The Pastor’s Piece – January 10, 2021

January 10, 2021

Kevin  Cernek

Fellowship of Christian Farmers

 

“Amen”

 

It’s been a topsy turvy several weeks. This election has left many scratching their heads and some with a giant knot in their gut because it appears an injustice has occurred.  Maybe so.  Many of us are frustrated and disgusted by the inconsistencies that took place on November 3rd and the media’s lack of interest in investigating and reporting it. On the other hand, some people are thrilled by the outcome.

 

I’d be lying if I said I was not disappointed. So where do we go from here? Well, first and foremost, we go to the Scriptures. That’s where we always go. The Scriptures are our manual for life. Psalm 118:8: “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

 

Do you have questions about the world today? The Bible explains it all. Where did sin come from? Why am I not happy? How can I find contentment in life? Why are we supposed to go to church? Why is there war and unrest all the time? What are the answers to life in the simple and complex?  It’s all in the Bible.

 

Did you notice the trees last week? Of course you did, how could you not have noticed all the frost that clung to them and then glistened in the afternoon sunlight? It was a sight to behold. All that beauty reminded me that in the midst of life’s turmoil, God is near. Romans 1:20 tells us that God’s creation gives everyone a basic knowledge of God.  Why is that?  It’s because the creation is God’s handiwork. This world can sometimes be very much upside down and yet, at the same time, we get glimpses of how wonderful and glorious it is. “It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom; and by His understanding stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth,” (Jeremiah 10:12-13).

 

It is God who makes that mist freeze onto the branches of the trees creating a winter wonderland. It is God who causes the sun to come out and shine on them and turn the whole countryside into a magnificent crystal showroom. In a very simple way, God’s handiwork reassured me that He is in control, that our politics and our politicians are simply a means that God is using to bring about His perfect will and purpose for His Creation.

I’d say “Amen”, but we’re not supposed to say that anymore. That’s how ridiculous it has become. Amen is a term used to express a solemn ratification or agreement. It means “it is so” or “so be it.” Amen comes from the Hebrew word āmēn which means “certainly, truth, and verily.” I did an Internet search and didn’t find anything that said it was a sexist term. What’s next? Do we say at the end of our prayers: “awomen”? Or when we go out to eat does the greeter hand us a womenu? Are the letters “m-e-n” going to be barred from the English vocabulary? Where does it stop?

When will the word police come after the church? How long before pastors are arrested for hate-mongering because they teach the Scriptures in the context in which they were written?  I’m closing with several verses of comfort and hope. Please read them through to the end and may God bless you.

“My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever,”(Psalm 73:26).

 

The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).

 

“Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you,’ ” (Isaiah 35:4).

 

“You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you,” (Deut. 3:22).

 

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last…'” (Rev 1:17).

 

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

 

If you’re still reading, I will close with Revelation 22:20: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

 

See you again next week …

 

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor at Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin and Assistant to the Executive Director at Fellowship of Christian Farmers International, Lexington, IL).