God of Abundance

 

Jeremiah 31 discusses the return of the exiles.

This will be a joyful return.

The words are from the Lord but are spoken through the prophet.

The people will be grateful to the Lord, and His bounty will satisfy them.

Jeremiah 31:14b (NRSVue) - and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the Lord.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he acknowledges their support.

Paul also reminds them that their every need will be satisfied.

Philippians 4:19 (NRSVue) – And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

God’s blessings are indeed bountiful to the faithful.

It is important to note that God satisfies every need, not every greed.

God knows what we need even before we think to ask.

When we needed salvation, God held nothing back.

He satisfied that need in the only way possible.

God satisfied that need through Jesus Christ.

Sadly, some must hit rock bottom before turning to God.

When they do, God is there for them.

When God is all one has left, one realizes that He is Whom they needed all along.

Some might still ask if God knows what each individual needs.

Jesus answers the question this way.

Matthew 10:29-31 (NRSVue) - Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, September 18, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, September 25, 2026

Deliver Us from the Evil One

 

Psalm 91 is a prayer for protection.

In fact, it goes by another name, “The Soldier’s Psalm.”

(I encourage you to research that title)

In verse 14, the psalmist seeks God’s protection.

He also acknowledges the reason for that protection.

Psalm 91:14 (NIV) - “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

In John 17, Jesus prays for his disciples.

In verse 15, Jesus prays for their protection.

John 17:15 (NRSVue) – I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.

Notice that Jesus does not ask God to take them out of the world.

He does not ask God to protect them from evil,

Jesus asks God to protect them from the source of that evil.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray.

Some translations end verse 13 with “deliver us from evil.”

Other translations add one word.

Matthew 6:13 (NIV) - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

To be honest, the world is a frightening place.

Just reading the headlines is often enough to make one afraid.

But the solution is not to lock ourselves away from evil.

It is in acknowledging who is the source of all evil.

It is then trusting that God is with us and never leaves us.

Therein lies the beauty in loving God and trusting Him.

It also lies in the fact that God loves us.

The evil one will still try to attack us.

There is no getting around that as that is his nature.

Job is a perfect example of that fact.

But thanks to God’s love for us through Christ, we never face him alone.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

I will be back here on Friday, September 11, 2026

The Words and the Examples

Psalm 143 is a prayer for deliverance.

In it, the Psalmist prayed for guidance.

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

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

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

Jesus asked if they wished to turn away as well.

Peter’s response was profound yet simple.

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

Our response should echo Peter’s.

It should be just as simple.

It should be equally profound.

Scripture teaches us through its words.

Through those within, it also teaches us by example.

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

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

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

Personally, I have given this much thought.

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

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

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

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

God is aware of our successes.

He is also aware of our failures.

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

It deepens our relationship with Him as children of God.

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

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

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

... And Nothing but the Truth

 

Psalm 12 is a plea for help.

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

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

In John 18, Jesus is brought before Pilate.

Here, Jesus explains truth.

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

In our modern era, truth has been relativized.

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

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

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

Even sincerity cannot alter truth.

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

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

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

This is the nature of truth.

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

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

John 14:6 (NRSVue) - Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

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

But that does not alter the responsibility we have.

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

But before we speak, we must love the listener.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

Faith is Not an Accident

 

Psalm 22 is a plea for deliverance.

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

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

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

Paul expressed encouragement.

Paul acknowledged Timothy’s faith.

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

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

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

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

Like Timothy, I was also blessed with Godly grandmothers.

Their love shaped the faith of my parents.

The faith of my parents then shaped my own faith.

The love of God also shapes our faith.

Thanks to Christ, we are children of God!

As such, our faith is genuine.

It was shaped throughout our lifelong walk with God.

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

Our faith is not accidental.

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

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

Speaking with God

Last weekend, my church had a its annual fundraiser.

A group of my friends called me over to where they had gathered.

I discovered a visitor with them who knew of our background.

She was hoping to find somebody to speak with in the Czech language.

For a good portion of our history, worship services were held in the Czech language.

This was done for the benefit of Czech settlers who arrived in the area.

In time, we transitioned from Czech to English.

I told our visitor that I was not as fluent as I once was, but I would certainly try my best.

I was glad I did.

Our conversation started off with the usual pleasantries.

We then proceeded to discuss our families.

I was delighted to learn that she knew my parents.

She even remembered me when I was a small boy.

We compared our family trees and discovered that we were related to each other.

As our conversation ended, I told her that I was glad I had the chance to speak with her.

She replied in kind.

She added that the number of people with whom she can speak with in Czech is declining.

Then she left.

This put me in mind of speaking with God and our relationship with Him.

Romans 12:12 (NET) - Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.

Whatever condition we find ourselves in, prayer is the primary means by which we speak to God.

As I spoke with our visitor, sometimes I struggled to find the right word or phrase.

Sometimes, it is difficult for us to find the right words when we speak with God.

At such times, the Spirit intercedes for us.

Romans 8:26 (NET) - In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

Discovering that I was related to our visitor reminded me of our special relationship with God.

Romans 8:15 (NET) - For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, "Abba, Father."

That is a very special relationship indeed.

That means we can speak with God at any time about anything.

This also means that He wants to hear from us – not just when we are in need.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NET) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 18, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 25, 2019

As Good as His Word

Isaiah 40:8 (NET) - The grass dries up, the flowers wither, but the decree of our God is forever reliable.

English is not my first language.

My first language happens to be Czech because that is what my parents spoke at home.

They also tended to speak it with family and old friends.

In public, however, they spoke English so they made certain I learned that as well.

My grandparents, however, spoke Czech almost exclusively.

As I was growing up, my grandmother would send me a card on every special occasion.

The card may have been printed in English, but the sentiment my grandmother wrote was always written in Czech.

Although I could speak Czech fairly well, the written language was another matter.

I would always have to have Mom or Dad read it to me.

As the years went by, I wanted to be able to read my grandmother’s words for myself.

I asked my father to buy me a textbook on the Czech language which I studied.

Eventually I learned enough to grasp the written language.

Then I was able to read my grandmother’s words for myself.

It was one thing for Mom or Dad to tell me that my grandmother loved me.

It was another thing for me to be able to read this in her own words.

In a way, the Bible reminds me a little bit of those cards from my grandmother.

Parents, pastors, Sunday school teachers, friends and others can tell us Jesus loves us.

Through the Bible we are able to read this for ourselves.

One of the first hymns we are taught as children is Jesus Loves Me.

As adults, we still think of it as a song for children.

That is because its message is so simple.

Jesus loves me, this I know

For the Bible tells me so.

We may think that the song is for children, but it can be an excellent reminder in our adult years as well.

Matthew 24:35 (NET) - Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 6, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, October 13, 2017

Why Sunday School?

It is difficult enough trying to get grown people to go to church these days.

It seems even more difficult to get them to even think of going to Sunday School,

Believe it or not, there are real benefits in attending an adult Sunday School class.

First of all, Sunday School is not just for children.

If a church has a Sunday School program for children it is very likely that it provides classes for adults.

Learning, after all, should be a lifelong experience.

Second, an adult Sunday School class is generally a small group.

Church should feel like family as we grow closer to those with whom we worship.

That being true, a small group like an adult Sunday School class begins to feel more like immediate family to those who attend.

This special sense of family is fostered simply by being a part of the group.

Another benefit of attending an adult Sunday School class is that you cannot help but learn more about the Bible.

Everyone in the class has passages of scripture that are important to them.

As the class studies together people will often share these passages of scripture with their fellow students.

At other times a student may recall a portion of scripture which the class then looks up in the Bible.

Another benefit of attending an adult Sunday School class is that each person is different,

Each brings his particular strengths that helps others.

Each also bring his weaknesses in order that they may be helped by those who are stronger.

Attending an adult Sunday School class also helps one get better at prayer.

When time in class is set aside for this purpose, students learn to pray more effectively.

They also raise specific people and circumstances up in prayer.

Their classmates then often pray for these people and circumstances outside the classroom as well.

In an adult Sunday School class, the students tend to become more involved individuals.

They may serve the church in other areas and quite often they have or develop ministries outside the church.

One thing I would recommend to any adult Sunday School class is that they take up an offering and prayerfully consider how to use those funds to benefit others.

Speaking from experience, you will be absolutely amazed by what God can do with a handful of dedicated people and a few dollars every week.

There is another great thing about being in a Sunday School class.

You really feel God’s presence there.

Scripture bears this out!

Matthew 18:20 (NET) - For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.

These are merely some of the benefits of attending an adult Sunday School class.

There are many more.

There are even benefits to teaching such a class.

But those I will save for another time.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 5, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 12, 2016

One Thing

My plans for Thanksgiving Day changed.

The wonderful people who invited me to share the day with them encountered circumstances beyond their control.

They contacted me the day before and explained the situation to me.

I completely understood and told them so,

I told them not to worry about a thing and informed them that I would lift them up in prayer.

The moment I hung up the phone, I did just that.

Once I concluded that portion of my prayer I asked for His guidance in how I should spend Thanksgiving Day.

The answer came as no surprise as it was embedded in the name of the day.

I should spend my day simply giving thanks to God.

Although this should be simple, the difficulty lies in where to begin.

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in we discover that we have so much for which to be thankful.

As I began to mentally prepare a list, my thoughts turned to a work by a man named John Amos Comenius who lived in the 1600’s.

Comenius was many things.

The world knows him as the father of modern education, but he was also an author, a theologian and many other things as well.

Unum Necessarium is but one of the books Comenius wrote.

The subject of this book is “the one thing necessary.”

Of all that we have or could have only one of them is completely necessary.

What is this one thing?

The one thing necessary is a relationship with God which is made possible through Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:31 (NIV) - They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

I will forever be grateful for the one thing necessary.

Being thankful in this will allow me to be grateful for everything else.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Of course that means I am grateful for you too.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

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

A Family Resemblance

It still amazes me when someone I do not know walks up to me, mentions my father by name and then asks if I am his son.

A short time before Christmas I ran into an old friend who told me that he had come across an old photograph I might be interested in.

It was my good fortune to see this gentleman again just a week later.

He handed me an envelope containing the photograph he told me about previously.

I thanked him and then opened the envelope.

The photograph was very special to me.

It was taken during the 1950's when my father and one of his brothers both worked at a restaurant.

My father looked extremely young.

My father was about half my current age and his brother a few years older.

Also in the picture was the owner and some of his other employees.

That photograph has occupied my thoughts a great deal since.

I have shown this photograph to a number of people and there are some things people have been kind enough to point out.

They point out that there is a family resemblance between my father and his brother which is not surprising.

Some even say that my father and I share a resemblance.

I find this most interesting because I wear glasses, have had a beard for decades and have a large frame whereas my father was clean shaven, had no need for glasses and was a very trim gentleman.

Even though there are physical differences between us people can still see my father's characteristics in me.

Although he's been gone for a very long time and there are major differences in our appearance, I still encounter people who look at me and ask if he was my father.

Somehow, they can see past all the differences and still see a bit of my father in me.

This puts me in mind of the old hymn “They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love”.

Jesus put it this way.

John 13:35 (NIV) - "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

As Christians, that is the family resemblance we should all share.

Love not only for other Christians but for everyone.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 17, 2014.

Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 24, 2014.