Goodwill Ambassadors

 

Job 14:1-2 (GNT) - We are all born weak and helpless. All lead the same short, troubled life. We grow and wither as quickly as flowers; we disappear like shadows.

Job lost everything.

He lost his home.

He lost his children.

Then, to compound matters, he lost his health.

His lament in chapter 14, serves to remind us that we are here for a short time.

In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul reiterates that message.

Hebrews 13:14 (GNT) - For there is no permanent city for us here on earth; we are looking for the city which is to come.

Yes, our days are numbered.

As I grow older, the gray in my beard advances steadily upward.

I even hear noises in my joints that I never heard before.

Perhaps the strongest reminder is the increasing frequency of funerals I attend.

But for the believer, signs like these are neither cause for alarm nor fear.

We are born into this world.

And, when the time comes, we will depart it.

But unlike us, God has neither a beginning nor an end.

Therefore, his love for us never ends.

And it is that love which sustains us through our days,

And that same love allows us to look forward to the future with hope.

But how is this even possible?

Paul provides the answer in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 3:20-21 (GNT) - We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.

The dictionary defines ambassador as: “an authorized representative or messenger.”

And, since we are citizens of heaven, that is the role we have.

The season of Lent should also serve to remind us of this.

Not one of us knows exactly how much time we will have here.

What is important is to make the most of the time we do have.

And we do that by loving God and loving our neighbor.

Then, when our work is done, we will leave this world behind and go on to our heavenly home.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 3, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, March 10, 2023

Living in Expectation

 

Zephaniah 1:7 (GNT) - The day is near when the Lord will sit in judgment; so be silent in his presence. The Lord is preparing to sacrifice his people and has invited enemies to plunder Judah.

One fundamental belief in Christianity is the belief that Christ will return once more.

This belief has ancient roots going back to Old Testament prophecies.

Zephaniah was a prophet who lived six centuries before the birth of Christ.

He is referred to as a Minor Prophet.

This has nothing to do with the importance of the book that bears his name.

Rather, it has to do with the brevity of his book as compared to those of the Major Prophets.

Zephaniah opens the chapter with the day of judgment.

In verse seven, Zephaniah urges believers to “be silent in his presence.”

In Matthew 24, Christ tells his followers about the coming destruction of the Temple.

Matthew 24:44 (GNT) - So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

Naturally, they ask Jesus when this will occur.

Jesus tells them about future troubles.

He also tells them that no one knows when He will return.

Jesus advises them to “always be ready.”

There were those who lived in fear of this knowledge.

Many are still afraid.

But for the faithful, there is no need to fear.

Instead, we should live in hope.

How we choose to occupy our time should prepare us for that coming day.

The way in which we live our lives should be an example to everyone.

Our lives should demonstrate that we await His return in hope.

And that demonstration must be rooted in love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (GNT) - Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 17, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, February 24, 2023

God Still Delivers

 

Psalm 91:9 (GNT) - You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector,

The Psalmist reminds us that God is our protector.

There will be difficult days.

There will be challenging circumstances.

But even in difficult times, we can trust on the Lord to see us through them.

That is because we rely on His strength rather than our own.

John’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus is the way to the Father.

John 14:1 (GNT) - “Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believe in God and believe also in me.

My mother loved this verse.

I love it for her memory.

But I also love it for the truth within it.

Christ is the way to the Father.

So, when times are difficult, we are not to worry.

When we face difficult challenges, there is no call for us to become upset.

And just as we believe in God the Father, we also believe in Jesus the Son.

This puts me in mind of yet another Psalm.

Psalm 118:5 (GNT) - In my distress I called to the Lord; he answered me and set me free.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 3, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, February 10, 2023

Time Out

 

Change occurs in everyone’s life and my life is no exception. Recently, God opened new doors and new avenues of service for me for which I am grateful. Very recently, I could see His hand at work as a new door opened. Unfortunately, there is currently not enough time for me to do all the things I would like to do. After prayerful consideration, I am taking a short leave from both this site and the other to which I contribute. I feel that if I cannot give these my best effort, then I would be shortchanging both myself and anyone who reads them. I do plan to return as I am certainly not the same person I was when I started down this path almost 13 years ago. I also realize that many people promise such things but fail to follow through on them. But I strongly believe that God led me to explore this new path more fully. With His continued help, I will be able to bear fruit in the way He has prepared for me. And, trusting in His guidance, I will know when it is time for me to resume this ministry again which I hope will be soon.

Proverbs 16:9 (GNT) - You may make your plans, but God directs your actions.

Until we meet here again.

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

God at Work

 

Romans 8:31 (GNT) - In view of all this, what can we say? If God is for us, who can be against us?

I always end my adult Sunday School class by leading my students in prayer.

I also invite them to participate in the prayer as well.

There was one specific part of my prayer which I included as I felt led to do so.

I thanked God for actively participating in our lives and not merely observing them.

Events moved very quickly for me during the week leading up to this class.

Even when difficulties arose, they were very quickly resolved.

When everything was said and done, I could see the hand of God at work through it all.

But God’s participation did not end there.

Along with the material I prepare for my class, I also encourage discussion.

It was evident that this session bore much fruit.

After the prayer, we adjourned to the sanctuary for the worship service.

As the pastor delivered his sermon, much of what he said echoed what we discussed in class.

Even the hymns and scripture readings reinforced the same truths.

At the conclusion of the service, I met with my pastor.

I thanked him and shared this with him.

Afterward, two of my students located me and expressed the same view with me.

Those without faith would call this coincidence.

But those with faith innately understand that this is God at work in our lives.

Scripture states that no one can see God and live.

Exodus 33:20 (GNT) - I will not let you see my face, because no one can see me and stay alive,

But when we put aside the distractions that try to clutter our lives, something wonderful happens.

We catch glimpses of God at work in our lives.

We see His hand at work.

We are reminded that He is actively participating in our lives.

God is not just casually observing them.

And maybe, just maybe, we will be able to see Him participating in the lives of others.

Romans 8:37-39 (GNT) - No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below—there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 18, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, November 25, 2022

Answering the Call

 

I am in the process of preparing a weeklong study for an adult class.

Its focus will be the life and faith of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian when the Nazi regime rose to power.

He found himself opposed both to the regime and its leader.

He took this position as a Christian and made some exceedingly difficult moral decisions along the way.

Living abroad in safety, he chose to return to Germany.

Upon learning of the regime’s atrocities, he willingly took on a more active role to oppose it.

Eventually, he and his fellow conspirators were imprisoned.

Although in prison, he continued to share his faith with others.

This included his guards as well as fellow prisoners.

Writing to his family from prison, he shared his reading of scripture.

“I am reading the Bible straight through from cover to cover and I have just got as far as Job, which I am particularly fond of. I read the Psalms every day as I have for years. I know them and love them more than any other book.”

Bonhoeffer, like Job, faced adversity.

And, like Job, he struggled to find answers to morally tough questions.

Bonhoeffer would eventually be executed by the regime he opposed.

This happened mere weeks before the war’s end.

In the end, Bonhoeffer faced his execution in peace.

Facing the gallows of Flossenburg prison he said, “This is the end. For me the beginning of life.”

The book of Hebrews reminds us that God equips us to do his will.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (NET) - Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Through his faith, Bonhoeffer lived his life in accordance with the will of God.

He approached the end of his earthly journey with serenity.

Bonhoeffer understood that death was not the end, but rather a new beginning.

A new beginning made possible by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

In this life, we too will face adversity and challenging questions.

Through it all, God equips us to do His will on our journeys of faith.

These journeys begin with putting the needs of others before our own desires.

In short, this means loving and serving them.

And it is Christ within us that makes this possible.

1 John 4:19 (NET) - We love because he loved us first.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 20, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, May 27, 2022

The Living Water

 

The Psalmist prays in chapter 143.

He begins by asking the Lord to hear his prayer.

He admits that no one is innocent before the Lord.

He laments that his enemies pursue him.

He confesses that his strength is depleted.

Through it all, he remembers what the Lord has done.

So, he seeks the Lord in a remarkable way.

Psalm 143:6 (NET) - I spread my hands out to you in prayer; my soul thirsts for you in a parched land.

In life, we too will find our souls thirsting for the Lord.

Fortunately for us, Christ is the Living Water.

And we may partake of the Living Water at no cost.

Scripture assures us of this.

Revelation 22:17b (NET) - And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.

Christ is the Living Water, and He makes Himself available to all.

And once our parched souls are refreshed, we find ourselves equipped.

We are equipped to extend His love into the world around us.

Once watered, our souls experience growth.

They rediscover the importance of community.

They serve the missions on which they are sent.

Someone wiser than me once said that God does not call the equipped, He equips those He calls.

So, first partake freely of the Living Water.

Then, carry this wisdom into a thirsty world.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 6, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, May 13, 2022