Faith: Where It Belongs

Author’s Note: I want to be clear from the outset that this devotional is about faith, not politics.

We recently had an election in America.

Although this means a change in leadership, two things are truly clear.

First, America is a divided country politically.

That means it is likely that there are about as many Christians who voted for one candidate as for the other.

Second, I find the outcry on various social media platforms, especially from the young, disheartening.

While I support free speech, the tone of the rhetoric reveals much.

Primarily, people place more trust in men and women than on God.

Psalm 84 is a psalm of Joy in the Temple.

Psalm 84:4 (NRSVue) - Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.

This verse speaks volumes to me today.

I have seen the political pendulum in America swing both ways in my lifetime.

Sometimes, my candidate wins.

Equally, sometimes my candidate loses.

But no matter which way the pendulum swings, I rejoice in the fact that God remains in charge.

And no matter how divided the country becomes, I know I can remain happy in His house.

Paul, in his letter to Rome, writes of Future Glory.

Romans 8:26 (NRSVue) - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.

As I listen to the rhetoric, especially from the young, I am concerned.

It tells me that they place far more emphasis on men or women than they do on God.

I can but pray that the Spirit helps them in their weakness and intercedes for words spoken hastily in pain and anger.

I also pray that God will use this pain for their benefit.

I pray they will come to know that ultimately God is in charge.

Psalm 22:28 (NRSVue) - For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

Finally, Christians on each side of the political divide have vital roles to play.

If your candidate lost, do not let despair be your witness.

If your candidate won, do not gloat.

And, as for the healing of division in America, only God can bring this about,

Jeremiah 33:6 (NRSVue) - I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, November 8, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, November 15, 2024

For Want of a Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 (NRSVue) - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23 must be among one of the most memorized passages in all Scripture.

We find tremendous comfort in its words.

It is often recited at funeral services.

Immediately, the Psalmist sets the stage for comfort.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Those who trust that the Lord is their shepherd desire nothing.

They have all they could hope for or need.

In John 10, Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd.

Jesus knows His sheep and He knows them by name.

But Jesus also explains why He is the Good Shepherd.

John 10:11 (NRSVue) - “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

And that is exactly what Jesus did.

Christ willingly laid down His life so that we sheep could have eternal life.

As a result, we are more than fortunate.

We are indeed truly blessed.

The Good Shepherd provided more than we could dare hope for,

And, true to the nature of a shepherd, He accompanies us each day.

Yet there are many sheep who remain lost.

They stumble through the wilderness of the world alone and afraid.

One of the ways we can express our personal gratitude is to bring them to the Good Shepherd.

Christ will then be their Good Shepherd, and then they too will want no more.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, November 8, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, November 15, 2024

Becoming a Better Neighbor

Genesis 50:20 (NRSVue) - Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.

Here, Joseph is a powerful man, second only to Pharoah in terms of leadership.

Reunited with his brothers who sold him into slavery, Joseph forgives them.

Joseph reminds his brothers that God used their treachery for good.

In Luke 6, Jesus teaches His followers that they are to love their enemies.

His lesson is simple.

Luke 6:28 (NRSVue) - bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.

This is one step in what it means to love your neighbor.

His lessons are in opposition to what the world teaches us.

We need to stop “looking out for number one.”

As we do, God helps us become a better neighbor.

And when we are wronged by our neighbor, God can help us to forgive.

God can even take the wrong we experienced and use it for good.

On our own, forgiveness is quite difficult.

But God can help us let go of our desires for spite and revenge.

In doing so, we let go of the teachings of the world.

Instead, we follow the teaching of Jesus and become a better neighbor.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, October 25, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, November 1, 2024

Go to the Source

Isaiah 49:10 (NKJV) - They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.

Isaiah delivers a message from God.

God promises provision.

God even promises a time when he will provide a source of water.

And with that provision, God will make certain that none are thirsty again,

In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus encounters a woman at a well.

Even though she is Samarian, Jesus speaks at length with her.

The woman tells Jesus she comes to the well every day to draw water and carry it home.

Jesus then tells her of the living water and how those who drink of it will never thirst again.

This evokes quite a reaction from the woman.

John 4:15 (NRSVue) - The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

It is not difficult to connect the dots and see the relationship between these two passages.

God the Father created us and provides for us.

He provided the Son, by Whom we are saved.

God also provided us with the Holy Spirit who works to improve us day by day.

Christ, the living water, is available to all.

Those who have partaken of this water thirst no more.

Their obligation is to bring others to the source.

And it does not matter how different the two people are.

Jesus demonstrated this for us at the well.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, October 11, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, October 18, 2024

God’s Will and God’s Provision

Psalm 94:19 (NRSVue) - When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Psalm 94 is about God avenging the righteous.

But the psalmist recognizes that when troubles are many, God is there.

Luke 22 is the account of Christ just prior to His betrayal and crucifixion.

Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, a place He frequents.

As the time draws ever nearer, the moment weighs heavily upon Him.

He leaves His disciples behind and goes off to pray to the Father.

His Divine and human nature come to the fore.

His human nature knows of the coming pain, suffering, and death.

But His Divine nature prevails.

And God provides Him with strength at this crucial moment.

Luke 22:42-43 (NRSVue) - “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.

Like the psalmist, sometimes we feel the weight of the world upon us.

But like the psalmist, we recognize that God is there for us.

We understand that we do not face these cares alone.

And being human, we still might find these burdens too difficult to bear.

Christ reminds us that what the Father has planned will ultimately prevail.

Acknowledging this, we will then see God at work strengthening us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, September 27, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, October 4, 2024

The Source of Provision

Job 38:41 (NRSVue) - Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food?

In this chapter, the Lord answers Job.

In doing so, The Lord compares His omnipotence to Job’s weakness.

Job is reminded that even the ravens and their young are provided for by God.

Paul, in his first letter to Corinth, discusses divisions within the Church.

He compares his role to that of Apollos.

One did the planting while the other watered.

But it was God who brought about growth.

1 Corinthians 3:7 (NRSVue) - So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

So, what is the connection?

Simply that God provides.

God provides for His creation.

God also provides for us.

And while others may inspire us through their words and teaching, it is God that provides our spiritual growth,

He then uses us to teach and perhaps inspire others.

These are duties we dare not shirk.

But even when we do these things, we must bear this in mind:

It is God who provides for their spiritual growth just as He provides for ours.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, August 23, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, September 6, 2024

Generations of Faith

Recently, I came across an old photograph of my mother’s older siblings.

It made me consider the faith of the previous generation of my family,

It also made me consider my own faith as well.

In Ezekiel 20, the prophet first discusses the continuing rebellion of the people.

He then turns his attention to the fact that God will restore them.

Ezekiel 20:41-42 (NRSVue) - As a pleasing odor I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. You shall know that I am the Lord when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your ancestors.

In Hebrews 11, Paul writes on the faith of Abraham.

Hebrews 11:8 (NRSVue) - By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going.

God told Abraham to go to a new land.

This was a land Abraham had never been to before.

Abraham did not question God.

Abraham simply obeyed.

We have scripture to remind us of the witness of generations long past.

Some of us are blessed enough to recall the faith of our previous generation.

But what will the next generation say of us?

Will they remember our obedience, faith, and witness?

If not, the fault is entirely our own.

But it is never too late.

We can begin today by listening.

We can then hear God’s call to us.

Then, we can obey that call.

And in doing so, we can demonstrate our faith.

May we be the next in a continuing legacy of faith for the next generation.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, August 23, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, September 6, 2024

Attacks on Christianity?

Jeremiah 1:19 (NRSVue) - They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.”

This verse is part of God’s call and commission of Jeremiah.

God reminds the prophet that people will oppose him.

God also promises never to abandon Jeremiah.

In John 17, Jesus prays for His disciples.

Jesus prays for them and not the world.

John 17:9 (NRSVue) - I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.

I find it amazing that these verses were on my mind at this time.

This was at the same time of the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics,

Many people, especially Christians, were outraged by the spectacle,

Both Christians and political pundits were quick to refer to the ceremonies as an attack on Christianity.

Many Christians took this personally.

But when you think about it, is this really an attack on Christians?

If anything, it was an attack on Christ, not an attack on Christians.

As Christians, we would do well to remember the words of Christ.

We would do especially well to remember His words from the Sermon on the Mount.

When Christ spoke to His followers and others, He was telling them (and us) how to live.

His words indicated He wants us to live a life of discipline.

Christ instructed us to love.

This means loving our enemies,

It means loving those who disagree with us.

His words should instruct us to live a life of love instead of a life of retribution.

Will we take those words to heart?

Or will we instead feel personally threatened and attacked by those who mock Christ.

We know we belong to Christ.

We know we are precious to Him.

And we are assured that Christ is always with us.

And, hard though it may be to believe, Christ loves those who are still lost,

Instead of feeling threatened by the lost, we should demonstrate the love Christ commands of us.

Love, not retribution, is the key to reaching those who are still lost.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, August 9, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, August 16, 2024

First and Last

Isaiah 41:4 (NRSVue) - Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am first and will be with the last.

In this chapter, Isaiah assures the people of God’s help.

Speaking for the Lord. Isaiah reminds the people that God was the first and he will be the last.

After the opening of Revelation 1, John shares a vision of Christ.

John states that the moment he saw Christ, he fell at His feet.

But Christ offers words of comfort and encouragement.

Christ reminds John that, as part of the Trinity, He was first, and He will be the last.

Revelation 1:17b-18 (NRSVue) - “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last and the Living One. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.

In the simplest of terms, being both first and last means being eternal.

Our lives on earth, by comparison, are fleeting at best.

Even the lifespans of those who live beyond 100 years are here for but a fraction of eternity.

The Triune God is eternal.

We are not.

The Triune God is constant.

We are not,

The Triune God is always there for us.

He is there for us even though we are not always there for Him.

But even then, God is ready to welcome us back.

I have one final thought.

Not one of us knows how much time we will have on this earth.

But how much or how little is not important.

What is important is how we choose to use the time given to us.

May we use that time wisely and strengthen our relationship with God.

May we also use that time to build and strengthen our relationships with others.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, July 26, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, August 2, 2024

A New Spirit and a New Heart

Ezekiel 11:19 (NRSVue) - I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

In this chapter, God shares his judgement of evil councilors with the prophet.

God then pronounces that He will restore His people.

This will be a complete restoration.

The people will have a new spirit.

They will also have new hearts.

These new hearts will be capable of gentleness and compassion.

Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, opens with words of encouragement.

Paul reminds Timothy of the new spirit and the new heart that God promised.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NRSVue) - for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

In our modern world, many have rejected both the spirit and the heart.

The world relies on false wisdom.

It teaches that success equates with material wealth.

It teaches that we should look out only for ourselves.

It teaches that kindness and gentleness are signs of weakness.

Despite the many who have fallen prey to this false wisdom, these things are far from true.

When we are down, God extends His love.

When we feel weak, God reminds us to rely on His strength.

When we feel we have utterly failed, God offers His renewal.

In accepting these gifts, we receive our new spirit and our new heart.

We learn that success equates with loving God and our neighbor.

We learn to care more for others than we care for ourselves.

We also learn that gentleness and compassion arise out of inner strength.

The world will go on believing what it will.

And in doing so, it will allow others to tire and fall.

But blessed with a new heart and new spirit, we can lighten the loads of the fallen.

We can share with them what God has so generously shared with us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, July 12, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, July 19, 2024

A Solid Foundation

Ezra 3:11b (NRSVue) - And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord had been laid.

In Ezra 3, the builders laid the foundation of the temple.

The priests made music.

They then sang songs of praise and thanksgiving.

Then all the people gave a great shout as they praised the Lord.

In Paul’s first letter to Corinth, he addresses division within the church.

He even addresses the confusion concerning his role.

He likens himself to a master builder who laid the foundation.

Yet others will build on that foundation.

He reminds these to build on that foundation with care.

Yet, Paul reminds his readers of who ultimately laid that foundation.

1 Corinthians 3:11 (NRSVue) - For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.

In our time, we tend to think of church as a building.

A building perhaps made of wood, stone, or brick.

The reality is quite different.

In fact, there is only one church.

That one church is, in fact, the entire body of believers with Christ as the head.

And we, as a body, have a responsibility that goes beyond worship alone.

Just as a human body has parts, the church body has parts as well.

We are told as children that God wants our hearts.

That is only partly true.

God wants all of us - our heart, hands, feet, and our minds.

He wants our hearts to love Him and our neighbor.

He wants our hands to serve.

He wants our feet to take us where He wants us to go.

And He wants our minds to tell the world about Christ and to discern the truth.

It is important that we remain open to God’s leading and to respond accordingly.

This is how we carefully build on the foundation that is Jesus Christ.

And we can take comfort that future generations will continue to build upon it as well.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, June 28, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, July 5, 2024

Return to the Fold

Joshua 24:16 (NRSVue) - Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods,

In Joshua 24, the tribes renewed the covenant.

Making promises is easy.

Keeping them is another matter,

In Judges (after Joshua’s death), the people fail to follow God’s instructions completely.

It did not take them long to forsake the promise they made.

In John 6, we are told that many disciples heard the teaching of Jesus.

Many of them found His teaching difficult, so they turned away,

Jesus then asked the twelve who remained if they wished to leave.

They stayed.

Their reasoning was made clear when Peter admitted that Jesus had the words of life.

John 6:68 (NRSVue) - Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.

But, like the people of old, we too forget our promises.

Our forgetfulness can even be intentional.

When we stray, God is there to welcome our return to the fold.

We must remind ourselves that we are unworthy.

We must remember the teaching and example of Jesus.

We must remember that He has the words of life.

We must then repent.

And, if we are sincere in both our regret and repentance, God will welcome our return to the fold.

And, if we are wise, we will be willing to forgive others as well.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, June 14, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, June 21, 2024

We Change, God Does Not

Psalm 40:3a (NRSVue) - He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

Psalm 40 encompasses two themes.

It is a psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance.

It is also a prayer for help. 

Yet both share a common root.

God delivers and is a source of help because He is eternal and unchanging.

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, reminds his readers that they are to change.

Paul discusses the old life and the new life.

Paul reminds them, and us, we need renewal.

Ephesians 4:23 (NRSVue) - and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds

But this renewal is only possible because God is eternal and unchanging.

We must be the ones to change.

We must give up our old lives and claim our new ones.

This is only possible because it is God who does the renewing within us.

God has always loved humanity even when humanity has failed to love Him in return.

God planned for humanity’s salvation even when our faith in Him faltered.

Through the eternal and unchanging God, we can surrender our old lives and claim our new ones.

And, as God renews our faith, we can offer our heartfelt thanksgiving for deliverance. 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, May 24, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, June 7, 2024

True Peace of Mind

Isaiah 54:4a (NRSVue) - Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace,

Some translations refer to Isaiah 54 as “The Lord Loves Israel,”

This translation refers to it as “The Eternal Covenant of Peace.”

Frankly, I will not argue with either,

The prophet begins this verse with “Do not fear.”

Scripture repeatedly reminds us that we are not to fear.

Small wonder as we seem to need reminding throughout our lives.

Scripture also reminds us of this after the Resurrection,

When the women went to the tomb of Jesus, they found an angel instead.

This filled them with fear.

But the angel reassured them.

Matthew 28:5-6 (NRSVue) - But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

In our modern world, it is all too easy for us to give in to fear.

Inflation is on the rise,

The cost of necessities increases accordingly.

The nation, indeed, the world is divided politically and ideologically.

There is unrest on college campuses.

The list goes on.

Yet God is there to remind us that we do not have to fear.

He reminds us in His Word.

And, when we focus on our relationship with Him, we can feel his reassuring presence.

We can then put fear out of our hearts and minds.

Then, filled with peace, we can serve both God and others.

We can help bring true peace of mind to those who currently live in fear.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, May 10, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, May 17, 2024

A Plan for Life

Ezekiel 18:23 (NRSVue) - Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live?

Ezekiel 18 speaks of individual retribution.

A common belief at the time was that punishment for sin would be passed on to ensuing generations.

The prophet declares that this is not so.

A child will not be punished by God for the sins of his parent.

Neither will a parent be punished by God for the sins of his child.

Those who do not turn away from their sin and repent will die.

But this is not what God desires.

What God wants is for the sinner to change his ways, repent and live.

Paul discusses this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 6:23 (NRSVue) - The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God is not vindictive.

He created us in His image.

It is only logical that God would wish to save us.

And God did just that through Jesus.

So. if God is willing to forgive us, shouldn’t we be willing to forgive each other?

Through Christ, God teaches us how to forgive.

He also teaches us to love.

When it comes down to it, each of us has sinned.

On our own, each of us comes up short.

But by God’s grace and mercy we have been set free.

If God can forgive so much, shouldn’t we forgive what is little by comparison.

We can let go of the desire for individual retribution.

And. we can be happy for those who come to know Him through Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, April 26, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, May 3, 2024

A Place Prepared

Isaiah 43:16 (NRSVue) - Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,

In Isaiah 43, the prophet speaks of God’s restoration and protection.

He hearkens back to the day when Moses led the people out of bondage.

When pursued by Pharoah’s chariots, God parted the sea for his people,

He provided a means of escape so they could reach the Promised Land.

In John 14, Jesus also speaks of a way out.

He speaks of the means of escape from the cares of this world to the Father.

And just as God parted the sea, God provided us with a way to our own promised land.

God provided us with Jesus as the means of coming home to Him.

John 14:3-4 (NRSVue) - And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.

This was not an impulsive decision on God’s part.

This was God’s plan from the very beginning.

Like the people who were delivered from the bondage of slavery, God used Jesus to free us from the bondage of sin.

God used Jesus to free us from fear.

Our salvation is assured,

Our way has been prepared.

The fear of death no longer has any power over us.

Thanks to Jesus, we will close our eyes in this world and open them in the next.

We will then see firsthand the Father welcoming us into His presence forever.

When that happens, fear and darkness will become a forgotten memory.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, April 12, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, April 19, 2024

Faithful in Word and Deed

The closing of 2 Kings 13 recounts how the King of Aram oppressed God’s people.

It then tells how Israel recaptured those cities.

More importantly, it tells why.

2 Kings 13:23 (NRSVue) - But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them; he turned toward them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and would not destroy them, nor has he banished them from his presence until now.

God showed His people compassion because of His promise.

In the eleventh chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he states God’s rejection is not final.

He also speaks on the salvation of the Gentiles.

Paul then speaks on how Israel will be saved.

Romans 11:29 (NRSVue) - for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

God has always remained faithful to His people.

This is true even when His people have not been faithful to Him in return.

And, as Paul states, God has claimed us as His people through Christ.

He is faithful to us even though we are not always faithful to Him.

As we continue our journey through Lent, may we reaffirm our faithfulness to God.

May our lives demonstrate that to Him.

May our lives demonstrate that to those around us.

May we live out the ministry of Jesus throughout our days.

Christ teaches us through His words.

Christ also teaches us through His example.

May we take both His words and His example to heart.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, March 8, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, March 15, 2024

A Beautiful Gesture

Psalm 22:1 (NRSVue) - My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

Psalm 22 is a plea for deliverance from hostility and suffering.

Just before His death on the cross, Christ used these words.

Matthew 27:46 (NRSVue) - And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The question arises: “Why would God forsake Jesus at this critical moment?”

To forsake means to “turn away from.”

So, why did God turn away from Jesus?

The simple answer: because it was necessary.

While on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the entire world.

That includes yours and mine.

And when that happened, God, who is completely Holy, had to look away.

Moments later, Jesus died.

His work was finished.

Jesus said as much.

But God did much more than turn away,

He then made one of the most beautiful gestures in all Scripture.

Mark 15:38 (NRSVue) - And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

The moment Jesus died, the barrier separating us from a completely Holy God was no longer needed.

God tore the curtain that separated us in two.

Nothing stood between us and God anymore!

In this world, we sometimes feel alone.

We might even feel forsaken.

We might feel that God has turned away from us.

But these feelings are not true.

Through Christ, God has made sure we are not alone.

Because of Christ, God has not turned away.

Through the love of Christ, nothing separates us from God.

Three days after his death, Christ rose to life once more and conquered death forever.

But His work in making us right with God occurred the moment He died.

It happened the moment His work was finished.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, March 8, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, March 15, 2024

Continued Love and Mercy

Psalm 118:18 (NRSVue) - The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.

Psalm 118 is known as a ‘Song of Victory’.

In verse 18, the psalmist acknowledges God’s mercy.

The Lord corrected him, but the Lord did not hand down a sentence of death.

Christ also showed mercy.

He not only healed a man, but He also healed him on the Sabbath.

John 5:5,8-9 (NRSVue) - One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

This was not the only time Jesus healed on the Sabbath,

In Matthew 12, Jesus entered a synagogue.

A man was there with a withered hand.

The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?”

Jesus not only answered them, but He also healed the man in their presence.

Matthew 12:13 (NRSVue) - Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.

Christ loved the men that He healed.

More importantly, Christ loves all mankind.

Those who experienced His healing touch must have felt special, perhaps for the first time in years.

Today, we are equally amazed when Christ touches our lives,

He still heals the hardest of hearts and turns lives around.

He continues to love those whom society prefers to shun.

As we enter the season of Lent, may we always remember the power of His love for all.

May we be grateful for His continued mercy.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, February 23, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, March 1, 2024

To the End of the Age

Psalm 102:26 (NRSVue) - They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away,

Psalm 102 is a prayer.

It is a prayer from one in crisis and in need of help.

It is a prayer to the eternal and unchanging God.

Matthew 28 begins with the resurrection of Jesus.

It ends with the commissioning of the disciples.

Jesus concludes this commission with a reminder; a reminder that He is ever present.

Matthew 28:20 (NRSVue) - and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Our lives, indeed, our world changes.

New islands are formed.

Mountains wear away.

But it is not only the physical world that changes.

Politicians make promises without intending to honor them.

The price of necessities continues to rise.

The list goes on.

But there is something upon which we can rely.

We can rely on an unchanging, ever present, triune God.

The psalmist understood this.

Jesus reminded us of this.

That is something upon which to rely!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, February 9, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, February 16, 2024

Time Is Relative

Psalm 39:5 (NIV) - You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.

In the verse preceding this, the psalmist asks the Lord to reveal his remaining days.

This is to remind the psalmist how fleeting his life is.

But in verse five, he acknowledges that to an eternal God, a human lifetime is very brief.

Paul, in his second letter to Corinth discusses living by faith.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NRSVue) - So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

True, in comparison, our mortal lives are fleeting compared to the eternal.

Even so, God does more than take a casual interest in us.

God plays an active role in our lives and transforms us along the way,

My own family history reminds me of this.

My father died at a relatively youthful age, so he had some time.

My mother, by comparison, lived to her old age and had considerably more.

My brother died in infancy, years before I was born, and so had little.

My own journey continues.

My family history reminds me that not one of us knows how much time we have in this world.

But it has taught me two lessons.

The first is to make the most of the time we do have.

The second is that God is with us throughout our lives.

Our sense of time varies.

Some days seem like they will never end.

Some years seem to evaporate too quickly.

But not a single day goes by in which God does not accompany us on our journey.

This bears repeating.

God is not just a passive observer.

God is an active participant in our lives.

Remember that God spoke to Moses like a friend (Exodus 33).

Remember Abraham believed God and was called God’s friend (James 2).

Therefore God, who accompanies us day by day, is our friend as well.

How quickly or slowly those days seem to pass to us is of little consequence by comparison.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, January 26, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, February 2, 2024

New Year, New Love

Hosea 6:6 (NRSVue) - For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

The prophet Hosea called upon the people to repent.

But repentance was not in their hearts.

They continued to offer their sacrifices, but their hearts were not in them.

God made it clear that sacrifices and offerings were not what he wanted.

What God wanted was their love and for them to come to know Him.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, reminded them that they were to love their neighbor.

Moreover, it was love, not sacrifice, that fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:10 (NRSVue) - Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

On the surface, this seems simple enough.

But history has shown us repeatedly that humans find this difficult.

Today’s headlines reveal just how difficult we still find it.

In Matthew 22, an expert in the law tried to trick Jesus.

He asked Jesus which commandment was the most important.

Christ gave him a two-fold answer.

This response must have taken the expert by complete surprise.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NRSVue) - He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Christ understood that the commandments were about relationships.

Some are about our relationship with God.

Others are about our relationship with each other.

By keeping both these commandments, we would in effect be keeping all others.

God still wants us to love and get to know Him.

He still prefers this to any other offerings we make.

Christ came into this world to teach us.

He did so by both word and example.

He reminded us to love both God and our neighbor.

That means all people.

As we embark on a new year, let us learn once more what it means to genuinely love God and people.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, January 12, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, January 19, 2024

Transformed Messengers

Judges 10:10 (NRSVue) - So the Israelites cried to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have abandoned our God and have served the Baals.”

These were the words of the people as the Ammonites oppressed them.

In time, God used a man named Jephthah to deliver them.

Once delivered, Jephthah served as their judge for six years.

But their deliverance began with the confession of contrite hearts.

Luke tells us the story of John the Baptist.

When John the Baptist was born, he was not named after his father Zechariah as was the custom.

Before his birth, the angel Gabriel spoke to Zechariah,

He foretold the child’s birth, but Zechariah did not believe him.

As a result, Zechariah was silenced for his disbelief.

When the time came for John to be named, Zechariah still could not speak.

To the amazement of all, he wrote “His name is John.”

Zechariah was then filled with the Holy Spirit.

This time, to even greater amazement, he spoke.

Luke 1:76-77 (NRSVue) - And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.

While not completely identical, our journeys as Christians are akin to these events.

We start out rebellious.

We do things our way rather than God’s way.

We even believe that things and people are more important than God.

Then, one day, we realize the error of our ways.

We approach God with contrite hearts and confess our sins to Him.

In the process, we even admit them to ourselves.

Then, the timeless and loving God forgives us.

He listens to our sincere confession.

We place our faith in the redemptive Christ.

As a result, we return to favor in God’s sight.

We then continue the work begun by John the Baptist.

We share the Good News so that others may learn of salvation and true forgiveness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, December 22, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, January 5, 2024

Thankful Hearts and Transformed Lives

Psalm 69:5 (NRSVue) - O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

Psalm 69 is a prayer for deliverance from persecution.

In it, the Psalmist recognizes God’s omniscience.

He understands that God knows everything.

As such, God knows the sins that he has committed.

God knows when we fall short as well.

But God is both generous and forgiving,

He has already planned for our redemption.

We are redeemed through the blood of Christ.

We are forgiven by grace.

Paul understood this.

He explained the spiritual blessing in Christ in his letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 1:7 (NRSVue) - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

Thanksgiving Day is over.

But we should always be thankful for redemption and forgiveness.

May we be aware of this as we enter the season of Advent.

God is as generous as He is merciful.

And we should be thankful for all the gifts he has bestowed upon us.

May we be especially thankful for His greatest gift of all.

The gift of His Son whose birth we are about to celebrate.

For this is what sets Christianity apart from other religions.

Christianity is not about us reaching up to God.

Christianity is about how God reached down to the lost who could not save themselves.

And just as God gives to us, we are called upon to share with each other.

We can do so because God has transformed our hearts and lives through Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, December 8, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, December 15, 2023

The Ultimate in Unity

Psalm 118:26 (NRSVue) - Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.

Psalm 118 is a song of victory.

It reminds us that those who come in the name of the Lord are blessed.

As such, they become a blessing to others.

The first chapter in the book of John speaks of Jesus.

It refers to Jesus as “the Word Became Flesh.”

It describes those who receive Him.

It also indicates what they become.

John 1:12 (NRSVue) - But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,

Once we receive Christ, we become children of God.

Thus blessed, we can in turn venture out into the world and bless others.

And considering today’s headlines, the world is in dire need of blessing.

Through Christ, we can unite with others we know.

More importantly, with the gifts bestowed upon us, we can unite and bless others.

We can even be a blessing to those we will never meet in this world.

But this is not our doing.

Achieving unity on this scale is only possible through Christ.

Understanding that, we can effectively use the gifts He bestows.

This gives us hope in the promise of the day of even greater unity.

It will be a day when all will be joined together in continuous and eternal praise as one body of believers.

This body will also include those we never met in this world.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, November 24, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, December 1, 2023

The Kingdom is Like…

Psalm 22:27 (NRSVue) - All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

Psalm 22 is a plea for deliverance from suffering and hostility.

In fact, Christ’s words from the cross hearken back to this Psalm.

But verse 27 speaks of a time when “all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

Christ also describes what this will be like.

Among the many parables recorded in Matthew 13 is the parable of the yeast.

Matthew 13:33 (NRSVue) - He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

I think many will be surprised to learn that heaven was not what they expected.

I am certain at least a few will be surprised to find me there.

Today, corporations and executives make diversity a selling point.

One might even think that diversity is something relatively new.

But if anyone understands diversity, it is Christ,

He knows we have diverse backgrounds.

He understands we have various interests and ideas.

With His help, we can turn our focus from ourselves back to God where it belongs.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can move in a direction that is best for us.

And, just as yeast causes dough to rise and expand, we too can grow and better serve the Kingdom.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, November 10, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, November 17, 2023

Humiliation, or Humility?

Daniel 4:35 (NRSVue) - All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does what he wills with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. There is no one who can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Nebuchadnezzar’s pride led to his humiliation.

When this period of humiliation passed, Nebuchadnezzar praised God.

Pride in oneself is a dangerous thing.

It was pride that led to the fall of Adam and Eve.

True, they disobeyed God.

But it was pride that led them to disobedience.

Since pride is dangerous, humility is a virtue.

The Book of 1 Peter attests to this fact.

1 Peter 5:6 (NRSVue) - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.

Pride, especially pride in oneself, is indeed dangerous.

It even leads to self-deception.

We fool ourselves into thinking that we are in control.

We might even be tempted to impose our will upon God.

Nebuchadnezzar learned a difficult lesson.

Should we wait until we learn an equally hard lesson?

Hopefully, the conclusion we reach should be no.

Like Nebuchadnezzar, we should praise God.

As 1 Peter reminds us, we should humble ourselves.

That is when God forgives us, and our faith returns to what it should be.

In time, we will be exalted.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 22, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, November 3, 2023

His Heritage

Psalm 94:14 (NRSVue) - For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;

The New Revised Standard version heads Psalm 94 with “God the Avenger of the Righteous.”

But it is verse 14 that grabs my attention.

Vengeance aside, it reminds us that God will never forsake us.

It also reminds us that we are His heritage.

But what does heritage really mean?

One way to define heritage is: “something that is handed down from the past.”

Another is: “an inherited lot or portion.”

Both are applicable.

You can even see how the words “heritage” and “inheritance” share a root.

That root is “heir.”

We tend to think of an heir as someone who acquires something when someone else dies.

But it also means: “continuing the legacy of a predecessor.”

And that is who we are.

As Christians, we continue the legacy of those who preceded us.

But to put things in complete perspective, our legacy is not bound to this world.

Paul reminds us of this.

Philippians 3:20 (NRSVue) - But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, we are not citizens of this world.

The legacy we continue is of heaven.

In essence, we are His ambassadors in this world.

And we should speak and act accordingly.

Yet there are times when we feel lost or alone.

That is when we must remember the legacy we have inherited.

We should also remember that God will never abandon us.

As the Psalmist says, God will never abandon His heritage!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 6, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, October 13, 2023

Christian Confidence

Exodus 19:4 (NRSVue) - You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

God spoke these words to Moses when he and the people reached Mt. Sinai.

God had indeed freed His people.

He also destroyed those who continued to pursue them.

Now, they were in His presence.

They no longer had reason to fear.

In fact, they should have felt confident.

Paul spoke of confidence in his letter to the Hebrews.

He began his tenth chapter by reminding them of Christ’s sacrifice.

He then reminded them to persevere in matters of faith.

He also spoke of their persecution and the confiscation of their earthly property.

They bore these things because of their better and permanent possessions because of Christ.

No wonder they were confident.

Hebrews 10:35 (NIV) - So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

The world in which we live will try to drag us down.

Others may try to drag us down to their level.

But we should not live in fear.

We should be confident.

We can be confident because God’s love for us lifts us up out of darkness.

Like God’s people at Mt. Sinai, God directs us to Him.

Our way has been made clear through the sacrifice of Christ.

And we can remain confident through discipline.

We should choose our thoughts, our words, and our actions carefully.

In doing so, we can help those around us become more aware of God’s love for them.

They can witness the light and love of Christ reflected through us.

Once they step into that light and love, confidence cannot be far behind.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 22, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, October 5, 2023

The Easy Way or the Hard Way

2 Samuel 23:3-4 (NRSVue)- The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: “One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”

These verses are from the last words of David.

But David, like all human beings, was fallible,

He, like us, made mistakes.

But in the end, David was a man after God’s own heart.

That is why God placed him on the throne.

Christ also left us words of wisdom concerning His own rule.

Matthew 11:29 (NRSVue) - Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

How often do we find ourselves struggling?

And how many of those struggles arise when we try to rely on our own strength?

And being fallible human beings, like David, do we learn anything from experience?

We would do well to learn from the words of Christ.

We should avoid the temptation of going it alone.

We should stop relying on our own strength.

Instead, we should turn to Christ and rely on His strength.

Paul reminds us of this as well.

Philippians 4:13 (NRSVue) - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Remember, Christ is always available to us.

He can guide us, teach us, and give us rest.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 8, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, September 15, 2023