The Tasks at Hand

Philippians 4:13 (NRSVue) - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Perhaps a good way to begin this devotional is by stating that it is good to be back.

I received notice that crews were going to level my building.

I had two weeks to pack all my belongings.

I then spent a week living in hotels while one crew did the leveling and another replaced the flooring.

I am now back home but I am still living out of boxes.

The verse I opened with from Philippians came through for me once again.

Living alone, all the manual labor was up to me.

With each box I packed, I thanked God that I was still able to do this at my age.

While it is tempting to state that I did this alone, that would not be entirely true.

To be truthful, I felt God’s presence every step of the way.

With His help, I finished packing in time.

With His help, I was able to make certain that prior commitments were kept.

I also took the opportunity to downsize a bit and reorganize.

Yes, I did thank God that at my age I am still capable.

I am also grateful for His Word.

Now that the most difficult physical tasks are behind me, I recall another powerful verse.

Luke 12:48b (NRSVue) - From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required, and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

I do not know how much time God has planned for me on this Earth,

Nor do I know how long I will be physically capable of such work.

But I do know that there is plenty of other work that needs to be done.

Many are oppressed.

Many are wrongfully accused.

Many seek justice.

Many live in darkness.

So obviously, there is no shortage of work to be done.

No single human being can be expected to do absolutely everything.

But each human being, regardless of condition, can do something.

And, as Paul said to the Philippians, we can do all He requires of us when we rely on His strength.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

A Trick Question

Deuteronomy 5:32 (NRSVue) - You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left.

Moses delivered God’s commandments to the people.

Moses was to be the intermediary between God and the people.

God would instruct Moses.

Moses would, in turn, instruct the people.

And it was important that God’s word be obeyed.

Today we live in a New Covenant.

We have a new intermediary in Christ.

But there were those who continued to live under the Old Covenant.

They continued to live under the law.

The Pharisees gathered and tried to trick Jesus.

They put forward a man who asked Jesus which command was the greatest.

Jesus gave him a two-fold answer.

Matthew 22:37-39 (NRSVue) - He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Christ understood that the commandments were about relationships.

Some commandments are about our relationship with God.

The rest are about our relationship with those around us.

He also knew that the foundation of these relationships was love.

Jesus attempted to simplify the matter for his questioner.

When we completely love both God and our neighbor, we are keeping all the commandments.

But love must be demonstrated.

It must be demonstrated in thought, word, and action.

On the surface, this might seem easier said than done.

But it is possible when we look to the words and example of Jesus.

He can help us control our thoughts.

He can help us carefully choose our words.

And, most importantly, he can help us put our love into action.

As we do, we become the reflection of His light into a dark world.

We become the reflection of His eternal and limitless love.

We can then love God without hesitation or reservation.

We will be doing what God commands of us.

Matthew 22:40 (NRSVue) - On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 23, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, July 7, 2023

A Package Deal

Haggai 2:8 (NRSVue) - The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts.

The book of Haggai is brief.

But the prophet’s message is powerful.

Speaking on behalf of the Lord, Haggai states that all the silver and gold belong to the Lord.

In Acts 4, we read of Peter and John.

They were brought before the council, and after their release, they returned to their people.

After relating what happened, they prayed.

Their prayer recognized God’s sovereignty.

Their prayer resonated with the people.

Acts 4:32 (NRSVue) - Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.

United in heart and mind, no one claimed ownership of anything.

Everything they had was held in common.

What does all this mean for us today?

Simply this… all we have is really from God.

And when we give to God, we are literally giving Him what is His to begin with.

This goes beyond money (today’s silver and gold).

This also includes our time and our talents.

After all, it is only through God that we have them.

While we are young, we are told repeatedly that God wants our hearts.

This is true, but it only tells part of the story.

God wants all of us,

This includes our hearts, minds, spirits, and talents.

It is a package deal.

And when we give these to God, we are giving Him what really belongs to Him in the first place.

That is why those who give cheerfully are happy.

And that is why their lives have such an impact on those around them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 9, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, June 16, 2023

Gifts Should Give

I will be teaching an adult class in June.

This is something I do every year and I always look forward to it.

That said, it is something I never take lightly.

Scripture is quite clear on the matter of teaching.

James 3:1 (NET) - Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.

So, why would anyone choose to teach knowing they will be judged more strictly?

Thankfully, scripture addresses this as well.

The twelfth chapter of the book of Romans discusses the various gifts given to us.

It also tells us what we are to do with them.

Romans 12:6- 8 (NET) - And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.

Here scripture reminds us that we “must” use whatever gifts God has generously bestowed upon us.

I take great comfort in this as I prepare for this class.

Even though it is still weeks away, I am actively preparing for this class.

Although I am familiar with the subject matter, I am using the time I have wisely.

Scripture also reminds us of the importance of being prepared.

After all, Noah began constructing the ark long before the first raindrops fell.

Hebrews 11:7a (NET) - By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family.

There is one unknown I face every year.

I never know how many or how few students I will have until the class meets.

Some years the attendance is large.

Some years it is small.

However many or few attend, they will receive the best I can offer.

After all, we certainly will not be alone.

Scripture is clear on that as well.

Matthew 18:20 (NET) - For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.

Put your gift from God into use.

If you have not yet discovered what that gift is, why not talk to Him about it right now?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 27, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 4, 2018

Inspection

I recently had my car inspected.

The inspector checks things like the lights, the reflectors and the brakes.

He also checks things like the horn, the tires and the wipers.

There are standards for each item inspected.

Now these things are the driver’s responsibility to maintain.

Unfortunately, when it comes to vehicles, we usually just hop in our cars and drive off.

That is why the state makes this annual inspection mandatory for all vehicles.

It hopes to cut down on the number of unsafe vehicles on the road.

Our lives are a bit like that.

We go through our daily routines often without a thought as to how our words and actions impact others.

From time to time we really need to inspect our words, our actions and our motivations as well.

We need to inspect these to standards as well.

The best standards for this kind of inspection for our lives can be found in “The Sermon on the Mount”.

This can be found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7.

Here Jesus tells us how we are to live.

Jesus begins with The Beatitudes and reminds us who is blessed.

He reminds us we are to be the salt of the earth and a light in this world.

He warns us of the dangers of anger and adultery.

He tells us to let go of revenge and embrace forgiveness.

He reminds us not only to give to those in need but how to go about it.

He tells us how we should pray and how to free ourselves from worry.

He reminds us that we must not judge others.

He tells us we should seek Him.

He warns us that there are true and false prophets.

He also warns us that there are true and false disciples.

He also advises us to be wise and put His words into action.

It is easy for us to get caught up in our daily routines.

When that happens, we need to stop for a moment and inspect our lives using the best of standards.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 26, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, June 2, 2017

Out of the Box

There are a number of television programs that feature old objects.

In some of them, people want to sell their old items.

In others, people just want to know their true value.

One thing is certain, an object’s condition certainly impacts its value.

As a rule, the better condition an object is in, the more the object is worth.

Some items are sold in boxes.

The box can add a lot to an item’s value.

In some cases, people not only have the box, they have never even opened it.

This adds even more to the object’s value.

Our faith is nothing at all like that.

When we each discover our personal faith, it is like receiving something brand new from God in an unopened box.

It is valuable, but unlike material objects, faith gains in value when it is put to use.

The more we use it, the more valuable it becomes.

By the time we reach the end of our earthly journey it will not be like it was when we first discovered it.

It is certain to pick up a few scratches and dings along the way.

For example, we are to love our neighbor even when that neighbor will not love us in return.

We are to spend time and resources on those in need rather than ourselves.

We are to do the right thing even when it would be far easier not to.

These things and others will leave their marks and might even change the shape of our faith.

It’s funny, but those who appraise objects will point out its scratches and dings.

They sometimes refer to these things as the object’s “character”.

It is no coincidence that a person’s faith and character go hand in hand.

Faith is a wonderful gift from God.

Go ahead.

Take it out of the box and put it to use.

Do not be afraid of the scratches and dings.

You will only increase its value.

James 2:17 (NET) - So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 9, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 16, 2016

Preparing for Devotion

I'm often distressed at the disconnect between what God expects of me and what I deliver on an average day. "[W]hat doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"  (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)  Christ Himself expanded on this expectation:  "[T]hou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."  (Mark 12:30-31)

That seems to be asking a lot, doesn't it?  With the multitude of our daily obligations to family and employers, with the myriad temptations and distractions today's world puts in our way, isn't an unswerving, all-consuming devotion to God pretty much unattainable for most people?  Wouldn't one have to withdraw to a mountain cave, or to a cell in a monastery, and spend the rest of one's life in constant prayer, meditation, and scripture study?

Some have felt called to such a life over the centuries, and through their writings and teachings have had an influence for good on the many who could not follow the ascetic path. But I don't think God requires such a life of most people. While we're not to be conformed to or "of" the world, we remain in it (Romans 12:2; John 15:19; John 17:13-16). Believers are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). There may be rare exceptions, but as a rule God wouldn't ask of us something we couldn't attain without abandoning our families and the work we need to do to support them, or disappearing from amongst our friends and neighbors to search for Him alone.

A life of devotion to God and fellow man can be, and is, lived every day by otherwise ordinary people, everywhere. It results from a combination of what we do and what we avoid.

One vital element is maintaining a constant, 24/7 connection with the Lord in prayer--both the kneel-down variety, when that can be done, but also the conversation with Him that you carry on in your head and heart while going about your daily business. Another element is daily reading in God's word: it needn't take hours or follow a rigorous study plan, but may consist of only a few verses--you can't hardly find any in the Bible that aren't bursting with inspiration and comfort. In addition, we must constantly and humbly repent of, and strive to avoid, sin: nothing else so thoroughly prevents a healthy, ongoing relationship with our Heavenly Father, nor so clouds our judgment with selfishness and despair. As far as possible rid you life of things (for example, unedifying television, movies, music, or literature; drugs or alcohol; other worldly infatuations)  that may tempt you to sin or distract you from God and others toward an immersion in Self. Finally, do your best to make a habit of thoughtfulness, generosity, and a readiness to help, however when or much it's needed--this will bring you closer to the model of the Good Samaritan.

Following this path keeps one's mind and heart clear, clean, and undistracted; keeps us ready, willing, and able to help others; and keeps us open to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. By this means we're able to grow and thrive in faith, and in devotion to God and those around us, just as He commands--one day at a time.

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises

Saving to Serve

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

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

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

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

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises

Help Another, Help Yourself

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

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

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

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

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

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises

Don't Wait for Tomorrow

How often are we presented with opportunities to help others, but let them slip by?  Do we hesitate because we're unsure if we have free time or spare money enough to give?  Do we withhold the help because we decide that the beneficiary doesn't really deserve it, won't appreciate it, or will squander it?  Perhaps we feel like his or her problems are none of our business, or that we just don't want to "get involved."

These are natural and commonplace feelings, but as believers in Christ we need to remember the terrible price that He paid to save us for eternity, while we were yet sinners and hardly deserving of such a sacrifice (Romans 5:8), and return some measure of that same love to those around us (". . . love one another; as I have loved you . . ."  John 13:34). As was so perfectly expressed in Proverbs:

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. (Proverbs 3:27-28)

Thus, we're not to be hesitant, stingy, or judgmental in helping others, but should do so readily and freely. The phrase "them to whom it is due" is not meant to limit our help to those to whom we're otherwise obligated, or to those who somehow "deserve" or who have "earned" our help:

This requires us . . . 5.  To be ready to all acts of friendship and humanity, and in every thing to be neighbourly; for these are things that are due by the law of doing as we would be done by. 6. To be charitable to the poor and necessitous. If others want the necessary supports of life, and we have wherewithal to supply them, we must look upon it as due to them and not withhold it. Alms are called righteousness because they are a debt to the poor, and a debt which we must not defer to pay.  (Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary)

In this my great example is my dear wife--the countless hours and untold labor she has spent preparing and delivering meals to families in need, in buying or sewing clothes for the poor, in caring for the elderly or sick, or looking after others' children!  She often doesn't wait to be asked, but sees opportunities to help and dives right in. This is how to be proactive in giving!

Remember that those who give without reservation shall "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world . . .":

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. . . . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:34-36, 40)

So, if you want to live as our Savior would have you live, and share eternal life with Him:  Help early and often!

Tom Fleming

Songs of Praises

Thanks and Giving

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” ~ Psalm 100:4, 5

It's Thanksgiving Day in the United States, so much is being said and written here about thankfulness.  Many people make and share lists of things that they're thankful for--employment, home, health, family, and friends being prominent. But for those more wanting in these and other of life's benefits, feeling of thankfulness may be harder to summon. When times are hard, we can be overcome with disappointment, grief, bitterness, or envy of those whom we think are more abundantly blessed. We think: if there is a loving God, why did He leave me with so little of those good things, or, why did He take them away?

As one who might be counted among those more abundantly blessed, it would be too easy for me to respond with thoughts like: God never promised us a rose garden; it rains alike on the just and the unjust; even, we should be thankful for whatever we have, as little as it might be. These things are true, and we should remember them when our own road in life becomes rocky. But toward others on that rocky road now, we need to offer more than pious platitudes.

I need to do more to help those less fortunate than I--much more, and soon, as we don't know the day or the hour when our Savior will return (or we'll return to Him) to "close the books," as it were, on our well-doing. I need to go looking for my needy brethren, not wait until they knock on my door. I must, if necessary, go down into the gutters of life with them and get my hands "dirty" in their service--not just donate a few dollars now and then to a charity. Can I be that selfless? Do I have that kind of courage?

We should remember that "thanksgiving" actually consists of two words, "thanks" and "giving."  The Lord is pleased whenever we thank Him for the things He has blessed us with. But, whether our means are great or small, the very best expression of our thankfulness is to joyfully share our blessings with all others we encounter in life--to try to do for them, in a great way or small, what God has done for us. If it is truly in giving that we receive, then every person, comfortable or poor, can have the "richest" of lives.

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises