Power in the Blood

I accidentally cut myself this weekend.

It was much more than a slight wound.

Fortunately, I kept calm and remembered my first aid training.

This combination saved me a trip to the emergency room.

The incident, although painful, reminded me just how important our blood is.

When I was a boy, I knew an elderly man who had a blood disease.

This disease prevented his blood from clotting properly.

Even a small cut that most would take for granted could have proved fatal to him.

I had another friend with a similar condition.

His was due to the medication he was taking.

Our blood is necessary for survival.

In fact. I currently have a friend who donates blood faithfully and regularly.

He has done so for many years and I can only imagine how many lives his blood has saved.

Yes, our blood is a precious thing.

But as precious as it is, there is something far more precious.

Something far more powerful.

That is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:12 (NET) - Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp.

Each of us has been saved by the blood of Jesus

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NET) - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.

By His blood, we are made right with God.

Isaiah 53:5 (NET) - He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed.

Every one of us, regardless of background, has been brought nearer to God by His blood.

Ephesians 2:13 (NET) - But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

As time goes by, the scar from my injury will fade.

Hopefully it will serve to remind me to be more careful in the future.

It will also serve as a physical reminder; a reminder of the importance of the blood of Jesus Christ.

It will remind me why the sharing of the bread and the cup is so vital to us.

1 Corinthians 11:25 (NET) - In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Human blood is a precious thing.

We could not survive without it.

But the blood of Jesus is even more precious.

Because of it, we truly live!

The old hymn says it so well: There’s Power in the Blood.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 24, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 7, 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

Solitude and Prayer

COVID-19 has changed the way we live.

Like many others, I am working from home now.

I miss not being at work and I certainly miss the friends I have made there.

I long for the day when I can attend church once more,

I think I miss my students on Sunday mornings most of all.

We were not designed to live in perpetual solitude

Yet even for those living with family, there will be times we still find ourselves alone,

But this is not altogether a bad thing.

Scripture tells us time and again that even Jesus went off to be by himself.

Perhaps the clearest example can be found in Luke’s gospel.

Luke 5:16 (NET) -  Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Notice the word ‘frequently’.

It reminds us that there were many times that Jesus sought solitude for prayer.

Another example can be found in Mark’s gospel.

Mark 1:35 (NET) - Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.

Then there is the advice He gives each of us regarding the importance of solitude and prayer.

Matthew 6:6 (NET) - But whenever you pray, go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

We are meant to pray and worship together when we can.

One day, hopefully soon, we will again,

But scripture reminds us of the importance of solitude and prayer and how Jesus often sought both.

If Jesus required solitude from time to time, what does that say for us?

We also need solitude for prayer periodically.

Perhaps recent events might serve as a reminder to us.

In the days to come there will be times when we find ourselves without another human being around.

In those times, it is important to remember that we are never truly alone.

Let us put those moments to good use.

Let us remember how even Jesus sought solitude in which to earnestly pray to the Father.

Let us follow His example as we consider what He did for all of us.

In the week to come, we will contemplate the cross that awaited Him.

Just remember that there is a now empty tomb just beyond it!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 10, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 17, 2020

Kept in the Dark

Continuing the journey toward Easter I found my thoughts turning to the hours of darkness.

An eerie and unexpected darkness occurred while Jesus was being crucified.

Mark 15:33 (NET) - Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

This reminded me of the phrase “kept in the dark”.

To keep someone in the dark currently means choosing not to inform them of your plans.

This was certainly not the case with Jesus.

Jesus told His disciples exactly who He was.

He told them exactly what He came to do.

He even told them He would rise on the third day.

But the truth is the disciples’ reactions were like those who had been “kept in the dark”.

As He was crucified, they kept to a distance.

Luke 23:49 (NET) -  And all those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee saw these things.

After Jesus died on the cross, these men went into hiding.

But there was one man who understood.

He was not a disciple.

In fact, one might think this man would have been the last to understand.

But He did understand.

Mark 15:39 (NET) - Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

One cannot overlook the difference between the centurion and the others who knew Jesus personally.

Those who were supposed to have known Jesus best chose to keep their distance.

They reacted as if they had been kept in the dark.

Others stood close by and some of them, even the most unlikely, really understood.

The days leading up to Easter can be uncomfortable.

This is especially true when we consider what Jesus did for us.

But He does not want us to stand at a distance,

He wants us to draw near to Him.

What better time is there than Easter to do just that?

Matthew 6:21 (NET) - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are only kept in the dark if we choose to be.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 13, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 20, 2020

Completed

Election time is drawing near in my country.

There are many people vying for the highest office in the land.

Experience has taught me two things.

The first is that candidates will usually promise anything to get elected.

The second is that some of their statements are simply wrong.

One candidate’s recent claim can fall into the second category.

According to him, he has earned his way into heaven based on something he did,

Politics aside, such a statement is incorrect when viewed in the light of scripture.

Salvation cannot be earned.

It is not our doing.

Salvation is only possible through God’s grace.

It has nothing to do with our actions - no matter how “good” we think they may be.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NET) - For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

As such, we should do the things we were “designed” to do.

Ephesians 2:10 (NET) - For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.

The things we do by faith are fruits of the spirit,

They are the evidence by which others see God’s presence in our lives.

They are the steps we take within our journey.

Steps we take with the Lord that benefit others.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NET) - For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love.

Our salvation was made possible by Jesus during His crucifixion.

John 19:30 (NET) - When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

That was the moment.

There is nothing more that you nor I nor anyone seeking office can do to add to it.

We can’t even take away from it.

It is completed!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 28, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 6, 2020

It All Depends on Love

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.

The season of Lent began on Wednesday, February 14, 2018.

Incidentally, February 14 also happened to be St. Valentine’s Day, a day set aside for the celebration of love.

Setting aside human notions of romance for the moment, it seems fitting that both fell on the same day.

The verse above is one of the most widely memorized passages in all of scripture.

Rightly so, for it reminds us of just how much God loves each of us.

So much so that He gave His Only Son to save the world.

Scripture also has a great deal more to say about love.

1 John 4:19 (NET) - We love because he loved us first.

This is quite profound but there is still more.

1 John 4:20 (NET) - If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

This reminds us that only those who love their fellow man can truly say that they love God.

Granted, this is not always easy for us to do.

But the season of Lent reminds us of what God did to prove His love for us.

It also reminds us of the love Jesus has for us as well.

Jesus was mocked, beaten and crucified for us.

He also forgave those who inflicted these things upon Him.

If Jesus could forgive so much, should we be unwilling to forgive others of so little?

The essence of Christianity is two-fold.

God the Father creates, His Son redeems and the Holy Spirit makes holy.

Our response to God and to our fellow man must be rooted in faith, hope and love.

Faith is a wonderful thing to possess.

Who among us does not like to have hope.

But scripture reminds us that love is greater than faith and hope.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET) - And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As our journey through Lent continues, let us be reminded of the love extended to us.

Let us also be mindful that love is a gift that is best when it is shared.

With Blessings and LOVE,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 23, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 2, 2018

Giving Them My Best

I think everyone gets busier the closer we get to Christmas.

I certainly do.

One of the things that makes me busier is our annual Christmas Program.

The last few of these have seen me become an active participant.

There are lines to learn.

There are rehearsals.

As always, there are also the general preparations.

To be honest, I really don’t mind the extra work this creates for me.

This is certainly an opportunity for me to thank God for sending His Son into the world.

Christmas marks the beginning of Christ’s journey among us.

A journey that began in a stable,

A journey that ended at the cross.

Taking part in the Christmas Program helps drive that home for me.

I pray it does for others as well.

One of the additional benefits I receive from this is having the opportunity to work directly with our youth.

Most of the time I work with people my own age – the “not so young” people.

Of course, I do things indirectly that benefit our youth serving on various committees.

One of the things I hear quite frequently is: “These young people are our future.”

Granted, there is a fair amount of truth in that.

God has blessed me with a somewhat unique set of circumstances.

Circumstances that allow me to be perhaps a bit more objective.

These young people have a future of their own.

Some will go to college.

Some will get jobs and move to another city.

Some will become part of a new church family when they get married.

My responsibility, from a purely objective standpoint, is clear.

I need to give our young people the best I have within me spiritually.

That applies to whatever committee on which I serve.

It also applies to working directly with them in a Christmas Program.

No matter how busy I get, serving them means serving God.

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.

No matter where their future takes them, I want them to have the best preparation we can provide.

That means giving them the best I can provide.

God will take care of the rest.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

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

A Different Perspective

One of the services I provide for my church family is photography.

I have provided this service for them for the last nine years and it is a ministry I particularly enjoy.

This ministry not only allows me to reach out to others, it occasionally gives me some personal insight as well.

It gave me such an insight on Easter Sunday.

I arrived at church well before dawn to help get things ready for our sunrise service.

As always, I had my camera with me.

I made my way through the church and turned on lights, checked microphones, made coffee and did whatever else was needed.

Being Easter, many members of my church family purchased lilies for the sanctuary.

As I prepared the sanctuary in complete silence I could not help but notice these symbols of Easter.

Somehow, they helped make the moment feel more special.

Once my duties in this part of the church were complete, I decided to take a few photographs.

I wanted to get some photographs of the lilies as I knew they would not be around for long.

As I made my way around the sanctuary taking photographs I decided to take one of our cross.

I have taken photographs of our cross before, but from a distance.

This time I stood almost directly beneath it and moved a few paces to my left.

I then looked up at the cross and took the photograph.

As soon as I did, I knew I had something special in my possession.

People, myself included, are creatures of habit.

This can be true even in a place like church.

We park in the same places.

We sit in the same pews.

We even sit with the same people.

That is because they are creatures of habit as well.

Week after week, our view of the cross doesn’t change.

We see it from the same angle from the same distance time after time.

I don’t believe chance had anything to do with me taking that particular photograph on Easter.

I honestly believe God wanted me to see the cross from a different perspective that particular day.

I have had the opportunity to share that photograph with others.

Their reaction to it is remarkably like mine.

The cross did not change.

What it represents certainly did not change.

What changed was my perspective.

This, by necessity, produced a change in me.

Christianity is about growth and change.

Our growth.

Our change.

Sometimes that requires us to get up and move from the place to which we have grown accustomed.

Sometimes what we need is a change in our perspective.

Romans 8:28-30 (NET) - “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 22, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 6, 2016

Revolving Around the Son

Recently there was news of the possibility of a new planet in our solar system.

Planet 9, when confirmed, will be very far away.

It will undoubtedly be quite different from the world on which we live.

Although each planet is unique, there is one thing that each of the planets have in common.

Each one revolves around the sun.

That is because the sun’s gravitational pull keeps them in orbit.

The sun also provides warmth which makes life on earth a reality.

If these influences from the sun stopped then the solar system would cease to exist.

In fact, it would no longer be a system at all.

The planets would simply fly off on their own directions into the cold, empty void of space.

This would prove disastrous for life on earth.

Without the sun’s influences, all life on earth would perish.

As we continue our journey through Lent, thoughts of this brought to mind other things.

Just as the planets revolve the sun, so our lives should revolve around the Son.

We rarely give thought to what the sun means to our world.

In a similar way, we can easily lose sight of what Jesus means to our lives and the lives of others.

The sun keeps the planets from wandering away.

The season of Lent reminds us what the Son did for us because we wandered away.

John 15:7-13 (NET) - No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends.

As we continue our journey through the season of Lent, may we be reminded of how much the love of Jesus really means to us.

It is the kind of love He demonstrated for all of humanity at the cross.

Given that, shouldn’t our lives revolve around the Son?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 26, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 4, 2016

Amazing Grace

I was thinking about hymns and the first one that came to my mind was Amazing Grace.

This hymn has always held a special place in my heart.

The title and opening stanza say it all…

Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found.

Was blind, but now I see.

How true those words are.

They are just as true as when John Newton published them in 1779.

Perhaps that is why it is one of the most recognized songs in the world.

It does not matter who the artist is.

It does not matter what instruments are played.

It does not matter what language, if any, is used.

As soon as we hear it, we instantly recognize it.

It is a song that translates well into any language without loss of meaning.

I believe these things are true because of the message the song delivers.

Each of us, every man, woman and child was at one time lost.

Each of us was blind to the existence of God.

Our condition was truly wretched,

But there is saving power in Jesus Christ.

This is a gift God’s grace,

We neither earned this precious gift nor did we deserve it.

Yet, He saved us.

That is truly amazing.

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.

It’s enough to make anyone want to sing!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 23, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 6, 2015

A Universal Symbol

Symbols are everywhere.

They tell us what we need to know at a glance.

Corporations utilize symbols to promote their products and services.

When utilized in this way a symbol is called a logo.

We identify their product or service with their logo.

This is an important concept because logos are international.

Coca-Cola is an example of this.

If I were to travel to a foreign country where I did not speak the language, it is safe to assume I would be able to purchase a Coca-Cola by recognizing one or more of their logos.

There are symbols in Christianity as well.

The cross is likely the most recognized symbol in the world.

For those who believe this symbol represents the ultimate in service.

God is the perfectly Holy creator.

Isaiah 6:3 (NET) – They called to one another, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord who commands armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!”

Man is the fallen creation.

No amount of sacrifice on the part of man can put him right with God.

Jesus had both a divine nature and a human nature.

Although He had a human nature, He never once committed a sin.

This made Jesus the perfect sacrifice and the pain and humiliation He suffered on the cross is the means by which a fallen man can have a relationship with a perfectly Holy God.

Hebrews 9:14 (NET) – how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

The symbol of the cross is an international reminder of that most remarkable of services.

No matter where in the world you are the symbol of the cross is understood.

In some cases it is even detested.

The one thing it should never be is ignored.

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

Whatever their reasoning may be I find this unfortunate.

Everyone, even Christians who attend services regularly, need this symbol.

We need this visible reminder to help us understand why we need Jesus so very much.

Acts 2:23 (NET) – this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 25, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 2, 2015