Preparing for Advent

The dictionary defines the word advent as “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.”

Advent has its roots in the Latin word adventus which means “coming”.

The Season of Advent in the Christian calendar includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas and this Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent.

Though we celebrate the earthly birth of Christ on December 25, Advent marks the time in which we prepare our hearts for that day.

As there are four Sundays in Advent prior to Christmas, I thought I would select four passages of Scripture to help me in preparing my heart.

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah’s words preceded Christ by centuries.

This reminds me that God’s promise is true and that He provided for our salvation through Christ who came to live among us.

Luke 1:31 (KJV) - And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name, JESUS.

These were the angel’s words to Mary.

God sent the angel to Mary to tell her that she would bear the Son who saves mankind.

He even told her the name chosen for Him, Jesus.

Matthew 2:2 (KJV) - Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

This reminds me that men anticipated His arrival and understood the appropriate response was to seek Him out and worship Him.

Matthew 3:17 (KJV) - And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

This reminds me that God Himself told the world that this was indeed His Son and that He loved Him.

These are the verses that I have chosen for myself for this Season of Advent to help me prepare my heart to celebrate His birth.

They will serve to remind me that His coming into the world was foretold by the prophets and ordained by God.

They will remind me to seek Him out and worship Him.

They will remind me that there can be absolutely no doubt as to who Jesus is.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The  Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 5, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 12, 2014

Myth Conceptions

I am an avid reader.

Right now I am in the process of reading The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer.

You may be asking why a Christian would bother reading mythology.

Mythology reminds me that everyone needs to believe in something or someone that is greater than himself.

The ancient Greeks felt that need.

They looked at the natural world around them and recognized that there was an order in the way things were.

Unlike us, they had neither the benefit of Christianity nor the wisdom that comes only from scripture.

So, they simply did the best they could.

They took stock of everything they could sense and invented various gods and goddesses to whom they assigned control of things.

They also assigned them human attributes including very human character flaws.

When disaster struck, they then incorrectly interpreted that these events were likely the result of these invented gods and goddesses struggling with one another for control.

A handful of gods was insufficient, so they also invented a host of lesser gods to fill in the gaps.

One more thing they did was create some human heroes who were able to contend with their deities.

The ancients took delight in stories in which these heroes were able to outwit the gods and defeat them at their own game.

Christianity of course is radically different.

Through the benefit of scripture and His grace, we know that there is only one true God.

It was He that created the universe and everything in it by speaking them into existence.

He also takes a very active and personal role in our lives.

Another critical difference is that God is all knowing and we cannot hide anything from Him.

It is impossible for us to deceive Him.

I must admit that I did learn a valuable lesson from this reading of Homer

The Iliad is about struggle.

It tells a story about a war between the Greeks and the Trojans.

Their gods took a very active role in this war and although they could not be killed by humans they could be wounded by them.

As I read the account I remember thinking that we could never wound God.

I now do not believe that to be entirely true.

I now believe that we can and do wound God on a certain level.

We do this when we refuse to obey Him.

We also do this when we mistreat others because they, like us, were made in His image.

We certainly do that when we reject His most precious gift to us.

That gift is His only Son, Jesus, who paid the price for our salvation.

Where The Iliad is about struggle and conflict, The Odyssey is a myth about the struggle and desire to go home.

We, as Christians, feel a similar need and desire to go home.

The home we desire is our heavenly home.

It is a home that has been prepared for us by Jesus.

John 14:2 (NET) – There are many dwelling places in My Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you.

That is certainly no myth.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The  Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 21, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 28, 2014

What If

Can you recall your first day at school?

Do you remember when you learned how to drive a car?

How about the day you graduated?

Do you recall the day you started your first real job?

Think about the day you got married,

Call to mind the day your child was born.

How about the day your grandchild was born?

These are but some of the milestones we experience in life.

As you thought about these milestones, did you remember mostly the good things?

If you are like me, then you probably answered yes to that question.

If that is the case then think about these events once again and as you do try to remember any anxiety you might have experienced with each one.

With each of these events and others you probably experienced at least some anxiety along with the anticipation.

As a rule, we tend to repeatedly ask ourselves questions that begin with the words “what if”.

Can you recall asking any of the following questions?

What if I don't get the job?

What if the person I propose to says no?

What if we cannot afford to have a child right now?

What if I lose my job?

Yet here we are today and these events are now memories on which we can reflect.

These events changed us in one way or another.

Now consider one more thing.

Remember that there is Someone who has been along side us for the entire journey.

Someone who has not changed one bit even though we did!

Hebrews 13:8 (NET) – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

I am particularly fond of this translation as it uses “forever” instead of “tomorrow”.

It is good for us to remember that He was with us through all our yesterdays.

It is nice to be reminded that He was there for us today.

It is both reassuring and encouraging to know that He will be there for us not just for tomorrow, but forever!

Finally ask yourself one of the very few “what if” questions that really matters.

What if someone I care about does not know Him?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 7, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 14, 2014

In the Psalms of His Hands

Today's headlines seemingly bombard us with nothing but bad news.

War is an ever present reality.

So is the threat of terrorism.

Not to be outdone, disease now appears to demand its share of today's news stories.

What are we to do?

We could refuse to pick up a newspaper or a magazine.

We could refuse to turn on the television, the radio and the computer.

But living in denial is not a solution.

These issues will not simply go away just by our refusing to acknowledge them.

If anything, denial will only make matters worse.

That is an option I refuse to accept.

What other options do we have?

We could do what some have already chosen to do.

We could build a bunker or some other fortified shelter.

We could then amass a stockpile of food, water, weapons and ammunition there.

Then, if things got bad enough, we could move into that shelter and try to protect our resources from all who would try to take them from us.

But if we were to do that, wouldn't we be forfeiting our humanity?

That, too, is an option I refuse to accept.

Having ruled these two out, what options remain?

One very real option is to live in fear.

If we are not careful we could easily let fear dominate our lives.

We could spend much of our time and energy worrying about things that are not in our control.

Fear, like denial, accomplishes nothing.

What option, if any, could possibly be left?

There is an option and it is the very best option of all.

We can place our trust exactly where it belongs.

The Book of Psalms is an excellent guide for trying times.

We do not need to live in denial because He is there to help us.

Psalm 121:2 (NET) – My help comes from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth!

We do not need to forfeit our humanity and exchange living for mere survival.

Psalm 36:9 (NET) – For You are the One who gives and sustains life.

Perhaps best of all, we do not have to live in fear.

Psalm 118:6 (NET) – The LORD is on my side, I am not afraid! What can people do to me?

Sometimes the world's problems can seem overwhelming.

When they do, we always have Someone we can turn to and a place where we can go.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 17, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 24, 2014

The First 250 Steps

I have reached a bit of a milestone in my writing.

It was almost five years ago that I felt God leading me down this path.

I freely admit that I did not respond to it at first because, at the time, I failed to recognize it for what it was.

Fortunately for me, God was as patient with me as He was persistent.

Eventually I got the message, trusted His leading, and embarked upon the journey.

Now, 250 pieces later, I pause to look back on the journey and appreciate just how far He has brought me.

Very early on I learned two valuable lessons.

First, I learned that I would have to trust Him completely and without reservation.

I would have to count on Him to provide both inspiration and motivation week in and week out.

Second, I learned that I would have to set aside time every week specifically for this purpose.

Shortly after I began, I was invited to participate in a group effort.

I prayed about this and began alternating between the two sites.

In time, God blessed me as I learned that these offerings were of help to a few people along the way.

I was so grateful to learn that.

If I knew of a few that benefited then maybe, just maybe, there were others who have benefited that I will never know about in this world.

In April 2013, the monthly magazine that serves my church's denomination asked me to write a piece for the magazine.

This has turned into a regular monthly contribution.

I had to trust that if God would help me write four pieces per month, He would certainly help me with five.

Perhaps the greatest blessing God had in store for me was the number of Christian friends I was able to connect with from every corner of the world.

Proverbs 27:17 (NET) – As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend.

I can truthfully say that together we definitely sharpen each other.

This ministry has also made me a both a better teacher and a better speaker.

These are just some of the things that have happened since I followed His leading.

What will come of this ministry in the future?

I cannot say.

Only God knows what He has in store for me and that, in and of itself, is sufficient.

Now, I am forced to ask myself one final question.

Would I continue to do this even if I thought that no one was reading them?

To this I would have to answer that I would for two reasons.

First, if I honestly feel as I do that God wants me to do this, then do this I will.

Second, through each piece I am also learning more about myself.

Each piece serves to remind me just how much I need Jesus Christ in my life.

Each piece also serves to remind me that I am very much a work in progress and still have far to go.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 3, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 10, 2014

Into All the World

I was recently reminded of one of those moments that had an impact on my life.

That moment occurred years ago when I drove past a new shopping center that was not clearly visible from the highway.

Being difficult to see, it was going to take some time before people learned about it and began shopping there.

Businesses, especially those that are not part of a chain, need customers.

One of these businesses paid an employee to stand by the highway with a sign pointing the way to their store.

I honestly felt sorry for this young man.

To begin with, it was a very hot summer day and he looked very uncomfortable in his uniform.

Drivers would speed by and honk their horns at him.

Some perhaps jeered at him as they passed or maybe even shouted obscenities at him.

He was subjected to the noise of the traffic and likely inhaled a good deal of exhaust as well.

Yes, I really felt sorry for this young man.

I remember telling myself how much I would dislike having his job.

Before I crested the next hill, I suddenly realized that, as a Christian, that is exactly the kind of job that I have.

I am to share the Good News with everyone I encounter no matter what I have to endure.

That realization had a profound impact on my life.

I was reminded of that moment as I drove home from work earlier this week.

I was on another stretch of highway and there was a large truck in front of me.

The driver was on his way to pick up a load and on the back of his cab a message was clearly visible.

There, painted in large white letters, was the message: “GOD IS GOOD!”

It was that message that reminded me.

This moment also struck me for a number of other reasons.

First, even without a load, the driver was delivering something valuable to everyone – the truth.

Second, he was delivering that same truth wherever his job required him to go.

Third, there were likely times he was unaware that he was delivering this message though he delivered it constantly.

This served to remind me that I should do the same.

First, I should deliver the truth that God is good and that He sent Jesus to save us!

Second, I should share that truth wherever life requires me to go.

Third, I should live in such a way that people should be able to notice this even if I am not verbally telling them so.

Yes, the road can be an excellent teacher.

Mark 16:15 (NET) – He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 19, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 26, 2014

Turn It Off

Last weekend I happily attended my aunt's birthday party.

Both my parents came from large families so I grew up with many uncles and aunts.

That was long ago.

Of all those uncles and aunts only this one remains.

It was wonderful celebrating this special day with her.

It was also very nice to be surrounded by family.

I took many photographs and look forward to giving them to her.

I was especially glad to see everybody spending some quality time with her.

I took my turn as well.

I also enjoyed spending time with my cousins and their families.

We talked about how much things have changed since we were young.

After several such conversations, I began to wonder.

Have times changed forcing us to cope with them?

Or, have we changed forcing the times to accommodate us?

Frankly, I think it is a combination of both.

Certainly technology has changed.

But these advances were supposed to make our lives simpler and better.

But have they really?

It seems that we are all doing more but accomplishing less.

We are bombarded with information but know so very little.

Then there is the element that concerns me most of all.

We spend so much time with our phones and devices that we interact with others less and less every day.

I recall an evening when I went to a restaurant and a young couple came in and sat at a nearby table.

They were on a date but the first thing each did when seated was get out their phones and began texting.

I will admit that the thought of them texting others and ignoring each other bothered me.

One thought bothered me more.

Could they actually be texting each other?

Is this the future of human relationships?

This reminded me of a conversation I had with a cousin at the party about time.

I think most everyone agrees that as we get older time seems to go by faster.

Frankly, I do not think time goes by any faster but rather our perception of its passing changes.

Isn't it possible that this is part of God's plans for our lives.

If we do not know Jesus as we should doesn't it make sense that God would put this mechanism in place to heighten our sense of urgency to know Him?

If we do know Him, doesn't it then follow that we experience a similar sense of urgency to share Him with others?

While it is all well and good to use technology to share our faith we must not forget the importance of personal, face to face encounters.

Such opportunities present themselves all the time.

That is when we need do is turn off our devices and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The Great Commission still apples.

Mark 16:15 (NET) – He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 5, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 12, 2014