Unrecognized

Although Easter Sunday was several days ago, we are still in the Easter season.

Before COVID-19, the Sundays following Easter would remind us of this.

Sermons, hymns and prayers would help remind us of the importance of the Resurrection,

As such, I find my thoughts returning to one fact about the immediate aftermath of the Resurrection.

People, including those closest to Jesus, did not recognize Him at first,

This started when Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty.

She then told the disciples who came to see for themselves.

After she was left alone, she encountered the risen Jesus.

Initially, she mistook Him for someone else.

John 20:14 (NET) -  When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Soon afterward, Jesus appeared before two others on the road to Emmaus.

They did not recognize Him at first either.

Luke 24:15-16 (NET) - While they were talking and debating these things, Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them (but their eyes were kept from recognizing him).

Then there was the time the disciples were fishing and did not realize it was Jesus on the shore.

John 21:4 (NET) - When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

I find it more than interesting that those who knew Jesus best did not recognize Him at first.

Scripture does make it plain that they were kept from recognizing Him as in the verse from Luke.

I will not dispute that.

But those He encountered were also caught up in other things at the time.

Mary was caught up in her grief.

Those on the road to Emmaus were caught up in their conversation about current events.

The disciples were caught up in their fishing.

It is easy for us to question how those closest to Him could fail to recognize Jesus.

Do we really fare any better?

Jesus reveals Himself today in many ways including Scripture.

Can we honestly say that we always recognize Him?

Or, are we perhaps too caught up in our own thoughts and actions to notice?

One final thought…

Since COVID-19 has impacted our lives, churches have had to find new and creative ways to worship.

We have also had to find new and creative ways in which to serve.

I hope these trends continue well after the threat of this pandemic has subsided.

I pray churches continue to find even newer and more creative ways in which to worship and serve.

If we do, perhaps people just might not recognize the church at first either.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 1, 2020

More Than Enough Work

Monday is a holiday where I live.

On this day we observe the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

King was a man of God and was also very influential in the American Civil Rights Movement.

One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King is: “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

I began to reflect on some other men of God whom I admire.

In June, for example, I plan to teach a class about John Amos Comenius.

Comenius was a theologian born in 1592 who brought about significant changes in education.

One of my favorite Comenius quotes is: “Whenever you encounter one of your neighbours, regard him as yourself in another form (which he is), or indeed as God in another form, for he is the image of God, and God will be watching to see how reverently you treat him.”

Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf is another man I admire.

Born in 1700, he eventually became bishop of the Moravian Church.

Zinzendorf once said: "Missions, after all, is simply this: Every heart with Christ is a missionary, every heart without Christ is a mission field."

Another man I admire is C. S. Lewis who was a lay theologian and author born in 1898.

Lewis once wrote: “One of the reasons why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself.”

Few of us will become theologians or famous authors.

Few of us will have holidays honoring us.

That’s fine.

The important thing is that we serve.

Christ reminds us that He came to serve.

Mark 10:45 (NET) - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

He also reminds us that more will expected of those who have been given more. 

Luke 12:48b (TLB) - Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater.

These are excellent reminders as there is plenty of work to do.

Luke 10:2 (NET) - He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

The men whom I cited earlier remind us to take that first step… love our fellow man… reach out to him… and we will grow as a result.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 25, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 1, 2019

Catalysts of Change

How much have things really changed in the last 400 years?

Quite a lot.

Cities have grown larger.

Buildings are certainly much taller.

We have electronic computers that process data faster than ever and hold ever increasing amounts of it.

We have air travel and can find ourselves on the other side of the world in a matter of hours.

With cell phones, people are now more connected than ever before.

Yes, things have changed a great deal in the last 400 years.

Yet how much have people changed, generally speaking, in that same 400 years?

In reality, not much.

Corruption still exists.

Crime has certainly not gone away.

War, it seems, is a constant reality.

Having made my point, I will stop my list there.

Although things have changed dramatically in the last four centuries, we are still facing many of the same problems as people did then.

We have even managed to create some new ones along the way.

That is one of the reasons I am so glad that in the class I teach we are studying “The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart” by John Amos Comenius who wrote this classic in the 1600's.

It is just as relevant today as when it was written.

In this classic, Comenius depicts the world as a labyrinth or maze full of twists, turns and deceptions.

When his main character, a pilgrim, finishes his tour of the Labyrinth of the World, he is distraught because the world offers no happiness and ultimately death itself..

Then my bowels quaked, my whole body trembled, and, terrified, I fell swooning to the ground, and cried mournfully : " Oh, most miserable, wretched, unhappy mankind ! this, then, is your last glory ! this the conclusion of your many splendid deeds ! this the term of your learning and much wisdom over which you glory so greatly ! this the rest and repose that you crave after countless labours and struggles ! this the immortality for which you ever hope ! Oh, that I had never been born, never passed through the gate of life! For after the many vanities of the world ; nothing but darkness and horror are my part ! O God, God, God ! God, if Thou art a God, have mercy on wretched me ! "

All however, is not lost, for then he encounters Jesus and finds the Paradise of the Heart.

Hearing such speech, and understanding that He who spake was my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, of whom I had indeed heard somewhat in the world, but superficially only, I folded my hands, and then stretched them out, not, as in the world, with fear and doubt, but with full happiness and complete faith ; then I said : " I am here, my Lord Jesus ; take me to Thee. Thine I wish to be, and to remain for ever. Speak to Thy servant, and permit me to hear Thee ; tell me what Thou desirest, and grant that I find pleasure in it ; lay on me what burden Thou thinkest fit, and grant that I may bear it ; employ me for whatever purpose Thou desirest, and grant me that I may not be found wanting ; order me to act according to Thy will, and grant me grace to do so. Let me be nothing, that Thou mayest be everything."

This is the turning point for the pilgrim, for it is then that Christ tells him that, for a time, he must reside in two worlds at the same time.

As believers, so do we.

We may not be able to change the world, but with His help we may be the catalyst of change for some of its people.

Our task remains the same.

We are to introduce people to Jesus.

It is He who will forever change them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Worlds Apart

Matthew 5:3 (NET) - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of God belongs to them.

My friends just returned from a mission trip.

They shared some of their experiences with me.

In reflecting on the things they shared, I could not help but feel overwhelmed.

The remote village to which they traveled was quite poverty stricken.

The people there had very little as far as possessions are concerned.

Home was little more than four walls and a roof that could not even keep out the rain.

A simple bag of food distributed by missionaries to a household would be rationed and stretched to its limit and would last that family several days.

My friends have been sponsoring two children in this country for a number of years.

On this trip, God moved them to sponsor a third child.

Given the opportunity to meet this child, they took her to a zoo in the city.

These were both very new experiences for her.

She delighted in seeing all the different kinds of animals on display at the zoo.

Afterward, they went to a restaurant but were surprised that the child did not wish to eat her meal.

When asked why, she said she wanted to take it home and share it with her family.

This moved my friends who then told her to eat her meal and they promised her that before leaving they would buy food for her family.

Church was also a different experience for them.

The service was held in a structure that is a far cry from the image most people think of when they hear the word "church".

The service also lasted much longer than what most of us are accustomed to.

Singing songs of praise took up much of that time.

God had a surprise for one of my friends.

He was asked to preach.

He had nothing prepared ahead of time and found himself in total reliance upon the Holy Spirit.

Speaking through an interpreter, he delivered the message that God had given him to share.


Why am I sharing this?

Most of us have much more in terms of possessions than the people in this village will ever have.

In regard to food, most of us discard in a few days what families there share in a week.

Even the overall church experience differs.

At the risk of painting with a very broad brush, we expect church to conform to what we expect from it rather than what it is meant to offer us.

Perhaps most revealing was the overwhelming knowledge that those who have so very little are far more grateful than we can ever hope to be.

They are likely truly happier as well.

Matthew 5:8 (NET) - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

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

The Right Tool

Scripture reminds us time and again that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things,

God used Moses to deliver His chosen people from bondage,

Even Moses was reluctant to heed that call at first.

Exodus 4:10 (NET) - Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not an eloquent man, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and  slow of tongue."

Nevertheless, God used Moses to fulfill His purpose.

When the giant Goliath filled Saul’s army with fear, God provided someone to defeat him.

God did not send in a seasoned veteran of many campaigns.

God used David, a young shepherd, though Saul protested at first.

1 Samuel 17:33 (NET) - But Saul replied to David, "You aren’t able to go against the Philistine and fight him! You're just a boy! He has been a warrior since his youth!"

Nevertheless, God used David to slay Goliath.

God chose these men and provided them with skills to accomplish His purpose.

He also provided them with the tools with which to prevail.

These tools, to casual observers, must have seemed poor at best.

Yet when blessed by God and in the hands of God’s  chosen they brought about complete and total victory.

In David’s case the tool was a simple shepherd’s sling.

Saul provided David with a helmet and armor.

David was not able to use them.

David used the tools God gave him and even Goliath fatally underestimated David’s skill in using them.


David obtained victory because he knew he did not fight Goliath on his own.

He prevailed because he knew God was with him.

1 Samuel 17: 50 (NET) - David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and a stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand.

In the case of Moses, the tool God provided him was a simple staff.

Moses used this staff to part the waters to provide the people a means of escaping Pharaoh’s pursuing army.

Exodus 14:16 (NET) - "And as for you, lift up your staff and extend your hand toward the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites may go through the middle of the sea on dry ground."

After the people made good their escape, God had Moses use that same staff to defeat Pharaoh’s army once and for all.

Exodus 14:27 (NET) - So Moses extended his hand toward the sea and the sea returned to its normal state when the sun began to rise. Now the Egyptians were fleeing before it, but the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.

God indeed uses ordinary people with ordinary tools to accomplish His purpose.

Even today He uses similar combinations to bring Him glory.

What ordinary tool has He given you.

Is it a pen or a keyboard?

Perhaps it is a paintbrush and canvas?

Could it be a chisel and a block of stone or a simple lump of clay?

Is it a musical instrument?

Perhaps it is your voice raised in song or spoken word?

Whatever tool you have, God can use both it and you to bring Him glory.


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

His Finest Hour

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

In the line of pastors that have served my church, I have had the great privilege in knowing three of them in my lifetime.

Each was unique.

Each had his own personality.

Each had his own style of oratory.

Yet, all three were men of God who utilized the gifts God gave them when they answered His call to the ministry.

My thoughts lately have been of the second pastor I knew.

He was the pastor who taught my confirmation class.

His son was also a member of that class and I consider the friendship I maintain with him to be one of the finest blessings God has ever bestowed upon me.

My reflections, however, revolve around the memories made about fifteen years ago.

My mother had to spend several days in the hospital as she underwent a battery of tests.

Whenever she was having them done, I would usually go to the lobby to get some coffee from one of the vending machines.

Each day, I looked over the registry posted in the lobby to see if anyone I knew happened to be admitted as a patient.

On one such day, I learned that the second pastor that I knew had just been admitted.

He had been retired for a number of years at this point in time.

Later, when my mother had returned to her room, we discussed her latest procedures and those that were still scheduled.

Afterward, I informed her that the pastor we both knew was in the hospital as well.

The following day, when her testing resumed, I walked over to the pastor’s room and saw that he was awake.

I knocked on the door frame and asked if he felt like having some company.

He invited me in.

I told him why my mother was there and that I happened to notice that he was a patient.

He didn’t speak about his condition but was genuinely concerned about Mother.

I assured him that her condition was not threatening.

I informed him that her doctor felt it would be better for her to be in the hospital until all the tests had been run and a plan for treatment had been established.

He agreed that this was a wise decision and said that he would pray for us both.

I thanked him.

We made general small talk but he did not go into any details as to why he was there.

A short time later, I could tell he was feeling fatigued.

I excused myself and told him I would drop by later.

I headed to the lobby for my usual coffee when I saw my friend, the pastor’s son, walk in.

We shook hands.

I told him why my mother was there and that I had just left his father’s room after a brief visit.

He told me that the news regarding his father was not good and that it was very probable that he did not have much time left.

I was stunned.

Before I could say anything, my friend added that his father was at peace with his situation.

We then parted company and he went on to his father’s room.

As I sat alone with my coffee, I prayed.

I wondered how I would break this news to my mother.

I decided that it would be best to wait until her testing was complete before I told her.

When I returned, I found her back in her room and she told me about the tests they had just run.

Her final tests were scheduled the next day and, in all likelihood, she would be kept one additional night before being released.

Throughout that day, my thoughts alternated between her and the pastor.

Later that day, I asked her if she would mind if I went to visit with him for a few minutes.

She told me to go as she was feeling better.

As I walked down the hallway to his room I had no idea what this visit was going to be like.

I arrived and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed reading his Bible.

I watched in silence as his finger underlined each sentence as he read.

He had a marvelously peaceful look on his face.

It was obvious that he was drawing strength from scripture.

This was a moment between the pastor and God that I simply could not interrupt.

When I got back to my mother’s room she remarked that I had not been gone very long.

I simply told her that this was not a particularly good time for a visit.

As I think back to those days and that moment in particular, I realize something very important.

That was one of the finest sermons my pastor preached!


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

When God Calls

Sesquicentennial.

It’s a fancy word that means 150th anniversary.

I begin this way because about three years ago I felt God leading me to write and share a weekly devotional and this makes devotional number 150.

What’s so remarkable about that?

Not much unless  you consider the fact that I never considered writing on my own.

In fact, by profession, I deal far more with numbers than words.

I followed His lead and I am glad that I did because some exciting and completely unexpected things happened as a result of it.

When I first began  writing, it was a challenge for me.

I knew this was going to take me out of my comfort zone.

I also knew that if it made a difference in only one life, all the effort will have been completely worth it.

Mark 16:15 (NET) - He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Eventually I learned that this happened when I was contacted by someone who was reading them.

We began communicating and I will never forget the question he posed to me.

"Do you think there is hope for me?"

I replied that there was indeed hope for all of us because of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3 (NET) - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,..."

That individual, with God’s help, turned his life around in an amazing way and we still stay in touch.

Of course the credit and the glory both belong to God.

I am delighted simply to be the instrument that He used.

As a result of this, I came to another conclusion.

Since I was able to help this one individual, perhaps I will be able to help others along the way,

Another benefit I have personally received as a result of following His lead are the connections I have made with other Christians along the way.

Connections with the other contributors to this blog site are a great example.

Although I have never met them (and others like them) face to face,  I feel as if I know them because of their willingness to both encourage and edify.

That is what Christians are supposed to do for each other.

I always look forward to seeing what God has written upon their hearts to share with others.

I have also made connections with others.

Therein lies opportunity.

Most surprisingly, I have come to know myself better as well.

I have also had to make some choices and some changes along the way.

The biggest among these is how I choose to make use of what I consider a very precious commodity.

Time.

When people think about stewardship, thoughts automatically turn to money.

Also important is how we choose to invest our time.

We all have a finite amount of time and not one of us knows how much of it we have.

How we choose to invest that time is of tremendous importance.

So, when you feel His leading, I strongly urge you to follow it.

God indeed works in strange and mysterious ways.

If someone had told me a decade ago what my life would be like today, I simply would not have believed them.

I once heard someone say that God does not always call the equipped, but he does equip those He calls.

There is a tremendous amount of truth in that.

When God calls, follow the example of Samuel.

1 Samuel 3:10  (NET) - Then the LORD came and stood nearby, calling as He previously had done, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel replied, "Speak, for Your servant is listening!"


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

The Golden Age

One of the things I like about the region in which I live is that people are friendly.

Even strangers will strike up or join in a conversation virtually anywhere or at any time.

I was visiting with a friend at a restaurant Sunday evening.

We first discussed what had been going on in our lives since we last saw each other.

We then spoke about things like the weather and eventually moved into deeper topics including the current state of the world.

It was during this phase of the conversation that an older gentleman seated at the next table offered his opinion.

After a few minutes of discussion, we exchanged introductions.

Afterward, the older gentleman said something that stuck with me.

He said, "Face it, the Golden Age is over."

I knew exactly what he meant by that.

He meant that things were different when he was younger.

The term "Golden Age" stuck with me and I found myself thinking about it.

Perhaps the better term would be "Golden Ages".

For example, in the 1920s and 1930s the world experienced the Golden Age of Aviation.

In the 1930s and 1940s there was the Golden Age of Radio.

In the 1940s and 1950s there was the Golden Age of Television.

Since I had that conversation, I pondered the question,  "When was the Golden Age of Christianity?"

Perhaps it was in Old Testament times when the prophets foretold of His coming and His purpose.

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.

A valid argument could also be made that this Golden Age took place during the earthly life of Jesus.

John 1:14 (NET) - Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw His glory - the glory of the One and Only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.

Another valid case could be made for Pentecost.

Acts 2:2-4 (NET) - Suddenly, a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

A case could be made for the Golden Age being the present as we currently live in a world in which many still do not know the Good News.

They are waiting for ordinary people like us to fulfill the Great Commission.

Mark 16:15 (NET) - He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

So, when exactly was the Golden Age of Christianity?

After considering these things, I have concluded that all of time (even before the foundation of the world) can be considered the Golden Age of Christianity.

John 1:1 (NET) - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Unlike the Golden Ages I discussed earlier this Golden Age has no end.

John 14:2-3 (KJV) - In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.

The Golden Age of Christianity has always existed.

It continues today.

It has an unlimited number of tomorrows.

Welcome to the Golden Age!


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

Thinking About Evangelism

I realize that we are just into October, but I am looking forward to November with great anticipation.

One of the great joys in my life is teaching Sunday School and beginning in November I plan to lead my students through an in depth study of The Pilgrim‘s Progress by John Bunyan.

Though written in the 1600’s, this allegory has stood the test of time.

One unique aspects of Bunyan’s work lies in the fact that he gives his characters names that denote their spiritual roles and personalities.

On the positive side we meet characters like Faith, Mercy, Hopeful and the main character Christian.

On the negative side we meet characters such as Ignorance, Envy, Deception and Atheist.

In preparing for my class, I have read the book several times and learn more each time.

Aside from the main character, Christian, another character that captures my attention goes by the name Evangelist.

Before reading the book, every time I heard the term evangelist, one person immediately came to mind.

His name is Billy Graham.

Over the decades I have seen Billy Graham a number of times on television.

I would hang onto his every word and marvel at the number of people who came to hear him speak.

Major sporting arenas were booked in order to accommodate the vast numbers that attended in person.

Millions more,  like myself, were content to watch and listen via television.

In Bunyan’s book, Evangelist makes many appearances and addresses audiences as small as one or two.

He serves as a counselor, a minister and a messenger.

He helps Christian and his companions by forewarning them of what is to come.

He also appears whenever they go off the course he has pointed out for them to stay on and gently corrects them in order that they may ultimately find that which they so earnestly seek.

In thinking of Evangelist’s roles, I am reminded of the service performed by Philip in Acts 8.

Acts 8:25 (NET) - Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

Please note that an angel was involved here, but more on that later.

Philip encounters an Ethiopian reading the book of Isaiah.

Acting on the urging of the Spirit, Philip runs over to this man and asks if he understands what he is reading.

Acts 8:31 (NET) - The man replied, "How in the world can I, unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The Ethiopian then reads to Philip the passage from Isaiah with which he struggles to understand.

He then asks Philip if Isaiah wrote about himself or someone else.

Acts 8:35 (NET) - So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.

The Ethiopian ordered the chariot stopped when they came to water in order that Philip baptize him.

Here was a man that went from confusion to conviction because Philip evangelized to him.

Remember, I earlier asked you to note the angel’s involvement in this account.

One of the major roles that angels play in scripture is that of messenger.

Often, they relay messages from God to man.

Embedded in the word evangelist is the word angel.

Along with being a minister and a counselor, an evangelist must be a messenger as well.

Like Philip, he must be able to effectively communicate the message of the good news.

God uses some like Billy Graham to reach millions of people at once.

God also uses some like Philip to reach one person at a time.

He’s even been known to use a few Sunday School teachers along the way.

In the final analysis, It is not the size of the audience that matters.

What matters is the message.


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