Solid Footing

 

1 Samuel 2:2 (NET) - No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God!

In this verse, Samuel praises God.

He declares that God is both unique and truly Holy.

He then compares God to a rock.

What the prophet is really saying is that God is stable and dependable.

We like to think that the ground upon which we physically stand is solid and firm.

But, thanks to the internet, we can see footage of sinkholes suddenly appearing.

Pedestrians, cars and even buildings suddenly disappear.

I remember when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980.

In video captured just prior to the eruption, a landslide was captured.

This landslide of rock and ice was perhaps the largest ever recorded.

The speed at which it descended was more than 100 miles per hour.

Granted these instances are not commonplace, but they do illustrate one thing.

Even the firmness of the ground upon which we stand is not guaranteed.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians talks about what is solid and dependable.

The firmest of foundations is Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11 (NET) - For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Christ is the cornerstone of the Church.

He is the foundation God provided upon which we confidently build our faith.

And it was that same Christ who cautions us to rely on His teachings.

Matthew 7:26-27 (NET) - Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed—it was utterly destroyed!

As humans, we like to think that the foundation we base our lives upon is solid.

But a change in circumstances can ultimately prove that we have built upon sand.

As we continue our journey through Lent, we follow Christ’s journey.

That journey led to a cross.

But it was a journey undertaken with a love that was perfect.

It is by that love that we were granted grace.

Only in Christ can we find solid footing.

No matter what happens, that foundation will always remain solid.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

Rooted in Love

 

Psalm 119:6 (NET) - Then I would not be ashamed, if I were focused on all your commands.

The Psalmist declares his desire to remained focused on God’s commands.

But this desire is not rooted in legality.

Rather, it is a desire to live the way God wants all of us to live.

That means building and strengthening our relationships.

As the created of God, we need to have a strong relationship with Him.

But it does not stop there.

We also need to build and foster relationships with others.

For they, like us, were created in God’s image.

And God loves others as much as He loves us.

Jesus echoed the Psalmist’s sentiments.

Christ desired to do God’s will.

John 4:34 (NET) - Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work.

Once, a Pharisee tried to trap Jesus.

The Pharisee asked Him which of the commandments was most important.

The Pharisee must have been surprised when Jesus gave him a twofold answer.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NET) - Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Jesus innately understood that by keeping these two commandments, we would be keeping them all.

That is because they are rooted in our relationships with God and others.

Both the Psalmist and Jesus desired to live according to God’s will.

That should be our desire as well.

In God’s word, He tries to teach us a love for Him that is open and honest.

God also wants us to love our neighbor.

This means respecting them even when we disagree with them.

The Holy Spirit can help us do that.

God made us in His image.

Therefore, God can teach us to love as He loves.

And Christ, by example, can teach us what love really looks like.

That is why it is essential for us to focus on His commands.

After all, they are rooted in love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 4, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, March 11, 2022

Love Continues

Philippians 4:7 (NET) - He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall.

I have attended many funeral services over the last year and a half.

As I write these words, I am about to attend yet another.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, discusses Christian practices.

But these practices are not related to rites and rituals.

Rather, Paul’s words refer to our relationship with God.

They should also be reflective of our relationships with one another.

As I think about those who have passed, I am struck by the impact of their lives upon my own.

It also makes me think about the impact their lives had on others.

Prior to verse seven, Paul reminds us to give both praise and thanks in every situation.

This includes times of personal loss.

For it is in such times that we can give thanks for the influence our loved ones had.

Paul also reminds us that we can find comfort in God.

We can find safety and peace beneath His wings.

Paul also discusses this in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NET) - And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Even when we experience loss, God grants us true peace in Jesus.

It is the kind of peace that cannot be completely understood.

As we journey through this world, we will have to say goodbye to those we love.

But no matter how many of His faithful depart, God makes certain we never run out.

God raises up others to continue His ministry of reaching out to others in love.

God will continue placing others in our lives to share His love and to be examples for us.

Hopefully, we will allow God to do the same with our lives.

Once we do, we become part of this wonderful legacy of faith, service, and love.

One thing more.

This path of ministry requires no special training or certification.

The only requisite is love.

And thanks to God and His departed servants, we know what that love looks like.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

Correction Signifies Love

 

Jeremiah 10:24 (NET) - Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure. Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.

The prophet remembers God’s command concerning idols.

It is true that the Lord detests idols.

It is also true that idols are created by man and are completely worthless.

The prophet recognizes God’s complete sovereignty.

He also understands that those who worship idols are foolish.

Therefore, he prays for God’s judgment.

The prophet does not pray for destruction, but rather for correction.

For destruction comes from anger and rage.

By contrast, correction comes from love.

Paul touches on this in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NET) - For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, Paul emphasizes that God did not create us merely to punish or destroy us.

Rather, God created us because of His love for us.

That is why He sent His son into the world to save us.

Christ willingly paid the price not one of us could pay.

But that does not mean we will be free from God’s correction.

A human parent corrects their child when that child goes astray.

A good parent does not administer this correction out of anger or rage.

Instead, they do so because they love the child and only want what is best for him.

God corrects us in the same way.

He corrects us because He loves us.

Yes, we are made in God’s image.

But whenever we seek to please ourselves rather than God we stray away from Him.

When that happens, we can and should expect God’s correction.

In fact, it would benefit us to pray for it.

For it is through God’s loving correction that we can walk with Him once again.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 4, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 11, 2022

A Unity of Believers

Psalm 70:4 (NET) - May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May God be praised!”

The Psalmist writes of the hope and happiness of those who seek God.

He also writes of those who have experienced His deliverance.

But things like hope, happiness and deliverance are not restricted to individuals.

Neither is the praising of God.

Paul reminds us of this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 15:5-6 (NET) - Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Each of us is on a journey.

Somewhere along that journey, we will experience deliverance.

As a result, we will experience both a unique and true happiness.

In the end, these are but part of a greater whole.

As Paul writes, these give us unity with one another in accordance with Jesus Christ.

And, just like the Psalmist, Paul reminds us that we should glorify God.

We are individuals.

We each have formed our own ideas and opinions.

Therefore, it is likely that we will disagree about a great many things.

But, despite all our differences, one truth stands out.

We are all united in Christ.

Each of us is part of the Church, 

Paul discusses this in the same letter.

Romans 12:4-5 (NET) - For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.

So, let us belong to one another.

Let us each serve according to our gifts.

Let us focus on He who unites us rather than that which divides us.

Above all, let us continually praise and glorify God.

I leave you with this quote from The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart originally written in 1623 by John Amos Comenius:

“Farewell, dear Christian, and may the leader of light, the Holy Spirit, show you better than I can both the vanity of the world and the glory, happiness and joy of the elect whose hearts are united with God.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 21, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, January 28, 2022

The Act of Creation

 

Isaiah 45:12 (NET) - I made the earth; I created the people who live on it. It was me—my hands stretched out the sky. I give orders to all the heavenly lights.

The prophet Isaiah once again reminds us that it was God who created the earth.

God created us and the heavens also.

God created the very air we breathe and the stars we gaze upon in the sky,

The introduction to the book of John reminds us that Jesus was present when the world was created.

As importantly, it reminds us of His role.

It also reminds us that He is an essential part of the Trinity.

John 1:1-4 (NET) - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.

This same chapter reminds us that Jesus had to enter his creation as one of us.

Sadly, it also reminds us of the kind of reception He received.

John 1:11 (NET) - He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.

Soon, we will celebrate Christmas.

The season of Advent is ending.

Our wait for the arrival of Christ will be over.

But what kind of reception will He receive?

Many, just like those He encountered 2,000 years ago, will not accept Him.

Perhaps some will accept Him for a brief time until Christmas is over.

Then, He will be packed away and relegated to storage just like the decorations and lights.

When the mood strikes next year, they will once again bring Him out for a short while.

But still, there are those who have accepted Jesus.

The ones who understand that Christmas is just the beginning of a journey.

A journey that ultimately leads to a cross and an empty tomb beyond it.

We tend to make Christmas a big day, and rightfully so.

But we should celebrate Jesus every day.

Of course, our celebration should include His birth.

But we should also celebrate His power – His role in creation.

The universe He created for us is magnificent.

In fact, it should inspire us to do a little creating of our own.

Not just creating in the artistic sense but creating things that are brand new.

The creation of new relationships is a wonderful place to start.

The forging of these relationships within our communities could lead to even bigger things.

Our communities could then build relationships with other communities.

Such communities could conceivably redefine nations.

Such nations could reach out to others and change the world.

A world that accepts Him.

Is this an impossibility?

Many would say it is.

But aren’t these the ones who need new relationships the most?

 

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with new relationships,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 7, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, January 14, 2022

Creator and Created

 

Jeremiah 10:12 (NET) - The Lord is the one who by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom established the world. And by his understanding he spread out the skies.

Recently, our young people led our worship service.

One of the points they stressed was from the creation account from Genesis.

It was an excellent reminder that everything and everyone is a creation of God.

God is the creator.

Everything else is what He created.

The prophet Jeremiah understood this.

Jeremiah stresses that all that we know was created by God through His power and wisdom.

Paul touches on this topic in his letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:3 (NET) - By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.

Like Jeremiah, Paul reminds us that all of creation happened at God’s command.

But Paul goes on to state that it is by faith that we understand this.

We understand that the visible creation resulted from a Creator whom we do not see.

But, through faith, we can catch glimpses of God in the world around us.

But to do so, we must also have patience and allow ourselves periods of reflection.

Faith combined with patience allows us to catch glimpses of God in the world He created.

Faith combined with periods of reflection allows us to glimpse God in others.

Perhaps that is what makes “reflection” so important.

For it may also allow others to catch a glimpse of God when they look at us.

God has created an amazing universe for us to live in.

We have an obligation to be its caretakers.

But that means caring for others as well.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 17, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, December 24, 2021