Correction Signifies Love

 

Jeremiah 10:24 (NET) - Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure. Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.

The prophet remembers God’s command concerning idols.

It is true that the Lord detests idols.

It is also true that idols are created by man and are completely worthless.

The prophet recognizes God’s complete sovereignty.

He also understands that those who worship idols are foolish.

Therefore, he prays for God’s judgment.

The prophet does not pray for destruction, but rather for correction.

For destruction comes from anger and rage.

By contrast, correction comes from love.

Paul touches on this in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NET) - For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, Paul emphasizes that God did not create us merely to punish or destroy us.

Rather, God created us because of His love for us.

That is why He sent His son into the world to save us.

Christ willingly paid the price not one of us could pay.

But that does not mean we will be free from God’s correction.

A human parent corrects their child when that child goes astray.

A good parent does not administer this correction out of anger or rage.

Instead, they do so because they love the child and only want what is best for him.

God corrects us in the same way.

He corrects us because He loves us.

Yes, we are made in God’s image.

But whenever we seek to please ourselves rather than God we stray away from Him.

When that happens, we can and should expect God’s correction.

In fact, it would benefit us to pray for it.

For it is through God’s loving correction that we can walk with Him once again.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 4, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 11, 2022

A Unity of Believers

Psalm 70:4 (NET) - May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May God be praised!”

The Psalmist writes of the hope and happiness of those who seek God.

He also writes of those who have experienced His deliverance.

But things like hope, happiness and deliverance are not restricted to individuals.

Neither is the praising of God.

Paul reminds us of this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 15:5-6 (NET) - Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Each of us is on a journey.

Somewhere along that journey, we will experience deliverance.

As a result, we will experience both a unique and true happiness.

In the end, these are but part of a greater whole.

As Paul writes, these give us unity with one another in accordance with Jesus Christ.

And, just like the Psalmist, Paul reminds us that we should glorify God.

We are individuals.

We each have formed our own ideas and opinions.

Therefore, it is likely that we will disagree about a great many things.

But, despite all our differences, one truth stands out.

We are all united in Christ.

Each of us is part of the Church, 

Paul discusses this in the same letter.

Romans 12:4-5 (NET) - For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.

So, let us belong to one another.

Let us each serve according to our gifts.

Let us focus on He who unites us rather than that which divides us.

Above all, let us continually praise and glorify God.

I leave you with this quote from The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart originally written in 1623 by John Amos Comenius:

“Farewell, dear Christian, and may the leader of light, the Holy Spirit, show you better than I can both the vanity of the world and the glory, happiness and joy of the elect whose hearts are united with God.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 21, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, January 28, 2022

The Act of Creation

 

Isaiah 45:12 (NET) - I made the earth; I created the people who live on it. It was me—my hands stretched out the sky. I give orders to all the heavenly lights.

The prophet Isaiah once again reminds us that it was God who created the earth.

God created us and the heavens also.

God created the very air we breathe and the stars we gaze upon in the sky,

The introduction to the book of John reminds us that Jesus was present when the world was created.

As importantly, it reminds us of His role.

It also reminds us that He is an essential part of the Trinity.

John 1:1-4 (NET) - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.

This same chapter reminds us that Jesus had to enter his creation as one of us.

Sadly, it also reminds us of the kind of reception He received.

John 1:11 (NET) - He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.

Soon, we will celebrate Christmas.

The season of Advent is ending.

Our wait for the arrival of Christ will be over.

But what kind of reception will He receive?

Many, just like those He encountered 2,000 years ago, will not accept Him.

Perhaps some will accept Him for a brief time until Christmas is over.

Then, He will be packed away and relegated to storage just like the decorations and lights.

When the mood strikes next year, they will once again bring Him out for a short while.

But still, there are those who have accepted Jesus.

The ones who understand that Christmas is just the beginning of a journey.

A journey that ultimately leads to a cross and an empty tomb beyond it.

We tend to make Christmas a big day, and rightfully so.

But we should celebrate Jesus every day.

Of course, our celebration should include His birth.

But we should also celebrate His power – His role in creation.

The universe He created for us is magnificent.

In fact, it should inspire us to do a little creating of our own.

Not just creating in the artistic sense but creating things that are brand new.

The creation of new relationships is a wonderful place to start.

The forging of these relationships within our communities could lead to even bigger things.

Our communities could then build relationships with other communities.

Such communities could conceivably redefine nations.

Such nations could reach out to others and change the world.

A world that accepts Him.

Is this an impossibility?

Many would say it is.

But aren’t these the ones who need new relationships the most?

 

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with new relationships,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 7, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, January 14, 2022

Creator and Created

 

Jeremiah 10:12 (NET) - The Lord is the one who by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom established the world. And by his understanding he spread out the skies.

Recently, our young people led our worship service.

One of the points they stressed was from the creation account from Genesis.

It was an excellent reminder that everything and everyone is a creation of God.

God is the creator.

Everything else is what He created.

The prophet Jeremiah understood this.

Jeremiah stresses that all that we know was created by God through His power and wisdom.

Paul touches on this topic in his letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:3 (NET) - By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.

Like Jeremiah, Paul reminds us that all of creation happened at God’s command.

But Paul goes on to state that it is by faith that we understand this.

We understand that the visible creation resulted from a Creator whom we do not see.

But, through faith, we can catch glimpses of God in the world around us.

But to do so, we must also have patience and allow ourselves periods of reflection.

Faith combined with patience allows us to catch glimpses of God in the world He created.

Faith combined with periods of reflection allows us to glimpse God in others.

Perhaps that is what makes “reflection” so important.

For it may also allow others to catch a glimpse of God when they look at us.

God has created an amazing universe for us to live in.

We have an obligation to be its caretakers.

But that means caring for others as well.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 17, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, December 24, 2021

 

By Our Side

Zephaniah 3:17 (NET) - The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.”

The prophet wrote of the corruption of God’s people.

He also wrote of God’s purification.

Moreover, he promised that God would be in the midst of His people.

This is something easily forgotten especially when things are not going well.

A similar thing happened to the followers of Jesus.

One night, they went fishing.

Although they stayed out all night, they did not catch a single fish.

They returned to shore empty handed.

Although they did not realize it, someone was already there.

John 21:3-4 (NET) - Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus knew they had caught no fish.

So, He instructed them to cast their nets in a different direction.

When they did, they caught more fish than they could handle.

In times of difficulty, it is easy to forget that the Lord is nearby.

In fact, He is right by our side.

He can help us overcome our fears,

He can help us overcome any feelings of doubt.

Most importantly, He can help us move forward once again.

We can move forward, confident that He is at our side.

Many of us have just celebrated Thanksgiving.

But Scripture reminds us we should be thankful in all things.

That means being thankful regardless of our present circumstances.

Perhaps we might find it easier to be thankful by first remembering His nearness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 3, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, December 10, 2021

He Is Waiting

 

Psalm 51:17 (NET) - The sacrifice God desires is a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.

God is both just and forgiving.

But the Psalmist reminds us that God requires two things from us first.

One of these is humility.

But what exactly is humility?

In basic terms it means recognizing that the world does not revolve around us.

Our individual importance is less than what we would care to admit.

We are certainly not more important than God.

Nor are we more important than those God places in our path.

The other thing God requires for forgiveness is repentance.

God does not just want to hear the words.

God wants to feel how deeply we regret our transgression.

Jesus explains this in his parable about the prodigal son.

In it, a young man demands his share of the inheritance before his father dies.

He then squanders his new riches.

Reduced to poverty, he takes a job feeding another man’s pigs.

He finds himself desiring the food on which the pigs were feeding.

The son returns home and begs his father’s forgiveness.

Luke 15:21 (NET) - Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

How beautifully Jesus illustrates both humility and repentance in these words.

In the parable, the father then showers his son with affection.

Jesus reminds us that God is waiting for us.

He is waiting for us to approach in humility and repentance.

God desires to both welcome us back and shower His affection and mercy upon us.

God is omniscient, so He already knows our misdeeds.

He just wants us to admit them to Him.

Perhaps He wants us to admit them to ourselves in the process.

We stumble daily.

Even in our broken state, He is waiting to welcome us back.

He is waiting to show us both His compassion and His forgiveness.

For this we should be grateful.

We should also be willing to forgive others as well.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 19, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, November 26, 2021

With Open Arms

 

Isaiah 30:18 (NET) - For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the Lord is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed 

The heading from this translation’s text is a great reminder.

It states that the Lord will not abandon his people.

This verse reminds us that the Lord is ready and waiting.

He is ready and waiting to show his mercy and compassion.

But what is God waiting for?

In truth, He is waiting for us.

He is waiting for us to return to Him.

Perhaps the best example of this is in a parable of Jesus.

Specifically, the parable of the Prodigal Son.

In this parable, a young man demands his share of the inheritance before his father dies.

Having received the money, the son traveled to a distant land.

He quickly spent his inheritance and then found himself in the middle of a famine.

He then took a job feeding another man’s pigs.

In desperation, he found himself longing for the food he was feeding the pigs.

The son then decided to return home and throw himself upon his father’s mercy.

He felt unworthy to be called his father’s son.

He would be happy just to be employed as a hired hand.

But Jesus tells us that something wonderful happened.

Luke 15:20 (NET) - So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him.

The man’s father had been waiting for him to return.

He rushed out to greet his son and showered him with affection.

Jesus paints us a perfect picture of God waiting for us.

Waiting for us to return to Him.

God wishes to welcome us back and shower us with His affection and mercy.

Such is His grace.

So, what are we waiting for?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 5, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, November 12, 2021