The Pastor’s Piece, Pastor Kevin Cernek, Chaplain

FCFI

October 27, 2024

As a seasoned pastor of over 30 years, I have received a variety of comments and advice on how to do my job. Most of it has been positive and encouraging. In fact, October is Pastor Appreciation Month and last Sunday our Board of Elders colluded with our congregation and together they dedicated time at both of our services for people to express their love and gratitude to my wife and me. It was fun and encouraging.

Every year as election season closes in, I have found that the vast majority of people in my sphere of influence agree with my Biblical views on the issues we are facing. A few do not and sometimes, humor is involved. For example, one Sunday after one of my sermons two different couples in our church asked to meet with me. The first couple expressed their agreement with my message and asked me not to waver in my convictions and wondered if they could join our church membership. The second couple expressed their disagreement and scolded me and asked that they be removed from the church’s membership roll. They both heard the exact same message, with the exact same words, at the exact same time, and each had the exact opposite reaction. And that is consistent with the human species. Our worldview interprets how we process what we see and hear.  

For the record, Jesus Christ is my Savior and King and Lord. 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 knee to the ground, and bow our heads and turn to God and humble ourselves before Him and pray, begging His forgiveness on our land. If we would turn our back on all the ungodliness taking place in our country and begin to whole-heartedly follow the Scriptures – we would find blessing beyond anything we’ve ever imagined. “But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him,” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

This is a spiritual battle that is being played out in real life events. 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 on to tightly. Evil is seeking to destroy our families, our children, and our faith, and is seeking to destroy individual lives. It is seeking to silence the teaching of the Bible. Hostility toward Jesus Christ and silencing Christians is in the forefront.  

So what should we pray for in regards to our country? How do we pray? We need to pray for all of our politicians and our specific prayer is that our leaders will instill righteousness in our society – righteousness that comes from the Word of God. That is what we stand for. The various battles present themselves differently and in different places, but the root of the problem is that we have forgotten God.  “And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you,” (Deuteronomy 28:29 NKJV).

We must not assume that we are somehow at risk because we must entrust our future to God. God is our heavenly Father, and we are called to trust Him. It is not irrational to trust Him. In fact, it is irrational not to. We need to bring all of this back to the Word. The central message is always, of course, Christ and Him crucified. He is the Light of the world. What is light? In the beginning, we see that light was the Word speaking. What are the heavens and earth? Again, the Word speaking. What are all the mountains, lakes, trees, and prairies? God spoke and the world was.

This world is presently going where Jesus is taking it. So we should be wise, and pray fervently for “Thy will be done” – and not worry. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land,”  (2 Chronicles 7:14).

I hope you will go to the polls on Tuesday and vote your conscience in congruence with what the Bible teaches. Voting is the power we have, but it’s only power if we use it.

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