Serious Joy

My class is currently studying a book about the characteristics of a Godly person.

We just began the section on joy.

In a different book, C.S. Lewis wrote that “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”

In Psalm 84, the psalmist wrote about the joy of worship in the temple,

Psalm 84:10a (NRSVue) - For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

In Luke 2, we read about Jesus as a boy in the temple.

Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was not with the group of travelers.

They returned to Jerusalem.

There, they found Jesus in the temple.

Despite their joy in finding Him, they scolded him.

The response of Jesus showed wisdom beyond His age.

Luke 2:49 (NRSVue) - He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

As we continue our journey through Advent, let us find joy.

True joy can be found when we walk with the triune God.

Our love for the Lord is a joyful experience.

And our love for those He created in His image should also be joyful.

These kinds of joy prepare us for the serious business of the joy of heaven.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, December 12, 2025.

I will be back here on Friday, December 19, 2025

Perhaps One Day

In Micah 2, the prophet denounces the evils in society.

Micah 2:1 (NRSVue) - Woe to those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in their power.

In Mark 20, Jesus addresses the descension among the disciples.

Matthew 20:25-26 (NRSVue) - But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant,

Micah lived about 700 years before Christ.

Christ walked with his disciples 2,000 years ago.

In our modern age, we like to think we are smarter than those who lived in the past.

We deride those in the past thinking them unsophisticated.

But if we are honest, are we any better?

Have we really advanced the cause of humanity?

When we disagree, hatred quickly takes hold.

Nations have fought numerous wars.

Persecution is alive and well.

As we look in our own streets and neighborhoods, we find despair.

But God remains steadfast.

God has provided the means of salvation for everyone through Jesus.

One day, the world will embrace peace instead of war.

One day, justice will reign.

Perhaps one day we will learn how to disagree without becoming disagreeable.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, November 28, 2025.

I will be back here on Friday, December 5, 2025

Foolish Pride

Scripture warns us repeatedly about the dangers of pride.

It was pride that led to Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden,

Satan tempted Eve’s pride.

Genesis 3:5 (NRSVue) - for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Proverbs 16 is a reminder that pride leads to a fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (NRSVue) - Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

In Mark 7, the Pharisees were critical of the disciples and their practices.

In their opinion, the disciples failed to follow their rules.

Christ told the Pharisees they preferred manmade custom to obedience to God.

Later, Christ explained this.

Mark 7:20 (NRSVue) - And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles.

Pride is indeed a dangerous thing.

This even applies to pride in tradition.

When Christ walked with his disciples, he taught them what was crucial.

Thanks to Scripture, we can follow both His words and His example.

And thanks to scripture, we can use His words and His example for correction.

When pride attempts to lead us astray, we can resist its temptation.

We can stay on the right path.

We can choose obedience to God..

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, November 14, 2025.

I will be back here on Friday, November 21, 2025

Strength and Compassion

Psalm 10 is a prayer for deliverance,

The psalmist recognizes two things.

God will hear the meek that call out to Him.

God will also strengthen them.

Psalm 10:17 (NRSVue) - O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Luke 19 begins with the account of Jesus and Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was a tax official, and people disliked him for that.

He also knew he was not tall enough to see Jesus when He passed.

So, Zacchaeus climbs up a sycamore tree to afford himself a better view.

He was in for the surprise of his life.

Luke 19:5-6 (NRSVue) - When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

Although disliked by many, Jesus had compassion for this tax collector.

Jesus not only spoke with him, but Jesus would also be a willing guest in his home.

The Lord has compassion for all.

He wants us to show that same compassion to all God’s children.

You may be saying to yourself that this is impossible.

In one of life’s great ironies, those who need love the most seem the hardest to love.

Compassion for everyone is impossible if we rely on our strength alone.

But if we humble ourselves like the psalmist, the Lord will allow us to rely on His strength.

With His strength, all things are possible.

This includes an all-embracing love.

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

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, October 10, 2025.

I will be back here on Friday, October 17, 2025

How Is Courage Possible?

Zechariah 8 is about God’s promises to His people.

The prophet concludes verse 13 with special instructions.

Zechariah 8:13b (NRSVue) - Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.

John 16 concludes with Jesus offering His disciples peace.

His followers will still face persecution, yet Jesus tells them that they can take courage.

John 16:33 (NRSVue) - I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution, but take courage: I have conquered the world!

But do these words of courage still apply?

The answer is a resounding yes.

Persecution of Christians still goes on.

Christians are even willing to die to defend the truth.

To the unbeliever, the question is “Why risk it?”

The simple answer is because we believe we are following Christ.

We follow the commands He gave us.

As importantly, we follow the example He set for us.

Despite persecution, despite risk, we follow knowing Christ has overcome the world.

Will following Christ be easy or safe?

No.

But follow Him we must.

And in conquering the world, Christ assures us that we have a place in His kingdom.

If you find this hard to believe, examine the exchange between Christ and the thief on the cross.

Luke 23:42-43 (NRSVue) - Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, October 10, 2025.

I will be back here on Friday, October 17, 2025

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

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

Why Do It?

Gifts come in all shapes and sizes.

But the best gifts of all are those that do not come in boxes.

Days ago, I received just such a gift.

It came on the day of our annual Christmas Program.

For the last several years, I have participated in our Sunday School Christmas Program.

Although the program is comprised mostly of children, several adults are involved.

Having neither children nor grandchildren, there is one question I am asked every year.

“Why do it?”

A few, it seems, just cannot wrap their minds around why I would invest my time and energy in this.

There are many reasons why I do so.

Most of the year I work with adults.

Once a year, twice if I am fortunate, projects like this allow me to work alongside the young.

Their spiritual needs are different than our own.

In fact, their needs are a bit different than were mine at the same age.

Today’s youth live in a different world than the one I grew up in.

Technology is inescapable.

There are more organized activities.

There is a virtual bombardment of information.

In short, for good or bad, there are far more distractions and demands on their time.

I also understand that there are two primary ways to teach.

We can teach with our words or we can teach by example.

When it comes to teaching the young, teaching by example is the most effective way.

Having once been young, I remember that the young look for cracks in our armor.

One bad example can undo years of teaching.

That is why I invest my time and energy in the Christmas program.

This year, on the day of the program, I received a special blessing.

A mother with two children told me that they thought a lot of me.

That is the best gift I will receive this Christmas.

Next year, when someone asks me “Why do it?” I will recall that moment.

Matthew 19:14 (NET) - But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Philippians 4:9 (NET) - And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 27, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 3, 2020

Is There a Sequel?

Every now and again a really good story comes along.

Perhaps it is in the form of a book.

Maybe it is in the form of a movie or a television show.

Whatever form it comes in, we eventually reach the end of the story no matter how good it is.

If it is a story we enjoyed we might find ourselves asking, “Is that all there is?”

Not always.

Sometimes a sequel is written or produced.

The story continues but, more often than not, we find ourselves disappointed.

The sequel simply just does not live up to the original story we enjoyed so much.

Our lives are a bit like a story we enjoy.

We are born. we live for a time and ultimately each of our stories on earth comes to an end.

Somewhere along our journeys we all find ourselves asking, “Is this all there is?”

An unbeliever would tell us that this is the case.

He would tell us that we are born, we live, we die… end of story.

Some believe otherwise.

They believe in an afterlife but seem to feel this life is to be preferred.

Their concept of Heaven is one in which we float around on clouds and do nothing but play the harp for all of eternity.

This would be the equivalent of a sequel failing to live up to the original story.

Personally, I believe that God is the author of all things.

I believe our journeys on earth are just the first story.

There is more to come.

For those who believe, Heaven will be like the sequel to that story.

The Bible gives us some hints as to what Heaven will be like,

Yet even the most imaginative and creative among us will have to experience it to fully appreciate it.

In that respect, this sequel will be far, far better than the original.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NET) - But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 2, 2016

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

I wanna be a rock star

 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31,32
Many teaching we get in these two verses. I will look in this: "If you hold to my teaching..."
To believe in Jesus is more than to  know about Him. It is more than to know what He is able to do. To trust in Him means  to abandon our beliefs, even when we "believe" they may be came from God.
Many times we were taught about God but few of us look at Bible carefully to know if we were taught right, we use to believe because we use to believe!
When Jesus calls us, He says come and trust in me like I'm, even (and I dare to say, frequently) this believe means to abandon our on view point about Him. How many time we use to question our on faith? We have our faith and we always think be right.
John 7:27 shows us people confused about if Jesus was or not The Messiah, and why? Because a common sense in the time, used to say that when The Messiah come, nobody would know where He would come from and Jesus, even showing great miracles, amazing teachings and uncountable signs, was knowing by everybody, His birth city, parents and family making Him not fulfill 'the common sense'.
what it means, Patricia, you can ask me?
It means, dearest reader,  if we day by day, do not seek God, and obey His word more than religion and common sense, we are going to lost the real Jesus, and what is more important, salvation! Some times, we see Jesus in people that we don't think be "someone of God" and this kind of thought block us to listen God. We use to listen and read "that preachers we like" and few time we dare to question them, we just listen! Jesus said: If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31,32. 
To hold His teaching many (many) times, will means be against common sense, religious traditions and culture.
We are near of a big american commemoration, Halloween. Some churches have bringing it into its temples cultivating witches, monsters and many kinds of bad stuff, just because 'it is our culture'. Brazil has many similar things, what people call folklore and I call blindness.
But, what matter is, that we have to be free and this freedom only come from obey Jesus and His word. To keep our salvation we have to stay living Matthew 5. Loving those who persecute us. Forgiving those who hurt us. Helping the needy.

I have  seen the church of 21 century. This is the most rich church of all time, and to our shame and sadness, the 21 century church is that has less impact and influence in the society. How is it possible? Maybe it is possible because people and leaders of this church, look for become similar to the world. Our clothes, life style, language, and habits in almost nothing differs of the world. We have the same desires, we have the same plans, we look for our own will, we look for be known by our greatness, our diploma in big universities. The 'dream' of big part of people that are called christian, is the same dream of those who aren't.
It is rare listen young from our churches say that to dream in become missionary, pastor our be known for forgive, love and live like Jesus. They want to be celebrity! If be pastor, they want be at TV, our to be a "gospel rock' star".  Resigns, altruism aren't words of our vocabulary!
Church, we have to wake up. We have to come back to Jesus life style. More of Him and less (too much less) of us.
To be a real christian, we need fast, turn away. We have to review our concepts before it guides us to too far that will be impossible to come back.
Come back church, come back!

Pati Nanni

What Do You Know?

Few things are touted more enthusiastically in our society than "knowledge." Modern technology, which seems to rule the world, is based ultimately on sophisticated mathematics and science.  Millions of people spend or borrow untold billions of dollars to gain an understanding of those things in universities.  Governments spend billions more to finance medical and other scientific research, so that the knowledge acquired can be applied to improve our material lives or, at the extreme, to comb the universe in search of other worlds to explore. One can hardly utter an opinion on any subject without being challenged to back it up with "scientific studies" of some sort.

But in the grand--and eternal--scheme of things, what does this kind of "knowledge" really avail us?  It may improve and even save lives, but can it tell us what the <i>purpose</i> of living is?  The "what" of human knowledge may be growing exponentially, but does it even begin to shed light on the "why"?  Hasn't the practical deification of "science," and the single-minded pursuit of worldly wisdom, distracted or discouraged most people from even starting to consider seriously what destiny, if any, they'll have beyond this life and this world?

These are issues that today's "knowledge"-driven world doesn't really want you to be thinking about, because they lead people to question and search for things higher and better than the World can provide, things the World can't control and often run counter to the priorities of those who dominate it.

Actually, this is nothing new at all.  Just as in Christ's time on the Earth, there is a kingdom that belongs to Ceasar, and one that belongs to God. Ceasar's kingdom is of this world, which will pass away, but God's Kingdom "is not of this world" (John 18:36), but of Eternity; it existed before the world was made, and it will endure forever after this world is gone. That Kingdom is where we came from, and where will be our true and lasting home.

It follows then that the only "knowledge" that truly counts is that which pertains to and helps us toward the eternal ingdom of God; all else, ultimately, is a distraction and vain. And what is the "knowledge" that we should be seeking? I would suggest: what we are; where we came from; what is expected of us here; where we can and should be going from here; and how to get there. The Word of God tells us these things, as we study, pray, and are enlightened and guided by the Holy Spirit.

The duality of our nature, and the dichotomy of man's world as contrasted with God's Kingdom, puts us in a challenginig position.  We have to gain enough worldly knowledge, in school and elsewhere, to function in modern society and take proper care of ourselves and our families. The challenge is to avoid beinig consumed with the pursuit of worldly knowledge and benefits, including the "popularity" that comes with adhering to the morally corrupting conventional "wisdoms" of the day. As is often said, we must be "in the world, but not of the world."  We must always keep God and the things that pertain to His Kingdom and our immortal souls foremost in our lives, and resolve all conflicts between our Heavenly and worldly needs in favor of the former.

Sooner or later, and to a lesser or greater degree, doing so will put us in conflict with the world and provoke derision--or even persecution--by those who have no understanding or regard for spiritual things. As the Apostle Paul observed, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)  We can only pity and pray for those people; "for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."  (1 Corinthians 1:18)  Happily, we know for a certainty that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:25)  Is it not better to be empowered by our eternal, loving God than by a doomed, selfish world?

Knowledge of our Heavenly Father and of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the most precious thing we can attain. Perhaps, as the old adage goes, it's not "what" you know but "Who" that really counts.

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises