The Choice Is Yours UPDATED

 Anointed for Service

April 12, 1978

Ordination Service for  Rev. John F. Steiner

(Originally written 8/2011)

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  Joshua 24:15



Trooper John

There once was a young man who came to a point in his life when he knew he had to make a decision.  He had a great future ahead of him as a career patrolman, albeit, a dangerous and difficult future, full of life or death decisions and actions, but a rewarding career and the fulfillment of a life-long dream (at least up until that point in his life).  He was an extremely conscientious officer, taking his position as a peace-keeper and people protector very seriously.  No crisis call was too hard for him. He was right there, "Johnny on the spot", literally, when the calls came.  He risked life and limb to get to the accident victims as quickly as possible without jeopardizing other innocent people's lives in the process.  He was a natural born patrolman, and he actually enjoyed the thrill and excitement of the chase and the sirens blaring.    But there came a day when the Trooper had to make a choice....Like a siren's call it came to him, through a series of frightening events and different signposts along the highway of his life, he realized that he was being groomed and prepared to be a different kind of peace-keeper...a peace"maker", if you will, a new type of "life-saver".  Yes, as the newspaper article below describes quite well, "He Traded His Badge for the Bible."   

(double-click on picture to enlarge to read, then
back arrow to return to blog)

  So, you may ask, "Did the road get easier or safer for travel in this new life?"  Well, not exactly.  The road to the ministry was full of dangerous potholes and detours, some which threatened the lives of our precious children and the sanctity of our home itself...the very home in which we had vowed together like Joshua, the leader of the Israelites who led them into the promised land,

"But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

There were many days in which this "trooper" for the Lord and his young family longed to turn back and "go back to Egypt", just like the Israelites did when things got tough and there was not enough meat to eat and money to pay the bills and people were reviling and ridiculing us for our choice of the "narrow way".  When our children were injured both physically by accident and even in some ways emotionally by cruel and thoughtless people we longed to scoop them up and carry them away to a place of safety and security and yes, even prosperity so they wouldn't have to suffer.  I admit it, we are human.  We felt the pain of frustration, anger, hurt, and even pride.  But for some reason, God would not let us go back.  He said,

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."   II Corinthians 12:9

I wish I could say that I was as strong in my faith as the Apostle Paul and that I could cheerfully say, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Corinthians 12:10)

But there were many days that I didn't like being made stronger...I didn't want to see my children go through such difficult times because of the choices we had made...and see my husband oftentimes humiliated by people who thought they were God's ambassadors to keep him humble and poor, and yet, how could  I/we turn back? We took our calling very seriously...and the words of Jesus in Luke 9:62, which said,

"No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Please don't misunderstand me...I am not saying that all of our thirty-some years of ministry were awful and terrible...no, quite the contrary.  There were many, many years of joy and blessing and honor and peace. They were the best years and the worst years...but they were exactly where we belonged.  Yes, God did give us the grace that was sufficient for us.  He did help us to grow stronger in the process.  He took us through some deep valleys, but also placed us on some high mountaintops.  Sometimes the road was rough and perilous, sometimes it was smooth and pleasant.  Whichever the case, I can honestly say, God was always with us. He has never left us nor forsaken us.

I go back to the book of Joshua again, this time to the first chapter and the ninth verse...and this verse became my life verse throughout those years of journeying through what seemed like the wilderness in many ways...

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."



Rev. and Mrs. John Steiner,
At our first church pastoral position

Receiving his certificate of ordination from the District Superintendent

There we were...bright eyed and "bushy tailed", and totally clueless as to the joys and trials that would come our way.

Current as of today, June 3, 2020:

Yes, we have traveled down a long road, actually now for 50+ years together as man and wife.  We are now happily retired,  but we still have servants' hearts.   The road we traveled was long and sometimes quite perilous, but  I will repeat this again, God's Word is true and He is faithful.  He IS with us, and has ALWAYS been with us, and He will NEVER, EVER leave us, wherever we may go.

As we face uncertain days ahead in this world, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, "a beloved son" in the Lord, and to all of us who serve the Lord:

II Timothy 1:6-7, 12.

6.  "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

7.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

12.  For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."

So let us all persevere together in this life we are living.  God still has work for us to do, until He returns. 

P.S. Note: I had scheduled this to publish on Thursday, June 4th, but for some reason Blogger went ahead and posted it today. Sorry about that. I don't usually post two posts in one day!! Anyone else having issues with the changes that Blogger is making?