In His Steps

Easter is rapidly approaching.

I recall a pastor once referring to Easter and Christmas as the annual pilgrimages.

This was his humorous way of stating that you would see some people in church on these days only.

This got me thinking about pilgrimages.

Each year, many people travel to the Holy Land as a way of feeling closer to Jesus.

Many, in fact, do so around Easter in order to retrace the steps Jesus took on the way to the cross.

Matthew 23:33 (NET) - They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”)

I can understand the desire to feel closer to Jesus.

And, if people have both the means and the desire to make this trip, I would not stand in their way.

But the fact is that we do not have to travel to the Holy Land to follow His steps.

Jesus taught by example.

He reached out to others.

Sometimes He did so to large groups of people.

Sometimes He reached out to small numbers.

Quite often He simply reached out to individuals.

We each have within us the power to do the same.

We can volunteer our time to various causes.

We can help those less fortunate than ourselves.

We can even begin by simply talking to people.

That’s what Jesus did for the woman at the well.

When she came to the well, Jesus began by asking her for water.

This surprised the woman.

John 4:9 (NET) So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you—a Jew—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)

The conversation they had changed the woman’s life forever.

As a Christian, I know that Jesus will return some day.

When Jesus returns all will be put right.

But until that day arrives, there is plenty of work for us in the here and now.

Work to make lives better.

We can even do so one person at a time.

What better way to begin than by talking to others like Jesus did?

Even those who might appear to have little in common with us.

In these ways, we can all follow His steps without even travelling abroad.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 6, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 13, 2020

Say What?

I am wrapping up preparations for an upcoming speaking engagement.

I am always glad to speak on the history of my church whenever I am asked to do so.

In preparation, I am always struck by those who preceded me.

The amount of love they shared and the sacrifices they made were remarkable.

I am certain the same can be said by many other churches as well.

There are certain truths that emerge as one delves deep into church history.

The farther back you go, the more difficult life was for people and the pastors whom God entrusted to their care.

In many cases, the lives of believers hung under the shadow of persecution.

The mere act of worship, or worshipping in a different way, was sometimes done at tremendous risk.

In fact, wars took place because of differences in worship.

A pastor friend once told me, “There is nothing sadder than a religious war.”

I agree.

Beyond conflict, life itself was difficult.

Travel between communities that now takes hours once took days.

Communications that are now instantaneous was once practically nonexistent.

Life spans were shorter and there was no guarantee of survival from one season to the next.

Despite the difficulties, the church once played a pivotal role in the life of the community.

In the modern age, things are quite different.

Granted, there are still parts of the world where persecution of Christians is a reality.

But for the most part, we have been blessed with security, peace, safety, convenience and many other things.

Along with these blessings, complacency has settled it.

Broadly speaking, the church no longer plays the central role in the community it once did,

Perhaps that is why I enjoy speaking about the history of my church.

It forces me to remember people whose lives were far more difficult than mine.

By modern standards, they had very few conveniences.

Yet they gave freely of themselves.

This was especially true of those who answered God’s call and tended his flock on earth.

Whenever I think about such things, I recall the second part of Luke 12:48.

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

When we compare our lives with the lives of those who preceded us, we realize we have been blessed with much.

We must then ask ourselves honestly what we choose to do with those blessings.

Are we really doing what God requires of us?

I wonder what those who speak of church history in the future will say of us today.

Wouldn’t it be sad if they find little to say?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 4, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 11, 2019

No Plan B

We had a rather important meeting scheduled recently.

Moments before the meeting started, we had an equipment failure.

I quickly came up with a different option.

This was my Plan B.

One thing experience has taught me is preparedness.

I immediately formulated a third plan in case my second plan failed.

A short time later, it did.

I had to put my third plan into motion.

Having done that, I immediately formulated a fourth plan, just in case.

Fortunately, I did not have to put that fourth plan into action.

As human beings, we make both plans and backup plans.

Fortunately for us, God has a plan and He has no need of a backup plan.

Each of us is a part of His plan.

When God told Isaiah of his future as a prophet, Isaiah resisted.

God reminded Isaiah of His plan.

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

Jesus Christ Himself was part of the plan from the very beginning.

John1:1-3 (NET) - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

Even our salvation itself was part of the plan from the very beginning.

Ephesians 1:4 (NET) - For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.

We are not here by accident or coincidence.

Each of us is a part of God’s plan.

A plan that has always been in place and cannot fail.

God requires no “Plan B”.

That is something we can all rely upon.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 20, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, July 27, 2018

The Other Six Commandments

I have spent a considerable amount of time recently studying the Sermon on the Mount.

These words of Jesus begin in Matthew chapter 5.

His words have been with us for a very long time.

Centuries ago, theologians extracted from them the “Six Smaller Commandments”.

Personally, I do not care for the word “smaller” but I have kept it here for historical accuracy.

Just what are the six smaller commandments?

Do not respond to violence with violence.

Do not divorce your spouse.

Do not swear oaths.

Do not be angry without cause.

Do not look lustfully at someone.

Love your enemies.

In looking at these individually, I have drawn a few conclusions.

The first seems to be in direct opposition to the “eye for an eye” doctrine found in the Old Testament.

When we feel we have been wronged our initial thoughts often turn to retribution or retaliation.

As for divorce, I will not debate under what circumstances divorce should be granted.

But given the current divorce rate, I will say that it is now far easier for couples to divorce rather than work through their problems.

As for the swearing of oaths, we have even made exceptions to that.

For example, we may be required to swear oaths if we serve in the military or hold government office.

As for getting angry without cause, I would venture that practically everyone who has ever felt angry has also found a way of justifying his anger.

As for not looking at someone lustfully, this is not easily done.

We don’t even have to go out of our way to look for it.

Advertisers have understood for a long time that sex sells.

This is but one example of how we are tempted into disobeying this teaching.

As for loving our enemies, we may find this sixth commandment the most difficult of all.

It flies in the face of the conditioning the world has imposed on us from our youth.

We certainly have a hard time living up to these commandments of Jesus.

Yet we often make the task harder ourselves.

One way we do this is when we ask ourselves what Jesus meant rather than focusing on what he actually said.

Another is when we try do everything on our own.

Philippians 4:19 (NET) - And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 3, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, November 10, 2017

Triage

An interesting word that the English language has adopted is “triage”.

In a crisis where there are a number of wounded and dying, medical professionals will employ triage,

Triage decides each patient’s priority and order of treatment.

The goal is to maximize the number of survivors.

Even the best doctors and nurses can be limited by location, medicine, supplies and so on.

In extreme situations, such as wounds inflicted on the battlefield, a number of wounded may be deemed too far gone to help.

They are eliminated from the process in order to give someone else a better chance at life.

Sometimes we as Christians perform our own sort of triage when it comes to telling others about Jesus.

We might make the mistake of assuming someone is too far gone to help.

Without realizing it, we might be putting the emphasis on our individual limitations.

We sometimes forget that Jesus has no limitations.

I recall one man who got it right when it came to mission work.

His name was Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf.

In 1731, Zinzendorf met a converted slave.

This man desperately wanted someone to go to his homeland in the West Indies.

He wanted someone to preach the gospel to his brothers and sisters.

Zinzendorf raced to his home in Moravia and quickly found two volunteers for this assignment.

Zinzendorf’s community was not large numbering perhaps 600.

Yet his desire for mission work proved contagious.

In less than 20 years’ time, some 70 missionaries from this Moravian community were involved in missions around the world.

They found themselves in places like Greenland, Lapland, Georgia, Surinam, Africa's Guinea Coast, South Africa, Amsterdam's Jewish quarter, Algeria, the native North Americans, Ceylon, Romania, and Constantinople.

They succeeded where others failed.

They told others about Jesus.

Zinzendorf’s concept was a simple one but that is what made it so successful.

"According to him: “Missions, after all, is simply this: Every heart with Christ is a missionary, every heart without Christ is a mission field."

This simple truth remains unchanged today.

Every man, woman and child who knows Christ is a missionary.

Everyone who does not is a mission field.

Our mission field may be found in another part of the globe.

It can just as easily be found in our own communities.

Triage can sometimes be necessary in the world of medicine.

It is completely unnecessary in the spiritual world.

John 6:37 (NET) - Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 20, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, October 27, 2017

We Each Have a Message

Most of my driving happens to be on the highway.

One particular stretch of highway used to take a while to get through due to the volume of traffic.

Not long ago two lanes were added in each direction to ease traffic flow.

This had unintended consequences.

With congestion eased, many drivers tended to drive well above the posted speed limit.

They also tended to leave less room between their car and the one immediately in front of them.

This led to more traffic accidents and at such time traffic barely moved at all.

In an effort to cut down on both unsafe driving and traffic accidents, message signs were erected.

At first the messages were positive.

One day the message asked drivers to “Share the Road”.

Not much changed.

Later, the signs asked drivers to “Drive friendly”.

Again, not much changed.

One day the traffic was particularly harrowing.

The message for that day was, “Move accidents to the shoulder”.

On yet another day, the signs were experiencing a technical problem.

On that day, there were no messages at all.

It’s almost as if those in charge of the signs changed strategies.

In the beginning, it was the equivalent of “We are trying to help all of you.”

Then it was the equivalent of “You’re not listening, so just move accidents out of the way.”

Finally, although unintentional, the blank signs seemed to be saying “You are all beyond hope.”

Part of our Christian walk is similar to those signs.

We are supposed to be telling others about Jesus.

Sometimes we do.

Sometimes we don’t.

There are several reasons why we should.

One reason is the most important of them all.

Jesus told us to.

Mark 16 15 (NET) - He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

There is no better reason than that.

We don’t always need to use words to tell others about Him.

One of my favorite hymns put it this way…

“They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 2, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, June 9, 2017

The Voice

There is a popular television show called “The Voice”.

Talented vocalists compete with each other to see who sings the best.

A voice is a powerful thing, but it is not confined to singing.

Just the other day I was in the supermarket.

I was approaching the end of an aisle when I heard someone around the corner speaking.

That voice belonged to someone I knew from my youth.

Even before I saw her, I knew that the voice I heard had to belong to her.

I turned the corner and we saw each other face to face.

I was correct.

Several decades have elapsed since we last saw each other.

We have both changed.

The change in me was more dramatic as I now wear a full beard which seems to be turning grayer daily.

She appeared a bit startled until I spoke.

Once she heard my voice she knew who I was.

We spent several minutes reminiscing.

We then went our separate ways once again.

Had neither of us not spoken, it is very possible that we might have missed each other completely.

The voice is a powerful thing.

Jesus makes this clear about His voice.

John 10:27 (NET) - My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

We hear His call and obey. 

Although He speaks to us, He does not always do so in the same way.

For example, God spoke to Moses through a burning bush.

He spoke to Elijah in quite a different way when He found him hiding in a cave.

God asked Elijah to leave the cave and stand on the mountain.

There Elijah was subjected to high winds, landslides, an earthquake and fire.

Yet God did not speak through any of these things.

God’s voice came in a completely different way.

1 Kings 19 17 (NET) - After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.

God spoke to Elijah in a whisper.

How will we experience His voice?

It might come as a shout.

It could come as a whisper.

That is why listening is so important.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 19, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, May 26, 2017

Behind the Lens

Photography is something I got into later in life.

It certainly seemed born out of necessity rather than desire.

One day, I found myself serving on a committee.

Before I knew it, I found myself acting as its historian.

I thought it might be a good idea to supplement the documentation with photographs.

I knew nothing about cameras and even less about photography.

Ten years and literally thousands of photographs later, photography has become an integral part of both my life and my ministry.

It has also taught me some truly valuable lessons along the way.

Perhaps the biggest lesson it has taught me is patience.

I learned that if I patiently waited for the moment to unfold I would have a much better photo.

It has also taught me that candid shots are preferable to posed ones.

My favorite photos are of people actively serving the Lord with smiles on their faces.

It has also taught me about the importance of timing.

This is especially true of God’s timing.

Earlier this month I captured a breathtaking sunset.

A minute sooner and my view would not have been as beautiful.

A minute later and the opportunity God offered would have been gone altogether.

It has also taught me to be grateful for the smallest of miracles.

The other day I was walking past a beautiful bush with tiny orange blossoms when a tiny flash of movement caught my eye.

A closer examination revealed that a butterfly with black and yellow wings was taking advantage of the blossoms.

I must have taken two dozen photographs of this tiny miracle.

It showed no fear of me.

Although it flew from blossom to blossom, it never flew away.

When I examined the photographs later, I felt that God had given me a very special gift that day.

I was reminded of the time when Moses desired to see God more than anything else.

God had a warning for Moses.

Exodus 33:20 (NET) - But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”

We may not currently be able to see God face to face.

Yet God does grant us precious glimpses of Himself from time to time.

So often, we just need to slow down pay more attention.

Photography has taught me that as well.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 4, 2016.

I will be back here on Friday, November 11, 2016

Custom Made

Psalm 139:14 (KJV) - I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Each of us began life in the womb as a single cell.

Biology teaches us that this single cell divided and became two.

Those two, in turn, divided and became four and so on.

The Psalmist understood that there was more at work than just mere biology.

He understood that God played a major role in our development as well.

Consider the various organs of the body.

Heart, brain, kidneys and eyes just begin a list of all the complex organs in the body.

Every organ in the body has a special purpose.

The cells that make up each organ must be specialized,

A heart cell is different from a brain cell.

A kidney cell is different from an eye cell.

Each of our organs develops in the womb.

Somewhere along the way each organ must begin with its first specialized cell.

Question: How does the first heart or brain or kidney or eye cell know it has to be the first cell of its kind?

The Psalmist understood that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

He understood that God was at work creating him in the womb.

Yet this is only a part of a bigger picture,

God knows each of us intimately.

God knit us together cell by cell.

He even knew what we would be capable of in the future.

In fact, He knew all these things before we were capable of knowing anything at all.

God explained this to the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV) - Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

God not only created Jeremiah, He created Jeremiah for a very special purpose.

The best part is God has done this for each and every one of us.

God created us just as fearfully and wonderfully as He created the Psalmist.

He sanctified us for a purpose just as He sanctified Jeremiah for a purpose.

Question: Do you know the purpose for which you were created?

If not, could there possibly be anyone better to ask than the Creator Himself?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 7, 2016.

I will be back here on Friday, October 14, 2016

A Heritage of Faith

I am a very fortunate man.

My parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts were people of faith.

Each of them helped instill a foundation of faith in me which I continue to build upon.

Although almost all of them are gone, I continue to thank God for every one of them.

I am also interested in history especially the history of those with whom I share a connection.

Some were people from my family’s history.

Some were people from my church’s history.

Some were people native to the lands from where my family originated.

One of the things they had in common was faith in the Lord.

Many of them willingly risked much in order to preserve their faith.

Many were persecuted for their faith.

A few even willingly sacrificed their very lives for their faith.

As I learn more about these individuals and their stories two things happen.

Their stories become a part of me and I want to share their stories with others who share a similar heritage,

I share these accounts with members of my family and members of my church.

I may even share their experiences as an example for the students in the Sunday school class I teach.

As time has gone by I have found that others also have an interest in these accounts.

This makes sense because faith is an important part of the heritage with which we have been entrusted,

These accounts need to be shared,

Sharing these accounts gives us a better perspective on our own faith.

It also helps us to develop stronger bonds with each other.

It also helps us to be more grateful.

Isaiah 38:19 (NET) – The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks, as I do today. A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 4, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 11, 2015

Listening Versus Hearing

The account of Samuel in the third chapter of 1 Samuel is one I always love to revisit.

In this chapter, the Lord calls out to the young Samuel.

Samuel hears the call but mistakes it for that of his master Eli.

Samuel runs to Eli and says, “Here I am, for you called me.”

Eli tells Samuel that he did not call him and then tells him to go back and lie down.

Eli does.

A second time, the Lord calls out to Samuel.

Samuel returns to Eli and says, “Here I am, for you called me.”

Again, Eli tells Samuel that he did not call him and instructs him to go back and lie down.

Again, Samuel does as he is told,

A third time the Lord calls out to Samuel.

Samuel gets up a third time and goes to Eli and exclaims, “Here I am for you called me!”

I find it interesting that scripture includes an exclamation point at the end of Samuel’s third statement to Eli.

Apparently, Samuel was quite emphatic about his belief that Eli had called him and he obviously wanted to make his feelings known.

At this, Eli realizes that Someone has indeed been calling Samuel and that Someone was none other than the Lord Himself.

Eli tells Samuel to go back and lie down again.

He adds that the next time Samuel hears the call he should say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel returned as he was told.

Then, something remarkable happened.

1 Samuel 3:10 (NET) – Then the LORD came and stood nearby, calling as He had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!”

The Lord then revealed to Samuel what He intended to do.

The Lord called out to Samuel in an audible voice three times and each time Samuel mistook the call for someone else.

The young Samuel heard, but was he really listening?

The Lord still communicates to us but often in more subtle ways.

So subtle, in fact, that we may easily mistake the call ourselves.

Eli told Samuel to reply, “Speak, for your servant is listening,”

Perhaps the best place for us to begin is to put aside the things which distract us.

Then we can truly listen.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 16, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 23, 2014

The First 250 Steps

I have reached a bit of a milestone in my writing.

It was almost five years ago that I felt God leading me down this path.

I freely admit that I did not respond to it at first because, at the time, I failed to recognize it for what it was.

Fortunately for me, God was as patient with me as He was persistent.

Eventually I got the message, trusted His leading, and embarked upon the journey.

Now, 250 pieces later, I pause to look back on the journey and appreciate just how far He has brought me.

Very early on I learned two valuable lessons.

First, I learned that I would have to trust Him completely and without reservation.

I would have to count on Him to provide both inspiration and motivation week in and week out.

Second, I learned that I would have to set aside time every week specifically for this purpose.

Shortly after I began, I was invited to participate in a group effort.

I prayed about this and began alternating between the two sites.

In time, God blessed me as I learned that these offerings were of help to a few people along the way.

I was so grateful to learn that.

If I knew of a few that benefited then maybe, just maybe, there were others who have benefited that I will never know about in this world.

In April 2013, the monthly magazine that serves my church's denomination asked me to write a piece for the magazine.

This has turned into a regular monthly contribution.

I had to trust that if God would help me write four pieces per month, He would certainly help me with five.

Perhaps the greatest blessing God had in store for me was the number of Christian friends I was able to connect with from every corner of the world.

Proverbs 27:17 (NET) – As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend.

I can truthfully say that together we definitely sharpen each other.

This ministry has also made me a both a better teacher and a better speaker.

These are just some of the things that have happened since I followed His leading.

What will come of this ministry in the future?

I cannot say.

Only God knows what He has in store for me and that, in and of itself, is sufficient.

Now, I am forced to ask myself one final question.

Would I continue to do this even if I thought that no one was reading them?

To this I would have to answer that I would for two reasons.

First, if I honestly feel as I do that God wants me to do this, then do this I will.

Second, through each piece I am also learning more about myself.

Each piece serves to remind me just how much I need Jesus Christ in my life.

Each piece also serves to remind me that I am very much a work in progress and still have far to go.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 3, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 10, 2014

There Is Hope for Everyone

There once was a boy who dearly loved his mother.

His mother was diagnosed with a terrible disease when he was ten years old.

The boy prayed to God for his mother to be healed.

She was not.

The boy's mother died and as a result he blamed God for her death.

That blame then grew into a genuine disbelief in God.

By age thirteen he became quite "worldly" and declared that he was no longer a Christian.

In the plainest of terms, he had given up on God..

By age fifteen, he began to hate the school he was enrolled in and begged his father to take him out of it.

Although he had an aptitude for literature his lack of ability in mathematics caused him to fail in school.

When war broke out, he was recruited into the army and found himself on the front lines on his nineteenth birthday.

After the war, he returned to school and resumed his education.

At age thirty-one, he fell on his knees and confessed that "God is God' and became a theist.

Although he believed in God, he still did not believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be.

Two years later, at age thirty-three he went on a thirty mile motorcycle trip to the zoo with his brother.

He later said that when the trip began, he still did not acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God.

By the time they arrived, he did.

The man about whom I write is C. S. Lewis.

He was known as one of the most famous defenders of Christianity in the twentieth century.

As a boy, Lewis had given up on God.

God never gave up on Lewis.

Throughout the remainder of his life, Lewis composed a large body of work which not only defended the Christian faith but explained with complete and flawless logic why it is the only faith that makes  sense.

In recent years his Chronicles of Narnia series have been made into full length motion pictures.

Among his works was a series of radio lectures which he broadcast on BBC Radio during World War II.

These were eventually compiled into one book entitled Mere Christianity.

We are now studying that book in the adult Sunday school class I am privileged to teach.

Lewis died on November 22, 1963.

That was the same day President John Kennedy was assassinated.

News of the assassination greatly diminished the newsworthiness of the passing of C. S. Lewis.

Considering the life of C. S. Lewis leads me to remember another life that was changed permanently.

Paul, who penned the letters that make up such a large part of our New Testament, found his life forever changed.

Be it a road to Damascus or a road that leads to an English zoo, lives can be completely changed at the time of God's choosing.

For as long as we draw breath, there remains hope for meaningful and eternal change.

That means that there is hope for everyone.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The  Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 18, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, April 25, 2014

Third Person, Perfect

On Saturday, our church hosted a party for the neighborhood.

Saturday was also the day before Pentecost Sunday.

I arrived at the party a bit early and several members of my church family were already there.

I greeted everyone and joined a group of my friends.

Our discussion turned to Pentecost Sunday.

A friend shared an observation that churches, generally speaking, have their largest attendance on Christmas and Easter.

He added that Pentecost Sunday is also an important day in the church calendar, but attendance is not as large when compared to attendance on Christmas and Easter.

Of course, the next logical question to ask is, "Why?"

"Why?" is one of those questions whose answers are typically subjective.

They are often based on people’s observations.

That said, I offered my response, but before I share it, let’s take a look at the other two days first.

On Christmas and Easter, we celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus, respectively.

I once heard a minister refer to these days as the "annual Christian pilgrimages" simply because church attendance is higher then.

Pentecost Sunday, however, celebrates the Holy Spirit.

I personally believe that He is the least understood Person of the Trinity.

Generally speaking, when you ask people about God, the first Person of the Trinity, they can usually tell you about several of His attributes,

Similarly, when you ask them, about Jesus, the second Person of the Trinity, they can usually tell you about a few of His attributes as well.

Ask them about the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, and the results are noticeably different.

A majority of the time they can tell you very little in comparison.

So, who is the Holy Spirit and what is Pentecost?

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and other followers (Acts 2) and some remarkable things happened.

There came a sound from heaven like a violent wind that filled the entire house.

Next tongues spread out like a fire that came to rest upon each one of them.

Then each was filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in different human languages.

This was the beginning of the Church.

Devout men from every nation were nearby.

They came and were amazed because each heard them speak in his language.

Even then, just as today, there were many who misunderstood the Holy Spirit and what He did among the believers.

Acts 2:7-8 (NET) - Completely baffled, they said, "Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that each of us hears them in our own native language?"

Today, many still are unfamiliar with the attributes of the Holy Spirit.

What are some of His attributes?

The Holy Spirit helps us to recognize both our sinful nature and our need for salvation.

The Holy Spirit then leads us to Jesus for that salvation.

The Holy Spirit helps us accept Jesus as our savior.

The Holy Spirit then assures us of our salvation and transforms our lives.

The Holy Spirit helps us lead fruitful lives and also helps us witness to others.

The Holy Spirit helps us comprehend the truth and also provides us with a combination of comfort and strength.

These are but some of the ways that the Holy Spirit influences our lives.

The Holy Spirit, like the Father and the Son, cannot be completely understood by human minds.

We should, however, be receptive and responsive to His leading.

This will not only enrich our lives, it will help us to enrich the lives of others.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 7, 2013.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 14, 2013.
Schedule subject to change.

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.