Books, books, books. If you have been reading  Gleanings for any length of time, you will know that I have a passion for books. In particular, I have a weakness for good conservative evangelical books, particularly old ones. 

I have rescued many from destruction and appreciate their scholarly insights. Finding sufficient bookshelf space around our home has always been a challenge.

Since my retinal detachment and repair, I have been reading most of my books on my devices, where I can adjust the font size as needed. Still, I have gathered a growing collection of Large-print books.

Having said all of that, I must also warn you there can be a real danger to books as well. Many cults add the works of their leaders as required reading, equal to or elevated above the Bible as truth. These books often detail “THE” way to salvation. 

Be wary of these books. The Bible needs to be the foundation. Even with my passionate weakness for good theology books, the Bible always comes first.

The Bible is the source of all information needed for salvation. The information alone is not sufficient; the Holy Spirit must work in us to convict us, but no additions to what is claimed in Scripture are required,

Be very cautious of any church whose traditions or writings are equal to or elevated above Scripture. That should be a huge warning light to any believer.

The Bible contains all the principles needed to be our guide to living life. 

Other books may help clarify and offer great insights, but once again, we need to use Scripture as our foundation. Again, the Holy Spirit can be a great guide, but if it is the Holy Spirit (and not something else) speaking, He will never guide us in a direction contrary to the Word.

Be wary of any church whose rules and regulations for living place themselves above Scripture. This, too, is a danger sign.

The Scriptures are our operating manual for life. They are not in error and do not need a “best before” date. They are timeless, as God Himself is timeless.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21

What does it mean to be God-breathed? It means they contain the very life breath of God. God breathed life into Adam in the garden (see Genesis 2:7). The Bible is not only “inspired”; it is “exhaled” by the very lips of God Himself. No other book can honestly make that claim.

Good and godly people can and have written good and godly books. I think of people like Matthew Henry, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, Adam Clark, some of the Puritans, and even many of today’s authors, as well as many more.

They have much to teach us, but their writings are not the very living breath of God. I love their writings dearly but always return to Scripture as the foundation.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

Until next time, may the living Word of God be your source.

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.

__________________________________________ 

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

I am a fan of good detective and police stories. I  enjoy a good who-dun-it television program. A good courtroom drama can be fun as well.

I prefer the ones produced by British networks over those done in North America. Typically, the stories are better told, and there is more emphasis on the story than glitz and glamour.

I am not alone, as these types of stories sell millions of books and comprise some of the most-watched programs on television. There are even specialty television and streaming channels dedicated to this type of programming.

It has been disappointing of late that the newer programs in this genre have tended to rely on far too much gratuitous nudity, sex, profanity, and graphic violence to keep their share of ratings. Usually, the stories can be well-told without all the debris being thrown into the mix.

One of the Old Testament’s twelve so-called “Minor Prophets” tells a fascinating courtroom story. The prophets are not called Minor Prophets because of the importance of their words; the term refers to the volume of their writings. These books are shorter than the so-called Major Prophets like Daniel and Isaiah.

Our story is set in heaven.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Zechariah 3:1-7

The high priest Joshua stood in front of the Lord. Satan was busy accusing him. Satan does not have to lie to accuse any of us. We give him plenty of ammunition, all of our own. 

Joshua was guilty of sin; we can tell that from his “filthy clothes.” Yet the Lord was more interested in restoring him than condemning him.

The narrative continues with even better news.

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3:8-10

The Branch to come is, of course, Jesus. He came and sacrificed so that all sin could be atoned for in a single day. I also find great encouragement in verse ten. Being able to sit under the fig tree with a neighbor is a sign of prosperity and peace, but the ability to invite that neighbor is a privilege.

Those who have found redemption in Christ are given a wondrous opportunity. We can invite our neighbors to join us in that peace and joy. We can tell them the good news about Christ. We have been found guilty, but the penalty has been paid on our behalf. We can help that happen for others by letting them know about Him.

Until next time, rejoice. If you know Jesus, you will come through the ultimate courtroom drama unscathed and 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.

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