Attitudes and Beatitudes

What a time we live in.

Just when things can’t seem to be more out of control, something else arises.

My thoughts turn to the words of Christ and the Sermon on the Mount.

Especially to His words from the Beatitudes.

It’s as if we’ve collectively forgotten them.

A quick Internet search indicates just how much confusion there is.

Some say there are eight Beatitudes while others claim there are nine or ten.

I will not go into all the Beatitudes but will focus on a few important for today.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Many are mourning right now.

Some mourn for the loss of loved ones to the pandemic.

Others mourn for victims of injustice.

But we can take comfort in the fact that Christ died for us - all of us - and set us free from sin.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Although we have all witnessed acts of violence, we should show mercy.

After all, hasn’t God been merciful to us?

Then, there is the Beatitude I find most helpful right now.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. 

In these days of contention and strife we desperately need peacemakers.

Those who strive to make peace between men, between communities and between nations.

In times like these, every Christian is called upon to be a peacemaker.

That is because God is a God of Peace.

Even the Son He sent to us is called the Prince of Peace.

It is by that act that we are children of God, children of peace.

Yes, these are troubling times.

There is no point in denying that.

Yes, we all fall short… all of us.

There is no point in denying that either.

Yet the words of Christ do far more than remind us of our imperfection.

His words remind us how we are meant to live.

So, what should “Be our Attitude” towards God?

What should “Be our Attitude” towards our fellow man?

Let us comfort those who mourn, show mercy to one another and strive to make peace with all.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 26, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 3, 2020

Cliffhanger

I enjoy old movie serials and television episodes.

Many of these installments ended in what has come to be known as “the cliffhanger”.

Simply put, this is a plot device in which the installment ends with a character in a precarious position.

It is also intended as an incentive for the viewer to want to watch the next installment.

Until then, the viewer is left wondering how the character can possibly escape almost certain doom.

There is an old saying that states life imitates art.

For those who do not know the risen Lord, death appears to be the ultimate cliffhanger.

Is death the end?

Can there be more to come?

Fortunately, Christ makes it very clear that death is not the end.

This happened at His crucifixion.

One of the criminals turned to Jesus.

Jesus gave him a promise.

Luke 23:43 (NET) -  And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

But these were far more than words intended to comfort a dying man.

This was a genuine promise of hope!

This was not the only time Jesus assured us of eternal life.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus made a promise to His followers.

John 14:1-3 (NET) - “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.

Cliffhangers are fine for movies and television programs.

But, thanks to the risen Lord, the end of our time on earth is not the end at all.

Nor is it something to be feared.

It is a transition of hope made possible through Christ’s love!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 8, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 15, 2020

Changes and Constants

Those of you who follow my regular offerings will notice this one is in a different format. This is intentional because of all that is going on around us. It is my hope that you will read it anyway.

Our routines have been turned upside down and it is very probable that even more changes are in store. The question then arises: What should we be doing during this period of change?

1.      Do Not Fear. It is important that we do not fear. There are dozens upon dozens of verses reminding us not to fear.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NET) - Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

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2.      Love Your Children. This should be obvious, and it seems simple. It should be easier with schools closed and parents working from home. Just remember that children learn from our actions and not just our words. If we show fear, they will naturally pick up on this and it will become their response to the situation as well. Remind your children that you love them! Remind them that God loves them!

Proverbs 22:6 (NET) - Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

3.      Do Not Hoard. We’ve all seen the news items where people have run to the stores and purchased so much more than they needed. People have been injured and even fights have broken out over the simplest of items. Remember those whose lives are already difficult like the elderly and handicapped who may have difficulty just getting to the store. Imagine being in their place and not being able to get what you need most because others chose to panic buy.

Proverbs 3:27 (NET) - Do not withhold good from those who need it, when you have the ability to help.

4.      Be Patient and Kind. Until our lives return to normal, we will still have to do things like wait in line or have the store clerk tell us they are momentarily out of an item. When these and other events like them occur we must continue to love our neighbor as Christ commands us. Yes, this even applies to those who may decide to treat us unkindly.

Colossians 3:12-13 (NET) - Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.

5.      More Changes. As much as our routines have changed, we could be in store for additional changes and the sooner we get accustomed to that idea the better. But there are some constants we will always be able to rely upon.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NET) - Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!

6.      Rely Upon God. Things will get better, but we must rely upon God rather than ourselves until they do!

Isaiah 41:10 (NET) -  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you— yes, I help you— yes, I uphold you with my victorious right hand

7.      Jesus Christ Never Changes. No matter how much things change, there is one glorious constant we can always count on. Jesus Christ never changes!

Hebrews 13:8 (NET) - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

Yes, our lives have changed in some radical ways. Perhaps there are more changes to come. But through it all we can rely upon Christ who never changes. We can rely upon His word. We can rely upon His promise. Things will get better, but until they do, let us remember how He told us to live!

Blessings Always,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 27, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 3, 2020

Comfort in Troubled Times

It seems that I cannot turn on the news without hearing about violence.

This is especially true about gun violence.

Just two weeks ago, a mass shooting took place in the state in which I live.

Within 24 hours, another mass shooting took place in a different part of the country.

On Wednesday, in another state, six police officers were wounded while serving a warrant.

That same evening, I received word that shots had been fired in the neighborhood where I live.

Frankly, this kind of news is enough to frighten anybody.

Fortunately, God provides words of comfort in troubled times.

Perhaps the most comforting of all can be found in the 23^rd Psalm.

Psalm 23:4 (NET) - Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me.

There are others.

John 16:33 (NET) - I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.

Christ tells us that in the world we will have trouble and suffering.

But He also tells us to take courage for He has conquered the world.

What about those who have lost loved ones to violence?

Christ provides these words of comfort in the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5:4 (NET) - Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Comfort after the fact is all well and good, but what about the here and now?

John 14:27 (NET) - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.

It is a comfort to know that we can rely on the kind of peace that only Jesus can give.

Finally, there are words from an old hymn that can also ease our minds in these troubled times.

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know he watches me

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 23, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 6, 2019

The Shaper of My Faith

Faith is a very personal matter between a person and the Lord.

That said, there are people in our lives who help shape our faith.

In thinking about this, I can honestly say my mother did more to shape my faith than anyone else.

As a child, she taught me to pray.

As an adolescent, she encouraged me to study scripture.

She did the things mothers are supposed to do for their children.

But, she did so much more.

As she went through her day, I could hear her humming or singing her favorite hymns.

I also listened to scripture she recited.

There were passages she would turn to many times as I was growing up.

Passages like Psalm 23 were among her favorites.

There were others to be sure.

Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV) - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Another of her most often quoted Psalms was this one.

Psalm 18:2 (KJV) - The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Even when I was a child and she a vibrant woman, she knew the importance of relying on God’s strength.

Perhaps without realizing it, she was teaching that to me.

In time we would find our roles reversed.

One day it became my turn to take care of her.

Reliance on God’s strength helped her accept this reversal of roles with dignity and grace.

As more time passed, life became more difficult and painful for her.

Still, she relied on God’s strength to see her through each day.

Then came the day she left this world behind.

I don’t mind admitting that I leaned harder on God in the days that followed than I ever did before.

Later, I realized that God wanted me to do just that.

To lean on Him and trust in His strength rather than my own,

As time moves ever forward, I know I will have to rely on His strength more and more.

That’s as it should be.

The best teacher I ever had taught me that by word and by example.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 26, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 2, 2019

Being Ready

One of my favorite stories is about a young Sunday school class.

The teacher walks into the room and asks, “Who wants to go to heaven?”

Every child raises his hand except for a boy named Timmy.

This surprises the teacher.

Still a bit stunned, she asks the boy, “Timmy, don’t you want to go to heaven some day?”

“Oh sure, someday!” exclaims Timmy.

“I thought you were talking about us leaving now!”

We are a great deal like Timmy.

On one hand, we say we want to go to heaven.

On the other, we just do not want to go there right now.

As Christians, our salvation is guaranteed by the blood of Jesus.

We take great comfort in that.

John 3:16-17 (NET) - For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

We do things in order to live longer.

We might decide one day to eat better.

Or, we might decide to get regular medical exams.

The list goes on and on.

Frankly, these are things we should be doing anyway.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NET) - Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

The things we do for our health will help us serve God better as we grow older.

But the truth is, only God knows exactly how much time we have on this earth.

Job 14:5-6 (NET) - Since man’s days are determined, the number of his months is under your control; you have set his limit and he cannot pass it. Look away from him and let him desist, until he fulfills his time like a hired man.

There is no point to worrying about how much time we have left.

What is important is what we choose to do with the time given us.

Then when someone asks if we want to go to heaven, our answer can be a resounding “Yes!”

  

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 8, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 15, 2019

Stress

Nobody likes to feel stress.

Quite often. we find our jobs are a source of stress.

At times, even family and friends can cause us stress.

Even other pressures like the economy, politics or even the news can cause us to feel stress.

The dictionary defines stress as a noun in two ways.

The one we are familiar with is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.”

Another is the “pressure or tension exerted on a material object.”

It’s easy to see how the second definition lent itself to the first.

Most of the time, the source of our stress is external.

But, there are times when we put undue stress upon ourselves.

At the end of the day, stress is what results when we feel that we are no longer in control of our lives.

Stress is what we feel when it appears that other people or circumstances are in control.

From a Christian perspective, control, as we often see it, is an illusion to begin with.

We tend to hold on to the steering wheel of our lives tightly with both hands.

When we do, we lose sight of the fact that it is God who is really in control.

Luke 12:29-31 (NET) - So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Once we acknowledge that God is in control, stress loses its hold upon us.

We may even wonder why did not let go sooner.

Perhaps my favorite reminder of God’s dominion comes from the 23^rd Psalm.

Psalm 23:4 (NET) - Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me

Our lives are transformed for the better once we acknowledge this.

It is even possible that others may see our calmness in the storm and desire it for themselves.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 8, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 15, 2019

The Wisdom of Scripture

People, as a rule, dislike change.

Yet there are times when change is inevitable.

Scripture is clear on this.

The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us of just some of the many changes we can expect in this world.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NET) - For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones; time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Sometimes, change comes upon us without warning.

Often, we can see it coming on the horizon.

When the latter is the case, the more effort we put in early on the better.

By waiting until the last-minute, we put undue stress on ourselves.

We also put unnecessary stress on others as well.

In preparation for a future change I was assigned a very rigorous and physically demanding task.

I knew that once I started it would take me several days to complete the task.

I have not done this sort of work in a very long time.

But being in good health for my age I took on the task with vigor.

                                                                                                                          

One verse kept coming to mind as I worked at it.

Philippians 4:13 (NET)- I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

This was especially true as I neared the end of my task,

After several days of hard work, I realized the task was near completion.

I realized that if I put good effort into it and counted on His help I could have the task finished by day’s end.

That is what happened,

As soon as the task was complete, scripture reminded me of something else.

The need for rest.

After God created the universe in six days, he rested on the seventh.

Even Jesus sought out quiet places from time to time.

Following their example, I now take some time to rest.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 9, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 16, 2018

When the Danger Passes

In my last offering I discussed the string of violent attacks in the city where I work.

I spoke of the need for prayer.

Prayer for the victims.

Prayer for their friends and families.

Prayer for the attacker, as well.

Since then, these attacks have stopped and life in the city has returned to normal.

The sense of fear that once hung over our collective heads evaporated almost as quickly as it came.

All because the attacker who, when cornered, chose to end his life as he had the lives of others.

In the days that followed, we learned a bit about this young man.

We learned that his background was not what we would have expected.

We learned that his roommates knew absolutely nothing about his plans or his preparations.

His neighbors knew nothing as well.

Perhaps the greatest shock of all came to his parents.

So, although this crisis has passed, the need for prayer goes on.

Prayer for his parents who are asking themselves questions that may have no answer.

Prayer for roommates who are realizing just how close to an accidental catastrophe they were.

Prayer for neighbors who are asking if where they live is safe.

Prayer for a city that, now that the danger has passed, has returned to normal

Prayer for world that needs Jesus more with every passing day.

To be honest, not one of us knows exactly how much time we have left on earth.

We find it almost too easy to move on and put off critical things.

This includes making ourselves right with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NET) - See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Scripture reminds us to pursue what is good and that prayer is a constant necessity.

It should not be reserved only for times of crisis.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 13, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 20, 2018

The Ultimate Self-Help Book

It seems as if more and more people want to feel better about themselves.

In a trip to the library or bookstore there are shelves full of self-help books.

This is nothing new.

Some of the titles have been around for a long time.

There is one book that can help.

Many people already have this book on a table or in a bookshelf.

Unfortunately, this book often goes disregarded and unread.

This book tells us that we were created in the very likeness of God.

Genesis 1:26 (NET) - Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”

Think about that for a moment.

You were made in the very image of the creator of the universe!

It goes on to tell us just how miraculous each one of us really is.

David understood that.

Psalm 139”13-15 (NET) - Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. You knew me thoroughly; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth.

That’s not all.

It tells us that God has had a plan for us all along.

He made that clear to the prophet Jeremiah,

Jeremiah 1:5 (NET) - “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

When you need to feel better about yourself, there is one book that can really help.

Why not turn to it now?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 9, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 16, 2018

A Fear Born of Pride

I have no problem either thinking about or praying for others.

I do find it somewhat more difficult to pray for myself.

Granted, we are all God’s children.

I certainly have no problem thanking God for what He does for me.

When it comes to praying for my own needs, I simply did not want to approach God in a way that could make me come across as whiny.

That said, there has been something in my life I have held onto for some time.

I held on to it not out of need but rather out of fear.

I feared that letting go would be too difficult or too complicated.

To be completely honest, I found it much easier to simply ignore it.

From time to time people I knew would bring it up in conversation.

Each time I chose to simply ignore it.

Over the course of the last year the subject seemed to come up more and more.

In fact, one close friend became rather persistent about it.

He seemed determined to bring it up every time we got together.

To be frank, I was beginning to feel more than a bit annoyed with my persistent friend.

I was thinking about my annoyance with this friend one evening when something occurred to me.

Since I was not taking up this matter with God, perhaps God was taking the matter up with me.

Perhaps God was using my friends to get my attention.

Perhaps He was even using the persistence of a close friend to drive the point home.

That revelation shed a new light on things.

So, I turned to God in prayer and asked Him to help me to let go.

He did just that.

According to C. S. Lewis: “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point to move forward.”

This led me to one inescapable conclusion whose basis can be found in the words of Isaiah.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NET) - “Don’t remember these earlier events; don’t recall these former events. “Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths in the wilderness.”

If God has done as I believe He has, then I must also believe He has done so for a reason.

I do not know what He has planned, but I now understand that my letting go was vital.

I also know He will be an active participant in that plan.

Even at my age, I manage to learn and grow as a Christian.

Perhaps He will not need to be so persistent with me in the future.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 12, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 19, 2018

Discomfort, Change, Growth

There is a growing tendency these days to want to ban things which make us uncomfortable.

I recently read where some libraries are banning a literary classic because of a single word.

The reason given is that this word might make people feel uncomfortable.

This is nothing new.

History tells us of other times when books were banned.

In some cases, they were even burned.

There have even been times when people banned and burned the Bible.

Even churches are not immune to this kind of thinking.

Some churches have made a conscious decision not to display the cross.

The reason given is that the display of a cross could make people feel uncomfortable.

But is discomfort alone a good reason to ban anything?

Right now, I am studying The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Frankly, this book makes me feel uncomfortable,

Even the title is disquieting as Bonhoeffer reminds me that discipleship comes at a cost.

Bonhoeffer’s words are also unsettling as they remind me that I still have a very long way to go in my journey.

Even the Bible makes me uncomfortable at times.

This happens when it reminds me that I fall short even on my very best days.

The cross certainly makes me feel uncomfortable when it reminds me of the price Jesus paid for me.

In and of itself, discomfort is not bad.

Discomfort is a great motivator for change.

In fact, we should find books like Bonhoeffer’s uncomfortable.

We should even find the cross and the Bible uncomfortable at times.

The personal discomfort these things bring on should motivate us to change.

They should motivate us to grow as Christians.

As for the book in question, the word it uses should make all of us uncomfortable.

It should remind us that some things should be relegated to the past of which they were a part.

It should remind us not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

If we ban things like books, Bibles and crosses when they make us uncomfortable then we also ban the lessons they teach us.

Without these lessons, we are less likely to change.

Without change we do not grow.

Ephesians 4:13-15 (NET) - until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 27, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 3, 2017

Choosing Life in a Fallen World

To say that the world is in a mess right now is an understatement.

A review of recent headlines bears this out.

But is this necessarily a new development?

No.

For example, millions of people died in the last world war.

The best estimates put the number of dead somewhere between 50 million and 80 million.

During that same period genocide was attempted.

Members of one race tried to completely kill off another.

New and fearsome technology led to weapons capable of killing thousands in a single stroke.

Today, others are developing similar weapons and threaten us with them.

Turn the clock further back and we confront a time when disease threatened to wipe out a continent.

The Black Death is thought to have killed 30 to 60 percent of Europe’s population.

People did not understand what was happening to them.

Some misinterpreted the disease as a punishment from God.

Many lashed out at against their neighbors.

They searched for possible heretics and the like which resulted in many unnecessary deaths.

History reminds us time and again that bad things have happened and can do so again.

There are two major difference between past calamities and present ones.

First, technology has made it possible for us to learn about them almost the moment they happen.

Second, those using this technology may try to influence how we should think and feel about them.

All catastrophes, modern as well as ancient, do have something in common.

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis put it this way: “All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

Lewis also stated: “History isn't just the story of bad people doing bad things. It's quite as much a story of people trying to do good things but somehow something goes wrong.”

From the very beginning, God offered mankind a choice.

Choose Him and life, or, choose their own way and the consequences.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve made the wrong choice.

Collectively speaking, we have been making the wrong choice ever since.

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NET) - Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live!

We still have a choice.

Let us choose life.

Let us choose life even when others choose otherwise.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 13, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 20, 2017

In the Small Things

There are a great many things going on in the world right now.

The leader of one nation is developing both nuclear weapons and ways to deliver them.

Leaders of other nations challenge with harsh rhetoric of their own.

Still other nations claim sanctions must and will be invoked.

That’s not all.

There have been multiple hurricanes in existence at the same time.

These have resulted in the loss of life, injury and the destruction of property.

Flooding has occurred in different hemispheres.

Meanwhile other areas suffered a combination of drought and wildfire.

Still another area experienced a very strong earthquake.

Many people are claiming that this is God’s way of trying to get our attention.

Others are stating that this is God’s way of inflicting punishment.

These claims might even come from people in prominent places.

We really must be careful when we try to use disasters, manmade or otherwise, to interpret God’s intent.

In the ninth chapter of John, the disciples encountered a blind man.

They asked Jesus whose sin caused the man to be blind - his own or his parents?

The reply Jesus gave must have come as quite a surprise to them.

John 9:3 (NET) - Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.

Jesus then cured the man of his blindness.

Jesus even spoke to his disciples about things such as earthquakes and wars.

Mark 13:7-8 (NET) - When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.

Then there was the time Elijah hid in a cave.

The LORD asked Elijah to exit the cave and stand on the mountain.

Elijah was subjected to the spectacular.

First there was a powerful wind and landslides.

Next there was an earthquake.

After that came a raging fire,

Elijah determined that the LORD was not in any of these.

1 Kings 19:12 (NET) - After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.

The LORD revealed himself to Elijah in a whisper.

As human beings, it is easy for us to assume that God only reveals himself in big ways like hurricanes, floods, fires and earthquakes.

God often surprises us.

God quite often reveals himself in the most unexpected ways.

He came to Elijah in a whisper.

He came to us as a child in a manger.

By focusing on only the very large, we could very easily overlook Him in the small.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 22, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 6, 2017

Sold Out

The state in which I live just got hit by a hurricane.

The first communities to be hit were devastated by high winds.

There was more to come.

The storm then dropped record rainfall amounts on a major city and surrounding areas.

Lives were lost.

There was also a great deal of good.

Ordinary people pitched in to help those less fortunate.

Shelters opened their doors to take in those displaced by the storm.

Supplies began to pour in from far away.

Volunteers came in to offer their assistance.

Some traveled many miles to just assist the less fortunate.

But not everything was positive.

Stores miles away in relatively unaffected areas ran out of basics like water, bread and eggs.

As I write this, cars are lined up at gas stations not only filling their cars but gas cans as well.

A few stations have sold out of gas completely.

Some people are driving miles out of their way just to buy gas which they will consume on the way home.

Fear can do that to people.

Most people don’t think of being prepared until the crisis is right on their doorstep.

Even after the worst has passed, fear tends to maintain its grip and they worry about problems that do not yet exist.

Yet when it comes to being prepared for the end, how many of us can say we truly prepared.

Jesus told us to remain alert.

Mark 13:32-37 (NET) - “But as for that day or hour no one knows it—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son—except the Father. Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return—whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn— or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly. What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!”

Am I trying to raise fear?

No.

But I do have one question.

Do you suppose there will be lines of cars trying to get into churches for the next service?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 8, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 15, 2017

God with Us

Genesis 12:1 (NET) - “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.

.

God told Abraham to leave the familiar and step into the unknown.

God did not even say exactly where this was.

Rather, God said that He would “show” him.

Abraham was no longer a young man when God gave him these instructions.

How did Abraham respond?

Genesis 12:4-5 (NET) - So Abram left, just as the Lord had told him to do, and Lot went with him. (Now Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran.) And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they left for the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

Abraham obeyed God.

God called Abraham and Abraham responded.

This would not be the only time that Abraham would answer God’s call.

There would come a time when God would ask much more of Abraham.

Genesis 22:2 (NET) - God said, “Take your son—your only son, whom you love, Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah! Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you.”

Abraham dearly loved his only son.

How did Abraham respond?

Genesis 22:3 (NET) - Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out for the place God had spoken to him about.

This time, just like the time before, Abraham obeyed God.

God called Abraham and again Abraham responded.

Abraham was prepared to do everything God asked of him.

He was even prepared to sacrifice his only son Isaac.

In the end, God spared Isaac.

Genesis 22: 11-12 (NET) - But the Lord’s angel called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. “Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

God provided a ram for the sacrifice.

The name Abraham gave to the place means “The LORD provides”.

Romans 4:3 (NET) - For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

God was with Abraham.

I think it is more than fair to say that God was with Isaac as well.

That is the way it is.

God calls and we are to respond.

What will our response be?

If we obey God’s call then God will be with us.

The prophet Isaiah understood this.

Isaiah 7:14 (NET) - For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.

This prophecy was fulfilled.

Matthew 1:23 (NET) - Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”

When my ancestors first came to the region where I now live, most of them did not even speak the local language.

They had no idea what awaited them in this new land.

But they did know one thing.

They knew that God was with them.

When they built their first church in the area 150 years ago, their pastor painted “God with Us” behind the pulpit as a reminder.

He panted these words in the language they knew.

God was with Abraham and Isaac.

God was with those who preceded me.

God is with me.

God is with us!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 11, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 18, 2017

The Interests of Others

Not long ago, I took my vehicle in for some routine maintenance.

I gave the crew my information and my key and went to the waiting room where it was cool.

A gentleman was already seated there when I took my seat.

A quick glance told me several things about him.

It is summer where I live and the outside temperature was hovering around 100 F.

I could tell by his tan that he worked outdoors.

By his physique I could tell that his work was physically demanding.

I also noticed that this man looked like he might be feeling ill.

I asked him if he was okay,

He confirmed that he was not feeling well.

Before I could ask him anything else, he began speaking to me as if he knew me.

He informed me that he had just gotten some bad news from his doctor about his heart.

He told me more.

He told me that he worked outdoors and the thought of working in the heat concerned him.

He wondered how many hours he would be able to work with his condition.

He told me he worried about providing for his family.

As if things were not difficult enough for the man he was about to get more bad news.

At this point, the mechanic who checked his vehicle came into the waiting room.

He told the man that he could not work on his vehicle and gave him several reasons.

The man was now distraught.

He informed the mechanic that he needed his vehicle to provide for his family.

The mechanic apologized.

He recommended another garage in town that might be able to help him.

By the way the mechanic said “might” I doubted they would be able to fix his vehicle.

As he left, I could not help but feel sorry for the man.

I prayed for him.

I prayed for his health.

I prayed that he would be able to provide for his family without additional damage to his heart.

I prayed that he would be able to find someone to fix his vehicle.

I continue to pray for him today.

It is not necessary to know someone to pray for them.

I do not know the man… but God does.

I do not know what exactly is wrong with his heart… but God does.

I do not know how he will provide for his family… but God does.

I do not know what he will do for transportation… but God does.

I know so very little about this man.

I do not even know his name.

Yet God knows everything about him.

Philippians 2:4-5 (NET) - Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

Praying for others is important whether we know them or not.

The more I pray for this man and his interests, the smaller my interests become.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 14, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 21, 2017

The Beginning Is Near

We see them in comic strips and in the movies.

Bearded men wearing robes and carrying signs that proclaiming “The End Is Near”.

Whether it is or not is a matter of speculation.

The problem with this message is twofold.

First, scripture is very clear on who really knows when the end will occur.

Matthew 24:36 (NET) - But as for that day and hour no one knows it—not even the angels in heaven—except the Father alone.

Second, not many will take this message seriously.

Day after day, channel after channel offer up programming about the coming end.

They warn us about climate change, economic collapse, global conflict and a host of other means by which the world as we know it will end.

These warnings are not new.

They have been around for some time.

In 2012, we were warned about the Mayan calendar.

In the late 1990’s, we were warned about the year 2000.

Time goes by.

New warnings come and go all the while lives remain unchanged.

Maybe the time has come to change the message.

What would happen if we changed the message from “The End is Near” to “The Beginning Is Near”?

After all, a life changed by Jesus Christ is a life that begins anew.

It is a life forever changed.

It is a life changed for the better.

Let us set aside the negative.

Let us embrace the positive and help others to live life as Jesus intended.

John 10:10 (NET) - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 12, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 19, 2017

I Just Don't See It

Over the past few months I have observed a building under construction.

I passed by it every day during my commute.

I observed the excavation.

I saw the foundation laid.

I watched the steel girders go up.

I observed additional concrete poured.

I saw men at work inside the building busy at various tasks.

Each day I passed by I could see the progress that was being made.

What made this interesting was that I only saw this building from a corner view.

When work began on the exterior of the building, workers started on the side of the building to my left.

That phase completed they began working on the side of the building to my right.

Once that was complete, I could no longer see inside the building.

I also could not see the exterior work on the far side of the building.

Looking at things only from my perspective, it appeared that all work had stopped.

All the while work continued.

I just could not see it based on my limited view.

That is often how it is with God.

We are certainly aware of the problems in our lives.

We are also aware of some the problems in our world.

Sometimes we can easily see God at work.

Sometimes, from our limited view, it appears that no progress is being made at all.

At such times, it is very easy for us to assume that God is not doing anything about them.

In truth, He is.

We just can’t see it from our limited human perspective.

Hebrews 11:1 (NET) - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

God is not a distant and casual observer.

He is an active participant in all our lives.

This is also true during those times when we see no progress.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 25, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 2, 2016

An Open Letter to Fathers

Fathers:

Some of you know me quite well.

Some of you know me socially.

Many of you do not know me at all.

Regardless of the nature of our relationship, I know that as fathers you are concerned about your children.

I appreciate your concern especially in these times.

I have no direct experience with the responsibilities that accompany fatherhood.

That said I am well aware that all men, including me, have responsibilities where children are concerned.

Fathers teach their children with words and by example.

I might not teach your children with words, but I hope I can teach them by example.

If we attend the same church, there are things your children will see.

They will see me coming out of my Sunday school class.

They will see me at Vacation Bible School serving in some way.

They will see me participating in Christmas programs and attending rehearsals.

They will see me helping out during church in one capacity or another.

There are also some things neither you nor they ever see.

You will never see the hours I spend in committee meetings which help direct the course of their education.

You will never see me when I come in on the occasional Saturday to set up and test equipment for their use in Sunday school.

You will never see the hours of preparation and research that go into my ministries.

Some of you do not attend my church.

In fact, many of you do not know me at all.

My responsibility to your children is equally important.

Whenever I am out in public I know that there is always a chance a child might be observing me.

Your child might notice my behavior or interaction with others.

Having been a child myself, I am well aware that children are not fooled by hypocrisy.

If I should speak or behave inappropriately in a public setting, I could potentially damage valuable lessons you are trying to teach them.

I might not be a father but I am a man.

That is a role I take very seriously.

Although I have no children of my own, scripture reminds me how special all children are to the Lord.

Luke 18:16-17 (NET) - But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Because all children are special to Him, they are special to me.

That includes your children.

No matter how well you know me, I want to be the kind of male role model for your children that other men were for me.

As fathers, you are concerned about your children.

That goes with the territory.

I appreciate that concern.

When Father’s Day comes on Sunday your children might give you a gift to express their love for you.

There is nothing I can give you that can equal that.

What I hope I have given you is one less thing to worry about.

I wish you a happy and blessed Father’s Day.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 24, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 1, 2016