With the election just a few days away I have been reflecting on the privilege and responsibility we have of voting for our nation’s leaders, as well as how our state will define marriage in the future. And even though, by now, most Americans are weary of all the campaigning and debates, I believe we are blessed to be part of such a process.
Our challenge of course is maybe not so much who we are voting for as what we are voting for. On one hand, yes we will vote for the candidates we believe will promote and uphold our Biblical values, and yet on the other hand we will also vote for the candidates who we believe will best protect and promote our idolatrous lifestyle. Obviously the issues are complex, and I don’t pretend to have the answers (…why I decided not to run for President). However, I do know the solution to the heart of America’s problems is not “creating more jobs in order to revive the economy.”
So where do we begin? I believe the rise and fall of a nation according to II Chronicles 26 is directly connected to our fear of God. It says in II Chronicles 26:5 that because King Uzziah feared God, he sought God for direction, “And as long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” To fear God means to walk in obedience to the will of God.
God revealed this promise to Joshua at the inauguration of his leadership over Israel, saying, “7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7-10).
It’s quite obvious that most Americans and its leaders have lost their fear of God—and only God can restore that—only God can turn a nation back to him. In the meantime, the question for you and me: Do I fear God? Have I examined my life in order to identify those areas of idolatry that has separated me from God? Has Jesus’ new way of life as shared on the Sermon on the Mount become increasingly a way of life for me and my family? In what areas must I pray that God would grant repentance?
Praise God for his promise from II Chronicles 7:14, “If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health.”
May we be a people who respond with humility, walking in obedience in the fear of the Lord before a watching world.
Under His mercy, Mike

With cooler weather in the forecast, I took the opportunity this past Tuesday to take a little ride on the motorcycle before I washed it up and put the cover on for the last time this season.  Although not usually very sentimental, it was with both fondness and dread that I surrendered myself to the fact that the riding season for this “fair weather rider” is likely over.
I have many fond memories of the fun little trips to Duluth, to the Tomah Wisconsin area, or around the area with friends, and I dread the thought of being confined to my rocking chair during the winter season.
As I finished drying off the motorcycle before putting the cover on, I was reminded of Ecclesiastes 3 that life is filled with a variety of seasons; and as you also know, some more pleasant than others.  As the writer reminds us, “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.”
So as you read through the variety of “times,” maybe you find yourself in a season of life that is full of excitement, new opportunities, and life.  On the other hand, you might be in a season where there seems to be greater discouragement, increased limitations, and grief around every corner.
Regardless of what season you might be in, I thought this familiar prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr might be appropriate: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.  Taking, as God did, this sinful word as it is, not as I would have it.  Trusting that God will make all things right if I surrender to his will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with God forever in the next.  Amen.”
And now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may over flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
Time to say “goodbye”, Mike

Hey, did any of you see the wind on Wednesday and Thursday? No, I’m not asking if you felt the wind or heard the wind; did you see the wind? Well, of course, we don’t see the wind; we only see the effects of the wind. And yes, the harder the wind blows, the greater the effect on our surroundings.

The fact that I noticed many green leaves on my lawn is evidence that it was really windy. The fact that I noticed a couple of people that were walking at a slant was evidence it was really windy. The fact I had trouble keeping my toupee on was certainly an indication that it was windy. And although I don’t have verifiable evidence, I also heard report from a farmer who said it was so windy, he saw a chicken lay the same egg three times in a row. If a chicken has to lay the same egg three times in a row, you know it’s windy!

The wind also reminded me of something Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8, “⁵ “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. ⁷ So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

And like the physical, the same is true of the spiritual. You can’t see the Holy Spirit, but you can feel and hear and see the effects of the Holy Spirit at work in your life. When we respond by faith to the stirring of the Holy Spirit as he helps us see our need for a Savior, our spirit comes alive to the Spirit of God. Our fear and sadness and sense of hopelessness are immediately replaced with peace and joy and hope.

You and I can also see the effects of the Holy Spirit at work in a person’s life as they begin more and more to reflect the image of God. The more we allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow in our life, the more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will be displayed through our lives.

Verifiable evidence of a person who is really surrendered to the moving of the Holy Spirit is that they begin to witness with boldness. The person who is keeping in step with the Spirit is swift to forgive and responds with immediate trust and obedience. When the Holy Spirit has control of a person, they will be quick and confident to ask God to do the supernatural in any given situation.

So how about it, even though you never know where the Holy Spirit will lead you, do you trust him enough to surrender your life to him? Are you experiencing the abundant life of being born again? Have you been hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit as he leads you into all truth? May it be said of all us that a watching world can clearly see the sanctifying and empowering work as the Holy Spirit moves in our lives.

Grace and peace, Mike

Oh yes, one more thing to consider, in Matthew 14:30 it says that Peter was walking towards Jesus on the water until“he saw the wind.” Do you think Peter actually saw the wind?

Several weeks ago Vicki and I had to run a few errands in Sioux Falls, one of which was to return something to Sears. While were there we decided to have lunch at the Café Court. Vicki decided she was going to get something from Taco Johns and I decided to eat at Subway. Well, as I was cutting through the dining area, I noticed one of our members from ARC and so I stopped to chat with her. After visiting with her for several minutes I turned to make my way to Subway, and when I turned around, I was immediately struck in the chest by someone I had never met before. With as much force as he could muster, he jabbed both of his hands into my chest and he began cursing at me.
Obviously taken back and confused I grabbed the guy’s arms as he tried to jab me again. Not sure what the attack was all about, I asked him if he had mistaken me for some other person. After cursing at me some more I asked how I had offended him, but he said nothing, so I just let him go. By this time, some bystanders had called the Mall Security and after visiting with him, the officer came and checked if I was OK, assuring me that I shouldn’t have to worry about him—although if he bothered me again just to call for help.
As I reflected on the situation, I thought the whole thing seemed a bit strange. It felt evil. Why would a person do such a thing? There had to be some misunderstanding. Because of the suddenness of the violent attack, I wondered if I responded in the right way. Maybe I was way too easy on the guy, he wasn’t that big and so I could have easily inflicted some pain on him. I began to wonder if God was my shield and protector, why would he allow this to happen to me? What would you have done?
As I thought more about this experience, I sadly realized this type of attack happens all the time. It happens in our families, our schools, our workplaces, and even right here in our church. No, not the physical jabs to the chest, but rather the attack is done verbally. We cut and jab with our tongues.
Often times the verbal attack is in response to an offense, but I believe most of it’s the result of a misunderstanding. Confrontation and conflict resolution is a very difficult situation to handle, and therefore highly emotional. Because it usually makes a person extremely uncomfortable, the attack most often ends up being excessive.
Jesus understood this truth, so he laid out some guidelines in Matthew 18:15-17. Here are the steps:  “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.”
I like Jesus’ wisdom. I hope you do too. If someone in my family offends me, I like to go talk to them first. I do my best to avoid creating triangles with other brothers or sisters. And rather than attack and accuse, I first seek to discover where there might be a misunderstanding. And I haven’t found it helpful yet to send them unsigned letters—they never seem to figure out that I am the one who has been hurt. And then even if we can’t find a solution, I always try to err on the side of grace.
May you and I always seek to walk as Jesus walked.
In the dust of the Rabbi, Mike

So remember last week I shared my experience of my shopping trip to Shopko and I had returned to my car and noticed these two young girls approaching the car parked next to me.  I could tell they were so excited because they had just purchased “The Game of Life” board game.  Well, in addition to my reflections last week, I would also like to add that I was so intrigued by their excitement that I went back into the store to check the game.  Why would a couple young girls be so excited about playing “The Game of Life?”
So back to the toy department I went and sure enough I found the game.  I took it down off the shelf and I began to search the box for a description of the objective of the game.  Guess what; after carefully scanning every side of the box, I found nothing—no explanation of the objective of the game anywhere on the box.  I began to wonder why the girls would be so excited about buying a game and not even having a clue of what the game was about.
OK, so maybe the girls researched the game on the internet, (as did I after leaving the store), and found this description: “Choosing whether to attend college or start a career out of high school is tough enough, but your choices allow you to reap the rewards and emerge as the richest player in The Game of Life.  Luck plays a role in the game’s outcome, but your quest is to retire as the game’s wealthiest player.”
I could’ve figured, right? If you live in America the objective of this “game of life” is to attend the right college, find the highest paying job, and hopefully with some good luck you can retire as the richest player.
Well, thankfully the real game of life is different.  Thankfully the real game of life comes with a manual that clearly explains the purpose of the game of life.  In Acts 17 Paul would proclaim this purpose for life, 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.”
And not only is God’s purpose for our lives to rediscover our lost knowledge of God, he also gave us a job to do.  Again from the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 5, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”
May it be said of us as Christians living in America that we understand the reason why God created us and saved us.  And may each one us, drawn by the Holy Spirit, be so excited to delight ourselves in the Lord with all our hearts and may we be filled with humility and enthusiasm as we serve as Christ’s ambassadors.  For it’s in pointing people to Jesus that we win the crown of life!
In it to win it, Mike

I recently stopped by Shopko to pick up a few items, and after I returned to my car, I noticed two young girls, maybe third and fifth graders, approaching the car parked next to me. Walking about fifty feet in front of their mom, who had a cart full of packages, I could tell they were very excited because they were carrying a new board game. You remember how it was when you were a kid and you got a new game or toy and you couldn’t wait to get home to play it.
Well, as they were getting into the car I noticed the game they bought was the “Game of Life.” As I began to reflect on their sense of excitement about their new game, I could only imagine how happy they were hoping this game would make them feel. Then another thought entered my mind, I wondered how many times they would play their game before it became just another game among the stack of games they already have—would they be able to make it to Christmas before they asked for another new game.
As I continued to reflect on the experience, I realized how often I have been like those girls in my life. I can remember the excitement of driving my first car home. I was so happy…but it wasn’t long before I began thinking about another car. I can remember my first job, I was so excited and happy…but it wasn’t long before I began thinking about what it would be like to work for someone else. And then I can remember my first girl friend, I was so excited, she seemed so special, but then it wasn’t long… before she began thinking about what it would be like to date someone else (yes, she dumped me).  Life seems to be full of those experiences, doesn’t it?  You buy something, or you find that perfect job, you hope will make you happy. You fall in love with that perfect person and you can’t wait to get married because you know he/she will make you so happy. Or you take your little cuddly bundle of joy home, only to discover he/she won’t sleep and they keep needing to be fed and diapered—and you wish at the end of the day you could just put them in the toy box with all the other toys. Yes, how often the things we hope will bring happiness, leave us feeling empty.
This all led me to begin thinking about “my new life in Christ,” was it still everything I had hoped for. Am I experiencing the joy and peace and happiness that God intended? Have I become bored with my life, or am I feeling the excitement of being part of the bigger story that God is writing? As God’s story unfolds in my life, could I truly have been put on earth for such a time as this?  And if I didn’t choose to become a follower of Jesus, but he was the one who chose me to bear fruit, am I bearing fruit that lasts?
May it be said of us that we are a people of God who are truly passionate and joyful about the gift of life. And having been called “to be a blessing in this world” (Genesis 12:1-4), may we never become weary of participating in God’s mission.
In it to win it,  Mike

I had the opportunity this past Thursday night to help out with the harvest at the Binford farm and one of the ways the various employees communicate with each other is through the use of two way radios. The thing about two radios of course is that when one person speaks to another, everyone else can hear the conversation. Well, I was driving one of the trucks when I heard the voice of a little girl come across the two way radio and all she said was “Dad.” There was about a five second pause, and then the little voice spoke again, and again all she said was, “Dad.” And then a few seconds later, Eric responded by saying “Yes Kierra.”  And then Kierra went on to tell her dad that she had caught a rabbit.
That simple and brief conversation so blessed my heart, because first of all, I know of several dads who have young ones that were listening to the radio, and yet none of them responded to the call, Eric was the only one who responded to Kierra’s voice.
Secondly, the conversation blessed my heart because it reminded me of Jesus’ teaching in John 10:14-15 and 27. “I am the good shepherd and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Isn’t it a great joy to know that the Father knows your name? There are over 6 billion people on earth and yet when you call out, “Dad,” he knows your name. The thought of that is so powerful for me I can hardly get my mind around it.
As I further reflected on the brief conversation between Eric and Kierra, I thought of some of my recent conversations with God about some of the things that excited me. Little things like “Dad, there was over fifty of your children in the intergenerational Sunday school class today.” “Dad, we were able to give 65 of your kids a Bible today.” “Dad, thanks for the precious time with Rilyn today, it was so precious to watch her explore in your creation.” It truly is such a blessing to know that when we call the Father he hears us.
On the other hand, I also began thinking about the opposite, do I always recognize when the Father speaks to me? Have I been spending enough time with the Father to know the difference between his voice and the voice of the thief? Am I the one who is doing all the talking, or do I intentionally seek to hear from him as well?
As Jesus said in John 10:3-5, “… his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
May it be said of us that we are growing in our intimacy with the Father, and especially recognizing when God speaks to us. And therefore may we also be growing in understanding of the great joy of being one of God’s kids.

Under his mercy, Mike

Hey, I am so excited; I just got a post card in the mail with a bunch of coupons on it from the Pizza Ranch—it even says I’m a “preferred customer.” Now you might wonder, what’s the big deal about some coupons, but on the other side of the card, it says “We Specialize in Happiness.” Just think about it, isn’t our greatest desire happiness? Isn’t the deep longing of our soul to be happy? And now all I have to do is head over to the Pizza Ranch.
How about you, are you happy? Maybe you could consider heading over to the Pizza Ranch too. Now, they would admit, it’s not easy keeping everyone happy, however they count it a privilege to keep you and me happy by serving us ALL of the food we crave (with the exception of chocolate covered peanuts J). And not only will you be happy gorging yourself with all of the food you crave, they will be happy knowing you’re happy!
Speaking of specializing in happiness, King David wrote in Psalm 32:1-5, 1 Blessed [Happy] is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed [Happy] is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
How about it, are you happy? If not, could the reason you’ve been robbed of your happiness be that you’re trying to cover-up some kind of sin. Could it be that that little secret you have between you and Satan is sapping you of all your joy? Well, then all you have to do is come clean. Your sin is no secret to God; just admit that you’ve been walking outside of his will. The promise here in this text is that he won’t hold that sin against you. Don’t try to conceal the burden of your sin, Jesus already covered it. If you confess your sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive your sin and purify you from all unrighteousness.
And as Jesus said, “Now that you know these things, you will be happy if you do them.”
And no, I don’t have anything against eating at the Pizza Ranch. Usually when I leave the Pizza Ranch, I’m pretty happy. Although about a half hour after they’ve finished making me happy, the happiness is usually gone…if you know what I mean.
Happy trails, Mike

I’m writing this article in hopes of getting some advice on how to deal with a challenging issue. I recently had a couple in my office who is deeply concerned about their 7th grade son. Even though I am new to this community, I met this couple several years ago and have come to know them as very loving and caring people. They are great parents and are committed to providing a very healthy environment for their children to grow up in.
I believe they have a done a wonderful job of providing a safe home to live in complete with a bedroom for each of their four children. They regularly gather as a family to sit down and eat together. After eating they spend some time reading from the Bible and praying for each other. The point of the devotions is to help their children discover the significance of God’s great salvation and what it means to follow Jesus. And then because they want to help their children understand the power of worship, occasionally they will sit and listen to a meaningful worship song. And finally I’m not sure I agree with this, but they shared with me that they give each child $50 of spending cash every week.
Seems to me like an ideal home to grow up in and yet according to the parents, their son seems ungrateful and they don’t know what to do. When asked to help with the household chores, the young boy just runs out the door to go play with his friends. Another issue of concern for them is that their son doesn’t always show up at meal times and when he does he doesn’t really seem that interested in eating or interacting with the family. And he certainly isn’t interested in the time of Bible study and prayer afterward; in fact he just gets up and goes to his room to play video games. But one thing the parents were sure of; every Monday he would ask for his $50.
As you can about imagine, the young boy’s behavior is beginning to adversely affect him and the rest of the family. His brother and sisters are beginning to resent his behavior and want little to do with him. It’s very clear this young boy has lost his fear of his parents. Here’s where I’m not sure what advice to give to the parents. What form of discipline would be most helpful that would create a renewed sense of gratitude in the young man’s life? Would it be helpful for the parents to stop giving the boy his weekly spending cash? Or would that just create more rebellion? What would lead this young man to repentance?
Well, the story I just shared with you is really make belief, however my point in sharing this story is that I believe it’s often a picture of my, of our, relationship with God. It’s a picture of the American Church in how we relate to God. We want the joy of living under God’s protection and provision and yet in many ways we respond with little gratitude or obedience.
Over the next several weeks we are going to explore areas as a congregation where we must repent and reform as adopted sons and daughters of a loving Father. My prayer is that when we come under conviction in regards to our lack of fear of God that we might respond with repentance in order that we might fully enjoy the glory of God in our midst again.
From Malachi 3:6-7, 7″I am God—yes, I Am. I haven’t changed. And because I haven’t changed, you, the descendants of Jacob, haven’t been destroyed. You have a long history of ignoring my commands. You haven’t done a thing I’ve told you. Return to me so I can return to you,” says God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
Grace and peace, Mike

Last week Friday night I had the opportunity to help my uncle Leon Mulder in the pits during his races in Rock Rapids. Now, I’m not sure if this is true in all classes, but the modified cars have an incredible rear end suspension system that allows a driver to adjust it to any kind of track condition. In addition to all of those possible adjustments, Leon also brought several different sizes of tires to help make the car handle more smoothly in the corners. Well, after placing third in his heat, and based on the fairly dry track conditions, Leon decided to change one tire, two linkages, as well as adding 17 ½  pounds of weight to the left side of his car. After we finished making the adjustments to his car, he said to me, “Either this thing is going to fly, or it’s going to be so bad I won’t be able keep it on the track.”
The point of the experience for me was that Leon was willing to take a risk on trying something different in hopes of having an even more effective car for the feature race.
When thinking of risk, I began thinking of the risk that the Education Committee is taking by trying something new in its discipleship process.  Beginning on Sunday September 9, we are going to try an intergenerational Sunday school class. In connecting multiple generations in a learning environment, we are hoping not only to bridge the gap in generations, but also to develop additional friendships within community of faith. As a trial run for this fall semester, we are going to combine ages 10th-12th – all adults, as we “Continue the Conversation” which will include a discussion of our Fall series of Pastor Mike’s messages on A God Centered Church.
Actually this process is nothing new, in fact, this method is probably more Biblical than our current method of discipleship.  Intergenerational education was the primary method of learning at least as far back as David, as he writes in Psalm 78:1-8, “1 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old—3 what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. 8 They would not be like their forefathers —a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.”
So parents and grandparents, our hope is that you won’t be too shy to risk joining our 10th through 12th graders. And for the 10th, 11th and 12th graders, this doesn’t mean you can skip Sunday School. I honestly believe this can become a very effective means of building community together as we continue the conversation about who we are, who God is, and what he wants to do through our lives. Oh yeah, and don’t worry, Harold Ver Steeg and Cheryl Fey are going to facilitate the discussion which will be held in the Fellowship Hall. You won’t want to miss it!
Oh, and still wondering how our adjustments worked on Leon’s race car. Let’s just say, I’m sure this Sunday School class will have a greater chance at finishing better than Leon did.
Risking it all for the Kingdom, Mike