The Pastor’s Piece – July 21, 2024

The Pastor’s Piece

FCFI

July 21, 2024

We have about ten acres of pasture on our farm that I tend to every summer. We run a few head of cattle on them and they always make things interesting. They are very curious animals and are constantly getting into trouble. So far this summer, I have cut the pasture twice in an effort to keep it looking nice and to keep the weeds down and the grass fresh for the calves. 

In my shed I have a couple of old tractors that I like to play with from time to time. One of them is a 330 International Utility Tractor. That particular tractor is somewhat rare and was only manufactured for two years – 1957 and ‘58. From what I understand, they only made 4,261 of them. About ten years ago my brother and I stripped the tractor down, sanded each piece and then gave it a fresh coat of paint. A few years ago, I acquired a bush hog type mower. It is very relaxing to hook the mower up and go out and clip our pasture. I think the main reason is because for those few hours out there on that tractor, the world spins by without me. No radio. No phone calls. No Internet. No interruptions. Even breakdowns can be relaxing.

Speaking of breakdowns, as I turned a corner with the mounted mower on the back, my tractor suddenly quit moving. I looked behind and I could see that one of the pins on the left side that the lift arm was attached to, had fallen out. The mower was sitting all cock-eyed so I disengaged the power take off and dismounted the tractor to take a closer look at the situation. Upon further inspection, I discovered that a pin under the belly of the tractor about halfway toward the front had also fallen out. It was a major part of the hitch assembly. That caused the hitch to drop to the ground and as I drove forward, it plowed into the dirt causing a lever effect and lifted the back wheels of the tractor off the ground. The wheels were spinning, but the tractor was not going anywhere. After some finagling, I managed to unhook the mower and was able to get the wheels back on the ground and got the tractor into the shop where I dismantled the whole hitch assembly and figured out what parts I needed. Thanks to the Internet, I was able to order the parts I needed and today the first one arrived and I was able to begin to reassemble my tractor. 

While all this was happening and I was enjoying life in my own little, isolated world, the world of politics in the USA was going berserk. Joe Bidden had failed miserably at the presidential debate and a couple weeks later an assassination attempt was made on Donald Trump. While I could escape engaging in all that, I could not ignore it. 

So, what do we do? Well first – we need to pray. By all accounts, God spared Donald Trump’s life. If he had not turned his head slightly at the exact milli-second when the bullet arrived – we would have witnessed his murder on live television. God is in control and always has been. He spared his life for a reason. The iconic photo of blood on his head, fist raised, and the American flag in the background is all patriotic stuff. But for the record, while we need leaders who respect God’s Word and God’s people, they will not save us. Only Jesus can save us. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all. At the name Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Him as Lord to the glory of God the Father. No politician will fix the problems we have in our country. Jesus Christ is the only answer! The solution will come only when we as a people put our knees to the ground, and bow our heads and turn to God and humble ourselves before Him and pray, begging His forgiveness on our land. And it begins with me and with you. The Bible requires one thing from us in order to receive God’s blessing – and that is obedience to His Word. If we would turn our back on all the evil taking place in our country and begin to whole-heartedly embrace and follow the Scriptures – we would find blessings beyond anything we’ve ever imagined. 

This is a spiritual battle. There is a definite line that has been drawn between good and evil. There is a clear and present danger to everything we as Christians hold dear. The side of evil is seeking to destroy our families, our children, and our faith. They are seeking to silence the teaching of the Bible. Hostility toward Jesus Christ and silencing Christians is what is behind the cultural upheaval.  

So how do we pray? Our specific prayer must be that our next leaders will instill righteousness in our society – righteousness that comes from the Word of God. 

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin).