Rules, Rules, Rules

We live in a complex and often confusing world.

To be honest, we are responsible for a good deal of the complexity and confusion.

In fact, we have made things so complex and confusing that we have devised systems of rules.

We have rules on what is considered appropriate behavior.

We have rules about what is considered ethical.

We have rules on how we are to interact socially.

Many of these are written down in one form or another.

Some are only implied.

The question is: Do we need all these rules in the first place?

For example, recent headlines point out inappropriate contact between people in sports and entertainment.

Sadly, this type of behavior has been going on unchecked for decades.

What was once accepted as a “part of the business” is just now being revealed for what it is.

Hasn’t this been wrong all along?

1 Corinthians 6:18 (NET) - Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin a person commits is outside of the body”—but the immoral person sins against his own body.

When it comes to ethical behavior, there seems to be no end to the list of rules.

People in business must often take refresher courses on what constitutes ethical behavior.

But what does ethics really boil down to?

Philippians 4:8-9 (NET) - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.

When it comes to interacting socially there are still more rules.

When meeting rulers and dignitaries we are supposed to say and do certain things to acknowledge their position of authority.

In business, we tend to treat the CEO far better than we do the janitor.

Matthew 20:25-28 (NET) - But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

As human beings, we really tend to overcomplicate things.

As a result, we find ourselves making rule after rule after rule.

When Jesus came into the world, He did his utmost to simplify things for us.

Once, an expert in the law posed a question to Jesus.

He asked which commandment was the most important.

Jesus gave him a two-fold answer.

Mark 12:30-31 (NET) - Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

Jesus knew that if we obeyed these two commandments we would be obeying all the others.

We would not need even one of the rules we have written or implied since.

Jesus cited two commandments.

It really does not get any simpler than that.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

It All Depends on Love

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.

The season of Lent began on Wednesday, February 14, 2018.

Incidentally, February 14 also happened to be St. Valentine’s Day, a day set aside for the celebration of love.

Setting aside human notions of romance for the moment, it seems fitting that both fell on the same day.

The verse above is one of the most widely memorized passages in all of scripture.

Rightly so, for it reminds us of just how much God loves each of us.

So much so that He gave His Only Son to save the world.

Scripture also has a great deal more to say about love.

1 John 4:19 (NET) - We love because he loved us first.

This is quite profound but there is still more.

1 John 4:20 (NET) - If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

This reminds us that only those who love their fellow man can truly say that they love God.

Granted, this is not always easy for us to do.

But the season of Lent reminds us of what God did to prove His love for us.

It also reminds us of the love Jesus has for us as well.

Jesus was mocked, beaten and crucified for us.

He also forgave those who inflicted these things upon Him.

If Jesus could forgive so much, should we be unwilling to forgive others of so little?

The essence of Christianity is two-fold.

God the Father creates, His Son redeems and the Holy Spirit makes holy.

Our response to God and to our fellow man must be rooted in faith, hope and love.

Faith is a wonderful thing to possess.

Who among us does not like to have hope.

But scripture reminds us that love is greater than faith and hope.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET) - And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As our journey through Lent continues, let us be reminded of the love extended to us.

Let us also be mindful that love is a gift that is best when it is shared.

With Blessings and LOVE,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 23, 2018.

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

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

A Fear Born of Pride

I have no problem either thinking about or praying for others.

I do find it somewhat more difficult to pray for myself.

Granted, we are all God’s children.

I certainly have no problem thanking God for what He does for me.

When it comes to praying for my own needs, I simply did not want to approach God in a way that could make me come across as whiny.

That said, there has been something in my life I have held onto for some time.

I held on to it not out of need but rather out of fear.

I feared that letting go would be too difficult or too complicated.

To be completely honest, I found it much easier to simply ignore it.

From time to time people I knew would bring it up in conversation.

Each time I chose to simply ignore it.

Over the course of the last year the subject seemed to come up more and more.

In fact, one close friend became rather persistent about it.

He seemed determined to bring it up every time we got together.

To be frank, I was beginning to feel more than a bit annoyed with my persistent friend.

I was thinking about my annoyance with this friend one evening when something occurred to me.

Since I was not taking up this matter with God, perhaps God was taking the matter up with me.

Perhaps God was using my friends to get my attention.

Perhaps He was even using the persistence of a close friend to drive the point home.

That revelation shed a new light on things.

So, I turned to God in prayer and asked Him to help me to let go.

He did just that.

According to C. S. Lewis: “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point to move forward.”

This led me to one inescapable conclusion whose basis can be found in the words of Isaiah.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NET) - “Don’t remember these earlier events; don’t recall these former events. “Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths in the wilderness.”

If God has done as I believe He has, then I must also believe He has done so for a reason.

I do not know what He has planned, but I now understand that my letting go was vital.

I also know He will be an active participant in that plan.

Even at my age, I manage to learn and grow as a Christian.

Perhaps He will not need to be so persistent with me in the future.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 12, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 19, 2018

Christmas, Tradition and Love

One of the things I enjoy about Christmas is tradition.

The church I attend has several traditions.

Some of these traditions go back many years.

For example, a traditional gift among people who share my heritage is “The Christmas Sack”.

This is a simple brown paper bag containing an apple, an orange and a few pieces of candy.

My parents always gave me this gift every Christmas when I was a boy.

I am not certain how many generations back this tradition goes.

My church continues this tradition as well.

Every year my church puts on a Christmas Program.

A few nights before the program, a few of us will meet at the church and prepare many sacks.

When the Christmas Program ends, everyone in attendance gets one and so the tradition continues.

Another tradition I enjoy takes place at our worship service every Christmas Eve.

Prior to the start of the service we place a rocking chair in our sanctuary.

At some point during the worship service our pastor will sit in that chair.

The children in attendance will then come forward and sit on the floor around the pastor.

He will then read to them about the very first Christmas from the gospel of Luke.

Another tradition we have is quite new.

Empty boxes are provided to all members at the start of Advent.

Members place a non-perishable food item in their box each day during the season of Advent.

By the time Christmas arrives, all the boxes have been filled with food.

The filled boxes are gathered, and the food is donated to the local food bank to help the less fortunate.

These are but some of our traditions.

No doubt, you have traditions of your own.

Traditions play an important role in helping us observe Christmas.

It is important that our hearts are in the right place as we take part in them.

Simply going through the motions is not enough.

Everything we do should be rooted in faith, hope and love.

After all, it is God’s love for us that is at the very heart of Christmas.

Christmas is not a celebration of how we reach up to God.

Christmas is a celebration of how God reached down to us.

It is a celebration of how God reached down to a disobedient and fallen world that could not save itself.

It is a celebration of how God reaches down in the most remarkable and unexpected of ways.

Luke 2:11 (NET) - Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.

I wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 22, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 5, 2018

Giving Them My Best

I think everyone gets busier the closer we get to Christmas.

I certainly do.

One of the things that makes me busier is our annual Christmas Program.

The last few of these have seen me become an active participant.

There are lines to learn.

There are rehearsals.

As always, there are also the general preparations.

To be honest, I really don’t mind the extra work this creates for me.

This is certainly an opportunity for me to thank God for sending His Son into the world.

Christmas marks the beginning of Christ’s journey among us.

A journey that began in a stable,

A journey that ended at the cross.

Taking part in the Christmas Program helps drive that home for me.

I pray it does for others as well.

One of the additional benefits I receive from this is having the opportunity to work directly with our youth.

Most of the time I work with people my own age – the “not so young” people.

Of course, I do things indirectly that benefit our youth serving on various committees.

One of the things I hear quite frequently is: “These young people are our future.”

Granted, there is a fair amount of truth in that.

God has blessed me with a somewhat unique set of circumstances.

Circumstances that allow me to be perhaps a bit more objective.

These young people have a future of their own.

Some will go to college.

Some will get jobs and move to another city.

Some will become part of a new church family when they get married.

My responsibility, from a purely objective standpoint, is clear.

I need to give our young people the best I have within me spiritually.

That applies to whatever committee on which I serve.

It also applies to working directly with them in a Christmas Program.

No matter how busy I get, serving them means serving God.

Proverbs 22:6 (NET) - Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

No matter where their future takes them, I want them to have the best preparation we can provide.

That means giving them the best I can provide.

God will take care of the rest.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 8, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 15, 2017

Country Road

There is an old country road I traveled many times in the past.

I hardly ever use it anymore.

It passes alongside farms, fields, horses and other livestock.

It also passes alongside an old country church that is still in use.

Just beyond that, the road comes to a T shaped intersection leaving you with two options.

You can turn left, or you can turn right.

Sometimes we would turn to the left and go to the home of my uncle and aunt.

Sometimes we would turn to the right and visit the home of some dear family friends.

Whichever way we went, we would always take that same country road home.

I recall a time when I was very, very young when we traveled on that road at night.

As we passed that old country church it was bathed in light.

“What is that?” I asked my parents.

“That is God’s house,” my mother answered.

I already had some idea of who God was thanks to my parents.

I took Mother’s statement quite literally.

As a small child, I honestly believed this was the one place on Earth God chose to call home.

I also thought my family, my uncle and aunt and our friends were very fortunate to live so very near God’s home.

As I grew older, I learned that this was just Mother’s way of defining a church to an inquisitive child.

My parents and my uncle and aunt are gone now.

The friends we had no longer live in that area.

So, there is no need for me to travel down that road much anymore.

In my mind I still do.

At times when I feel God’s hand upon me, I recall that church, that old country road and that night when I was so young.

I recall how special it felt to believe God was so very near.

Now, as a man, I understand that God is everywhere.

Because He is everywhere, He is always very near.

Jeremiah 2:22-23 (NET) - Do you people think that I am some local deity and not the transcendent God?” the Lord asks. “Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?” the Lord asks. “Do you not know that I am everywhere?” the Lord asks.

I do now.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 24, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 1, 2017

Miscommunication

Technology is great… when it works.

One of the most frustrating technical problems is a device that has trouble communicating.

Perhaps it is a telephone that misses calls.

Maybe it is a computer that has trouble sending or receiving email.

It might be a tablet that loses connection with the Internet.

Even if the device is otherwise perfect functional, a communications problem can push our patience to the limit.

Speaking from experience, these problems are often the most difficult to diagnose.

Even when we manage to correct the problem, there are no guarantees that it will stay fixed.

Communication in our journey through this world can be every bit as frustrating.

Sometime we find it difficult communicating with others.

We can even experience difficulties in communicating with God.

Scripture can help us communicate.

What does the Bible say about communicating with others?

The book of James gives us some sound advice.

It tells us to listen first.

James 1:19 (NET) - Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

What does it say about communicating with God?

Prayer is an excellent beginning.

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

What if we still have a problem communicating with others?

Perhaps we need a bit more patience.

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NET) -  I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

What if we still find communicating with God difficult?

We might need to set aside the distractions that constantly vie for our attention.

Perhaps what we would find most helpful is to just be still.

Psalm 46:10a (NET) - He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 10, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 17, 2017

Discomfort, Change, Growth

There is a growing tendency these days to want to ban things which make us uncomfortable.

I recently read where some libraries are banning a literary classic because of a single word.

The reason given is that this word might make people feel uncomfortable.

This is nothing new.

History tells us of other times when books were banned.

In some cases, they were even burned.

There have even been times when people banned and burned the Bible.

Even churches are not immune to this kind of thinking.

Some churches have made a conscious decision not to display the cross.

The reason given is that the display of a cross could make people feel uncomfortable.

But is discomfort alone a good reason to ban anything?

Right now, I am studying The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Frankly, this book makes me feel uncomfortable,

Even the title is disquieting as Bonhoeffer reminds me that discipleship comes at a cost.

Bonhoeffer’s words are also unsettling as they remind me that I still have a very long way to go in my journey.

Even the Bible makes me uncomfortable at times.

This happens when it reminds me that I fall short even on my very best days.

The cross certainly makes me feel uncomfortable when it reminds me of the price Jesus paid for me.

In and of itself, discomfort is not bad.

Discomfort is a great motivator for change.

In fact, we should find books like Bonhoeffer’s uncomfortable.

We should even find the cross and the Bible uncomfortable at times.

The personal discomfort these things bring on should motivate us to change.

They should motivate us to grow as Christians.

As for the book in question, the word it uses should make all of us uncomfortable.

It should remind us that some things should be relegated to the past of which they were a part.

It should remind us not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

If we ban things like books, Bibles and crosses when they make us uncomfortable then we also ban the lessons they teach us.

Without these lessons, we are less likely to change.

Without change we do not grow.

Ephesians 4:13-15 (NET) - until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 27, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 3, 2017

Choosing Life in a Fallen World

To say that the world is in a mess right now is an understatement.

A review of recent headlines bears this out.

But is this necessarily a new development?

No.

For example, millions of people died in the last world war.

The best estimates put the number of dead somewhere between 50 million and 80 million.

During that same period genocide was attempted.

Members of one race tried to completely kill off another.

New and fearsome technology led to weapons capable of killing thousands in a single stroke.

Today, others are developing similar weapons and threaten us with them.

Turn the clock further back and we confront a time when disease threatened to wipe out a continent.

The Black Death is thought to have killed 30 to 60 percent of Europe’s population.

People did not understand what was happening to them.

Some misinterpreted the disease as a punishment from God.

Many lashed out at against their neighbors.

They searched for possible heretics and the like which resulted in many unnecessary deaths.

History reminds us time and again that bad things have happened and can do so again.

There are two major difference between past calamities and present ones.

First, technology has made it possible for us to learn about them almost the moment they happen.

Second, those using this technology may try to influence how we should think and feel about them.

All catastrophes, modern as well as ancient, do have something in common.

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis put it this way: “All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

Lewis also stated: “History isn't just the story of bad people doing bad things. It's quite as much a story of people trying to do good things but somehow something goes wrong.”

From the very beginning, God offered mankind a choice.

Choose Him and life, or, choose their own way and the consequences.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve made the wrong choice.

Collectively speaking, we have been making the wrong choice ever since.

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NET) - Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live!

We still have a choice.

Let us choose life.

Let us choose life even when others choose otherwise.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 13, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 20, 2017

In the Small Things

There are a great many things going on in the world right now.

The leader of one nation is developing both nuclear weapons and ways to deliver them.

Leaders of other nations challenge with harsh rhetoric of their own.

Still other nations claim sanctions must and will be invoked.

That’s not all.

There have been multiple hurricanes in existence at the same time.

These have resulted in the loss of life, injury and the destruction of property.

Flooding has occurred in different hemispheres.

Meanwhile other areas suffered a combination of drought and wildfire.

Still another area experienced a very strong earthquake.

Many people are claiming that this is God’s way of trying to get our attention.

Others are stating that this is God’s way of inflicting punishment.

These claims might even come from people in prominent places.

We really must be careful when we try to use disasters, manmade or otherwise, to interpret God’s intent.

In the ninth chapter of John, the disciples encountered a blind man.

They asked Jesus whose sin caused the man to be blind - his own or his parents?

The reply Jesus gave must have come as quite a surprise to them.

John 9:3 (NET) - Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.

Jesus then cured the man of his blindness.

Jesus even spoke to his disciples about things such as earthquakes and wars.

Mark 13:7-8 (NET) - When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.

Then there was the time Elijah hid in a cave.

The LORD asked Elijah to exit the cave and stand on the mountain.

Elijah was subjected to the spectacular.

First there was a powerful wind and landslides.

Next there was an earthquake.

After that came a raging fire,

Elijah determined that the LORD was not in any of these.

1 Kings 19:12 (NET) - After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.

The LORD revealed himself to Elijah in a whisper.

As human beings, it is easy for us to assume that God only reveals himself in big ways like hurricanes, floods, fires and earthquakes.

God often surprises us.

God quite often reveals himself in the most unexpected ways.

He came to Elijah in a whisper.

He came to us as a child in a manger.

By focusing on only the very large, we could very easily overlook Him in the small.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 22, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 6, 2017

Sold Out

The state in which I live just got hit by a hurricane.

The first communities to be hit were devastated by high winds.

There was more to come.

The storm then dropped record rainfall amounts on a major city and surrounding areas.

Lives were lost.

There was also a great deal of good.

Ordinary people pitched in to help those less fortunate.

Shelters opened their doors to take in those displaced by the storm.

Supplies began to pour in from far away.

Volunteers came in to offer their assistance.

Some traveled many miles to just assist the less fortunate.

But not everything was positive.

Stores miles away in relatively unaffected areas ran out of basics like water, bread and eggs.

As I write this, cars are lined up at gas stations not only filling their cars but gas cans as well.

A few stations have sold out of gas completely.

Some people are driving miles out of their way just to buy gas which they will consume on the way home.

Fear can do that to people.

Most people don’t think of being prepared until the crisis is right on their doorstep.

Even after the worst has passed, fear tends to maintain its grip and they worry about problems that do not yet exist.

Yet when it comes to being prepared for the end, how many of us can say we truly prepared.

Jesus told us to remain alert.

Mark 13:32-37 (NET) - “But as for that day or hour no one knows it—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son—except the Father. Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return—whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn— or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly. What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!”

Am I trying to raise fear?

No.

But I do have one question.

Do you suppose there will be lines of cars trying to get into churches for the next service?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 8, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 15, 2017

A Good Word

Church, first and foremost, must be about worship.

Beyond that, it is also a place where we become refreshed and renewed.

It is when we leave church that the work really begins.

After all, the “Great Commission” is still in effect.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NET) - Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That is why I always look forward to the benediction.

This is the blessing with which the worship leader dismisses the congregation.

For me, the benediction does not merely mark the end of the service.

Rather, it is a blessing for everyone to help them fulfill the “Great Commission” in the week to come.

The benediction itself can be offered in different ways.

My personal favorite is known as the “Franciscan Benediction”.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.

The word benediction comes from the Latin roots bene, meaning "well" and diction meaning "to speak" — literally meaning “to speak well of”.

I look upon it as a blessing that strengthens us to fulfill the “Great Commission” in the days to come.

The “Franciscan Benediction” not only strengthens, it reminds us just how much work there is to be done.

It also reminds us that we do not do this work alone.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 25, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 1, 2017

God with Us

Genesis 12:1 (NET) - “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.

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God told Abraham to leave the familiar and step into the unknown.

God did not even say exactly where this was.

Rather, God said that He would “show” him.

Abraham was no longer a young man when God gave him these instructions.

How did Abraham respond?

Genesis 12:4-5 (NET) - So Abram left, just as the Lord had told him to do, and Lot went with him. (Now Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran.) And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they left for the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

Abraham obeyed God.

God called Abraham and Abraham responded.

This would not be the only time that Abraham would answer God’s call.

There would come a time when God would ask much more of Abraham.

Genesis 22:2 (NET) - God said, “Take your son—your only son, whom you love, Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah! Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you.”

Abraham dearly loved his only son.

How did Abraham respond?

Genesis 22:3 (NET) - Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out for the place God had spoken to him about.

This time, just like the time before, Abraham obeyed God.

God called Abraham and again Abraham responded.

Abraham was prepared to do everything God asked of him.

He was even prepared to sacrifice his only son Isaac.

In the end, God spared Isaac.

Genesis 22: 11-12 (NET) - But the Lord’s angel called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. “Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

God provided a ram for the sacrifice.

The name Abraham gave to the place means “The LORD provides”.

Romans 4:3 (NET) - For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

God was with Abraham.

I think it is more than fair to say that God was with Isaac as well.

That is the way it is.

God calls and we are to respond.

What will our response be?

If we obey God’s call then God will be with us.

The prophet Isaiah understood this.

Isaiah 7:14 (NET) - For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.

This prophecy was fulfilled.

Matthew 1:23 (NET) - Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”

When my ancestors first came to the region where I now live, most of them did not even speak the local language.

They had no idea what awaited them in this new land.

But they did know one thing.

They knew that God was with them.

When they built their first church in the area 150 years ago, their pastor painted “God with Us” behind the pulpit as a reminder.

He panted these words in the language they knew.

God was with Abraham and Isaac.

God was with those who preceded me.

God is with me.

God is with us!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 11, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 18, 2017

Kindness

The other day I found myself behind schedule.

When it came time for lunch I opted to go to the corner store for something quick.

I was in hurry but my plans changed when I arrived.

As I walked from my car to the store entrance I glanced over at the gas pumps.

Something caught my eye.

I saw an older lady standing at the one of the pumps.

She had the pump handle in one hand and her credit card in the other.

She also had a look of confusion on her face.

I walked over to her and asked if she needed help.

She said she needed to put gas in her car but was not at all sure how to go about it.

I offered my help and she accepted.

I explained everything I did along the way.

Once her car had been filled I showed her how to print her receipt.

She thanked me and told me something I could never have expected.

She told me that her husband had recently passed away.

She then stated that he always put gas in the car.

This was the first time she needed to put gas in the car since he passed.

She then thanked me for showing her how it was done.

I believe that this is just one of many firsts for her as she continues her journey without him.

Please understand that I am not posting this for my sake.

It occurred to me that in today’s hectic and fast paced world it is quite easy to overlook others.

Sometimes people need help and do not ask for it.

We must not become so preoccupied with ourselves that we fail to notice.

As I paid the store clerk for my purchase, he thanked me for helping her as well.

It turns out that he was keeping a watchful eye on me as I approached her.

I was grateful for that as well.

It reminded me that God is looking out for her in other ways.

I thought of Paul’s words when he found himself shipwrecked.

Acts 28:2 (NET) -The local inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain and was cold.

There is always time for an act of kindness

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 28, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 4, 2017

The Interests of Others

Not long ago, I took my vehicle in for some routine maintenance.

I gave the crew my information and my key and went to the waiting room where it was cool.

A gentleman was already seated there when I took my seat.

A quick glance told me several things about him.

It is summer where I live and the outside temperature was hovering around 100 F.

I could tell by his tan that he worked outdoors.

By his physique I could tell that his work was physically demanding.

I also noticed that this man looked like he might be feeling ill.

I asked him if he was okay,

He confirmed that he was not feeling well.

Before I could ask him anything else, he began speaking to me as if he knew me.

He informed me that he had just gotten some bad news from his doctor about his heart.

He told me more.

He told me that he worked outdoors and the thought of working in the heat concerned him.

He wondered how many hours he would be able to work with his condition.

He told me he worried about providing for his family.

As if things were not difficult enough for the man he was about to get more bad news.

At this point, the mechanic who checked his vehicle came into the waiting room.

He told the man that he could not work on his vehicle and gave him several reasons.

The man was now distraught.

He informed the mechanic that he needed his vehicle to provide for his family.

The mechanic apologized.

He recommended another garage in town that might be able to help him.

By the way the mechanic said “might” I doubted they would be able to fix his vehicle.

As he left, I could not help but feel sorry for the man.

I prayed for him.

I prayed for his health.

I prayed that he would be able to provide for his family without additional damage to his heart.

I prayed that he would be able to find someone to fix his vehicle.

I continue to pray for him today.

It is not necessary to know someone to pray for them.

I do not know the man… but God does.

I do not know what exactly is wrong with his heart… but God does.

I do not know how he will provide for his family… but God does.

I do not know what he will do for transportation… but God does.

I know so very little about this man.

I do not even know his name.

Yet God knows everything about him.

Philippians 2:4-5 (NET) - Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

Praying for others is important whether we know them or not.

The more I pray for this man and his interests, the smaller my interests become.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 14, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 21, 2017

The Money Box

One thing that can be said about teaching Sunday school is that you never know what questions will arise.

Last Sunday we were discussing the Beatitudes and how in particular they applied to the disciples.

A question arose as to what Jesus and His followers did for money.

Scripture tells us that Jesus and his followers possessed a money box to help the poor.

It also tells us that Judas was the keeper of the box and that he helped himself to that money.

John 12:6 (NET) - Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.

Jesus knew that Judas stole from the money box and yet He allowed him to remain in charge of it… but more on that later.

What about money for their own use?

Scripture never tells us that Jesus or His disciples had money of their own.

Rather, it implies that they did not.

When Jesus sent his followers out in pairs, he instructed them not to take any money.

Luke 9:3 (NET) - He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic.

Jesus empowered them to do great things.

Yet they were to be totally dependent on God for even their most basic needs.

Just before Jesus entered Jerusalem he sent his disciples ahead to get a colt for his entry into the city.

Matthew 21:2-3 (NET) - telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”

When the Passover came, his followers asked Jesus where He wished the meal prepared.

Jesus gave them these instructions…

Matthew 26:18 (NET) - He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’

No money changed hands for either the use of the room or the colt.

The one time that the need for money arose, Jesus instructed Peter how to obtain it.

In Matthew 17, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and asked if Jesus paid the tax,

Peter told them yes and returned to Jesus.

Jesus knew what had transpired.

Although Jesus did not really need to pay the tax, He instructed Peter how to obtain the money.

Matthew 17:27 (NET) – But so that we don’t offend them, go to the lake and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you.

Then, there is the matter of His burial.

Luke 23:52-53 (NET) - He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had yet been buried.

Jesus was laid to rest in a borrowed tomb.

Scripture says practically nothing about Jesus and his followers using money.

That seems to be a message in and of itself.

So, why would Jesus allow Judas, a known thief, to keep the money box for the poor?

Let’s look at Paul’s first letter to Timothy.

1 Timothy 6:10 (NET) - For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.

Notice that Paul did not say that “money is the root of all evils”.

Paul stated that “the love of money is the root of all evils”.

Jesus commands us to love God and love our neighbor.

The love of money does not allow us to love either God or our neighbor.

The love of money is all consuming.

It is nothing short of idolatry.

Perhaps that is why Jesus allowed Judas to keep the money box.

Perhaps He simply allowed Judas to decide which master he would serve.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 23, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 7, 2017

Say What?

People do not always mean what they say.

Politicians promise us things to gain our support.

Often those promises are unkept after they are elected.

This is just one example.

A restaurant might have the words “Home Cooking” on their sign.

Yet when we taste the food it may fall well short of the food we ate growing up.

A hotel might advertise its “luxury” accommodations.

Its rooms, however, might be anything but luxurious.

Even place names can be misleading using words like “view” or “vista”.

Once we get there, we may discover that there is not much of a view at all.

Even the people we know can let us down.

They might talk about getting together some day or repaying a loan later.

We often discover that “some day” and “later” meant “never”.

We are not happy when people tell us one thing and mean another.

In all fairness, we do this with others.

Scripture is a quite different.

The gospels tell us exactly what Jesus said.

Our response can be to ask ourselves what Jesus really meant.

For example, Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

When we ask ourselves what Jesus really meant, we are placing conditions on His commandments,

We are not to love our neighbor “if”, “when” or “depending on”.

We are to love our neighbor no matter what,

Our neighbor might not like us.

He might even hate us,

It does not matter.

Jesus told us to love him and that is exactly what Jesus meant.

We may not always mean what we say,

Jesus always meant exactly what he said.

There is great comfort in that.

John 14:2-3 (NET) - There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 9, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, June 16, 2017