Time Alone with God

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?

We all feel that way from time to time.

Especially when we have others clamoring for our attention wanting one thing or another.

Jesus knew what that was like.

Scripture tells us that large crowds began to follow Jesus.

But even Jesus needed some quiet time alone with God.

Mark 1:35-37 (NET) - Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. Simon and his companions searched for him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Once Jesus spent this quiet time alone with God, He was ready to continue His ministry.

Mark 1:38-39 (NET) - He replied, “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.” So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Serving others is important.

But Jesus understood the importance of time alone with God.

Even when Jesus went to the Mount of Olives before His crucifixion, His disciples followed.

Yet Jesus knew He needed, perhaps more than ever, quiet time alone with God.

Mark 22:41 (NET) - He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,

In today’s fast paced world, the importance of spending time alone with God can be easily overlooked.

Fortunately, scripture offers us many reminders.

Psalm 46:10 (NET) - He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God! I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!”

Matthew 6:6 (NET) - But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

But what if we are at a loss as to what to pray?

Scripture helps us there, as well.

Romans 8:26-27 (NET) - In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.

The world of today is far more hectic than it was in times past.

We are bombarded with information…

… but what do we actually learn?

We find ourselves busier and busier…

… but what do we actually accomplish?

We have more contacts and friends through social media…

… but how many do we really know well and how many really know us well?

If Jesus needed time alone with God, what does that say for the rest of us?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 10, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 17, 2019

The Ultimate Self-Help Book

It seems as if more and more people want to feel better about themselves.

In a trip to the library or bookstore there are shelves full of self-help books.

This is nothing new.

Some of the titles have been around for a long time.

There is one book that can help.

Many people already have this book on a table or in a bookshelf.

Unfortunately, this book often goes disregarded and unread.

This book tells us that we were created in the very likeness of God.

Genesis 1:26 (NET) - Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”

Think about that for a moment.

You were made in the very image of the creator of the universe!

It goes on to tell us just how miraculous each one of us really is.

David understood that.

Psalm 139”13-15 (NET) - Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. You knew me thoroughly; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth.

That’s not all.

It tells us that God has had a plan for us all along.

He made that clear to the prophet Jeremiah,

Jeremiah 1:5 (NET) - “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

When you need to feel better about yourself, there is one book that can really help.

Why not turn to it now?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 9, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 16, 2018

Music to His Ears

I was watching a concert on television that was performed by a very large orchestra.

The orchestra featured many types of musicians divided into several sections.

Some musicians played brass instruments.

Others played woodwind, string and percussion instruments.

I really enjoyed this concert.

The audience in the concert hall really enjoyed their experience as well.

I thought about the experience the live audience had as compared to my own.

As I considered this, I concluded that my experience was good.

My experience was one recorded on tape and played through speakers.

Those in attendance heard it live and directly from the musicians themselves.

Even though my experience was different, I could still make out groups of instruments.

I could even distinguish between different types of instruments.

Even while the brass instruments were playing I could still hear the flute or the oboe.

I could also tell the difference between happy melodies and sad ones.

This caused me to reflect on prayer.

One of the questions people often ask is: “How can God listen to so many prayers at one time?”

Everyone’s prayer is important to God.

Jeremiah 29:12 (NET) - When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers.

But nowhere in scripture does it say we must wait our turn.

When we listen to a concert we hear all the musicians at once.

We do not have to listen to each musician one at a time.

We who are made in God’s image can listen to many musicians at the same time and we call the result music.

So surely God, who has no limitations, can listen to a limitless number of prayers at once.

If you think about it, your prayer is like an instrument.

It is like an instrument that God longs to hear.

No matter how many instruments are playing, God hears each one.

So…

Romans 12:12 (NET) - Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 26, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 2, 2018

Unlimited Coverage

Today’s technology is amazing.

Take cell phones for example.

One day, you decide to take a trip and find yourself far away from home.

You decide to tell your friend about it and so you get out your cell phone.

You then dial your friend’s cell number.

At the very same time your friend has also decided to take a trip and is also far away from home.

Suddenly his cell phone rings.

He answers and the two of you are able to talk about the trips you are on.

You had no idea where your friend was.

Yet the two of you are able to clearly communicate as if there was no distance between you.

Of course there are factors that could prevent this from happening.

Perhaps you accidentally dialed the wrong number.

Perhaps your phone has lost its charge.

Perhaps your phone is not getting a signal.

Perhaps your friend is already busy talking to someone else.

Perhaps you forgot to take your phone with you.

I have no idea how cell phones are able to connect with each other.

I have no idea how simply dialing a number can connect you to a phone regardless of how far apart they are.

Even though I do not how they work, I am still able to benefit from this technology.

Our walk with God is a lot like that.

We can communicate with God through prayer at any time from any location.

We do not have to understand how it works in order to benefit from it.

All we need to know is that it does work.

God provides a constant power source and an uninterruptable signal.

We never have to be concerned about getting a busy signal.

God is capable of listening to an infinite number of prayers at the same time from all over the world.

To be honest, the only weak link in the chain is us.

Just as easily as we can forget to take our cell phone with us, we can also forget to pray.

Once we recognize this, and correct it, we find Him ready to listen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18 (NET) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 12, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 19, 2016

Turn Around

I take the same route to and from work every day.

There are some advantages to this.

One of the biggest advantages is that I have learned from experience where I need to be more careful.

There is a hill I must descend that is rather steep.

I need to monitor my speed there so I can stop safely.

There is one traffic light that changes more frequently than the others.

I need to wait an extra second or two before proceeding as someone will inevitably run the red light.

There is a left turn I must make from a busy highway.

Experience has taught me to make sure I am in the correct lane well before I get there.

Spring will be upon us soon.

Experience has taught me that I will be sharing the road with more bicyclists as the weather warms up.

There are also some disadvantages to taking the same path each and every day.

The biggest by far is not being familiar with alternate routes.

I recall one time in particular when traffic was diverted off the main highway onto another road because of an accident.

Suddenly, I found myself in unfamiliar territory.

I quickly discovered that I had absolutely no idea where I was.

I was simply followed the car in front of me.

He was simply following the car in front of him, and so forth.

It is likely that most of us naturally assumed that someone ahead of us knew how to get us back on track.

After several minutes I concluded that this was not the case.

If I continued to follow the pack I was only going to get farther away from where I wanted to be.

I had a decision to make.

At my next opportunity, I exited the highway and left the others.

Although I was in unfamiliar territory, I had a general sense of the direction I needed to travel.

After what seemed like a very long time, I finally spotted a landmark I was familiar with.

Using it as a guide, I made my way back to the path I knew would take me where I needed to go.

I wondered how far away the others were by then.

Life is a journey.

Sometimes we discover that we are not on the right path.

At that point we have a decision to make.

John 14:6 (NIV) - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If we are not on the right path in life, we put distance between ourselves and Jesus.

There is only one solution.

We must stop and go back.

The longer we wait to do this, the greater is the distance we will have to travel.

C. S. Lewis said, “We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

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

Seeking and Finding

At one time or another we've all misplaced some item, like car keys, a cell phone, a ring, or the like. Then, watch out!--we turn the house or office upside down, frantically searching for that thing we think we can't live without. More often than not it's found sooner or later, under a seat cushion or a pile of mail, or maybe even right in plain sight where we just overlooked it. What relief and exhiliration we feel when that happens!  Of course, sometimes what we seek is never found, and on top of all the time and effort expended looking we have to spend money to replace the item, if it's replacable at all.

"Seeking" is an inescapable and important--if often an aggravating and even agonizing--part of life. It extends from looking for lost objects to deciding what career to pursue, searching for a mate, or discerning what our purpose in life is. Sometimes we do it consciously, but often it's more like an irresistable current in the hidden depths of our minds and hearts.  And so often that all that seeking seems to lead nowhere but a dead end. Even a "successful" person may not really find the lasting fulfillment he or she was looking for, but discover too late that all his or her hard-won conquests were hollow. Sometimes, one spends everything he or she has in time, money, and even friends, only to make that mortifying discovery in the end.

That's why I love the Lord's "Lost and Found" stories so much, especially those in Luke ch. 15--the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, the Lost (or "Prodigal") Son. These stories hold many lessons, but at least one of them, I believe, is how we do, and should, assess the value of things. Of course, the missing piece of silver that the woman swept her whole house to find (Luke 15:8-10) was undoubtedly of great value to her--maybe it was a tenth of all the funds she had--and its recovery fully justified a celebration with her friends and neighbors. So much more so, said the Lord, was there "joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Even more compelling is the story of that one Lost Sheep, in which the Shepherd left all of his other 99 to find and bring home. Likewise, the Lord said, "joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." And then there is the story of the Prodigal Son, who left home and spent all his inheritance in "riotous living," and then had to crawl back to his father in sorrow and rags. The father might have shut him out in anger for having wasting all that wealth, but instead received him back with forgiveness and joy--much to the chagrin of the young man's more responsible brother--proclaiming, "for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found!" Surely this is one of the most touching and revealing passages in all Scripture. For it, and the other parables spoken by Jesus in Luke 15, demonstrate that one repentant soul returned to the Lord is worth infinitely more in the Kingdom of God than any amount of wealth or honor, or even a whole lifetime of outwardly "righteous" conduct (remember that these paragbles were told to a crowd of "publicans and sinners" in the presence of Pharisees and scribes who "murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.")

So, never give yourself up for "lost."  Never doubt your worth in the Lord's eyes, no matter what you may have done or failed to do--you're already bought and paid for, with His life. And not only are you worth seeking and reclaiming: unlike a hunt for car keys or for fame and glory, your own search after God, if sincere, is guaranteed successful: "[Y]e shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."  (Jeremiah 29:13)  He will always be there, waiting eagerly with open arms for His prodigal son or daughter to return. As Christ Himself said:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh

it shall be opened.
~  Matthew 7:6-8

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises