'm still “stepping out in faith” because we are “Holy Spirit led.” (James 2:18b, Romans 8:14)

Perhaps going through difficulties and setbacks is (in the wisdom of the Father) God’s way of teaching us what we can only learn in such places of brokenness. 

So, as a pioneer, I have become fluent in the language of broken dreams having “groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26) as I take these situations before Him, seeking His answers, and receiving the strength “with power through his Spirit in my inner being" (Ephesians 3:16) to continue trusting Him. 

I fully expect that God is not finished with me yet. I am not underestimating the importance of the times of “being laid on a shelf” simply as an observer. It is humbling. But “what is impossible for man is possible with God.” (Luke 17:27) I pray that the experiences as a media ministry pioneer along with the extended season of being sidelined are preparing me and making me more pliable or flexible to yet fulfill the plan of God to use me in the future. I am totally surrendered to His will. There is no longer an exultation of accolades of prior accomplishments— only trust as I listen for “His still small voice” (1 King’s 19:12b) to guide me.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” ~~ 1 Peter 5:6–7 (NASB)

I am not settling, and you shouldn’t either for “we walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). 

 

A Day of New Beginnings

Due to the pandemic, like many of you, I was furloughed from my job.  If you have ever lost your job, you know how this feels and the potential negative effects upon your psyche, finances, and maybe even upon your reputation. 

Today Is Different

This time is different because I feel God’s presence so close to me. I have been hearing His voice speaking reassuring and comforting words deep in my spirit simply to trust Him. For the last several weeks I have been literally RUNNING toward the Lord Jesus, my Savior – calling upon His Name, falling down before Him in worship and praise, fasting, praying, and seeking His face.  And what have I been hearing back in my spirit?  The Lord reassures me that the passage in Romans 8:28-30 is still true:

 

“Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. God, in his foreknowledge, chose them to bear the family likeness of his Son, that he might be the eldest of a family of many brothers. He chose them long ago; when the time came he called them, he made them righteous in his sight, and then lifted them to the splendor of life as his own sons.”

This job loss is one of those “All things” that are working together for good in my life.  Losing a job does not seem that it could work together for good to us. However, I have experienced in my own life when I lost a previous job – that within a few months I had another job that paid over twice what I was making. So, I trust God!  He is in control. He sees the future. He loves me. He loves you, too!... more than we both know.

So this time, as I emptied myself and became broken before Him, I felt His loving arms reaching around me (as it were) – His really strong, loving arms holding me, caring for me, loving me. I need His presence. I long to be in His presence. But sometimes we cannot feel Him near us, yet thankfully, He is near, and today I feel Him near - comforting, encouraging, letting me know "It's All Going to Be Okay."  

Pressing Into His Presence

More and more as we press into His presence and call upon His Name, and as we break the power of our earthly desires and simply ask Him to give us and impart to us His desires – His plans, – the burden actually lifts from us.  

What burdens?  The financial pressures mainly, but also the feeling that I want to be useful to the Lord and find that place where my skills, talents, and abilities are valued. So, when we don’t know what to do, I heartily recommend pressing into God, worshiping Him, praising His Name – giving a sacrifice of praise  - the fruit of our lips giving thanks. Not seeking God for a handout, but just to be in His presence worshiping Him, thanking Him for His blessings, for we truly are rich in Him.

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I feel like the world, the cares of life, even our jobs and daily responsibilities seem to take so much of our time that God is pushed out a bit from the rightful place He deserves in the daily routine of our lives. It's not something we overtly do, but sometimes we just become too busy. 

Well, for right now - at least for these past few months, I have had time to spend time in His presence.  This has been a time of humility, a time when I feel needy – yet this is a time when I am beholding Him, His beauty, His faithfulness, His joy, His rest, and His peace.

As A Little Child

I come before Him empty, needing Him as a little child – with no power of my own to pull myself up by my own bootstraps. I am utterly dependent upon the Lord. And I am finding that He is faithful– just as He promised He would be.  How can this be? Because God has given to each of us a measure of faith.  My faith in Him probably could be stronger. I recall the scripture passage in Mark 9:4: "Lord, I do believe! Help me to believe more!" WE version).  For I am human, but I do have faith. We all do. And at this time in my life ONCE AGAIN, God is reminding me to USE my faith to literally SEE WITH the eyes of faith HIM ANSWERING my prayers.  And with my own words, I speak forth BY FAITH (which sees the answer in the Spirit-realm before it happens in the natural realm) that I HAVE A NEW JOB... NO, I have that new HIGH-PAYING CAREER that God has for me ... and JESUS receives all the praise and glory for it.

My Ministry As a Paraclete

I also feel God calling me into having a ministry of my own. For decades, I have been a paraclete called alongside others in ministry.  What is a paraclete, you ask? One who serves as an advocate, intercessor, comforter, helper, exhorter, who enables others. But now the Lord is saying that He has invested much into my life. And I have much to give out. He wants to use me directly to minister to others from the "well of salvation" He has placed within my life.

You know, it is possible that what I had been doing – where I had been working – was only meant to be just for this season. It has been a season of growth and provision. But looking back on it, it has been a time of preparation, too.  Now I am looking unto Jesus more than ever – the Author and Finisher of my faith.  The Passion Translation reads this way the verse in Hebrews 12:2:

 “We look away from the natural realm, and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection.”

If and when my faith seems small, I latch on to Him and His faith. I pray and seek His face, and I He finds me right where I am and comforts me.  For Jesus will not despise any who come unto Him IN FAITH; and I am a Believer just like you are. We are not doubters; we are Believers ---  a whole new species through which the Lord will perform His good and perfect will. He will do this for you and for me so that our lives bring Jesus glory and honor.

Of course, there is that scripture in Deuteronomy 12:28 that tells us:"

“Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that you and your children after you may prosper forever, because you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.” (HCSB)

We are to observe all these words that He commands us today, that it may go well with us and with our children after us – forever. So, when things do not seem to be going our way, we certainly do need to consider, and if need be – REPENT for any known sin, and ask God to redeem and DELIVER us… and He will.  We need to become teachable in areas where we are going 'round the mountain again. Frankly, I am tired of it. I am ready to move forward, and I am asking the Lord to teach me and train me, then to do a new thing in my life.

Yet, meanwhile, we can’t give place to the devil and allow our enemy to beat us up over simply being human.  All of us make mistakes. We are all learning and growing and maturing. We must be confident of this very thing that He which began a good work in us is FAITHFUL to COMPLETE IT!  ~~ Philippians 1:6.

So, we take our hurts, our failings, our disappointments, our losses, our burdens, and all offenses - choosing to forgive others, and we cast all this care – all these things of the world upon the Lord. He is big enough to take it. Jesus died to pay for worry, anxiety, and the cares of life. He will work out our situations and circumstances that seem to be negatives – FOR OUR GOOD.  Amen! Hallelujah!

Redeemed: How I Love to Proclaim It!

Jesus is my Redeemer! Yours, too! He said that in everything (that means EVERYTHING) by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we are to let our requests be made known unto God. Then He will give us His peace that He has not only heard us, but that He is on the scene answering our prayers. ~~ Philippians 4:6. Because if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if He hears us, then we HAVE the petitions we ask for by faith! ~~ 1 John 5:14-15. So right now, I RECEIVE the answer to my prayers, and God gets all the glory.  

So, we will see what God has in mind at this time in our lives – for that new season that is just ahead. We will see God’s faithfulness. We will have a fresh, new lease on life – a clean slate of opportunity, for His mercies endure forever.

God is a businessman.  Here is the great exchange... Our lives for His. Remember Saul of Tarsus? He thought he was doing God’s will – maybe just like us. But God arrested Him – got his attention, and in Saul’s brokenness, God restored him, changed his name, gave him a fresh vision, a hope, a purpose, a mission, and prepared him for a bright new future as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Saul’s response to God was, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” ~~ Acts 9:6.  

Lord, what is it that You want me to do?

This is the prayer of my heart today. And He will show me, and when He does, I purpose to obey. I will do all I can. When He speaks, I will listen, and whether it is something I feel I can do or something that seems so impossible, as long as it is the Lord speaking, I know God will accomplish His perfect will through me.  Amen!

I hope this has blessed you. I am walking humbly with my God. My life is like an open book. I desire that others who follow will see that it pays to serve the Lord to walk in covenant with Him. Hallelujah! And we all will see a miracle taking place in each of our lives when we put Him first. Matthew 6:31-33 (JBP) says:

“So don’t worry and don’t keep saying, ‘What shall we eat, what shall we drink or what shall we wear?! That is what pagans are always looking for; Your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart on the kingdom and his goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course.”

We truly are rich already. And the Lord desires to give us even more because He is all in all. Praise the Lord.

I am praying for you to be continually and abundantly blessed. My God shall supply all of our needs – your needs as well as our needs. Many of you have shared your needs with me, and now I have shared mine   ----- my deepest heart cry with you. We are in agreement that God MEETS all our needs.  This is a time for miracles ----- for God to show Himself strong. We are already rich in Him. We have exchanged poverty and lack for His riches. We have exchanged sickness and disease for His health and wholeness. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. His ways are beyond and above our ways. 

Now we use our faith and speak forth that the answer COMES NOW, in the authority of Jesus' Name! We have our breakthrough. We see it by faith. God's answer is on the way. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. The Lord is El Shaddai, the all-sufficient One Who has seen ahead and placed provision for us on the road of life EXACTLY where we will be so that we will connect with that provision when it is needed. And in it all, He is the oasis. He is the refreshing. We look to the Lord, not to what we perceive to be the answer.  We keep our eyes on our Source.

Surely our checkbook and bank accounts, our stocks or mutual funds are not our source. Our jobs are not our source. Our own selves, our physical strength, our own abilities are not our source. We must look continually to the Lord! He is our Source. We trust in Him.

Thank You, Jesus, that You know our hearts and are making a way through the wilderness for us to follow. We receive Your answers to these our written petitions, and we thank You in advance and rejoice in You! Amen!

Be an Encourager

Be An Encourager

by

Gene Steiner

God has raised me up to be an encourager. I Thessalonians 5:14 tells us that we all should encourage other Believers....those who have had the spiritual wind knocked out through adversity.  Jesus even predicted that the world would hate us Christ-followers. This has happened to many of us - maybe to you as it has to me, for though we are in the world, we are not OF the world.  Life can be difficult, and at times we can become discouraged. Some get to the point where they even want to give up. Yet He who calls us also sustains us. He is faithful, and He gives us the ability to be faithful, too (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)..."Who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Then we go through "stuff" we need other Believers to stand with us - not just in empathy - but in FAITH. God will bring you through whatever you are experiencing - and you WILL have the victory, for it is not how clever we are. It is not a person's bubbly personality. It is God's Word that we speak that encourages. 

Before David became King, in the Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 30 we find that he became discouraged and dismayed because he lost a battle and his family and the families of all his men were captured, all their belongings were stolen, and their homes were burned. It got to the point where his men wanted to kill him. But David was a man of faith. He knew his God.  And we read in 2 Samuel 30:1:  "David was very upset, for the men were thinking of stoning him; each man grieved bitterly over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the LORD his God." 

What did he do? When there was no one else to encourage him, he encouraged himself!  We need that today. Maybe no one else is coming to your rescue, you seemingly have little hope.  But when you know God, you have the power to encourage yourself in Him in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

So, look around you. Find someone who needs encouragement.   If it is yourself, become encouraged in the Lord first, then lift up others. Pray for them. Speak the Word over them. Share with them that we have the victory IN Christ. We must encourage one another to persevere in our faith.  We do this through our actions toward one another, through our professions, and continually upholding others in prayer. The Lord has called us to this ministry. We are paracletes called alongside of others to lift them up and support them in Christian love.  And when we see another Believe stumble, we should be quick to forgive and restore - considering ourselves and how the Lord has forgiven us.

Hebrews 10:24, 25 tell us  "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-----  and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Do you see the Day approaching?  I know I do. We are closer now than ever to His appearing. All the more reason to meet together in prayer, in praise, in worship, and to encourage others; for we need each other!

Copyright _© 2015

Gene Steiner