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On Saturday morning, I stood beside my car, waiting for the  ferry. Beside me was some undeveloped marshy parkland. The cattails were filled with red-winged blackbirds, who were serenading the world.

I’m not certain what it is about the sound of a red-winged blackbird’s call, but to me, it is always a pleasant sound. I was reminded of the song performed by Cat Stevens (

 wrote the lyrics).

Morning has broken, like the first morning.

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning.

Praise for the springing fresh from the word.

Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven.

Like the first dewfall on the first grass. 

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden.

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.

Born of the one light, Eden saw play.

Praise with elation, praise every morning,

God’s recreation of the new day

While there is a tragedy in the fact that Mr. Stevens missed the boat and turned to Islam, the lyrics of that song capture a morning blackbird song. 

The author of the lyrics, Miss Farjeon, was a prolific, award-winning poet, writer, and storyteller who passed away in 1965. A local vicar commissioned her to write the lyrics for a hymnbook. I don’t know if she had a faith or not.

God’s recreation of the new day is truly something to celebrate. No matter what the night before has brought us, we are blessed with a fresh start, a new beginning in the morning.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23 NIV

I can’t think of a single person who hasn’t needed a fresh start or a new beginning at various points in life. Jesus is that start. Like the new day, he brings us fresh promise.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

The new dawn of His resurrection came after the darkness of Jesus’ internment after His death and crucifixion. I don’t know if they have blackbirds in Israel, but I can’t imagine that the garden of Gethsemane was quiet that morning. I am sure the birds must have been singing the triumph of a new day, even though they would not have understood His rising.

A new morning, a new start, every day. Praise God!

Until next time, I’ll borrow a line from Miss Farjeon: Praise with elation, praise every morning God’s recreation of the new day.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

In yesterday’s “Gleanings,” I shared my baptism experience. 

One of the responses was from a dear friend who shared a baptism verse that has profoundly impacted her.

I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!  Luke 12:50

Here it is again from a different translation.

I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Luke 12:50 NLT

When we are baptized (out of loving obedience to His commands), it is in water. His water baptism was out of loving obedience to the Father.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Mathew 3:13-17

His other baptism was rejection, torture, humiliation, and a painful death. For a brief moment in Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for the burden to be removed, but He still underwent this baptism willingly out of His love for us.

When I remember that each moment of sin is a rebellion against the King of Kings, it caused me to stop and ponder the price. The wages of sin is death. How many deaths and how much suffering is needed to atone for my sin alone?

I was born with a sin nature and have acted on it my entire life. Even as a believer who desires to please Jesus in everything, I still stumble and fall into rebellion more often than I care to admit. Many times, I know I am sinning and still continue.

What mercy He has to endure that in my stead. What mercy to endure the penalty for everyone. We sometimes take it for granted, but when I really think about it, it staggers my mind. I cannot truly grasp the magnitude of his baptism of suffering and death.

None of us is worthy under our own merit or the Law to be reconciled to the Lord. Yet He came to make that possible for us.

It’s why John penned these words.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

Look to Him and give thanks with a grateful heart.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

This morning’s sky is bright blue, and the sun shines brightly.  That’s a nice change because we have been under an atmospheric river for the past week or so. It has been rain, or clouds and rain, or rain and clouds. Glimpses of blue sky or sunshine have been rare.

I stood outside and enjoyed the warm sun on my face. It brought to mind an event from 30 years ago. Although I had been baptized as an infant, I felt it was time for a believer’s baptism by immersion.

We attended a church picnic near Edmonton, where another church we knew was meeting. The pastor at the church we attended did not believe in baptism as a believer if you had been baptized as an infant. We disagreed on this theologically, but he preached the gospel, and it was there that I came to faith.

The pastor from the other congregation was more than happy to baptize me. It was cloudy that day, and the lake was cold. I went under the water, eyes closed. As I came out of the water,  I opened my eyes, and at that moment, the clouds opened, and the sun shone. 

It felt as if God was approving my step of obedience. It was a powerful, intimate moment with the Lord.

Believers are called to be baptized.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27

Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, Colossians 2:12-13

The water of baptism didn’t wash away my sins. They were washed away when Jesus died, and that washing imputed to me when I believed.

My life was changed when I came to faith. The simple act of obedience declared to the world that I was His.

Have you been baptized yet? If not, what is holding you back?

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

As I was reading in the gospels very early this morning, I realized  that Easter is less than a month away. It seems we hardly put the Christmas stuff away, and it’s nearly time for Easter.

Jesus lived about 33 years, and His earthly life was taken from Him. Perhaps, it is more accurate to say that he lived 33 years and laid down His life. It was a full life, lived without sin, the way all our lives were designed to be lived.

His life (and death) are the most crucial events in history. They impact the lives of every person ever born.

The three most important events are creation, crucifixion, and the final culmination. If God didn’t create us, nothing would matter to us. Then there are the events of Jesus’ life: His incarnation, sinless life, rejection, death, resurrection, and ascension. Finally, on a date yet to be announced, He will return, and all will go to their place of eternity, believers to glory and non-believers to hell. Creation, crucifixion, and culmination.

As Jesus’ journey grew closer to its climax daily, its weight must have laid heavily on Him. He knew that every moment brought Him closer to horrific suffering and a painful death. The weight of the sin of all humanity was being laid on His shoulders. I cannot imagine what that would feel like.

Yet, day by day, step by step, miracle after miracle, sermon after sermon, and despite the ever-increasing hatred of the religious leaders of the day, He remained faithful to the journey. 

There was a moment in the Garden of Gethsemane the night He was betrayed that showed how heavy the burden was.

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”  Luke 22:39-42

He knew that he faced immanent rejection, torture, and painful death. Any one of us would have been looking for a way out.  Still, He willingly took on the suffering because of His love for us.

With the help of the Father, He held fast to the course before Him. In his moment of torment, he was comforted.

And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Luke 22:43-46

As we move forward in this Lenten season, daily approaching the remembrance of what He did for us, take time to meditate on how great His love for us is. 

Sing songs of gratitude that He remained steadfast to take the price of our sin and set us free. Rejoice that the Father now sees us through Jesus’ righteousness.

All that we are, we owe to Him. Praise His name.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

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

__________________________________________ 

Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, 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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

The weather wasn’t great yesterday, but Kathy and I decided to  grab a coffee and go for a drive. Our first stop was Rolley Lake, a popular picnic and camping site. Being off-season and raining, there were hardly any people there. We were visited by a pair of Canadian Geese, who were quite friendly and used to mooching from people.

When we left there, we soon passed a sign for Florence Lake Forestry Road and opted to take a bit of a side trip. We didn’t drive as far as Florence, simply a ways past the Devil’s Lake day use area.

The trip was delightful, with dozens of small waterfalls. As we rounded a bend, a large, strikingly colored boulder caught my eye. It had a distinctively pink/purple hue and bands of green and other colors. Some of the smaller rocks around it showed similar colors. (I adjusted the brightness of the photo so that the colors were more visible than Kathy’s phone managed to capture.)

Rivulets of water were slowly undercutting the softer soil beneath. Eventually, the soil underneath the boulder will erode enough that it will come tumbling down the hillside.

Many people build their lives on what they think are strong foundations.  Yet, time erodes the foundations, and they will eventually discover their foundation doesn’t hold.

That is true of every foundation but Christ. Jesus claimed to be the only way. It wasn’t a popular sentiment in His day – they eventually killed Him. It’s even less popular today.

Our world claims to be “tolerant,” but that so-called tolerance extends to anything that isn’t Christian. The darkness hates the light.

Jesus understood that we would face rejection and persecution for following Him.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!  Luke 6:22

He also understood that our rewards would be great for standing.

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. Luke 6:23

The darkness cannot overcome us.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5

Stand firm when people reject you because of your faith or you face persecution. The victory is ours through the one who died and rose again, defeating sin, death, and the grave.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

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

__________________________________________ 

Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, 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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

At 5:01 this morning, the vernal equinox occurred, marking the  official transition from winter into spring. HAPPY SPRING!

The days will ever so slowly be getting longer. For sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it is a moment to celebrate. However, on June 21 (Summer Solstice), the days will get shorter as the seasonal cycle continues. Still, we can enjoy the season.

So it will go until the Lord returns. In the interim, the calendar date of the changes will vary from time to time, but the cycle will go on.

Spring, the season of renewal and new birth brings joy and hope after the dreariness of winter. I noticed my bleeding heart plant is about six inches tall this morning, and my columbine is out and beginning to leaf out. Somewhere in the area, I am confident that crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, and tulips have started to poke through the soil.

The return of those plants reminds me of the resurrection of Christ. Of course, the plants were merely dormant, where Jesus was truly dead and resurrected. Still, I see a parallel.

We’re already well into the Lenten Season. Easter will be celebrated on April 20 this year.

The Spring is a wonderful time to celebrate Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection (although we should remember it at all times).

He loved us so much that He gave up this seat to come as a frail human infant. He walked this earth free of sin to die in our stead. What a gift.

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.And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

As you go about your spring days and marvel at the changes the season brings, take the time to remember Him. He gave it all that we might be free.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

Our local recreation center offers Aquafit (water aerobics)  classes five mornings a week. Classes run at 8:15 and 9:15 AM, with a maximum attendance of 40 per class.

That’s not a photo of our closet; it’s one I found online. Cameras aren’t permitted in the pool area.

Each class is a community of sorts, with its regulars and visitors. Everyone who attends has their own schedule. There are the 8:15 or 9:15 only folks who never cross over. A number of us attend one or the other of the classes. Some, like me, try to attend five days a week. Others are only on Monday or three days a week. Still, others show up any day except Friday.

It’s an eclectic mix of primarily seniors because working folks can’t usually get to the pool during those hours. I have been attending for a couple of years now, so I know all the regulars in both classes by sight and a good number of them by name.

It’s a social opportunity, and we know a few things about one another. We notice if someone isn’t there, and to a limited degree, keep tabs on one another.

It fails as a community because we don’t know each other deeply, and most people don’t know one another outside the pool hours.

In some ways, it reminds me of the church. I don’t mean the church as God designed it, but how we treat it. Our interactions can be superficial; we may even know a bit about one another, but our contact is usually limited to Sunday morning.

I realize that with the busyness of our lives, it’s impossible to have deep relationships with everyone at our local assembly, especially if the church is of any size. Still, our interactions on a Sunday are designed to be deeper than those in my aquafit class.

We are one in Christ, filled with the Spirit, and brought together in His name. We are called to love, learn to forgive, encourage, and bear one another’s burdens. The body is weakened when we fail to do these things or attend at all. We are deprived of seeing the Lord at work in each other and lose opportunities to minister to and be ministered to each other.

Still, we are called together for a purpose.

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you 2 Corinthians 13:11

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:9

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. Acts 4:32

By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. John 13:35

Let’s strive to make the gathering of our local assemblies more enriching than aquafit.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

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

__________________________________________ 

Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, 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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

Kathy has a large travel mug with a butterfly pattern and part of Psalm 39:7 quoted on it. This morning, I drank my coffee from it and pondered the message of hope.

It inspired this morning’s “Gleanings.” Since I wrote on the subject of hope yesterday, I’ve chosen to call this one “More Hope.”

What is hope? One online dictionary defines it as an intransitive verb, meaning “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true.” Hope is a verb, which means it describes an action. It is a choice.

Sometimes, hope is nothing more than a wish or dream. We want something to happen, but our hope has no foundation. For example, I could hope to win a million dollars in a lottery. Since I don’t play the lottery, my hope is nothing more than a fanciful dream that can never come true.

Then, there is the biblical idea of hope, which is grounded in God’s nature and character. We know the Lord is perfect, loving, merciful, generous, and faithful. We know He always delivers on His promises.

We know that we can hope in Him, provided that our desire is in accordance with His will and character. 

He doesn’t promise that life will be easy this side of eternity. He doesn’t say we will get everything we wish for. Our struggles are often the tools the Lord uses to grow our faith and test our character.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:19-23

Our hope, peace, and joy transcend the circumstances of life. Our hope and faith are not some vain wish but grounded in the King of kings.

Hold fast. He is faithful.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

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

__________________________________________ 

Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, 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, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).