Isaiah 55:11 (NET) - In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.
I listen to a Christian radio station while I commute.
This station has, as part of its evening programming lineup, messages recorded by a minister who teaches the Bible consecutively from Genesis through Revelation.
His teaching style is relaxed and he constantly refers to his listeners as "Friends".
His name is Dr. J. Vernon McGee and the name of his program is Thru the Bible Radio Network.
His systematic study of the Bible is a two and one half year journey that is often referred to as the "Bible bus trip" and listeners are invited to "get on the bus".
Dr. McGee grew up in my state, hailing from Hillsboro, Texas and I was immediately attracted to his Texas accent as well as his message.
His ministry eventually took him to California.
I guess the old adage is true.
You can take a man out of Texas, but you cannot take Texas out of the man.
I remember his study of Jonah very well and with great fondness.
As he related how Jonah was inside the fish for days before he went to Nineveh I had a great laugh courtesy of Dr. McGee.
He said something like...
Now friends, I’ll bet the people of Nineveh could smell Jonah well before they even saw him!
The other remarkable thing about Dr. McGee’s program that I especially enjoy are the letters that continue to arrive from listeners around the world. Many of their authors gave their lives to Jesus as a result of hearing Dr. McGee’s teaching.
What’s so remarkable about that?
Simply this.
Dr. McGee passed away in 1988.
I ask you to consider this very carefully,
Dr. McGee left this world almost a quarter of a century ago.
How is it that he continues to win souls?
If he could, I am sure Dr. McGee would say it is not he that is winning souls but rather it is the Word of God that is turning lives around. This is true even if it is presented through a recorded radio program.
Hebrews 4:12 (NET) - For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.
Dr. McGee understood that truth.
His ministry attests to that.
As the new year approaches, many people will make resolutions in order to make their lives better.
Now would be an excellent time to resolve to spend regular time in the Word of God.
I can promise you that you will not regret it.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 6,, 2012.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, January 13, 2012.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Some Things Never Change
Someone once said that the only constant in the universe is change.
I am forced to agree with that, at least to a point.
I recently drove past the location where my father’s place of business once stood.
My father died several decades ago and where his business once stood there is now an empty lot.
My father repaired televisions and radios but even those forms of communication have changed.
Vacuum tubes have been replaced by transistors and computer chips.
When televisions break down today, people are far more inclined to replace them.
I remember when televisions were considered furniture and came in wooden cabinets in various finishes.
Televisions that had 25 inch screens once required two strong men just to move them.
Now, a flat panel television of equal screen size can easily be handled by one individual.
I grew up in an era where there were only three local channels to choose from.
Now, I have hundreds of channels at my disposal but sadly only a few offer something worth my time to watch.
Speaking of change, I noticed that the number of Christmas cards I mailed out this year is much smaller than it once was.
Many of the friends and relatives I once mailed Christmas cards to in years past have passed away and so the number of cards diminishes at an almost alarming rate.
Change even impacts the church I continue to attend.
Photographs of our former pastors as well as our current pastor line one wall in the narthex of our church.
I have been privileged to know three of these men of God personally.
Each has been an inspiration but each performed his work for the Lord in his unique way.
Yes, change is an inevitable part of life and I will no doubt witness still more change while I inhabit this world.
Yet, there are some constants in this world that I can count on.
The first is that Jesus never changes.
Hebrews 13:8 (NET) - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!
The second is that the love of Jesus never changes.
Ephesians 5:2 (NET) - and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
In a world where change appears to be constant, my Christmas wish for us is that we remember Jesus and His love for us will never change.
Nothing in the universe can ever change this.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 30,, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, January 6, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
I am forced to agree with that, at least to a point.
I recently drove past the location where my father’s place of business once stood.
My father died several decades ago and where his business once stood there is now an empty lot.
My father repaired televisions and radios but even those forms of communication have changed.
Vacuum tubes have been replaced by transistors and computer chips.
When televisions break down today, people are far more inclined to replace them.
I remember when televisions were considered furniture and came in wooden cabinets in various finishes.
Televisions that had 25 inch screens once required two strong men just to move them.
Now, a flat panel television of equal screen size can easily be handled by one individual.
I grew up in an era where there were only three local channels to choose from.
Now, I have hundreds of channels at my disposal but sadly only a few offer something worth my time to watch.
Speaking of change, I noticed that the number of Christmas cards I mailed out this year is much smaller than it once was.
Many of the friends and relatives I once mailed Christmas cards to in years past have passed away and so the number of cards diminishes at an almost alarming rate.
Change even impacts the church I continue to attend.
Photographs of our former pastors as well as our current pastor line one wall in the narthex of our church.
I have been privileged to know three of these men of God personally.
Each has been an inspiration but each performed his work for the Lord in his unique way.
Yes, change is an inevitable part of life and I will no doubt witness still more change while I inhabit this world.
Yet, there are some constants in this world that I can count on.
The first is that Jesus never changes.
Hebrews 13:8 (NET) - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!
The second is that the love of Jesus never changes.
Ephesians 5:2 (NET) - and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
In a world where change appears to be constant, my Christmas wish for us is that we remember Jesus and His love for us will never change.
Nothing in the universe can ever change this.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 30,, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, January 6, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Really Celebrating Christmas
John 14:6 (NET) - Jesus replied, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
The Christmas Program our church presented was a resounding success.
I am not just saying that because I was in it.
My performance, if one were to venture to call it that, was hardly a performance.
Anna, an extremely talented lady in my church family, writes the Christmas Program for us every year.
Her theme this year was "What Christmas Is" as opposed to what it is not.
Each scene opened with what Christmas "is not", be it expensive gifts or fancy meals or other such things that are really not necessary to truly celebrate Christmas.
My role was to let each scene develop and then enter stage left and more or less set the record straight.
As I was portraying myself delivering dialog that I personally agreed with, I could hardly consider that acting.
To quote my last line...
"Christmas is the Holy celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and we should include our Savior in our celebration. And He loves even the simplest expression of our love and commitment."
Thank you, Anna.
I could not have written it any better than that.
We tend to get so carried away with our celebrations that we tend to let the preparations crowd out the real reason for celebrating in the first place. Namely, Jesus Himself.
John 1:12-13 (NET) - But to all who have received Him - those who believe in His Name - He has given the right to become God’s children - children not born by human desire, or a husband’s decision, but by God.
Jesus is God’s gift of mercy to us.
We celebrate the birth of Jesus because we would be totally lost without Him.
We can include a variety of activities in our celebrations, even church Christmas programs, as long as those activities do not distract us from the real reason for celebration.
Bearing that in mind, I wish you and yours a merry and blessed Christmas which includes our Savior!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 23,, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, December 30, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
The Christmas Program our church presented was a resounding success.
I am not just saying that because I was in it.
My performance, if one were to venture to call it that, was hardly a performance.
Anna, an extremely talented lady in my church family, writes the Christmas Program for us every year.
Her theme this year was "What Christmas Is" as opposed to what it is not.
Each scene opened with what Christmas "is not", be it expensive gifts or fancy meals or other such things that are really not necessary to truly celebrate Christmas.
My role was to let each scene develop and then enter stage left and more or less set the record straight.
As I was portraying myself delivering dialog that I personally agreed with, I could hardly consider that acting.
To quote my last line...
"Christmas is the Holy celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and we should include our Savior in our celebration. And He loves even the simplest expression of our love and commitment."
Thank you, Anna.
I could not have written it any better than that.
We tend to get so carried away with our celebrations that we tend to let the preparations crowd out the real reason for celebrating in the first place. Namely, Jesus Himself.
John 1:12-13 (NET) - But to all who have received Him - those who believe in His Name - He has given the right to become God’s children - children not born by human desire, or a husband’s decision, but by God.
Jesus is God’s gift of mercy to us.
We celebrate the birth of Jesus because we would be totally lost without Him.
We can include a variety of activities in our celebrations, even church Christmas programs, as long as those activities do not distract us from the real reason for celebration.
Bearing that in mind, I wish you and yours a merry and blessed Christmas which includes our Savior!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 23,, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, December 30, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Acting the Part
Philippians 4:13 (NET) - I can do all things through the one who strengthens me.
Thanksgiving Day is now a memory and now we now find ourselves preparing for Christmas.
There is a photograph being shared on the Internet of two houses side by side.
The house on the left is decorated for Christmas with many strings of colorful lights that obviously took its owners days of preparation.
The house on the right has only a single strand of white lights adorning it that spells out the word "DITTO".
When it comes to decorating for the holidays, I admit that I lean more to the house on the right.
That is especially true for me this year.
Just when I thought I could not fit much more on my plate, I now find myself rehearsing for a role in the Christmas program that my church will present.
I am not an actor by any stretch of the imagination, but I must admit that I am actually looking forward to this having read the script.
I look forward to it for several reasons.
First, the program has a really good message.
Second, it will give me the opportunity to work with my church’s young people.
I am really impressed by our young people and the adults that supervise and teach them.
I admit that this is taking me well outside my comfort zone.
God seems to have been doing that for me a great deal over the course of the last few years.
Notice that I said that He has been "doing that for me" instead of "doing that to me".
Sometimes it almost feels like God is doing things to us when He takes us out of our comfort zones.
In reality, He does these things for us allowing us to grow spiritually.
So, there is yet a third reason why I am looking forward to this.
I may not know all the reasons why God is giving me this opportunity.
There is one thing I do know...
As the verse I opened with states, He will be there with me through it all.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 9, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, December 16, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thanksgiving Day is now a memory and now we now find ourselves preparing for Christmas.
There is a photograph being shared on the Internet of two houses side by side.
The house on the left is decorated for Christmas with many strings of colorful lights that obviously took its owners days of preparation.
The house on the right has only a single strand of white lights adorning it that spells out the word "DITTO".
When it comes to decorating for the holidays, I admit that I lean more to the house on the right.
That is especially true for me this year.
Just when I thought I could not fit much more on my plate, I now find myself rehearsing for a role in the Christmas program that my church will present.
I am not an actor by any stretch of the imagination, but I must admit that I am actually looking forward to this having read the script.
I look forward to it for several reasons.
First, the program has a really good message.
Second, it will give me the opportunity to work with my church’s young people.
I am really impressed by our young people and the adults that supervise and teach them.
I admit that this is taking me well outside my comfort zone.
God seems to have been doing that for me a great deal over the course of the last few years.
Notice that I said that He has been "doing that for me" instead of "doing that to me".
Sometimes it almost feels like God is doing things to us when He takes us out of our comfort zones.
In reality, He does these things for us allowing us to grow spiritually.
So, there is yet a third reason why I am looking forward to this.
I may not know all the reasons why God is giving me this opportunity.
There is one thing I do know...
As the verse I opened with states, He will be there with me through it all.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 9, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, December 16, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Importance of Patience
1 Corinthians 13:4 (NET) - Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.
I consider myself a patient man.
Lately, circumstances beyond my control have been trying my patience.
I won’t bore you with details because that might be misinterpreted as complaining.
Being human, I cannot help but wonder why so many things seem to have gone awry.
I can speculate and come up with dozens of potential reasons as to why it appears as if my patience is being tested.
In the end, speculations are all they will remain.
What is important is the one thing I can control.
How I respond.
Just how will I respond?
Will I get angry?
Will I choose to give up?
Will I act without thinking?
Not one of these options is good.
These options are not ‘responses’.
They are ‘reactions’.
If I allow myself to get angry, I will be allowing the situations to get the best of me.
If I allow myself to give up, I will be admitting defeat.
If I allow to myself act without thinking, I could very possibly take a complicated situation and make it even worse.
So how am I to respond?
I cannot put it more eloquently than one of my favorite old hymns did.
Take It to the Lord in Prayer.
That is my first step.
I must then make myself open to His leading.
Once His leading is revealed, I must be willing to follow His leading.
Finally, I must continue to be patient.
I must remind myself that things happen according to God’s timetable, not mine.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NET) - God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives.
I must be patient with God.
Speaking as a sinner, I know that He has been more than patient with me.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 25, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, December 9, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
I consider myself a patient man.
Lately, circumstances beyond my control have been trying my patience.
I won’t bore you with details because that might be misinterpreted as complaining.
Being human, I cannot help but wonder why so many things seem to have gone awry.
I can speculate and come up with dozens of potential reasons as to why it appears as if my patience is being tested.
In the end, speculations are all they will remain.
What is important is the one thing I can control.
How I respond.
Just how will I respond?
Will I get angry?
Will I choose to give up?
Will I act without thinking?
Not one of these options is good.
These options are not ‘responses’.
They are ‘reactions’.
If I allow myself to get angry, I will be allowing the situations to get the best of me.
If I allow myself to give up, I will be admitting defeat.
If I allow to myself act without thinking, I could very possibly take a complicated situation and make it even worse.
So how am I to respond?
I cannot put it more eloquently than one of my favorite old hymns did.
Take It to the Lord in Prayer.
That is my first step.
I must then make myself open to His leading.
Once His leading is revealed, I must be willing to follow His leading.
Finally, I must continue to be patient.
I must remind myself that things happen according to God’s timetable, not mine.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NET) - God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives.
I must be patient with God.
Speaking as a sinner, I know that He has been more than patient with me.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 25, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, December 9, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Importance of Clarity
Sometimes, instructions that are supposed to be straightforward turn out to be confusing.
One of the highways that I frequently travel runs for miles in an East to West direction in the area in which I live.
Farther away the highway actually begins in a South to North direction. So, that is the official designation it is assigned.
A few years ago, I took a trip by car and got a bit of a surprise on my way home.
As I exited one highway in order to return home, I planned on simply heading East.
I looked at the signs posted overhead to determine which lane I needed to occupy.
Instead of being presented with the choices of East and West which I had grown accustomed to, I was presented the choices of North and South (the official designation).
Which way should I turn?
North? Perhaps.
South? Maybe.
The truth was I simply did not know how best to proceed based on the options I was offered.
I had a fifty-fifty chance. I had to make a choice and I had to make it quickly.
I chose a direction and it just happened that I had made the correct choice.
I could just as easily have chosen incorrectly and found myself headed away from home instead of toward it.
Confusing instructions are not just confined to road signs.
Once I purchased a kit with which I could modify the audio output on an old stereo.
The kit was put together in a different country and the people who put this kit together understood electronics very well. Unfortunately for me, they did not understand English very well.
After installing the kit, I turned on the stereo and found the sound to be uncomfortably loud.
I quickly turned it off and read the instructions.
One of their instructions read, "If volume is too loud, adjust the."
"The" what?
Obviously a critical word had been omitted and I had to make adjustments using trial and error until I got the volume back to a desirable level.
Fortunately for me, God’s instructions are perfectly clear.
John 3:16-17 (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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
These words are clear, concise and to the point.
They tell me exactly why God sent Jesus Christ into this world.
What about the consequences of sin?
Romans 6:23 (NET) - For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Again, God’s Word is very clear and leaves no room for error.
In this world I will be subject to directions and instructions that will not always be clear or easy to understand.
God goes beyond providing me with very clear instructions in His Word.
He also provides me with the answer... Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 18, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, November 25, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
One of the highways that I frequently travel runs for miles in an East to West direction in the area in which I live.
Farther away the highway actually begins in a South to North direction. So, that is the official designation it is assigned.
A few years ago, I took a trip by car and got a bit of a surprise on my way home.
As I exited one highway in order to return home, I planned on simply heading East.
I looked at the signs posted overhead to determine which lane I needed to occupy.
Instead of being presented with the choices of East and West which I had grown accustomed to, I was presented the choices of North and South (the official designation).
Which way should I turn?
North? Perhaps.
South? Maybe.
The truth was I simply did not know how best to proceed based on the options I was offered.
I had a fifty-fifty chance. I had to make a choice and I had to make it quickly.
I chose a direction and it just happened that I had made the correct choice.
I could just as easily have chosen incorrectly and found myself headed away from home instead of toward it.
Confusing instructions are not just confined to road signs.
Once I purchased a kit with which I could modify the audio output on an old stereo.
The kit was put together in a different country and the people who put this kit together understood electronics very well. Unfortunately for me, they did not understand English very well.
After installing the kit, I turned on the stereo and found the sound to be uncomfortably loud.
I quickly turned it off and read the instructions.
One of their instructions read, "If volume is too loud, adjust the."
"The" what?
Obviously a critical word had been omitted and I had to make adjustments using trial and error until I got the volume back to a desirable level.
Fortunately for me, God’s instructions are perfectly clear.
John 3:16-17 (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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
These words are clear, concise and to the point.
They tell me exactly why God sent Jesus Christ into this world.
What about the consequences of sin?
Romans 6:23 (NET) - For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Again, God’s Word is very clear and leaves no room for error.
In this world I will be subject to directions and instructions that will not always be clear or easy to understand.
God goes beyond providing me with very clear instructions in His Word.
He also provides me with the answer... Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 18, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, November 25, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Headed for Home
The World Series is going on right now.
I’ll be the first to admit that over the years my fascination with the sport has dwindled.
Since one of the two Texas teams is in it, my interest in the outcome has grown exponentially.
I am reminded of two uncles I had that have long since passed away.
They both loved the game of baseball.
One was my mother’s brother-in-law who would watch any baseball game that happened to be on television.
The other was my father’s brother.
He was a fan of the Houston Astros and would not only watch their games on television but would listen to them on the radio as well.
Periodically, he would drive down to Houston with his family and they would watch Astros play ball in the Astrodome.
A few times, he and the family invited me to join them.
My first time there was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
As we neared the Astrodome, the first domed stadium and marvel of its times, I was awestruck by its size.
As impressive as it was from the outside, it was even more impressive from the inside.
I will never forget walking to our seats, One moment we're walking down a corridor. The next moment, the entire field suddenly appeared far below me.
Being the small child I was, the experience left me both thrilled and intimidated.
I remember how I looked forward to that trip for weeks and how I tried to imagine what it would be like.
The reality far exceeded what I had imagined.
I have a feeling that my experience with Heaven will be somewhat similar.
Heaven will be wonderful based on what Jesus said about it.
Matthew 13:44 (NET) - "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
Jesus also had this to say about it.
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 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.
The Book of Revelation also tells us something about our future home.
Revelation 21:18 (NET) - The city’s wall is made of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
Revelation 21:21 (NET) - And the twelve gates are twelve pearls - each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The main street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
Yes, Heaven will be a remarkable place.
No matter how hard I try to visualize what Heaven will be like it will far exceed anything I can possibly imagine now.
I know what I can count on seeing there...
Two baseball loving uncles I have not seen in a very long time.
Blessings,
Jim Poker
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 4, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, November 11, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
I’ll be the first to admit that over the years my fascination with the sport has dwindled.
Since one of the two Texas teams is in it, my interest in the outcome has grown exponentially.
I am reminded of two uncles I had that have long since passed away.
They both loved the game of baseball.
One was my mother’s brother-in-law who would watch any baseball game that happened to be on television.
The other was my father’s brother.
He was a fan of the Houston Astros and would not only watch their games on television but would listen to them on the radio as well.
Periodically, he would drive down to Houston with his family and they would watch Astros play ball in the Astrodome.
A few times, he and the family invited me to join them.
My first time there was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
As we neared the Astrodome, the first domed stadium and marvel of its times, I was awestruck by its size.
As impressive as it was from the outside, it was even more impressive from the inside.
I will never forget walking to our seats, One moment we're walking down a corridor. The next moment, the entire field suddenly appeared far below me.
Being the small child I was, the experience left me both thrilled and intimidated.
I remember how I looked forward to that trip for weeks and how I tried to imagine what it would be like.
The reality far exceeded what I had imagined.
I have a feeling that my experience with Heaven will be somewhat similar.
Heaven will be wonderful based on what Jesus said about it.
Matthew 13:44 (NET) - "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
Jesus also had this to say about it.
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 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.
The Book of Revelation also tells us something about our future home.
Revelation 21:18 (NET) - The city’s wall is made of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
Revelation 21:21 (NET) - And the twelve gates are twelve pearls - each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The main street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
Yes, Heaven will be a remarkable place.
No matter how hard I try to visualize what Heaven will be like it will far exceed anything I can possibly imagine now.
I know what I can count on seeing there...
Two baseball loving uncles I have not seen in a very long time.
Blessings,
Jim Poker
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 4, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, November 11, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
What Words Describe Jesus?
Recently, the Internet was abuzz about the passing of Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs was a remarkable man, to be sure, and I could not help but notice how many people posted about him in an assortment of blogs and various social networks.
Before I continue, let me state very clearly that I appreciate the vision and technological advances made possible by Steve Jobs and others like him.
That said, I also noticed some of the terms used to describe him and I realized that some of these same terms could be applied to Jesus as well.
One of the first terms I came across was "revolutionary".
Jesus was a revolutionary.
While the world teaches us to look out for Number One and to stand up for ourselves, Jesus offered some really revolutionary ideas.
Luke 10:27 (KJV) - And He answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. And with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 6:29 (KJV) - And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other, and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take away thy coat.
In a world that teaches us from an early age to look out for our own interests, you have to admit that loving others as much as we love ourselves and not retaliating when wronged are revolutionary concepts.
Another term I read was "visionary".
No one was more visionary than was Jesus.
Jesus knew the fate that awaited Him on the cross long before it happened.
Luke 9:22 (KJV) - Saying, the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised on the third day.
Jesus knew exactly what was waiting for Him, yet He endured those things willingly for us.
Another description I read was "changed the world".
No one changed the world more than Jesus did.
It is because of Jesus that we have the greatest hope of all.
Our salvation would not be possible were it not for what Jesus did for us.
John 3:16-17 (KJV) - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
One last description that I read was "inspiration".
No one individual was more inspirational than was Jesus.
He inspired us to tell the world about Him.
Mark 16:15 (KJV) - And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Jesus also inspires us to be more like Him.
The world will definitely miss the likes of Steve Jobs.
Individuals like Jobs do not come along very often.
There are a great many people who admire a man like Steve Jobs and even take the time to share their admiration with the world because of what he accomplished.
Yet I wonder how many of those same people reject Jesus who accomplished even more.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 21, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, October 28, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Steve Jobs was a remarkable man, to be sure, and I could not help but notice how many people posted about him in an assortment of blogs and various social networks.
Before I continue, let me state very clearly that I appreciate the vision and technological advances made possible by Steve Jobs and others like him.
That said, I also noticed some of the terms used to describe him and I realized that some of these same terms could be applied to Jesus as well.
One of the first terms I came across was "revolutionary".
Jesus was a revolutionary.
While the world teaches us to look out for Number One and to stand up for ourselves, Jesus offered some really revolutionary ideas.
Luke 10:27 (KJV) - And He answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. And with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 6:29 (KJV) - And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other, and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take away thy coat.
In a world that teaches us from an early age to look out for our own interests, you have to admit that loving others as much as we love ourselves and not retaliating when wronged are revolutionary concepts.
Another term I read was "visionary".
No one was more visionary than was Jesus.
Jesus knew the fate that awaited Him on the cross long before it happened.
Luke 9:22 (KJV) - Saying, the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised on the third day.
Jesus knew exactly what was waiting for Him, yet He endured those things willingly for us.
Another description I read was "changed the world".
No one changed the world more than Jesus did.
It is because of Jesus that we have the greatest hope of all.
Our salvation would not be possible were it not for what Jesus did for us.
John 3:16-17 (KJV) - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
One last description that I read was "inspiration".
No one individual was more inspirational than was Jesus.
He inspired us to tell the world about Him.
Mark 16:15 (KJV) - And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Jesus also inspires us to be more like Him.
The world will definitely miss the likes of Steve Jobs.
Individuals like Jobs do not come along very often.
There are a great many people who admire a man like Steve Jobs and even take the time to share their admiration with the world because of what he accomplished.
Yet I wonder how many of those same people reject Jesus who accomplished even more.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 21, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, October 28, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Rested Development
We all know that God created the world in six days and on the seventh day He rested.
Was God tired and weary after six solid days of work?
The answer to this question is a resounding "No".
God is All Powerful, therefore, He would never tire and have no need to rest.
So, why did God rest?
The truth is, He set aside this seventh day of rest strictly for our benefit.
Exodus 20:9-10 (NET) - For six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on it you shall not do any work, you, or your, son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates.
God in His infinite wisdom knew our physical bodies would have need of rest.
Work in and of itself is a good thing.
As a matter of fact, we were meant for work.
Genesis 2:15 (NET) - The LORD God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and maintain it.
So, work is something ordained by God. Yet we can overdo it if we are not careful.
Moses almost overworked himself.
Moses was a great leader.
Like many great leaders, Moses tried to do everything himself and was quickly burning himself out, but, like us, he was probably too busy to notice.
Fortunately for Moses, God blessed him with a wonderful father-in-law named Jethro who took notice of this. Jethro had a frank and honest talk with Moses and helped him put things in proper perspective.
Exodus 18:17-18 (NET) - Moses’ father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good! You will surely wear out, both you and these people who are with you, for this is too heavy a burden for you. You are not able to do it by yourself."
In the verses that follow, Jethro suggested a plan for Moses that would allow him to work but would keep him from working to the point of burning himself out.
Fortunately for Moses, he heeded this wise council.
Even Jesus knew there were times He needed rest.
Jesus had both a Divine Nature and a human nature.
While the Divine Nature had no need of rest, the human nature did.
In the Gospel of Luke we read where Jesus healed a great multitude.
Luke 4:40 (NET) - As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. He placed His hands on every one of them and healed them.
This healing continued apparently throughout the night.
Luke 4:41 (NET) - The next morning, Jesus departed to a deserted place. Yet the crowds were seeking Him, and they tried to keep Him from leaving them.
Jesus went to a deserted place in order to find rest for His human nature.
We are all in need of rest periodically.
That is why God set aside the Sabbath Day,
This does not mean exchanging one set of activities and demands on our time for others that may prove equally or even more tiring.
Rest, true rest, like the kind of rest that God meant for us to have is achieved when we set aside the time God meant for us to set aside.
A time of quiet set aside to commune with God and reflect on all that He continues to do for us.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 7, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, October 14, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Was God tired and weary after six solid days of work?
The answer to this question is a resounding "No".
God is All Powerful, therefore, He would never tire and have no need to rest.
So, why did God rest?
The truth is, He set aside this seventh day of rest strictly for our benefit.
Exodus 20:9-10 (NET) - For six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on it you shall not do any work, you, or your, son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates.
God in His infinite wisdom knew our physical bodies would have need of rest.
Work in and of itself is a good thing.
As a matter of fact, we were meant for work.
Genesis 2:15 (NET) - The LORD God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and maintain it.
So, work is something ordained by God. Yet we can overdo it if we are not careful.
Moses almost overworked himself.
Moses was a great leader.
Like many great leaders, Moses tried to do everything himself and was quickly burning himself out, but, like us, he was probably too busy to notice.
Fortunately for Moses, God blessed him with a wonderful father-in-law named Jethro who took notice of this. Jethro had a frank and honest talk with Moses and helped him put things in proper perspective.
Exodus 18:17-18 (NET) - Moses’ father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good! You will surely wear out, both you and these people who are with you, for this is too heavy a burden for you. You are not able to do it by yourself."
In the verses that follow, Jethro suggested a plan for Moses that would allow him to work but would keep him from working to the point of burning himself out.
Fortunately for Moses, he heeded this wise council.
Even Jesus knew there were times He needed rest.
Jesus had both a Divine Nature and a human nature.
While the Divine Nature had no need of rest, the human nature did.
In the Gospel of Luke we read where Jesus healed a great multitude.
Luke 4:40 (NET) - As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. He placed His hands on every one of them and healed them.
This healing continued apparently throughout the night.
Luke 4:41 (NET) - The next morning, Jesus departed to a deserted place. Yet the crowds were seeking Him, and they tried to keep Him from leaving them.
Jesus went to a deserted place in order to find rest for His human nature.
We are all in need of rest periodically.
That is why God set aside the Sabbath Day,
This does not mean exchanging one set of activities and demands on our time for others that may prove equally or even more tiring.
Rest, true rest, like the kind of rest that God meant for us to have is achieved when we set aside the time God meant for us to set aside.
A time of quiet set aside to commune with God and reflect on all that He continues to do for us.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 7, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, October 14, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Fear Not
Worry... It is one thing human beings excel at.
Many of us are worried right now.
We worry about the state of the economy.
We worry about war.
We worry about the environment.
We also find ourselves concerned about things closer to home as well.
We worry about our children.
We worry about our parents
We worry about our jobs.
God must have known we would be prone to worry.
That is why He reminds us time after time in scripture to "fear not".
Somewhere I read that believers never fear or worry.
I do not agree with that.
There are many examples in scripture of the faithful dealing with their fear.
Elijah was afraid when Jezebel threatened to kill him.
Here was a man of God who took on the prophets of Baal and prevailed. Now a threat from Jezebel fills him with fear and he hides in a cave.
1 Kings 19:9 (KJV) - And he came thither to a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said unto him. "What doest thou here Elijah?"
Even Isaiah exhibited fear when he experienced a vision.
Isaiah 6:5 (KJV) - Then said I, "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts."
Even the followers of Jesus experienced fear.
Once when traveling by boat a great storm arose that greatly frightened them.
Mark 4:37-38 (KJV) - And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"
So, if you ever find yourself worried or afraid, relax. You are in excellent company.
When facing the unknown, the all too human response is to expect the worst.
The followers of Jesus expected the worst.
The reality was quite different.
Mark 4:39 (KJV) - And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
What of Isaiah?
After his lament of impending doom, God removed his sin and Isaiah’s fear was replaced with boldness.
Isaiah 6:8 (KJV) - And I also heard the voice of the LORD saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then said I, "Here I am, send me."
And what of Elijah?
Elijah received new instructions from God to appoint two new kings and a new prophet.
Not bad for someone God found hiding in a cave.
In life we face many unknowns.
We can assume the worst and allow fear to dominate our lives.
Or, we can turn to God and with His help "fear not".
Which option will you choose?
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 23, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, September 30, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Many of us are worried right now.
We worry about the state of the economy.
We worry about war.
We worry about the environment.
We also find ourselves concerned about things closer to home as well.
We worry about our children.
We worry about our parents
We worry about our jobs.
God must have known we would be prone to worry.
That is why He reminds us time after time in scripture to "fear not".
Somewhere I read that believers never fear or worry.
I do not agree with that.
There are many examples in scripture of the faithful dealing with their fear.
Elijah was afraid when Jezebel threatened to kill him.
Here was a man of God who took on the prophets of Baal and prevailed. Now a threat from Jezebel fills him with fear and he hides in a cave.
1 Kings 19:9 (KJV) - And he came thither to a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said unto him. "What doest thou here Elijah?"
Even Isaiah exhibited fear when he experienced a vision.
Isaiah 6:5 (KJV) - Then said I, "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts."
Even the followers of Jesus experienced fear.
Once when traveling by boat a great storm arose that greatly frightened them.
Mark 4:37-38 (KJV) - And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"
So, if you ever find yourself worried or afraid, relax. You are in excellent company.
When facing the unknown, the all too human response is to expect the worst.
The followers of Jesus expected the worst.
The reality was quite different.
Mark 4:39 (KJV) - And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
What of Isaiah?
After his lament of impending doom, God removed his sin and Isaiah’s fear was replaced with boldness.
Isaiah 6:8 (KJV) - And I also heard the voice of the LORD saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then said I, "Here I am, send me."
And what of Elijah?
Elijah received new instructions from God to appoint two new kings and a new prophet.
Not bad for someone God found hiding in a cave.
In life we face many unknowns.
We can assume the worst and allow fear to dominate our lives.
Or, we can turn to God and with His help "fear not".
Which option will you choose?
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 23, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, September 30, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
That's Not Fair!
We have all heard a child’s typical response when things do not go his or her way...
"That’s not fair!"
If we are honest with ourselves, it isn’t something we completely outgrow.
Even when we have grown up, we find out that life can sometimes prove difficult and things do not always turn out the way we would wish.
We don’t get the job we felt sure would be ours.
Somebody else gets the promotion we felt we deserved.
A loved one becomes ill and dies at an age we think is far too young.
In these and similar circumstances we find ourselves saying or at the least thinking, "God, that’s not fair!"
Yet, God has been more than fair with us.
Being incapable of saving ourselves God provided for our salvation through Jesus Christ.
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.
What did Jesus give up for our sake?
To begin with, He gave up being in the immediate presence of God, the Father.
He took on human form and as a result subjected Himself to the same human conditions we experience… cold, hunger, thirst, and fatigue to name but a few.
He subjected Himself to throngs of people many of whom just wanted something from Him.
He subjected Himself to a ministry of reaching out to those without hope. Those rejected by society who had little to offer in return.
He subjected Himself to hate.
He subjected Himself to those who plotted to kill Him.
He subjected Himself to a mockery of a trial.
He followed the Father’s will even though it meant He would be subjected to a painful and humiliating death on the cross.
Jesus subjected Himself to all these things and even more.
He subjected Himself to these things for us and because it was the Father’s will.
This resulted in a struggle between His human nature and His Divine nature.
Mark 14:36 (NET) - He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will."
Fortunately for us, His Divine nature prevailed.
In all of recorded history, there is no one more familiar with unfairness than was Jesus.
Jesus gave up so very much us and He endured so very much for us.
Yet Scripture makes it clear that He never once said…
THAT’S NOT FAIR!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 9, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, September 16, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
"That’s not fair!"
If we are honest with ourselves, it isn’t something we completely outgrow.
Even when we have grown up, we find out that life can sometimes prove difficult and things do not always turn out the way we would wish.
We don’t get the job we felt sure would be ours.
Somebody else gets the promotion we felt we deserved.
A loved one becomes ill and dies at an age we think is far too young.
In these and similar circumstances we find ourselves saying or at the least thinking, "God, that’s not fair!"
Yet, God has been more than fair with us.
Being incapable of saving ourselves God provided for our salvation through Jesus Christ.
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.
What did Jesus give up for our sake?
To begin with, He gave up being in the immediate presence of God, the Father.
He took on human form and as a result subjected Himself to the same human conditions we experience… cold, hunger, thirst, and fatigue to name but a few.
He subjected Himself to throngs of people many of whom just wanted something from Him.
He subjected Himself to a ministry of reaching out to those without hope. Those rejected by society who had little to offer in return.
He subjected Himself to hate.
He subjected Himself to those who plotted to kill Him.
He subjected Himself to a mockery of a trial.
He followed the Father’s will even though it meant He would be subjected to a painful and humiliating death on the cross.
Jesus subjected Himself to all these things and even more.
He subjected Himself to these things for us and because it was the Father’s will.
This resulted in a struggle between His human nature and His Divine nature.
Mark 14:36 (NET) - He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will."
Fortunately for us, His Divine nature prevailed.
In all of recorded history, there is no one more familiar with unfairness than was Jesus.
Jesus gave up so very much us and He endured so very much for us.
Yet Scripture makes it clear that He never once said…
THAT’S NOT FAIR!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 9, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, September 16, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
So Many to Feed
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote about the many miracles of Jesus.
Yet, of all the miracles of Jesus, only one appears in each of these four books.
That miracle is the feeding of the five thousand with a two fish and five loaves of bread.
Matthew’s account takes place in Chapter 14.
Mark’s account takes place in Chapter 6.
Luke documents this miracle in Chapter 9.
John relates this in Chapter 6.
In each account, Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish and gives thanks for them. Then has his disciples distribute them among this vast crowd.
After everyone had eaten and was satisfied, the leftovers were collected and filled twelve baskets.
I have always found it fascinating that this is the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in each of the four gospels.
Not even the raising of Lazarus from the dead was documented in this way.
I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the fact that He led each of these authors to include this miracle in their individual account is sufficient for me.
I cannot help but feel that each man was also sufficiently impressed as well.
Who wouldn’t be?
Think about it from their perspective when it happened.
You and the His other disciples are with Jesus surrounded by a throng of humanity.
Jesus takes pity on them and then looks directly at you and says, "You feed them."
You take inventory of your supplies. Five small loaves and two meager fish.
How in the world can you make these few items feed so many.
The answer is obvious. You can’t.
You can’t, but Jesus can!
Matthew 14:18 (NET) - "Bring them here to Me," he replied.
So you do.
Then you watch to see what happens.
Matthew 14:19 (NET) - Then He instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Although some two thousand years have passed between that miracle and today, many more still hunger not only physically but spiritually as well.
SO MANY need to be fed.
"But what can I do," you think to yourself.
You can almost hear the echo of His reply, "Bring them here to Me."
That is the task at hand.
Bring them to Jesus.
With His help, nothing is impossible.
Philippians 4:13 (NET) - I am able to do all things through the One who strengthens me.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 19, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, August 26, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Yet, of all the miracles of Jesus, only one appears in each of these four books.
That miracle is the feeding of the five thousand with a two fish and five loaves of bread.
Matthew’s account takes place in Chapter 14.
Mark’s account takes place in Chapter 6.
Luke documents this miracle in Chapter 9.
John relates this in Chapter 6.
In each account, Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish and gives thanks for them. Then has his disciples distribute them among this vast crowd.
After everyone had eaten and was satisfied, the leftovers were collected and filled twelve baskets.
I have always found it fascinating that this is the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in each of the four gospels.
Not even the raising of Lazarus from the dead was documented in this way.
I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the fact that He led each of these authors to include this miracle in their individual account is sufficient for me.
I cannot help but feel that each man was also sufficiently impressed as well.
Who wouldn’t be?
Think about it from their perspective when it happened.
You and the His other disciples are with Jesus surrounded by a throng of humanity.
Jesus takes pity on them and then looks directly at you and says, "You feed them."
You take inventory of your supplies. Five small loaves and two meager fish.
How in the world can you make these few items feed so many.
The answer is obvious. You can’t.
You can’t, but Jesus can!
Matthew 14:18 (NET) - "Bring them here to Me," he replied.
So you do.
Then you watch to see what happens.
Matthew 14:19 (NET) - Then He instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Although some two thousand years have passed between that miracle and today, many more still hunger not only physically but spiritually as well.
SO MANY need to be fed.
"But what can I do," you think to yourself.
You can almost hear the echo of His reply, "Bring them here to Me."
That is the task at hand.
Bring them to Jesus.
With His help, nothing is impossible.
Philippians 4:13 (NET) - I am able to do all things through the One who strengthens me.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 19, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, August 26, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Why do bad things happen to good people?
That is one of the questions that have nagged at Man’s mind for generations.
I could take the easy theological option and simply say that there aren’t any good people and close, but I won’t.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NET) - For there is not one truly righteous person on earth who continually does good and never sins.
That certainly would be an answer, but I suspect that is not the answer that people are seeking when they pose that question.
Perhaps it would be better to reformulate the question.
"Why does God allow bad things to happen?"
I suspect that this question is closer to the mark.
We are taught that God is good and yet bad things happen even to those who have faith in him.
Similarly, there are those who publicly state that they do not believe in God and yet things seem to be going their way.
Nothing more clearly illustrates the fact that bad things happen, even to the best of us, than the account of Joseph in the Old Testament.
Joseph was given prophetic dreams by God along with the gift to interpret dreams. This caused his brothers to despise him.
Genesis 37:5 (NET) - Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more.
Joseph had another dream and he told it to his father and his brothers. This resulted in yet more trouble for Joseph.
Genesis 37:10-11 (NET) - When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him saying, "What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.
Later, Joseph’s father sent him to check on his brothers. As he approached, they planned to take his life.
When Joseph arrived, they stripped him of the coat his father had given him and threw him into a pit.
As a caravan approached his brothers concocted another plan.
Genesis 37:28 (NET) - So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt.
Thus, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. They then compounded their wrong by telling their aged father that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
Once in Egypt, Joseph was purchased as a slave by Potiphar. Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph and so he put Joseph in charge of all the affairs of the household.
But, just when it seemed Joseph was having things go his way for a change, Potiphar’s wife began making sexual advances to him.
Joseph rejected these advances and as a result, Potiphar’s wife lied to her husband implicating Joseph as the wrongdoer.
Genesis 39:20 (NET) - Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in prison.
Yet even in prison, the warden recognized that God was with him and even put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care.
While in prison, Joseph interpreted dreams for two of the prisoners including the king’s cupbearer.
Joseph listened to his dream and told him that in three days, he would be released from prison and once again serve the king.
Joseph asked this man to remember him and mention his plight to Pharaoh.
Even when the cupbearer was restored to his former position, just as Joseph foretold, he was quickly forgotten and remained in prison.
Two years later, Pharaoh was troubled by dreams of his own.
No one in Pharaoh’s service could interpret his dreams.
Finally, the cupbearer remembered Joseph and Joseph was brought into the presence of Pharaoh.
Joseph correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was made the second highest official in the land.
Joseph was second only to Pharaoh himself.
God then used Joseph to store enough food to keep many from starving to death during a severe famine.
Among those saved from death were the brothers that sold him into slavery in the first place.
Joseph was the victim of many wrongs, yet God used the combination of all these wrongs ultimately for good.
Sometimes it appears that absolutely nothing is going the way that it should.
Yet appearances are deceiving.
God has a plan.
We will not always understand the facets of this plan, but then again, we are not supposed to.
What is of paramount importance is to trust that God’s plan is perfect and that He understands that plan perfectly.
That, is the essence of faith,
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 12, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, August 19, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
That is one of the questions that have nagged at Man’s mind for generations.
I could take the easy theological option and simply say that there aren’t any good people and close, but I won’t.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NET) - For there is not one truly righteous person on earth who continually does good and never sins.
That certainly would be an answer, but I suspect that is not the answer that people are seeking when they pose that question.
Perhaps it would be better to reformulate the question.
"Why does God allow bad things to happen?"
I suspect that this question is closer to the mark.
We are taught that God is good and yet bad things happen even to those who have faith in him.
Similarly, there are those who publicly state that they do not believe in God and yet things seem to be going their way.
Nothing more clearly illustrates the fact that bad things happen, even to the best of us, than the account of Joseph in the Old Testament.
Joseph was given prophetic dreams by God along with the gift to interpret dreams. This caused his brothers to despise him.
Genesis 37:5 (NET) - Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more.
Joseph had another dream and he told it to his father and his brothers. This resulted in yet more trouble for Joseph.
Genesis 37:10-11 (NET) - When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him saying, "What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.
Later, Joseph’s father sent him to check on his brothers. As he approached, they planned to take his life.
When Joseph arrived, they stripped him of the coat his father had given him and threw him into a pit.
As a caravan approached his brothers concocted another plan.
Genesis 37:28 (NET) - So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt.
Thus, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. They then compounded their wrong by telling their aged father that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
Once in Egypt, Joseph was purchased as a slave by Potiphar. Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph and so he put Joseph in charge of all the affairs of the household.
But, just when it seemed Joseph was having things go his way for a change, Potiphar’s wife began making sexual advances to him.
Joseph rejected these advances and as a result, Potiphar’s wife lied to her husband implicating Joseph as the wrongdoer.
Genesis 39:20 (NET) - Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in prison.
Yet even in prison, the warden recognized that God was with him and even put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care.
While in prison, Joseph interpreted dreams for two of the prisoners including the king’s cupbearer.
Joseph listened to his dream and told him that in three days, he would be released from prison and once again serve the king.
Joseph asked this man to remember him and mention his plight to Pharaoh.
Even when the cupbearer was restored to his former position, just as Joseph foretold, he was quickly forgotten and remained in prison.
Two years later, Pharaoh was troubled by dreams of his own.
No one in Pharaoh’s service could interpret his dreams.
Finally, the cupbearer remembered Joseph and Joseph was brought into the presence of Pharaoh.
Joseph correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was made the second highest official in the land.
Joseph was second only to Pharaoh himself.
God then used Joseph to store enough food to keep many from starving to death during a severe famine.
Among those saved from death were the brothers that sold him into slavery in the first place.
Joseph was the victim of many wrongs, yet God used the combination of all these wrongs ultimately for good.
Sometimes it appears that absolutely nothing is going the way that it should.
Yet appearances are deceiving.
God has a plan.
We will not always understand the facets of this plan, but then again, we are not supposed to.
What is of paramount importance is to trust that God’s plan is perfect and that He understands that plan perfectly.
That, is the essence of faith,
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 12, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, August 19, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Vision for a Blind Man
The other day, I noticed that a friend had posted a quote from Helen Keller.
Coincidentally, my favorite quote was also spoken by Helen Keller.
"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision. - Helen Keller
Helen was both blind and deaf and overcame challenges that most of us, thankfully, will never have to overcome.
I have always found that quote a constant source of inspiration. Helen Keller did not have perfect sight. In truth, she had no sight at all.
Helen Keller did have tremendous vision.
I was reminded of this when my personal Bible study found me in the tenth chapter of the book of Mark and I read the account of Jesus healing a blind beggar.
Mark 10:46 (NET) - They came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar was sitting by the road.
What a pitiful picture Scripture paints for us. Here sits Bartimaeus by the road heading out of the city begging because he cannot see.
Mark 10:47 (NET) - When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Bartimaeus may have been blind, but here he exhibits tremendous vision. He did not refer to Jesus as the Son of Mary or the carpenter’s Son as others who lacked vision had. He referred to Him as Son of David. Bartimaeus recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy.
Mark 10:48 (NET) - Many scolded him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
In spite of the protests of others, Bartimaeus would not be denied. I cannot help but notice that in this verse he does not even use the name Jesus. Bartimaeus calls Him Son of David as if to say, "I know who you really are. Please help me!"
Mark 10:49-50 (NET) - Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man and said to him, "Have courage! Get up! He is calling you." He threw off his cloak, jumped up and came to Jesus.
These verses speak volumes to me.
Notice that the blind beggar had to call on Jesus more than once. Notice as well that it was not Jesus that went to the blind beggar, but the blind beggar that went to Jesus.
Sometimes, we have to call on Jesus more than once. Just as one can sense the urgency in the man’s second calling of Jesus, our call for salvation must have the same sense of urgency and convey our dependence on Him.
We must be prepared to call on Him more than once just as Bartimaeus did, if necessary. We must also be prepared to leave our places of comfort and go to Him.
Mark 10:51 (NET) - Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Rabbi, let me see again."
Jesus did not ask this question for His own benefit. Jesus already knew both the man’s plight and what the man wanted from Him.
Mark 10:52 (NET) - Jesus said to him, "Go, your faith has healed you." Immediately he regained his sight and followed Him on the road.
So, Bartimaeus had his sight restored.
Think about that for a minute. One minute you are blind and the next you can see. Under any circumstances, that would be an extraordinary event filled with sensory overload.
In this case, it was even more remarkable because the very first thing he ever saw was Jesus.
What a sight that must have been to a man who was previously blind.
I also cannot help but notice that his restored sight did not eclipse his vision.
Jesus said, "Go" yet Bartimaeus chose to follow Him.
Calling upon Jesus is just the first step.
Going to Jesus is the second.
Then comes the hard part. We must be willing to follow Jesus.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Coincidentally, my favorite quote was also spoken by Helen Keller.
"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision. - Helen Keller
Helen was both blind and deaf and overcame challenges that most of us, thankfully, will never have to overcome.
I have always found that quote a constant source of inspiration. Helen Keller did not have perfect sight. In truth, she had no sight at all.
Helen Keller did have tremendous vision.
I was reminded of this when my personal Bible study found me in the tenth chapter of the book of Mark and I read the account of Jesus healing a blind beggar.
Mark 10:46 (NET) - They came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar was sitting by the road.
What a pitiful picture Scripture paints for us. Here sits Bartimaeus by the road heading out of the city begging because he cannot see.
Mark 10:47 (NET) - When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Bartimaeus may have been blind, but here he exhibits tremendous vision. He did not refer to Jesus as the Son of Mary or the carpenter’s Son as others who lacked vision had. He referred to Him as Son of David. Bartimaeus recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy.
Mark 10:48 (NET) - Many scolded him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
In spite of the protests of others, Bartimaeus would not be denied. I cannot help but notice that in this verse he does not even use the name Jesus. Bartimaeus calls Him Son of David as if to say, "I know who you really are. Please help me!"
Mark 10:49-50 (NET) - Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man and said to him, "Have courage! Get up! He is calling you." He threw off his cloak, jumped up and came to Jesus.
These verses speak volumes to me.
Notice that the blind beggar had to call on Jesus more than once. Notice as well that it was not Jesus that went to the blind beggar, but the blind beggar that went to Jesus.
Sometimes, we have to call on Jesus more than once. Just as one can sense the urgency in the man’s second calling of Jesus, our call for salvation must have the same sense of urgency and convey our dependence on Him.
We must be prepared to call on Him more than once just as Bartimaeus did, if necessary. We must also be prepared to leave our places of comfort and go to Him.
Mark 10:51 (NET) - Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Rabbi, let me see again."
Jesus did not ask this question for His own benefit. Jesus already knew both the man’s plight and what the man wanted from Him.
Mark 10:52 (NET) - Jesus said to him, "Go, your faith has healed you." Immediately he regained his sight and followed Him on the road.
So, Bartimaeus had his sight restored.
Think about that for a minute. One minute you are blind and the next you can see. Under any circumstances, that would be an extraordinary event filled with sensory overload.
In this case, it was even more remarkable because the very first thing he ever saw was Jesus.
What a sight that must have been to a man who was previously blind.
I also cannot help but notice that his restored sight did not eclipse his vision.
Jesus said, "Go" yet Bartimaeus chose to follow Him.
Calling upon Jesus is just the first step.
Going to Jesus is the second.
Then comes the hard part. We must be willing to follow Jesus.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A Biblical Showdown
One of the passages of scripture that I have always found extremely exciting is 1 Kings Chapter 18.
I recently taught an adult class one evening and the lesson plan revolved around this very chapter.
It opens with God sending Elijah to King Ahab during the third year of a drought and famine.
At the same time, King Ahab summons Obadiah who was the palace supervisor and a devout follower of the Lord. Between them, they were to survey the kingdom looking for any remaining grazing areas for the horses and mules.
The two set out in separate directions and Obadiah encounters the prophet Elijah and falls facedown on the ground before him.
Elijah instructs Obadiah to return to King Ahab and to tell the king that he has returned.
Obadiah hesitates and explains that were he to do this and were Elijah to be carried away by the Lord, then Ahab would execute him.
Elijah reassures Obadiah and sends him on his way back to King Ahab.
When Ahab meets Elijah, he blames Elijah for both the drought and famine.
1 Kings 18:17 (NET) - When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is it really you, the one who brings disaster on all Israel?"
Elijah quickly and succinctly sets the record straight.
1 Kings 18:18 (NET) - Elijah replied, "I have not brought disaster on Israel. But you and your father’s dynasty have, by abandoning the LORD’s commandments and following the Baals."
Elijah then instructs the king to send out messengers and have all Israel assemble at Mount Carmel along with the prophets of Baal and Asherah. The king complies.
The people and false prophets assemble and Elijah addresses the people.
1 Kings 18:21 (NET) - Elijah approached all the people and said, "How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the LORD is the true God, then follow Him, but if Baal is, follow him!" But the people did not say a word.
The silence of the people proved Elijah’s point. They truly were paralyzed by indecision.
Then, Elijah issued a challenge. 450 prophets of Baal versus Elijah in a winner take all challenge.
Identical sacrifices were to be prepared. The prophets of Baal would call upon their god and Elijah would call upon the LORD. The god who sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice would be the one and only true god.
The prophets of Baal invoked his name from morning until noon and received no answer.
Elijah then began to taunt them.
1 Kings 18:27 (NET) - At noon Elijah mocked them, "Yell louder! After all, he is a god, he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment, or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened."
I believe that Elijah was doing more than trying to make the prophets of Baal look foolish by mocking them. I believe this was also an attempt at making an indecisive people feel a bit foolish for following them in the first place.
The prophets of Baal continued their invocation of Baal throughout the afternoon and inflicted self mutilation in a vain attempt to appease a non-existent god.
Toward evening, Elijah took twelve stones representing the twelve tribes and constructed a new altar.
He then dug a deep trench around the altar. He then arranged the wood and placed the sacrifice on the wood.
He then gave the command that the sacrifice and wood be drenched three times with water thus filling the trench.
Elijah then prayed to the LORD. That prayer was answered.
1 Kings 18:38-39 (NET) - Then fire from the LORD fell from the sky. It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, "The LORD is the true God! The LORD is the true God!"
In an over the top display, the LORD clearly showed the people both His absolute power and absolute sovereignty. A people paralyzed by indecision were paralyzed no more.
The false prophets were then seized and executed and the chapter concludes with Elijah praying for rain, thus ending the drought.
Even today, many are equally paralyzed with indecision. God tells us clearly in scripture both who He is and what He expects. He demands priority status in our lives. Any time we elevate the importance of a person or thing above God, we displace Him from the position He both deserves and indeed demands.
Putting God first will help us prioritize everything else in life.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 15, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, July 22, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
I recently taught an adult class one evening and the lesson plan revolved around this very chapter.
It opens with God sending Elijah to King Ahab during the third year of a drought and famine.
At the same time, King Ahab summons Obadiah who was the palace supervisor and a devout follower of the Lord. Between them, they were to survey the kingdom looking for any remaining grazing areas for the horses and mules.
The two set out in separate directions and Obadiah encounters the prophet Elijah and falls facedown on the ground before him.
Elijah instructs Obadiah to return to King Ahab and to tell the king that he has returned.
Obadiah hesitates and explains that were he to do this and were Elijah to be carried away by the Lord, then Ahab would execute him.
Elijah reassures Obadiah and sends him on his way back to King Ahab.
When Ahab meets Elijah, he blames Elijah for both the drought and famine.
1 Kings 18:17 (NET) - When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is it really you, the one who brings disaster on all Israel?"
Elijah quickly and succinctly sets the record straight.
1 Kings 18:18 (NET) - Elijah replied, "I have not brought disaster on Israel. But you and your father’s dynasty have, by abandoning the LORD’s commandments and following the Baals."
Elijah then instructs the king to send out messengers and have all Israel assemble at Mount Carmel along with the prophets of Baal and Asherah. The king complies.
The people and false prophets assemble and Elijah addresses the people.
1 Kings 18:21 (NET) - Elijah approached all the people and said, "How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the LORD is the true God, then follow Him, but if Baal is, follow him!" But the people did not say a word.
The silence of the people proved Elijah’s point. They truly were paralyzed by indecision.
Then, Elijah issued a challenge. 450 prophets of Baal versus Elijah in a winner take all challenge.
Identical sacrifices were to be prepared. The prophets of Baal would call upon their god and Elijah would call upon the LORD. The god who sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice would be the one and only true god.
The prophets of Baal invoked his name from morning until noon and received no answer.
Elijah then began to taunt them.
1 Kings 18:27 (NET) - At noon Elijah mocked them, "Yell louder! After all, he is a god, he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment, or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened."
I believe that Elijah was doing more than trying to make the prophets of Baal look foolish by mocking them. I believe this was also an attempt at making an indecisive people feel a bit foolish for following them in the first place.
The prophets of Baal continued their invocation of Baal throughout the afternoon and inflicted self mutilation in a vain attempt to appease a non-existent god.
Toward evening, Elijah took twelve stones representing the twelve tribes and constructed a new altar.
He then dug a deep trench around the altar. He then arranged the wood and placed the sacrifice on the wood.
He then gave the command that the sacrifice and wood be drenched three times with water thus filling the trench.
Elijah then prayed to the LORD. That prayer was answered.
1 Kings 18:38-39 (NET) - Then fire from the LORD fell from the sky. It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, "The LORD is the true God! The LORD is the true God!"
In an over the top display, the LORD clearly showed the people both His absolute power and absolute sovereignty. A people paralyzed by indecision were paralyzed no more.
The false prophets were then seized and executed and the chapter concludes with Elijah praying for rain, thus ending the drought.
Even today, many are equally paralyzed with indecision. God tells us clearly in scripture both who He is and what He expects. He demands priority status in our lives. Any time we elevate the importance of a person or thing above God, we displace Him from the position He both deserves and indeed demands.
Putting God first will help us prioritize everything else in life.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 15, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, July 22, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
How I Found Myself A-"Paul"-ing
Acts 9:3-6 (NET) - As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" So he said, "Who are you, Lord?" He replied, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! But stand up and enter the city and you will be told what you must do."
For yet a second time I was asked to don a costume and portray the role of a Biblical figure for the children in our Sunday School at my church.
Although I never considered myself much of an actor, it did provide me with the opportunity of teaching children. The vast majority of the time I teach adults and I enjoy both the challenge and the opportunity to teach young people. Being familiar with the account of Paul, I felt I was capable of delivering a convincing performance.
The Sunday before, the children "met" Saul who told them that he was on a mission. A mission which involved the persecution of the early church.
Now, as the reformed Paul, I was to tell them about the experience on that road to Damascus as well as a few other things designed to make an impression on young minds and hearts.
When Sunday arrived, I found my lines waiting for me and read through them once. I was a bit surprised to discover that I had far more lines in this monologue than I had in my previous one in December.
I then donned my robe and read through my dialogue several times while I awaited my cue.
I must tell you that I gave one of my most convincing performances ever and it appeared that the children were really listening and absorbing what I was telling them.
Along with the direct references to the account found in Scripture, the monologue was written in such a way that "Paul" was having a conversation with the children. I found that conversation quite moving.
(Words that follow in italics © 2004 Abingdon Press. PowerXpress!® Bible Experience Stations®)
"I am sorry you had to hear about all the bad things I did last week, but who I was is a big part of my story. You see, I thought I had everything figured out. I knew exactly what was right and what was wrong. It was my job to tell other people what they should or should not do."
I certainly could relate to that.
I can admit that in the past I have done things which I regret. I also thought I knew everything; knowing what was right and wrong. I also felt it was my job, albeit a self appointed one, to tell people what they should or should not do.
"You know, I didn’t think anyone could stop me or change me. But someone did."
I felt no one could change me. In fact, I could not even see the need for anyone to change me at all.
It was when I finally got know, really know, Jesus Christ that I saw just how much I needed to change.
I am happy to say that He did just that.
I must also admit that I am very much a work in progress. I will be one as long as I continue to draw breath.
"Jesus spoke to me and told me to stop hurting Him and the people who followed Him. He told me to listen to His teachings and asked me to follow Him. Jesus said I should accept His love and forgiveness, and share that same love and forgiveness with other people - including people who aren’t like me."
Again, I found myself relating to these words meant for children. I am so very glad that Jesus loved me so much that He followed His Father’s will even though it meant a painful and humiliating death on a cross. If he was willing to do that for me, what excuse could I possibly use in failing to love or not forgiving others?
"So that is what I did. I changed my ways and began a new life."
That is what was certainly true of me. I turned my life over to Jesus and my life was never the same again.
So that is how I gave the best performance I had within me to give to a young and attentive audience.
I wasn’t trying to transform myself into Paul.
I simply portrayed myself... with a little bit of Paul thrown in.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, July 8, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, July 15, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
For yet a second time I was asked to don a costume and portray the role of a Biblical figure for the children in our Sunday School at my church.
Although I never considered myself much of an actor, it did provide me with the opportunity of teaching children. The vast majority of the time I teach adults and I enjoy both the challenge and the opportunity to teach young people. Being familiar with the account of Paul, I felt I was capable of delivering a convincing performance.
The Sunday before, the children "met" Saul who told them that he was on a mission. A mission which involved the persecution of the early church.
Now, as the reformed Paul, I was to tell them about the experience on that road to Damascus as well as a few other things designed to make an impression on young minds and hearts.
When Sunday arrived, I found my lines waiting for me and read through them once. I was a bit surprised to discover that I had far more lines in this monologue than I had in my previous one in December.
I then donned my robe and read through my dialogue several times while I awaited my cue.
I must tell you that I gave one of my most convincing performances ever and it appeared that the children were really listening and absorbing what I was telling them.
Along with the direct references to the account found in Scripture, the monologue was written in such a way that "Paul" was having a conversation with the children. I found that conversation quite moving.
(Words that follow in italics © 2004 Abingdon Press. PowerXpress!® Bible Experience Stations®)
"I am sorry you had to hear about all the bad things I did last week, but who I was is a big part of my story. You see, I thought I had everything figured out. I knew exactly what was right and what was wrong. It was my job to tell other people what they should or should not do."
I certainly could relate to that.
I can admit that in the past I have done things which I regret. I also thought I knew everything; knowing what was right and wrong. I also felt it was my job, albeit a self appointed one, to tell people what they should or should not do.
"You know, I didn’t think anyone could stop me or change me. But someone did."
I felt no one could change me. In fact, I could not even see the need for anyone to change me at all.
It was when I finally got know, really know, Jesus Christ that I saw just how much I needed to change.
I am happy to say that He did just that.
I must also admit that I am very much a work in progress. I will be one as long as I continue to draw breath.
"Jesus spoke to me and told me to stop hurting Him and the people who followed Him. He told me to listen to His teachings and asked me to follow Him. Jesus said I should accept His love and forgiveness, and share that same love and forgiveness with other people - including people who aren’t like me."
Again, I found myself relating to these words meant for children. I am so very glad that Jesus loved me so much that He followed His Father’s will even though it meant a painful and humiliating death on a cross. If he was willing to do that for me, what excuse could I possibly use in failing to love or not forgiving others?
"So that is what I did. I changed my ways and began a new life."
That is what was certainly true of me. I turned my life over to Jesus and my life was never the same again.
So that is how I gave the best performance I had within me to give to a young and attentive audience.
I wasn’t trying to transform myself into Paul.
I simply portrayed myself... with a little bit of Paul thrown in.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, July 8, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, July 15, 2011.
Schedule subject to change.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Growing Spiritually
(Author's Note: I posted this as my contribution to Faith Feet which is a group effort. Due to technical problems only the title is displayed, so I am posting it here as well - Jim)
Last week was really an incredibly challenging week for me. It was a week that kept me very busy but it also provided for my spiritual growth, as well.
Our church hosted its annual Vacation Bible School for five consecutive evenings. With the help of a friend, we alternated teaching the adult class. The other nights, I helped out where needed and took a great many photographs for the church pictorial history I maintain. This allowed me to both document and share in the lessons the children were learning and the activities designed to reinforce them.
On Thursday afternoon, the Sunday School class I teach was invited to an ice cream social at a local assisted living center for senior citizens. This was not an official church function. It was simply a chance to have fellowship with the residents and I read to them some of the devotionals I had written before closing with prayer.
When the week ended, I reflected on the fact that I had, to one degree or another, been involved with Christian education that covered the entire spectrum of ages from toddlers to senior citizens. I realized how truly blessed I was to have had such an opportunity,
The fourth night of Vacation Bible School focused the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and what it means to Christians as a whole as well as to individuals. These events are central to the Christian experience, yet this topic presents particular challenges to teachers who must factor in the age of the students in his or her presentation in order that they get the most out of it.
I am not able to go into any great detail about how this was presented to the children as I was occupied teaching the adult class at the time. I am confident that those involved teaching the children did so in a way appropriate for the age groups for which they were responsible. They clearly demonstrated this ability with other topics on other nights.
For the senior citizens, I chose to begin with two of my devotionals that had introductions with which I thought they could relate.
In my first, I began talking about my fondness for freshly baked bread. This devotional then concluded with the reminder that Jesus is the "Bread of Life".
John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
For my second, I read to them a devotional I wrote about a picture no one wanted to buy. I found it in a second hand store covered with numerous price tags that clearly showed the history of its devaluation. I bought the picture and cleaned it because I knew its real beauty was hidden from view. I then gently reminded them that even when others fail to see our real value, the blood of Jesus cleanses us completely of all our layers of self doubt.
Revelation 1:5 (KJV) - And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
By far the biggest challenge I faced was composing an hour long class on this topic for the adults I taught that evening. I wrestled with the lesson plan provided in the guide that came as part of the package we had purchased for Vacation Bible School. In the end, I opted to completely forego the introduction as I felt it was not adequately serious enough for a lesson of this magnitude.
Instead, I took my adult students straight into the five sections of scripture called for beginning in Luke chapter 22 and concluding in chapter 24.
I paused between sections to field questions and comments and there were far fewer than I anticipated.
With the time remaining, I asked my students to turn to Isaiah 53. As they turned the pages I reminded them that the words God inspired Isaiah to write were written 700 to 800 years before Luke’s account and asked them to notice how similar the two were. I reminded them that God intended to provide for our salvation all along and in in the only way possible.
Jesus had to pay the price we could not pay ourselves.
I then read them Isaiah 53 in its entirety.
After a few closing questions and comments we closed with prayer.
I said at the beginning that I felt both truly challenged and truly blessed by the events of last week and I honestly feel that I have grown spiritually as a result.
Young minds, I am certain, were presented a simplified view of God’s love for us and absorbed it quickly.
It was gratifying to take senior citizens on a journey that began with things with which they could either remember or relate. From there I led them down the road that ultimately leads to Jesus and what He did for us all.
It was particularly challenging to present the heart of the Christian experience to adults in a very serious and straightforward manner.
Young children, adults, and senior citizens have nutritional needs like vitamins, carbohydrates and protein. Yet the ways in which they obtain these nutrients vary through time.
It is the same way with spiritual nutrition.
To be fully absorbed, it must be presented in a way that can be comprehended.
Its truth, however, must never be compromised.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
Last week was really an incredibly challenging week for me. It was a week that kept me very busy but it also provided for my spiritual growth, as well.
Our church hosted its annual Vacation Bible School for five consecutive evenings. With the help of a friend, we alternated teaching the adult class. The other nights, I helped out where needed and took a great many photographs for the church pictorial history I maintain. This allowed me to both document and share in the lessons the children were learning and the activities designed to reinforce them.
On Thursday afternoon, the Sunday School class I teach was invited to an ice cream social at a local assisted living center for senior citizens. This was not an official church function. It was simply a chance to have fellowship with the residents and I read to them some of the devotionals I had written before closing with prayer.
When the week ended, I reflected on the fact that I had, to one degree or another, been involved with Christian education that covered the entire spectrum of ages from toddlers to senior citizens. I realized how truly blessed I was to have had such an opportunity,
The fourth night of Vacation Bible School focused the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and what it means to Christians as a whole as well as to individuals. These events are central to the Christian experience, yet this topic presents particular challenges to teachers who must factor in the age of the students in his or her presentation in order that they get the most out of it.
I am not able to go into any great detail about how this was presented to the children as I was occupied teaching the adult class at the time. I am confident that those involved teaching the children did so in a way appropriate for the age groups for which they were responsible. They clearly demonstrated this ability with other topics on other nights.
For the senior citizens, I chose to begin with two of my devotionals that had introductions with which I thought they could relate.
In my first, I began talking about my fondness for freshly baked bread. This devotional then concluded with the reminder that Jesus is the "Bread of Life".
John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
For my second, I read to them a devotional I wrote about a picture no one wanted to buy. I found it in a second hand store covered with numerous price tags that clearly showed the history of its devaluation. I bought the picture and cleaned it because I knew its real beauty was hidden from view. I then gently reminded them that even when others fail to see our real value, the blood of Jesus cleanses us completely of all our layers of self doubt.
Revelation 1:5 (KJV) - And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
By far the biggest challenge I faced was composing an hour long class on this topic for the adults I taught that evening. I wrestled with the lesson plan provided in the guide that came as part of the package we had purchased for Vacation Bible School. In the end, I opted to completely forego the introduction as I felt it was not adequately serious enough for a lesson of this magnitude.
Instead, I took my adult students straight into the five sections of scripture called for beginning in Luke chapter 22 and concluding in chapter 24.
I paused between sections to field questions and comments and there were far fewer than I anticipated.
With the time remaining, I asked my students to turn to Isaiah 53. As they turned the pages I reminded them that the words God inspired Isaiah to write were written 700 to 800 years before Luke’s account and asked them to notice how similar the two were. I reminded them that God intended to provide for our salvation all along and in in the only way possible.
Jesus had to pay the price we could not pay ourselves.
I then read them Isaiah 53 in its entirety.
After a few closing questions and comments we closed with prayer.
I said at the beginning that I felt both truly challenged and truly blessed by the events of last week and I honestly feel that I have grown spiritually as a result.
Young minds, I am certain, were presented a simplified view of God’s love for us and absorbed it quickly.
It was gratifying to take senior citizens on a journey that began with things with which they could either remember or relate. From there I led them down the road that ultimately leads to Jesus and what He did for us all.
It was particularly challenging to present the heart of the Christian experience to adults in a very serious and straightforward manner.
Young children, adults, and senior citizens have nutritional needs like vitamins, carbohydrates and protein. Yet the ways in which they obtain these nutrients vary through time.
It is the same way with spiritual nutrition.
To be fully absorbed, it must be presented in a way that can be comprehended.
Its truth, however, must never be compromised.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
Friday, June 10, 2011
No Laughing Matter
This has been both a very spiritually rewarding and spiritually challenging week.
For two nights this week I had the opportunity to teach the adult class at my church‘s Vacation Bible School.
My second night was particularly challenging.
The curriculum we had purchased called for us to focus on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I read through the materials provided, and the adult class guide included a rather lighthearted introduction before moving into the account of what Jesus experienced on our behalf.
As a Sunday School Teacher, I had a real problem with that.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the hub around which Christianity revolves. In my opinion, a humorous introduction was simply not an appropriate way to lead into a discussion of this nature.
There was simply no way I could consider using an iron when clearly a scalpel was in order.
I opted to completely jettison the introduction and go right into the heart of the matter.
To do that meant I was going to come up about 15 minutes short of material.
I wrestled with this for hours while the clock ticked steadily onward.
Finally, with God’s help the solution came to me.
When the time came, I read to my students the suggested passages from the book of Luke pausing between sections to give additional information and take questions. There were very few questions as everyone was really feeling the emotional weight of what Jesus went through for us.
We finished the final passage and as I expected we had about fifteen minutes left.
I asked if there were any questions and as I looked each in turn they simply shook their heads,
"Before we conclude, I have one more question for you," I stated.
"I know many of you are parents," I added. "If you have ever made sacrifices for your children, please raise your hand." Of course, every hand was raised.
"Why did you make sacrifices for your children?", I asked.
From the back someone said, "Love."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "You made sacrifices for your children because you love them. That is why God sacrificed His only Son for us! He did this because He loved us!"
I then asked them to turn in their Bibles to Isaiah chapter 53.
As my students turned the pages in their Bibles, I asked them to bear in mind that Isaiah wrote the words we were about to read some 700 to 800 years BEFORE the events in Luke‘s account.
I also asked them to notice how closely the prophet Isaiah's language matched up with the account in Luke.
I read through Isaiah 53 as they followed along. Here is a but a portion...
Isaiah 53:7-9 (NET) - He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial - but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his people he was wounded. They intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, because he had committed no violent deeds, nor had he spoken deceitfully.
The death, burial and resurrection should not be taken lightly. This is what our salvation depends on.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 24, 2011.
For two nights this week I had the opportunity to teach the adult class at my church‘s Vacation Bible School.
My second night was particularly challenging.
The curriculum we had purchased called for us to focus on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I read through the materials provided, and the adult class guide included a rather lighthearted introduction before moving into the account of what Jesus experienced on our behalf.
As a Sunday School Teacher, I had a real problem with that.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the hub around which Christianity revolves. In my opinion, a humorous introduction was simply not an appropriate way to lead into a discussion of this nature.
There was simply no way I could consider using an iron when clearly a scalpel was in order.
I opted to completely jettison the introduction and go right into the heart of the matter.
To do that meant I was going to come up about 15 minutes short of material.
I wrestled with this for hours while the clock ticked steadily onward.
Finally, with God’s help the solution came to me.
When the time came, I read to my students the suggested passages from the book of Luke pausing between sections to give additional information and take questions. There were very few questions as everyone was really feeling the emotional weight of what Jesus went through for us.
We finished the final passage and as I expected we had about fifteen minutes left.
I asked if there were any questions and as I looked each in turn they simply shook their heads,
"Before we conclude, I have one more question for you," I stated.
"I know many of you are parents," I added. "If you have ever made sacrifices for your children, please raise your hand." Of course, every hand was raised.
"Why did you make sacrifices for your children?", I asked.
From the back someone said, "Love."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "You made sacrifices for your children because you love them. That is why God sacrificed His only Son for us! He did this because He loved us!"
I then asked them to turn in their Bibles to Isaiah chapter 53.
As my students turned the pages in their Bibles, I asked them to bear in mind that Isaiah wrote the words we were about to read some 700 to 800 years BEFORE the events in Luke‘s account.
I also asked them to notice how closely the prophet Isaiah's language matched up with the account in Luke.
I read through Isaiah 53 as they followed along. Here is a but a portion...
Isaiah 53:7-9 (NET) - He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial - but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his people he was wounded. They intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, because he had committed no violent deeds, nor had he spoken deceitfully.
The death, burial and resurrection should not be taken lightly. This is what our salvation depends on.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 24, 2011.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Freshly Baked Bread
I am really glad my mother told me the things that she did. Whenever I am lucky enough to get a quiet moment, I fondly think of her and the memories she shared.
Mother came from a large family and she often talked about the amount of bread my grandmother baked to keep that family going strong.
Whenever I think of that I can almost smell the aroma of freshly baked bread.
There is simply no other smell like it. It is perhaps my favorite aroma in the world.
There is a restaurant near my place of business that serves excellent coffee. They also have their own bakery. Many times I have walked in intending to buy just a cup of coffee. More often than not I end up leaving with the coffee... and a loaf of freshly baked bread.
The thought of fresh bread with its wonderful aroma always leads me to think of bread’s role in the Bible and the references Jesus made to it.
In fact, the word bread appears over 300 times in the King James Version.
The first time bread is mentioned in the New Testament is during the temptation of Jesus.
Matthew 4:3 (KJV) - And when the tempter came to him, he said, "If thou be the Son of God, command these stones be made bread."
Jesus, of course, had a response.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV) - But He answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God."
Jesus also understood our physical needs as well. This is made evident when he taught us how to pray what has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:11 (KJV) - Give us this day our daily bread.
Also in the book of Matthew is the account of the Lord’s Supper in which bread plays a very important role.
Matthew 26:26 (KJV) - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body.
Along with this verse, there is another in which Jesus refers to himself as "the bread of life".
John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
I love that reference.
Just as the smell of bread always make me hungry, the thought of Jesus being the bread of life makes me hunger for both Jesus and the eternal life he offers.
The smell of baking bread doesn't just effect me. It has a similar impact on those around me.
I cannot keep that aroma to myself.
In a similar way, I should share Jesus with every one I meet. That is another thing my grandmother did.
Baking bread to feed her large family was far from the only thing she did well.
She also knew how to share the "bread of life" with everyone even if she just met them.
I adore the way she did it.
She would walk right up to them and ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
I love those words, "my Jesus".
Those two words let everyone know that she had a deep and personal relationship with her savior and that they could have that kind of relationship with Him as well.
I cannot bake bread like my grandmother did.
But I can share the "bread of life" exactly like she did.
So I ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 10, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 17, 2011.
(Schedule subject to change)
Mother came from a large family and she often talked about the amount of bread my grandmother baked to keep that family going strong.
Whenever I think of that I can almost smell the aroma of freshly baked bread.
There is simply no other smell like it. It is perhaps my favorite aroma in the world.
There is a restaurant near my place of business that serves excellent coffee. They also have their own bakery. Many times I have walked in intending to buy just a cup of coffee. More often than not I end up leaving with the coffee... and a loaf of freshly baked bread.
The thought of fresh bread with its wonderful aroma always leads me to think of bread’s role in the Bible and the references Jesus made to it.
In fact, the word bread appears over 300 times in the King James Version.
The first time bread is mentioned in the New Testament is during the temptation of Jesus.
Matthew 4:3 (KJV) - And when the tempter came to him, he said, "If thou be the Son of God, command these stones be made bread."
Jesus, of course, had a response.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV) - But He answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God."
Jesus also understood our physical needs as well. This is made evident when he taught us how to pray what has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:11 (KJV) - Give us this day our daily bread.
Also in the book of Matthew is the account of the Lord’s Supper in which bread plays a very important role.
Matthew 26:26 (KJV) - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body.
Along with this verse, there is another in which Jesus refers to himself as "the bread of life".
John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
I love that reference.
Just as the smell of bread always make me hungry, the thought of Jesus being the bread of life makes me hunger for both Jesus and the eternal life he offers.
The smell of baking bread doesn't just effect me. It has a similar impact on those around me.
I cannot keep that aroma to myself.
In a similar way, I should share Jesus with every one I meet. That is another thing my grandmother did.
Baking bread to feed her large family was far from the only thing she did well.
She also knew how to share the "bread of life" with everyone even if she just met them.
I adore the way she did it.
She would walk right up to them and ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
I love those words, "my Jesus".
Those two words let everyone know that she had a deep and personal relationship with her savior and that they could have that kind of relationship with Him as well.
I cannot bake bread like my grandmother did.
But I can share the "bread of life" exactly like she did.
So I ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 10, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 17, 2011.
(Schedule subject to change)
Friday, May 13, 2011
Step into the Light
One of the hobbies I enjoy is photography.
One of the keys to successful photography is understanding the interplay between light and shadow.
I was thinking about that the other day when my thoughts turned to light itself.
It is because of light or rather the specific wavelengths of light that we are able to differentiate colors.
Light from the sun, or white light, is composed of all the different colors of light.
This is made evident when the sun’s light beams are refracted by raindrops Light of different wavelengths are separated into bands of color called rainbows.
When light from the sun shines on an object like a fire engine, the paint absorbs all the colors except red and what we see is the red light reflected from the paint.
Similarly, when sunlight shines on a yellow taxi, the taxi’s paint absorbs all the colors except for yellow. Again, what we see is the yellow light reflected from its paint.
If we want to be more accurate, what we should say is that the fire engine is non-red and that the taxi is non-yellow because each reflects, or rejects, the color we commonly associate with each.
That is kind of the way it is when we examine ourselves in the light of our own reasoning.
We can refer to ourselves as righteous.
But are we really?
Not according to the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away.
We can even claim that we never sin.
But are we truly without sin.
Not according to the apostle Paul.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Just as red reflects from a fire engine or yellow reflects from a taxi, our shortcomings reflect in an obvious way when we subject them to the light of scripture.
Yet, we are not without hope.
There is a light not of our own which we can count on.
John 8:12 (KJV) - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
That is really good new for us.
The light that is Jesus shines brightly.
That light does not merely hide our sins, it removes them completely.
John 1:29 (KJV) - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
So how do you overcome sin and unrighteousness.
Simple.
Step into the Light...
... and believe!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 20, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 27, 2011.
One of the keys to successful photography is understanding the interplay between light and shadow.
I was thinking about that the other day when my thoughts turned to light itself.
It is because of light or rather the specific wavelengths of light that we are able to differentiate colors.
Light from the sun, or white light, is composed of all the different colors of light.
This is made evident when the sun’s light beams are refracted by raindrops Light of different wavelengths are separated into bands of color called rainbows.
When light from the sun shines on an object like a fire engine, the paint absorbs all the colors except red and what we see is the red light reflected from the paint.
Similarly, when sunlight shines on a yellow taxi, the taxi’s paint absorbs all the colors except for yellow. Again, what we see is the yellow light reflected from its paint.
If we want to be more accurate, what we should say is that the fire engine is non-red and that the taxi is non-yellow because each reflects, or rejects, the color we commonly associate with each.
That is kind of the way it is when we examine ourselves in the light of our own reasoning.
We can refer to ourselves as righteous.
But are we really?
Not according to the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away.
We can even claim that we never sin.
But are we truly without sin.
Not according to the apostle Paul.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Just as red reflects from a fire engine or yellow reflects from a taxi, our shortcomings reflect in an obvious way when we subject them to the light of scripture.
Yet, we are not without hope.
There is a light not of our own which we can count on.
John 8:12 (KJV) - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
That is really good new for us.
The light that is Jesus shines brightly.
That light does not merely hide our sins, it removes them completely.
John 1:29 (KJV) - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
So how do you overcome sin and unrighteousness.
Simple.
Step into the Light...
... and believe!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 20, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 27, 2011.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Curtain Call
As we near Easter, I was struck by a particular passage from the book of Matthew.
Matthew 27:50-52 (NET) - Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His Spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.
There are three events that took place upon the death of Jesus that were spectacular in nature, but one struck me as being the most spectacular of the three.
It wasn’t the opening of the tombs and the raising of the saints, although this was a remarkable event.
It wasn’t the shaking of the earth and the splitting apart of the rocks. Earthquakes in and of themselves can be remarkable but the timing of this particular earthquake is nothing short of amazing.
As remarkable as these two events were, I find the tearing of the temple curtain to be the most remarkable of all.
The curtain was a separator. It is what separated God from the people and the people from God.
God is both perfectly Holy and perfectly righteous.
People are neither.
There was no way that a fallen human being could be in the direct presence of God,
The existence of the curtain precedes the temple as it was part of the tabernacle design which God commanded Moses to follow.
Exodus 26:33 (NET) - You are to hang this curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony in there behind the curtain. The curtain will make a division for you between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
Only the high priest was allowed to go behind the curtain centuries after the purpose of the curtain was defined by God.
Hebrews 9:7 (NET) - But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
Luke 1:8-10 (NET) - Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
It is clear that the temple curtain played a significant role. Its purpose was not merely decorative but served to keep separate a Holy God from a fallen people.
Please notice that the passage of scripture I opened with contains the words "Just then".
The very moment Jesus died... He died for us.
At that very moment the curtain, which separated us from God, was torn in two from top to bottom.
It was a barrier no more.
Mankind was no longer separated from God because of the price Jesus paid on the cross.
God’s gracious and merciful gift of salvation was made possible not because of anything we had done.
It was made possible through Jesus.
Why not express your gratitude to them both right now.
After all... there is absolutely nothing standing in your way.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 13, 2011.
Matthew 27:50-52 (NET) - Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His Spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.
There are three events that took place upon the death of Jesus that were spectacular in nature, but one struck me as being the most spectacular of the three.
It wasn’t the opening of the tombs and the raising of the saints, although this was a remarkable event.
It wasn’t the shaking of the earth and the splitting apart of the rocks. Earthquakes in and of themselves can be remarkable but the timing of this particular earthquake is nothing short of amazing.
As remarkable as these two events were, I find the tearing of the temple curtain to be the most remarkable of all.
The curtain was a separator. It is what separated God from the people and the people from God.
God is both perfectly Holy and perfectly righteous.
People are neither.
There was no way that a fallen human being could be in the direct presence of God,
The existence of the curtain precedes the temple as it was part of the tabernacle design which God commanded Moses to follow.
Exodus 26:33 (NET) - You are to hang this curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony in there behind the curtain. The curtain will make a division for you between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
Only the high priest was allowed to go behind the curtain centuries after the purpose of the curtain was defined by God.
Hebrews 9:7 (NET) - But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
Luke 1:8-10 (NET) - Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
It is clear that the temple curtain played a significant role. Its purpose was not merely decorative but served to keep separate a Holy God from a fallen people.
Please notice that the passage of scripture I opened with contains the words "Just then".
The very moment Jesus died... He died for us.
At that very moment the curtain, which separated us from God, was torn in two from top to bottom.
It was a barrier no more.
Mankind was no longer separated from God because of the price Jesus paid on the cross.
God’s gracious and merciful gift of salvation was made possible not because of anything we had done.
It was made possible through Jesus.
Why not express your gratitude to them both right now.
After all... there is absolutely nothing standing in your way.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 13, 2011.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Big Deal
I had a new experience Sunday.
We celebrated Holy Communion in my church.
The celebration of Communion is certainly not new to me, but this time, I was to be called upon to help serve it.
I knew this day was coming and was more than a little nervous about it.
Please understand that I am a man who seldom finds himself in a state of worry.
I know that Scripture reminds us time and again to "fear not", so I try to approach life confidently and normally succeed in the attempt.
Yet there was something about being on the serving side of this equation for the first time that caused me more than a fair amount of apprehension.
I confided my concerns to a few friends and colleagues.
There was a recurring response I received that caused me perhaps even more distress than the thought of serving for the first time.
That response usually began with "Don’t worry about it", and ended with "It’s no big deal."
To avoid being judgmental, I will assume that such a response was merely an attempt to ease my concerns and that those who gave me such a response did not mean to be taken literally.
I say this because it really is a big deal.
In fact, the sharing of Communion is one of the most important parts of the Christian experience.
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 (NET) - and after He had given thanks he broke it and said, "This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, He also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this every time you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Clearly, the elements are important in what they represent.
Yet, it goes far beyond that.
1 Corinthians 11:28 (NET) - A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup.
Scripture reminds us to examine ourselves first before we partake of this meal.
It therefore stands to reason that those who serve this meal must do likewise.
That is why the response "it’s no big deal" bothered me to the degree that it did.
Obviously, it still does.
By the way, with God’s help, the role I filled in this service transpired without incident.
Having now served in this capacity, I doubt that I will be as apprehensive when called upon next time.
But, it will still be "a big deal".
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, April 8, 2011 and April 15, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, April 22, 2011.
We celebrated Holy Communion in my church.
The celebration of Communion is certainly not new to me, but this time, I was to be called upon to help serve it.
I knew this day was coming and was more than a little nervous about it.
Please understand that I am a man who seldom finds himself in a state of worry.
I know that Scripture reminds us time and again to "fear not", so I try to approach life confidently and normally succeed in the attempt.
Yet there was something about being on the serving side of this equation for the first time that caused me more than a fair amount of apprehension.
I confided my concerns to a few friends and colleagues.
There was a recurring response I received that caused me perhaps even more distress than the thought of serving for the first time.
That response usually began with "Don’t worry about it", and ended with "It’s no big deal."
To avoid being judgmental, I will assume that such a response was merely an attempt to ease my concerns and that those who gave me such a response did not mean to be taken literally.
I say this because it really is a big deal.
In fact, the sharing of Communion is one of the most important parts of the Christian experience.
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 (NET) - and after He had given thanks he broke it and said, "This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, He also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this every time you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Clearly, the elements are important in what they represent.
Yet, it goes far beyond that.
1 Corinthians 11:28 (NET) - A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup.
Scripture reminds us to examine ourselves first before we partake of this meal.
It therefore stands to reason that those who serve this meal must do likewise.
That is why the response "it’s no big deal" bothered me to the degree that it did.
Obviously, it still does.
By the way, with God’s help, the role I filled in this service transpired without incident.
Having now served in this capacity, I doubt that I will be as apprehensive when called upon next time.
But, it will still be "a big deal".
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, April 8, 2011 and April 15, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, April 22, 2011.
Friday, March 11, 2011
On the Face of It
Some people are really good with names and faces.
I, unfortunately, am not one of those people.
Try as I might, it takes me a while to associate new names with new faces.
A few years ago I had an encounter with an older gentleman who was good with names and faces. Really good.
A new store had opened up along my daily commute about fifteen miles from where I live,
I stopped there on my way home one evening to pick up a few items and to check out then new store.
I said hello to the greeter on duty as he handed me my shopping cart and then proceeded to do my shopping.
I did not purchase very much so I determined there was no need for me to take my shopping cart outside.
I would simply leave the cart with the greeter on my way out.
As I prepared to exit the store, I noticed that the greeter I originally encountered was no longer on duty and another had taken his place.
I removed my bags and handed the now empty cart to the greeter and said, "Thank you. See you next time."
I was about half way to the door when the man said rather loudly, "Hey!"
I stopped and turned to face him.
He said, "You’re a Pokorny. Aren’t you?"
"Yes," I replied as I wondered how it was that he knew my last name.
He then named my parents and asked if he was correct.
I told him that he was indeed correct.
He then identified me by my first name and asked that was correct.
I replied that he was and asked how it was that he knew this about me.
He told me that he used to live in the town I still call home.
He then told me the year that he moved away and that he remembered my parents and me.
I was amazed.
This man had not seen me in decades!
The last time he saw me was when I was a child less than ten years of age.
Suddenly, decades later, he spotted a middle aged man with a full beard among a crowd of people filing out past him and was able to make a connection between the man I am today with the child that I once was!
We talked for a few more minutes about how much time had gone by and how much things have changed.
That incident still amazes me to this day.
As impressive as this man’s ability was, there is one whose ability surpasses even this.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NET) - The LORD said to me, "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."
Luke 12: 6-7 (NET) - Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
There are about six billion of us currently alive.
Billions have preceded us.
An untold number are yet to come.
Yet God knows each of us individually.
Now that’s impressive!
Why not take a moment now and get to know Him better.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, March 18, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, March 25, 2011.
I, unfortunately, am not one of those people.
Try as I might, it takes me a while to associate new names with new faces.
A few years ago I had an encounter with an older gentleman who was good with names and faces. Really good.
A new store had opened up along my daily commute about fifteen miles from where I live,
I stopped there on my way home one evening to pick up a few items and to check out then new store.
I said hello to the greeter on duty as he handed me my shopping cart and then proceeded to do my shopping.
I did not purchase very much so I determined there was no need for me to take my shopping cart outside.
I would simply leave the cart with the greeter on my way out.
As I prepared to exit the store, I noticed that the greeter I originally encountered was no longer on duty and another had taken his place.
I removed my bags and handed the now empty cart to the greeter and said, "Thank you. See you next time."
I was about half way to the door when the man said rather loudly, "Hey!"
I stopped and turned to face him.
He said, "You’re a Pokorny. Aren’t you?"
"Yes," I replied as I wondered how it was that he knew my last name.
He then named my parents and asked if he was correct.
I told him that he was indeed correct.
He then identified me by my first name and asked that was correct.
I replied that he was and asked how it was that he knew this about me.
He told me that he used to live in the town I still call home.
He then told me the year that he moved away and that he remembered my parents and me.
I was amazed.
This man had not seen me in decades!
The last time he saw me was when I was a child less than ten years of age.
Suddenly, decades later, he spotted a middle aged man with a full beard among a crowd of people filing out past him and was able to make a connection between the man I am today with the child that I once was!
We talked for a few more minutes about how much time had gone by and how much things have changed.
That incident still amazes me to this day.
As impressive as this man’s ability was, there is one whose ability surpasses even this.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NET) - The LORD said to me, "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."
Luke 12: 6-7 (NET) - Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
There are about six billion of us currently alive.
Billions have preceded us.
An untold number are yet to come.
Yet God knows each of us individually.
Now that’s impressive!
Why not take a moment now and get to know Him better.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, March 18, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, March 25, 2011.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Will You Accept A Long Distance Call?
There is a series of photographs along one wall In the narthex of my church.
These are photographs of the pastors my church has been fortunate to have had since we opened our doors in the late nineteenth century.
Their names and the years they have served are clearly displayed.
I have looked over these photographs and there is something special about them (and I'm not just referring to the facial hair early on).
What is special to me is to see the continuity in my church from its beginning especially when the church itself has undergone big changes in its history.
One of the biggest changes my church has undergone has been in the language used during the worship service.
The first pastor had to accommodate a congregation of Czech immigrants to Texas who spoke Czech either exclusively or primarily.
As time went by an English service was incorporated and it eventually became the primary service.
Later on, the Czech service was eliminated altogether.
The photographs also remind me that I have only known three of these pastors personally.
From my personal experiences with them, I know that their styles of preaching were as different as their personalities.
I am fairly certain that held true for their predecessors.
Yet, God called each of these pastors to the ministry and each answered the call and brought the gifts they were given by God.
The call to ministry is not God's only call.
God gives us talents and abilities suited for His call to our service.
Romans 12:6-8 (NET) - And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is in service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is in exhortation, he must exhort; If it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; If it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.
God gives each of us gifts to be used for His glory and this passage of scripture reminds us that those gifts "must" be put to the proper use.
There are some who incorrectly assume that God would not use them for one reason or another.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Paul once persecuted the early church.
Acts 9:1-2 (NET) - Meanwhile Saul still breathing out threats to murder the Lord's disciples, went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
Paul's life was never the same after he answered the call he received.
Some of the most powerful testimonies come from those whose lives were transformed when they responded to His call.
If you have not yet made yourself available to His call, I encourage you to do so.
Your life as you know it will never be the same.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, March 4, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I'll be back here on Friday, March 11, 2011.
These are photographs of the pastors my church has been fortunate to have had since we opened our doors in the late nineteenth century.
Their names and the years they have served are clearly displayed.
I have looked over these photographs and there is something special about them (and I'm not just referring to the facial hair early on).
What is special to me is to see the continuity in my church from its beginning especially when the church itself has undergone big changes in its history.
One of the biggest changes my church has undergone has been in the language used during the worship service.
The first pastor had to accommodate a congregation of Czech immigrants to Texas who spoke Czech either exclusively or primarily.
As time went by an English service was incorporated and it eventually became the primary service.
Later on, the Czech service was eliminated altogether.
The photographs also remind me that I have only known three of these pastors personally.
From my personal experiences with them, I know that their styles of preaching were as different as their personalities.
I am fairly certain that held true for their predecessors.
Yet, God called each of these pastors to the ministry and each answered the call and brought the gifts they were given by God.
The call to ministry is not God's only call.
God gives us talents and abilities suited for His call to our service.
Romans 12:6-8 (NET) - And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is in service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is in exhortation, he must exhort; If it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; If it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.
God gives each of us gifts to be used for His glory and this passage of scripture reminds us that those gifts "must" be put to the proper use.
There are some who incorrectly assume that God would not use them for one reason or another.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Paul once persecuted the early church.
Acts 9:1-2 (NET) - Meanwhile Saul still breathing out threats to murder the Lord's disciples, went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
Paul's life was never the same after he answered the call he received.
Some of the most powerful testimonies come from those whose lives were transformed when they responded to His call.
If you have not yet made yourself available to His call, I encourage you to do so.
Your life as you know it will never be the same.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, March 4, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I'll be back here on Friday, March 11, 2011.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Complain, Complain, Complain
Exodus 16:3 (NET) - The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger!”
There is an old saying that says silence is golden. Sometimes, I am inclined to agree.
As the resident computer geek for my company, silence means everything is functioning as it should.
Whenever we lose internet access, email, printing or other capabilities, it seems everyone is more than willing to “remind” me of it.
In that regard, I can somewhat relate to Moses.
God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and instructed him to delver His people from bondage.
Moses gave God reasons why He should choose someone else, yet God remained resolute in His choice.
With Aaron by his side, Moses returned to Egypt and confronted Pharaoh.
Pharaoh made the people’s lives even more difficult.
The people complained to Moses and Aaron.
Exodus 5:21 (NET) - and they said to them, “May the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the opinion of Pharaoh and his servants, so that you have given them an excuse to kill us!”
After the last plague on Egypt, a broken Pharaoh let God’s people go.
Moses led the people out of Egypt and eventually they made their way to the Red Sea where they saw Pharaoh’s forces closing in on them.
Once again, Moses withstood the people’s complaints.
Exodus 14:12 (NET) - “Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so we can serve the Egyptians. Because it is better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’”
With God’s help, Moses parted the Red Sea for the people to escape.
Later on, it was thirst which fueled the people’s complaints.
Exodus 17:3 (NET) - But the people were very thirsty there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, “Why in the world did you bring us out of Egypt - to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”
Moses listened to the people complain.
Then came that fateful day as Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain.
With Aaron’s help, they created a golden calf as an idol and worshiped it.
God was outraged and planned to destroy His people and start anew with Moses.
Exodus 32:10 (NET) - “So now leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I will make from you a great nation.”
Time and again, Moses listened to the people complain.
Yet at this critical juncture, Moses interceded for the people.
Exodus 32:13 (NET) - “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’”
In spite of all the complaining Moses was subjected to, he interceded for the people and God relented.
When you think about it, people are still prone to complaining.
God, in His grace and mercy, provided for our salvation through Jesus Christ.
Christ interceded for us by means of the cross.
Yet, when things do not go our way our response is often to complain.
God, who has been more than generous to us, hears every one of our complaints.
Still, we have someone who intercedes for us.
Romans 8:34 (NET) - Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who is also interceding for us.
Through it all, Christ continues to intercede for us.
And He does so without complaint.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, February 18, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, February 25, 2011.
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