Still Waiting?

Daniel 2:44 (NRSVue) - And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that Daniel, with God’s help, interprets.

Part of that interpretation includes a special kingdom.

This kingdom is God’s kingdom.

And, unlike human kingdoms, this kingdom of God will last forever.

Chapter 22 of Luke speaks of a great many things.

It speaks of the plot to kill Jesus.

It tells of the preparation of Passover.

It reminds us of the institution of the Lord’s Supper,

It also speaks of a dispute that arises among the followers of Christ.

The followers argue over who among them will be greatest,

Christ settles their dispute by reminding them of the importance of service.

Christ then reminds them of His Father’s kingdom.

Christ confers on them this kingdom just as the Father conferred this kingdom to Him.

They had just shared the Passover meal with Christ.

And, in the kingdom to come, they will continue to dine with Him.

Luke 22:29-30 (NRSVue) - and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

When Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper, He took the bread.

He gave thanks for it, broke it, and shared it with His followers.

He reminded them that this was His body and that it was broken for them.

The promise of the eternal kingdom of God is a promise for us as well.

We too will have a place in that kingdom.

But that is something for which we do not have to wait.

Christ reminds us that He is the bread of life.

We can also experience Christ in our hearts and in our lives right now.

There is no need for us to wait!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 26, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, June 2, 2023

What Are You Waiting For?

Psalm 130:6 (NRSVue) - my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning…

Psalm 130 is one of the Song of Ascents.

These songs attest to God’s qualities.

Psalm 130 is a reminder of God’s power of redemption.

During the dark of night, many wait for dawn.

This song reminds us that we should wait for the Lord instead.

The book of Jude is the next to last book in scripture.

It is a short letter that warns of false teachers.

But Jude finishes the letter with reminders.

Jude reminds us to continue loving God.

He also reminds us to wait on the mercy and redemptive power of Jesus.

Jude:21 (NRSVue) - keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

When we find ourselves awake at night, we often find ourselves waiting for dawn.

And when we encounter darkness in other forms, we wait for that darkness to pass.

As the Psalmist and Jude remind us, we should be waiting for the Lord.

For it is through his love and mercy that Christ died to redeem us.

The darkness, whether night or circumstances, will not last forever.

The love, mercy and redemption offered to us will.

And when we at last step out into the light, may we extend that same love to others.

In this way, they can see the light we reflect into their darkness.

Then they too can step into the light and the love of the triune God.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 12, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, May 19, 2023

Resistance Is Futile

Job 9:4 (NRSVue) - He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and succeeded?

One of my favorite recurring lines in television is: “Resistance is futile.”

While entertaining on television, there is truth in the statement where God is concerned.

Job understood this.

Even as Job suffered, he understood the sovereign nature of the Lord.

He understood that to resist the Lord is futile.

Paul understood this as well.

In his letter to the Romans, he discusses God’s wrath and God’s mercy.

To resist God is futile.

Romans 9:20 (NRSVue) - But who indeed are you, a human, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?”

Job explained to his friends that no one can resist God.

Paul explained this to the Romans.

But are we any better than the ancients were?

We try to resist God.

We may even argue with Him.

In our pride, we sometimes even think that we know better than God.

When we do these things, we end up in situations we could have avoided had we trusted God’s sovereignty.

C.S. Lewis put it this way: “There are only two kinds of people: those who say to God ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says ‘All right, then, have it your way.’”

Fortunately for us, God is compassionate.

He even forgives us when we have resisted Him.

When our resistance turns to trust, He leads us back to where we need to be.

It is never too late for us to learn that resisting God is indeed futile.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 28, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, May 5, 2023

Good Friday and a Good Place

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NRSVue) - For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:

As Good Friday approached, this verse occupied my thoughts.

Events beyond my control sent my own personal journey down a long and difficult road.

This personal journey began over two years ago.

I had no idea how long it would last, but I was certain of one important thing,

This journey was part of God’s plan for my life.

I did not know how long the journey would be.

I could not see the destination.

I hand to remind myself that God’s hand was at work,

I reminded myself that I did not journey alone.

This week, this Holy week, brought that journey to a successful conclusion.

God brought me to a good place,

That too was part of His handiwork,

Today, we acknowledge Good Friday. 

This day commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.

But Jesus knew what awaited Him.

He knew in advance the events that were to unfold.

Jesus tried to explain this to His followers.

Luke 18:31 (NRSVue) - Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.

Christ endured so very much on our behalf.

But He knew that this was all part of God’s plan for His life.

He also knew that, ultimately, God would lead Him to a far better place,

And we, sinners though we are, are the beneficiaries of God’s plan.

We are also reminded that God is an active participant in our lives.

God is not merely a casual observer.

We experience different seasons throughout our lives.

Some we can see coming.

Some take us by surprise.

Some are easy.

Some are extraordinarily difficult.

Some are short.

Some seem unbearably long.

Some have expected destinations.

Some lead us to unexpected places.

Yet each season we experience is part of God’s plan for us.

May Good Friday remind us that we do not experience these seasons alone.

Christ accompanies us on the way.

He is there to strengthen our faith and our will when we trust His guidance.

Our journey is not an accident.

It will lead us to a good place prepared in advance for us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 14, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, April 21, 2023