A Temporary Journey

Psalm 39:4 (NRSVue) - “Lord, let me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.

Psalm 39 is a prayer.

It is a prayer for mercy and forgiveness.

The Psalmist prays to be reminded that we are here temporarily.

He prays, “let me know how fleeting my life is.”

Paul understood that, in the grand scheme of things, we live for a brief time.

But he also knew that physical death is not the end.

Death is a transition.

Paul explained this to those living in Corinth in his second letter.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NRSVue) - For we know that, if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Believers understand that our citizenship is in heaven.

But we sometimes lose sight of this.

This is easily done when we become distracted.

It is easily done when circumstances seem to be against us.

In the grand scheme of things, our lives are indeed fleeting.

Each of us journeys through this world for a time known only by God.

We are born.

We live.

And yes, we die.

But despite that, we still have hope.

Through the resurrection power proven by Christ, we will have a new body.

We will have a new life.

Best of all, we will have a home.

Like citizens who have traveled abroad, we will wander no more.

We will go to the home planned for us from the very beginning.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 5, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, May 12, 2023

Being Still

 

Exodus 14:14 (NRSVue) - The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.

Moses led God’s people out of Egypt to the sea.

As Pharoah’s chariots approached, the people were certain the end was near.

The end was near, but not in the way they expected.

Moses told them God would fight for them.

All they had to do was keep still.

The people obeyed, and God did fight for them.

In the end, their pursuers drowned.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, shared a similar sentiment.

In the fifteenth chapter, Paul writes about the resurrection of Christ.

He then discusses the resurrection of the dead.

Paul then discusses the resurrection body.

Paul knew this concept caused people a great deal of confusion.

He understood that we, as creatures of flesh and blood, could not possibly enter the kingdom of heaven.

A transformation is required.

That transformation is only made possible through Jesus.

God will grant us this victory.

All we need to do is to keep still.

1 Corinthians 15:57 (NRSVue) - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Keeping still in today’s world is perhaps harder than it ever was.

We are bombarded by distractions throughout our busy day.

Then come the days when the distractions seem impossible to overcome.

Perhaps we have lost our job.

Perhaps we have received sad news.

Perhaps we have been injured in an accident.

Perhaps a loved one has died.

Perhaps a natural disasters or a conflict has turned our predictable world upside down.

It is during such times, even though it seems difficult or impossible, that we remain still.

That means trusting God completely.

The Psalmist understood this as well.

Psalm 46:10 (NRSVue) - “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth.”

Keep still and let the Lord fight for you.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 21, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, April 28, 2023

Walking in the Light

Isaiah 2:5 (NRSVue) - O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Scripture makes many references to light.

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The prophet Isaiah made such a reference when discussing the future house of God.

He invited the people to “walk in the light of the Lord.”

As we continue our journey through Lent, our thoughts turn to Jesus and what He endured.

We think about those who tried to trap Him.

We think about His betrayal.

We think about a crowd who welcomed Him one day and shouted, “Crucify Him,” the next.

We think about those who abandoned Him.

We think of His mockery of a trial.

We think about how He was tortured,

We think about His cruel execution among criminals.

We also think about His burial in a borrowed tomb.

Given all this, how can we possibly “walk in the light of the Lord?”

We can for one special reason.

Jesus is the light of the world.

And, if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness.

Moreover, we will have the light of life.

Christ assured us of this.

John 8:12 (NRSVue) - Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Christ died for every single one of us.

But each new dawn should serve to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world.

We do not have to live in fear of darkness any longer,

As we continue our Lenten journey, let us remember that Jesus is the light of the world.

Let us also pray that our lives may reflect His light to others still living in the darkness.

Together, let us “walk in the light of the Lord!”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 7, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, April 14, 2023

The Power of Love

 

Zechariah 2:8 (NRSVue) - For thus said the Lord of hosts after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you: Truly, one who touches you touches the apple of my eye.

The prophet encountered angels sent by the Lord.

I am struck by the second part of this verse in which God’s people are called the apple of his eye.

This is an expression of love.

As Christians, we are commanded to love.

Christ frequently reminded us of this.

He did so in Matthew 25.

And the way He reminded us of this is anything but subtle.

Matthew 25:40 (NRSVue) - And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’

Speaking plainly, we are to love everyone just as God loves everyone.

Sometimes, as human beings, we find some people easier to love than others.

But here, Christ reminded us we are to love everyone.

We are even to love those we find difficult to love.

After all, they are the ones who need love the most.

As we continue our journey through Lent, we remember Christ.

We should also remember how He told us of Gods great love for all.

John 3:15-17 (NRSVue) - “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Every person in creation is special to God.

To borrow from Zechariah, they are the apple of His eye.

We must remember that.

We must also live by that.

As we mature in faith through God’s love, we can.

Paul also reminded us of just how important love is in our lives.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NRSVue) - And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 17, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, March 24, 2023

Goodwill Ambassadors

 

Job 14:1-2 (GNT) - We are all born weak and helpless. All lead the same short, troubled life. We grow and wither as quickly as flowers; we disappear like shadows.

Job lost everything.

He lost his home.

He lost his children.

Then, to compound matters, he lost his health.

His lament in chapter 14, serves to remind us that we are here for a short time.

In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul reiterates that message.

Hebrews 13:14 (GNT) - For there is no permanent city for us here on earth; we are looking for the city which is to come.

Yes, our days are numbered.

As I grow older, the gray in my beard advances steadily upward.

I even hear noises in my joints that I never heard before.

Perhaps the strongest reminder is the increasing frequency of funerals I attend.

But for the believer, signs like these are neither cause for alarm nor fear.

We are born into this world.

And, when the time comes, we will depart it.

But unlike us, God has neither a beginning nor an end.

Therefore, his love for us never ends.

And it is that love which sustains us through our days,

And that same love allows us to look forward to the future with hope.

But how is this even possible?

Paul provides the answer in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 3:20-21 (GNT) - We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.

The dictionary defines ambassador as: “an authorized representative or messenger.”

And, since we are citizens of heaven, that is the role we have.

The season of Lent should also serve to remind us of this.

Not one of us knows exactly how much time we will have here.

What is important is to make the most of the time we do have.

And we do that by loving God and loving our neighbor.

Then, when our work is done, we will leave this world behind and go on to our heavenly home.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 3, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, March 10, 2023

Living in Expectation

 

Zephaniah 1:7 (GNT) - The day is near when the Lord will sit in judgment; so be silent in his presence. The Lord is preparing to sacrifice his people and has invited enemies to plunder Judah.

One fundamental belief in Christianity is the belief that Christ will return once more.

This belief has ancient roots going back to Old Testament prophecies.

Zephaniah was a prophet who lived six centuries before the birth of Christ.

He is referred to as a Minor Prophet.

This has nothing to do with the importance of the book that bears his name.

Rather, it has to do with the brevity of his book as compared to those of the Major Prophets.

Zephaniah opens the chapter with the day of judgment.

In verse seven, Zephaniah urges believers to “be silent in his presence.”

In Matthew 24, Christ tells his followers about the coming destruction of the Temple.

Matthew 24:44 (GNT) - So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

Naturally, they ask Jesus when this will occur.

Jesus tells them about future troubles.

He also tells them that no one knows when He will return.

Jesus advises them to “always be ready.”

There were those who lived in fear of this knowledge.

Many are still afraid.

But for the faithful, there is no need to fear.

Instead, we should live in hope.

How we choose to occupy our time should prepare us for that coming day.

The way in which we live our lives should be an example to everyone.

Our lives should demonstrate that we await His return in hope.

And that demonstration must be rooted in love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (GNT) - Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 17, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, February 24, 2023

God Still Delivers

 

Psalm 91:9 (GNT) - You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector,

The Psalmist reminds us that God is our protector.

There will be difficult days.

There will be challenging circumstances.

But even in difficult times, we can trust on the Lord to see us through them.

That is because we rely on His strength rather than our own.

John’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus is the way to the Father.

John 14:1 (GNT) - “Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believe in God and believe also in me.

My mother loved this verse.

I love it for her memory.

But I also love it for the truth within it.

Christ is the way to the Father.

So, when times are difficult, we are not to worry.

When we face difficult challenges, there is no call for us to become upset.

And just as we believe in God the Father, we also believe in Jesus the Son.

This puts me in mind of yet another Psalm.

Psalm 118:5 (GNT) - In my distress I called to the Lord; he answered me and set me free.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 3, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, February 10, 2023