Final Thoughts for 2011

Wow, 2011, it almost done and here I sit wondering what did I do.  Well for one thing I became the new morning man for AM 930 the Light and now am speaking to thousands.  God is good.  I write a daily blog talking about the things that God has laid on my heart but more significant is that God still loves me and has given both eternal and abundant life.  My wishes for you this day is that you would not look at the last year with any regrets.  For one thing you cannot change or go back what happened this year whether good or bad.  Learn from this year and determine to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Determine this year to encourage, inspire and enlighten people.  Be a positive influence to your world.  Sounds like lofty goals but it begins with making Jesus Lord of every area of your life.  Saying God, whatever you want, I will do, say and become. My time, talents and treasures belong to you and are at your disposal.  Let my thoughts, words, deeds and attitudes reflect you this year and daily let me be a blessing.  At least that is what I will be saying.  What you do is up to you.  Have a great day.    

New Year Resolution

As each New Year approaches I do actually make resolutions and they look relatively the same every year.  They are as follows.

1.  I promised to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and to love my neighbor as myself.
2.  I resolve that everyday, I will do, say, think and live the way God wants me to live.
3.  I resolve the pray, read my Bible, go to God's house and reach as many people for Christ as I can.
4.  I resolve to spend time with my spouse, family and those in my sphere of influence and each time I am with them to leave them better than when we last met.
5.  I resolve to make each moment count and maximize my impact on others in the minimum of time.
6.  I resolve to love, unconditionally, accept others with prejudice and forgive without reservation.
7.  I resolve to live my life to the fullest without regrets because I am doing what God wants, when He wants, where He wants, with who He wants, why He wants, how He wants.  For His praise and glory.

Promises for the future.

As we approach a brand new year there is always a hope and change for the future.  I believe 2012 will be a year of dynamic change.  This change however must be done by each of us.  We must change our apathy into action.  We must change our indifference into love for our fellow man.  Our love for materialism, gadgets and the latest thing must be changed to using our resources wisely for the Kingdom of God.  The debt that we has amassed must be slowly and wisely removed so we can breathe financially again.  The way we view ourselves and others must changed.  We spend so much on ourselves and so little on others.  If you do not believe me, just check your receipts at the end of the month and see where your money was spent.  What must change is the belief that we deserve what we get.  You have been given grace and mercy from the Lord, something you did not deserve.  We must change the amount of time we spend with God.  The few minutes you give Him through the day and yet claim to have a real relationship with Him.  We must change the time we spend with our spouses and loved ones, they are worth so much more than the job we seem to spend so much time with.  What must change is our greed, love for the world and general lack of concern for the souls of others, 95% of Christians will never lead a soul to Christ or invite someone to church.  This selfishness must change.  So as 2012, approaches I pray for change.  If is doesn't, heaven help us because who wants more of the same. 

Getting ready for a new Year

The week between Christmas and New Year is always a down time for the Steel family.  We have just finished our big push for Christmas and this year was especially busy with the big Christmas dinner so wonderfully lead by Cara Parateau and her cousin and friend Kim.  This week I have been focusing on the radio program I host on Am 930 the Light.  New week I will be working on things for the church for 2012.  To the point of what I writing on this day.  As we approach 2012, what should we be looking for?  We do we think 2012 holds for us?  Like any new year we hope better things personally.  This year I believe we will see more economic problems, more climate change, greater trouble on the world stage, higher rates of crime, higher personal debt and greater moral failures.  Why so pessimistic you ask?  Because the world has not changed and neither have the majority of people.  True reformation only comes through Jesus Christ.  Until we have a great revival in Canada and the Western world, greed, poverty, crime, inequality and social ills will rule the day.  My prayer is this year we would see a break through for God's glory.  This can start on a small scale when it happens to us and we decide to effect our world's for Christ.  Gypsy Smith was asked once how to have a revival.  His answer went like this, "Draw a circle around yourself and don't leave the circle until God has changed your heart."  Good advice.

What in the world are we doing?

   What in the world are we doing?  That is an excellent question for what is happening today.  Climate change, dirty oil, pcp's, economic chaos and so much more.  It seems we are heading towards the brink of disaster.  A couple of weeks ago, the European leaders got together to avert an economic meltdown.  The only thing that the meeting produced was a delay.  As the the world teeters on the edge men are still not willing to make common sense choices.  Greek civil servants so use to having the government take care of them are rioting in the streets because the government cannot afford these perks any more. In the U.S. unemployment is still hovering above 10% and millions are still looking for jobs with Republicans and Democrats fighting over who is to blame when in reality they  both are. 

   Now this blog is not an economic, social or political expose.  It is a simply asking the question, how did we get here?  Man's greed, indifference, apathy and lack of common sense brought us here.  Simple economics says you cannot spend what you do not have. Sooner or later the gravy train leaves the tracks.  Another fact, you cannot continue pumping billions of tons of fossil fuels into the atmosphere without something happening.  Another fact, greed will always lead to exploitation, the rich, the poor and human woes.  Is there a solution?

   All solutions to the world condition are complex except one.  Jesus Christ came to save mankind.  He reforms men from the inside out and in turn they lead others out of chaos.  For example, 18th England was a dangerous place.  John Wesley saw what was happening in France with the Revolution and saw many of those ideas coming to England.  Democracy is not a bad thing but never when it comes with murder and beheading.  Wesley believe that the only way to reform England was to reform individuasl through the power of Jesus Christ.  He would spend 50 years of his life doing just that and at the end of his time England was totally different.  Reformation and common sense begin in the heart.  What the West needs is a revival and the reformation it brings.  Today let it begin with you.  Let Jesus change your heart.

Boxing Days blues

I am sitting here at my desk wondering what happened.  Christmas this year was a blur and now it is one day after and I wondered what was all the hype.  My son and I were sitting at home this year after the Christmas Eve service and we realized that we were the only ones to watch the Grinch who stole Christmas a family tradition until this year.  We decided not to watch it because we already knew who would win the contest for the best face.  Ryan as always.  There is nothing sadder to see a tradition laid aside or seeing Christmas change for a loved one.  Now that our children have grown they are starting and building their own traditions.  Our lives have changed and we have to focus on new realities.  The first reality is that Christmas is for the kids in us.  We must never lose and this year I did a little.  Fortunately as I write this I have decided to not grow up.  Being an adult is over rated.  I do not want to lose my child like faith.  I still believe that God can do all things.  That He loves us and that He wants the best for us.  I also still believe that people who love the Lord are good because of Christ despite the fact I see the opposite.  I have notice the decline in the priorities of the people of God but I still believe it is not the end of our story.  So enough of the blues and onto the message of Christmas.  Christ came to give us new life and let us embrace this and continue writing a great story of life.  

Break through

   As I sit in my office pondering what I am going to write I am reminded of God's faithfulness and ability.  There have been many times in my life where things seem to be stalled and not going anywhere.  It is in these times I reflect on God's faithfulness in the past and His word.  Baal Perazim is a word used in the Old Testament to described how God is the God of the Breakthrough.  There is probably no time in recent history where the church and the people of God need a break through as we do today.  Apathy, lethargy and sloth seem to rule the day.  The church seems almost weak and inept in the face of societal forces but that is really the farthest thing from the truth.  God is still moving by His Spirit and our best days are yet to come.  God's timing is the real issue here.  God has a perfect timing and our responsibility is to be faithful until He has all things work out.  Do not get discouraged or distracted I tell myself constantly.  Wait and see the salvation of our God.  Break through is coming.

Real Priorities.

   Today is my Birthday.  For the sake of confusion.  I am 39 again.  I am like Jack Benny, I will always be 39.
On birthdays you cab rethink and refocus to what life is all about.  For me it has been about what I wish to do in my world.  My first priority must be my walk with God.  I want the Lord to be Lord of every area of my life.  My thoughts, words, deeds and actions.  David wrote, "To those that are pure, you show yourself pure."  There was a song in the 1970's which it right to the point of what I am thinking today. "Clean before my Lord, I stand and in me not one blemish does He."
   My next priority is to my wife Lois and my children and grandchildren.  Today we will all be meeting Lord willing at the Moose and Deer. (Montana's).  I want to be a better husband, father and grandfather to each of you.  At the end of the day.  God will look and say to me, "Well done thy good and faithful servant."  This must include the way I role model and mentor the life of Christ for my family.
   The third priority must be touching my world for Christ.  In my time of meditation and reflection today I came to a powerful conclusion.  I am a strong believer in free will.  I see it through out the Bible from when Adam and Eve choose to eat the forbidden fruit to the last exhortation of the book of Revelation where John says, to all who read this book, "Come."  God has given us a choice and with that choice comes eternal consequences.  I believe very strongly in the exhortation of Ezekiel where God charges Ezekiel to tell everyone.  Ezekiel was told that if he did not tell them he was held responsible.  God then said, "If you tell them, the hearer was then responsible for their own fate.  If you do not tell them Ezekiel, you are responsible."  I believe that I am suppose to tell every one in my world about Christ.  I am not responsible for any one else but those in my world.  With thought in mind, that is what I am going to do.  First, I am going to bring the matter to God and pray for those in my world and once I have ask the Lord for divine intervention I will then go forth in His anointing and power to touch my world.  Being a pastor has prepared me for the greatest opportunity yet.  To speak to Edmonton, Northern Alberta and the world on AM 930 the Light.  I will do this and believe for the best yet.

Now seven shows into my dream.

To sit in the AM 930 the Light Studio and do my daily radio program is a dream come true.  God told me when I was 21 that one day I would be doing a daily radio program in a major market and that has come true.  I consider myself as an old charismatic friend said, "Blessed and Highly."  The past two years have not been without their struggles.  My wife Lois went through cancer and the loss of her mom and dad.  But even in those times God has been faithful.  If you struggle sometimes with God's timing or going through something you don't understand that is the time to press into God.  I do that and many miracles have happened.  If you need one ask God He is only a prayer away.

Two days before the launch.

I always tell people to never give up on their dreams and believe in God`s timing.  On Monday morning I have the privilege to host the morning show on Am 930 the Light.  I have had a dream of doing such a program since I was 11.  It has taken a while and now with God`s favour that is what has happen.  I wish to thank the management and staff at Am 930 the light and Shine FM.  I trust that their faith in me has not been misplace and tat I will do bot God and them a great service.  So listen at 6:00 a,m, through 8 a.m. for the Morning SHow with Robert Dean and pray for me.

Don\t let the sun go down on your wrath.

Paul gives us a wonderful exhortation when he says that we are not to let the sun go down on our wrath.  Carrying anger, hurts and unforgiveness to the next day just makes the the wall between you and others bigger.
Night time is meant for sleeping but when you go to bed with an issue of anger or hurt, you mind works over time and you go over the issue again and again and it can become justification for a negative response or long term hurt.  Dealing with things right away or as soon as you can is the best method.  It is o.k. to take a time out for think things through but as soon as you can deal with the issue so that forgiveness can flow, healing can start and relationships can be built again.  Phyliss Diller said, "don't let the sun go down on your wrath, stay up and fight."  Not recommended either.  Paul's advice was to stay up until it is resolve if possible.  It will help sleep better at night as well.    

Real Love

Tonight I will be sharing on 1 Corinthian 13 which is called the Love Chapter.  What I find so fascinating is in Vs 1-3, that Paul indicates that we could actually live an entire life time, producing, receiving and being of no value.  Paul reminds us in these verses that love is the key and foundation for life.  It protects us from legalism, loveless relationships, selfishness and self absorbing behavior.  I cannot fathom how a person can live a lifetime and make no significant contribution of others but unfortunately I have done many funerals where that has been the case.  Imagine you live 50-100 years and not change lives for eternity.  To many lives are focused on self and not others.  Mark Buntain said once that our lives are called to be lives of influence and this is progress fully in the love of God.  So today my exhortation is love the way God wants you to love and then you will produce, receive and be of real value.

Phil Joel

Friends it is only one week till Phil Joel will be joining us at Cornerstone.  If you want to come let us know.  Our Phone number is 780-459-0551.  Our location is 22 Sir Winston Churchill Ave  Grandin Park Plaza.  See you there.

Tomorrow

Pastor Gary Heinrichs will be at Cornerstone Fellowship tomorrow in St. Albert.  Gary is one of those rare people that take his cal of God seriously.  He is going to Mexico to minister to the people there.  Not a safe place these days but I admire him for his willing to serve.  The challenge for each of us is that we are all call to serve as Christians.  The reality is that are to serve wherever we are.  I have been called to St. Albert but I did serve 17 years in the North.  God has given us one lifetime and each day to make a difference.  Never apologize for trying to help someone know Christ.  It is like a person who tries to rescue a person from a fire.  You know it is the best thing and so you do it.  You know that salvation is the best thing ever to happen to share it with confidence because if someone hears you and respond on the day they meet the Lord they will be so glad you did your part to introduce them to Christ.  Gary will do that in Mexico.  I hope you do it in your world.

Clash of Christianity and Consumerism.

The city I live in is a great place to live but the church here is stifled by the consumerism mentality.  Living in the most affluent city in Alberta is a challenge and blessing.  Resources are available for the Kingdom the problem is that many in this city go outside to Edmonton to spend their resources.  Hundreds even thousands travel to Edmonton, Spruce Grove, Sherwood Park and Morinville to go to church and they give their time, talents and resources to these communities at the expense of the churches in St. Albert.  Out of the some 25 churches in this city about half are one hundred in a city of $60,000.  The rest of the churches average between 200-500 on a given Sunday.  Yet we have large churches within a mile of the city pulling people and resources to them.  This is such a paradox.  Our first responsibility to evangelism is to our own home community, then places nearby. It seems here it is role reversal.  Now this is not a new problem, it has been going on for decades.  So how does one break this problem.  Pray, the stronghold's of consumerism and its blindness must be broken.  No person will see until their eyes have been opened.  Next, confront, remind those of this city that where they live first is their mission field.  You will never be a successful missionary or transformer of lives until you transform the world in which you live now.  There are over 50,000 lost people here.  They need our resources, time and talents here.  Perish the thought that a believer stands before the Lord on the day of accounting and find out that their most important mission field was neglected while the communities next door benefited before their own.  Many head will hang in shame.  Think about this.  

The urgency of the hour.

I have been working on my series on the end times.  I have never felt strongly about the closeness of the coming of the Lord.  There has never been such an urgency in my heart.  I feel compelled everyday to do as much as I can for Him.  I don't want to waste a single moment.  My thought is that I want to have Maximum impact in the minimum amount of time.  I hope that is your prayers as well.