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It’s beginning to feel autumnal here. The early leaves are  beginning to turn, and the nights are cooling off much quicker than a few weeks ago. We have a ways to go before autumn really hits, but it will get here.

Thinking of turning leaves had me reminiscing. As we drove down the street, it felt as if we were in a living archway. Tall elm and willow trees lined both sides of the street, their tops bowing high above the street. The autumn colors brought the archway to life, adding drama to an already impressive scene.

As I drove down that street, I thought of the arches of palms and willows that were waved over Jesus as He entered the city of Jerusalem in the days leading up to His crucifixion. The crowds adored Him, worshipped Him, and boldly proclaimed His name.

As we know, that adoration didn’t last very long. Many of those same people were likely in the crowd that cried out to Pontius Pilate a few days later, “Crucify Him!” He went from hero to zero in the space of a few days.

People are fickle. If you don’t believe that, look at most sports fans. As long as the team is winning, it is the greatest. Start to lose, however, and watch the crowds get the scent of blood. Watch politicians and actors rise and fall in favor as the crowd sees fit. Today’s great is tomorrow’s has been. Yesterday’s loser is today’s winner.

There is a case where that doesn’t apply. You see, without Jesus, we will all lose. We have sinned, and we’re kept apart from God. With Him, even the worst of sinners can become a saint for all of eternity. 

Let’s clarify that last sentence: ‘saint’ is a word that is often misunderstood in Christian circles. A saint is any believer in Jesus Christ. The tradition of elevating certain individuals to “sainthood” has no biblical foundation.

If you know Jesus, you’re a saint. We’re made right with God because of His sacrifice. The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious.” It is almost always used in the plural, “saints.

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. Acts 9:13

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 1 Corinthians 1:2

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. Philippians 4:21

When you look in the mirror, you see a saint looking back. Not a perfect one. Yet! Still one in progress, called apart to be holy and destined to eternal holiness in glory.

Fortunately, unlike us, Jesus is not fickle. He’s steadfast and will stick by us for all eternity. Once we’re under the blood, we’re there to stay. That’s a good thing.

Until next time, rejoice. God is good!

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.”

#gleanings #devotional #biblestudy #bible #Christian #treelined #saints #autumn #Acts9 #1Corinthians1 #Philippians4

Stress, tension, and pressure are things that all of us have  experienced. Sometimes, even those words are enough to make our hearts beat faster and our palms sweat. We think of them as very negative things, yet they don’t have to be. Stress, tension, and pressure actually make the world work. 

Atoms hold together because of the stress and pressure of varying magnetic forces within them. Our galaxy and the billions like it would collapse without both centrifugal force and gravity. 

A nail doesn’t hold anything until it is hammered into something. A screw must bite with its threads to hold anything. A staple must have its ends bent to hold paper. A pushpin or tack must be forced into place to hold. A clothespin holds clothing up because of the pressure exerted by the spring. 

Stress, pressure, and tension surround us. Sometimes, just juggling the things of life causes almost unbearable stress.

Even our relationships with others and our daily lives are typically described with terms that have forces and stresses as an inherent factor. 

We fall in love. We are repulsed by something. We are attracted to someone. We need a kick start in the morning. We hold on for dear life. We can hardly contain our joy. We’re so angry we could burst. 

Overriding all these things is the force that holds everything together. 

Sorry, guys, but that force is not duct tape. Duct tape holds a lot of things, but there is something better for this purpose.

That better force is, of course, God. He is not an impersonal force, but a loving God intimately involved with His creation. If we were to withdraw His presence and influence, no amount of force could hold the universe together. No amount of nails, screws, glue, duct tape, or atomic energy could keep it all from collapsing. 

God designed his creation, including you and me, to handle a certain amount of stress, tension, and pressure. We often take on more of them than He designed us to handle. When that happens, we often turn to tools and coping strategies of our own making in an effort to hold it all together. Those things will eventually let us down. 

King David stumbled and fell often, but he knew where to turn for refuge when things got too hard to handle. 

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8

As you face the struggles of life, do you rely on man-made tools or trust in the power of God to get you through? 

When it all gets too much, lay it at His feet and trust in the one who loves you enough to die for you.

Until next time, may you trust in the One who truly holds all 

things together. May you walk in the presence of God. 

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.”

#Gleanings #devotional #bible #Biblestudy #Christian #stress #stressrelief #rest “peace #corbin #Psalms #juggle

I’m very nearsighted and have worn glasses most of my life.  That’s been magnified by a retinal tear in one eye, a detached retina in the other, and a couple of less-than-stellar cataract surgeries. Still, I’m grateful to have any vision at all.

I’ve learned that most Christians have a spiritual vision problem. 

They are farsighted in our faith walk, focusing on heaven and the joy when we sit at the Master’s feet. 

There’s no doubt whatsoever that seeing Him face to face will be wonderful, but when that’s all we think of, we miss out. We’ve probably all heard the cliché “He’s so heavenly minded that he’s no earthly good”, and may even know people like that.

They have found salvation, look forward to heaven, and don’t live life day by day. They’re so farsighted that they miss the beauty of the everyday.

Christianity is more than just going to heaven. We often “sell it” as a get out of hell free pass, but it is so much more. It’s about living our lives day to day, empowered by Jesus. It’s about being gifted by Holy Spirit and living lives that are attractive to others who are hurting. It’s about seeking and being the kingdom here on earth.

God doesn’t take us home the instant we surrender to Him. That says to me that He has a reason for leaving us here. He’s left us to love others, and serve Him here, not just to sit and pine for the afterlife. 

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40

He’s left us to shine His light in a dark and hurting world. 

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 

There are lots of people out there who couldn’t care less about what happens after they die because life is overwhelming them today, and that’s all they can cope with. They want to see a way of dealing with life as it happens moment by moment; they’ll worry about death when it happens. 

We can show them the way by living our kingdom-focused lives today.

Where are you looking? Are you looking strictly up to heaven and missing out on what God has given you to do here and now?

Until next time, may your vision enable you to keep sight of the glory to come and meet the needs of the present. May you enjoy the benefits of being His every day.

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.”

#gleanings #bible #biblestudy #Christian #devotional #Corbin #Matthew25 #Matthew5 #vision

#nearsighted #Farsighted #heaven

What’s in a name? Less and less in our world, but there was a time when every  name had meaning. It told a little about who you were or where you came from. People could learn a lot about you.

Underhill likely meant you lived somewhere below a hill. Smith, Clark, Baker, and more referred to your vocation. Sometimes, your surname showed your ancestry. Johnson meant the son of John, and Fitzsimmons meant the son of Fitz.

My own last name, for instance, “Corbin”, is a derivative of corby, which means raven. It takes on more significance when you realize that the family coat of arms includes three ravens. Corbin translates out to roughly mean “one who lives by or under the sign of the raven”. In the days when people couldn’t read or write, that meant a lot.

The Bible names many people, and examining the meanings of their names can add to our understanding of what God is telling us. Moses means drawn forth or drawn out, appropriate since he was drawn out of the water as an infant and drawn out of Egypt as an adult. Jesus means salvation or deliverer. What a delightful name.

Another example is found in one of my favorite Bible stories, one that many people never even read. It is memorable for me because of the acts done by the principal character, a valiant warrior, and I love an adventure story. It also sticks in my mind because, before reading it, I never thought about the Middle East having snow.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. These things did Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.

1 Chronicles 11:22-24 

Great stuff, but let’s look at the names:

Benaiah: son of the Lord

Jehoiada: known by God or knows God

Kabzeel: congregation of God

We see God’s child, from God’s congregation, who knows God, delivered despite overwhelming odds. What an affirmation of God’s power. What a promise to us as believers. When we know God, he knows us. We are His children and His congregation, and He will deliver us.

A word of caution, we can overanalyze the names, and they are not something to build essential theology on, but there is often much that can be learned from what the name says.

There are numerous books and sites on the web that can tell you what a name means. One of many such sites is: http://bible.crosswalk.com/Dictionaries/HitchcockBibleNames/

The names of God used in the Bible make for a fascinating study of God and His character, but that will remain a study for another day.

Take a moment to look. Understanding the names can often help complete the picture of what God is saying.

What’s in a name? Lots. Remember that Jesus is your hope. He is your salvation or deliverer. 

Until next time, may you feel the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Be blessed, 

Kevin

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

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Please like and share this post with your friends and those in your circle of influence. Feel free to comment.

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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.”

I’m easy to keep amused and can find joy in the smallest and simplest of  things. Some people say it’s because the old saw “small things amuse small minds” has some truth. Personally, I like to think that I’ve retained my child-like sense of wonder.

Seeing a deer on the side of the road. Watching one of our squirrels playing with the cat through the window. Seeing a new bird at the feeder. Snooping around at a garage sale. Time spent rereading a favorite book. Being surprised by a Johnny Jump Up in an unexpected place. Learning an interesting new piece of trivia. These are the kinds of things that can bring me pleasure or keep me amused for long periods of time.

I also like small surprises. An unexpected note from a friend or finding a loonie (that’s a dollar coin for those of you who don’t live in Canada, and a toonie is a two-dollar coin) in my pocket that I didn’t know I had will delight me. Unexpectedly coming across something I had misplaced and given up looking for makes me smile.

Sometimes we rush through life and miss the simple joys and blessings that God has prepared for us. Not all the blessings are huge, obvious, miraculous signs.

Sometimes they are just simple things to delight our hearts.

It happens when we spend time in the Word as well. Sometimes we get so used to a passage that we don’t really stop to reflect on what it means, and we miss the joy.

I read this morning’s verse in Luke and realized we typically hear it only at Christmas time.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 

A simple verse that we’re familiar with, but think of what it means. The news is for all people, for anyone who will hear, for me, and for you. It’s not exclusive to a few.

If we continue reading Luke’s gospel, we realize that the news is the arrival of Jesus, and that Jesus came to free everyone who would accept Him from their sin and give them eternal life with Him.

It’s more than good news; it’s great, exciting news; something to tell everyone.

Don’t miss the simple joy of Jesus in the busyness of your daily life. Until next time, may the simple fact of His love for you bring you great joy.

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.”

Canadian’s love their donuts. I read  recently that we have more donut shops per capita than any place in the world. They are a key component of Canadian social life in the way that pubs are in Britain. 

I walked into the donut shop, where four police officers were sitting at a table. They were big guys, an intimidating-looking crew, even though they were laughing and seemed very friendly.

The intimidation came from the size of their side arms and their bullet-resistant Kevlar vests. It wasn’t all that many years ago that the only police officers who had Kevlar vests were the SWAT guys and other tactical units, and they only wore them when responding to a call. Now every officer wears one all the time.

It’s a sad comment on our society, but I understand the need for them to carry large-capacity sidearms and to wear protective vests. They have a dangerous job, and their gear is an investment in their safety and our protection.

We all invest in something to keep us safe. We buy insurance. We purchase homes. Some people buy alarm systems, guns, dogs, and more.

I’m all for keeping safe, ultimately though my safety is in feathers.

Yes, you read that right … feathers!

How in the world can there be safety in feathers? Feathers can’t protect anyone. In a vest or a winter coat, they can keep out the winter cold. In a duvet, they can keep a bed warm, but protect a person? No way.

Okay, I confess, not physical feathers, but feathers nonetheless.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91:2-4

We find safety under the mighty wings of our Lord.

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, Psalm 17:8

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7 

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. Psalm 57:1 

Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Psalm 61:4

…for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:7-8 

I’m all for Kevlar vests and handguns. Alarms and insurance can be wise investments.  Ultimately, though, I’ll trust in the “feathers” of God.

Until next time, may you find rest in the shadow of His comforting wings.

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.”

#Gleanings #devotional #biblestudy #bible #Corbin #Christian #faith #feather #eagle

The cast is ready. The stage is set. The curtains draw back. 

Opening set … total darkness. No sound. The primary character appears in a blinding light.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:1-5

A flashing panorama of worlds being created. The earth being formed. Trees and plants being added. Birds, fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals of every size and permutation. Enter a man and a woman.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27

The love story is not between the man and the woman, although there is a subplot between them, and it tells of their love. It is between the God of all creation and His people. The man and the woman disobey and betray the Lord. They are evicted from the Garden of Eden, but he promises a redeemer.

Enter and exit a series of characters and settings. Betrayal, honor, murder, love, sin. The creator’s heart breaks over the fallen nature of the one He loves.

Scene … darkness … flashing lightning, pouring rain, screams. Breaks into bright sunshine on a mountaintop.

In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. Then God said to Noah, “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Genesis 8:13-20

The Lord remains faithful to His promise. He is not finished with His love. Not all people were destroyed.

Enter and exit a wide range of people. Deserts, Pyramids, plagues, parting seas. Faithfulness and apostasy. Exile and redemption. Miracles. Heroes and villains.

Intermission. Four hundred years of silence. No new books added to the Bible. Is God gone? Has He abandoned His love? No … He is setting the stage for His promised Messiah to burst upon the scene.

Curtain opens. A scene in a stable in a tiny village in the Middle East. A young mother and father.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” Matthew 1:22-23

The child grows to manhood. A short ministry. Miracles. Love. Hate. Murder. Crucifixion. Death. Resurrection. Ascension. The word spreads. A strange prophetic book.

Intermission. 2000 years of silence. Is God gone? Has He abandoned His love? No … He is setting the stage for His promised Messiah to burst upon the scene.

Let us rejoice and exultand give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Revelation 19:7

The intermission is nearly over. Are you ready for the grand finale, the rejoicing of the Son and the bride for all of eternity in heaven? 

The love that will never end will write itself forever in joy.

Until next time, prepare your heart.

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.”

This message is a clarion call to Christian men. A clarion is a  high-pitched form of bugle or trumpet used primarily in the Middle Ages. When it blew, it got your attention. 

What is a “clarion call”? It is an urgent call to action. 

To a large degree, Christian men are absent or invisible in many churches today. There are exceptions, of course, and thank God for those who are present and serving.

Regardless of your views on the issue of roles for men and women in the church, there is a dearth of men, young and old, married and single. I’m not talking about absent unbelieving men, I’m talking about men who would claim to be Christian.

There are also many men who attend and have been believers for years or even decades who don’t serve in any capacity. Bible study groups are far more likely to have women than men.

Guys, this should not be the case. We are called to lead and serve, both in the church and at home. We have abdicated a crucial role.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… Ephesians 5:25

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 1 Corinthians 11:3

Dare I say it? Serving your local congregation and family is more important than watching the “big game” or your Sunday tee time.

Not feeling qualified to serve isn’t an excuse. Take steps to get qualified. Dig into the Word, study the Scripture, and start to pray. Deal with those areas of your life you know aren’t pleasing to God (even if you are serving. I am preaching to myself at this point as well as others.)

Kudos to those who do serve and strive to deepen their walk. Thank God for the men who do step up to the plate.

Let’s show love to those around us by serving and deepening our relationship with the Lord. Repent of our unwillingness to step up to the plate and do our bit.

Gentlemen, let’s strive to be the men God has called us to be.

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.”

Yesterday, Kathy and I enjoyed a delightful lunch at a waterfront  restaurant in a nearby community. The service was excellent and the food delicious.

The bill wasn’t cheap, just over $100 before tip for two entrees, two starter soups, and two beverages. Fortunately, we had a gift card from Christmas that covered a good portion of the cost.

The bill wasn’t out of line for the restaurant type, and I had looked at the menu online before going. Still, when I saw it, the bill was shocking for a second. I’m old enough to remember when you could have had lunch for eight at that price.

I’m not complaining, just recognizing that times change and inflation happens.

One thing remains unchanged: TANSTAAFL. If you aren’t familiar with the term, it was coined in Robert Heinlein’s 1965 novel, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. It means “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Everything has a cost.

We often say something about our faith that isn’t true. We say that salvation is a free gift. Now, there is a sense in which that statement is correct, because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. He paid a debt we could never cover.

Yet, becoming a Christian and following Jesus does have a cost.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:38

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-27

There are plenty of other verses with a similar theme.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Matthew 5:11

Note that it says when, not “if” you are reviled and persecuted.

There is a cost to being a follower of Jesus. It might bring hardship, persecution, suffering, or even death. Yet it is worth everything it costs.

Whatever the world throws at us, we have Christ and we have victory. We have eternity with Him to look forward to and celebrate.

The rewards are far greater than the cost ever could be.

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.”

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