Author: Kevin Corbin

Let me tell you some things about myself and my family  that you may not know. I am a Canadian by birth and by citizenship. I am also a Canadian by choice because if I so chose, I could emigrate to another country to call home.

I have lived in six of the ten provinces … Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and most recently, British Columbia.

I have seen many countries, and this is one of the most beautiful (admittedly, I might be biased.) No, strike that; this is the most beautiful.

My family has lived here since long before Canada was even in existence. My distant ancestors were known to live in Newfoundland as early as 1605. Later, family members settled in parts of Nova Scotia in the 1800’s.

Both my wife Kathy and I served in our military, as did many members of the generations that preceded us. In fact, my great-great (plus more) grandfather came to Nova Scotia to settle it on a land grant for his military service.

My family’s history and this land are intertwined. I am proud of my country despite knowing she has many problems.

Having said all that, I am just passing through. My ultimate citizenship is on a new earth with the triune God as king.

My future home will be more beautiful than anything I could ever imagine, her beauty exceeding anything I have seen yet. 

My future home will be a place of ultimate peace and contentment.

My future home will be removed from the practice of sin, the penalty of sin, and even the very presence of sin. Each of its inhabitants will be everything that God created them to be, each unique but perfect in their way. The glasses of sin that have marred everything I have ever known or experienced will be removed, and I will see clearly for the first time.

How do I know this? I belong to Jesus, and I am secure in Him.

 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. John 10:28-30

My destiny is not based on my performance, although God does call me to strive towards holiness. My destiny is secure in Him. The Holy Spirit seals my ticket.

 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13

I am just passing through this life, destined for a better one. In the words of the old song, “I’m just a poor wayfaring stranger.”    

What will my new world be like? Here’s a taste of what it will be like straight from the word of God.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5

I love the place I call home now, but I look forward to my eternal dwelling. Looking forward to seeing you there. 

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

This morning, we wrap up our series on the Seven  Sayings of Christ  at “The Word of Contentment.” At this point, Jesus reconciled to the Father and commended His Spirit into the Father’s hands.

I am still using a combination of the two gospel accounts.

Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished. Bowing His head, He breathed His last.”

“It is finished”—three simple words in English (only one in the Greek … tetelestai).  A specific, profound word is used only once in the Gospel of John. Tetelestai comes from the verb teleo, which means “to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish.” Here, it can be understood as meaning “paid in full.”

What is paid in full? The required blood sacrifice for our sin. A pure, sinless life was given in propitiation for treasonous, rebellious sinners.  It is the perfect sacrifice, once and for all time. Unlike the blood of animals, which could only give temporary covering, this sacrifice is valid forever.

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrew 10:5-14

What else is finished? The task that Jesus set out to prove that a person could live without sinning was completed. Adam and Eve had failed, and their sin is in our nature. Jesus showed it could be done.

All prophecies about His first coming and death had been fulfilled, and they were finished.

It is finished. Our salvation is secure in Christ. We are saved and born again to eternal life through faith by God’s grace. I wonder if we really understand that.

How often do believers add to the task of salvation by trying to earn God’s approval? We do works or try to change things under our own power in a futile effort to make God love us more. Yes, works are part of our salvation, but they are the fruit, not the cause. Yes, we will be transformed into the likeness of Christ, but that, too, is a work of the Spirit and cannot be done under our own power.

How many Christians serve or give out of a desire to be blessed more by God or to look good in people’s eyes? Far too many of them do. They have forgotten that it is finished already.

When we hit those points in life where we have stumbled into repeated sin, or we “don’t feel God’s presence,” or the enemy attacks us with doubts, we can look to the cross and remember that it is finished. It is paid in full. It has already been accomplished.

My friends, if you are struggling, look to the Savior… He holds you fast. If you don’t know this Jesus but know you need to be changed, look to Him. He alone can save you. He will bring you from the pit of hell to the heights and wonders of glory if you will allow Him to.

So much more could be said, but I think we will move on tomorrow. If you want to study the Seven Sayings more deeply, download A.W. Pink’s book at https://www.monergism.com/seven-sayings-savior-cross for free. You can also download The Seven Utterances of Christ by Puritan John Flavell for free: https://www.monergism.com/seven-utterances-christ-cross-ebook

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

Yesterday, we continued our look at the seventh of the  seven sayings, “The Word of Contentment.”

I am still using a combination of the two gospel accounts. My reconstruction may not be fully accurate (always refer back to the original texts), but it captures the essence.

Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished. Bowing His head, He breathed His last.”

We left with Jesus reconciled to the Father after His Suffering. Jesus had allowed humanity and the Evil One to do their worst and laid down His life.

His first words on the cross were “Father, forgive them,” and His final words were also a call to the Father.

For more than twelve hours, Jesus had been in the hands of man. He knew what would happen to Him when He did so.

Jesus warned of it

 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed. Matthew 27:22-23

Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Matthew 26:45

The powers that be did their worst to Him. He was betrayed, deserted by his friends and followers, falsely accused, wrongfully convicted, shuttled from one authority to another, mocked, scourged, beaten, tortured, and nailed to the cross. He endured the worst that people could do to Him, even though He had the power to stop it all.

Jesus could have stopped those things from happening more quickly than a heart beat. He was fully man but also fully God. He chose not to for the sake of sinners like you and me. I know it’s true but can’t wrap my head around it.

Here, we see Jesus restored into communion with the Father. We often skip past that miraculous change in direction in our reading. Hours earlier, He was forsaken by the Father and bore unimaginable suffering for us.

Now, turning back to the Father, Jesus commits His Spirit. Never again will he be in the hands of men. He will suffer no more pain, no more shame, no more humiliation. He is glorified once again with the Father.

He would return from the grave in three days and walk the earth in His resurrected body. After fifty days, He would ascend to the Father’s right hand. He will return in judgment and victory at the appropriate time. 

What a contrast, the first time He placed himself in the hands of man, and they judged Him wrongly. He will judge them perfectly and justly. Once He was in their hands, they would be in His.

His spirit is in the hands of the Father. No one can separate them. Similarly, we are sealed and safe when we give ourselves to Christ.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Knowing that our eternal destiny is committed to the hands of the perfect, all-powerful, loving Father, thanks to what Christ endured, is comforting and contenting.

Tomorrow, we will look at Jesus’ words, “It is finished.”

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

Good morning. 

Yesterday, we started to look at the seventh of the seven sayings, “The Word of Contentment,” and got off on a bit of a rabbit trail considering the darkened sky and the dead raised. I want to touch on the tearing of the temple curtain, and then we will return to Jesus’ words.

It was now about the sixth hour,and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:44-46

Matthew records the torn veil … “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” Matthew 27:51

It’s a familiar account if you are a Christian. Ancient rabbinic sources record that the veil was a massive woven curtain 60 feet by 30 feet in size, and even moving it was a big undertaking. According to some records, it took 300 priests to move it.

The curtain was as thick as a handbreadth (four to six inches). Josephus records that two horses could not pull the curtain apart (although sometimes he has been accused of stretching the evidence somewhat in his “histories”). 

It was a significant feat to pull the curtain in half. We aren’t discussing your living room drapes or a big stage curtain. As an experiment, I tried to rip a hand-woven wool sock in half, but I couldn’t budge it. I can’t imagine the force required to tear the curtain.

This woven blue, purple, and scarlet curtain separated the Holy of Holies (the most holy place) from the rest of the temple. Even the High Priest could only enter there, and then only one day a year (Day of Atonement). It was considered the dwelling place of God, and at times, when the people of Israel had the tabernacle, the glory of God was known to be there. 

The temple veil was a physical reminder of the barrier between the sinfulness of humanity and the holiness of God. The gap between the profane and the pure is impenetrable, at least before Christ came to cover us with His righteousness.

The tearing of the veil, the barrier, symbolizes the removal of the gap. Through Christ, people could now approach the throne of grace and mercy.

What is not as well known is that there was also reportedly a second curtain separating the Gentiles’ court from the Temple. Mathew does not tell us which of the curtains was torn.

It is most likely the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, but the event’s significance is incredible, even if it were the other curtain. It means that the Gentiles could enter into something else made possible by the death of Jesus.

As we have seen over the past two days, incredible supernatural signs have accompanied Jesus’ suffering. Let’s move back to His final words …

I will use a combination of the two gospel accounts to simplify things. My reconstruction may not be entirely accurate (always refer back to the original texts), but it captures the essence.

Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished. Bowing His head, He breathed His last.”

After crying out about being forsaken by God, we see a transition in these words. Once forsaken as he takes on the sin of the world, Jesus is reconciled to the Father.

Father … what an incredible word. It was used by Jesus many times. I don’t think it is coincidental that Jesus first recorded words were to his parents when he lagged at the temple at age 12 … And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). His first and final words speak of the Father.

He has always been the Father of Christ. God is the Father in the most complete, perfect sense. With what Jesus accomplished on the cross, God is our Father, too. He was our creator and Lord from before the beginning of time, but He becomes our Father in a very real sense when we are born again of the Spirit.

For now, I will leave you marveling at God as your Father. Tomorrow, we will continue with Jesus’ words.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

Good morning. 

This morning, in our study of the “Seven Sayings,” we move on to the last of the seven,” The Word of Contentment.”

Two of the gospels record Jesus’ last words slightly differently.

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:44-46

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28-30

The two accounts give us slightly different information, but we know both are true. Eyewitness testimony differs somewhat based on the witnesses’ perception and recollection. We know Jesus gave up His life and declared it finished. 

A possible complete rendering of the account could be… Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished,” and bowing His head, He breathed His last. [or some variant thereof]. It is simple to reconcile the accounts; they don’t contradict one another.

Jesus suffered for the world’s sins. Jerusalem was darkened for three hours, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom, and the dead were seen walking in the city (See Matthew 27: 51-54). All of these indicate that something supernatural had occurred. 

I want to pause here and look at those events; they are too big to pass over.

It was now about the sixth hour,and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. Jerusalem, indeed the entire land of Judea, was darkened. Some have thought that all of the earth was darkened.

A typical solar eclipse could not have caused the darkness. A natural solar eclipse is not possible during Passover; the sun and moon are not aligned correctly. Yet, the Scriptures and at least one non-biblical source note it happening.

Tertullian  (the Roman historian) wrote that an independent account was recorded in the Roman archives: “And yet, nailed upon the cross, He exhibited many notable signs, by which His death was distinguished from all others. At His own free will, He, with a word, dismissed from Him His spirit, anticipating the executioner’s work. In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ no doubt thought it an eclipse. You yourselves have the account of the world portent still in your archives.”

Some have explained the event away by claiming it was simply heavy clouds or perhaps a sandstorm. We don’t know the mechanism, although I suspect the crowds at the grave would have dispersed if it were a sandstorm sufficient to blot out the sun.

Some have claimed that the darkness did not happen, yet it is also recorded elsewhere, as we have seen. There is indeed only one recorded reference outside of Scripture, but Judea was a nowhere province in the Roman Empire; we wouldn’t expect to find much recorded about a simple solar event. To see even one reference is quite extraordinary.

The dead walking the streets is an incredible sign and totally in keeping with the death and resurrection of Christ. We don’t know how many of the dead were seen or for how long. We don’t know what happened to them after.

Tomorrow, we will examine the tearing of the temple curtain and begin to dig into the last saying.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

This morning, we move on to the word “suffering” in our study of the “Seven Sayings.”

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” John 19:28 ESV

What a profoundly human reaction this thirst is. With all the trauma and bloodletting, of course, Jesus would be suffering from incredible thirst. If it seems so obvious that it hardly merits a thought … or does it?

Jesus cries out in thirst after crying out to ask why the Lord forsakes him. Physical thirst is very real in life, but there is also a spiritual thirst.

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:2-3

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

The Lord experiences double agony. The deep thirst of a body dying of dehydration (although suffocation would kill him first) combined with a spirit that has been broken or at least on the very precipice of breaking.

Just as physical thirst reveals an actual physical need …the need for water to survive, Jesus’ Spiritual thirst points us to a genuine spiritual need … to be reconciled to God. In His cry, Jesus points to real universal needs.

His thirst looks forward to being satisfied with living water. The Scriptures also point us backward toward the event of those last days in prophecy.

His Thirst  Psalm 69:21

His betrayal Psalm 41:9

Deserted by His friends Psalm 31:11

The false accusations Psalm 35:11

Silent before his accusers Isaiah 53:9

Counted amongst the transgressors Isaiah 53:12

His crucifixion Psalm 109:25

The mocking crowds Psalm 22:7-8

His clothes gambled for Psalm 22:18

Praying for His enemies Isaiah 53:12

Forsaken by God Psalm 22:1

He yields His spirit Psalm 31:5

No broken bones Psalm 34:20

Burial in another’s tomb Isaiah 53:9

and more…

His cries of “I thirst” and “My God, why have you forsaken me?” are lines from Scripture the assembled crowds would have known well. Those words should have driven the crowd back to the Scriptures to see the truth of what they were witnessing.

Two days later, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus would show two disciples how the Scriptures (at that point, the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings or what we would come to call the Old Testament) point irrefutably to Him. No one else could so clearly fulfill the prophecies made about Him.

In His cry, we can see Jesus’ empathy for us. He is fully human (as well as fully god). In His lifetime, Jesus experienced the same things we might: hunger, thirst, the need for sleep, pain, joy, sorrow, temptation, and more. 

When we approach Jesus, we approach the one who understands exactly what we need and why we need it. He was indeed without sin but was tempted with everything common to humankind.

Those who reject Him will suffer an everlasting unquenchable thirst; they will never be reconciled to Father. We see a hint of that when Jesus told the story of Lazarus and the rich man.

 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ Luke 16:24

When we approach Him with a spiritual longing and a desire for reconciliation with Our Father, He understands. Not just an intellectual assent but the real understanding of having been there too. Only He can fill our thirst.

Until next time, rejoice that we have a Savior who understands everything we need.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

Good morning. 

We continue our journey into the “Word of Anguish,” one of the “Seven Sayings on the Cross.” We read Christ’s agony-filled words…

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46

The agony of death and sin sits on the shoulders of an innocent man.  It was also the death of the curse. Christ taking on our sin makes freedom from the curse of death possible.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” Galatians 3:13

He was cursed to redeem all who would believe from the curse. The curse remains on those who would reject His gift of mercy.

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41

What is the curse of death? It isn’t simply physical death, although every living person will pass through physical death unless the Lord returns first. Indeed, physical death is part of the curse. It is a stage to be passed through, either to be in glory with God or eternal conscious torment away from Him.

The curse is eternal alienation from God, from every good thing. We have no fundamental concept of the reality of permanent alienation from the Lord, but that is because Jesus took it on for us. 

The mockers talk about enjoying their sin with their friends in hell. They do not understand there will be nothing good in that place of torment. No friends, no pleasure, no beauty … only eternal conscious separation from everything of God. I don’t know if there will be literal flames in hell, but I know that the agony of the alienation will be unbearable and enduring.

God is life, the bringer of life, and the sustainer of life. If we cut ourselves off from Him by our sinful nature and our conscious rejection of Him, then we cut ourselves off from life. It is Jesus’ sacrifice that makes restoration with true life possible.

It isn’t just the human race that is under the curse. All of the earth is cursed (Genesis 3:14-24). The motif of the curse for disobedience (with blessings for obedience) continues into Mosaic Law (see Deuteronomy 27-28 for a detailed example). The prophets cry out woes and curses on the enemies of God’s people. Even Jesus proclaimed woes on the Pharisees for their hardened hearts.

The concept of the curse of God is often neglected in the modern church; we prefer “gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” but it is essential. We will never truly understand the gospel until we come to terms with what we have been delivered from and the real consequences of sin.

 Sin impacts more than just the sinner; it impacts those around us and, in a very real way, all of the created order.

Jesus allowed Himself to be put under the curse, and He was wounded and pierced. In that selfless, loving act, he made possible what no one else could do, … he brought many to glory.

Praise the one who took our curse and agony and replaced it with reconciliation and freedom.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

I awoke this morning with the song “Signs” by the Five Man Electrical Band playing in my head. Although it’s not a Christian song, it references a church and God positively. The song was popular in my youth, and it got me thinking about the subject of signs.

Backing onto a brush and tree-lined hill, we often see or hear wildlife. There have been foxes, raccoons, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, rats, skunks, and feral cats. There are also deer and sometimes bears.

Our bedroom window is at the side of the house, and the sidewalk is a corridor for wildlife after hours. When the local critters pass through, the motion sensor light often pops on after dark.

Sometimes, I am lying awake at night when the sensor goes off. I don’t usually bother to get up and look, but I have learned to tell the differences between some species by the sound of their movement or their shadows.

With eyes to see, everything leaves a sign of its passing, even if it is unclear or for a long time. A good tracker can differentiate not only between species but also between individuals.

How do you know a person is a Christian? I have sometimes joked that it would be easier if there were a cartoon speech bubble above us that declared whether we were believers or not. Unfortunately, it would make us very judgmental quickly, and we would soon forget about extending grace.

Some people can claim to be believers, but there is no sign in their lives, so only God can certainly judge them. Some people may never tell you, but you see evidence of fruit in their lives. Again, only God knows our true hearts. 

Still, there are some signs the Bible tells us to look for.

Remember, we are all unique and at different points in our faith journey, so no two sets of signs will be identical.

by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15-20

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

There are other signs as well. We could talk about a love for God’s Word and for his church, a hatred for our sins, a love for others, a desire for Christian fellowship, and more. 

There should be a change in your heart and life. It is not simply an outward shift in behavior; Christianity isn’t primarily about behavior modification.

Do not doubt that becoming a Christian should bring about behavior modification, but it is primarily about heart and mind transformation. When we become believers, we are born again and start the process of being transformed into the image of Jesus.

Until next time, your heart may be continually reshaped, and your sign will be easier to see.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

We continue our journey through the “Word of Anguish” of the seven sayings. We read Christ’s agony-filled words…

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46

Here is suffering beyond our imagination. Jesus cries out, forsaken by God.

Many people have toiled under burdens, at times, sometimes even for extended periods, feeling as if God abandoned them. That is agony. What Jesus experienced that day is so far beyond that sort of experience as to be incomprehensible. He not only “felt” it, He knew it and experienced it in its fullness.

At the cross, the prophetic words of the 22^nd Psalm were fulfilled.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

    and by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are holy,

    enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In you our fathers trusted;

    they trusted, and you delivered them.

To you they cried and were rescued;

    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,

    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.

On you was I cast from my birth,

    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Be not far from me,

    for trouble is near,

    and there is none to help.

Many bulls encompass me;

    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

they open wide their mouths at me,

    like a ravening and roaring lion.

I am poured out like water,

    and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

    it is melted within my breast;

my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

    you lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs encompass me;

    a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet —

I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

they divide my garments among them,

    and for my clothing, they cast lots. Psalm 22:1-18

Innocent, yet tortured, mocked and killed. God turns His face away from the Son and pours out the wrath for all the sin of the world upon Him. All the punishment for every sinner before and since at once is turned on Him. Unbearable agony and suffering is His.

It is impossible for anyone to bear it, yet what is impossible for mankind is possible for God. What did he bear for us on that day? We will never know or understand. We will never understand it fully.

That which was righteously due you and me for our sin was taken by Him. Jesus bore the punishment for eternal separation from God.

The pain must have been on the Father as well. We know that the Father takes no pleasure in the judgment of sinners, but the price must be paid. How much it must have agonized Him to pour out His wrath on His Son.

There was no way to transfer our sin to Christ so that we could bear His righteousness without transferring the payment for that sin to Him. Our righteousness in Him could never be attained unless He endured that forsakenness by the Father.

We see the ultimate sacrifice and obedience here. If Jesus could lay down His life and pick it up again, He could have left the sin upon us rather than undergo the agony. He endures the cup of wrath He prayed about at Gethsemane and does so for us. What mercy, what grace, what obedience He demonstrates.

Praise God that as believers, you and I will never know the agony of such torment.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

___________________________________________ 

(c)2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin.

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.