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Gleanings From The Word

Tag: Christain Living

  • Don’t Judge Jesus by Christians

    Don’t Judge Jesus by Christians

    signs pointing to people and Jesus - Dont Judge Jesus by Christians

    I frequently meet people who have given up on Jesus and the church. They tell stories of hurt and disappointment. I can only say, “Don’t judge Jesus by Christians—He is not like us.”

    The chances are good that if you have been in the church for any length of time, you have been hurt, betrayed or disappointed. A Christian friend has behaved in a most unchristian way. A pastor has said something you didn’t like or gotten some detail wrong in Scripture.

    If that hasn’t happened yet, your turn is coming.

    Christians are not perfect. I often refer to us as a “bunch of messed-up people trying to follow Jesus.” We know we don’t have our acts together, and we need God’s help.

    If perfection were the benchmark to becoming Christian, none of us, including you, could get in. There was only one perfect human being, and they nailed Him to a cross 2000 years ago.

    Don’t judge Jesus by Christians. Don’t evaluate Jesus based on me. I’m on a good day, a very dim image of Him. You need to put your faith and trust in Jesus, not His followers. He never changes and will never fail you or leave you.

    Let me say it again, “Don’t judge Jesus by Christians —He is not like us.”

    Evaluate Him based on His claims and the changes you see in yourself and others. Sometimes that change is a tiny whisper, sometimes He moves mountains. Search honestly and put Him to the test.

    Don’t be content to rely on the impressions of others or second hand accounts of who Jesus is. Study the Scriptures and let the Spirit reveal Him.

    Others have left the church because they tried “Christianity and it didn’t work.” A Christless Christianity is an empty, powerless lie. It will never fulfill what you truly need.

    The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful  2 Timothy 2:11-13

    I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

    Come to the cross with open arms, He is waiting for you. He will forgive your sins, make you into a new creation and begin your transformation into being everything He created you to be.

    Don’t let the failure of others keep you from the one who loves you beyond measure.

    Trust Him.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Streams of Living Water

    Summary

    Many abandon faith because of hurt caused by Christians, but that failure reflects people—not Christ, who remains faithful, unchanging, and worthy of trust. True faith requires engaging Jesus directly, not relying on flawed representations of Him.

    Key takeaways

    Expect imperfection in Christians. Hurt and disappointment in the church are common because believers are still unfinished.

    Judge Jesus, not His followers. He alone is perfect, unchanging, and faithful—unlike those who represent Him imperfectly. Don’t judge Jesus by Christians.

    Seek Christ personally and honestly. Don’t rely on secondhand impressions; test His claims through Scripture and experience.

    Christ remains faithful and transforms lives. 2 Timothy 2:11–13 and Philippians 1:6 affirm His faithfulness and ongoing work in those who trust Him.

    All contents, “Gleanings From the Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2026 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, “Gleanings From the Word.”

    Scripture quotations are from the Legacy Standard Bible® (LSB®), Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. 

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

    Interested in more about living the Christian life?

    # Right Belief Must Become Right Living
  • Do you see things through the eyes of faith?

    Do you see things through the eyes of faith?

    Mount Baker from the Abbotsford side

    I see Mount Baker or parts of it almost every day. Located just to the southeast of us in Washington State, it dominates the southern horizon. It’s a sight I never grow tired of. Of course, if I’m out after dark, the mountain disappears, but by faith I know it’s still there.

    The mountain can also disappear from my view depending on the weather. Clouds, rain, fog, or a combination of them can obscure the sight of a small part of it, or everything. The changing weather patterns mean the view can change from hour to hour, minute by minute, or even second by second.

    If I turn away from the mountain, I go somewhere else, and if a hill or building blocks my way, I can’t see it anymore.

    Of course it does, Kevin. That’s normal. The mountain hasn’t gone anywhere or disappeared; you just can’t see it at those times.

    I know that, but I use the thought to make a point. Are there times when you feel that God has moved away, or you can’t “see” Him? That happens to most of us, at least at times.

    God was there before anything in the material universe existed. He will be then when everything changes on the last day.

    Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:2

    God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”  And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel:‘I amhas sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14


    For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.     Romans 1:20

    So, if He is always there, why does He seem distant or absent? There are several possibilities.

    You’ve turned away. Sometimes our own sin blinds us to God, and we turn from Him.

    You’re looking but not seeing what’s in front of you. This happens to me when I’m trying to find something and fail. I ask Kathy for help, and she shows me where it was right there in front of my face.

    God blesses you with a period of temporary blindness so that your faith is put to the test and grows. That’s a reason we don’t often think of.

    Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

    If you aren’t seeing God, first check your own life. What sin is blinding you? Take time to repent and confess. Then ask Him to reveal Himself again. Pray, read the word, and practice some spiritual disciplines to reconnect.

    Trust Him, allow your faith to grow. He is at work in all things, all circumstances, and every life. He works all things for His glory and the good of those who love Him.

    Just as Mount Baker is still there when the cloud lifts, you will find God still there when your vision and circumstances clear.

    Remember, He promises to never leave or forsake you. You can trust His promises.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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