Gleanings From The Word

Category: Christian Living

Christmas Carol – Saved but not by a trio of ghosts

On this day in 1843, Charles Dickens’ now classic “A Christmas Carol was first published. Our image today shows the cover of that edition. It was incredibly popular and sold out by Christmas. By the end of 1844, 14 editions had been published, each selling out.

The story was so popular that in 1849, he began public readings of A Christmas Carol, which proved so successful that he undertook 127 further performances until he died in 1870.

While set at Christmas time, the novella was meant as a social commentary on the world of Victorian London. He couldn’t have known that it would still be a widespread influence 182 years later.

There have been 80-100 English-language movies or television shows that are based on or adapted from this story. No official count is kept. Still, some industry officials say it is likely the most used script in the business.

While not overtly Christian in any form, it is filled with Christian themes of love, generosity, and redemption. There is a worldly sense in which Scrooge was saved by the ghosts. Those were messages that needed to be heard in Victorian England just as much as now.

All of us were self-centered versions of Ebenezer Scrooge before we became believers. Our sin may have been different than His, but we still were stuck in a place we couldn’t get free of.

Our salvation didn’t come in the form of the ghost of a dead partner, followed by the ghosts of Christmas, Past, Present, and Yet To Come.

We need more than the ghosts of a Christmas Carol. We need Jesus.

Our call to the cross didn’t come from fictional ghosts, but from the Holy Spirit pursuing us. Our deliverance came in the form of God made flesh and dying for our sins. It was a gift of grace and mercy.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

That gift was given out of love.

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:1-2

For believers, our lives to come will be ones of celebration and peace. Even in our struggles in the meantime, He walks with us. Non-believers will realize that Jacob Marley got off easily, compared to eternal separation from God.

Praise God for His love gift.

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

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Silent Night – Only it wasn’t – the heaven’s rejoiced

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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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

Christmas spirits aside, how are we truly saved?

The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear

19 December 2025
Well Done Good and Faithful Servant

Time is flying by, and that has me in a reflective mood this morning.

In three days, the days will be getting longer again. In seven, it’s Christmas already. In fourteen days, we will be in 2026.

I remember being in high school and thinking how far away the turn of the century was. Now I hear kids talking about events of “the late 20^th century,” and I realize I’m not even vintage anymore. I’m an antique.

At a celebration for my parents’ 25^th wedding anniversary, I remember thinking what a long time it had been since they were married. Now, in just over a year, Kathy and I will hit our 50^th.

Where did it all go? What was it all for? A lot of it was probably wasted, still. I hope that some of the time over the past 67 Christmases (68, in a week) will have been of eternal value.

I still think of myself as a “new” believer, but in retrospect, I have been a believer for over three decades. Not all of that time was used wisely.

Fortunately, the Lord loves me and forgives my shortcomings. No one has missed salvation because of anything I did or didn’t do.

In Matthew 23, we read the parable of the talents. The master gives three men responsibility; two are faithful, and one is not.

To the faithful servants, the master says,

“…‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 23:21, 23

I long to hear those words.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted that despite everything, I will be allowed into the Master’s presence by His grace and mercy. That gift was granted to me by faith (and even the faith itself was a gift).

I sometimes joke that I will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but only to bus the tables. Yet, even that is far more than this sinful man deserves. I pray that you too will hear the words well done good and faithful servant.

I know His love, patience, grace, mercy, and faithfulness are real. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about that.

Yet, I cannot even begin to fathom the depths of those things. I’m grateful for them, even if I don’t fully comprehend.

As we think of that helpless babe in a manger over the coming week, let’s take time to reflect on who He is and what He has done for us.

He is the reason for and the joy of the season.

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

Your might appreciate

RIP Your Majesty – You were a Faithful Servant

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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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

Some thoughts on living the Christian life

# Right Belief Must Become Right Living

18 December 2025
Who were the heavenly host on the first Christmas

Recently, at our community group, we were discussing the Advent story in Luke 2, in particular the angelic appearance to the shepherds out in the field near Bethlehem.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:8-15

Who or what was this heavenly host that appeared with the angel? They are the army of God.

One source says this, “The heavenly hosts are angels who dwell in the presence of God. The heavenly host is described as a multitude or army of angels serving God, though the term can also include fallen angels, as seen in 1 Kings 22:19–22. The heavenly host appears at the announcement of Jesus’ birth, where a multitude of angels praise God (Luke 2:13 14). Believers are promised that they will one day dwell with these heavenly hosts in God’s kingdom (Hebrews 12:22–24)…”

As a group, we chatted about what that scene might have looked like and considered some Old Testament passages.

Were the hosts dressed as a conventional army of the day? Were they garbed in light? Did they wear anything at all? Were they like the strange beings seen in Ezekiel’s Vision or some of the parts of Revelation? Did they have wings?

It was pure speculation, because the Bible doesn’t tell us. In at least one passage, a member of the host looked human.

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15

Whatever they look like, just as they announced the first coming of Jesus, they will accompany Him on His return.

And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. Revelation 19:14

The host of Heaven announced His return, and they are returning with the Lord as a conquering army. Are you ready?

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

Also a Christmas theme

Christmas Carol – Saved but not by a trio of ghosts

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

Waiting – A Teen Runaway Reminds Me of Mary

16 December 2025
Called to right beliefs and right living

I have spent some time recently on a relatively new (at least to me) social media platform, reading the “Christian” post section and follow-up comments.

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was astounded by the range of error, heresy, and just plain biblically illiterate posts there are. Some of the posts are from people genuinely seeking guidance or information, but most make me shake my head.

Like any form of social media, it was filled with plenty of people who hold the view, “my mind is made up, don’t clutter it with facts or truth.”

Every cliche and trope imaginable is out there.

The Bible has too many, or too few, books. The church has deliberately hidden books from the Bible. You can only trust that person’s favorite translation. You can’t trust any translation and must read it in the original languages.

If you don’t belong to a specific denomination, you are going to hell.

The cults are out recruiting. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Latter-day Saints are trolling for the unwary. Other weird groups I had never even heard of are doing the same.

The Roman Catholics and Protestants are busy bashing each other. Still, neither side has any understanding of church history, or what their own position actually believes, let alone what the opposition thinks. Now, there is a lot to debate, but it should be done in love and with understanding.

The God of Islam is the same as the God of Christianity.

Everyone is going to be saved, or no one needs saving. Hell isn’t real.

The range of poor understanding and deliberate twisting of Scripture is nothing short of phenomenal.

The church worship wars still rage, with only the poster’s personal choice of music being from God, and everything else is from Satan.

The doctrine of salvation by faith is disputed. You need to add various combinations of church membership, tithing, good works, baptism, and more to be saved, at least according to many posters who claim to be believers.

Church buildings are too simple, too extravagant, or not needed at all.

This one hurt my head, “I don’t believe in God, but I’m a Christian because I follow the teachings of Christ.” I think it was George Bernard Shaw who initially said it, but it still boggles my mind.

I could carry on and list all the heresies that have plagued the church, and every conceivable form of divisiveness, but I think you can get a sense of things from what I have said.

The apostle Paul would need to be writing corrective letters nonstop and employing a huge ministry team to deal with it all. We’re as messy as the first-century church, and every century since then. The church is messy because it’s filled with redeemed sinners and incomplete knowledge, but it remains God’s church.

If you ever needed proof that God was loving and patient, look no further than the church. Only God could keep such a messed-up, disparate group of people somehow functioning together despite our flaws and best intentions.

There isn’t a church group or a Christian alive who hasn’t got at least some part of the picture wrong.

Now, it isn’t proper theology that saves us. Yet, being saved is just the entry point to becoming all Christ calls us to. We are called to grow in knowledge, understanding, faith, and love.

We are called to both right beliefs and right living; both orthodoxy and orthopraxy are huge.

But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

Let’s have the beliefs and lives that Christ calls us to. Let’s strive together to represent the hope and image of Jesus better.

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

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You might check out:

Credo, I believe – Right beliefs and right living are both important

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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

You might want to read:

# Right Belief Must Become Right Living

15 December 2025
Flood Waters – Perseverance in times of trial

I live in Abbotsford, BC (the Lower Mainland,) and about a 5-minute drive from the US Border. We’ve been under an atmospheric river for some days, with more to come. (Image is not mine, credit to the photographer)

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines atmospheric rivers as “… relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. While atmospheric rivers can vary greatly in size and strength, the average atmospheric river carries an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Exceptionally strong atmospheric rivers can transport up to 15 times that amount. .…) When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow.

That means it’s been raining cats and dogs (and horses and cows and who knows what all else). The area has been experiencing flooding. Every route into the interior of the province is closed due to flood, rockslides, or mudslides. Washington State, to the immediate south of us, is having an even worse time.

We’re in no danger. For the flooding to reach us where we live, I’d expect the neighbor to be building a huge boat and to see unclean animals coming by in pairs and clean ones in sevens. Still, it’s inconvenient for us and devastating for many, some of whom are still recovering from the 2021 flooding.

Floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, hurricanes, storms, and other natural disasters are a simple fact of life in a fallen world. They have come about as a consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:17-19, 5:29).

Like us, creation waits for the final culmination of all things when our Lord returns.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18-25

There is a promised time when such things shall be no more. All will be set right, and we will be with God forever. The curse will be lifted, and creation will no longer groan in agony.

Hold fast, my dear friends. His return is imminent, and all will be restored. We can’t predict the timing, for only the Father knows, but we can rest assured that He will keep His promises.

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

You might also enjoy

An Atmospheric River – Thoughts on the biblical flood

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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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

Some thoughts on the Christian Life

# Right Belief Must Become Right Living

12 December 2025
What is the church? The hands and feet of Jesus.

If you ask people, “What is the church?” they will most likely tell you about a building somewhere nearby. They might even know the name or the denominational (or non-denominational) affiliation of the building.

Some people might be familiar with the service times or some of the better-known programs the church offers.

If there is more than one, they will likely know something about the differences and have a preference. They might have questions about why there are two or three churches within several blocks of one another. It’s a valid question.

There is a sense in which those answers are correct because we often talk about going to church, i.e., the place we gather for corporate worship.

So,, what is the church?

Someone once wrote (I can’t find a source), “Church people and God’s people are not the same thing. Church people go to church. God’s people are the church.” We are the hands and feet of Jesus.

That’s a huge difference. The church visible, are all those who attend a church or claim an affiliation with a church, and all the buildings, programs, and baggage that entails. They may or may not be Christians.

The church invisible is the true body of Christ, all believers in every culture through all of time. The word “church” is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia, which means “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of church is not a building, but people.

Paul makes it clear that the church and the meeting place are not the same thing. “Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.” Romans 16:5

As believers, we are the church.

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13

When we start to think things like “the church ought to do something about that” or “someone from the church ought to,” it’s time to look inside ourselves. Are we being prompted by the Spirit to do something?

If that something is too large for one person to tackle, we could join with others to get it done.

The church isn’t a building. The church certainly isn’t perfect, after all, it is comprised of redeemed sinners in the process of being more Christ-like.

Still, it’s the avenue Jesus chose to bring His message of help and hope to the world.

There is a very real purpose to the church. We are the hands and feet of Jesus, guided by the Word and the indwelling Spirit to do His work.

What an incredible responsibility! What an incredible privilege! We do what we can do, and the Lord does the rest.

My friends, let us boldly BE the church.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

You might find this interesting

The Church has a blessed future

Finding a Good Church

Every Member Is Necessary — 1 Corinthians 12

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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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Some thoughts on finding a good church

Find a good church

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

10 December 2025
Christ uses ordinary people and ordinary days

My brain is foggy this morning, so I have opted to pull a back issue out of the archives. This issue originally appeared in September 2005.

The house is quiet. The only sounds are the buzz of my laptop’s power supply and the dripping/gurgling of the coffee pot. My eldest son, Kris, was off to his full-time job before I awoke. He works both a full-time and a part-time job at the moment. Kathy is awakening for work, and soon Kyle will be getting up for school.

Tigger the cat came by my office for a quick visit, then went back to bed. Genni the wonder dog is sitting expectantly beside me. She shared my bagel and cream cheese and is hoping in vain that there might be more.

Brief intermission in the narration as Kevin goes to get his morning cup of coffee.

It’s a good cup. Sometimes in the morning, I’m not the best at counting the number of scoops so that the first taste can be an adventure. I must have measured right today.

So what?

Well, the subtitle of this daily devotional is “Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life.” You just caught a snapshot from our very ordinary lives. We’re ordinary, everyday people having an ordinary day. We’re just “plain folk”. Some would even say we’re boring, but I prefer the term “content”.

The good news is that God works through very ordinary people in everyday life.

Moses was an aging shepherd with a warrant out for his arrest for murder. Abraham was an aging businessman. Gideon worked secretly in the family winepress out of fear. David tended sheep. The disciples were an odd combination of blue-collar workers, petty criminals, and zealots.

It’s the power of our righteous and holy God who transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

The all powerful God of creation could have accomplished His goals in any way He wished. Yet He chose to give us the blessing of participating with Him. He’s given you and me, ordinary people, the task of sharing His love with the world. He’s made us to be salt and light to a dark world.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 NIV

That means that while our lives may be ordinary and while the world may think we’re ordinary, we’re truly extraordinary people. Not because of who we are but because we’ve allowed a holy God to accomplish His work through us.

You are an instrument of peace, love, joy, and transformation. Absolutely nothing short of God Himself could be less ordinary.

The flip side of the coin is that we never know what ordinary people are being used in extraordinary ways by God. That behooves us (I know behooves is a dated word, but I love the sound of it) to treat all people as if they were special in the eyes of God. We have no reason not to do so.

Until next time, I pray you get a grasp of how truly extraordinary and how valuable you are for all eternity when Jesus works through you, and may you learn to see all people as He sees them.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed,

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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

Every Member Is Necessary — 1 Corinthians 12

9 December 2025
Small Blessings – Ordinary Life

Someone once said that God must like ordinary things because He made so many of them. There is some truth in that statement.

It falls apart when we realize there are no “ordinary” things. Everything that exists in the material world is there because of the will of our omnipotent God.

We often look for God in the big things. While He does incredible miracles in the big stuff, you can frequently see His loving hand in the everyday things.

Recently, the key fob for my car died. I tried replacing the battery several times to no avail. I called the dealer and was quoted $950 + tax to replace it. Ouch, that’s a thousand bucks I didn’t budget for.

I tried local locksmiths. None of them could do a European fob, but I did get a recommendation for a mobile locksmith. I called the fellow and was quoted $550. Still ridiculously expensive, but my only option.

He arrived and took the fob apart. I had been replacing it with the wrong battery. Those round button-type batteries come in varying thicknesses, and the ones I used were too thin. Cost $80 for the service call plus a battery.

He could have just agreed the fob was dead, and I would have paid the $550 without question. God had sent a locksmith with integrity. Still costly for a simple mistake, but I gladly paid.

Big blessing in ordinary life. When I shared that story with our community group a couple of weeks ago, many people also shared stories of big blessings in ordinary life.

We might see a “big” miracle once or twice in our lifetime, but the small blessings come every day. Look for them. Celebrate them. Praise God for them.

Small blessings happen even in tough times. Watching for them can make us grateful.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever… Psalm 136:1-3

Give thanks even for the small blessing and praise His name.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed,

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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

# Right Belief Must Become Right Living

2 December 2025
A Feeder for All: One Body, One Spirit — A Devotional

Just outside our front door, a bird feeder hangs. I’ve identified two dozen (or more) bird species that use it regularly. Underneath that feeder, on a disused water feature that looks like a log, sits a green plant pot.

That pot once held a plant. Seeds from the hanging feeder regularly fall into the pot, and now it’s used as another feeder. The soil level is low enough that the birds can duck beneath the pot rim and hide while they eat.

While any of the birds might stop there, it’s most popular with the smaller birds and more timid species. It’s fun to watch them periodically peek their heads up to check that things are still safe, then disappear again.

It’s not uncommon to see three or four little birds in it, or sitting on the edge at any given moment. There are two species in today’s image. (My apologies, the picture is a little fuzzy. My camera phone isn’t great for that sort of work.)

That feeder reminds me of the call of the gospel. It’s for everyone, but has special attractiveness to the timid and broken. It goes out to people of all cultures and ignores barriers such as education, wealth, skin tone, gender, and economic status.

That call goes out, and when it is answered, the church becomes a place where believers of every sort are unified under the Spirit.

One true church, regardless of labels, practice, or language. One body, one Spirit.

One true church despite doctrinal differences.

The same Spirit who called “those” people, called you and me. The same Jesus who died for “them” died for us. The same Father oversees it all.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

That person you’ve never met, from some place you will never go, who speaks a different language and dresses differently, can be your brother or sister in Christ. What an incredible thought.

What a marvelous moment it will be when all of us, one body one spirit ,regardless of tongue or tribe, celebrate in worship together. I can hardly wait.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

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Looking for a Good Church?

Some thoughts on finding a good church

Find a good church

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

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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 December 2025
Advent Anticipation – Christmas is coming

Time seems to be flying by of late. Many of the neighbors have their Christmas decorations and lights up already. There are even some who have had their trees up for a couple of weeks now.

This coming Sunday marks the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is celebrated on the first four Sundays leading up to Christmas. We anticipate our remembrance of the birth of Jesus. It feels strange to be looking forward to celebrating something that has already happened.

Yet, it gives us an opportunity in the busyness of life to pause and remember what truly matters.

The story of Jesus’ birth is a winsome narrative. After all, who doesn’t like the account of the poor infant born in a manger while angels and shepherds celebrate?

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11

Yet it’s really mid-story. His coming was planned before God created the world, because He knew we would sin and need rescuing.

It was foretold in the prophets. On top of all the prophecies that there would be a Savior and His coming, there are at least seven fully fulfilled prophecies about His birth alone.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

His birth required a sacrifice from Jesus. He set aside all the rights that were owed to Him to come into Mary’s womb and be born on that dark night. He was born to die for us.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7

In remembering His birth, we can celebrate our freedom in Christ. Without His coming, you and I would be lost forever in our sin, doomed by our sin nature and our own sin.

We can also celebrate our ongoing transformation. We are born again, being conformed into His image, and He will complete His work in us.

Advent also serves as a clarion call to the world. Jesus has come and is coming again. Get right with Jesus today. In those four weeks, many nominal and adrift Christians come to the service to hear the news afresh. Many seekers will stop by as well. Seeds are planted and watered.

I used to joke about what I called “playoff Christians”, those who come for Christmas and Easter. I was so wrong. I’m learning to recognize what grace God offers by calling them in, and I am thankful they respond.

Studies have shown that people are most responsive to invitations to church at Christmas and Easter. Let’s make full use of that and invite people.

Invite friends who have drifted from the faith, neighbors, casual acquaintances, and total strangers to celebrate the Advent and Christmas miracles with us. Let’s pray for them that their hearts may be opened.

Who knows? Some of them might even come.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed,

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.

On the seasonal theme

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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, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

Every Member Is Necessary — 1 Corinthians 12

28 November 2025