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