Our Humble God

{John 13:12-17; NLT}

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

To me one of the most amazing qualities about God is humility.  Think about the reality of the Creator of the universe is humble.  The One who deserves our worship is humble enough to serve us, His creation.  It is unbelievable.

I know humility is not the first quality that comes to mind when we think about God, but it is one nonetheless.  This quality surprises us because we know how we act when we have a little bit success or a little bit of authority.  Humility is rarely what is on our mind.  What is on our mind are the praise, congratulations, and the admiration of people.  It is hard for us to be humble.

In the text we discover Jesus, who is the exact representation of God, humbly washing the feet of his disciples. This humble service extended to Judas, his betrayer, as well.  The Creator of the Universe humbly stooped to wash the dirt off the feet of his rebellious creation.  What an act of love and humility that was!

May that image of God stick with us as we go about our daily lives.  If our God can be humble, then you and I need to be humble as well.

A World at War

Theoden: I will not risk open war.

Aragorn: Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not.

We have a tendency to forget that we live in a world that is at war.  I am not talking about the war against terror, but the spiritual war that rages all around us.  We may choose to ignore its reality, but it is there none the less.

Our modern western mindset which worships science as the ultimate way of knowing has really turned us off to talking about the supernatural.  That is the reasont a spiritual war raging in the cosmos seems to be the stuff of superstition for most people. As Americans we are too advanced and smart to believe such things!  

We do this to our determent.  By living as if we are not at war we become very vulnerable to Satan's attack. Just because we choose to ignore the spiritual reality around us doesn't make it disappear.  The Enemy is taking shots at us and we don't have the sense to take cover.

The apostle Paul knew this cosmic battle was real.  This is what he wrote in Ephesians:

A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power.  Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.  For we are not fighting against the rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.  In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere (Ephesians 6:10-18; NLT).

I realize that this language of war seems to be melodramatic when we have soldiers who are actually dying on foreign soil.  Let me assure you it is not.  Yes, we are experiencing the harsh reality of war, as every generation has, but that doesn't mean the war of physical combat is any more brutal than the spiritual war that we are involved in.  Everyday people are wounded and destroyed because of the war Satan is fighting against God's Kingdom.  We are his targets since we are God's ambassadors, agents, and soldiers in this world.

Every suicide, every drug addict, every abused child, and every murdered person are victims of this war.  Divorces, pornography, drug abuse, and terrorism are all the result of a world being torn apart by war.  Satan isn't out to tempt you to do wrong.  He is out to destroy your life.  This is the spiritual reality that we ignore.

Christians, we can no longer afford to ignore the spiritual reality going on around us.  It is time we stand our ground and fight.  Fight with truth, fight with love, and fight with prayer.  Be prepared to take hits and be willing to handle the suffering that happens in combat.  Remember, we can make a difference, but we have to be willing to pick up our swords and stand our ground. The fight is on, are you ready to do your part?

The Case for Free Will

Follow @PaulBSteele

Faith is the Foundation

Follow @PaulBSteele

Carrying on Jesus' Work

Team Chemistry: Part 1

When I was playing basketball for Nebraska Christian College we had a goal of winning championships: the conference and national championship. We also had goals for each game that we wanted to achieve. 


 These goals: such as shooting percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds, turnovers; reminded us of what needed to be done game in and game out in order to be successful. Coach Lahm told us if we did these things winning would take care of itself. 

Success, in any area of life begins with goals, and that is true with the Church as well. We need to know why we exist and what we hope to accomplish. The main goal we have, given to us by Jesus, is making disciples of all nations.

The Kingdom of God is bigger than a single nation, a single ethnic group, a single denomination, or a single church family. The Kingdom of God is to each into all the earth and touch all people. We have been called to bring God’s love to the nations. There is one more fundamental goal we need to keep in mind as we try to achieve the goal of making disciples of all nations.

 God has placed us in the world, in this community, to reach out to a hurt and dying world. We are to carry on the work Jesus began.  How can we do this?

 When John the Baptizer was in prison he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to question him if he was the messiah they had been waiting for. Jesus responded; "Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor" (Luke 7:22; NLT).

 Jesus told John’s disciples that he is the Messiah because he was doing what the Messiah was expected to do: help the helpless. Not only did Jesus come to help our spiritual needs, but also to help our physical ones.

 What does that mean for us who follow Jesus today? It means if we are going to carry on the work of Jesus, be His servants and ambassadors in this world we have to be concerned about people. We need to be concerned with people’s physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. We need to care about people in our Church families as well as people in the world.

Follow @PaulBSteele

Created to Crave: Part 16

A Glorious Day!

We live in a noisy and busy world which makes it very difficult for us to pause and truly examine our lives.  When we do what we discover is that our hearts crave.  While our physical bodies crave things like food, air, water, and sleep, our spirits crave things like intimacy, significance, and truth.  We get glimpses of satisfaction in this life, but our souls are never really satisfied.

C. S. Lewis wrote; "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world" (Mere Christianity, p. 121).  The logical explanation for the cravings of our souls is that we were made for another world, a world where God reigns, a place where intimacy thrives, significance is discovered, and meaning is supplied.  Once sin entered this world it was robbed of its potential to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

When we encounter Jesus our hearts get a taste of satisfaction they so desperately crave.  This taste gives us hope that one day we will experience the complete satisfaction we have been longing to have.  The hope of Christianity is that when Jesus returns and sets this world right then we will experience life the way it is meant to be lived, and the desires of our hearts will be met.  What a glorious day that will be!

Follow @PaulBSteele

Created to Crave: Part 15

Jesus is the Light

The presence of evil in the world makes all of us pause and consider the purpose of life.  If there is no bigger purpose and if there is no reason for our creation then the evil around us the pain of life renders life meaningless.  That is why our souls cry out: "What is the purpose of life?"

One day Jesus and his disciples ran into a man who was born blind and this encounter prompted the disciples to ask Jesus a question: "Who sinned, this man or his parents?" Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question helps us make sense of this world.  How does his answer help us?

Wide Awake the Live Blog: Chapter 6

The Activist

One of the truths that J. R. R. Tolkien believed is that humans are "sub-creators."  While God is the ultimate creator of the universe He has designed us with a wonderful capacity to create in this world.  In fact to be creative is part of who we are.  Erwin McManus opens this chapter by writing; "This is both your birthright and your destiny.  To create is in your essence and is essential for living the life God created you to live" (p. 154).

Part of what it means to follow Jesus is to use our creative abilities to build for the Kingdom of God.  We are not to be selfish in how we use our talents, but we are to use them for the benefit of other people.

The world, as Paul describes it, will rob from you your uniqueness.  If you conform to it, you will lose your soul.  You will lose yourself.  To conform to Christ is to allow the One who created you to shape your character.  It is here that God begins to reclaim, redirect, and unleash your creative potential.  To conform to Christ is not to surrender your creative potential but to fully actualize it (p. 157).

Created to Crave: Part 14

Who Sinned?

Just as our bodies crave things like food, water, and air; our souls crave things like intimacy, significance and meaning.  We have a hunger to understand the purpose of our lives and to make sense of the circumstances of our lives.  This is especially true when it comes to evil and suffering.

Today we meet a third anonymous person from the Gospels.  This encounter with Jesus is a little bit different from the previous two we have looked at, the woman at the well and the rich young ruler.  The man we read about today wasn't the one who came to Jesus to discover the purpose of suffering, rather  it was Jesus’ disciples who asked the question.  It was in the encounter with this man who was born blind that provided the disciples with the context to ask their question about the meaning of life.

Life in the Holy Spirit

Follow @PaulBSteele

Seek Contentment in God's Kingdom

Protect Your Heart: Part 1

One of the dangers found in the culture of dating our society accepts is a broken heart.  While it is impossible to be involved romantically with a person without getting hurt, it is possible to reduce the sting and prevent long term damage.  To do this we have to keep circumstances and relationships in proper focus.

First, remember romance and marriage are not essential for happiness or being a faithful follower of Jesus. We can have a full, productive, and satisfying life following Jesus without a romantic relationship.  It is my belief that one of the things which rob so many Christians of joy during the season of singleness is the obsession of being in a relationship.

I know that was my experience.  Rather than using that time in my life to mature, to prepare for marriage, and to use my time building for God's Kingdom; I used it fretting over the fact that I was single.  Every event, even things like helping with church camp, began to take on this anticipation that maybe this is where I would meet my future wife.  Instead of keeping my focus on where it needed to be, I was thinking about possibilities.

Even the couple of times I was in a relationship, before I met my wife, I couldn't freely be myself because I had to do everything I could to hold on to the relationship.  I did this because I thought those relationships might be my last chance at "happiness."

During the two years between my last break up and meeting my wife I did a lot of praying and soul searching.  This is one of the truths that stood out to me as God brought healing to my heart: You don't need to be married to be happy.  The breakthrough came for me roughly two months before Jenny and I met.  I had a dream and in the dream I was older with my dog Barkley as my only companion, and I was content.  A dream that would have at least saddened me before, if not frightened me, gave me hope.

So many single Christians need to arrive at this point and realize that their lives are more than a relationship.  What brings significance, hope, contentment, and joy to their lives is a life lived following Jesus.  I know this is easier said than done, because I have been there, but it can be done.

I want to remind you of the words of Jesus:

 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful." 

  Jesus' disciples then said to him, "If this is the case, it is better not to marry!" 

 "Not everyone can accept this statement," Jesus said. "Only those whom God helps. Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can" (Matthew 19:8-12; NLT).

Now it is important to remember that this happened within the context of a discussion on divorce.  Because of the high value Jesus put on marriage and commitment the disciples believed it would be better not to marry.

Jesus is not saying that marriage is wrong or sinful, but he is pointing out that there is a higher goal in life, and that is God's Kingdom.  When we seek the Kingdom above everything else we will discover that God will provide everything that we need for life (Matthew 6:33).

In order to protect our hearts we must first set our hearts on what we is the most important: The Kingdom of Heaven.  That is where we will find the joy, hope, and contentment our hearts truly need.
Follow @PaulBSteele

We Need to be Different

"Most of us would rather fit in, than stand out. Christ is expecting us to stand out so that people can see the difference." ~ Dave Stone, I'd Rather See A Sermon

One of the difficult responsibilities that we face as Christians is living in the world without being part of the world. This culture of peer pressure isn't just reserved for teenagers, even as adults we experience it.  

I feel it everytime I walk into the Apple store or a sporting goods store.  There are so many different items that I want, not only for their intended function, but to make me a little more cool.  Let's face it, We don't want to be different. We want to be the same as everyone else.  The only difference is that we want to do it with God's blessing.

It Is a Big Deal

A huge problem facing the church in the United States are people who have grown accustomed to not obeying God.  We hear the messages, we read the Bible, and we make no effort to change or to obey and then we wonder why our lives aren't any different than the rest of the world. Obedience is essential!
Follow @PaulBSteele

Created to Crave: Part 13

We Crave Meaning

I don’t have to tell you that we live in a broken world.  Every day as I read the news I come across at least one story that starts me praying as I wonder how something so awful could happen.  How could a parent kill his/her children?  Why does a young college student have to die?  Why does rape and sexual abuse occur?  Why are there so many people suffering from starvation or from terminal illnesses?

I would bet if I asked, you would be able to give me personal account of suffering.  None of us can go through life unaffected by the problem of evil.

Our difficulty is trying to reconcile suffering and a loving God.  We want to believe, but all the bad which happens around us seems to make believing impossible.  We crave to find some meaning to life and the bad things that happen to us.

Here is the question I would like you to consider today: How do you make sense of the world?

Be Who God Created You to Be

Follow @PaulBSteele

Linkage: What's Wrong with Sex Before Marriage?

In a culture that emphasizes sex and devalues marriage it is politically incorrect to talk about why sex outside of marriage is wrong.  We have been told over and over again that sex is no big deal and that it is perfectly acceptable for consenting adults.

While I do believe that people are free to choose how they will live their life that doesn't mean that people should be free from the consequences of those choices.  People can have sex outside of marriage, but that doesn't mean there will not be negative consequences associated with it.

Amy Orr-Ewing tackles this subject in this piece, "What's Wrong with Sex Before Marriage?", at bethinking.org.

How on earth can you answer this question? It is the 21st century after all; surely God doesn't hate you enough to make you say something so ridiculous and old-fashioned that you will lose all your friends! In the gospels, Jesus was asked many difficult questions and he frequently responded with a question before answering more fully. He did this so often that I think we are probably meant to notice it and learn something. 

What is wrong with sex before marriage? How about: 'What is wrong with anything?' In other words, where do you get the moral code by which you live your life? There may be a whole number of different responses: 'I do what I feel is right' - my morals are entirely personal and arbitrary. Or 'society decides what is right and wrong' - laws are made and as long as I stick within them everything is OK. Or anything in between those two responses.

Continue reading What's Wrong with Sex Before Marriage?

How would you respond to that question?

Follow @PaulBSteele

Created to Crave: Part 12

We Want to Matter

You and I have this craving in our heart that compels us to have some sort of significance in our lives.  We want our lives to matter!  In the movie Gladiator Maximus inspires the men following him: "What we do in life echoes in eternity."  That is the sentiment echoes in our hearts as well.

In the Gospels we meet a man who had been blessed by God, who was a leader in his community, and who had dedicated himself to moral living;  yet deep in his heart he craved for something more.  The young man came to Jesus with the question: "What must I do for eternal life."  He wanted his life to matter.

Wide Awake the Live Blog: Chapter 5

The Seer

If we are going to live the life of our dreams and fulfill God's call on our lives we need to focus our intentions.  Dreams and passion might be the launching pad, but sooner or later we must use those things to create life.  That is what chapter #5 is all about.

Every great journey begins with only potential and possibilities.  What can happen as you begin to dream and imagine and open up the full spectrum of all possibilities of your future is that you end up dreaming and never living (p. 124).

As much fun it is to dream we do not want to become just another daydreamer.  In my estimation this is doing the same thing with our lives as the one talent man in Jesus' parable did with his money: hiding it in a hole for safe keeping.  To discover the life of our dreams requires that we take risks with our lives.

Created to Crave: Part 11

Trashed Significance 

Our souls crave.  We crave things like intimacy, truth, and significance.  In the Gospels we read about a man in search of significance.  Even though none of the three Gospels which record this encounter with Jesus give the man this title we have come to know him as the rich young ruler.  He came to Jesus with a question: "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?"

Jesus had finished teaching His followers about faith.  He told them that these children, who love and trust their parents, are the type of people who will inherit God’s Kingdom.  God’s Kingdom doesn’t belong to the rich and powerful or the moral and the religious, but those who live by love and trust in their heavenly Father.

Today is the Day

"Boaz wanted Ruth. The writer allows no question about that. He wanted to call the rabbi, exchange vows, and take her to bed. If I were writing a steamy novel, I would describe in lurid detail his sexual attraction to Ruth. 

"The description would be accurate. But his passion, though including physical desire, is deeper, richer, more enduringly passionate than fleeting, easily satisfied lust. The inspired writer tells the story of a man who strongly desires a woman. The picture of Christ is hard to miss."

 ~ Larry Crabb; Shattered Dreams

There are people we learn about from Scripture with whom we seem to have a connection. For me one of these men is the apostle Paul.  Part of that connection can be attributed to the fact that I was named after the apostle who was from the tribe of Benjamin.  I also believe we are somewhat kindred spirits, sharing a love of intellectual things and yet having a passion to share Truth in a way which connects with everyone.

Death Brings in the New

God is Pro-Life

Jesus calls us to live a life of unimaginable adventure.  It begins the moment we choose to follow Him.  It is not less than to pass from existence to life.  

Erwin McManus; Seizing Your Divine Moment

God told the Israelites:

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" (Deuteronomy 30:19; NLT).  

There is no greater desire God has for us than that of life.  To give us life is the very reason Jesus came; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10b; NASB).  God cherishes life.

God is Pro-Choice

God created people with the ability to choose.  In Genesis we discover that God gave Adam and Eve a choice, but He did not dictate their actions.  Even with so much at stake God allowed Adam and Eve to make the choice on whether or not they would obey Him.

When we examine our lives we recognize that God has given us the liberty to pursue whatever we think will make us happy.  Our choices will, at times, limit our freedom.  Addictions and bad relationships, which are the result of our choices, can hold us in chains which are difficult to toss aside.

God's desire is that we will surrender our lives to Him and follow Jesus.  This is the best way to live and it is the way to usher God's Kingdom into this world.  Even though God is the sovereign Lord of the universe He is not a tyrant.  Instead God allows us the freedom to choice our own path, even when that path is destructive to the world He created. God has given us the freedom to love Him or reject Him.

Faith Does the Impossible

An Age of Hustle and Bustle

As I said, we do not live in a praying age. We live in an age of hustle and bustle, of man's efforts and man's determination, of man's confidence in himself and in his own power to achieve things, an age of human organization and human machinery, human push and human scheming, and human achievement, which in the things of God means no real achievement at all.

~ R. A. Torrey, The Power of Prayer

Created to Crave: Part 10

Seeking Significance

Do you remember that anti-drug campaign from several years ago where the announcer said: No one says, “When I grow up I want to be a junkie.”


I would think that is true. Everyone wants their lives to count for something.  We desire to have meaning and purpose woven into our lives. I remember in 4th grade telling my teacher that when I grew up I was  going to rid the world of crime. It was an ambitious dream, but one that would give my life significance. 


This desire for significance looks different for different people.  It could look like raising a family or being good at our jobs or becoming famous.  We all want our lives to matter.

This is that question I want you to consider today: What gives your life value?

Video: Joy and Suffering Within Worship

In Humility

Created to Crave: Part 9

The Life Giving Well of Intimacy

Very few people like to be alone.  Humans were designed to be connected with other people.  We find the greatest satisfaction when those connection are face to face, but even online connections can provide some of the relief that we seek.

The main problem we run into as we seek satisfaction for our craving for intimacy is sin.  Sin is destroys intimacy.  It rips apart the bridges of trust that have been built and sets fire to houses of love that were established.  I am guessing that all of us have experienced the pain of broken relationships caused by sin.

Libertarian Knowledge #2

The Fascist Threat

This article comes from a speech delivered by Lew Rockwell in October 2011.

Fascism is a word that is thrown around a lot, but is hardly ever used correctly. This is the definition Lew Rockwell uses:

Fascism is the system of government that cartelizes the private sector, centrally plans the economy to subsidize producers, exalts the police State as the source of order, denies fundamental rights and liberties to individuals, and makes the executive State the unlimited master of society.

It is important that as we talk with people that we try to use words accurately.  Fascism is a great example of a word which has been used incorrectly so often that it now in the minds of most people it means something different than it actually does.  You cannot say that the United States is sliding into fascism because the word is associated with evil, and since United States doesn’t look like Nazi Germany than it can’t have fascist tendencies.

Marriage is a Partnership

"Marriage is a partnership.  The husband cannot act independently of the wife, not the wife of the husband.  They must always act together." ~ William Barcly, DSB: The Letters to the Corinthians, The Westminster Press (1975), p. 60

God's System of Personal Liberty

As a follower of Jesus I believe that God has created a universe which is orderly and is based on discoverable and discernible rules and laws. As we discover these fundamental principles of the universe we begin to understand God's original intention for the world and humankind. When we ignore these laws/rules we do so at our peril.

Take gravity for instance. By understanding gravity we can create things which can fly, but we cannot defy the law of gravity. A person who thinks he can defy gravity and fly like Superman will pay the consequence of that belief.