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

New Year; New You

Psalm 48 is a song about the strength of Zion.

But the Psalmist ends the song with a reminder of the source of strength.

Psalm 48:14 (NRSVue) - that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.

John 14 is a beautiful chapter,

In its opening verses, Christ reminds his followers of several inescapable facts,

He reminds them that He is going to prepare a place for them.

He also reminds them that they know the way.

Only Thomas asks the question that the others were asking themselves.

“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

John 14:6 (NRSVue) - Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

As we enter a new year, it is good to bear these facts in mind.

Change is inevitable.

But as a rule, we resist change.

But change is necessary if we are to grow spiritually.

The man I am today is different from the boy I once was.

Nor am I the man I was decades ago.

In years to come, I will not be the same man I am today.

Yet throughout the years of change and personal growth, God remained constant.

As we leave behind another year and embark on another trip around the sun, we leave things behind.

Perhaps the past year was one of joy.

Perhaps it was one of sorrow.

More likely, it was a year that combined both.

As we embark on the new year, we know that change lies ahead.

May we see the challenges we encounter as opportunities for spiritual growth.

May we remember that God never changes.

May we remember that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

May we remember that He is the way to the Father.

And may we not be the same people we were when the new year comes to its end.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

In Job 5, God corrects Job.

But it is verse eleven that stands out to me especially at this time of the year.

Job 5:11 (NRSVue) - he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.

In Paul’s first letter to Corinth, he writes of the wisdom of God which is different from the wisdom of the world.

1 Corinthians 1:27 (NRSVue) - But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong

Hear again, these words mean much to me at this time of year.

It was at this time of the year almost twenty years ago that my mother passed away,

I had the privilege of caring for her in her final years.

I made certain she spent her final years at home rather than in a home.

I also realize that not everyone has that option.

I was blessed that in her final years, regardless of her physical pain, she remained both kind and gentle.

Those who encountered her noticed those qualities.

But I wonder how many people understood them.

The world teaches us to stand up for our rights.

The world warns us not to let people push us around.

The world would have us believe that gentleness and kindness are qualities of the weak.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

By example, Christ showed us the value of humility.

He demonstrated the power in being vulnerable on a cross.

He showed us that love is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal against evil.

Yes, the world sees kindness and gentleness as signs of weakness.

Those who have real faith understand that the opposite is true.

And truly blessed are those of us whom He gave the best possible teachers.

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

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, December 27, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, January 3, 2025

God’s Will and God’s Provision

Psalm 94:19 (NRSVue) - When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Psalm 94 is about God avenging the righteous.

But the psalmist recognizes that when troubles are many, God is there.

Luke 22 is the account of Christ just prior to His betrayal and crucifixion.

Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, a place He frequents.

As the time draws ever nearer, the moment weighs heavily upon Him.

He leaves His disciples behind and goes off to pray to the Father.

His Divine and human nature come to the fore.

His human nature knows of the coming pain, suffering, and death.

But His Divine nature prevails.

And God provides Him with strength at this crucial moment.

Luke 22:42-43 (NRSVue) - “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.

Like the psalmist, sometimes we feel the weight of the world upon us.

But like the psalmist, we recognize that God is there for us.

We understand that we do not face these cares alone.

And being human, we still might find these burdens too difficult to bear.

Christ reminds us that what the Father has planned will ultimately prevail.

Acknowledging this, we will then see God at work strengthening us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, September 27, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, October 4, 2024

A New Spirit and a New Heart

Ezekiel 11:19 (NRSVue) - I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

In this chapter, God shares his judgement of evil councilors with the prophet.

God then pronounces that He will restore His people.

This will be a complete restoration.

The people will have a new spirit.

They will also have new hearts.

These new hearts will be capable of gentleness and compassion.

Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, opens with words of encouragement.

Paul reminds Timothy of the new spirit and the new heart that God promised.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NRSVue) - for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

In our modern world, many have rejected both the spirit and the heart.

The world relies on false wisdom.

It teaches that success equates with material wealth.

It teaches that we should look out only for ourselves.

It teaches that kindness and gentleness are signs of weakness.

Despite the many who have fallen prey to this false wisdom, these things are far from true.

When we are down, God extends His love.

When we feel weak, God reminds us to rely on His strength.

When we feel we have utterly failed, God offers His renewal.

In accepting these gifts, we receive our new spirit and our new heart.

We learn that success equates with loving God and our neighbor.

We learn to care more for others than we care for ourselves.

We also learn that gentleness and compassion arise out of inner strength.

The world will go on believing what it will.

And in doing so, it will allow others to tire and fall.

But blessed with a new heart and new spirit, we can lighten the loads of the fallen.

We can share with them what God has so generously shared with us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, July 12, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, July 19, 2024

His Heritage

Psalm 94:14 (NRSVue) - For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;

The New Revised Standard version heads Psalm 94 with “God the Avenger of the Righteous.”

But it is verse 14 that grabs my attention.

Vengeance aside, it reminds us that God will never forsake us.

It also reminds us that we are His heritage.

But what does heritage really mean?

One way to define heritage is: “something that is handed down from the past.”

Another is: “an inherited lot or portion.”

Both are applicable.

You can even see how the words “heritage” and “inheritance” share a root.

That root is “heir.”

We tend to think of an heir as someone who acquires something when someone else dies.

But it also means: “continuing the legacy of a predecessor.”

And that is who we are.

As Christians, we continue the legacy of those who preceded us.

But to put things in complete perspective, our legacy is not bound to this world.

Paul reminds us of this.

Philippians 3:20 (NRSVue) - But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, we are not citizens of this world.

The legacy we continue is of heaven.

In essence, we are His ambassadors in this world.

And we should speak and act accordingly.

Yet there are times when we feel lost or alone.

That is when we must remember the legacy we have inherited.

We should also remember that God will never abandon us.

As the Psalmist says, God will never abandon His heritage!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 6, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, October 13, 2023

Christian Confidence

Exodus 19:4 (NRSVue) - You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

God spoke these words to Moses when he and the people reached Mt. Sinai.

God had indeed freed His people.

He also destroyed those who continued to pursue them.

Now, they were in His presence.

They no longer had reason to fear.

In fact, they should have felt confident.

Paul spoke of confidence in his letter to the Hebrews.

He began his tenth chapter by reminding them of Christ’s sacrifice.

He then reminded them to persevere in matters of faith.

He also spoke of their persecution and the confiscation of their earthly property.

They bore these things because of their better and permanent possessions because of Christ.

No wonder they were confident.

Hebrews 10:35 (NIV) - So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

The world in which we live will try to drag us down.

Others may try to drag us down to their level.

But we should not live in fear.

We should be confident.

We can be confident because God’s love for us lifts us up out of darkness.

Like God’s people at Mt. Sinai, God directs us to Him.

Our way has been made clear through the sacrifice of Christ.

And we can remain confident through discipline.

We should choose our thoughts, our words, and our actions carefully.

In doing so, we can help those around us become more aware of God’s love for them.

They can witness the light and love of Christ reflected through us.

Once they step into that light and love, confidence cannot be far behind.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 22, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, October 5, 2023

The Easy Way or the Hard Way

2 Samuel 23:3-4 (NRSVue)- The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: “One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”

These verses are from the last words of David.

But David, like all human beings, was fallible,

He, like us, made mistakes.

But in the end, David was a man after God’s own heart.

That is why God placed him on the throne.

Christ also left us words of wisdom concerning His own rule.

Matthew 11:29 (NRSVue) - Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

How often do we find ourselves struggling?

And how many of those struggles arise when we try to rely on our own strength?

And being fallible human beings, like David, do we learn anything from experience?

We would do well to learn from the words of Christ.

We should avoid the temptation of going it alone.

We should stop relying on our own strength.

Instead, we should turn to Christ and rely on His strength.

Paul reminds us of this as well.

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

Remember, Christ is always available to us.

He can guide us, teach us, and give us rest.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 8, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, September 15, 2023

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

The Spectrum of Faith

Daniel 2:47 (NKJV) - The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him.

He even lost sleep over it.

None of the King’s inner circle was able to interpret the dream.

Daniel went before the king and explained that it is God who grants insight and wisdom.

Daniel then prayed to God.

With God’s help, Daniel succeeded in interpreting the dream.

So impressed was the king, that he acknowledged God’s omniscience.

He also made Daniel the ruler of an entire province.

Sometimes our faith is so strong that nothing can seem to shake it.

We are as convinced as King Nebuchadnezzar was that day.

But sometimes we allow our circumstances to impact our faith.

Like another king, we are not quite as convinced.

Paul discovered this in the presence of King Agrippa.

Paul told the king of his life before he met Christ.

He told him how he even persecuted Christians.

But then he told the king of his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.

Paul told him that this encounter changed his life forever.

Paul then told the king that he knew the king believed the prophets.

Yet King Agrippa’s level of faith was not on the same level as that of King Nebuchadnezzar.

Acts 26:27-28 (NKJV) - King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

Sometimes our faith gets shaken.

Perhaps we have lost our job.

Perhaps our health is not what it once was.

Perhaps we have lost a loved one.

When circumstances shake our faith, it is important to remember that it is not gone.

In times like these, we can remember how much God still loves us.

We can ask God for restoration.

We can even ask Him to work within those who are in positions of authority.

Perhaps they will become as convinced as King Nebuchadnezzar.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 10, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, March 17, 2023

Mentors Are Very Special Blessings

Proverbs 27:17 (GNT) - People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.

Anyone who obtains a mentor in life should consider themselves blessed.

Anyone who obtains two in their lifetime is truly blessed.

The first of my mentors taught me to be a professional.

He also taught me not to overcomplicate things.

No one doubted his ability to solve a complex problem.

He also had the ability to explain the problem and the solution to non-professionals clearly.

Even though I no longer work in that industry, his lessons serve me well.

My other mentor was a spiritual mentor.

Although well educated, she never talked down to anyone.

She was truly humble.

She also had a servant’s heart.

It was her guidance that led me to teach Sunday School and Bible School for adults.

And although her knowledge was vast, her actions and demeanor spoke louder than words.

So, I do indeed feel blessed that God granted me two mentors,

I feel even more blessed in that I considered each a friend.

My professional mentor passed away several years ago.

My spiritual mentor very recently.

In reflecting on them both, the passage from Proverbs immediately came to mind.

I learned from each one just as iron sharpens iron.

And as I grow older, I will consider myself even more blessed if I should mentor someone.

I miss my mentors and friends.

But although I miss them, I do not grieve in the conventional sense.

Christ’s words from the Sermon on the Mount also spring to mind.

Those who willingly and freely share of themselves do God’s will.

They obey the words of Jesus.

And they will see God.

Matthew 5:8 (GNT) - Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God!

In loving memory of H. K.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 24, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, March 3, 2023

The Source of Stability

Revelation 1:4 (GNT) - From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace be yours from God, who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits in front of his throne,

I know people who are uncomfortable with the book of Revelation.

Granted, it is the final book of the Bible and is apocalyptic in nature.

Its language is symbolic.

As human beings, we tend to dislike the unknown and it can elicit an uncomfortable response.

But, as I remind my students, there is no need to fear either the book or the unknown.

In fact, John opens the book with a greeting to the seven churches.

He wishes them both grace and peace from God.

He also reminds them about an important aspect of God.

God is unchanging.

Our perspective of time is composed of past, present and future.

We change.

Our circumstances change.

Through it all, God never changes, and I take great comfort in that.

The Psalmist also reminds us that God never changes.

Psalm 127 is a prayer to God from one who is suffering.

He pours out his heart to God.

He begins his prayer by asking God to listen to him.

He recognizes his own mortality.

He agonizes over what has become of his people.

Ultimately, he recognizes the unchanging nature of God.

Psalm 102:27 (GNT) - But you are always the same, and your life never ends.

Like John and the Psalmist, we too find ourselves at crossroads.

We have choices to make.

Will we allow the storms of life to shake our faith?

Will we allow the future and the unknown to instill fear?

Or will we accept both grace and peace?

The grace and peace that comes directly from God.

Circumstances may change, but God never does.

God is, was, and always will be God.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 10, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, February 17, 2023

How Much Is Required

Philippians 4:13 (NIV) -  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

As a rule, people dislike change.

There are times when we have a say in matters.

But there are also times we do not.

Having to start all over falls into the second category.

That is the situation in which I unexpectedly found myself.

I quickly reminded myself of several key facts.

The first was that God does not owe me anything.

The second was that I was not the first to find myself in this situation, nor would I be the last.

The third was that others were facing even greater challenges.

I also reminded myself that God would see me through this according to his timetable and not my own.

Finally, I reminded myself that I should put this time to effective use.

It was during this same time that my church acquired new equipment and new technology.

I was able to assist in troubleshooting.

I was also able to become adept in its use.

My goal was to use the technology to enhance the worship experience for others.

More importantly, I did not want it to be a distraction.

In time, I felt good about the progress that we had made.

I also sensed that it was time to move forward again in my own personal journey.

That same week, I could see the Lord’s hand at work as he opened a new door for me.

I gratefully accepted the opportunity.

In my new role, I can rely on old skills.

I must also develop new ones,

There are also new relationships to be built.

Paul was correct in his letter when he wrote about the strength we receive through Christ.

It is the strength that enables us to do things for others.

But what is expected from us is in proportion to what we have been given.

Christ explained this to His followers.

Luke 12:48b (NIV) - From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

We may not be able to choose our circumstances.

But we are always able to choose how we respond to them.

And it is Christ who enables us to make good choices even in times of difficulty.

(Dedicated in loving memory of F. T. Until we meet again.)

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 27, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, February 3, 2023

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

Children of God

Malachi 2:10a (NKJV) - Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?

The prophets spoke on God’s behalf to the people,

It is therefore appropriate that Malachi means “my messenger.”

He emerged when the commitment of the people to God was in decline.

Malachi instructed the people to demonstrate greater faithfulness to God.

He also reminded them that God was the God of all.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, reminded them of this.

He also reminded them how they were to treat others.

Philippians 2:3 (NET) - Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Paul stressed the importance of Christian unity,

When Christ came into this world, He also reminded us how to treat others.

More importantly, He demonstrated this for us.

In the book of Matthew (which immediately follows Malachi), Christ was asked a question.

An expert in the law tried to trap Jesus with a trick question.

Matthew 22:36 (NET) - “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

The two-fold response from Jesus must have surprised the expert.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NET) - Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Malachi, Paul, and other contributors to the Bible remind us how we are meant to treat others.

More importantly, Christ Himself commands us to love them.

To do so, we must first allow God, the creator of all, to open our minds and our hearts.

Then we can truly see that everyone we encounter is a child of God.

We can then truly follow the words of Jesus.

We can unconditionally love those we encounter in our journeys.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 12, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, August 19, 2022

Struggle, Strength, and Example

Habakkuk 3:19a (NET) - The Sovereign Lord is my source of strength.

Here, the prophet declared his confidence in the Lord.

Regardless of circumstances, he could rejoice.

He understood that deliverance was of the Lord.

And it was the Lord who would see him through all adversities.

Paul recognized this.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul discussed Timothy’s ministry.

He also discussed the challenges and adversities Timothy would face.

People deserted the faith.

They adopted strange beliefs and practices.

But Paul reminded Timothy that he had to remain strong.

Timothy would have to remain firm in his faith and continue to serve Christ.

1 Timothy 4:10a (NET) - In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God

Just like the prophet and Timothy, we too must remain strong.

This is especially true when we find ourselves bombarded by information.

Much of this information we know not to be true.

Politicians, the news media, and groups and individuals in social media have their agendas.

Sadly, even some churches who claim to follow Christ have agendas as well.

Fortunately, we have scripture.

Scripture that not only tells us the words of Christ but preserves the example He set for us.

Adversity and the outright lies we are told try to drag us down.

But we must remain firm in our faith and persevere.

And we can persevere because the Lord is our source of strength.

We have hope in the living God.

We can turn to Christ and hear His words,

We can also follow His example.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 22, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, August 5, 2022

Hope and Confidence

Psalm 31:24 (NET) - Be strong and confident, all you who wait on the Lord.

We are now in what is known as Holy Week.

It is during this week that we focus upon a portion of Christ’s journey,

Specifically, the portion of the journey that led to the cross and a borrowed tomb.

But three days later, His disciples would find that same tomb empty.

Christ arose just as He said He would, thus He is exactly who He claims to be.

The Psalmist’s words remind us to be both strong and confident while we wait on the Lord.

We can be strong and confident because of grace.

God grants us this grace through the risen Christ.

Paul echoes this sentiment in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 5:2 (NET) - through whom we have also obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory.

Paul reminds us of grace.

He also reminds us that we can rejoice in hope.

We will celebrate this hope Sunday.

We celebrate the fact that the tomb was found empty.

We celebrate the fact that Christ arose just as He said He would.

And, as a result, we can be strong and confident while we wait on the Lord.

God keeps His promises.

And, when we need it, He can inspire strength and confidence in us.

God’s love is eternal.

As we continue our journey through Holy Week, let us be mindful of these things.

If we are, we too can bring strength to those who are feeling weak.

We too can bring confidence to those who feel downhearted.

And we can certainly offer our love to those who feel unloved.

After all, God wants them to have the same hope he has graciously given to us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 22, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, May 6, 2022