How We Are Known

On Sunday morning it was my privilege to lead our Senior Assembly.

This gathering takes place prior to Sunday School.

After leading this assembly, I began gathering my materials.

A small child entered the Sanctuary.

I asked her what she was doing there.

She told me that her class needed my help.

It turned out that there was a technical issue with their DVD player.

I told her I would be there just as soon as possible.

She then said something that took me by surprise.

She reminded me that I was their “tech guy”.

Although I found this quite amusing at the time, I suppressed the urge to laugh.

Even at her young age, this child understood one of my roles.

She also understood I could be relied upon in technical matters.

I corrected the problem and went on to teach my class.

That’s the way life is,

People tend to know us based on what we do.

My class thinks of me as a teacher.

My employers think of me as an employee.

My coworkers, like this child, think of me as their tech guy, and so on.

But God sees us differently.

Because of Jesus, He sees us all as His children,

John 1:12 (NET) - But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children

Moreover, He sees us as wanted, adopted children,

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.”

This relationship is underscored later.

Romans 8:29 (NET) - because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

People may identify us by what we do.

But God does not view us that way.

Thanks to Jesus, we have a special relationship with God.

In the meantime, we still need to use our gifts to help one another out.

John Amos Comenius once said that the mind was a great gift from God and to use it properly was an act of worship.

Luke 12:48b (NET) - From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

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

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

Who's the Boss?

Teaching an adult Sunday school class is a passion of mine.

We always end class with a prayer before I dismiss my students.

A handful of students usually linger for a while either to visit or continue the discussion.

God had surprise for me at the end of class Sunday.

One of my students has a young granddaughter who is a treasure.

The moment class ended she charged into the room and ran straight to her grandfather.

He took her in his arms and the little girl began chatting away.

I busied myself putting our books and materials away.

I was unaware the child was observing me until she spoke to me.

“Excuse me,” she politely said to get my attention.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Are you the boss?” she asked quite sincerely.

It was all I could do not to laugh.

Working with adults is one thing,

Working with children is quite another.

I thought about how best to answer such a question from a child.

Luke chapter 22 came to mind.

In this chapter, a dispute arose among the disciples as to which of them should be regarded as the greatest.

Jesus reminded them how the kings of the Gentiles and others in authority perceive themselves.

He then reminded them how they are to proceed.

Luke 22:26 (NET) - Not so with you; instead the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves.

Bearing this in mind I responded.

“No. I’m not the boss,” I said, “but I love what I do.”

She thought about that.

“I think everybody loves what they do,” she stated.

I told her that one day I would like to work for her.

I find it more than interesting that the child’s question came just two days before a national election.

In a nation already experiencing division, the results of this election are proving even more polarizing.

One thing easily overlooked is the fact that it is God who is ultimately in charge.

Romans 13:1 (NET) - Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.

The results of every election will find some people elated and others disappointed.

Imagine if we could ask our elected officials, “Are you the boss?”

How nice it would be if they would recall Luke 22 and state, “No. I’m not the boss, but I love what I do.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

I will be back here on Friday, November 25, 2016

Remember

Nehemiah 4:14b – Remember that the Lord is great and awesome!

Although Vacation Bible School is a ministry primarily for children, we also provide a class for adults.

I volunteered to teach the adult class this week and tried to offer them something both interesting and challenging.

Church history is one of my passions.

I have written about it and have even been privileged enough to speak about it.

Over the last several weeks I prepared a series of four lectures and planned to tie these together on the final night of class.

Once again, God amazed me in that each of the lectures I presented tied in with the focus lesson aimed at the children each night.

GOD CREATES…

My opening lecture was about a man named John Huss who was martyred for his faith in 1415.

Although he was not the founder of our church, his faith and dedication to the truth inspired those who did.

God was already at work creating our church through his life and example.

GOD HELPS…

My second lecture centered on the early generations of our church and the years of persecution they endured.

God was at work helping them through the darkest times and thus preserved that which He created.

GOD LOVES…

My third lecture was about John Amos Comenius who wrote 154 books.

Many of these books were written in exile.

Many improved the way children are educated.

Comenius was sustained by God’s love.

GOD CALMS…

My fourth lecture was about our ancestors who left their homeland and came to America.

Pioneers in a new land they first worshipped in homes.

In time, they built communities, churches and secured ministers to lead them.

God calmed them as they adjusted to life in a new land.

GOD SENDS IN JESUS’ NAME…

The beauty of God’s wisdom was revealed.

In keeping in touch with our history, we understand how we came into being.

With this knowledge comes the responsibility of knowing our purpose.

God sends us out in the name of Jesus to reach those who are lost.

It comes as no surprise that the verse we stressed for the children is an important reminder for us.

Nehemiah 4:14b – Remember that the Lord is great and awesome!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 17, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, June 24, 2016

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