Why Church?

A question often asked is, “Why Church?”

This can be another way of asking, “Can a person be a Christian without going to church?”

There are, of course, a number of ways to look at this.

Perhaps the best place to start is by asking another question.

What exactly is church?

When some people think of church, they think of the church building.

It is important to understand that the church and the church building are not the same thing.

The word church is far more about the body of believers and whom they choose to worship.

Last Sunday when I arrived for worship I discovered that the neighborhood was without electricity.

We could have chosen to worship outdoors and still have been a church.

Matthew 18:20 (NET) - For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.

Some people move around, trying one church then another.

If asked why, they might tell you that they are looking for “the perfect church”.

Frankly, that is something they will never find because it does not exist.

The church on this earth is imperfect because it is composed of imperfect people.

People like me.

Even on my best day, I am anything but perfect.

The church can help us with that.

Philippians 3:12 (NE) - Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.

A church must be about worship.

It must help point people toward God and strengthen their relationship with Him.

Now it goes without saying that there are a number of different churches out there.

Just last week, I attended a wedding at a church that was not my own.

They do things differently than we do them.

That’s okay.

It does not matter that we each do things differently.

What matters is that we each, in our own way, strive to bring glory to God.

Another question asked is: “Can someone attend church and not be a Christian?”

Absolutely!

Being a Christian means having a relationship with God.

A relationship made possible through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This relationship has a profound impact on how we choose to treat others.

Without this relationship where we are at any given time is not the issue.

The church can help, but it is the state of a person’s heart that matters most.

Mark 12:29-31 (NET) - Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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.”

The church experience provides the Christian with a number of things.

It gives us a small taste of what heaven will be like.

It connects us with a body of believers who are united in spirit.

It provides us with opportunities to serve in ways that would not be possible on our own.

There are other things as well.

So, the next time someone asks me the question, “Why church?” I just might ask in return, “Why not?”

I wonder where that might lead.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 7, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, July 14, 2017

Opportunities

The church I attend just finished five days of Vacation Bible School.

This is primarily a program for children.

We also offer a class for adults.

It has been my privilege to teach the adult class for several years and I take this seriously for good reason.

James 3:1 (NET) - Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.

One thing is certain, one must teach adults differently than one teaches children.

As human beings, we continue to grow throughout our lives.

As we grow our needs change.

You would not feed a toddler what you feed an infant.

You would not feed a teenager what you feed a toddler, and so on.

As Christians, we continue to grow as well.

Our spiritual needs change as well.

They should anyway.

Paul discovered this was not the case with the Christians in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NET) - So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,

Fortunately, I did not have this problem with the adults in my class.

In fact, I was able to challenge them and even gave them some things to consider on their own.

No matter how much I enjoy teaching the adult class I do miss not being around the children.

God must have known that this was on my mind.

He made it possible for me to work with some children but not in a traditional classroom setting.

When the program ended, most people went home.

A few of us remained to put things back in order.

I was busy with bigger items like tables.

Also present were a boy and his little sister.

Their mother told them to “Go help Mr. Jim.”

As they ran to me I knew this was a teaching opportunity.

I gave them some really light tasks while I continued with the bigger ones.

While we worked, I spoke with them and even made them laugh a time or two.

I must admit they made me laugh as well.

Once the work was complete, we all went our separate ways and I thought about a number of things.

First, their mother did well by encouraging them to help.

Second, I was able to teach not with words but by example.

Third, although I was busy, I made time for them.

Jesus made time for children as well.

Matthew 19:14 (NET) - But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 16, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, June 23, 2017

We Each Have a Message

Most of my driving happens to be on the highway.

One particular stretch of highway used to take a while to get through due to the volume of traffic.

Not long ago two lanes were added in each direction to ease traffic flow.

This had unintended consequences.

With congestion eased, many drivers tended to drive well above the posted speed limit.

They also tended to leave less room between their car and the one immediately in front of them.

This led to more traffic accidents and at such time traffic barely moved at all.

In an effort to cut down on both unsafe driving and traffic accidents, message signs were erected.

At first the messages were positive.

One day the message asked drivers to “Share the Road”.

Not much changed.

Later, the signs asked drivers to “Drive friendly”.

Again, not much changed.

One day the traffic was particularly harrowing.

The message for that day was, “Move accidents to the shoulder”.

On yet another day, the signs were experiencing a technical problem.

On that day, there were no messages at all.

It’s almost as if those in charge of the signs changed strategies.

In the beginning, it was the equivalent of “We are trying to help all of you.”

Then it was the equivalent of “You’re not listening, so just move accidents out of the way.”

Finally, although unintentional, the blank signs seemed to be saying “You are all beyond hope.”

Part of our Christian walk is similar to those signs.

We are supposed to be telling others about Jesus.

Sometimes we do.

Sometimes we don’t.

There are several reasons why we should.

One reason is the most important of them all.

Jesus told us to.

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

There is no better reason than that.

We don’t always need to use words to tell others about Him.

One of my favorite hymns put it this way…

“They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 2, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, June 9, 2017

The Voice

There is a popular television show called “The Voice”.

Talented vocalists compete with each other to see who sings the best.

A voice is a powerful thing, but it is not confined to singing.

Just the other day I was in the supermarket.

I was approaching the end of an aisle when I heard someone around the corner speaking.

That voice belonged to someone I knew from my youth.

Even before I saw her, I knew that the voice I heard had to belong to her.

I turned the corner and we saw each other face to face.

I was correct.

Several decades have elapsed since we last saw each other.

We have both changed.

The change in me was more dramatic as I now wear a full beard which seems to be turning grayer daily.

She appeared a bit startled until I spoke.

Once she heard my voice she knew who I was.

We spent several minutes reminiscing.

We then went our separate ways once again.

Had neither of us not spoken, it is very possible that we might have missed each other completely.

The voice is a powerful thing.

Jesus makes this clear about His voice.

John 10:27 (NET) - My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

We hear His call and obey. 

Although He speaks to us, He does not always do so in the same way.

For example, God spoke to Moses through a burning bush.

He spoke to Elijah in quite a different way when He found him hiding in a cave.

God asked Elijah to leave the cave and stand on the mountain.

There Elijah was subjected to high winds, landslides, an earthquake and fire.

Yet God did not speak through any of these things.

God’s voice came in a completely different way.

1 Kings 19 17 (NET) - After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.

God spoke to Elijah in a whisper.

How will we experience His voice?

It might come as a shout.

It could come as a whisper.

That is why listening is so important.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 19, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, May 26, 2017

Obedience

We are in the process of being perfected.

This is a process that continues throughout our lives.

Philippians 3:12 (NET) - Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.

So, we are not yet perfect.

Can we at least say that we are good?

Not according to scripture.

Psalm 53:2-3 (NET) - God looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God. Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one!

Jesus said as much to a rich man.

Mark 10:19 (NET) - Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

I will fall short as a human being even on my best days.

Perhaps I will say or do the wrong thing.

More likely, I will probably fail to do the right thing.

I might not even be aware of it.

That is one reason why obedience is so important.

It might be impossible for us to be good, but it is always possible to obey.

Peter and his brother Andrew were fishing one day when Jesus called them.

Matthew 4:19-20 (NET) - He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” They left their nets immediately and followed him.

James and John were called to obey while assisting their father.

Matthew 4:21-22 (NET) - Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then he called them. They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

Not only did these men leave their lives as they had known them, they did so “immediately”.

That is obedience.

The rich man heard the call and ignored it.

Mark 10:21-22 (NET) - As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Others hear the call and try to place conditions on their obedience.

Luke 9 61-62 (NET) - Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Complete goodness may be impossible for us in our present state.

Obedience is possible.

Obedience is a matter of choice.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 5, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, May 12, 2017

Just Look

People often expect God to do one thing only to find that He does something else.

Sometimes whet He does just does not make any sense to us.

We read in the book of Numbers of God’s people and their encounter with serpents.

Moses led the people in a direction that would take them around the land of Edom.

The people became impatient along the way and spoke out.

Numbers 21:5 (NET) - And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we detest this worthless food.”

In response, God sent poisonous snakes among the people.

Many people were bitten.

Many died.

It did not take very long for the people regret their rebellion.

Numbers 21:7 (NET) - Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he would take away the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The people expected God to simply make the snakes go away.

God had something completely different in mind.

Numbers 21:8 (NET) - The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”

Moses did as God instructed him and God was true to His word.

Numbers 21:9 (NET) - So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.

The people expected one thing and got another.

They expected God to remove the snakes.

God gave them something to do instead.

God’s response probably made little sense to them at first.

How was simply looking at a bronze snake hanging on a pole going to save their lives?

It probably did not take the people very long to see that God was true to His word.

They likely remembered its exact location at all times just in case they were bitten.

People often expect God to do one thing only to find that He does something else.

Today we look around and see all the problems there are in the world.

We would prefer that God would just simply make these problems go away.

God gives us something to do instead.

God gives us places to look as well.

He gives us a cross that no longer has an occupant.

He gives us a tomb that now lies empty.

I wish you a Blessed Easter.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 21, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, April 28, 2017

A Good Question

As we continue our journey through the season of Lent, one question bears considering,

“Who is Jesus?”

It is one thing to examine how this question was addressed by those who followed Jesus.

Examining how this question was addressed by others is another.

This is particularly true of individuals who were involved in one way or another with His crucifixion.

Pilate is but one example.

Chapter 19 of the book of John reminds us that Pilate initially tried to free Jesus.

Failing in this attempt, he had a sign affixed to the cross.

John 19:19 (NET) - Pilate also had a notice written and fastened to the cross, which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.”

The was written in several languages.

As soon as the chief priests read these words they appealed to Pilate to change them.

Pilate refused.

John 19:22 (NET) - Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

In Luke’s account of the crucifixion we are told of the mocking of Jesus.

One of those crucified with Jesus also mocked him.

The other crucified with him had a much better understanding.

Luke 23:40-41 (NET) - But the other rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then there was the centurion who witnessed the crucifixion in Mark’s gospel.

The death of Jesus brought a deep and profound understanding to the centurion.

Mark 15:39 (NET) - Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Neither Pilate, nor the criminal nor the centurion were followers of Jesus.

Yet through His crucifixion they understood who Jesus was.

What about us?

How do we answer the question: “Who is Jesus?”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 7, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, April 14, 2017