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

Getting Out of His Way

Romans 12:7 (NET) – If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach;

One the great joys in my life is teaching an adult Sunday school class.

The learning experience should last a lifetime,

We begin learning when we are very young and we should continue to learn as we mature.

One of the challenges each teacher faces is how best to teach the age group with which we are entrusted.

Young children learn differently than older children.

Teenagers learn differently than young adults.

Adults learn differently than senior citizens.

Scripture tells us that we must have faith as that of a child.

I would not for a moment disagree with this.

Mark 10:15 (NET) – “I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Scripture also places emphasis on wisdom.

Matthew 10:16 (NET) – “I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

It must be stated that there is a big difference between intelligence and wisdom.

Intelligence is what allows us to learn.

Wisdom is the application of what we have learned.

We live in a world that, intentionally or not, feels the need to treat each of us as if our intelligence is limited.

Cups warns us that coffee is hot and bottles warn us that shampoo is for external use only.

That is why I challenge my students with difficult material.

God gave us a heart therefore he expects us to use it for compassion.

God also gave us a brain therefore he expects us to use it in order to become wise.

It is possible for one to grow in wisdom and still maintain faith like that of a child.

It is a great pleasure to witness wisdom flourish in my students.

There are times when my students interact with each other about the material on a level that exceeds even my expectation.

In those moments, I get a glimpse of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives and I do something very wise.

I humbly get out of His way and allow Him to do what He is far better at than I am.

Perhaps I am growing wiser as well.

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

Taking a Different Road

I was driving to work a few days ago and approached a major highway intersection.

Traffic had backed up further than usual and as I stopped the car I could see why.

Although I could not see the intersection I could see the flashing lights of numerous emergency vehicles.

It was obvious that a serious accident had taken place and emergency crews were in the process of rendering assistance to those involved.

It was also obvious that the intersection was going to be closed for quite a while.

To my right was a large shopping center and one by one the cars ahead of me were entering the parking lot in an attempt to find a way around the accident.

I entered the parking lot as well.

As soon as I exited the highway I found a parking spot and offered up a prayer for those involved and for the emergency personnel working the scene.

I then rejoined the line of cars that turned off the highway as we attempted to find a way around the scene of the accident.

Slowly we maneuvered through a series of connected parking lots working our way to an exit on the far side.

Everyone in this line of cars wanted to make a left hand turn out of the parking lot onto a service road that led back to the highway.

Being familiar with the area I knew that this road would quickly back up as well as it was not designed to handle this volume of traffic.

So, I did the opposite.

I turned right instead knowing I would be able to get back onto the highway by taking a different path.

My path would be longer, but it would be safer.

The Christian walk is rather like that.

Sometimes the way we choose to go doesn’t make sense to those going another way.

In the end, the way we choose to go is the better way because God has provided us with scripture as a roadmap for our lives.

The way we choose to go may not be the shortest or easiest way, but with scripture to guide us we are certain to reach our final destination.

After all, that is where we most desire to be.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NET) – “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 21, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 28, 2015

Lasting Impressions

July 20 was the 46^th anniversary of mankind's first landing on the moon.

There were a number of thoughts that crossed my mind as I considered this.

My first thought was about how young I was at the time.

I was a child during the “space race” when the United States and the Soviet Union competed to see who could put men on the moon and return them safely to earth.

My second thought was how excited I was when Apollo 11 launched.

I remember sitting in front of the television watching the news coverage.

I remember the countdown finally reaching zero and watching those enormous rocket engines firing up and how they lifted that huge rocket into space.

My thoughts then turned to the lunar landing and the exploration of the moon.

I remember anxiously awaiting Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon.

I also remember Buzz Aldrin following moments later and how they skipped around the surface of the moon.

It still amazes me that the astronauts were able to figure out that skipping was the best way get around in reduced gravity.

Then the time came for them to climb back into the lunar landing module and return home.

I also thought about the things they and every other astronaut that followed them left behind on the surface of the moon – footprints.

Because the moon has no atmosphere, those footprints will remain as long as there is a moon.

That struck me most of all,

Each of the men that walked on the moon left a set of impressions behind that will last practically forever.

You and I also leave impressions with everyone we meet and those impressions will last a very long time.

What kind of impressions do we leave?

Hopefully they will be of the kind Jesus commanded us to leave.

John 15:12 (NET) – My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 7, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 14, 2015

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

No Strings Attached

In the tenth chapter of Luke, an expert in religious law asked Jesus what he had to do in order to inherit eternal life.

Jesus responded with two questions of His own: what is written in the law and how do you understand it?

The expert responded.

Luke 10:27 (NET) – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus told the expert that he answered correctly.

According to scripture, the expert then asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus then told the expert about a man who was beaten by robbers and left half dead.

He told the expert that first a priest and then a Levite each saw the injured man and passed him by.

Fortunately for the injured man, a Samaritan came along and “felt compassion for him.”

The Samaritan treated his wounds and took him to an inn to render additional treatment.

The next day, the Samaritan gave the innkeeper some money.

He instructed the innkeeper to take care of the injured man and promised to repay him in full whatever was spent on the man’s care.

Jesus then asked the expert which of the three became a neighbor to the injured man,

Luke 10:37 (NET) - The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

This is certainly not the only place in scripture we are told to love God.

It is also not the only place in scripture we are told to love our neighbor.

Love, whether for God or neighbor, has to be unconditional.

We are told to love our neighbor in the plainest of terms.

We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Our fellow man is our neighbor.

He might disagree with us.

He might even dislike us.

To be completely honest, he might even absolutely hate us and everything we believe,

Even so, Jesus reminds us that we are to love him.

We must love him with no strings attached.

The love of God and neighbor go hand in hand,

If we cannot find it within ourselves to love our neighbor unconditionally, we cannot honestly say that we love God.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 3, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 10, 2015

I Didn't Know

I never have to look far to see God’s blessings in my life.

Every year when Vacation Bible School comes around I can always count on God blessing me through a child.

This year was no exception.

This year I taught the adult class and we studied the life and faith of Jan Hus.

Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, but his example influenced those that founded my church in 1457.

The books that Hus wrote were gathered and publicly burned prior to his execution.

I certainly would not put my writing on the same level as that of Hus, but there is one thing our writings have in common.

Writing is a form of worship and I cannot begin to imagine how it would feel to have that destroyed by men,

I explained that to my class.

I also added that any service performed for the Lord is a form of worship.

As I personally knew the students in that class I looked at each in turn and called out one of the services each performed.

I reminded them that each of these services was a form of worship.

As things came to a close that evening I stayed around to help lock up for the night.

A little boy saw me using my keys as I locked a set of doors.

He ran up to me and said, “Hey! I didn’t know you worked here!”

He knew nothing of my teaching or my writing or anything else about me.

All he saw was me using a set of keys and concluded that I was on the staff.

At that point I remembered what I shared with my class about every service being a form of worship,

I felt extremely loved by God at that moment.

I looked at the little boy, smiled and said, “Yes. I work here. In fact, I have worked here for a very long time.”

He smiled and returned to his family who were waiting nearby.

I removed the key from the lock and thanked God for this very special blessing.

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 your reward. Serve the Lord Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 19, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, June 26, 2015