Remember Those Who are in Prison

 

Genesis 39:20-21 (NRSVue) - And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.

There is much wisdom in the Old Testament.

The account of Joseph is a prime example.

Joseph faced much in the way of adversity.

Sold into slavery by his brothers, he wound up in prison after being falsely accused.

But even in prison, God’s steadfast love never diminished.

God was with Joseph even in prison.

As a result, even Joseph’s jailer was moved to find favor in him.

The New Testament finds Paul and Silas imprisoned.

Their crime? They revealed the truth about the abilities of a slave whose owners profited from her.

But like Joseph, God’s steadfast love was with them.

Other prisoners were moved by their prayers and hymns.

Acts 16:25 (NRSVue) - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

God’s love remains as steadfast today as it was centuries ago.

The life, death and saving power of the resurrected Christ serve as proof.

But it does not take concrete and iron bars to make a prison.

In fact, many are confined in prisons of their own creation.

Doubt, fear, jealousy, anger, bigotry, and the desire for revenge merely begin a list of self-made prisons.

But the steadfast love of God can be found in even the darkest of prisons.

It can even be found in prisons of our own creation.

We must remember this.

Moreover, our lives must bear witness to this.

As we think about those imprisoned, let us pray for them.

Let us also pray for God to reveal to us how we may best serve them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 18, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, August 25, 2023

Close Call

 

Psalm 34:2 (NIV) - I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Psalm 34 is a special Psalm.

It is a Psalm of David that is an acrostic poem.

This means each verse begins with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

But that is not the only thing that makes it special.

Verse two is about the rejected and downtrodden.

The psalmist offers God his praise and lifts those whom society rejects in prayer.

Paul offers similar sentiments in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 4:4-5 (NIV) - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Paul reminds us that we are to rejoice and glorify the Lord.

In fact, he reminds us twice!

He also reminds us that the Lord is close by even when circumstances appear dark.

He also reminds us that as Christians, our gentleness should be evidence to all.

Fortunately for us, Christ told us how he wants us to treat others.

Moreover, He demonstrated how we are to live.

As a result, we really have no choice but to praise and glorify the Lord.

And the combination of peace and joy we feel proves that the Lord is near.

As we reach out to others, especially those in difficult circumstances, they too can rejoice.

They too can glorify God.

They too can experience his nearness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 7, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, July 14, 2023

A Unity of Believers

Psalm 70:4 (NET) - May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May God be praised!”

The Psalmist writes of the hope and happiness of those who seek God.

He also writes of those who have experienced His deliverance.

But things like hope, happiness and deliverance are not restricted to individuals.

Neither is the praising of God.

Paul reminds us of this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 15:5-6 (NET) - Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Each of us is on a journey.

Somewhere along that journey, we will experience deliverance.

As a result, we will experience both a unique and true happiness.

In the end, these are but part of a greater whole.

As Paul writes, these give us unity with one another in accordance with Jesus Christ.

And, just like the Psalmist, Paul reminds us that we should glorify God.

We are individuals.

We each have formed our own ideas and opinions.

Therefore, it is likely that we will disagree about a great many things.

But, despite all our differences, one truth stands out.

We are all united in Christ.

Each of us is part of the Church, 

Paul discusses this in the same letter.

Romans 12:4-5 (NET) - For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.

So, let us belong to one another.

Let us each serve according to our gifts.

Let us focus on He who unites us rather than that which divides us.

Above all, let us continually praise and glorify God.

I leave you with this quote from The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart originally written in 1623 by John Amos Comenius:

“Farewell, dear Christian, and may the leader of light, the Holy Spirit, show you better than I can both the vanity of the world and the glory, happiness and joy of the elect whose hearts are united with God.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 21, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, January 28, 2022

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

The Seduction of Pride

I was recently asked to be one of several speakers at an upcoming event.

I agreed for two reasons.

First, I am familiar with the topic that interests the group.

Second, I was recommended to them by a close friend.

As the event was still weeks away, I turned my attention back to more pressing matters.

A few days later, the group requested my “bio” for the event.

Frankly, I never like submitting these.

Although organizers need them, I dislike them for two reasons.

In the first place, I do not like talking about myself.

In the second, it is easy to allow pride to take over.

Once pride takes over, we can easily overstate our importance.

Before I began, I thought about the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Jesus relates this parable in Luke 18.

He told it to some people who were convinced they were more righteous than others.

Luke 18:10-12 (NET) - “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

I was very glad I recalled this parable before I wrote my “bio” as it reminded me how not go about it.

The second part of this parable also proved very helpful.

Luke 18:13 (NET) - The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’

Keeping these verses in mind, I wrote my “bio”, keeping it to just a few simple lines and submitted it to the organizers.

I am glad that I took this approach.

Luke 18:14 (NET) - I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Pride, especially in one’s self, is extremely seductive.

It is easy to see why the ancients considered it one of the deadly sins.

It is so seductive that it can easily lead us to sin in other ways.

Most importantly, pride shifts our focus.

We shift our focus onto ourselves and away from God who rightfully deserves it.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 2, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 9, 2019

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

It's About God

I was channel surfing the other day.

I paused when I came across a program that was supposed to be about funny videos.

This segment featured a wedding video shot by a professional hired for the occasion.

The videographer along with a still photographer both decided to stand directly behind the minister.

The still photographer was using a flash and was clicking off shot after shot as the minister began to perform the ceremony.

Quite suddenly, the minister interrupted the ceremony.

He turned around to face both the videographer and photographer.

The minister informed the pair that he would not allow them to stand there.

The videographer protested stating that he just wanted to get a good shot.

The minister replied that these proceedings were not about the shot but rather about God.

The videographer continued his protest and the minister replied that he would stop the proceedings altogether if they refused to move.

A look of shock came over both the bride and groom.

This warning from the minister encouraged the pair to move.

What I find disturbing is that the producers of this program felt the minister’s reaction was funny.

The commentary from the program’s panel was equally disturbing.

They contended that the couple was more important than God.

They even discussed how much these professionals charged for their services.

Before I wrote this, I did a quick Internet search and discovered one of the major news networks featured an extended version of the video in a news report.

Their reporter inaccurately described the minister as having a meltdown.

The network also interviewed the couple by phone.

They were of the opinion that the minister overreacted.

All things considered, I have to side with the minister in this case.

I am not a professional photographer, but I have taken a number of photographs at weddings, baptisms and other services in a church setting.

I take them not only to benefit the participants, but also to document church history.

That said, there are a number of rules I imposed on myself from the beginning.

First, I would never use a flash in church.

Second, I would sit in front and take every photo from that position. I would not move around.

Third, I would try my utmost not to be a distraction.

Finally, under no circumstances would I ever consider approaching the altar for the sake of a photograph.

I have seen others do this, especially family members during baptisms, and I cringe when they do so.

The service, no matter the occasion, is about God.

God comes first and the participants second.

It is never about the photographer or the shot.

I find it sad that both the program and a major network decided to ridicule this minister.

I, for one, fully support his decision.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 1, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 8, 2016

Glimpses of God

Moses was a man of God.

He asked God for something special.

Exodus 33:18 (NET) – And Moses said, “Show me your glory.”

God explained that this was impossible.

It was not impossible for God.

Rather, it was impossible for Moses.

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

God did make it possible for Moses to get a glimpse of Him.

Exodus 33:22-23 (NET) - When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover you with my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.”

We find ourselves in the same situation as Moses.

We long to see God’s glory.

Scripture reminds us that we cannot see His face and live.

God does give us glimpses of Himself.

We can see glimpses of God in nature.

We can see glimpses of God in the way the formulas of science and mathematics work perfectly time after time.

We can also see glimpses of God in others.

We can see glimpses of God in the young.

We can see glimpses of God in the not so young.

We can see glimpses of God in those that are like us.

We can see glimpses of God that are not so like us.

This is not surprising.

Each one of us is created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 (NET) – God created humankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them.

Think about this.

Right now there are billions of us on the planet.

Billions more preceded us.

Who knows how many are yet to come?

All those billions and billions of people, and yet we are all different.

Yet we are all made in the image of God.

Each and every one of use offers a glimpse of God’s glory to the others.

Is it any wonder that God’s glory is so magnificent that no man, not even a man like Moses, could see it and live?

One day, we will see God’s glory.

Until then, we must be happy to see glimpses of Him in others.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 17, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 24, 2015

When I Grow Up

When you were a child, what job did you most want to have when you grew up?

When I was a child, the race for space was in full swing so I dreamed of becoming an astronaut.

That, of course, did not happen.

I posed that question to my friends and I was surprised at the variety of answers I received.

One wanted to be a baseball player.

Another wanted to be an archaeologist.

Other occupations that made up the list I gathered were artist, nurse, teacher, actress, radio disc jockey and forest ranger.

I suppose by now the list has grown even longer.

I was really surprised by the wide variety of answers I received.

Most of the people I asked did not get the job they dreamed of doing.

Fortunately for some students, two of the teachers did.

Although I never became an astronaut, I do have a job that I enjoy and have had it for a long time.

I have not had to go to a job interview in a good many years, but one of the questions I remember potential employers usually asking was, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

I suppose they were trying to somehow gauge the amount of ambition I had by analyzing my answer to this question.

But, to be honest, there is not a single one among us that really knows the answer to that question.

That would require a degree of omniscience that human beings simply do not have.

Fortunately, God knows us better than we know ourselves.

He knows what he has planned for us.

He will even equip us to fulfill that plan.

He will do so even if that plan is one we would not have chosen for ourselves.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NET) - 'For I know what I have planned for you,' says the LORD. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.'

Bear in mind that prosperity does not necessarily mean financial prosperity as today's definition of the word currently implies.

Some of the most faithful people I knew were anything but financially prosperous.

By the way, if you are one of the few who actually got that job you dreamed of, I congratulate you.

Whether you did or not, make sure you thank Him for the one you have and do it to the best of your ability to bring Him glory.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The  Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 16, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 23, 2014

What Is Your Gift?

Every believer is gifted by God so that he or she can use those gifts to glorify Him.

Scripture describes some of those gifts in Romans 12.

The gifts listed there are prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, contributing, leadership and the showing of mercy.

It also describes how those gifts are to be used.

It really is a wonderful feeling to know both what your gift is and that you are putting it to use.

But what if you are not sure about what your gift is?

How do you go about finding out?

The best place to begin is with prayer.

Mathew 21:22 (NET) - And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.

Bear in mind that this does not necessarily mean asking for a particular gift.

The better approach is to prayerfully ask God to reveal to you the gift He has in mind for you.

Also, be prepared for the subtle ways in which God sometimes reveals Himself.

While God revealed Himself to Moses through a burning bush, He also revealed Himself to Elijah in a whisper.

Elijah witnessed a powerful wind which caused landslides on the very mountain upon which he stood.

After that, he witnessed an earthquake.

Elijah witnessed still more.

1 Kings 19:22 (NET) - After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a soft whisper.

Elijah recognized that God was in the whisper.

How can we be sure to hear something as subtle as a whisper?

Scripture even provides us with an answer to that question.

Be still.

Psalm 46:10 (KJV) - Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.

It is important to spend time with God in a quiet place that is free from noise and distractions.

There is one more thing to keep in mind.

When He reveals the gift He has given to you it may not be one you expected.

It may not be the one you would have chosen for yourself.

If that happens, do not worry.

He knows what He has planned for you and He will equip you to use it.

That is a big part of what having faith is all about.



Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The  Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 4, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, April 11, 2014