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February, 2025 

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God.” — Romans 13:1 

        February is usually associated with love because St. Valentine’s Day falls on the 14^th. However, I wanted to use this month’s message to talk about the Biblical perspective toward government. This is especially timely, because we have a new President and Congress. It does not matter if you are happy with the new administration or disappointed with it. God is noticeably clear in telling His people how they are to act toward their

leaders. 

       In the verse above, Paul reminds us of the fact that all authority is appointed by God. This means that the men and women who happen to be in power are there by His design. Before the appearance of Jesus, Israel had its share of both good and bad kings. In fact, Israel’s very first king, Saul, was a very egotistical and troubled man. Despite his faults, David (the man destined to succeed him), considered him “God’s anointed” and would not lay a hand upon him even when he had the opportunity. Bad leaders can be used for God’s purposes. It is the position, and not always the person, that deserves our respect and obedience. 

      The second thing we owe our leaders is taxes. Groan.
Let us face it; the people of the first century did not like taxes any more
than we do. Jesus’ words in this regard are well-known: “Render unto
Caesar…” But He was not the only New Testament figure who instructed
God’s people to pay their fair share; Paul did as well. In Romans 13:7, he
writes, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed,
revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Tax evasion is not only illegal, but also ungodly. It is a sad fact of life that governments need capital, not only to function, but also to protect and aid the people they govern. After all, tax dollars pay for our roads and just imagine where we would be without them (potholes and all!) 

        Finally, we owe the leaders of this country our prayers. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul writes, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life.” When
is the last time you prayed for our President? For the leadership in Congress? For those in our local government? Even for those who sit on school boards and judicial benches? We are so apt to complain about those who govern, that we forget they work to protect us, meet needs in time of crisis, and promote the general welfare. People who are engaged in such onerous tasks need all the prayers they can get! 

        Do you ever wonder why the Bible says so much about
respect for the government? Most of the New Testament was written during the reign of one of the most notoriously despised rulers in all recorded history:  the emperor Nero. To show loyalty to the Roman Empire and the emperor, one would salute and say, “Caesar is lord!” But the early Christians were saying, “Jesus is Lord!” This was considered subversive and a threat to the State. The early church wanted the world to know that we Christians could be followers of Jesus and still be good citizens, as long as the State does not demand we act contrary to the will of God. One deserves our worship and the other, our respect. God preserve us from ever inverting that order! 

 

Your servant in Christ,  

Pastor Mike 

January 2025

 

“In the beginning…” –Genesis 1:1 

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, it can be with either a
sense of anticipation or anxiety. Since we do not even know what a day may
bring forth, it is impossible to know what may transpire over the next year. 

 

35 years ago, my life was full of beginnings. I began to serve as a
pastor in my first congregation. I began a marriage with the mother of our
three children. I began to hold residency in a state outside of Wisconsin,
something I had never done. There was a lot that was exciting and new but
tinged with a sense of self-doubt and trepidation. Having spent the last 22
years of my life in school, college, and seminary, I was now an adult in an
adult world. I quickly learned that there is a lot in this world that our
institutions of learning cannot prepare us for. It was an exciting albeit scary
time. 

As I get older, my mind dwells more on “endings” rather than
“beginnings.” As I prepare for semi-retirement, I think a lot about ending my
“career” in the secular world. I have spent the last 20 years working in
warehouses and, frankly, I am more than happy to give up that job. I also think about the inevitable end of my life. I am not getting any younger and it is beginning to show. My mind is not as sharp as it once was. My body is certainly not as vigorous as it was in younger days. Please do not misunderstand; I do not live my life feeling as if the “sword of Damocles” hangs over my head. But I realize I am mortal and sometimes wonder about when my earthly journey will be over. 

This year, I have resolved to think more about beginnings. I pray
that wonderful things will happen at Lord of Life in 2025, as I begin to devote more of my time and energy to the ministry here. I have no desire to rock the boat (our congregation has seen enough of that!), but I also do not want to fall into the “same, old routine.” Keeping the old while initiating the new can feel like a tightrope act at times. 

While preparing this article, a hymn from my childhood came to
mind. It may not be familiar to most of you, even though it is in our hymnal.
Its title is “With the Lord Begin Your Task” and the first verse is as follows: 

 

                            With the Lord begin your task;  

                                   Jesus will direct it. 

                            For His aid and counsel ask; 

                                   Jesus will perfect it. 

                               Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise, 

                                 And, when day is ended, 

                         In His name then close your eyes; 

                                 Be to Him commended. 

 

This song reminds me that every day is a fresh start, a new
beginning. I want every day to start by seeking the Lord’s will and asking for
the strength to carry it out. And when I close my eyes, either in sleep or in
death, I can leave all things in His loving hands. Happy New Year to all my
brothers and sisters in Christ! Every morning is a new beginning! 

 

Your servant in Christ, 

Pastor Mike 

 

 

December, 2024

 

             It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

                                                — Lamentations 3:26 

 

Waiting. And waiting. And still waiting. 

That is how I felt as a child during the month of December. The month that initiated the official start of winter seem to creep along slower than a sloth in a sea of molasses. I was waiting for school to end. I was waiting for my parents to hide the Christmas gifts. Then I was waiting for my parents to leave so I could find where they hid them. Finally, I was waiting for church to end. In the old days, Christian Day School teachers had devised a new form of torture: holding the Christmas program at 7:30 pm on Christmas Eve. We said our memorized lines, we sang the well-rehearsed songs, but our hearts and minds were elsewhere. 

As an adult, I still find myself waiting. Waiting in line at the store. Waiting at the stoplight. Waiting in the dentist’s office. Waiting for test results. Waiting for the date of a scheduled surgery. Waiting for my Amazon order to arrive. Young or old, it seems that none of us can escape of inevitable fate of waiting – for something. Even as I write this, I am waiting for my kids to arrive for our annual Thanksgiving Day
celebration. 

During the month of December, we will be looking at Jesus through the eyes of the ancient Israelite prophets. The prophets were people who knew how to wait. Having received a message from the Lord, they would proclaim it to their compatriots. Then they waited. Sometimes, it was a message of God’s wrath, as when they predicted the fall of Jerusalem. Other times, it was a message of comfort and hope, as when they predicted the coming of Israel’s Messiah. One way or another, they knew their prophecies would come to pass because they were based on the promises of God, not the wishes of an over-active imagination. 

The verse at the head of this page was written by the prophet Jeremiah
after the destruction of Jerusalem. Despite years of warnings, Jeremiah watched as his friends and neighbors were dragged off to a foreign
land. He was left behind, alone but not forgotten. Even in the worst of times, God had shown him the Light at the end of the tunnel, namely, the birth of God’s own Son. Jeremiah would not live to see that day with his physical eyes, but within his heart and mind it was just as real as gravity itself. He knew it is never a lost cause to wait on the Lord. 

And then he added that one word: “quietly.”

This is a rare word in Hebrew. It does not mean “silence.” Rather, it refers to a confidence and stillness in the heart that can only come through faith. Generation after generation had waited for a Savior but most of them died without seeing its realization. And even though we live after the fact, we still live in expectation of His Second Advent, when he shall bring His people home to a world so changed and so marvelous that there are no words to describe it. Can we trust in those promises? Look in the manger! God does not lie! If we wait long enough, everything He has spoken will come to pass. 

I have heard of families who keep giving the passing the same gift, like an ugly sweater, from relative to relative every year. They mean it as a gag; God means it in earnest. Every year, He keeps giving the same gift to His people: salvation through His Son. Somehow, it gets better and more precious as time goes on. So please, join me in the joy! What (and Whom) are you waiting for? 

 

Your servant in Christ, 

Pastor Mike