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

The Dark Alternative

I am preparing to teach a class in June on John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress.

This classic was published 340 years ago and has been translated in over 200 languages.

Bunyan populated his allegory with many characters including that of Apollyon.

This name can be found in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 9:11 (NET) - They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

In Bunyan’s classic, a mighty battle takes place between Apollyon and the main character, Christian.

A battle which Christian ultimately wins but only after a long and difficult struggle.

As I continued my preparations, it occurred to me that we do not hear much about Satan these days.

We might if the sermon is about Job.

Job 1:6-7 (NET) - Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord—and Satan also arrived among them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”

Or, if the sermon is about Christ’s temptation.

Matthew 4:1 (NET) - Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Other than these instances, we really don’t hear much about Satan these days.

We hear even less about Hell.

Times have certainly changed.

These days, we go out of our way not to make people feel uncomfortable.

But at what cost?

When we begin to care more for people’s feelings than we do for their eternal souls, we can do them a disservice.

Mentioning Satan or Hell, might make people feel uncomfortable.

But that is not necessarily a bad thing.

A little discomfort can be a great motivator for change.

Our focus should remain on the Trinity – The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

But one fact remains.

Many people today simply refuse to believe that Satan even exists.

That is perhaps the most powerful weapon in his arsenal.

We should emphasize the good and the positive.

But we must never forget for a moment that there is a dark alternative.

An alternative simply lying patiently in wait.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 4, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, May 11, 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

Life Imitating Art

Teaching Sunday school is something I am very passionate about.


Along with the current study, I also have to plan ahead for the next study and be able to move forward with it when the time comes.

One thing I have always been able to rely on is God’s guidance in the preparation of these one hour sessions which seem to go by so very quickly. I can also rely on His direction for us in future studies.

That is certainly the case with our current study which is very nearly complete.

Some months ago, I managed to get some time off around Christmas and decided to begin reading The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.

When my holiday arrived, I read the first chapter before going to bed and it had a very profound impact on me.

Over the course of the next two days, I devoured the rest of the book.

I remember telling friends and family afterward how "blown away" I was by the book.

I also knew that upon completion of our current study, I would ask my class would to join Christian (Bunyan’s main character) on his pilgrimage through this classic.

I procured enough copies of the book for the entire class and informed them of the pending study.

Along with continued work on our current study, I read Bunyan’s classic three more times taking detailed notes, anticipating questions I might be asked and drawing on scripture to reinforce the spiritual truths that Bunyan sought to teach in his allegory.

When the time arrived, we began our study.

One of the things that delighted me was seeing my students have the same reaction to the book that I had the first time I read it.

Also very personally rewarding were the number of times students told me, "Thank you for bringing this book to us."

Now, that journey nears its end.

Along with the joy, we also experienced some personal sadness along the way.

One of my students, Rudy, went to be with the Lord.

Rudy was much more than a student.

I counted him as both a blessing and a good friend.

I feel that way about every student.

We are a cohesive and closely knit group.

There is an old saying that says that life imitates art and, at times, there is more than a fair amount of truth in that.

In The Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian acquired a traveling companion from his home town. This character’s name was Faithful.

They journeyed together intending to arrive at the Celestial City, or heaven, at the same time.

One day, as they neared the town of Vanity, they encountered an old friend and mentor, a wonderful man by the name of Evangelist.

Along with the happy reunion, Evangelist gave them words of caution.

"But be faithful unto death, and Christ will give you a crown of life. If one of you shall die there, although his death will be cruel and his pain great, yet he will be more fortunate than the other, because he will arrive in the Celestial City much sooner, and he will escape the trials the other must endure in the rest of the way."

This came to pass.

When Christian and Faithful arrived in Vanity, they refused to buy any of the worldly goods that the townspeople had for sale. This coupled with their speech and demeanor soon created quite an uproar. They were arrested and put on trial.

At the trial, Faithful gave a remarkable testimony. Nevertheless, he was found guilty in the town’s eyes and executed.

Christian then saw a golden chariot with fiery steeds whisk Faithful away to the Celestial City. He also thought he heard a trumpet sound from the Celestial City when the chariot arrived.

Christian then continued on his pilgrimage. A pilgrimage in which he encountered and overcame numerous obstacles before reaching the Celestial City himself.

My friend and student faced a trial of a different sort.

The trial he faced was a fatal illness.

Yet even in this sort of trial, he gave his own powerful testimony to those who lovingly took such good care of him.

At his funeral service, our pastor said that Rudy’s physical therapist told him, "Thank you for sharing Rudy with us." He added that these words assured him that Rudy was exactly where God wanted him to be.

Just like Faithful, Rudy has now arrived at the Celestial City ahead of the rest of us.

Just like Christian, we who remain behind must faithfully continue in our pilgrimage knowing that we will face and overcome many tribulations along the way.

Yet, we remain confident that God will see us through each and every one of them.

He will use these to build us up and refine us until we too reach the Celestial City just like our now departed friend.

Sometimes life really does imitate art.

This is not surprising when you consider that God is in complete and total control.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 21, 2013.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 28, 2013.