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                                       July, 2025 

    “Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” — Matthew 7:20

 

Like many of you, I was shocked to hear about the murder of Minnesotan State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband on June 14th. The accused assailant, Vance Boelter, attempted to assassinate another legislator that night, resulting in serious injuries to him and his wife. He is now in custody facing a number of charges, both state and federal. As usual, both sides in our highly partisan political divide are accusing the other of inspiring this man to commit these heinous acts. I have no intention of adding fuel to that fire. 

As a pastor, what interests me is the fact that Mr. Boelter says he is a Christian. In fact, he claims to be a pastor. You can still see one of his sermons on YouTube. Since the shootings, Christ for the Nations Institute (the religious school from which he received his theological degree), denounced him with the following statement: “We strongly disavow any attempt to align Mr. Boelter’s ungodly thoughts and actions with our biblical teachings. We do not wish for our good name…to be intentionally or unintentionally contextualized and consequently misinterpreted as a contributing factor to this kind of evil behavior.” In other words, “Goodbye and good luck!” Like much of Christendom, they would rather protect their good name and reputation than take the time to seek for one lone, lost sheep. Whatever happened to “innocent before proven guilty?” 

Vance Boelter’s case present the Church with an interesting quandary: Is he a brother who has gone astray or a wolf in sheep’s clothing? It is not unusual for a criminal to become a Christian once he or she is incarcerated. But what do we do with a Christian who becomes a criminal?  Because of the overwhelming amount of evidence, I am speaking on the presumption that Mr. Boelter is guilty of the crimes for which he is being accused. 

The first thing we should do is watch and wait. In the verse above, Jesus tells us that we will know true Christians by the fruit they bear. Now, there is no doubt that murder in cold blood is a bad fruit, even among nonbelievers. But there can be forgiveness for the vilest of sins and that is where the World and the Church part company. I have heard so many people imprison themselves with the words: “I’ll never forgive him/her for what they did to me!” 

 In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus tells the Parable of a landowner who is frustrated by a fig tree that has not produced any fruit for three years. He orders his gardener to cut it down. But the gardener pleads on behalf of the tree, asking his employer to wait one more year. He promises to dig around the tree and fertilize it in the hopes that it will bear fruit in a year’s time. As Christians, our hope is that Mr. Boelter will express the good fruit of true remorse for the pain he has caused, especially to the children he orphaned through this treacherous act. I pray that his heart will be convicted by the truth of God’s Word: “Thou shalt not murder.” Ideology and rationale will not suffice as a defense in a matter as grave as this; heartfelt confession directed toward those he has harmed is the fruit that should be manifest. 

But I will also be looking for a second fruit: confession of the harm he has done to the name of Christ and His followers. I ask you to recall another murderer by the name of King David. The Bible tells us that the Lord was displeased with David for the sins his adultery and murder, as well as the subsequent cover-up. But what really angered God was that David had tarnished the Lord’s good name. 2 Samuel 12:14 says, “Because you have caused the enemies of the Lord to treat the Lord with such contempt.” The world loves it when Christians mess up, whether it is a pastor caught in a sex scandal, or a well-known evangelist caught embezzling. God does not like His holy name being dragged through the mud by an unbelieving world that is ready to mock and deride His holy nature every time one of His children mess up. Mr. Boelter owes every Christian an apology. 

Which lead me to the question: What kind of advertisement are you (and I) for the Lord? Are we the type of people who make Christianity look attractive? Obviously, I am not talking about sitting in a pew for an hour every Sunday. I am talking about how we interact with our relatives, our friends and our neighbors on a daily basis. Perhaps, Mr. Boelter is not the only one who needs to repent. 

 

Your servant in Christ, 

Pastor Mike 

 

 

 

 

                                            June, 2025

 

 “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.”                                                                               — Ecclesiastes 5:1 

 

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Every one of us seems to have been born with a tendency toward one way or the another. There are people who are so optimistic that they are labelled a “Pollyanna.” Other people seem to live life as if there is a cloud over their heads, ready for disaster to strike at any moment. As in all things, to live life in either of these extremes can prove stressful and even toxic. 

 

During the months of summer (June, July and August), I will be departing from the appointed readings for the week to concentrate on the Book of Ecclesiastes. Even though this book it only 11 chapters long, it packs a wallop! It is actually one of the most controversial books in the Bible; rabbis, pastors and theologians of all ages have wondered how this book found its way in the sacred Scriptures. It is framed by contradictions and paradoxes. It is repetitive yet poetic, containing some of Solomon’s best proverbs. Some have even felt it is heretical in places. What I find interesting is that many great minds, and even entire schools of philosophy, have come to the same conclusions as those found in this book. It even inspired a hit song in the 1960’s! You’ll have to come to church to find out which song. 

 

Ecclesiastes is a hard book (and one of the hardest parts is learning how to spell it!). While many feel that Solomon has a hopelessly pessimistic perspective, I have a different assessment. Solomon is being realistic and because of that, also truthful. If we are going to accept the words of our Lord that “the truth will set you free,” then this book is definitely worth examining. At the seminary, I was taught every book of the Bible points to Jesus as its central figure. The challenge will be to find Him in this somewhat brutal book.

 

We don’t know how old Solomon was when he wrote this book; many have tried to take an educated guess, but it is impossible to know. Sometimes, he writes like a cynical adolescent. Others are of the opinion that the wise king was going through a midlife crisis when he laid down these thoughts. I am of the opinion that he wrote it late in life, after he had grown world-weary and jaded. Like a grumpy old man sitting on his porch, yelling at the neighborhood kids, Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s bully pulpit. But there is a method to his madness, and we will look for the golden lining surrounding this thunderous cloud.

 

The verse above issues a fair warning. Hang onto your hats; this will be a bumpy ride. I pray that at the end of it all, your faith will be strengthened, and the Lord of Life will be glorified. 

 

Your servant in Christ, 

Pastor Mike 

                                                        May, 2025

          “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to                      the Gentiles and their king and to the people of Israel.”                                                                          -Acts 9:15 

       Like many of you, I was raised in a Christian home. From 1st grade onward, I attended a Christian School where I learned about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For as long as I can remember, I have been a believer.  

         Still, I wonder at times, if I had been born and raised under different circumstances, would I be a Christian now? What if I had been raised by Muslim parents? If I grew up in India, would I have ended up as a Buddhist or Hindu? As an ancient Greek or Roman, I suppose it would have been easy for me to accept and worship the many deities of those cultures. After all, there is a desire built into human nature “not to rock the boat” too much. We all want to fit in. 

       So, if I had been born in a different time or under different circumstances, would I still be a Christian? I can answer with a firm “Yes!” When we look at salvation from a Biblical perspective, we are told that we are saved by grace alone. We do not choose to be a Christian; God choses us to become His children. The proof of this is found in many verses of Scripture. One of my favorites is John 15:16: “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” Another is John 10:27: “My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” The truth of this can be easily observed. Some children, raised in the faith by godly parents, later reject the Gospel. On the flip side, even the most strident of skeptics, like C. S. Lewis who rejected Christ in his adolescence, have a conversion experience later and remain faithful until death. Dr. David Livingstone spent 33 years in Africa, ministering to the indigenous people with both his medicine and the Gospel. He is known as “Africa’s greatest missionary.” Yet in all that time, he only gained one convert.  “Many are called, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 22:14. By the grace of God, that one convert was later able to bring an entire region of Africa to Christ. 

       In the verse at the top of this page, we learn about a spectacular conversion. The man spoken of in this passage is Saul, better known to us as St. Paul. If ever there was an unlikely convert to Christianity, it was he. Steeped in the Jewish faith from his youth on, Paul became a strict Pharisee in his adult years. He had no use for the “Messiah from Nazareth” and even less esteem for His followers. He considered the early church to be nothing short of heretics and their message to consist of the utmost blasphemy. Still, God chose him. While on his way to arrest church members in the city of Damascus, Jesus appeared to Paul. And his life was completely changed. Left to his own devices, Paul would have never entertained the possibility of becoming a follower of our Lord. But in the hands of God, Who has compassion on even the His most strident enemies, Paul became the greatest missionary this world has ever seen. 

       So, how do you know if you have been chosen? It’s easy. Just ask yourself if you believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. If you believe these things, then God has chosen you to be His own. We believe because God chose us, not vice versa.  Conversion is a supernatural act that can stand firm in the face of reason and logic and even persecution. Only the Holy Spirt can create this kind of faith in the human heart. 

       God makes some strange and interesting choices. He chose the young shepherd David to become the greatest King that Israel has ever known. He chose a handful of fishermen to walk with him for three years, along with half-a-dozen other misfits. He chose stubborn Saul and turned him into patient Paul. But, perhaps, the strangest choice He made is the one we see when we look into the mirror. 

       Your servant in Christ, 

       Pastor Mike 

 

 

                           April, 2025

 

                       “I know that my redeemer lives, 

               and that in the end he will stand on the earth. 

                     And after my skin has been destroyed, 

                                yet in my flesh I will see God.”

                                                   — Job 19:25-26 

 

Do you remember your first real encounter with death? For me, it was my great-grandmother on my dad’s side. I was 17 at the time and, as I stood looking into the coffin, it was hard to believe she was gone.
She and my great-grandfather had been a part of my life since I was born (in fact, my first home was one my dad had purchased from them). A marvelous cook, a loving woman with a broken Hungarian
accent, and an avid sheepshead player, it was difficult for me to accept that the pallid figure in this mahogany box was the same person. The memories flooded over me. The summer weekends at their
lake home in Mt. Morris. The big party for their 50th wedding
anniversary. The culinary incense of goulash pervading their home.  All gone now. 

 

It has been nearly 50 years since her passing. Since then, I’ve done a lot of living and seen a lot of dying. Grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, friends and many beloved parishioners have ended their earthly journey leaving me behind to live. A pastor must deal with death more than most people because it’s part of their job description.

 

But in dealing with death, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for life. In the two verses at the top of this page, Job expresses that same appreciation, even amid imminent death. He had lost all his wealth, all his children and, finally, all his health. After unbearable tragedy, the only advice he received from his wife was, “Curse God and die.”
Even the few friends he had remaining berated him for his sins. But in the midst of his impending death, he voiced one of the greatest witnesses to a future life found in all the Old Testament: “I know that my redeemer lives!” 

 

The Saturday between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection probably made the disciples feel a lot like Job. They had lost their best Friend for the last three years. The dreams they had for a better future were now buried in some anonymous hole in a hill. They were hiding in fear of their lives. 

 

But at the very time when they were the most despondent, they
should have been praising the Lord. Within the next 24 hours, God was going to perform the miracle of all miracles: the raising of His Son from the bondage of the grave! Jesus had spoken of His rising from the dead many times during His ministry with them. But somehow it didn’t sink into their hard hearts. I suppose death has a way of doing that. Even for the most faithful among us, death can seem more like the slamming of a door than the opening of a gate. There is something about death that sets off a reverberation in our hearts which never quite fades away. 

 

Yet it is this very feeling that should make our celebration of the Resurrection this month all that more joyous. The last enemy (Death) has been conquered! Doctors can’t cure it, scientists can’t eradicate it, and pastors can’t stop it. But the church has the remedy the world needs: the Good News that we have a Living Savior who has promised, “Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live.” What Job said by faith, my Great-Grandma Steinborn now sees with her own eyes: “I know that my Redeemer lives!” May all of you have a blessed Resurrection Day—both this month and at the end of time! 

 

Your Servant in Christ, 

Pastor Mike 

 

March, 2025

 

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” — James 1:23-24 

 

     Have you ever gone into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and seen a smudge on your face or a bit of food hanging from your lips? It can be especially embarrassing if you have been with a group of people for the past hour, all of whom could see the offending flaw, but were too polite to say anything. “Why didn’t someone say something instead of allowing me to look like a fool?” might be your first thought.  

 

     We live in a society where we are afraid to point out the apparent for fear that it could be offensive. It takes an exceptionally good friend who is willing to whisper in your ear and say, “You have lipstick on your teeth” or “Your fly is open.”  When “Silence is Golden,” what could be fixed in a moment’s time can linger for hours. 

 

     A mirror can reveal things we cannot see on our own. Lent is a time for looking intently into the mirror—the mirror of God’s Word. As the season of self-reflection and repentance, it is a time for examining our own lives and discovering what really lies in the core of our being. It is so easy for any of us to fall into the traps of resentment, anger, moodiness, or self-pity that others might not even want to be around us.  If you have ever had to walk on eggshells around a certain relative or friend or boss, then you know what I mean. 

 

     Luckily, as Christians, we have a mirror in which we can judge ourselves and do something about the blemishes. In the verse at the top of this page, James tells us that God’s word acts as a mirror which we can use to evaluate our appearance. Lent is the time for staring into that mirror, not taking a quick glance and forgetting what we see but peering into it and making the necessary adjustments. With that in mind, I recommend the following three spiritual disciplines for the next 6 weeks. 

 

     Prayer. To one extent or another, I hope that we all pray, whether at bedtime or before meals. During Lent, I would recommend that we ask God to show us our “blind spots,” namely, those things that others see but of which we are unaware. This kind of self-discovery takes courage, but nothing gets repaired until the problem is known. 

 

     Love. This is a universal emotion, whether it is love for family or friends, money or power. I don’t know if Dean Martin was right when he sang, “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime,” but everybody loves something. I recommend that we all read God’s definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13, words should be etched in the heart and soul of God’s people. How does your definition of love line up with God’s? 

 

     Ash Wednesday. Since the time when the Children of Israel left behind their enslavement in Egypt to the 21^st century church, God’s children have always taken one day of the year to humble themselves. For the Jewish people, it is called “Yom Kippur” meaning “The Day of Atonement.” We follow that tradition at the beginning of Lent by having a cross of ashes placed upon our foreheads, reminding us that, without the breath of God, we are only lumps of clay. Consider joining us for our evening worship service on March 5 at 7:00pm to humbly acknowledge all we have been given in Christ and be reminded how precious, yet fragile, life is. 

 

Your servant in Christ, 

Pastor Mike 

 

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 

 

 

 

 

   

 

  

 

 

 

 

 J