Don't Pack Everything Away

Things begin to change the day after Christmas.

Some people begin the process of taking down the decorations and lights.

Some cities begin recycling Christmas trees.

Within a week or two one would be hard pressed to find any sign that Christmas had occurred at all.

Because of my work schedule, I went to the store today.

Christmas items were being sold at a fraction of their retail value prior to Christmas.

By Friday, these items will be replaced with items for Valentine’s Day.

Broadly speaking even attitudes quickly sour.

People grow impatient with returns and standing in line.

It is ironic.

We invest time and energy preparing for Christmas.

We might have even grown more cheerful, giving and patient.

Then, beginning on the 26^th, we quickly begin abandoning the reminders of the season.

These will be boxed up and relegated to attics and storerooms.

Once there, they will quickly be forgotten until the next Christmas season approaches.

I suppose that is human nature.

But we dare not do this with Christ.

His influence should be evident in our lives throughout the year.

We are not perfect, but through Him we are being perfected.

Philippians 1:6 (NET) - For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is my prayer for the New Year that those we encounter continue to see His influence in us.

1 John 2:6 (NET) - The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 3, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 10, 2020

Surprise Someone

Surprises are something we tend to enjoy.

This is especially true during the Christmas season.

For example, we might get that perfect gift from someone special.

We might even wonder how they knew just what gift to give us that would be so perfect.

Christmas itself is full of surprises.

When an angel told Mary that she would conceive and bear a son, she was greatly surprised.  

When Joseph found out Mary was with child, he was certainly surprised.

He was again surprised when, in a dream, an angel told him to trust Mary and to name the child Jesus.

When simple shepherds were told of His birth by an angel and a host from heaven, they were totally surprised.

When the wise men saw the star heralding His birth, they were surprised and set out to worship Him.

When Herod heard the news, he too was surprised and tried to trick the wise men into revealing His location.

When the wise men failed to return to him, he was surprised once more.

But the surprises did not end there.

Many expected the Messiah to be a military leader or a political figure with great influence.

Instead, God surprised them with a baby born to humble parents in a stable.

The surprises continued later in His life.

People were surprised at His miracles – the healing of the sick and the raising of the dead.

The price He paid for our salvation was surprising as well.

The Son of God willingly laid down His life for all sinners for all time.

Another surprise awaited on the third day when the tomb was found empty.

The Christmas account is full of surprises.

The life of Jesus and all He did was just as surprising.

Even the end of his earthly journey had surprises to offer.

Christmas is just the beginning of a story that is full of surprises.

But Christmas is just that - the beginning.

It is the perfect gift from Someone special!

It is God’s perfect gift to us; a gift He wants us to share with others.

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.

So, why not surprise someone and share the Good News?

After all, is there a better time than Christmas in which to share?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 20, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 27, 2019

Where to Turn

With Thanksgiving on our doorstep, I wanted to write about gratitude.

I will, but in a slightly more roundabout way.

Recently, I had to travel to someone’s home and retrieve a piece of equipment.

I was given the address and a phone number.

This person lived in a remote area.

It was so remote that even technology like map websites and GPS were only helpful to a point.

I traveled out to this area and turned onto the road on which this person lived.

The first thing I noticed were that the house numbers made little sense.

I could have traveled up and down this road for hours and perhaps not found this individual.

I pulled off the road and did the only thing I could and telephoned this person.

He understood my confusion and told me what to look for as I completed the final leg of my journey.

With these instructions I found the residence and retrieved the device.

The journey back was much easier as I simply reversed my course until I reached the highway.

Faith is a little like that.

Sometimes we waver in our faith.

For example, we might find it hard to do certain things like love or forgive.

Knowing the right thing to do and failing to do it is a bit like being lost.

When this happens, the sooner we get our bearings straight the better.

The great news is we do not have to go about it alone

It is often as easy as making a telephone call.

One way is to turn to scripture for guidance.

Hebrews 4:12 (NET) - For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.

We can also turn to our Christian family and friends.

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

These methods and others can point us back to the right path when we have lost our way.

C.S. Lewis put it this way: “Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.”

We all find ourselves on the wrong path from time to time.

Fortunately, God provides us many ways to help us to find our way back to the right path.

That is truly something for which to give thanks!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 6, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 13, 2019

Memories and Relationships

I discovered that one of my father’s favorite TV shows was available on DVD.

My father left this world almost forty years ago.

Watching these old episodes again brought back some great memories of long ago.

I remember some things very clearly.

I recall being a very small boy at the time.

I remember my father sitting in his favorite chair just before the program started.

I also remember that I always stopped playing.

Then, I would sit on the floor right next to my father.

I did this because I wanted to feel close to him.

I recall how we exchanged glances.

I also remember how my father would smile at me.

Then the program would start.

I recall sitting very quietly for the next hour so as not to disturb him.

I’ll admit I found the program’s opening theme and graphics a bit frightening.

One look toward my father’s confident face and that would quickly dispel any fears.

I did not get much out of the program back then.

Its premise was far beyond my grasp.

It did however allow me the opportunity to spend some time with my father.

These memories make me think of my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Often, it is enough for me just to sit quietly in His presence.

To feel a special closeness and to feel loved in return.

And when the world seems chaotic a look toward Him makes all my fears vanish.

No matter how old I grow; He always considers me His child.

Hebrews 11:6 (NET) - Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 15, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 22, 2019

All the Above

It has been an eventful week.

It has been full of people and events.

Some events were good.

Some were not so good.

A friend’s father passed away.

Another friend was due to be released from the hospital.

Some friends were able to help me out.

Some were not due to illness.

Some people asked for my help and were understanding.

Some demanded my help and were anything but understanding.

Some gave me clear instructions.

Others gave me instructions that weren’t so clear.

Someone broke into our facility and stole a piece of equipment,

This piece of equipment was used by our children.

I ordered materials for my class.

Some were delivered as expected,

Some got held up and I spent time on the phone sorting things out,

As you can see, some things went my way.

Some things did not go my way.

Some people were helpful and understanding.

Some people were not.

One got good medical news.

One did not.

One even took something used by children.

With everything tallied up, questions arise.

Who among these people needs my love and understanding?

Who among these people should I pray for?

I’ll admit this is a bit of a trick question, but I did give away the answer in the title.

All the people listed above I should love and try to understand.

All of them I should pray for.

This includes those that were difficult.

It even includes the one who stole from us.

Colossians 3:12-13 (NET) - Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 1, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 8, 2019

Speaking with God

Last weekend, my church had a its annual fundraiser.

A group of my friends called me over to where they had gathered.

I discovered a visitor with them who knew of our background.

She was hoping to find somebody to speak with in the Czech language.

For a good portion of our history, worship services were held in the Czech language.

This was done for the benefit of Czech settlers who arrived in the area.

In time, we transitioned from Czech to English.

I told our visitor that I was not as fluent as I once was, but I would certainly try my best.

I was glad I did.

Our conversation started off with the usual pleasantries.

We then proceeded to discuss our families.

I was delighted to learn that she knew my parents.

She even remembered me when I was a small boy.

We compared our family trees and discovered that we were related to each other.

As our conversation ended, I told her that I was glad I had the chance to speak with her.

She replied in kind.

She added that the number of people with whom she can speak with in Czech is declining.

Then she left.

This put me in mind of speaking with God and our relationship with Him.

Romans 12:12 (NET) - Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.

Whatever condition we find ourselves in, prayer is the primary means by which we speak to God.

As I spoke with our visitor, sometimes I struggled to find the right word or phrase.

Sometimes, it is difficult for us to find the right words when we speak with God.

At such times, the Spirit intercedes for us.

Romans 8:26 (NET) - In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

Discovering that I was related to our visitor reminded me of our special relationship with God.

Romans 8:15 (NET) - For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, "Abba, Father."

That is a very special relationship indeed.

That means we can speak with God at any time about anything.

This also means that He wants to hear from us – not just when we are in need.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NET) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 18, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 25, 2019

Say What?

I am wrapping up preparations for an upcoming speaking engagement.

I am always glad to speak on the history of my church whenever I am asked to do so.

In preparation, I am always struck by those who preceded me.

The amount of love they shared and the sacrifices they made were remarkable.

I am certain the same can be said by many other churches as well.

There are certain truths that emerge as one delves deep into church history.

The farther back you go, the more difficult life was for people and the pastors whom God entrusted to their care.

In many cases, the lives of believers hung under the shadow of persecution.

The mere act of worship, or worshipping in a different way, was sometimes done at tremendous risk.

In fact, wars took place because of differences in worship.

A pastor friend once told me, “There is nothing sadder than a religious war.”

I agree.

Beyond conflict, life itself was difficult.

Travel between communities that now takes hours once took days.

Communications that are now instantaneous was once practically nonexistent.

Life spans were shorter and there was no guarantee of survival from one season to the next.

Despite the difficulties, the church once played a pivotal role in the life of the community.

In the modern age, things are quite different.

Granted, there are still parts of the world where persecution of Christians is a reality.

But for the most part, we have been blessed with security, peace, safety, convenience and many other things.

Along with these blessings, complacency has settled it.

Broadly speaking, the church no longer plays the central role in the community it once did,

Perhaps that is why I enjoy speaking about the history of my church.

It forces me to remember people whose lives were far more difficult than mine.

By modern standards, they had very few conveniences.

Yet they gave freely of themselves.

This was especially true of those who answered God’s call and tended his flock on earth.

Whenever I think about such things, I recall the second part of Luke 12:48.

Luke 12:48b (NET) - From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

When we compare our lives with the lives of those who preceded us, we realize we have been blessed with much.

We must then ask ourselves honestly what we choose to do with those blessings.

Are we really doing what God requires of us?

I wonder what those who speak of church history in the future will say of us today.

Wouldn’t it be sad if they find little to say?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 4, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 11, 2019