Truth and Freedom

John 8:32 (NET) – “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

This passage of scripture has been on my mind a great deal lately.

Anyone can see that it is composed of two parts.

The first part says that we will know the truth.

What is the truth?

When Pilate questioned Jesus, Jesus tried to explain truth to him.

John 18:37 (NET) – Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Pilate did not understand.

Pilate responded with the question, “What is truth?”

Two thousand years have passed and the world still echoes that same question.

“What is truth?”

Jesus could not have been clearer.

Jesus said, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Jesus is the source of truth.

Think about the number of times Jesus spoke the words, “I tell you the truth...”

If Jesus is the source of truth and we know it, we will be made free.

The question then remains, “Free from what?”

Death? Even the faithful die an earthly death.

Persecution? Some of the most faithful are persecuted for their faith.

There is freedom in His truth.

We are freed from fear.

Even the fear of death is forced to release its hold on us.

1 Corinthians 15:55 (NET) – “Where. O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

We are freed from this fear and all others.

We are even freed from the fear of persecution.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NET) – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 1, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, May 8, 2015

The Pride Within Prejudice

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.”

Prejudice has been around for almost as long as there have been people.

When I was a child, prejudice puzzled me.

I wondered how any one group of people could look upon another and somehow feel superior to them.

I witnessed prejudice at an early age.

With God’s help I was able to determine that it had no place in my life.

Being a child, I was also a bit naïve.

I remember thinking at the time that prejudice would surely be gone by the time I grew up.

Sadly, I was wrong.

Half a century has passed and prejudice is still alive and well.

If today’s headlines are any indication, it will be around for some time to come.

Do not get me wrong.

I do not believe that everyone is prejudiced,

I am certain that there are many people who feel as I do that prejudice serves no useful purpose.

I am also certain that many people will disagree.

When it comes to prejudice, I have reached several conclusions.

I honestly believe that some people look down upon others as a way of feeling better about themselves.

Perhaps they too have felt the sting of prejudice and somehow feel better about themselves by thinking themselves superior.

I also believe that prejudice is quite often a learned behavior.

When children see prejudice in those they are supposed to look up to, they could learn to emulate it until it becomes a part of who they are.

Even people who consider themselves Christians can be guilty of prejudice.

That is perhaps the saddest conclusion of all.

Jesus told us what the greatest commandments are.

He told us to love God and love our neighbor.

Let’s be completely blunt and honest.

Prejudice flies in the face of both.

We cannot love our neighbor if we feel that we are superior to him.

We also cannot completely love God if we feel are superior to someone He has made in His image and His likeness.

Someday mankind may learn this.

Hopefully, he will learn this before it is too late.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 17, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 24, 2015

Rings a Bell

Church bells have been in use for centuries.

There are primarily used to signal worshipers that the service is about to begin.

Some churches, including my own, also ring the church bell at the conclusion of the service.

Some churches ring their bell three times a day as a reminder to their members to recite prayer.

Church bells are even rung in celebration at Thanksgiving or at weddings.

In fact, many wedding and anniversary cards have pictures of church bells on them.

When rung in celebration, the sound of the church bell adds to the joy of the occasion.

Psalm 98:4 (KJV) - Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

I have been called upon to ring my church’s bell both before and after worship.

When rung in a certain way, the bell produces a loud and joyful sound just as described by the Psalmist.

I believe this helps prepare the believer’s heart for worship.

In the same way, that joyful sound it creates at the end of the service also serves a purpose.

I believe it helps prepare the believer to take what was shared during the worship service out into the world.

The sound the bell makes is not always a joyful one though.

In Great Britain during World War II the church bells were silenced.

They were only to be rung as a warning of a pending enemy attack.

There is another time when the sound of the church bell is not a joyous one.

I know this from experience as I have also been called upon to ring the church’s bell at funeral services.

In fact, I was called upon to do just that on Saturday.

Whenever I am called upon to do this, I take the responsibility very seriously.

I see the church bell is a musical instrument that is capable of producing only one note.

Whenever I ring the bell at a funeral service, I try to ring it slowly, regularly and somberly.

I do this out of respect.

I also do it for one more reason.

It is possible that someone attending the funeral service has not yet made himself right with the Lord.

If such is the case, they need to do so while they still have time.

Psalm 144:4 (KJV) – Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

Just as the bells were rung as a warning in times of war, perhaps the slow, regular and somber tone of the church bell will serve as a reminder.

A reminder that our time on earth is limited.

Although limited, it is never too late to get right with God through Jesus Christ.

For as long as we draw breath there is hope.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

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

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

Too Beautiful to Believe

Sometimes even an ordinary thing can lead to an amazing realization.

I had such an experience this week and it involved social media and a simple picture of a horse.

While browsing I noticed that someone had shared a picture of a horse.

This was not your ordinary horse but one of a specific breed.

I know the breed as Gypsy Vanner but other names also apply.

These are draught horses so they have excellent muscle tone.

They also have long manes and long hair (feathering) around their hooves.

They look nice standing still, but when they run they really are sight to see.

This particular photo was of a running Gypsy Vanner.

With its long mane and feathering flowing in the breeze it was extremely beautiful.

The photo was so beautiful that some people could not believe their eyes.

They thought the photo had been retouched or doctored in some way.

No horse, they thought, could possibly be this beautiful.

They simply could not accept the reality as truth.

Thinking about this led me to realize something amazing.

We are rapidly approaching Easter.

This account of the Lord’s great love for us has a special beauty all its own.

God loved us so much that He sent His only Son into the world to save us.

Jesus loved us and willingly endured many things for us.

He loved us so much that He did everything the Father willed.

This meant enduring a violent and painful death for us.

On the third day, He arose.

When the women arrived at the tomb, they discovered that the stone had been rolled away.

When they entered, they encountered a man dressed in white.

Mark 16:6 (NET) – But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him.”

Jesus was who He said He was.

Jesus did all that was required.

He did this for us even though we did nothing to earn it.

We certainly did not deserve it.

Look!

The tomb lies empty!

It does not get any more beautiful than that.

Perhaps that is why some people need a little help believing it.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 20, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 27, 2015

The Grand Illusion

People, as a rule, are stubborn.

I should know, because I am a person and I tend to be stubborn.

When it comes to life, we like to believe that we are in control.

But this belief is merely a self-imposed illusion.

The proof lies in the outcome of the plans that we make.

Sometimes, things work out the way we plan.

Often times, they do not.

That is some pretty compelling evidence.

If we were in complete control of our lives, shouldn’t everything work out the way we plan?

If we are not in control, then that leaves us with two possibilities.

Either no one is in control or someone else is.

If no one is in control then the entire system should break down.

Granted, the world has its share of problems.

There are wars, poverty, disease, ignorance and a host of other problems.

Despite all of these things, life goes on.

That leaves us with one option.

Someone is in control.

That raises the question of exactly who is in control.

There is only one possible answer.

God is in control.

Even the community of science gives us some glimpses of that.

The speed of light is a constant.

The acceleration due to gravity is another.

The list goes on.

As I said at the outset, I am stubborn.

Even as a Christian, I liked to think I was in control of my life.

Eventually, I learned to let go of the wheel.

Once I did that two things happened.

First, I discovered that I was actually able to enjoy the ride even more.

Second, I asked myself why I had not let go sooner.

Proverbs 19:21 (NET) – There are many plans in a person’s mind, but it is the counsel of the LORD which will stand.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 6, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 13, 2014

Love

Valentine’s Day is soon to be upon us.

The moment Christmas was over stores committed aisles of shelves to this holiday.

The assortment of gifts includes candy, cards, flowers and jewelry.

I will not even hazard a guess as to how much money will be spent on this holiday.

Do not get me wrong.

I firmly believe that if you love someone you should demonstrate it.

I am also of the opinion that if you truly love someone, you should demonstrate it every day.

Love should not be measured by how much money we choose to spend on Valentine’s Day.

The English language further complicates things because there are different kinds of love; yet we only one word for it.

Perhaps that is why there are so many Valentine’s cards available.

Ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, it is a challenge to find a card that expresses the kind of love we have for someone.

I wonder how we have taken something as basic and essential as love and turned it into something complicated.

When it comes to our love for others, there is no better guide than 1 Corinthians 13.

The opening verse sets the tone for the entire chapter.

1 Corinthians 13:1 (NET) – If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

The last verse sums matters up quite nicely.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET) – And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Paul reminds us that love is even greater than faith.

When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important, He gave a two part answer,

Mark 12:30-31 (NET) – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

What about God’s love for us?

John 3:16-17 (NET) – For this is the way God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son , so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.

Do you want to feel even more loved?

What about the love of Jesus?

John 15:13-14 (NET) – No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Perhaps it is time we look at love in an uncomplicated way again.

Perhaps we need to remind ourselves through the words of a song we were taught as children.

Its meaning has not changed even though we have.

I am sure you remember the words.

Jesus loves me. This I know

For the Bible tells me so.

With LOVE,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 20, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 27, 2014

Diamonds in the Rough

Diamonds are formed by a combination of intense heat and pressure.

Along with its rarity, a diamond’s cut, when made by an expert cutter, increases its value tremendously.

Before the expert makes his first cut, he will study the diamond, look inside it, and determine exactly where he will make his cuts.

In essence, what he is doing is determining what part of the diamond will stay and what parts will not.

After the cuts are made the facets of the stone that remain are polished and the diamond’s true inner value can finally be seen.

Something remarkably similar takes place in people.

While we can easily underestimate the value of a person, God sees the true value hidden within.

When God sent Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse as king, Samuel noticed Eliab and was certain that God would choose him.

But God did not choose Eliab.

God reminded Samuel, “People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,”

God sees the internal beauty then transforms lives.

He expertly chips away any excesses that interfere with the relationship between Himself and the believer.

He does away with self-destructive behaviors.

He removes bad habits.

He discards old prejudices.

As the excesses are removed, God polishes the believer.

The life of the believer is thus transformed into something completely unrecognizable from what it was before.

Scripture reminds us that nothing is impossible for God.

We must therefore never, under any circumstances, say that someone is beyond hope,

To do so discourages them.

Not only that, it also attempts to place limits on God who has none.

Isaiah 64:8 (NET) – Yet, LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay and You are the potter; we are all the product of Your labor.

It is important to remember that all believers were at one time diamonds in the rough.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 6, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 13, 2014