Risky Business

The dictionary defines “risky” as “full of the possibility of danger, failure or loss.”

How true that is!

Type the word “risky” into a search engine and you will find pages devoted to the pandemic.

This is a good barometer as to the level of fear currently in the world.

Others, however, enjoy risk.

Some race motorcycles, some dive off cliffs and some climb huge rocks.

When asked why they do so, many of them admit to being “adrenaline junkies”.

They enjoy living on the edge where most of us would dare not tread.

But you do not have to partake in these activities or face a pandemic to be a risk taker.

Many take the biggest risk of all without realizing it.

They are the people who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

They are the biggest risk takers of all.

Many of them assume that this life is all that there is,

In their way of thinking, you are born, you live, you die… end of story.

But it is far from the end of the story.

Jesus had some cautionary words for those who live for this world only.

Mark 8:36 (NET) - For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?

Many put off seeking this relationship.

They rationalize this by thinking they have plenty of time in which to seek Him.

But unlike a timed sporting event, not one of us knows exactly how much time remains.

Unlike football, there is no two-minute warning.

The current pandemic bears that out.

Having a personal relationship with Jesus means knowing that it is not about us.

It is about Him.

This is a radical change in perspective.

Lives are changed and very important lessons are learned.

We learn the amount of time we have left is less important than what we choose to do with it.

We learn that we have nothing to fear; not even from the pandemic.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NET) - For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.

But be forewarned.

A relationship with Christ does not guarantee a life of safety.

Many have paid with their lives simply by following Christ.

It will not always be easy.

Like Peter, you just might have to step out of the boat.

Matthew 14:37 (NET) - So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.

A relationship with Jesus brings its own kinds of risk, but the rewards are worth it.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 7, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 14, 2020

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

Memories and Relationships

I discovered that one of my father’s favorite TV shows was available on DVD.

My father left this world almost forty years ago.

Watching these old episodes again brought back some great memories of long ago.

I remember some things very clearly.

I recall being a very small boy at the time.

I remember my father sitting in his favorite chair just before the program started.

I also remember that I always stopped playing.

Then, I would sit on the floor right next to my father.

I did this because I wanted to feel close to him.

I recall how we exchanged glances.

I also remember how my father would smile at me.

Then the program would start.

I recall sitting very quietly for the next hour so as not to disturb him.

I’ll admit I found the program’s opening theme and graphics a bit frightening.

One look toward my father’s confident face and that would quickly dispel any fears.

I did not get much out of the program back then.

Its premise was far beyond my grasp.

It did however allow me the opportunity to spend some time with my father.

These memories make me think of my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Often, it is enough for me just to sit quietly in His presence.

To feel a special closeness and to feel loved in return.

And when the world seems chaotic a look toward Him makes all my fears vanish.

No matter how old I grow; He always considers me His child.

Hebrews 11:6 (NET) - Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 15, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 22, 2019

Don't Give Up

Everyone gets tired.

Even people who serve the Lord.

In fact, burnout is a problem pastors face.

Even those of us who serve the Lord in other ways can find ourselves running on fumes.

Let’s face it, serving the Lord can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Fortunately, scripture helps remind us not to give up.

Jesus reminds us we must push forward.

Luke 9:62 (NET) - Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Paul reminds us in one of his letters that we must press onward.

He even tells us what we can expect if we do.

Galatians 6:9 (NET) - So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.

Paul has another reminder for us,

Philippians 3:14 (NET) - with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Perhaps Paul’s best advice comes in the next chapter.

In it, he reminds us that we are not in it alone.

Philippians 4:13 (NET) - I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

I lovingly refer to this as my “go to” verse whenever I find myself struggling.

Paul also puts it another way.

Colossians 1:29 (NET) - Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

Yes, serving the Lord can be difficult at times.

But we must never give up or give in!

We must persevere!

We must remember the Lord is with us.

If we do, in the end we can say what Paul said.

2 Timothy 4:7 (NET) - I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!

Then the Lord may have something to say to us.

Jesus gave us a foretaste of it in one of His parables.

Matthew 25:21 (NIV) - “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 7, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, June 14, 2019

Healing Division

Well, the midterm elections are over.

I plan not to turn this into a one-sided political piece.

But there are some things worth considering.

There are some things that definitely concern me right now.

To say that the nation is extremely divided is an understatement.

Elections have ceased to be about objectively selecting the candidates we feel are best qualified.

Elections have degraded into another component of the “us versus them” mentality that we currently find ourselves in.

The media is not helping matters in that they categorize candidates, regions and even voters as either red or blue,

One of the other things that bothers me are the vast amounts of money that pour into the process.

One candidate amassed several million dollars to finance his campaign.

Despite his huge financing, his campaign failed to get him into office.

I try not to think of the millions of dollars more spent by others and the better uses society has for then.

So, now the elections are over and what exactly will we have?

We will have a blue House (a Democratic majority).

We will have a red Senate (a Republican majority).

How much in the way of actual progress can possibly emerge from this?

I still think about a divided nation in which each side is willing to demonize the other simply because they disagree.

Most importantly, I think about how Christ told us to love each other.

Yes, even those with whom we disagree politically.

It is okay if we disagree.

It is not okay for us to become disagreeable people in the process.

In two more years, we will find ourselves mired down in yet another election cycle.

In the meantime, there are some things we need to remember.

First, we must place our faith in the Lord; not politicians.

Second, the Lord is the source of real hope; not political parties.

Finally, we must find a way to love one another no matter how we decide to cast our votes.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET) - And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 16, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, November 23, 2018

That's Not My Job

I’ve been working for the same office for almost three decades now.

I recall the time when I first started working there.

I was new and learning.

I was assigned a task and worked at it until I reached an impasse.

I remember walking up to a female coworker and asking for her help.

She responded in a terse manner, “That’s not my job.”

Fortunately, I was able to find someone who helped me.

I made the decision there and then that I would never tell someone who needed my help, “That’s not my job”.

I understood two things even back then.

First of all, work is an activity God meant for mankind.

One of the tasks God gave Adam was to tend the Garden.

Genesis 2:15 (NET) - The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it.

Second, we were created to help one another.

Galatians 6:2 (NET) - Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

This applies to the workplace as well.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.”

There is truth in this but not always in the ways expected.

There are often times when a man (or in my earlier example, a woman) can remind us how NOT to treat others.

In Christ, we have the best teacher of all.

Christ not only told us to love one another, He demonstrated how as well.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NET) - Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 2, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, November 9, 2018

Be a Pilgrim

“Be a pilgrim and not a settler.”

These were the words spoken by Dr. Thomas Fudge when I heard speak in November 2015.

Those words come back to me time and again as I journey through life as a Christian.

His point was a simple one.

As Christians, we have two choices set before us each day.

We can choose to continue our journey, learn and grow.

Or, we can choose to settle down right where we are.

Settling certainly offers a sense of relief and a sense of comfort.

But settling also means stagnation.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way: “Cheap grace has served as an inoculation, or more accurately, a vaccination. We have gotten just enough of Jesus to prevent us from catching the real thing.”

That is why we should choose to remain pilgrims.

We should choose to keep moving forward - to learn, serve and grow more every day.

To become more like Christ every day.

To be a pilgrim and not a settler.

But be forewarned.

A pilgrim’s journey is not always an easy one.

Each day can bring challenges as well as opportunities.

It can even be outright dangerous at times.

Some of the most faithful have met quite sudden and very painful ends.

This must not dissuade us.

After all, there is one thing that every faithful pilgrim can count on.

A pilgrim never really travels alone.

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.”

So, choose to be a pilgrim and not a settler.

Who knows, we might meet each other again along the way.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

Change

I recently had another birthday.

For some reason, people like to make a fuss about another completed lap around the sun.

As I thought about this particular birthday, I reflected upon change.

It almost goes without saying that I have changed a great deal over the years.

That is as it should be.

Change is a natural part of our physical existence.

It should also be a vital part of our spiritual existence as well.

Paul understood that and tried to explain this to the believers in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 13:11 (NET) - When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways.

This is a large part of what growing as a Christian means.

From the time we are young until the time we die we must change.

We must grow.

We must become more like Jesus.

Paul tried to explain this to the Corinthians as well.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NET) - Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Effective change means we should become more and more like Christ.

For human beings, change is a process.

A process that continues day by day throughout our lives.

We should be more like Christ today than we were yesterday.

We should be more like Christ tomorrow than we are today.

We are fortunate.

While change is a process for us, it is not so for Christ.

Christ never changes.

Hebrews 13:8 (NET) - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

Christ is our standard.

We might not achieve that standard tomorrow.

But, we should find ourselves a step closer.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 16, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, March 23, 2018

By Example

I do not have children of my own, but I know they are special to Jesus.

Mark 10:13-16 (NET) - Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Because children are special to Him, they are special to me.

One thing that always makes me feel good is when children from my church recognize me in public.

The other day I stopped at a restaurant.

From where I was seated I could see a family at another table that attend my church.

The youngest child in that family is about two years of age.

At one point he started looking around and saw me.

He immediately got the attention of his parents and pointed me out.

I waved to them and they waved back.

What struck me was the response of the two-year old.

He knows so very little about me.

In his mind I am just the big, bearded man he sees every Sunday in church.

That scene kept replaying itself in my mind.

A few days later I stopped at a different restaurant to pick up a sandwich.

A teenager from my church recently started working there.

She smiled when I walked in and even took my order.

When my order was ready she handed it to me.

As I prepared to leave, she did not say goodbye.

She said, “See you in church!”

This also made me feel blessed.

The teenager knows a great deal more about me than does the two-year old.

She is far more aware of the duties I perform for the church than the child.

The one thing about me that each has learned from experience is that come Sunday they will see me in church.

All things considered, I cannot think of a better reputation to have among our young people.

Matthew 18:10 (NET) - See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

There are two primary means of education.

We can teach with words.

We can also teach by example.

We often teach adults with our words.

But it is the example we set for the young that teaches far more effectively.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 2, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, March 9, 2018

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

Blinders

Philippians 4:13 (NET) - with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I was looking at some old photographs of horses.

Some were farm horses that pulled plows.

Others were used to pull wagons or buggies in town.

Still others were bred for racing.

The one thing that they had in common was that many of them had blinders on.

I could not help but think about why.

No matter how fast or slow they travelled or how hard they worked, blinders were standard equipment.

Trainers put blinders on race horses encouraging them to stay focused on the race in front of them.

Blinders help keep work horses focused on the task at hand.

Blinders also keep horses from being distracted by their surroundings or frightened by things like traffic.

In Paul’s letter, he speaks of striving “toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

If that is the case, wouldn’t we find a set of blinders helpful ourselves?

Not necessarily.

Some blinders can be misleading.

Advertisers, for example, often try to tell us what we should want.

This can keep us from focusing on what we really need.

People we know can fit us with blinders.

They may try to get us to do or say things we know we should avoid.

Sometimes we even create blinders for ourselves.

These can keep us from seeing those in need around us.

Blinders may work well for horses, but we can certainly do without them.

Winning our race means focusing on “the upward call of God in Jesus Christ”.

It also means helping those in need around us and loving them.

We don’t need blinders to help us win our race.

2 Timothy 4:7 (NET) - I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 15, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, September 22, 2017

Father's - Earthly and Heavenly

Proverbs 20:7 (NET) - The righteous person behaves in integrity; blessed are his children after him.

My father’s birthday was just the other day.

I thought about him a great deal that day and the days since.

I was not yet a man when he died.

It is hard for me to believe that almost 40 years have gone by since the day he died.

I thought about the road I have traveled without him.

I thought of the questions I never got to ask him.

I pondered the fatherly wisdom he never got to give.

I thought of the many Father’s Days, birthdays and Christmases we could not celebrate together.

I reflected on the career I chose which he did not witness.

I thought of my personal successes he could not delight in.

I thought about many other things.

In the grand scheme of things, we did not have as much time together as we would have liked.

One thing is certain, neither of us knew that his last day on earth would be just that.

My father never saw the man I became.

Although I am by no means perfect, I am happy with the man I have become so far.

I give my father a good deal of the credit for that.

In the time we had together, he taught me many things.

He taught me the importance of work.

He taught me the importance of ethics.

He also taught me about the importance of relationships.

He taught me how to establish and nurture relationships with others.

He also taught me the importance of having a relationship with God.

Most importantly, he taught me these things by example.

As a result, I know that my Heavenly Father has shared with me in all the things my father could not.

I also know that I can turn to Him in any situation.

I know that He is an active participant in my life and not merely an observer.

He continues the work He started so many years ago.

Philippian 1:6 (NET) - For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 4, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, August 11, 2017

Old Car Seats

I am likely revealing my age with this piece, but that’s okay.

When I was very young the seats in my parents’ car and other cars were more like benches.

Seat belts were not yet standard equipment.

Child seats had not appeared on the scene either.

It’s a wonder people my age managed to survive childhood, but survive we did.

I remember sitting in the front seat with my parents.

My father drove and was seated to my left.

Mother sat on the passenger side and was seated to my right,

I was not even big enough to see out the windshield.

My view was confined to my parents and the dashboard.

There is one other thing I do recall with great clarity,

Whenever my father would have to brake suddenly to avoid an accident there was one thing I could always count on,

My father’s right arm would immediately shoot out and go across my chest.

At the same instant, my mother’s left arm would shoot out and go across my waist.

This was a perfectly orchestrated maneuver on their part.

It happened without a single word being said between them.

It was automatic.

With their combined strength, they kept me from moving much like seatbelts do today,

Working together, they kept me safe.

In time, I realized that this was just one way in which they demonstrated their love for me.

When I was a bit older, I moved from the front seat of the car to the back seat.

Having grown I was also able to see more of the world outside the car.

One thing I noticed was that very young couples in other vehicles tended to sit right next to each other.

Slightly older couples gave each other a little more space.

Old couples (from the vantage point of a child) tended to sit far apart,

I imagine that there was a time when my own parents sat right next to each other in the car.

When I came along, they made room for me,

Even when I was old enough to sit in the back seat, my parents kept on sitting where they did before.

I was thinking about those old car seats and how parallels can be drawn to our relationship with God.

First, when I was quite young and danger threatened me in the car, my parents tried to protect me as best they could.

They wanted to make sure they did their utmost for me even if it meant a big sacrifice on their part.

God made a huge sacrifice for us when He gave His Son for us.

John 3:16 (NET) -- For this is the way God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Second, I remembered that when couples first fell in love, it seemed they could not get close enough.

In time, space grew between them.

When we first come to know God, our love is such that we want to get as close to Him as we can.

Perhaps, over time, we may notice that we don’t seem as close as we once were.

One of us has moved,

Care to guess which one of us that was?

Psalm 136:26 (NET) - Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his loyal love endures!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 21, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, July 28, 2017

Why Church?

A question often asked is, “Why Church?”

This can be another way of asking, “Can a person be a Christian without going to church?”

There are, of course, a number of ways to look at this.

Perhaps the best place to start is by asking another question.

What exactly is church?

When some people think of church, they think of the church building.

It is important to understand that the church and the church building are not the same thing.

The word church is far more about the body of believers and whom they choose to worship.

Last Sunday when I arrived for worship I discovered that the neighborhood was without electricity.

We could have chosen to worship outdoors and still have been a church.

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

Some people move around, trying one church then another.

If asked why, they might tell you that they are looking for “the perfect church”.

Frankly, that is something they will never find because it does not exist.

The church on this earth is imperfect because it is composed of imperfect people.

People like me.

Even on my best day, I am anything but perfect.

The church can help us with that.

Philippians 3:12 (NE) - Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.

A church must be about worship.

It must help point people toward God and strengthen their relationship with Him.

Now it goes without saying that there are a number of different churches out there.

Just last week, I attended a wedding at a church that was not my own.

They do things differently than we do them.

That’s okay.

It does not matter that we each do things differently.

What matters is that we each, in our own way, strive to bring glory to God.

Another question asked is: “Can someone attend church and not be a Christian?”

Absolutely!

Being a Christian means having a relationship with God.

A relationship made possible through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This relationship has a profound impact on how we choose to treat others.

Without this relationship where we are at any given time is not the issue.

The church can help, but it is the state of a person’s heart that matters most.

Mark 12:29-31 (NET) - Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The church experience provides the Christian with a number of things.

It gives us a small taste of what heaven will be like.

It connects us with a body of believers who are united in spirit.

It provides us with opportunities to serve in ways that would not be possible on our own.

There are other things as well.

So, the next time someone asks me the question, “Why church?” I just might ask in return, “Why not?”

I wonder where that might lead.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 7, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, July 14, 2017

Opportunities

The church I attend just finished five days of Vacation Bible School.

This is primarily a program for children.

We also offer a class for adults.

It has been my privilege to teach the adult class for several years and I take this seriously for good reason.

James 3:1 (NET) - Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.

One thing is certain, one must teach adults differently than one teaches children.

As human beings, we continue to grow throughout our lives.

As we grow our needs change.

You would not feed a toddler what you feed an infant.

You would not feed a teenager what you feed a toddler, and so on.

As Christians, we continue to grow as well.

Our spiritual needs change as well.

They should anyway.

Paul discovered this was not the case with the Christians in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NET) - So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,

Fortunately, I did not have this problem with the adults in my class.

In fact, I was able to challenge them and even gave them some things to consider on their own.

No matter how much I enjoy teaching the adult class I do miss not being around the children.

God must have known that this was on my mind.

He made it possible for me to work with some children but not in a traditional classroom setting.

When the program ended, most people went home.

A few of us remained to put things back in order.

I was busy with bigger items like tables.

Also present were a boy and his little sister.

Their mother told them to “Go help Mr. Jim.”

As they ran to me I knew this was a teaching opportunity.

I gave them some really light tasks while I continued with the bigger ones.

While we worked, I spoke with them and even made them laugh a time or two.

I must admit they made me laugh as well.

Once the work was complete, we all went our separate ways and I thought about a number of things.

First, their mother did well by encouraging them to help.

Second, I was able to teach not with words but by example.

Third, although I was busy, I made time for them.

Jesus made time for children as well.

Matthew 19:14 (NET) - But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 16, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, June 23, 2017

Obedience

We are in the process of being perfected.

This is a process that continues throughout our lives.

Philippians 3:12 (NET) - Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.

So, we are not yet perfect.

Can we at least say that we are good?

Not according to scripture.

Psalm 53:2-3 (NET) - God looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God. Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one!

Jesus said as much to a rich man.

Mark 10:19 (NET) - Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

I will fall short as a human being even on my best days.

Perhaps I will say or do the wrong thing.

More likely, I will probably fail to do the right thing.

I might not even be aware of it.

That is one reason why obedience is so important.

It might be impossible for us to be good, but it is always possible to obey.

Peter and his brother Andrew were fishing one day when Jesus called them.

Matthew 4:19-20 (NET) - He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” They left their nets immediately and followed him.

James and John were called to obey while assisting their father.

Matthew 4:21-22 (NET) - Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then he called them. They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

Not only did these men leave their lives as they had known them, they did so “immediately”.

That is obedience.

The rich man heard the call and ignored it.

Mark 10:21-22 (NET) - As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Others hear the call and try to place conditions on their obedience.

Luke 9 61-62 (NET) - Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Complete goodness may be impossible for us in our present state.

Obedience is possible.

Obedience is a matter of choice.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 5, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, May 12, 2017

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

Keeping the Lines Open

There’s an old saying that states: Silence is golden.

That is fairly true in my world.

Part of my profession is providing support.

Every time my phone rings there is more than a fair chance that something has gone wrong.

Sometimes the solution is simple and takes minutes.

Sometimes the solution is complex and takes hours or perhaps days.

Often times the solution is not the one the caller wanted to hear.

Once the solution has been implemented the phone stops ringing.

It is very rare that someone will call me and tell me that everything is fine.

A silent phone is my barometer indicating that all is well.

We can easily treat God the same way.

In this world we will encounter problems.

Some of them may seem overwhelming.

Some of them may be simply too big for us to solve on our own.

Financial difficulties, strained relationships and bad medical news are just a few examples.

Somehow we find it easier to turn to God in these times of crisis.

Then, after the problem has passed, we might remember to thank God.

Then we quickly settle back into our routines and God may not hear from us for some time.

Sadly, in some cases, He might not hear from us again until the next crisis comes along.

We are meant to have a relationship with God.

God certainly wants us to turn to him when life seems overwhelming.

He also wants to hear from us during the other times as well.

Prayer is an excellent means of building on our relationship with God.

This is true even when our prayer is simply one of gratitude.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NET) - 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, September 16, 2016.

I will be back here on Friday, September 23, 2016

Epic Fail

Using today’s terminology, when someone makes a mistake it is sometimes referred to as a “fail”.

A mistake of grand proportion is sometimes referred to as an “epic fail”.

As our journey through the season of Lent continues, my thoughts once again turned to Jesus and the disciples who surrounded Him.

While Jesus never made a mistake, those around Him certainly did.

When it came to making mistakes, it seems that no one could make them like Peter.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells the disciples to travel ahead of Him by boat.

Later that evening the disciples see Jesus walking on the water toward them.

The disciples grow afraid even though Jesus tells them they have nothing to fear.

This is where Peter experiences a “fail”.

Matthew 14:28-31 (NET) - Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

This is not the only time Peter failed.

In Chapter 17, Peter experiences another fail during the Transfiguration of Jesus.

Matthew 17:1-5 (NET) - Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him. So Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”

Peter would fail once again; but this time in a big way.

In Chapter 26, Jesus tells His disciples that when His time comes, all of them will fall away.

Peter claims that he will not fall away.

Matthew 26:33-34 (NET) - Peter said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

It happened just as Jesus said it would.

Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.

Matthew 26:73-75 (NET) - After a little while, those standing there came up to Peter and said, “You really are one of them too—even your accent gives you away!” At that he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Peter realized that this truly was an “epic fail”.

Scripture tells us Peter failed time and again.

Yet scripture never once tells us that Jesus ever stopped loving Peter.

Peter was redeemed and his transformation was incredible.

Both his ministry and testimony were powerful.

As we journey through this world people will fail us.

We will also fail others.

Some of these failures might even be considered “epic fails”.

Despite our failures, even our “epic” ones, Jesus never for a moment stops loving us.

We must continue to love others even when they fail us.

If we are completely honest with ourselves, we know that we will certainly fail them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 18, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 25, 2016