Gleanings From The Word

Category: Christian Living

End Times Speculation- Why I’d Rather be Found Faithful
I’m probably going to push somebody’s buttons this morning. I’m sometimes asked why I don’t write about eschatology (the study of the end times) more often. I’ll often talk about what the Bible reveals about life with Jesus but very seldom about the timing.

My reason is simple: I believe that Christians spend far too much time debating the “when” and “how” it will happen. We divide about the timing of the rapture and the nature of the thousand-year reign. We argue and split over whether or not someone holds our views. We spend more time trying to figure out if this “is it” than we do loving others and sharing the gospel.

Is the book of Revelation to be viewed from a Preterist, Historicist, Futurist, Idealist (symbolic), Progressive Futurist or some other view? Should we be Premillennialists, Postmillennialists, or Amillenialists? Perhaps some combination of the above or even none of the above.

Now, please understand. I am not saying the end times are unimportant. I’m saying we put too much time and effort into figuring them out. You may or may not agree. We’re only going to know who was correct when it’s done, and then, frankly, I don’t think we will care.

Jesus is returning; the Scriptures are clear on that. But the Bible also very clearly says:

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.” Matthew 24:25-27

If you have the date figured out, I can promise you that you are dead wrong. Many have claimed to have it and they have all been proven liars.

We know He is returning. The Lord tells us that for two important reasons.
- Give us real hope when times get dark
- Spur us on to loving one another and sharing the gospel.
Debating the exact nature of the eschaton can be interesting and even fun. Let’s make certain, though, that it doesn’t divide us needlessly or take away from our real mission.

He might come before I finish this issue of Gleanings. He might not come for two weeks, two years, two decades, two centuries or two millennia. It will be sudden and surprise us all.

Let’s be sure to be found faithful when it does occur.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed

Kevin

SUMMARY

I explain why I rarely write about the timing of the end times, even though people often ask me to. I believe Scripture calls us to hold the certainty of Christ’s return with humility about its timing, and to spend our energy loving others and sharing the gospel instead of debating dates and systems.

TAKEAWAY

No one knows the day or hour of Christ’s return, so anyone claiming to have figured it out is guaranteed to be wrong.

Debates over rapture timing, millennial views, and interpretive frameworks for Revelation too often divide believers rather than draw us closer to our mission.

The certainty that Jesus is coming back should give us hope in dark times and spur us on to love one another and share the gospel now.

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On a similar theme
9 July 2026
Blooming in the desert

This lovely desert flower is a Mariposa lily (Calochortus bruneaunis ) – sometimes called a sagebrush or desert lily. It comes in a variety of colors from white through to brilliant purple, like this specimen I shot back around the summer of 2001. I confess the picture is cropped because I took it from too far away.

The Mariposa thrives in arid, desert-like places where most plants could simply not survive. It truly blooms where others fail to even grow.

In our Christian life, we can often be placed in situations similar to that. We can face ridicule, hostility, outright persecution, even the stripping of our possessions, jail time or in some cases death. Jail time and death are not common in the West (yet), they are a reality for our brothers and sisters around the world.

According to an article in America Magazine, “More Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined, according to David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, two of the world’s leading religious demographers.”

Gordon-Conwell’s Center for the Study of Global Christianity estimates that 1 million Christians were killed between 2001 and 2010, and about 900,000 were killed from 2011 to 2020.

It’s a reality out there, my friends. Our brothers and sisters are being killed for their faith. It shouldn’t surprise us; it’s been happening since the days of Saul of Tarsus. Persecution began a few years after the death of Jesus and has continued since.

Jesus told us it would happen.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they John

would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without cause.’ John 15:18-25

What can we do in the interim?

We can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for those who oppress them. We can pray for those in power in our nation to come to faith.

We continue to gather together as long as we can. We gain strength from one another. Our brothers and sisters in oppressed countries meet underground.

We read, study and memorize our Bibles. We need to know what we believe and why. We need to be prepared in case there are no Bibles available someday.

We live our lives daily as Christ called us to do. We stand as lights on a hill, pointing others to the love of Jesus.

We trust God. He has it all under control and will use every hard thing that comes to pass for the good of those who love Him.

The mariposa lily grows and blooms in dark, hostile environments. How much so can we shine in a dark and hurting world?

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed

Kevin

SUMMARY

The Mariposa lily thrives in arid, hostile ground where most plants cannot survive. Christians are called to do the same. Persecution is real, it is global, and Jesus told us plainly it would come. The question is not whether we will face a hostile world, but how we will stand in it.

KEYPOINTS

More Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined, and an estimated 1.9 million have been killed for their faith between 2001 and 2020

Jesus warned His followers directly: the world hated Him first, and it will hate them too — persecution is not a surprise but a promise

While brothers and sisters around the world face jail and death, believers everywhere can pray, gather, know their Bibles, live as lights, and trust God with every hard thing that comes

Tribulation Produces Perseverance

8 July 2026
Infrared Light and Faith

I sat out by the campfire, pondering light and life. There was so much more going on in the fire than I could see. I could see the flames because they emit visible light. I could see, taste and smell smoke because it hung in the air. I could feel the warmth from the flames.

I couldn’t see the wood gases that were actually burning. I couldn’t see the wood turning into charcoal. I couldn’t see the infrared (IR) energy being emitted because it lies outside the visible spectrum. If I had a thermal camera, I might have seen the IR waves.

IR light isn’t visible to us, but it surrounds us. Everything above absolute zero emits some level of infrared radiation. Even though we can’t see it, it’s reflected off trees and other surfaces and impacts us. A little can warm us and increase blood flow. It can be used in some forms of physiotherapy. Too much IR can cause burns, heat rash and even eye damage.

Just as IR has an impact even though we cannot see it, God is working in ways invisible to us. His presence may be hidden, but He still provides for us, reaches out to us and is working in our lives.

There is nothing anywhere in the created universe that does not owe its beginning and continued existence to God’s power and presence. If He withdrew His presence for even a split second, everything would collapse and disappear.

Fortunately, we don’t have to physically see Him for Him to work in our lives. We have the Scriptures and their testimony. We have the Holy Spirit (if we are believers), or He calls us (if we are non-believers).

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— 2 Corinthians 5:1-7

What a marvelous gift, to be given the faith to walk even when we cannot see the way of the hands that guide us.

Maybe you’ve never considered faith as a gift, but Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear. We are saved and guided by faith, and all of that is a love gift from our Heavenly Father.

Praise His holy and generous name.

Be blessed,

Kevin

False teachers

SUMMARY

I sat by a campfire and realized how much was happening that I couldn’t see: burning gases, wood turning to charcoal, infrared energy radiating outward. It struck me that God works the same way, present and active even when His hands are hidden from our sight.

TAKEAWAY

Everything above absolute zero emits infrared radiation, invisible yet powerfully real in its effects

God’s presence sustains all creation even when it isn’t visible to us

2 Corinthians 5:1-7 and Ephesians 2:8-9 remind us that faith, not sight, is how we’re meant to walk

The importance of Reading God’s Word

7 July 2026
Those Little Doubts

Christians often live their lives with an open question towards God. Sometimes we openly verbalize it, and other times it hovers in the background. That question is “God, show me your plan.” I don’t think it’s a conscious thing, but we’re treating God as a fortune teller or oracle of some kind. It’s true that God is outside of time and sees it all, but that doesn’t mean we need to know all the answers. Those questions reveal the secret little doubts that we can sometimes harbor.

We know God will come through for others and truly believe that. Yet, we listen to the whispers of the enemy or our own self-doubts and doubt that we are worthy of Him coming through for us.

There are some verses from the Bible that most of us have memorized:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

Trust in Yahweh with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6-6

Those verses are easy to recite and, in some ways, easy to believe, but much harder to live out in practice. We want to see where our footsteps will land rather than trusting God to guide us. Those nagging little doubts about our worthiness hold us back.

Of course, based on our own merits, none of us is worthy. That’s why we needed Jesus in the first place. As believers, we are co-heirs with Christ, worthy not because of our own merit but because of who He is. God sees us with the imputed righteousness of Christ.

There is a story in three of the four gospels of a man who wants Jesus to heal his Son. Jesus asked the man if he believed, and the reply is how we sometimes feel.

Immediately the boy’s father cried out and was saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24

Can we relate?

James calls us to be doers of the word, not just hearers. Jesus calls us to obey His commands. That takes faith. Our faith calls us to step past our little doubts.

What if instead of treating God as our personal oracle, or listening to those little doubts, we simply started living life as His Word and Spirit call us? What if we strove for lives of simple trust or obedience?

How would that change the way we live?

Some simple self-examination and prayer might be in order. Where are we not trusting Him? Where are we wanting to move in certainty rather than faith? What’s holding us back from simple obedience?

God will not fail us.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed

Kevin

When we say no to God

SUMMARY

I unpack why we quietly treat God like a fortune teller, demanding to see the plan instead of trusting Him with it. Real faith isn’t about certainty; it’s about obedience even while the doubts are still talking.

TAKE AWAY

We often ask God to reveal the future rather than trusting His guidance

Little doubts about our own worthiness can quietly undermine our faith

True faith looks like obedience, not certainty

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

The church needs you

6 July 2026
Rebound Stronger – How trials build unshakeable faith

Our granddaughters have a trampoline in the backyard. They and their friends are quite adept at leaps, spins, rolls and general acrobatics. Sometimes, I have to look away because I envision one of them coming off and breaking a bone or two or going right through the fabric.

I did some quick research on the physics of trampolines and came across this: “A trampoline works by temporarily storing energy. As you land, your downward force stretches the tightly woven mat and the springs around its edge. The deeper the mat bends, the more elastic potential energy is stored. When the springs recoil, that stored energy is released upward, pushing against you with a force that can exceed your body weight. In effect, the very force that pulls you downward becomes the source of your lift. The harder and more completely you press into the trampoline, the greater the potential for an upward rebound—provided your timing and balance allow that energy to be directed efficiently into the next jump.”

The harder you apply downward pressure, the further upward you go. There is a bit of a spiritual principle here, although not exactly the same. God allows us to undergo trials and tribulations. It is in those dark places where our faith is tested that our faith grows the most.

An untested faith is simply a hope. Faith that comes through again and again is strengthened. In essence, we bounce up higher and higher. We rebound from the trials strengthened and more Christ like.

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

Dark times are a part of life in a sin-filled and fallen world. Even Christians have them. In fact Christians may face even harder times because the world hates our Lord. Once we get to glory, that won’t be an issue, but in the meantime we persevere.

We take the pressure, strengthened by God and rebound to a stronger faith. Paul understood that truth.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:10-13

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

So next time it feels too much, remember Jesus has your back. He goes ahead of you and walks beside. Hold fast and bounce back stronger.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed,

Kevin

Seeing Jesus more clearly each day

SUMMARY

Watching my granddaughters flip and spin on that trampoline, I started thinking about how the harder they press down, the higher they fly. That same principle shows up in the Christian life: the trials that press us down are what God uses to build a faith that rebounds stronger than before.

TAKEAWAY

Trampolines store energy through downward pressure and release it as upward lift

James 1:2-4 shows that tested faith produces perseverance, not just endurance

Paul’s example in Philippians and 2 Corinthians proves we’re pressed but never crushed

Check Oout these links

Tribulation Produces Perseverance

Pressed but still standing

Live in Abbotsford? There are many good churches. This is where I attend.

Find a good church

Some thoughts on finding a good church

3 July 2026
Nobody Told The Bees – Lessons in Obedience

Yesterday, I was once again enjoying the busyness of the bumble bees at the lavender in the backyard. I was pondering the myth that bumble bees and honey bees shouldn’t be able to fly and wondered where that came from.

I did some research, and according to one source, “The origins of the honey bee flight myth are hazy, but the most enduring version involves an aerodynamics engineer casually calculating that a bee’s weight-to-wing-area ratio made flight impossible. Though some accounts attribute the claim to scientists like Ludwig Prandtl or Jakob Ackeret, it likely stems from a misunderstood 1934 observation by the French zoologist Antoine Magnan, who applied fixed-wing flight equations to insect wings and concluded — incorrectly — that insect flight defied aerodynamic theory”.

Of course, both bumble bees and honey bees can fly, as we well know. Apparently, nobody told God that they couldn’t fly and certainly no one told the bees.

That took me down the rabbit hole of thinking about how we come up with reasons we can’t do things that God asks of us.

I thought of Moses standing beside the burning bush. He had plenty of excuses.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:10

Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am about to come to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ And they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” Exodus 3:13

Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Please, Lord, I have never been a man of words, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your slave; for I am one with a hard mouth and a hard tongue.” And Yahweh said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? So now, go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and will instruct you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Please, Lord, send now the message by whomever You will.” Exodus 4:10-13

Let’s make that more current, no burning bush. “Kevin, I want you to invite your neighbor to church”, saith the LORD.

“Who me? You must be mistaken. I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“Yes, you! Did I stutter?”

“You must be mistaken. Send someone else to ask them. Someone who has the gift of inviting.”

Now, it might not be inviting that the Lord has called us to do, but all of us have something the Lord has told us to do that we fight Him on with excuses, pass the buck to others, or just plain pretend not to hear.

The Lord knows our shortcomings as well as He knows that bees are perfectly capable of flight. If we have a shortcoming, He will provide what we need.

For consider your calling, brothers, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may abolish the things that are, so that no flesh may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

As someone once said (and I can’t find an accurate attribution), “God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.”

Obedience when we know it’s our gifting is easy. When we’re not certain, or worse yet, convinced we can’t do what God asks, it’s even harder. Still, if God has called us to it, it’s for a reason.

It’s time we traded our excuses for obedience. God knows what He is doing, even when we think He’s wrong. Maybe I’ll just go talk to that neighbor today.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed

Kevin

Bees and the Sweetness of God’s Word

Every member is necessary

Big News: Gleanings is now on Instagram

2 July 2026
Why the Old Testament Still Matters to Christians Today

Two Christian friends were debating the value of the Old Testament to Christianity. One was spouting the heresy that the God of the Old Testament was different than the God of the New. Of course we know Scripture explicitly claims that isn’t so. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

He went on to say there is no need for the Old Testament, since we have grace in the New Testament and are not under the Law. When asked about what Jesus thought of the Old Testament, he stammered and changed the subject.

Jesus knew the Old Testament perfectly both in wording and spirit. Depending on how you count, He explicitly quoted the Old Testament ~40 times and alluded to it is somewhere between 180-250 times in the gospels alone.

Many “new” things Jesus taught are straight out of the Old Testament. In Psalm 105, we read a recap of the Exodus story. Here’s an excerpt:

Then He brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none among His tribes who stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they went out,
For the dread of them had fallen upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light by night.
They asked, and He brought quail,
And He satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock and water flowed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
For He remembered His holy word
With Abraham His servant;
And He brought His people out with joy,
His chosen ones with a shout of joy. Psalm 105:37-40

Jesus takes His audience back to the Old Testament and shows Himself to be the chosen one, the long awaited Messiah.

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:31-34

I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and also the bread which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” John 6:48-51

Jesus shows from a historical passage that He is the one they have been waiting for. That doesn’t count the estimated 300 places that there is a prophetic mention of His coming.

Without the Old Testament, we have no idea that there was even a Messiah who would come to rescue us. With it, we would have no basis to evaluate His claims.

Augustine said, “Novum Testamentum in Vetere latet, Vetus Testamentum in Novo patet.” For most of us who don’t speak Latin, that is “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.” Or as it is sometimes translated, “The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”

While certainly there are passages in the Old Testament that don’t apply to us directly, like the ceremonial and dietary laws. There are passages that seem obscure and uninteresting, like the long genealogies. Still, the Old Testament is vital to our understanding of the New and to our understanding of God and our need for Him.

Praise God we have both.

Be blessed

Kevin

Did you ever wonder? Is the God of the Old Testament than the God of the New?

What if I asked you, What is your favorite book of the Bible?

Some thoughts on the importance of Reading the Word

1 July 2026
Bumble bees and the sweetness of God’s Word.

The humble bumble bee (Bombus species), one of the most important native pollinators in Canada.

Unlike honey bees, bumble bees can fly in cool, cloudy, and even lightly rainy conditions. They generate heat by vibrating their flight muscles before takeoff, allowing them to become active when temperatures are only a few degrees above freezing.

Bumbles are quite gentle and rarely sting. Unlike honeybees, their stinger isn’t barbed, so they can sting repeatedly, although I’ve never been stung by one, even when picking them up or landing on me. Their quiet buzzing and gentle nature make me think of them as happy bees.

Bumbles live in small colonies of 5-200 bees, usually underground, and the entire colony dies over the winter. A new queen hatches every season.

Some bumble bee trivia:

Bumble bees can see ultraviolet patterns on flowers that humans cannot.

They remember productive flower patches and return repeatedly.

They are capable of simple learning and can even solve basic foraging problems.

Canada is home to dozens of native bumble bee species.

Now what in the world do bumble bees have to do with the Bible? Probably nothing, but bumble bees make me think of honey bees, and they bring to mind honey (and Winnie the Pooh, but that’s a story for another day).

Bumbles store up only small amounts of honey, like nectar. They don’t produce a surplus like honey bees.

There are bees in the bible, most likely a subspecies of the western honey bee.

Certainly, the Bible speaks of honey frequently.

The Bible uses honey to symbolize prosperity, God’s provision and the Word of God.

The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Psalm 19:8-10

How sweet is Your word to my taste!
Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

As we grow to know the Lord more, we gain a deeper appreciation for His Word. It does become sweet to us and nourishes our souls. We are richer for having it in our lives.

My prayer is that as you walk in the footsteps of Jesus, you grow to having a craving for time in His Word.

Be blessed

Kevin

Honey Bees and the Bible

SUMMARY

I share what I’ve learned about bumble bees, Canada’s gentle native pollinators, and how their humble nature led me to think about honey and the sweetness of God’s Word. Just as bumble bees quietly do their work without fanfare, I’m reminded that knowing the Lord more deeply makes His Word sweeter to us than honey.

TAKEAWAY

Bumble bees are gentle, hardworking pollinators that fly in conditions honey bees can’t tolerate, generating their own heat to stay active

Unlike honey bees, bumble bees store only small amounts of honey rather than a surplus, yet honey itself appears throughout Scripture as a symbol of God’s provision and the sweetness of His Word

Psalm 19 and Psalm 119 both describe God’s Word as sweeter than honey, pointing to a deepening craving for time in Scripture as we grow closer to the Lord

Read the Word. Read the Word. Read the Word.

Nobody Told The Bees – Lessons in Obedience

30 June 2026
Getting older and the hope of glory
I know I’m getting older. I used to hop up and down into the bed of a pickup with no problem. Now I much prefer to use a step stool. It’s not as cool, but I don’t look or feel as uncoordinated as I would without one, and frankly, it’s safer. As they say, “Getting older isn’t for wimps.” For all my young friends, you might not relate yet, but your time will come.

One thing about getting older is that it is one step closer to glory. Now, like many Christians, I am really looking forward to being there with Jesus, but at the same time, I don’t want to go home yet.

Going to be with Jesus isn’t something I spend my days obsessed with, but it does cross my mind the older I get. A friend from church passed away this week, unexpectedly, and while we know where he went, he will be missed by those left behind.

I have no fear about what happens after my passing from this mortal coil. As a Christian believer, I know exactly where I’m headed.

John’s Revelation of Jesus the Christ speaks at length about it, and there are plenty of hints and glimpses elsewhere in the Bible.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” Revelation 19:7-9

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. When I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

It’s going to be a celebration unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. United with Jesus, the one who knew me and loved me enough to die for me. Gathered with every believer that ever was, regardless of ethnicity, skin color, economic status or any of the other artificial separators and dividers we use here in this world.

All my sins and sorrows gone, no more pain and suffering. Joy unspeakable. Finally being all that God created me to be. Free to serve Him in everything, with everything I do for His glory.

Honestly, I can’t really comprehend what that will be like. I imagine the most peaceful and joy-filled moments in this life and know it will dwarf them.

Just meeting Jesus face to face will be better than anything this life has to offer. I don’t know how it will all unfold, but I hope that’s the first thing I see.

Not sure about what will happen to you after death? Get right with Jesus today.

I can hardly wait. What about you?

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed

Kevin

Unchanging mountains – How will we fare when the Master returns?

SUMMARY

Getting older has a way of turning your eyes toward eternity — and for the believer, that’s not a bad thing. A friend’s unexpected passing this week, a step stool by the pickup truck, and the words of Revelation 19 and 1 Corinthians 13 all point the same direction: a celebration with Jesus that will dwarf anything this life has to offer.

KEY POINTS:
- Aging is one step closer to glory, and the Christian can face that reality with confidence rather than fear
- Heaven is a wedding feast — face to face with Jesus, every believer gathered, every earthly divider gone
- The most peaceful, joy-filled moments of this life won’t come close to what awaits
The Gospel: The best news you will ever hear
29 June 2026
Faith and Works: Resting in the Balance God Designed

There is a weird tension in Christianity between faith and works. The bible is abundantly clear that we are saved by faith

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

At the same time, there is clearly a tie between grace and works.

What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself. James 2:14-16

We find ourselves dithering like an anxious border collie with no sheep to guard. We settle into grace for a moment, but never quite relax. We fall into works mode for a time in the vain hope that it will please God more somehow, if we earn our salvation. We know something should be happening; we were designed to work, but we’re not sure how.

We go back and forth, seldom settling into a healthy balance.

Our works are done out of faith, not to give us faith. Our self-motivated works are bound to fail and are, in fact, sin. This text from Paul to the church in Rome is in the context of eating certain foods, but it illustrates a principle.

The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. Romans 14:22-23

The first step is to prioritize our relationship with Jesus. We seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

We remember to rest and make time for the Sabbath. (Exodus 20:8-10).

Consider that all we do is working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24).

Our good works flow out of our relationship with the Lord; they don’t cause it. He saved us without works on our part, and He holds us in relationship.

Prioritize that relationship, let the rest flow naturally. Sometimes we need to reset, but that always comes by time with Him.

Rest comfortably in the Lord, my dear friends.

Be blessed

Kevin

If salvation is by faith, “Why good works?”

SUMMARY

The tension between faith and works often leaves Christians oscillating between striving and resting, never fully settling in either. The key is to prioritize our relationship with Jesus — good works flow naturally out of that relationship, not the other way around.

TAKEAWAYS

We are saved by grace through faith alone, yet genuine faith produces good works

Self-motivated works done apart from faith are sin; works must flow from our walk with Christ

The solution is to seek first His kingdom, rest in Him, and let the works follow naturally

Right Belief and Right Living are both important

Who (or what) is the rock upon which we stand?

26 June 2026