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Gleanings From The Word

Category: 1 Corinthians

  • Enter through the narrow gate – know the truth

    Enter through the narrow gate – know the truth

    As we turned the bend, the path suddenly narrowed. A giant  cedar and a smaller maple formed a gate of sorts. I had to stop and take a photo.

    As I stood, several thoughts ran through my brain. First were Jesus’ words, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14

    His meaning was clear, as the only path to salvation, many will opt for other “ways”, none of which have the power to save. While glory will hold untold numbers of people, it will still only have a remnant of those that God opened the door for.

    Then my thoughts drifted to a magical realm. If you step past the tree gate, everything changes. On the other side are wondrous new things and beings. The gate may appear in an upcoming children’s story.

    There is also a sense that the idea holds true in the spiritual realm. We enter through the narrow gate and, as believers, are given the Spirit. We begin to be transformed into the image of Christ. We have entered the kingdom of God, albeit not in its fullness.

    We cannot see all that is to come, but we know it will be marvelous.

    But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:7-10

    For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

    Believers have passed through the doorway from Spiritual death to life. We will pass through the doorway into physical death to be resurrected to be with Him in a place too incredible to describe, and too marvelous to comprehend fully… yet.

    Believers have nothing to fear from death. Non-believers have much to fear. If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to seek and take the narrow path with Jesus.

    Praise God for His love gift.

    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.

  • What is the church? The hands and feet of Jesus.

    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. 

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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.