Both Creation and Child

After the Lord appointed Cyrus as king, the prophet Isaiah delivers the Lord’s word.

In addition, Isaiah affirms the Lord’s role in creation and history,

His words apply to the new king, but they also apply to us.

Isaiah compares the Creator to a potter and the created as a pot made of clay.

Isaiah 45:9-10 (GNT) - Does a clay pot dare argue with its maker, a pot that is like all the others? Does the clay ask the potter what he is doing? Does the pot complain that its maker has no skill?

Some seven centuries later, Christ taught His disciples how they should pray.

After warning them not to pray the way hypocrites pray, Christ instructed them further.

Matthew 6:9-10 (GNT) - This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored; may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Just as the pot must not question the potter, a Christian must recognize God’s sovereign will.

The will of God certainly reigns in heaven.

That same will must also reign here on Earth.

Those who fully appreciate this have a special relationship with their creator.

They recognize that they, like Adam, are created from dust.

Yet they are still able to approach their creator and call Him Father.

Galatians 4:6 (GNT) - To show that you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, “Father, my Father.”

Yet there are those who want their will to prevail.

They are the pot that questions the potter.

This is not a good place to be.

I am reminded of the words of C.S. Lewis who wrote: “There are 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.”

It is Christ who helps us keep our relationship with the Father in its proper perspective.

Yes, God is the potter, and we are the pot.

But God is much more.

Thanks to the Spirit of His Son, even the created can lovingly call Him Father.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 14, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, October 21, 2022

Strength Through Love

In Psalm 118, the Psalmist declared that the Lord’s loyal love endures.

He went on to declare that in his distress, he cried out to the Lord.

Even when things seemed darkest, the Lord came through.

The Lord provided and gave him the strength to keep moving.

Psalm 118:14 (NET) - The Lord gives me strength and protects me; he has become my deliverer.”

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, encouraged the strong to help the week.

Paul also encouraged mutual acceptance between Jews and Gentiles.

Paul then stressed the fact that the Gentiles have received hope.

Romans 15:13 (NET) - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Like the Psalmist, we too will encounter challenging times.

But we will find the strength to move forward.

But this strength is not of our own design or our own making.

It is the strength we receive from the God who delivers.

God remains the God of salvation.

He is the God who gives us the strength to believe.

He is the God who gives us the strength to move forward out of darkness and despair.

He is the God whom we need to share with others.

For they, like us, require that same strength.

They, like us, need hope.

Just as in Paul’s day, those who have been granted strength should help the weak.

The Lord’s loyal love still endures, and He bestows His love to us so that we may share it with others.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 23, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, October 7, 2022

Is Truth Absolute?

Psalm 119:43 (NET) - Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, for I await your justice.

The Psalmist understood the importance of truth.

He also understood that truth was of the Lord and truth was absolute.

These are concepts with which the world has lost touch.

So much so, that truth has become a relative commodity.

We even state that what is true for one person may not be true for another.

This is dangerous ground on which to stand.

Truth must be absolute.

Truth that becomes relative ceases to be the truth.

Paul understood this.

That is why he repeatedly charged Timothy to adhere to the truth.

His warning echoes through the centuries to us today.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NET) - For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths.

In today’s world, people tend to listen only to those whose views already align with their own.

Today’s media outlets cater to their audiences.

It occurs in the realm of politics where the elected rely on opinion polls.

It also occurs in the realm of education where young minds are influenced.

Sadly, it even occurs within the realm of the church.

Paul’s warning to Timothy grows more ominous daily.

Fortunately, it is not too late.

We still have time to seek truth.

Truth that is absolute instead of relative.

Truth that is substantial rather than fleeting.

But how does one determine what is truth and what is not?

We must learn (or re-learn) that truth holds up in the light of scripture.

In the end, God is the best teacher.

He can help us discern the truth.

He can help us see past a viewpoint beyond our limited experiences.

Then, and only then, can we learn to truly embrace the diversity of His creation.

True, we will still find ways in which to disagree with each other.

But we must not abandon the truth.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 27, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, September 3, 2021

Trust and Victory

Exodus 14:13-14 (NET) - Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord that he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.”

The heading for this chapter in this translation reads “The Victory at the Red Sea.”

I prefer this to other translations that refer to it simply as the crossing of the Red Sea.

The last part of verse fourteen states: “The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.”

As the Egyptians closed in on God’s people they cried out to Moses.

With their backs to the sea, they were certain they were about to die.

Moses knew better.

Moses knew that God would fight for them.

So, he reminded them of this.

God then instructed Moses to have the people move toward the sea.

He then instructed Moses to raise his staff and divide it.

The sea parted and the people advanced through it on dry ground.

After the people crossed, God instructed Moses to extend his hand toward the sea.

The divided sea then covered the pursuing Egyptians.

The waters covered them, and the people never saw them again.

Exodus 14:31 (NET) - When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, they feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Centuries later, Paul understood that the Lord was still dependable.

This is evident in his letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:23 (NET) - And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy.

Centuries later, we have the same assurance.

At times, the road we travel makes it difficult for us to see this.

During such times we can turn to the Lord.

We can ask for the strength to see.

The Lord will then open our eyes once more.

He will help us find His calling.

He will also help us to see His calling in others.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 13, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, August 20, 2021

Offering First Choice

Genesis 13:8 (NET) - Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives.

Friction developed when Abram traveled with his nephew Lot.

Both had an abundance of flocks, herds, and tents.

But the land was unable to support them both.

The herdsmen of Abram and Lot began quarreling.

The only solution was for Abram and Lot to part ways.

This could have been a source of contention as well.

Fortunately, Abram knew just how to cope with the situation.

Abram spoke with Lot.

He said that quarrels should be set aside.

He told Lot that since they must separate, he would give Lot his choice of direction.

Lot looked eastward over the land of the Jordan.

He saw that it was fertile with an abundance of water.

Lot chose this direction.

Abram then traveled in the opposite direction toward Canaan.

By human standards we would say that Lot came out ahead in the transaction.

But God had designs of his own.

He told Abram to look in every direction.

He would give Abram all the land he saw.

He also promised Abram that he would father many descendants.

Abram settled in a good place and built an altar to the Lord.

Paul also understood the importance of reconciliation.

He understood that, for Christians, it is important to place others first.

Romans 12:10 (NET) - Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.

True love is a love without hypocrisy.

True love is a love without condition.

True love is a love with honor.

Yes, true love is a love that gives the other first choice.

We are reconciled with God through Christ.

God did this because He loved us.

We must love God in return.

We must also love others.

That means we should seek to end quarrels and reconcile ourselves with them.

It also means giving them the first choice.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 23, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, August 6, 2021

Faithful to the End

Isaiah 53:1 (NET) - Who would have believed what we just heard? When was the Lord’s power revealed through him?

Isaiah begins this chapter by posing two questions?

He then answers these questions in a prophecy that would be fulfilled by Jesus.

This prophecy would be fulfilled centuries later.

Isaiah describes the pain, rejection and suffering Jesus would endure.

He also explains why Jesus had to endure it all.

Isaiah describes man’s rebellious and sinful nature.

He also clearly describes how Christ would endure this without protest.

He even describes His association with criminals and burial in a borrowed tomb.

All these things happened just as prophesied.

The fulfillment of this prophecy means we are saved!

But it is not enough for us to bask in the light of salvation alone.

Paul understood this.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul explains the responsibility we now have.

1 Timothy 6:12 (NET) - Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses.

Paul states that we must not only claim eternal life, but we must compete well for the faith.

That means making others aware of our transformation as well.

We can certainly do this through our words.

We can also do this through our actions.

It is perhaps our actions that speak loudest of all.

In the end, God has emerged victorious.

He did this through His one and only Son.

Sin has been defeated.

With it, all fear has dissipated.

So, let us turn to God in praise.

Let us also ask to be energized.

Then, we can follow the example of Jesus and remain faithful to the end.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 9, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, July 16, 2021

Love, Mercy, and Grace

Zechariah 3:4 (NET) - The angel spoke up to those standing all around, “Remove his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “I have freely forgiven your iniquity and will dress you in fine clothing.”

Zechariah is considered one of the minor prophets.

This term can be misinterpreted.

It does not refer to the importance of the prophet but rather the brevity of his book.

Zechariah’s importance must not be overlooked.

He clearly and frequently prophesied about the Messiah.

The opening verse is from the fourth vision experienced by the prophet.

In this vision, Zechariah describes the complete forgiveness of sin.

This is represented by a change of clothing.

The old, filthy, and perhaps even ragged clothes are removed.

They are replaced with new and fine clothes.

Zechariah’s vision of forgiveness and salvation can be attributed to one thing.

That one thing is grace!

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, also describes forgiveness through grace.

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NET) - But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!

Paul uses the imagery of life and death to describe the effects of grace.

Sin makes us dead.

Through grace we are made alive once more.

We are made alive together with Christ.

On our own, redemption is impossible.

But through grace it is as simple as a change of clothing.

Zechariah saw our filthy rags replaced by fine new clothes.

Paul describes us as being brought back from lifelessness to life.

That is the power of grace!

Every aspect of our being is made new.

Again, we cannot do this on our own.

It is only possible because of God’s love, mercy, and grace.

A love, mercy, and grace manifested in Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 25, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, July 2, 2021

First and Foremost

1 Samuel 7:3 (NET) - Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth. Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

There was conflict between the people of Israel and the Philistines.

The people turned to the Lord for help.

Samuel reminded them that they first had to remove all foreign gods and images.

The people listened to Samuel and did so.

One day, the Philistines approached for battle.

Because the people placed the Lord first, He drove the Philistines away.

The Lord expects to be first in our lives.

In fact, He demands it.

He even made this the first of his ten commandments.

Exodus 20:3 (NET) - You shall have no other gods before me.

Jesus understood the importance of this.

He concluded His parable of the steward with a word of caution.

Luke 16:13 (NET) - No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Foreign gods and images are not the only thing that can evict God from His proper place.

Jesus reminds us that money can easily do this.

In fact, there are many things in life that tempt us to place them first.

We live in an age where we are bombarded by distractions.

The moment we place any person or thing above God, we practice idolatry,

Regardless of the circumstances we face, we must keep God first in our lives.

That is what He expects.

That is what He commands.

That is something we must remember.

We must keep God first even as we weather the storms of life.

If we do, we can count on God to impart His blessings upon us.

He did that for the people of Israel in their trials.

He will do the same for us.

When that happens, we must share those blessings with others.

This allows them to see that we have given God his proper place.

It also encourages them to do the same.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 11, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, June 18, 2021

Success

Genesis 39:23 (NET) - The warden did not concern himself with anything that was in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

Many things occurred during Joseph’s lifetime.

Some could be considered major setbacks.

Others could be considered major successes.

Through the ups and downs one thing was perfectly clear.

Joseph understood that God was at work in both.

Others more easily perceived God’s hand in the successes.

After being sold into slavery, the 39^th chapter of Genesis finds Joseph working for Potiphar.

Joseph found success in this new role and Potiphar saw that God was with him.

Potiphar put Joseph in charge of the household, and it prospered.

Potiphar’s wife then falsely accused Joseph of assault.

As a result. Joseph was sent to prison.

Although in prison, God was still with Joseph.

He found favor in the warden’s eyes.

He put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and made him responsible for all that went on.

Joseph succeeded in this new role as well.

The warden saw that God was the source of Joseph’s success.

People do not necessarily recognize the Lord’s hand in success.

When this happens, Scripture tells us they need a reminder.

This happened in the church at Corinth.

Paul wrote to them about this.

Some claimed to follow Paul.

Others claimed to follow Apollos.

Paul reminded them that both he and Apollos were servants of the Lord.

He reminded them that their success and growth was due to God.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (NET) - I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow.

God is not just a casual observer.

He is an active participant in our lives in both setbacks and successes alike.

As the threat of the pandemic subsides, we will be presented with new opportunities.

Remember, the Lord is with us.

Let us ask the Lord to make our endeavors bear fruit.

Let us ask Him to bless the church and its outreach.

Let us ask the Lord to make new ministries prosper.

After all, we are but servants.

Our success is due to the Lord.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 28, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, June 4, 2021

Follow Me

2 Samuel 22:19-20 (NET) - They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the Lord helped me. He brought me out into a wide open place; he delivered me because he was pleased with me.

The book of 2 Samuel discusses David’s reign.

This verse is from a song David sang to the Lord.

It is a song about how God rescued him from his enemies.

God did so when David called out to Him.

Like David, we often call out to the Lord in times of trouble.

Like David, we know the Lord will see us through the tough times.

What happens when the roles are reversed?

What happens when the Lord calls out to us?

How do we respond?

In the book of Matthew, we read about how the Lord called him.

Matthew 9:9 (NET) - As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him. So he got up and followed him.

Matthew was a tax collector.

He was doing his job when the Lord called out to him.

He heard the Lord say, “Follow me.”

Matthew responded to the call.

Matthew got up and followed the Lord.

This changed Matthew’s life forever.

The Lord called others to follow Him.

Like Matthew, their lives were forever changed.

The Lord still calls out to us.

He calls out to us every day.

If we listen carefully, we hear Him calling, “Follow me.”

It is comforting to know that we can call upon the Lord in times of trouble.

It can however be a little unsettling when He calls out to us.

This is especially true when that call is: “Follow me.”

Following means leaving our old lives behind,

It means our lives will never be the same again.

But following brings about something else.

In following, we are guided to a place we are meant to be.

Fortunately, we can call upon the Lord for the courage to follow.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 14, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, May 21, 2021

Joy and Loyalty

Psalm 5:11 (NET) - But may all who take shelter in you be happy. May they continually shout for joy. Shelter them so that those who are loyal to you may rejoice.

The Psalmist mentions elation three times in this verse.

He does this in various ways.

He uses the words “happy”, “joy” and “rejoice”.

There are however requirements for true elation.

First, we should take shelter in the Lord.

We should also remain loyal to Him.

Those who followed Jesus understood this as well.

Paul and Barnabas were moved by the Holy Spirit to preach at Pisidian Antioch.

On the Sabbath, they went into the synagogue.

The leaders there spoke of the law and the prophets.

They then invited Paul and Barnabas to speak.

Paul, in loyalty to Jesus, spoke extensively about Him.

Many were moved and they were invited to speak again the following Sabbath.

On that day, “almost the whole city assembled”.

But when some saw the size of the crowd, they were filled with jealousy.

When Paul spoke this time, he was interrupted, contradicted, and reviled.

Paul and Barnabas boldly stated that they were appointed to be a light to the Gentiles.

The Gentiles then began to rejoice.

The word of the Lord was spreading,

But those opposed to their message persecuted them.

Paul and Barnabas were thrown out of the region.

Despite this, Paul and Barnabas traveled on to Iconium.

They were also filled with joy.

Acts 13:52 (NET) - And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Despite persecution, Paul and Barnabas remained happy because of their loyalty to the Lord.

Today, it is easy for us to become discouraged.

But this does not have to be.

We can be happy.

We can find joy.

We can rejoice.

As the Psalmist said, all we need do is to take shelter in the Lord and remain loyal to Him.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 23, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, May 7, 2021