Rolling Up Your Sleeves

It never ceases to amaze me how communications get mixed up.

I recently had some work done in several rooms that would require professionals.

It also required that everything be moved out of the rooms before work could commence.

My understanding was that I would be responsible for moving anything fragile.

It was also my understanding that everything else would be moved by the workmen.

I began packing away fragile items days before and moved them out of harm’s way.

Following that, I began boxing up all the other things that would have be moved around until all the work was completed.

Assuming work would begin in the living room, I moved these boxes out as first.

This left some furniture and my bookshelves.

On the morning scheduled there was a knock on my door.

I opened the door and there stood a workman with his tools and the other essentials he needed.

I welcomed him in.

I waited at the open door expecting at least one more person to help him move the heavier items.

I was puzzled when no one else followed.

I turned to the workman who was about half my age.

“Where is your help?”, I asked.

I was surprised when he stated he was alone and was prepared to move these items himself.

I had several options.

I could have allowed him to move these items himself.

I could also have called his employer and demanded he send over some help.

I chose a different path.

Although easily twice his age, I offered to help him move these remaining items.

At first, he refused my help.

I was persistent and together we moved these items out.

He was then able to set about his work more quickly.

By midafternoon, his work in the living room was complete.

We then moved the heavier items back.

He even offered to help with some of the boxes.

I declined because I saw just how physically demanding his work was.

As he left, he assured me that two workmen would be sent out the following day to finish work in the other rooms.

Is there a point to all this?

I have a number of things in my residence that can help identify me as a Christian.

The way I treat others can either prove or disprove that.

Hebrews 6:10 (NET) - For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 2, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, February 9, 2018

Two Kinds of Followers

In the fourth chapter of the book of Matthew we read about those who followed Jesus.

In verses 18 through 22 we read first of Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew.

Fishermen by trade, they were busy casting their nets when Jesus came upon 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.

Moving further along Jesus encounters two more brothers who were also fishermen.

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.

Shortly afterward we read of His healing ministry.

Jesus went through all Galilee and taught in the synagogues.

He preached the gospel of the kingdom and cured all manner of diseases and afflictions.

Word of this healing ministry spread throughout the land.

As a result, people brought to Jesus many who suffered.

Scripture tells us that Jesus healed these people.

It also tells us that others followed him.

Matthew 4:25 (NET) - And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan River.

So, this chapter tells us of two kinds of followers.

First, there were those who were called by Jesus.

Simon, Andrew, James and John not only followed, they followed immediately.

James and John even left their father in response to His call.

Second, there were the crowds that followed because of what Jesus said and did.

Some followed because of His teaching.

Some because of the healing they either witnessed or received.

There is a significant difference between these groups of followers.

The first group was called.

The second group was not.

That first group remained relatively small, but they responded immediately.

The second and larger group grew over the course of time.

Many of us hear His call to us today in one form or another.

I wish that I could tell you that my response was immediate, but I cannot.

I can say that I am grateful for both His patience and persistence with me.

In fact, I could tell you about others with whom He was patient and persistent.

Eventually, we came around as well.

If you have not as yet responded to His call, it is not too late to do so.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 19, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, January 26, 2018

The Gift of Hope

As I write this, Christmas is but a few days away.

Over the years the celebration of Christmas has grown.

This is particularly true from a secular point of view.

At times it appears that the secular celebration of Christmas has overtaken the spiritual.

I plan to celebrate Christmas with church services and gatherings with family and friends.

We observe Christmas as a time when God became man and dwelt among us.

In the rather short time Jesus walked among us He did many things.

He healed the sick.

He raised the dead.

He did many other things as well.

We call these things signs and miracles.

They say to the world that Jesus is exactly who He is; the Son of God.

Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of that journey.

While celebrations like Christmas grow in popularity others see a decline.

This is especially true when it comes to Easter which is only weeks away.

I think it is safe to say that far more people celebrate Christmas than observe Easter.

This is unfortunate.

We must never forget that His earthly journey had an end as well as a beginning.

It was a journey that led to a cross and an empty tomb beyond it.

That first Christmas, God gave man a very special gift

He gave us His Son.

At the end of that journey, God gave man another gift.

He gave us the gift of hope.

1 Peter 1:3-6 (NET) - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials.

I hope you are able to celebrate Christmas with church and family and friends.

I also hope you can stick around for the rest of the story.

For therein lies real hope for us all.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 5, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, January 12, 2018

Two Little Girls in the Snow

This is not the devotional I originally planned to post today.

Even at my age, God still finds ways to both surprise and inspire me.

Thursday evening found me at my church along with a number of my friends.

We were all busy working away getting things ready for Christmas.

As we were finishing up, someone noticed that it was actually snowing outside.

Of course, we all stepped outside to take a look.

You see, it rarely snows where I live and to have snow this early in the season is rare indeed.

We went back inside and finished what we had to do.

When it came time to leave, a few of us just stood out in the cold and admired the snow.

I carefully drove home trying not to let the weather distract me.

As I got ready to turn into my drive, I noticed two little girls running around.

They were paying more attention to the snow than to my car, so I entered my drive slowly.

Their mother called them over to her allowing me to safely park my car.

In no time, the two girls returned to their celebration of the snow.

I took a moment to speak to their mother.

As we spoke, I considered what God showed me.

He showed me the white snow, the watchful eye of a loving parent and the pure joy found only in children.

He was also reminding me of the words of the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 1:18 (NET) - Come, let’s consider your options,” says the Lord. “Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool.

As we get deeper into the Christmas season I am reminded of the fulfilment of this prophecy.

God is our loving Father who calls us to Him to keep us safe from the world.

As we celebrate the birth of His Son, we should remember that it is Jesus who cleanses us from our sin.

Christ was the perfect sacrifice – the Lamb without blemish and without spot.

We no longer have to be stained like scarlet.

We can be made as white as snow.

Perhaps we can also take a lesson from these two little girls and their excitement.

Perhaps we should allow ourselves to get more excited about our salvation.

Perhaps that would make us more eager to share the Good News with others.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 15, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, December 22, 2017

A Three-Minute Start

A number of nations celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

The dates range from early October to late November.

Days of Thanksgiving in America date to its colonial period.

They were proclaimed by church leaders, governors and even the Continental Congress.

In each case a Day of Thanksgiving was set aside to give thanks to God.

It was President George Washington who proclaimed that Americans should set aside November 26, 1789 as a “day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."

From then on. the observance of Thanksgiving varied from state to state.

On October 3, 1863, while America was still in the middle of its Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving should be observed on the final Thursday in November.

Lincoln’s proclamation concluded with the following: “I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”

Because of the Civil War, those in opposition to Lincoln refused to adopt the date he proclaimed until the 1870’s.

In the late 1930’s President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day be observed on the fourth Thursday in November.

In 1941, a joint resolution of Congress officially recognized the date change and it was signed into law by Roosevelt.

From its very beginnings throughout the course of its history, Thanksgiving Day is about giving thanks to God in all circumstances.

Unfortunately, with each passing year, we push God further away from the concept of Thanksgiving.

We find more and more ways to distract ourselves from its original intent.

The day after Thanksgiving has now become the biggest shopping day of the year.

Many stores are now opting to remain open on Thanksgiving Day.

I believe it is not too late to return the day to its original purpose.

I recall a story told by a Vietnam veteran of his experiences on one particular Thanksgiving Day.

He and his fellow soldiers had been consuming rations for a very long time.

When Thanksgiving Day arrived, helicopters flew in and brought he and his fellow soldiers a traditional and hot Thanksgiving meal.

But that was not what made the day special.

A satellite telephone unit the size of a bus had also been flown in and set up.

With it, he and rest of the men were each allowed to make a three-minute phone call home.

Some waited in line for over 8 hours just for the opportunity to make their three-minute call.

That three-minute call home meant everything to this man and the others.

Perhaps we can start there.

Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven.

Perhaps we could start with a three-minute prayer to God thanking Him and ask Him to help us better put things in perspective.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NET) - Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 1, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, December 8, 2017

Take Courage

Another week has gone by and another senseless tragedy has unfolded.

This one took place inside a church located in a small town only two hours away from me.

While the worship service was going on, a man armed with a rifle entered.

In all, 26 people were killed and still others were wounded.

Among the dead was the pastor’s 14 year old daughter.

Also killed was the visiting pastor.

There are so many people that need our prayers right now.

I pray for the surviving members of this church who are dealing with the kind of shock and anguish I cannot even begin to comprehend.

I pray for this small community where everyone knew at least one person who worshipped there.

I pray for others outside this community who might now be too afraid to go to church because of what happened.

I pray for other church leaders who now have to consider what steps they might take in light of this tragedy.

Of all my prayers, I find my prayers for this congregation’s pastor to be the most intense.

He is a man of God, but, he is a man.

He is a man coping with his own grief.

He is a man coping with his own loss.

He is a man coping with his own questions.

As he wrestles with these things and more, others are turning to him.

They are turning to him with their own difficult questions.

They are turning to him for guidance.

They are turning to him for hope.

He will likely lean on God more in the days to come than he has ever leaned on Him before.

God will be there for him.

God will be with the others as well.

One question that always arises is: “Why must bad happen?”

Jesus gave us the answer.

He also gave us hope.

John 16:33 (NET) - I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.

Together, let us pray together for shattered lives.

Together, let us pray for peace.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 17, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, November 24, 2017

The Other Six Commandments

I have spent a considerable amount of time recently studying the Sermon on the Mount.

These words of Jesus begin in Matthew chapter 5.

His words have been with us for a very long time.

Centuries ago, theologians extracted from them the “Six Smaller Commandments”.

Personally, I do not care for the word “smaller” but I have kept it here for historical accuracy.

Just what are the six smaller commandments?

Do not respond to violence with violence.

Do not divorce your spouse.

Do not swear oaths.

Do not be angry without cause.

Do not look lustfully at someone.

Love your enemies.

In looking at these individually, I have drawn a few conclusions.

The first seems to be in direct opposition to the “eye for an eye” doctrine found in the Old Testament.

When we feel we have been wronged our initial thoughts often turn to retribution or retaliation.

As for divorce, I will not debate under what circumstances divorce should be granted.

But given the current divorce rate, I will say that it is now far easier for couples to divorce rather than work through their problems.

As for the swearing of oaths, we have even made exceptions to that.

For example, we may be required to swear oaths if we serve in the military or hold government office.

As for getting angry without cause, I would venture that practically everyone who has ever felt angry has also found a way of justifying his anger.

As for not looking at someone lustfully, this is not easily done.

We don’t even have to go out of our way to look for it.

Advertisers have understood for a long time that sex sells.

This is but one example of how we are tempted into disobeying this teaching.

As for loving our enemies, we may find this sixth commandment the most difficult of all.

It flies in the face of the conditioning the world has imposed on us from our youth.

We certainly have a hard time living up to these commandments of Jesus.

Yet we often make the task harder ourselves.

One way we do this is when we ask ourselves what Jesus meant rather than focusing on what he actually said.

Another is when we try do everything on our own.

Philippians 4:19 (NET) - And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 3, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, November 10, 2017