I recently had the opportunity to ride along with my dad in the combine. Now I have to admit it was only a midsize Massey Ferguson with a six row corn head. But hey, I had to take what I can get; I’m still waiting for an invitation from a farmer around here to ride in a John Deere with a twelve row head. Anyway, wow could that thing eat the corn; according to the display screen we were traveling at about five mph while harvesting 230 bushels per acre.
As we were traveling along, my dad and I began to reminisce about what harvesting was like fifty years ago. Back then if an acre produced a hundred bushels of corn it was considered a “crib buster.” The corn was harvested in the ear with a two row picker, hauled to the farm yard in small dump box wagons, and then emptied into corn cribs. What would’ve taken weeks to harvest back then now can be accomplished in one day. I think you would have to agree, the amazing reformation in harvesting technology over the past 50 years has really increased productivity in the agriculture industry.
Speaking of reformation, this Thursday, October 31, marks the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation that was initiated by Martin Luther back in 1517. Luther had major concerns about some of the leadership practices and abuses that were hindering the fruitfulness of God’s Church. The common folk were being deceived as to how a person attained salvation. The spiritual abuse taking place was that the people were forced to pay money to the church government in order to have their sins forgiven or to have their loved ones set free from purgatory.
As Luther reflected on those who were governing the Church, and the way they were conducting their lives, he realized it was time for reform. As Luther interpreted Scripture, it was clear to him that the current practices of the Church of that day were far from the intended purpose of the Church that Jesus died for. The truth of the Bible had become twisted and distorted and rather than becoming life changing and freeing, following Jesus had been reduced to religious bureaucracy. What a sad testimony about the Bride of Christ.
So what do you think? Would you say 500 years later that the Church in America is any healthier or fruitful? Maybe we aren’t charging people to have their sins forgiven, but does our current method of discipleship really equip people to experience the abundant life within the kingdom of God? What reformation must take place in order to help people become more passionate about inviting lost people into the kingdom of God? What reformation must take place in my heart that would draw me to abide more deeply in the vine so that I would bear more fruit?
As I reflect on the current health and fruitfulness of ARC, I am so excited to see the many ways we have joined with God in his redeeming work. And yet I still have some major concerns; like Martin Luther I have a vision for further reform. Maybe we could learn from the farmers; they had a vision for more than two row corn pickers. Consistory, again it starts with us, I believe God has a greater vision for this ministry than we are experiencing. It’s time for another reformation! Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
To God be the Glory, Mike

I’m sure many of you have shared this experience in one form or another, but as I was traveling to Prior Lake on Wednesday, a Highway Patrolman exited an off- ramp and began following me. Immediately I checked my speed and some how my right foot automatically moved from the accelerator to the brake pedal (you know the reaction).

Now I don’t know about you, but I find it almost humorous how I drive when a patrolman is following me. It’s almost as if I was 15 years old again and the drivers ed instructor is sitting beside me—hands at ten and two. I immediately pay very close attention to how fast I’m going, checking the speedometer several times a minute even though I have the cruise control set. My eyes begin scanning back and forth for possible dangers ahead, then glancing in the rear view mirror to see what’s going on behind my vehicle, also hoping the patrolman has pulled off somewhere. Unlike one of my sons who would occasionally begin swerving back and forth when an officer was behind him, I made sure I drove as straight as possible.

As I reflected on my traumatic experience, I wondered, why do I become so much more attentive and alert when a patrolman is following me than when there is not. Are highway patrolmen or women malevolent people? Why do I have stronger feelings that they are out to get me than that they are just doing their jobs to keep the highways safe? Shouldn’t I actually feel safer when I’m in the presence of a patrolman? And why did I breathe a huge sigh of relief when he turned off and headed another direction?

There was a time in my life I felt the same way about God as I do a patrolman. I felt this great sense of uneasiness and apprehension when I was in God’s presence. Rather than seeing him as the Psalmist does in Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble,” I mistakenly saw him as the avenging, wrath-filled God as found in Hebrews 10:30, “The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall in the hands of the living God.”

Since then I have come to gain a clearer understanding of God. Rather than feeling uneasy in God’s presence, I find peace and comfort knowing he loves me deeply and that he would never do anything that wasn’t in my best interest. On the other hand, I have also discovered the importance of fearing God— of trembling in his presence— because it’s when I’m most attentive and alert to the Spirit’s presence that I keep from falling into the sin that so easily entangles me.

I have a friend who is a Highway Patrolman and he is a very caring and loving person, yet if he were to pull me over, he must remain true to his badge which may mean giving me a ticket. (He actually pulled his wife over once and gave her a ticket).

The same is true of our God; although loving, gracious and merciful, God must also remain true to his nature of being holy and just. My prayer for each one of you is that you would enjoy basking in the presence of God. God cares deeply about you and me and promises to work for our good and his perfect love drives out all fear. May his goodness and love follow you all the days of your life!

Under His watchful eye, Mike

A couple of weeks ago I was pushing my granddaughter on the glider of her swing set. When we swing on the glider, Rilyn has to bring her little friends along. Dora gets stuffed into the crack of the seat across from her, while Giraffe sits on her lap. The interesting thing about Rilyn is that she likes me to push her as high as the glider will go, so we have to strap her and Giraffe into the seat with my belt.
As I began pushing her higher and higher, I heard Rilyn reassuring Dora and Giraffe that everything was going to be OK. She said to them several times, “You don’t have to worry, I will keep you safe, it’s OK.” Well, for two and half years old, I thought Rilyn’s words of comfort were amazingly mature.
In the past two articles, I have been sharing some insights from Jim Putman’s book, Discipleshift. He would say that one way of determining a person’s spiritual maturity is to simply listen to what a person says. Quoting Jesus from Luke 6:45, Putman would say “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” So far I have shared examples from the “dead,” “infant,” and “child,” stage. In this article I will share some examples of what a young adult and parent would say as they are becoming more like Jesus.
In I John 2:13-14 we find that a spiritual young adult is increasingly gaining victory over evil and is growing in intimacy with the Father. They are becoming less self-centered and more God and others centered. Walking as Jesus walked is becoming a more prominent way of life. A spiritual young adult can be heard saying things like:
In my devotions today, I began to meditate on why it is that God is mindful of mankind.
I’d like to go on the Haiti mission trip this summer because I believe I will gain new insight into what God wants to do with my life.
I love teaching Sunday School, it seems God is working through me to help the kids grow in their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.
I have a coworker who thinks most Christians are hypocrites, I know I’m not perfect, but I shared how God is changing my life.
I was in the grocery line last week and because of the government shut down, the clerk wouldn’t take the food stamps of the person in front of me, so I just paid for her groceries.
And then finally, although the Holy Spirit is the only one who births people spiritually, a spiritual parent is one who intentionally disciples one or more people. Spiritual parents are passionate about bringing the Kingdom of God to their circle of influence which flows from their love relationship with God. A spiritual parent says things like:
I wonder how I could build relationships with some of the people in the trailer court.
I’m going to start a small group to help our men become spiritual leaders of their family.
Kids, as part of our devotions tonight, I’d like to share my vision for our family.
I have had several classmates in our school whose dads have passed away, I think I will ask my Pastor to join me in starting a support group.
My business has been so profitable; I think I’m going to fund a new church start in our Classis.
After reflecting on my swing time with Rilyn, I could only wonder how many times Mitchel and Traci reassured her that she doesn’t have to be afraid either; in a sense, Rilyn is becoming a growing disciple of her parents. And how about you, do the things you say and do reflect that you are a maturing follower of Jesus? Under His Mercy, Mike

In last week’s article I shared some insights with you from Jim Putman’s book, Discipleshift. He would say that one way of determining a person’s spiritual maturity is to simply listen to what a person says. Quoting Jesus from Luke 6:45, Putman would say “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Last week I gave some examples of what a spiritually dead person would say, this week I will give examples of what a spiritual infant and child would say.

Does it really say that in the in the Bible?

This is my money, I worked hard for it. I’m not giving that much away.

Can I just skip church this morning and sleep in?

Shall we go see that new R-rated movie tonight?

I’ve always connected with God through nature. I’d rather be in my boat fishing and thinking about God, than be in church thinking about fishing.

Can I accept Jesus as my Savior without making him Lord?

Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?

Where can I find a church that really cares about me?

Holy Spirit, who’s that?

Spiritual infants tend to lack knowledge of what Jesus taught—often a product of the culture they grow up in. They are ignorant and therefore ask lots of questions. Their lives are generally all about them and what they think works to fulfill their perceived needs. Like infants, their lives are pretty much made up of consuming, comfort, and making messes. They require patience and constant attention, but they also bring a great deal of joy to life. Infants realize their need for a Savior, but are ignorant to what it means to follow Jesus.

The next stage of spiritual growth is the child stage. In this stage, people are growing in their relationship with God and others and are learning the “language” of what it means to be Christian. A spiritual child can be anywhere from five to ninety years old. Though they are growing, the focus of their conversations are still self-centered. They say things like:

• I stand in the narthex and no one says hi to me. No one cares about me; this church isn’t meeting my needs anymore.
• I’m just not being fed by the pastor’s sermons.
• I don’t want to go to Sunday School OR youth group!
• Small group, no one is going to make me get into a small group. Besides, I’m just too busy.
• I think I’ll send the Pastor an unsigned letter letting him know how I feel about those new songs.
• Why do we have to sing those old hymns?
• I don’t think the worship service should last for more than an hour.
• If they keep making those changes, I’m going to stop giving my offering.
• Who was that new family in church and did you see how they were dressed?
• I just don’t have a lot of time right now to help people.
• My cousin was just killed in a car crash and now I got fired from my job, why would God do that to me?

May it be said of each one of us that the Father’s love has sparked our passion for growing in the grace and knowledge of or Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace, Mike

A while back I was visiting with one of our local pork producers and he was telling me about a conversation he had with one of his past employees. As part of his duties in the hog operation, the employee he was telling me about was responsible for herd health, facility maintenance, receiving and loading out the hogs, and for power washing the inside of the finishing facilities after each cycle.

When it came time to power wash the inside of the finishing unit, this employer instructed his new employee that it was time to begin pressure washing. Well, after giving instructions on the process and how to operate their equipment, much to the employer’s surprise, the employee said, “You know, I’ve done a lot of pressure washing in my day, I don’t think I’m really interested in doing that job.”

Can you believe the immaturity of his response? Especially if that’s what he was hired to do.  Imagine if you were the employer, how would you respond to such statement? And yet when it comes to being disciples of Jesus, isn’t that often our response. When Jesus informs us of a certain process of discipleship or instructs us to do something, don’t we often act like we’re above the task or just not interested.

In his book, Discipleshift, Jim Putman shares what he believes are the five different shifts the church must make if we are going to be intentional about developing disciples who actually follow Jesus. And he would say that an important part of making disciples is to identify their level of maturity, and the way you determine the level of spiritual maturity is by how a person speaks. Like Jesus said in Luke 6:45, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Over the next few weeks, I will share some of his examples of the things people might say at the different levels of spiritual maturity. Today I begin with what a spiritually dead person might say.

I don’t believe there’s a God.

The Bible is just a bunch of myths and manmade stories.

Religion is a crutch for the weak.

I’m spiritual, but I don’t focus on one religion.

There are many ways to God.

I don’t believe in hell. How could a loving God send people to hell?

I’ve been a pretty good person; I’ll take my chances with the big man upstairs.

I don’t believe there is an absolute right or wrong. I’ll determine what I believe to be true.

Yes, I believe in Jesus, but I’m too busy to spend time with him.

As we reflect on how we respond to Jesus invitation to follow him, may the words of our mouths and the mediations of our heart be pleasing in the sight of our Lord, our Rock and Redeemer.  Mike

I was traveling past the Hartquist Funeral Home this past week and noticed that Jeff was backing the funeral coach into the garage. That in itself wasn’t that big of a deal other than, as he was backing into the garage, I noticed his two little boys were fairly close beside the car. Both of them were jumping up and down with what appeared to be great joy and excitement. The smallest boy, maybe three years old, was just jumping up and down and waving his arms with great enthusiasm, while the older and bigger boy, maybe five years old, was jumping up and down waving his one arm in a circular motion as if to tell his dad to keep backing up.
Several thoughts popped into my mind as I drove by. First, I wondered, was the behavior of the little boys the effect of growing up in the home of a mortician. Would those two little boys have kept jumping for joy if they knew there was a dead person in the back of the hearse? (I don’t know if there actually was a deceased person in the back). Imagine the surprise.
And then I thought about how many times I acted like those little boys. There have been many times I returned home with something new that I thought was going to be really great, but in the long run it turned out not to be so great.
It’s kind of like buying a different car on payments; it’s really fun and exciting for about a month until you realize how much of your paycheck it eats up. Or, it’s like the excitement of bring a new puppy home, only to realize one day it would become a furniture eating monster. Or like the person who recently was sharing with me how excited he was to first be married, but now wishes he would’ve never met her.
You know how it is, “Sometimes there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).
On a brighter note, the second thought I had about the two exuberant little boys was, I wonder when I die and Jesus sends his angles to transport me home, what will the welcome home celebration be like. Will there be additional angels, friends, and family members celebrating God’s amazing grace? I can already see the shock of some of my relatives that have passed away. They’re going to be saying to each other, “I can’t believe he made it.”
As I think about the brief time I have left on this earth before a mortician backs my dead body into his funeral home, I have to say I am overwhelmed with joy at the thought of God’s great salvation. I wait with eager anticipation knowing that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for me and one day soon he will be coming back for me. I hope the same is true of you.
In the meantime, like the little boys who were cheering their dad on, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Grace and peace to you, Mike

As I’ve driven around the countryside this past week, it’s been interesting to see how the soybean crop is maturing. There is one field about five miles south of Luverne that is particularly interesting in that there are plants that are only about six inches tall that are dead and ready to be harvested, and yet within the same field there are bean plants that are tall and green and are still maturing. Even from the road it’s clear that the short dried out beans will produce very little while the tall plants will produce an abundant crop.

As I thought about the wide variety of maturity in this soybean field, I wondered what kind of planter the farmer had that he could plant several different varieties of beans within the same pass. I wondered if the farmer did this on purpose to create some kind of artwork for us to enjoy this fall.  And then I thought it was interesting how spotty the rains must have been; one part of the field had abundant rain while other parts must have experienced no rain at all.

OK, by now you know me well enough to know what I was thinking of next. As I was reflecting on this field, what Bible story was I thinking about? Who told the story? And where is the story found—Old Testament or New Testament? Yes, the parable that Jesus told is recorded in Mathew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. And based on the story, what was the harvest most dependant on? Yes, it was the type of soil, right? The reason the soybean field I was looking at was so different was because of the differ types of soil.

From Mark 4:14-20, ¹⁴ “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

^16-17 “And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

^18-19 “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.

²⁰ “But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”

And so after reading the scripture, what might be my next questions? That’s right, the next questions the parable raises for me are: What type of soil am I? If God were to look down on American Reformed Church as a field where he has sowed his Word, would he see that I’m rich black soil, light sandy soil, or hard as stone soil? Is his Word being choked out by the worries and idols in my life?

Has his Word taken deep root in my life, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, is my life producing a harvest of righteousness and peace as well as tens and hundreds of new disciples?  And as one who stands in the same field as I, how would you answer those same questions?

May it be said of ARC, that we are people who stand in good, rich, black soil, yielded to the Holy Spirit, growing and eagerly ready to produce a harvest beyond our wildest dreams!

Laboring for the Harvest, Mike

This past week Vicki and I enjoyed a motorcycle ride down the Loess Hills Scenic Byway. If you’re not familiar with the Loess Hills, it’s a unique land formation of windblown silt called “loess” which extends nearly 200 miles in a narrow band adjacent to the Missouri River Valley. The Scenic Byway begins in Akron, Iowa and ends in Hamburg, Iowa and in addition there are a number of loops that we could venture on along the way.

The weather for our trip was perfect for motorcycling and because there was a mini motorcycle rally in the Moorhead, Iowa area, we encountered hundreds of other motorcyclists along the winding road. For the most part, the hills were filled with pastureland, trees, corn and soybean fields.

We were really enjoying our ride until a few miles south of Interstate 680 we were notified by some signs that a bridge was out and the road was closed.  The weird thing was, there was no detour offered. From the map on my phone we could either take a five mile detour on gravel, or we could turn around and get on the Interstate and reconnect with the byway after traveling through Council Bluffs.

We had a choice to make, and neither of the two options looked that good to me. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to drive my motorcycle on five miles of gravel, nor did I relish the thought of navigating my way through Council Bluffs without really knowing where we were going. So what did we do? We abandoned our journey and decided to go visit Vicki’s sister in Norfolk, Nebraska instead.

After making the choice to abandon our original plans, I began to question my decision. Really, one minor little road block, and I choose to give up the exciting journey we were on. I guess I really wasn’t that committed to our journey was I.

As we road further, I thought about the time when many of Jesus’ followers encountered a road block. The story is found in John 6. The movement of Jesus’ followers was really building momentum. With great excitement, hundreds if not thousands of people began their exciting journey with Jesus. And then Jesus threw up this little road block, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in him. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”  (If you go to a Viking’s game this year, I dare you to take a sign that says “John 6:53”).

After hearing Jesus words, it says in John 6:66, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” What, one challenging teaching and they abandoned their life changing journey with Jesus. If you’re familiar with the story then you know many of the people thought Jesus was calling them to participate in cannibalism.  And yet that’s not what Jesus was referring to. He was simply saying, “If you’re going to follow me then you must embody my life. My message must become your message. My way of life must become your way of life. The way I serve and love must become the way you serve and love.”

And how about you, in making the choice to follow Jesus, have you given him permission to live out his life through you? Do you find some of Jesus’ teaching’s about commitment offensive? Are there areas in which you were once committed, but since have turned back?

May it be said of us that once we decide to walk with Jesus, we never turn back.

In the dust of the Rabbi, Mike

Vicki and I enjoyed a day of vacation this past Thursday by traveling up to Minneapolis. In addition to a delicious meal at the Cheese Cake Factory with our son Jonathon and his wife Chelsey, we enjoyed the sights, the sounds, the smells and the scorching heat of a Twins game at Target Field.

Although once a much more avid fan of the Twins, I still appreciate a trip to the ball park. Upon arriving at the ballpark and meeting up with Jonathon, we made our way to some great seats about 20 rows up from third base. And after applying a thick coating of sun-screen we sat down to watch the game.

As a fan, there is so much to take in at these games. I first scanned the line up on the giant screen out in center field. It felt somewhat strange, out of the eighteen players listed on the Twins and Royals rosters, I only recognized one name, Justin Morneau. And in addition to not recognizing any of the players, I noticed none had a batting average over three hundred.

The peculiar feeling revealed several things to me. First, if I don’t know any of the names of the players, can I really call myself a “Twins fan”. Second, I’m getting older; most of the players were the ages of my sons. And third, I concluded that if I connect with you on only three out of ten sermons, both you and I should be pleased with that.

I also learned I’ve become a fair weather fan. It was so hot that before the game even started, we abandoned our prized seats in order to move up under the shade of the second deck. Fair weather fan or not, I still had a great time at the game. Equal to watching the players on the field, I love watching the other fans. Some of them really get into it. The guy behind us was constantly yelling; taunting the Royals players with some carefully thought out words and phrases intended to hurt their feelings.

I also noticed that the more dedicated fans were decked in all kinds of Twins shirts and hats. At one point, as I was observing only the fans to my right, I counted eight people who were checking their smart phones, which of course prompted me to check mine to see if I might be missing something “really important.” The guy to our left was probably the most dedicated fan. I noticed, he was actually tracking the progress of the game in his scorebook. And then last but not least, it’s almost impossible not to notice the robust fans that come to the game to escape reality by medicating themselves with multiple $8 beers.

As the Twins were being taught yet another baseball lesson by the Royals, I found myself struggling to “keep my head in the game.” Instead I found myself reflecting on a book I read by Kyle Idleman entitled, Not a Fan. In his book, Idleman challenges his reads to consider; when following Jesus, are you a follower or a fan. When I reflect on how I’m living my life as a Christian, am I truly a follower, or just a fair-weather fan who loves to watch other fans who love to watch “the game.” How about you? When it comes to Christianity—follower of Jesus—or just fair weather fan?

The good news, of course, is that Jesus chose us to follow him. And he didn’t choose us to become his fans, but rather, he chose us to be fruitful in joining him in his mission. May it be said of us that we are willing to give up everything in order to become a true follower of Jesus.

A follower of the Way, Mike

Part of the discussion at our staff meeting this week centered on how the Word of God has the power to transform our lives. We discussed the fact that there are many wonderful book studies that help us dig deeper into a particular passage or theme from the Bible, but there is still nothing like just opening the Bible and allowing the Spirit to speak to us. I hope you find great joy in meditating and renewing your mind on the Holy Scriptures.
Having said that, I must admit I didn’t always enjoy reading the Bible. I wasn’t sure where to read or what to do with the parts that didn’t make sense. Correctly interpreting and applying scripture takes time as one grows in listening to the Spirit. In fact the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know about the living and active word of God. Maybe you feel the same way.
There are many tools available that are helpful in making your Bible study time more meaningful. One such tool I learned about is Wayne Corderio’s S.O.A.P. Bible Study method. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. Basically, Wayne would encourage a person to read a portion of scripture in anticipation that God will speak to you through his Holy Spirit. Once you’ve read the portion of scripture, then write down your observation of a verse that strikes you. After writing down your observation, then think about how that verse could apply to your life and finish by writing out a prayer.
Let’s give it a try with one of my favorite passages; Colossians 4:2-6. I love this passage because God has spoken to me in so many ways through it.
SCRIPTURE: 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
OBSERVATION: It’s amazing to me that Paul is sitting in prison bound with chains and yet he prays that God would give him an opportunity to tell someone about salvation through Jesus. I think if I was sitting in prison in chains, I would pray instead that God would “open a door for me to get out.” My initial response is, what is he thinking? There is no doubt Paul was certainly passionate about sharing his faith.
APPLICATION: Learning from Paul, I must make telling others about Jesus more important than my own personal comfort and safety. Even though I may face many situations in life I would rather not be in, I must always make the most of every situation.
PRAYER: Father, I praise you for how the gospel so powerfully transformed Paul’s life. I pray that the gospel would radically transform my life too, so that my greatest passion in life would be to share the mystery of your great salvation through Christ. Please forgive me for being so focused on my safety and comfort. Please open a door for me to share your message of hope. Amen.
My prayer is that this Bible study method may be helpful to hearing God speak to you. And as Jesus said, now that you know these things, you would be blessed if you do them.
Under His mercy, Mike