Giving

Giving is one of the things people associate with Christmas.

This is inspired by the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus in the forms of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Others have written much about the significance of these gifts, so I will pass on that aspect.

Scripture does not specify how many wise men there were.

Since it specifies these three gifts, people easily assume that there were three wise men.

We really cannot say how many wise men made the trek to worship Jesus.

This got me thinking about giving at Christmas.

For instance, my colleagues and I purchased and wrapped gifts for some children in need.

Members of my church marked the days in Advent by purchasing food items for the local food bank.

Volunteers ring bells for the Salvation Army encouraging people to give.

Sometimes, people give in unexpected ways like paying for someone else’s order at the drive thru.

People even donate their time and talents for Christmas programs and the like.

For some reason, giving just seems to come more easily to us at Christmas.

Do not get me wrong.

I encourage giving in these ways and others.

I gladly do so myself.

But, in a matter of days, Christmas 2019 will be but a memory.

Giving, broadly speaking, can all too easily become just a memory as well.

This is unfortunate as the need for giving will still be there when Christmas is gone.

Just as we should not limit the number of wise men to three, we should not limit our giving to Christmas.

There is scriptural basis for this.

Proverbs 3:9 reminds us to give from our first fruits and not from what is left over.

1 Chronicles 29:14 reminds us that everything (even what we give) belongs to God.

2 Corinthians 9:7 reminds us to give from the heart and God loves those who give cheerfully.

Luke 6:38 reminds us that the spirit in which we give is the spirit in which we will receive.

In the days remaining until Christmas we will each find many ways in which to give.

Perhaps enough ways to inspire us to continue into the year to come.

When it comes to gifts, God gave us the best gift of all.

Christmas is not about how a fallen mankind reached up to God.

It is about how God reached down to a fallen mankind through Jesus.

That gift is so very special that it has continued to give daily for 2,000 years!

That should be the best inspiration of all.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 13, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 20, 2019

Tradition and the Heart

One of the hallmarks of Christmas is tradition.

Some of the traditions I experience have been around a very long time.

Others are relatively new.

One of my traditions that has been around for a long time is our annual Christmas program.

I remember participating in these as a child.

I recall dressing up as a shepherd one year and a wise man the next.

I recall the handful of lines I and others had to learn.

I also recall feeling rather nervous as I and my classmates waited for our turn to go on.

I also recall the feeling of relief we felt when our scenes were done.

Now, decades later, I find myself involved in these programs once again.

Because of my age, I have been cast as everything from wise neighbors to bus drivers.

I enjoy the programs more now because they give me the opportunity to work with our young people.

By contrast, some traditions I participate in are relatively new.

                                                                                                                          

For the third year now, we have distributed empty boxes to volunteers at the beginning of Advent.

These volunteers fill their boxes with nonperishable food items.

On Christmas Eve, volunteers return their filled boxes.

The contents are then donated to our local food bank.

It’s funny, but some traditions are not planned at all like comments I hear from others.

The most common of these surfaces when I do something kind without expecting anything in return.

“You did not have to do that.”

In a manner of speaking, I did.

That is part of what the Lord meant when He commanded us to love our neighbor.

The most unusual of theses surfaces when someone comments on my level of involvement during the season.

“You could be doing anything you want.”

These individuals often look surprised to learn I am doing exactly that.

That is part of what the Lord meant when He commanded us to love God.

Traditions can be wonderful things especially at Christmas.

We just need to make certain our hearts are in the right place first.

Philippians 4:8 (NET) - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

Christmas Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 28, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 4, 2019

Saving to Serve

The Thanksgiving holiday in the USA is behind us (except for its crass commercialization, unfortunately). One thing I found myself being thankful for this year was being able to share with others the bounty God has showered upon me. I haven't always taken that opportunity as I should have. When my wife and I were younger and had several children living at home, our income was less and day-to-day expenses greater, and we were carrying too much debt. So, I I felt anxious about every dollar and was too reluctant to part with even a few to help the needy and other good causes. I shouldn't have been that way; my faith in God's providence was lacking.

In any event, I'm blessed to still be here today, with my health and a good job, and my children are all on their own. We CAN and now DO more to help those less fortunate, though of course there's so much more we could and should be doing--personally, and not just by sending dollars someplace. With the Lord's help we've learned over the years to be reasonably frugal and to live within our means, so we now have an excess beyond minimum sustenance that can be used to do things like support children and families in Asia, supply our local homeless relief mission, and fund missionary efforts, as well as to help our children and a few friends through rough economic stretches. We've also managed to stockpile supplies of non-perishable food and water to help ourselves and our neighbors through an emergency.

It's so important not to get distracted by the dazzling images of opulence that modern society dangles before people's eyes, to entice us into a life of careless spending and debt that only makes a few others rich and ourselves helpless and dependent on assistance for our very survival. Not only does that open us to a corrupting level of control by those upon whom we're dependent, it prevents us from obtaining the blessings, to ourselves and others, that flow from helping the less fortunate. How can we properly care for our families and help the poor, as God expects us to do (1 John 3:17–19), if all our means have been frittered away on unnecessaries? Remember this admonition: "[L]et him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." (Ephesians 4:28)

Get into the habit of pausing before you buy anything, or subscribe to any service, that isn't indisputably essential to daily existence. Do I really NEED that big-screen TV or that new mobile device? Can our family have a nice vacation somewhere besides Disney World? Carefully consider--and pray--whether other, more important things might be done with the money you'd be spending, including saving it away for harder times, or to assist someone else. If you condition yourself to put your family and others in mind first, and the future before the present, you'll develop habits of prudent living that will enable you, your loved ones, and your neighbors, with God's help, to weather any storm and remain strong in God's service.

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises

Help Another, Help Yourself

Life's many problems can leave one feeling overwhelmed, alone, and helpless--an emotional paralysis that makes it impossible to cope.  One way to escape this cycle of despair is to focus on someone else who is in serious need, and devote substantial thought, energy, and prayer toward helping that person. The benefits are many, and "losing yourself" in this way is sure to lighten your own load!

Among other things, doing this helps to put your own problems in perspective--no matter how bad things look for you, there is ALWAYS someone in much greater need!--and reduce them in your mind to a more manageable level. You avoid developing an obsessive fixation on apparently insoluble dilemmas; your mind is freed and rested, at least for a while, enabling you to come back later with a fresh viewpoint and possibly new angles to try in dealing with your own challenges.

Making a positive difference for someone else, even in a small way, gives you a renewed faith in your ability to change things and a greater sense of your own value in this world. Also, others are more inclined to come to your aid if they see you as a helpful, giving person yourself.

Perhaps most important, acting as a channel of God's love toward another fills you with awareness of His infinite love for you, and with a new sense of purpose and confidence. That makes all the difference when tackling life's challenges!  There is nothing more empowering than knowing that no matter what happens in this life, He will NEVER disown you, and never abandon you! Whatever problems we have now, they'll be left here when we join Him in Heaven!

So, if you need help with your burdens, start by shouldering another's!

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises

An Unexpected Shock

Not long ago, I decided to stop at a local restaurant.

As I pulled my car into its parking space, I noticed two young individuals seated against the side of the building.

It was a sunny and hot summer afternoon and the temperature was near 100 degrees F (38 degrees C).

From the state of their clothing, it was obvious that the owners of this establishment would not permit them to wait inside where it was cooler.

The other thing that was painfully obvious was the crude sign that one had created that had but one word on it.

"HUNGRY"

My heart immediately went out to these individuals and scripture immediately materialized in my mind.

In Matthew 25 Jesus talks about the separation of the sheep and the goats.

Two verses in particular occupied my thoughts

Matthew 25:37 (NIV) - "Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

The other should come as no surprise.

Matthew 25:40 (NIV) -  "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I knew what I needed to do.

I knew what He wanted me to do.

I pulled enough money out of my wallet to pay for two meals for two people.

This way their immediate needs could be met and they would also be able to take along some food for their journey.

I walked up to the man with the sign and held out the money and said, "I hope this helps you."

He told me, "Thank you, sir."

What happened next took me completely by shock.

He turned to the individual next to him  and said, "Honey, look what the nice man gave us."

I could not believe my eyes.

The individual next to him was a woman.

In her current state, I had not even realized this.

She looked at the money as he asked her, "What would you like to eat, Dear?"

I wish my written word could convey the emotion in her voice.

"Oh, I would just love a chicken sandwich!"

I reminded myself just how good my situation is.

I asked myself if I had ever felt that way about a chicken sandwich before.

She thanked me.

I found myself unable to speak, but tried my best to offer a friendly smile.

In my heart, I prayed for God to bless them both.

As I walked inside, I was reminded of something else that happened not long ago.

I have a Christian friend and author who was asked a series of difficult questions by an admitted atheist.

He shared these questions with several of his friends and asked for our input in order to prepare a good response.

One of the questions will stay with me always.

"If God exists, how do you account for the fact that he has never appeared before you?"

For me, the answer to this question is another question that causes me far more distress.

What if he had and I chose to do nothing?


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com