Commandment, Comprehension, Commission

 

Exodus 20:3 (NET) - You shall have no other gods before me.

These words are taken from the Ten Commandments.

In fact, this is the first commandment of the ten and its language is unmistakable.

There must be no confusion,

This is not a suggestion. 

This is a command directly from God.

God makes it truly clear that He demands to be first in our lives.

And the moment we put any person, thing or even idea above God, we practice idolatry.

Recently, we observed Trinity Sunday.

This celebrates the triune God.

But does this celebration violate God’s first commandment?

The simple answer is no.

For God exists in three persons.

God, the Father, has always existed and has created all things.

We are redeemed by Jesus who is God, the Son.

John 10:30 (NET) - The Father and I are one.

Working together, they sent us the one who makes us holy… God, the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 (NET) - But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.

Many heard the teaching of Jesus.

But some found His teaching difficult and walked away.

He then turned to the disciples who remained.

Jesus asked, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

John 6:68-69 (NET) - Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!”

Peter spoke for the disciples.

I like to think that he spoke for us as well.

Jesus is the word of life.

And it is the triune God that created, redeemed, and now continues to work within us daily.

And thus, we are equipped to fulfill our role in the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NET) - Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 1, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, July 8, 2022

God’s Will and New Life

 

I am posting this a bit early as I have one final class to teach on Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian who refused to take the oath to Hitler.

He also refused to support the state’s takeover of the church.

Initially, he and a few likeminded pastors created a new and independent church.

He was even asked to teach at one of its seminaries.

In time, this illegal church was shut down by authorities.

Through his brother-in-law, he learned of the atrocities being committed,

After much prayer and consideration, Bonhoeffer chose to become active.

He joined this resistance group.

This was not an easy decision to come to.

But Bonhoeffer did more than ask tough questions, he asked the right question.

“What is God’s will?”

He understood that the will of God might lie hidden within layers of possibilities.

Still, the will of God must be sought regardless of the complexity of the task.

Eventually, Bonhoeffer and his fellow conspirators were arrested.

When their roles became clear, the regime sentenced them to death.

Convicted of high treason, Bonhoeffer was executed on April 9, 1945.

Prior to that, he delivered a sermon to his fellow prisoners based on two verses of scripture.

Isaiah 53:5 (NET) - He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. He did this because He knew we could not accomplish this on our own.

1 Peter 1:3 (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,

On the day of his execution, Bonhoeffer prayed.

He faced death calmly.

His final recorded words were: “This is the end – for me, the beginning of life.”

Like Bonhoeffer, we too must seek God’s will, even when the search proves difficult.

And we must share his view of eternity.

For death is not the end, rather, it is a new beginning.

A new beginning paid in full by Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 17, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, June 24, 2022

Between God and Humanity

 

1 Chronicles 29:11 (NET) - O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You, Lord, have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all.

Here, David praised the Lord and recognized His sovereignty.

Although David wished to build the Lord’s Temple, God chose Solomon for the task.

The people gave generously for this purpose.

But David continued by acknowledging that all wealth belongs to God.

As such, God is deserving of both thanks and praise.

1 Chronicles 29:12-13 (NET) - You are the source of wealth and honor; you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name!

Like those of long ago, we too should give God our thanks and praise.

And our thanks should be deeper and our praise even greater.

That is because God has given us something even more valuable than wealth.

Despite our flaws and our sin, God gave us His Son.

A Son who does for us that which we cannot do for ourselves.

Christ makes us right with God.

Paul discusses this in his first letter to Timothy.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NET) - For there is one God and one intermediary between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all, revealing God’s purpose at his appointed time.

Christ came to dwell among us. 

He also paid the ultimate price for us, and it is that sacrifice that makes us right with God.

Moreover, Christ continues to intercede for us, 

We should be grateful and praise God for creating us and the world in which we live.

But in His infinite wisdom, God also gave us His Son to make us right with Him.

He did this because He knew we could not accomplish this on our own.

He did this because He loves us.

We, in turn, should share this love with others.

They, like us, are creations of God.

And Christ intercedes for them as well.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 3, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, June 10, 2022

Answering the Call

 

I am in the process of preparing a weeklong study for an adult class.

Its focus will be the life and faith of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian when the Nazi regime rose to power.

He found himself opposed both to the regime and its leader.

He took this position as a Christian and made some exceedingly difficult moral decisions along the way.

Living abroad in safety, he chose to return to Germany.

Upon learning of the regime’s atrocities, he willingly took on a more active role to oppose it.

Eventually, he and his fellow conspirators were imprisoned.

Although in prison, he continued to share his faith with others.

This included his guards as well as fellow prisoners.

Writing to his family from prison, he shared his reading of scripture.

“I am reading the Bible straight through from cover to cover and I have just got as far as Job, which I am particularly fond of. I read the Psalms every day as I have for years. I know them and love them more than any other book.”

Bonhoeffer, like Job, faced adversity.

And, like Job, he struggled to find answers to morally tough questions.

Bonhoeffer would eventually be executed by the regime he opposed.

This happened mere weeks before the war’s end.

In the end, Bonhoeffer faced his execution in peace.

Facing the gallows of Flossenburg prison he said, “This is the end. For me the beginning of life.”

The book of Hebrews reminds us that God equips us to do his will.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (NET) - Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Through his faith, Bonhoeffer lived his life in accordance with the will of God.

He approached the end of his earthly journey with serenity.

Bonhoeffer understood that death was not the end, but rather a new beginning.

A new beginning made possible by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

In this life, we too will face adversity and challenging questions.

Through it all, God equips us to do His will on our journeys of faith.

These journeys begin with putting the needs of others before our own desires.

In short, this means loving and serving them.

And it is Christ within us that makes this possible.

1 John 4:19 (NET) - We love because he loved us first.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 20, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, May 27, 2022

The Living Water

 

The Psalmist prays in chapter 143.

He begins by asking the Lord to hear his prayer.

He admits that no one is innocent before the Lord.

He laments that his enemies pursue him.

He confesses that his strength is depleted.

Through it all, he remembers what the Lord has done.

So, he seeks the Lord in a remarkable way.

Psalm 143:6 (NET) - I spread my hands out to you in prayer; my soul thirsts for you in a parched land.

In life, we too will find our souls thirsting for the Lord.

Fortunately for us, Christ is the Living Water.

And we may partake of the Living Water at no cost.

Scripture assures us of this.

Revelation 22:17b (NET) - And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.

Christ is the Living Water, and He makes Himself available to all.

And once our parched souls are refreshed, we find ourselves equipped.

We are equipped to extend His love into the world around us.

Once watered, our souls experience growth.

They rediscover the importance of community.

They serve the missions on which they are sent.

Someone wiser than me once said that God does not call the equipped, He equips those He calls.

So, first partake freely of the Living Water.

Then, carry this wisdom into a thirsty world.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 6, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, May 13, 2022

For His Name's Sake

 

Psalm 23:2-3 (KJV) - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Psalm 23 is among the most memorized passages of Scripture.

Many people have taken comfort in its words throughout the years.

Perhaps that is why it is so often recited in times of loss.

But these words do more than provide comfort.

They are a reminder that the Lord really is our shepherd.

Verses two and three remind us of what our shepherd does for us,

He makes us do things we would not normally do of our own accord, such as rest.

He leads us where He knows we need to be.

He also restores our souls which is something only He can do.

And He leads us on paths we would not otherwise take.

The Psalmist clearly understood our need for a shepherd.

Jesus did as well.

John 10:27-28 (KJV) - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Jesus speaks and we listen.

Where Jesus leads, we follow.

Jesus gives what we cannot obtain on our own – eternal life.

That is why Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.

He knows what we need rather than what we want.

As we continue our journey through Lent, let us also be mindful of the shepherd’s duty.

John 10:11 (KJV) - I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

This bears careful consideration especially now.

Jesus proved beyond doubt that he is the Good Shepherd.

He willingly laid down his life for us.

We are His and no individual or power can ever change that.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 15, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, April 22, 2022

Lifting Our Souls

 

1 Timothy 6:6-7 (KJV) - But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Paul leaves instructions in his first letter to Timothy.

He also gives Timothy a good reminder in verses six and seven.

Paul states that we both enter and leave this world with nothing.

Of course, this is in terms of material assets.

That said, there is the possibility of gain.

That gain can be found in contented godliness.

The Psalmist also recognizes this.

Psalm 143:8b (KJV) - cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Godliness means hearing God, acknowledging God, and living the way God wants.

The Psalmist also lifts up his soul to God.

But what is the soul?

The soul is both the eternal and the immaterial part of our being.

It continues even after the physical body it occupies dies.

As the Psalmist lifts up his soul to God, he offers it to Him.

In other words, he worships with all that he is.

As we continue our journey through Lent, we recall not only how Christ died, but also how He lived.

Christ lived in complete obedience to His Father’s will.

As His journey to the cross drew near, Jesus prayed.

Luke 21: 41-42 (KJV) - And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Jesus understood the humiliation and pain that lay before Him.

Despite this, He would endure it all in obedience to the Father.

He then literally lifted up His soul to God.

John 19:30 (KJV) - When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Jesus followed God’s will fully all the way to its completion.

Three days later, his followers would find an empty tomb.

As a result, we have hope.

A hope that is just as real and just as eternal as the soul.

We come with nothing, and we leave with nothing.

But while we are here, we should strive to live in godliness and lift our souls to God.

We should lift them in praise, in service, and in love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 1, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, April 8, 2022