No Matter Where You Are

This time of year always causes me to reflect on change.

In the Northern Hemisphere we are now into fall.

Leaves are turning various shades of brown, red and yellow.

Soon the ground will be covered with them,

The temperature is also growing milder and this serves to remind me that winter is not too far away,

The opposite is true in the Southern Hemisphere where spring is in the air.

Winter is releasing its hold on that part of the world.

Everything there is once again turning green with the promise of renewed life.

To our way of thinking, changes of this kind seems gradual.

It takes an entire year to complete the cycle of seasons.

Other changes take place both more quickly and more often.

This is true when we change directions from North and South to East and West.

Half the globe is experiencing day and the other half night in a cycle.

It takes only 24 hours to complete this cycle.

These are changes with which we are somewhat aware.

Yet there are some things of which we are not aware at all.

You may need to sit completely still for this next part.

The speed at which the Earth rotates about its axis is close to 1000 miles per hour (1600 km/hr) at the equator.

The speed at which the Earth travels around the Sun is an incredible 66,000 miles per hour (107,000 km/hr).

The Sun (along with the Earth) is travelling around the galaxy at a staggering 483,000 miles per hour (792,000 km/hr)!

Just how fast is the galaxy moving (along with the Earth)? This speed turns out to be an astounding 1.3 million miles per hour (2.1 million km/hr)!

You see, even when you are sitting completely still you are still travelling at an incredible rate of speed even though you are not even the slightest bit aware of it.

Day or night, spring or fall, or even where you in the universe at any given moment based on its various speeds, God knows exactly where you are and what is going on in your life.

He not only knows; He cares.

Joshua 1:9 (NET) - I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 16, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 23, 2015

The Grand Illusion

People, as a rule, are stubborn.

I should know, because I am a person and I tend to be stubborn.

When it comes to life, we like to believe that we are in control.

But this belief is merely a self-imposed illusion.

The proof lies in the outcome of the plans that we make.

Sometimes, things work out the way we plan.

Often times, they do not.

That is some pretty compelling evidence.

If we were in complete control of our lives, shouldn’t everything work out the way we plan?

If we are not in control, then that leaves us with two possibilities.

Either no one is in control or someone else is.

If no one is in control then the entire system should break down.

Granted, the world has its share of problems.

There are wars, poverty, disease, ignorance and a host of other problems.

Despite all of these things, life goes on.

That leaves us with one option.

Someone is in control.

That raises the question of exactly who is in control.

There is only one possible answer.

God is in control.

Even the community of science gives us some glimpses of that.

The speed of light is a constant.

The acceleration due to gravity is another.

The list goes on.

As I said at the outset, I am stubborn.

Even as a Christian, I liked to think I was in control of my life.

Eventually, I learned to let go of the wheel.

Once I did that two things happened.

First, I discovered that I was actually able to enjoy the ride even more.

Second, I asked myself why I had not let go sooner.

Proverbs 19:21 (NET) – There are many plans in a person’s mind, but it is the counsel of the LORD which will stand.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 6, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 13, 2014

Always There

The other day I ran into a problem with a company I have been doing business with for some time.

I knew that I would need to talk to someone in their customer service department in order to clear this up.

I picked up the phone and dialed the number posted on their website.

What I got was a recording.

“Thank you for calling the customer service department,” the recording began.

It continued, “Our business hours are from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern time Monday thru Friday.”

I called from a different time zone.

I looked at my watch and it was 5:01 in the Eastern time zone and I had missed getting a resolution to my problem by a single minute.

It would be necessary for me to postpone my call for one more day.

As I hung up the phone, I remember thinking how glad I was that God does not operate on such a schedule.

I can talk to Him any time at all.

God listens to prayer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

There is no waiting as God can listen to many prayers at the same time.

I think it is that aspect of prayer that bothers unbelievers the most.

After all, how can God listen to many prayers "at the same time"?

If you think about, that concept is not really that difficult to comprehend.

"At the same time" simply applies to the human side of the equation - us!

God is not confined to the limits of time.

God is outside of time.

God always existed; He exists right now; He will continue to exist forever in the future.

God can, and does, listen to every prayer that is lifted up to Him.

Philippians 4:6 (NET) - Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.

We can lift up our prayers to Him at any time of the day or night.

How He chooses to answer those prayers is up to Him.

His will, not ours, will prevail.



Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The  Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 21, 2014.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, March 28, 2014.

No Shutdown Here

Psalm 62:8 (NET) - Trust in Him at all times, you people! Pour out your hearts before him! God is our shelter! (Selah)

I am really grateful to God for the sense of humor He gave me.

It really helps when the times are uncertain,

Take current events, for example.

Political parties in the government could not reach an agreement.

The result was a government shutdown.

Services were disrupted.

Each side pointed their finger at the other and it was the people, not the politicians, who were caught in the middle.

When Sunday came along I found myself extremely busy at church well before Sunday School began.

I was asked to arrive early and open up the church.

I turned on the lights and the air conditioning.

I turned on the coffee maker so that the water had sufficient time to get warm.

I took a telephone call from a member asking me to take some things out of our refrigerator,

Being World Communion Sunday, I assisted our Communion Stewards by helping them carry items into the Sanctuary.

I found a friend and asked him to help me reposition the Communion table.

I made the coffee.

Chairs had been removed from my classroom so I had to replace them.

I was slated to lead our Senior Assembly and was about to go over my notes one final time when I was asked to do some troubleshooting on the church’s computer.

When all these things were done I had about one minute left before the Assembly began.

That's when a humorous thought hit me, so I logged onto Facebook via my mobile and checked in from the church.

I did so with the phrase "No shutdown here" and then turned off my mobile.

The sense of humor He gave me helps me get through my day and hopefully allows me to help others get through theirs as well.

It also reminds me that in every bit of humor there is at least a grain of truth.

That bit about the shutdown is a good example.

The church does not ever shut down.

That is because God does not shut down.

God is actively involved in our lives and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week even on holidays.

He can be reached at any time of the day or night regardless of the situation.

You don’t need appointment.

He is there whenever you need Him.

He is there even if you just want to talk to Him.

In fact, that is an excellent way to develop a relationship with God.

People, even those in government, can and will let you down.

God will never let you down.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The  Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 18, 2013.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, October 25, 2013.

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.