Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will be unable to post for the next few weeks.
I hope to return to this ministry in August.
Thank you for understanding.
Blessings Always,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/
Psalm 34:2 (NIV) - I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Psalm 34 is a special Psalm.
It is a Psalm of David that is an acrostic poem.
This means each verse begins with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
But that is not the only thing that makes it special.
Verse two is about the rejected and downtrodden.
The psalmist offers God his praise and lifts those whom society rejects in prayer.
Paul offers similar sentiments in his letter to the Philippians.
Philippians 4:4-5 (NIV) - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Paul reminds us that we are to rejoice and glorify the Lord.
In fact, he reminds us twice!
He also reminds us that the Lord is close by even when circumstances appear dark.
He also reminds us that as Christians, our gentleness should be evidence to all.
Fortunately for us, Christ told us how he wants us to treat others.
Moreover, He demonstrated how we are to live.
As a result, we really have no choice but to praise and glorify the Lord.
And the combination of peace and joy we feel proves that the Lord is near.
As we reach out to others, especially those in difficult circumstances, they too can rejoice.
They too can glorify God.
They too can experience his nearness.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 7, 2023.
I will be back here on Friday, July 14, 2023
Isaiah 38:19 (NRSVue) - The living, the living, they thank you, as I do this day; fathers make known to children your faithfulness.
Hezekiah was ill.
In fact, he was near death.
When Isaiah arrived, his words were not words of comfort.
“Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.”
Hezekiah prayed.
God sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah with a promise of fifteen more years.
Upon his recovery, Hezekiah wrote.
In gratitude, his words included: “fathers make known to children your faithfulness.”
Paul, in his letter to the Colossians touched on a similar sentiment.
Colossians 2:6-7 (NRSVue) - As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
We are commanded to walk in Christ.
Those whose fathers taught them are particularly blessed.
In a little over a week, we will celebrate Father’s Day.
But, for one reason or another, not everyone has an earthly father to celebrate.
That is why I think men… all men, have a responsibility.
We must choose our actions as carefully as we choose our words.
The example we set can have a tremendous impact on young lives.
God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us everything we need to live a Godly life.
Most importantly, He gave us His Son who taught us by both word and deed.
As such, our lives should revolve around Him.
In doing so, our lives reflect His light and His love.
And, in doing so, we teach our faithfulness to the young.
It does not matter whether they are our children or not.
The young observe us with great scrutiny.
If there are chinks in our spiritual armor, they will find them.
That is why we must be aware of the example we set.
And, considering the state of today’s world, the young need every advantage we can provide.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 16, 2023.
I will be back here on Friday, June 23, 2023
Exodus 3:14 (NRSVue) - “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
In Exodus 3, God reveals Himself to Moses through a burning bush.
He then commands Moses to go to Pharoah and deliver His people from bondage.
Moses first questions why God should choose to send him.
He then asks how he should respond when the people ask who sent him.
The name God gives is ‘I AM’.
Not I WAS, or I WILL BE, but ‘I AM’.
This speaks volumes as God is eternal.
The name ‘I AM’ confirms this.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, speaks of another of God’s eternal aspects.
He speaks of God’s eternal love through Christ.
Romans 8:31 (NRSVue) - What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
God, the eternal ‘I AM’ delivered His people.
God, the eternal ‘I AM’ enabled those in Rome to set aside their fears.
God, the eternal ‘I AM’ delivers us and gives us confidence.
We no longer have a reason to fear.
Even physical death has lost its power to intimidate us,
God, the eternal ‘I AM’ gives us His peace, His love, and His hope.
There may be times we fail to recognize His presence, but He is there, nonetheless.
He has plans for our future.
And, when our work is done, He has already prepared a place for us.
All these things, and more, are gifts of the eternal ‘I AM’.
They are God’s gifts of love to us through Christ.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 2, 2023.
I will be back here on Friday, June 9, 2023
2 Chronicles 30:18b-19 (NIV) - “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.”
In 2 Chronicles, King Hezekiah celebrated the Passover.
He sent messengers throughout the kingdom asking the people to return to the Lord.
Many mocked the messengers.
Yet some of the faithful traveled to Jerusalem with their sacrifices.
Many were ceremonially unclean, so the Levites consecrated their offerings.
And so, Hezekiah prayed to the Lord to pardon everyone, even those who were ceremonially unclean.
In Mark 2, Jesus showed forgiveness.
He forgave and then healed a paralyzed man.
He dined with sinners.
The Pharisees criticized Jesus for doing so.
Jesus explained His actions regarding sinners.
Mark 2:17 (NIV) - On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I honestly believe that forgiveness is something people struggle with.
This can be true even of Christians.
And when taken to task on this, we find it too easy to justify our unwillingness to forgive.
And just as sad, we sometimes have trouble forgiving ourselves.
This is a tremendous and unnecessary burden which we impose on ourselves.
But the truth of the matter is that we are completely and forever forgiven.
This is not our doing.
True forgiveness is made possible through Jesus.
And He extends that forgiveness to all.
He even extends it to those we find difficult to forgive.
Even when we find it hard to forgive ourselves, Christ offers complete and eternal forgiveness.
Through Christ, we are forgiven.
Through Christ, we are made new.
Through Christ, hearts of stone are made flesh once more.
Through Christ, relationships are mended.
When we truly seek forgiveness, Christ is there, ready to forgive.
And when that happens, we are free to love and forgive others.
We can even forgive ourselves and forever lose the guilt which burdens us.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 19, 2023.
I will be back here on Friday, May 26, 2023
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
