The Words and the Examples

Psalm 143 is a prayer for deliverance.

In it, the Psalmist prayed for guidance.

Psalm 143:8b (NRSVue) - Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

In John 6, Jesus speaks the words of eternal life.

Many who heard these words turned away, leaving only the twelve behind.

Jesus asked if they wished to turn away as well.

Peter’s response was profound yet simple.

John 6:68-69 (NRSVue) – Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.

Our response should echo Peter’s.

It should be just as simple.

It should be equally profound.

Scripture teaches us through its words.

Through those within, it also teaches us by example.

Thanks to Christ, we share with God our hopes and concerns.

We should also admit to Him those occasions when we fall short of the mark.

This is called confession and it is something we should do.

Personally, I have given this much thought.

When we confess our sins, we are not revealing something unknown to God.

God is omniscient, so He is aware of our sins.

In confession, we are verbally admitting these shortcomings to ourselves.

And with the same breath, we can also ask for His help.

God is aware of our successes.

He is also aware of our failures.

Frequent communication with God should be part of our daily walk.

It deepens our relationship with Him as children of God.

Through scripture, we have both words and examples to guide us.

And the best source we have for both is Jesus Christ!

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, August 21, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, August 28, 2026

... And Nothing but the Truth

 

Psalm 12 is a plea for help.

In it, the Psalmist testifies that the Lord’s promises are pure and therefore true.

Psalm 12:6 (NRSVue) - The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

In John 18, Jesus is brought before Pilate.

Here, Jesus explains truth.

John 18:37 (NRSVue) – Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

In our modern era, truth has been relativized.

Some even claim that what is true for one individual may not be true for another.

Frankly, this is one of the most dangerous lies we can espouse.

A statement or belief is either true, or it is not.

Even sincerity cannot alter truth.

Take, for example, a glass filled with an odorless, colorless, tasteless liquid.

A person might sincerely believe the liquid was water and drink it.

If it were poison, the consumer would die no matter how sincere his belief.

This is the nature of truth.

Some would prefer the comfort of a lie to the sometimes-harsh reality of truth.

In John 14, Jesus explains his role regarding truth to Thomas.

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. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

The modern world has made our job of sharing the truth with others more difficult.

But that does not alter the responsibility we have.

Sharing the truth is essential both for the speaker and the listener.

But before we speak, we must love the listener.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, August 1, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, August 8, 2026

Faith is Not an Accident

 

Psalm 22 is a plea for deliverance.

Tucked within, the Psalmist acknowledges his birth and his lifelong faith.

Psalm 22:10b (NRSVue) - and since my mother bore me you have been my God.

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, Paul expressed his gratitude.

Paul expressed encouragement.

Paul acknowledged Timothy’s faith.

Paul also acknowledged where he first witnessed a faith like Timothy’s.

2 Timothy 1:5 (NRSVue) – I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.

In recent offerings, I have discussed the faith of my mother.

I have also written about how her faith influenced my own.

Like Timothy, I was also blessed with Godly grandmothers.

Their love shaped the faith of my parents.

The faith of my parents then shaped my own faith.

The love of God also shapes our faith.

Thanks to Christ, we are children of God!

As such, our faith is genuine.

It was shaped throughout our lifelong walk with God.

God’s love continues to mold and shape our faith to this day.

Our faith is not accidental.

Job 23:10 (NRSVue) - But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, July 17, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, July 24, 2026

Praising God More

 

Psalm 73 is a prayer for protection.

The psalmist also acknowledges the need to praise God.

Psalm 71:23 (NRSVue) - My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued.

Luke 1 talks about the birth of John the Baptist.

It also discusses John’s father, Zechariah.

Before John was born, an angel visited Zechariah while he was performing his priestly duties.

The angel told Zechariah that his wife would bare a son and that he was to be called John.

Zechariah found this hard to believe, so he asked for a sign.

The angel said that Zechariah would be unable to speak until these events occurred.

Zechariah was immediately muted.

Eight days after his wife had given birth, it was time to name the child.

Tradition held that the child was to be named after his father,

Elizabeth, the baby’s mother, said his name was to be John.

Those in attendance tried to dissuade her.

Zechariah, still mute, acted.

Luke 1:63-64 (NRSVue) - He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God.

The moment Zechariah was able to speak; he began praising God.

We also should praise God regularly.

We often fail to live up to that obligation.

Yet God is loving and merciful.

Even in times of weakness, we can turn to God.

With His help, we can give God the praise He deserves.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, July 3, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, July 10, 2026

Productive Work

 

Work is a big part of our lives.

It should be.

God intends that we, who are made in His image, should engage in productive work.

Even before God created Eve, He gave Adam a job.

Genesis 2:15 (NRSVue) - The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

Isaiah touched on the productive aspect of work in speaking of God’s calling.

Isaiah 49:4 (NRSVue) - But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord and my reward with my God.”

For our work to be productive, it must fall in line with the Lord’s will.

When Jesus called his first disciples, they were not scholars.

They were laborers.

Simon was a fisherman.

Jesus boarded his boat and asked Simon to take the boat away from shore.

Once adrift, Jesus told Simon to drop his nets.

Jesus knew Simon had not caught anything the night before.

Doing more work was probably the last thing Simon had on his mind that day.

But Simon obeyed the Lord’s instructions.

Luke 5:5 (NRSVue) - Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”

Simon’s obedience was rewarded.

His nets were full to the point of bursting.

The Lord still intends for us to engage in productive work.

And this work is not limited to our professions.

There is also the work we do for our families and our churches.

To keep these in balance, we need His help to keep Him in all parts of our lives.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NRSVue) – Whatever task you must do, work as if your soul depends on it, as for the Lord and not for humans, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, June 19, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, June 26, 2026

Liberating Peace

 

This will be a slight departure from my customary offering style.

This is a follow up to my post from the other site to which I contribute (listed at bottom).

Like the other, it is about peace.

Mainly, it is about how liberating peace with others is.

Faith and experience have taught me that having peace with others can happen in three ways.

First, there is being at peace with those who are at peace with us.

Second, there is being at peace with those who absolutely refuse to be at peace with us.

Finally, there is being at peace with those who will not even acknowledge their need for peace with us.

The first is easy.

The other two can be challenging.

The common denominator in all three cases is our having peace with all three.

Paul understood this.

Romans 12:18 (NRSVue) - If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

We should be at peace with all.

And our peace with others depends on our choice, not theirs.

Having mutual peace with another is easy.

Having peace with someone who refuses to have peace with us is difficult.

Having peace with someone who will not acknowledge their need for peace with us is also challenging.

Yet being at peace with all three truly liberates us.

I compare our lack of peace to an anchor.

Our lack of peace with another holds the ship of our lives in place and prevents us from moving forward.

Pulling up that anchor and carrying it with us is not enough.

It will only tie us down again in the future.

Having real peace with others means cutting the chain.

It leaves the anchor behind and, once abandoned, it will never hinder us again.

God does not merely want us to survive.

God wants us to thrive.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSVue) - By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

For us to truly thrive, God wants us to have peace with Him and with others; even with those who will not have peace with us.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, June 4, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, June 12, 2026

Where to Turn

 

Sunday is Mother’s Day.

My mother passed away about two decades ago.

So, it is only natural that I think about her.

When I think of her, I also remember a passage of scripture she loved.

Matthew 11:28 (NRSVue) - “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

She loved this verse because her life was difficult.

She knew that she could not carry her burdens alone.

So, she brought her burdens to the Lord.

The psalmist understood this.

Psalm 68:19a (NRSVue) - Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up

Throughout her life, my mother counted on the Lord to bear her up,

He did just that.

And now, in His presence, He grants her rest.

The Lord lifts us up when we are weary.

Through His love, He makes our burdens lighter.

My mother trusted in His grace, His mercy, and His love.

That is what gave her hope.

She knew she could not rely on her own strength,

She also knew that she could rely on the Lord.

Another passage she treasured bears this out.

Psalm 121:1-2 (NRSVue) - I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

My mother has gone to be with the Lord.

But the example she set lives on in me.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, May 15, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, May 22, 2026