Words and Conduct

 

Leviticus 23:32a (NET) - You must not profane my holy name,

When we think about profanity, we immediately think in terms of careless language.

The Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 certainly warns of this.

We are commanded not to take the name of the Lord our God in vain.

But to be honest this warning from Leviticus goes beyond language.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves what the word “profane” really means.

Simply put, the verb “profane” means “treating the sacred with irreverence or disrespect”.

This certainly happens with a careless choice of words.

It also happens through a careless choice of conduct.

We must be as careful with our conduct as we are with our words.

Peter understood the importance of Christian conduct.

In fact, he pointed this out in his first letter.

1 Peter 1:15 (NET) - but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct,

Peter stated that our conduct helps make us holy.

Controlling our words can be difficult.

Controlling our conduct can be even harder.

That is why we need Christ in our lives.

He understands that love is the key to controlling both.

Love helps us choose our words.

Love also helps us determine our conduct.

In Matthew 22, an expert in the law tests Jesus by asking Him which commandment is the most important.

Jesus surprised him with a two-fold answer.

The first is to love God with all our being.

The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves.

When we fail to love God, we profane God.

When we fail to love our neighbor, we also profane God.

John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) put it this way:

“Whenever you encounter one of your neighbors, regard him as yourself in another form (which he is), or indeed as God in another form, for he is the image of God, and God will be watching to see how reverently you treat him.”

Like most worthwhile things in life, we can find loving others difficult.

But God can help us.

He can help us reflect his infinite love through our words and our conduct.

He can bolster our faith and guide our steps as we move among those whom He created.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 3, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, September 10, 2021

 

In Harmony

 

Job 21:22 (NET) - Can anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those that are on high?

The book of Job can be puzzling.

It can and does raise several questions.

Why believe in God if there is no reward?

Why do good people suffer?

Why do the unjust get rewarded?

Job, in his misery and pain, began to question his faith and his very existence.

Even those closest to him were of no help.

Job’s wife suggested he “curse God and die.”

His friends were no better.

They inferred that Job must have been punished for his sin.

Job responded to one friend with the question: “Can anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those that are on high?”

Job realized that man cannot fully understand the triune God.

In the end, Job repented.

Although we cannot fully understand the triune God, we can glimpse certain aspects.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, grasped the harmony between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:16 (NET) - Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

The Father creates.

The Son redeems.

The Holy Spirit makes holy.

These aspects of God work together in harmony with each other.

Although beyond our complete understanding, God demonstrates this to us.

We should therefore work in harmony with each other.

Considering today’s headlines, the world could certainly benefit from our working harmoniously with one another.

True, we cannot fully understand God, but we can learn from our glimpses of Him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 20, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, August 27, 2021

Discipline

 

Proverbs 3:11 (NET) - My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord, and do not loathe his rebuke.

Children do not like to be disciplined.

As adults, we like it even less.

But discipline becomes necessary when we stop seeking wisdom.

It becomes necessary when we stray from the Lord.

The fact that this verse begins with “my child” speaks volumes.

When we are disciplined, we often act like children.

In fact, our initial response to discipline is often additional rebellion.

We may even view this as undue and unjust punishment.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The book of James reminds us of this.

James 3:17 (NET) - But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical.

When God disciplines us, His motive is pure.

It is not derived from anger.

It is neither undue nor unjust.

It is simply a means of bringing us back to Him.

It is a means of bringing us to confession… both to ourselves as well as to God.

Granted, this is often not easy.

Then again, most worthwhile things in life rarely are.

On the bright side, we do not have to do this on our own.

We must first listen to His call to us and respond to it.

We must recognize our need for humility.

This leads us to confession and actual change.

Then we can walk harmoniously with God once again.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 6, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, August 13, 2021

First Love

 

Psalm 79:9 (NET) - Help us, O God, our deliverer! For the sake of your glorious reputation, rescue us. Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation.

The Psalmist speaks volumes in this one verse alone.

He recognizes God as the deliverer and rescuer.

He also recognizes God as the forgiver of sins.

But why would God forgive and rescue sinners? 

The answer is, of course, because God loves us.

We, in return, should love God.

But God’s love is the first and greatest love of all.

We find proof of this in the book of 1 John.

1 John 4:10 (NET) - In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

We may love God.

But we must remember that God loved us first.

God even loved us when we were at our worst.

God loved us when we were still mired in our sin.

In fact, He loved us so very much that he sacrificed His only Son to deliver us.

That is the greatest love of all.

God gave His all to demonstrate His love for us.

It is an unconditional love.

Therefore, we should love God in return.

As importantly, we must love others as well.

We must love them unconditionally.

We must love them even when they are at their worst.

We must be willing to say we love them.

We must also be willing to demonstrate our love for them.

After all, that is the way God first loved us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 16, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, July 23, 2021

Rest and Deliverance

Matthew 11:28 (NET) - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This verse from Matthew was one of my mother’s favorites.

I cannot count the number of times I heard her recite it.

My mother faced a great deal of adversity in her lifetime.

No doubt that is why she so often turned to this verse.

She understood that when the storms of life gathered, she could call upon the Lord.

She could rely upon His strength rather than her own.

She could find rest within the turmoil.

The prophet Isaiah understood this as well.

He knew that he could count on God’s strength and protection.

He knew that God would deliver him out of every storm.

Isaiah 12:3 (NET) - Joyfully you will draw water from the springs of deliverance.

Each of us has experienced various trials in our lifetime.

Each of us knows what it is like to seek safety and protection.

Each of us desires rest when the storms of life assail us.

True rest and true deliverance can be found.

But they can only be found when we look in the right place.

True rest and true deliverance can only be found in the Lord.

But what then?

Is it enough to merely enjoy the comfort and rest the Lord provides?

No.

Once rested and reassured we have a responsibility.

We must go back out into the world and do His will.

In a world where storms abound, we must tell others where true rest can be found.

More importantly, we must demonstrate this in our actions.

Demonstrating the peace and deliverance we enjoy speaks volumes.

It guides those who are weary to true rest.

It guides them to the Lord.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 2, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, July 9, 2021

 

Priceless Peace

 

Isaiah 60:17 (NIV) - Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler.

The prophet Isaiah describes the glory of Zion.

In examining these words, it is easy to focus on precious metals like gold and silver.

It is equally easy to overlook the qualities of peace and well-being.

Yet peace and well-being are as precious as gold and silver.

In fact, they are even more precious.

This is contrary to the ways of the world.

The world views peace as a sign of weakness.

Those who serve as peacemakers are also looked upon as weak.

But appearances are often deceiving.

Those who act as peacemakers have a tremendous internal strength.

It is a strength not of their own making, but of God.

Paul understood this.

He discusses this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 14:17 (NIV) - For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

Desires for gold and silver are earthly matters.

Paul states that even eating and drinking are as well.

Peace, on the other hand, is of the kingdom of God.

It is also something we should practice while on earth.

The world practically shouts that peace, kindness and love are weaknesses.

It teaches that these weaknesses are easily exploited.

But God, in His infinite wisdom, assures us that these are strengths.

In fact, Jesus taught the importance of these qualities by example.

We should, therefore, put these into practice daily just as He taught.

Remember His words in the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5:9 (NIV) - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 18, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, June 25, 2021

 

Teach Us Again

Psalm 86:5 (NET) - Certainly, O Lord, you are kind and forgiving, and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.

Once again, the Psalmist sings of the Lord’s kindness and willingness to forgive.

He sings of the Lord’s faithfulness to those who call upon Him.

Although these words were written centuries ago, the Lord still forgives.

The Lord is still just as faithful.

All that we need to do to receive this forgiveness is to ask for it.

That means coming to Him in prayer.

But doesn’t the Lord know everything already?

Being omniscient, isn’t He aware of all our troubles?

So, why is coming to Him in prayer necessary?

The Lord does indeed know everything!

The Lord is aware of all our troubles.

In fact, He is more aware of them than we are.

Prayer is necessary because it strengthens our relationship with Him.

As we pray, we remind ourselves that we have shortcomings to address.

The disciples of Jesus understood that prayer was important.

So, they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.

Luke 11:1 (NET) - Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus did so.

In fact, His response to them has become known as “The Lord’s Prayer”.

This prayer recognizes God’s sovereignty.

It recognizes the fact that the will of God shall prevail. 

It humbly asks God to supply our daily needs.

It asks God to forgive our sins.

It also reminds us that we are to forgive others as well.

Yes, God knows everything about us and our lives.

Even so, we must go to Him in prayer.

“The Lord’s Prayer” is an excellent way to renew our relationship with Him.

We can freely ask for forgiveness.

We should also be willing to forgive others.

Like the disciples, we can ask Him to “teach us to pray”.

We should then call upon Him daily.

We can even ask for the courage to do so.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 4, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, June 11, 2021