Issue 1702 – Rejoicing – April 7, 2025
Yesterday was a great day at our local assembly. Three of our youth gave their testimonies and were baptized. It’s always uplifting when someone comes to faith or publicly acknowledges it through the obedient step of baptism. It’s a reminder that God is still at work in people’s lives.
There were some other God moments that I will not share either because without the whole backstory, they wouldn’t make sense, or I don’t have permission to share.
There is a stereotype out there that God is an angry, vengeful being, ever ready to stomp on people with a giant Monty-Pythonish foot from heaven. A thought that he is God who is without joy or compassion and delights in people’s hardships.
It is true that God does get angry when His laws are broken. When we sin, we rebel against Him and hurt others made in His image. Still, He offers the hope of forgiveness to the vilest of sinners and rankest of blasphemers. Dishing out punishment does not bring the Lord joy, but he cannot be righteous without justice and wrath.
When he looked down on our local assembly on Sunday, there were plenty of sinners to be wrathful against. Hopefully, most of those gathered were redeemed sinner, free from His wrath but subject to His discipline.
I have no doubt that despite our weaknesses, He was smiling. All of heaven rejoices when a sinner is saved or we walk in obedience.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:1-7
As we rejoiced in our seats, the heavenly host and the Lord Himself rejoiced with us.
The formerly lost young people affirmed being found, and God was glorified. What a moment.
Praise God for His grace and mercy. Rejoice in the things that bring Him glory.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).