Success

Genesis 39:23 (NET) - The warden did not concern himself with anything that was in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

Many things occurred during Joseph’s lifetime.

Some could be considered major setbacks.

Others could be considered major successes.

Through the ups and downs one thing was perfectly clear.

Joseph understood that God was at work in both.

Others more easily perceived God’s hand in the successes.

After being sold into slavery, the 39^th chapter of Genesis finds Joseph working for Potiphar.

Joseph found success in this new role and Potiphar saw that God was with him.

Potiphar put Joseph in charge of the household, and it prospered.

Potiphar’s wife then falsely accused Joseph of assault.

As a result. Joseph was sent to prison.

Although in prison, God was still with Joseph.

He found favor in the warden’s eyes.

He put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and made him responsible for all that went on.

Joseph succeeded in this new role as well.

The warden saw that God was the source of Joseph’s success.

People do not necessarily recognize the Lord’s hand in success.

When this happens, Scripture tells us they need a reminder.

This happened in the church at Corinth.

Paul wrote to them about this.

Some claimed to follow Paul.

Others claimed to follow Apollos.

Paul reminded them that both he and Apollos were servants of the Lord.

He reminded them that their success and growth was due to God.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (NET) - I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow.

God is not just a casual observer.

He is an active participant in our lives in both setbacks and successes alike.

As the threat of the pandemic subsides, we will be presented with new opportunities.

Remember, the Lord is with us.

Let us ask the Lord to make our endeavors bear fruit.

Let us ask Him to bless the church and its outreach.

Let us ask the Lord to make new ministries prosper.

After all, we are but servants.

Our success is due to the Lord.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 28, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, June 4, 2021

Follow Me

2 Samuel 22:19-20 (NET) - They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the Lord helped me. He brought me out into a wide open place; he delivered me because he was pleased with me.

The book of 2 Samuel discusses David’s reign.

This verse is from a song David sang to the Lord.

It is a song about how God rescued him from his enemies.

God did so when David called out to Him.

Like David, we often call out to the Lord in times of trouble.

Like David, we know the Lord will see us through the tough times.

What happens when the roles are reversed?

What happens when the Lord calls out to us?

How do we respond?

In the book of Matthew, we read about how the Lord called him.

Matthew 9:9 (NET) - As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him. So he got up and followed him.

Matthew was a tax collector.

He was doing his job when the Lord called out to him.

He heard the Lord say, “Follow me.”

Matthew responded to the call.

Matthew got up and followed the Lord.

This changed Matthew’s life forever.

The Lord called others to follow Him.

Like Matthew, their lives were forever changed.

The Lord still calls out to us.

He calls out to us every day.

If we listen carefully, we hear Him calling, “Follow me.”

It is comforting to know that we can call upon the Lord in times of trouble.

It can however be a little unsettling when He calls out to us.

This is especially true when that call is: “Follow me.”

Following means leaving our old lives behind,

It means our lives will never be the same again.

But following brings about something else.

In following, we are guided to a place we are meant to be.

Fortunately, we can call upon the Lord for the courage to follow.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 14, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, May 21, 2021

Joy and Loyalty

Psalm 5:11 (NET) - But may all who take shelter in you be happy. May they continually shout for joy. Shelter them so that those who are loyal to you may rejoice.

The Psalmist mentions elation three times in this verse.

He does this in various ways.

He uses the words “happy”, “joy” and “rejoice”.

There are however requirements for true elation.

First, we should take shelter in the Lord.

We should also remain loyal to Him.

Those who followed Jesus understood this as well.

Paul and Barnabas were moved by the Holy Spirit to preach at Pisidian Antioch.

On the Sabbath, they went into the synagogue.

The leaders there spoke of the law and the prophets.

They then invited Paul and Barnabas to speak.

Paul, in loyalty to Jesus, spoke extensively about Him.

Many were moved and they were invited to speak again the following Sabbath.

On that day, “almost the whole city assembled”.

But when some saw the size of the crowd, they were filled with jealousy.

When Paul spoke this time, he was interrupted, contradicted, and reviled.

Paul and Barnabas boldly stated that they were appointed to be a light to the Gentiles.

The Gentiles then began to rejoice.

The word of the Lord was spreading,

But those opposed to their message persecuted them.

Paul and Barnabas were thrown out of the region.

Despite this, Paul and Barnabas traveled on to Iconium.

They were also filled with joy.

Acts 13:52 (NET) - And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Despite persecution, Paul and Barnabas remained happy because of their loyalty to the Lord.

Today, it is easy for us to become discouraged.

But this does not have to be.

We can be happy.

We can find joy.

We can rejoice.

As the Psalmist said, all we need do is to take shelter in the Lord and remain loyal to Him.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 23, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, May 7, 2021

 

Expressions of Love

Matthew 3:16-17 (NET) - After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight.”

When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God expressed His love for His Son.

God loved His Son, but it was not just for this singular act of baptism.

God loved His Son for who He was,

God also loved His Son for what He came into the world to do and how He would go about it.

Jesus did everything God expected of Him.

That included the one thing He did which we could not do for ourselves.

For God not only loved Jesus, but He also loved us as well.

God loved us so much that He willingly sent Jesus to die in our place (John 3:16).

When the time approached Jesus struggled with this.

He prayed to God about it.

Luke 22:42 (NET) - “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”

Jesus did what God willed of Him.

Jesus submitted Himself to abandonment, scorn, tremendous pain, and death by crucifixion.

He did God’s will by enduring it all.

He endured it all to benefit us.

When Jesus was baptized, God expressed His love for Him.

But this was not the only time God expressed that love for all to hear.

God also expressed it at the Transfiguration of Jesus.

With it, God also expressed a command for us.

We are to “Listen to Him!”

Matthew 17:5 (NET) - While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”

As we read scripture, we hear the words of Jesus.

But we must do more than hear them.

We must really listen to them.

Jesus also teaches us by example.

We must therefore strive to become more like Jesus every day.

We too can turn to God in trying circumstances.

We too must accept God’s will as opposed to our own.

We must always remember that God loves us.

He proved that through what Jesus endured for us.

He also expressed this in the form of an empty tomb.

Jesus has risen and we now have true hope, and our lives will never be the same again!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 9, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, April 16, 2021

Glimpses

Exodus 33:18 (NET) - And Moses said, “Show me your glory.”

Moses wanted to see God.

But God warned Moses that no one could see His face and live.

So, God hid Moses in the cleft of a rock and covered him.

Moses did not see God’s face.

Instead, God allowed him just a glimpse as He passed by.

Moses was not the only one who wished to see God.

The followers of Jesus also wanted to see Him.

This was especially true of Philip.

Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father.

The response Philip received was not what he expected.

John 14:8-9 (NET) - Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

By knowing Jesus, we know God.

But the relationship we now have with God was affirmed by the Father.

This occurred the very moment Jesus died on the cross.

Matthew 27:50-51 (NET) - Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

This was a beautiful gesture on the part of God.

The temple curtain was a barrier.

It was a barrier that separated a sinful mankind from the most holy God.

God removed the barrier that separated us from Him the very moment Jesus died,

Just like Moses and Philip, many people today wish to see God.

Yet God gives glimpses of Himself not only in the miraculous but in the day-to-day.

Perhaps we are too preoccupied to notice.

One thing is certain.

As Christians we place our faith in Jesus.

When others see Jesus at work in our lives, they can capture glimpses of Him.

In doing so, they also capture glimpses of God.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 26, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, April 2, 2021

 

True Repentance

Judges 10:15 (NET) - But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today!”

It has been said that confession is good for the soul.

But it is more than that.

Repentance is scriptural.

It is important that we confess to God the ways in which we have fallen short.

But if God is omniscient, are we really revealing to Him anything new?

Doesn’t God know the ways in which we have fallen short?

Certainly, He does!

So why repent?

First, we admit to ourselves that we have sinned.

We are no longer able to rationalize or justify our actions and words.

Second, we express our sorrow and regret for them.

But repentance does not end there.

True repentance goes beyond this.

It requires one more thing.

It means turning back to God and changing our behavior.

It means changing our actions and words in the future to those He expects from us.

It means changing the way we live.

Thus, we are better able to love both God and our neighbor.

Luke 15:7 (NET) - I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

Confession may be good for the soul.

True repentance draws us closer to God.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 12, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, March 19, 2021

 

Dual Roles

I recently watched two old programs that had something in common.

In each there was an actor or actress who played two parts.

In the first there was an actress who portrayed both the head of a corporation as well as the woman trying to take it away from her.

In the second, an actor portrayed both a ruthless dictator and a man trying to put an end to his regime.

The use of a single actor for dual roles was quite effective in each case.

This put me in mind of one of my favorite Christian allegories written in the 1600’s by John Amos Comenius.

It is entitled The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart.

One of the devices employed by Comenius in his work was the use of masks.

In his book, people go about in public wearing masks.

They try to pass themselves off as beautiful, hiding their true ugliness behind their masks.

Comenius used this device to illustrate that people go about pretending to be something they are not.

They try to cover up things like greed, jealousy and pride.

They do so in order to fool the people with whom they interact daily.

They try to fool others into thinking more highly of them.

But there is a danger in this attempt to deceive.

If we practice it long enough ourselves, we might begin to believe the mask rather than the truth.

We might even convince ourselves we are the illusion rather than the reality.

One thing is certain.

We will never be able to fool God.

Galatians 6:7 (NET) - Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,

There is a way to make the make the mask completely unnecessary.

Isaiah 1:18 (NET) - Come, let’s consider your options,” says the Lord. “Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool.

This is possible through Jesus.

Hebrews 7:25 (NET) - So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Performing dual roles may be fine for actors.

But it is certainly no way for us to live.

Galatians 6:8 (NET) - because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 9, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 16, 2019

Damage Control

Romans 3:10-18 (NET) - just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

These words from the book of Romans spell out the human condition quite clearly.

They hold nothing back.

The opening words set the record straight.

“There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.”

This is clearly a set of circumstances we should address.

Where do we begin?

Perhaps Nehemiah can give us some insight.

When he arrived in Jerusalem he knew what God wanted him to do.

God wanted him to rebuild the wall that lay in ruins.

Nehemiah did not begin by gathering materials or assembling workers.

His first response to God’s call was to assess the damage.

He got up during the night and took a few men with him but he informed no one of God’s plan,

He examined where the wall had been breached and the gates burned.

Only after this assessment did he make the plan known.

Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NET) - Then I said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.” Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” So they readied themselves for this good project.

Just like the wall in Nehemiah’s day, we are broken.

As we continue our journey through the season of Lent let us assess our damage.

Let us also turn to the One who can repair that damage and put us right.

Romans 3:23-24 (NET) - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 24, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 7, 2017

Sin is Overt

There is a car dealership I pass every morning and every evening.

What is most noticeable about it during the daytime is their large sign which displays their family name of Covert.

At night, the dealership is even more noticeable.

Lights are turned on and their facility is flooded with light.

Even their sign lights up.

In this state, both the sign and facility can be seen from quite far away.

The dictionary defines the word covert as “not openly displayed”.

I find it more than a bit interesting that a place that attracts so much attention could have the word “covert” attached to it.

This forced me to consider how sin impacts our relationship with God.

Each of us, myself included, is guilty of sin.

1 John 1:8 (NET) - If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Whether a sin we commit is intentional or not, we would prefer to hide it.

Hiding it from others is one thing.

Given enough time, we might eventually be able to hide it from ourselves.

We might even think about hiding it from God.

That simply is not possible,

Sin impacts our relationship with God and there is absolutely no way to hide it from Him.

It is no more hidden from Him than that car dealership and its large sign that are both lit up at night.

That is why confession is so important.

It is confession that mends our relationship with Him.

1 John 1:9 (NET) - But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 11, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 18, 2016

So Close and Yet So Far Away

I keep the blinds in my office closed in the summer.

My windows face the afternoon sun and keeping the blinds closed helps keep my office cool.

Recently, as I walked past the windows, I saw something peeking out from under the blinds.

I raised the blinds and discovered that what I saw was the tail of a dead lizard.

Somehow this little fellow managed to get inside our building.

He then made it up to the second floor.

Having survived the trip thus far, he then made his way down the hall and into my office.

Once there, he climbed up onto the window sill and crawled between the window pane and the blinds.

That is where he died with only a bit of his tail sticking out to give away his position.

If more of his tail had been visible, I might have noticed him sooner and perhaps have been able to help him.

Such was not the case.

The other thing I noticed was that his head was raised and he appeared to be looking out the window the moment he died.

It was almost as if he could see where he both wanted and needed to be.

He simply had no way of getting through the glass.

He lacked the means to open he window for himself and only needed someone to open it for him.

Only a thin plate of glass stood between himself and what he most needed.

He was so close, yet he was so far away.

That is how it is with people.

We go through life seeking true happiness.

We seek it in people.

But people will let us down.

We seek it in careers.

But work, though necessary, brings its share of disappointments.

We seek it in wealth, possessions and security.

But even these can be fleeting.

We even seek it in leisure.

But even the activities associated with leisure often leave us feeling more fatigued than before.

True happiness is something that can be achieved.

It can only be achieved through union with Christ.

Christ gives us glimpses of Himself all the time.

But catching those glimpses is not enough.

Faith is what bridges the gap between us and Him.

Faith is asking Him to remove the barrier that separates us.

Romans 15:9 (NET) – because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

A Fresh Start

A new school year has started.

While I have not attended school in a long time, I remember well some of the feelings I had when I began a new school year.

One of the feelings that I remember best was the excitement of having a new beginning.

Nothing compares with the sense of leaving prior mistakes and shortcomings behind.

It is a chance to start over.

The slate is clean and free of test grades that are less than great.

It is free of homework assignments that have not been given my best effort.

There are no negative comments in the margins.

There are no essays with the comments "explain" or "give examples".

There are no math worksheets with the comment "show your work".

It is a chance for a fresh start.

There are many people in the world right now that would like a nothing more than new beginning.

They would love nothing more than to start fresh.

If only they could leave the mistakes of their lives behind them and start anew with God.

They think about it time and time again.

Their regrets may even keep them awake at night.

Many conclude that they can never escape their past.

They may even conclude that they’ve done too many bad things.

Sadly, many conclude that God could never forgive someone like them, let alone love them.

How wrong they are.

John 3:16 (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.

John reminds us that God loves the world.

That means God loves everyone in the world enough to want to save them.

He provides for that salvation in the only way possible.

He had Jesus pay the price we could never pay on our own.

God does have some expectations.

God asks that we believe in Jesus.

But can a person really start over?

In the words of Jesus, one must.

John 3:3 (KJV) - Jesus answered and  said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

When one is born again, he becomes a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NET) - So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, what is old has passed away - look, what is new is come!

Confession is also important.

1 John 1:9 (NET) - But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Why?

After all, doesn’t God know everything already?

Certainly, but confession helps us build a relationship with God and serves to remind us how much we need salvation.

When we do this, something wonderful happens.

Psalm 103:12 (NET) - As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.

A new beginning is possible.

After all, nothing is impossible for God.


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

Remember, Repent, Reform

O God, thou knowest my foolishness;
and my sins are not hid from thee. ~ Psalms 69:5

This is one of my favorite passages in Scripture--not because it expresses a happy thought, but because it's so true, and something I need to repeat every day in prayer.

Of course, it's necessary and right for a believer to daily remember the countless blessings he or she receives at God's hand, and to give thanks and praise for them. We are so grateful to have His guidance and comfort in our lives!  But sometimes this sense of well-being can lead to complacency, pride, and even arrogance. Seeing the spiritual, moral, and temporal travail of so many around us, we may start to feel as though we are impervious to troubles, that Satan can't touch us, and that we are and always will be superior to those others who haven't gotten, as we have, "right with God."  Our prayers may start to sound like those of the Pharisee: "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican" (Luke 18:11) -- and less like those of the publican, who, "standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."  (Luke 18:13)

The publican, who was the one who went away justified (Luke 18:14), had it right. As conscious as we should be of our blessings and of the things that are right in our lives, we should be at least as mindful of our sins and shortcomings, and truly sorry for them. We should always remember that the good things come only through the Lord's grace and forgiveness, and that they are not "earned" in the conventional sense by anything we have done. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We need to confess this in humble and contrite prayer ever day, begging God for the wisdom, patience, and strength to do better. Repentance also needs to include a firm resolve to live in a more righteous and Christ-like way, and real action on our part to carry out that promise. And all this should be capped off with an ever-present thankfulness to our Lord for His great mercy, without which we would be irretrievably lost.

So, pay attention every day to the "three Rs": Remember (our sins), Repent (sorrow and confession), and Reform (actually change conduct). In doing so we should never fall into the self-righteous arrogance of the distinguished Pharisee, but walk away justified, like the "lowly" publican--and happy in Christ's embrace!

Tom Fleming

Songs of Praises

Come Out of Hiding

"O God, thou knowest my foolishness;
and my sins are not hid from thee." ~ Psalm 69:5

So confessed King David. Whenever I have something to repent of, this passage leaps to my mind. I am often appalled at my own behavior, though usually too late, after it's been exposed or I'm afraid that it will be.  Why do I continue in my foolish ways, and to sin, knowing that the Lord is well aware of what I'm doing even if no one else is?

We may hide or fail to confess our sins in order to escape the shame and potential punishment naturally attending them, although God intended those very consequences to discourage bad behavior. Worse, we may hide or avoid confessing our sins so that no one interferes in our wrongdoing and we can continue to have whatever satisfaction it brings ("Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Proverbs 9:17).  Nevertheless, by concealing or ignoring our sinful ways we only dig the pit we're in ever deeper, adding to our suffering and the distance between us and God, and making it that much harder to repent, reform, and restore our relationship with Him and with others whom we may have wronged. We forget (because we want to) that "nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be made known and come abroad.” (Luke 8:17)

How much better it is to admit that we have gone astray, to repent with a sincere and contrite heart, and to beg God in all humility for forgiveness!  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). Repentance must be accompanied by a firm resolution not to repeat the sin--praying to God for the strength to follow through on the promise--and by confession and restitution to anyone whom our sins have injured. Only then will we be truly free of guilt and shame, our iniquity having been paid for and washed away by the blood of our Savior.

Sin is like a wound of the soul--and like a wound of the flesh, it can't heal as long as we keep it hidden and festering; it must first be exposed to light and air, and cleansed. If you would be cleansed and healed, come out of hiding. Hold nothing back. Shed the filthy rags of sin and leave them at the Cross--this day, this hour!

Tom Fleming

Songs of Praises