Gleanings From The Word

Tag: daily devotional

  • For the Birds – God’s provision

    For the Birds – God’s provision

    male white-crowned sparrow

    Our yard is aflutter with birds. The rear of the property is fenced, keeping out most predators. The seed feeders and hummingbird feeders (in season) stay busy with various birds. The trees and brush provide plenty of nesting sites.

    We see chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, nuthatches, robins, Northern Flickers,  sapsuckers, doves, half a dozen species of sparrow, varied thrushes, common redpolls, and many more species regularly. There are also many LBJ’s (little brown jobs, small birds that I don’t get a close enough look at to identify). 

    We can watch bald eagles, hawks, ravens, and crows soar above us.  Geese and ducks often fly noisily overhead. The other day a flock of sandhill cranes flew overhead whooping away as they traveled. At dawn and dusk we are serenaded by a wide range of song birds.

    We often sit in the yard and watch and listen. Many birds are so accustomed to us that they will come within a couple of feet of us. We are not seen as a threat unless we suddenly move in their direction.

    A passage of Scripture often comes to mind as I watch them. 

    “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34 ESV

    Appropriate words for the times we are in. 

    Our security nets have eroded. The political world is in chaos, and our economies are in shambles. There are wars, rumors of wars, plagues, and natural disasters on what seems an unprecedented level.

    Yet the birds go about their daily lives, completely unaware of what makes us fearful. God looks after them and will watch over us as well. Things might be difficult for a season, but He has not abandoned us, nor will He.

    The LORD  is our source, our strength, our comfort, and He is our peace. We can rest in Him whether things get better or worse. No matter what the world throws at us, we can withstand it joyfully in Him.

    When it gets too much, take a minute to watch and listen to the birds and look to the Savior. If you live where birds are scarce, go online and watch some videos of them.

    Until next time, consider the birds and trust in Jesus.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

    Murder – death of Jesus for our sake
    General Revelation: Why No One Can Claim They Didn’t Know
  • Love Your Enemies

    Love Your Enemies

    The pastor plans his sermons as far in advance as a year at our  local assembly. That makes the timing of yesterday’s text providential.

    The text? Jesus is speaking…

    “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tuniceither. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

    “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:27-36 ESV

    A Federal election was announced this weekend here in Canada. South of us, the President is making massive changes, many impacting our country. The result? Panic, anger, hatred. The politicians demonize their opponents, and their followers drink the proverbial Kool-aid. It is happening on all sides of the political spectrum.

    People we have known for years are suddenly our enemies. Civil discourse is tossed out the window. Our social media pages are filled with horrific hate and fear-filled rants.

    I’ve had to snooze many people’s posts because of it. I read their posts and want to retaliate in a similar manner. I confess it is a struggle for me. I couldn’t hold back without the Holy Spirit working in me.

    I can easily forget that conspiracy theories aside, most of these people are well-intentioned and want the best for others. They often want a solution radically different from the one I see as correct. I can struggle to keep from throwing out relationships because of these differences.

    The text made a dialogue between myself and the Lord happen in my head. Perhaps you can relate to this to some degree.

    Love them? But Lord, do you know what they stand for?

    Bless them? But Lord…?

    Pray for them? Okay, Lord… smite them! No, Kevin! Pray for them to be drawn to me. Pray blessings, not curses. Remember, I love them, and they are created in my image.

    Pray for them? You mean so they think like I do? No, Kevin! Pray so that your heart is changed and I’m magnified.

    Lord, don’t you know how hard that is? Of course, I know. That’s why I have given you my Word and my Spirit.

    Lord, I don’t want to! Kevin, I didn’t ask if you wanted to. I commanded you to do so. You show your love for me by following my commands and loving. So you want us to “love your enemies.”

    Fine! If I have to. I guess. 

    So my friends, I will strive to trust in Him. I will do my best to love you and pray that you are blessed, even if (especially if) we disagree and somehow see each other as enemies.

    His ways are not my ways. His ways are always right. I’m going to need a lot of help from the Holy Spirit.

    I pray that you join with me in praying for those you find it difficult to love.

    Let us be known as people who love no matter what.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

    Are They/Them our real enemies
    # Right Belief Must Become Right Living
  • Created and Being Shaped Into His Image

    Created and Being Shaped Into His Image

    Genni the wonder dog - a border collie basset hound cross

    My desk has a clear glass top. Under that, I keep various pictures of family and some of our pets over the years. Among them is this shot of Genni the Wonder Dog.

    Genni was a border collie, basset hound cross we got at eight weeks. It was an accidental breeding, and the owner was en route to the SPCA with them. Genni adopted me on the spot and lived with us for many years until she passed.

    They say (whoever the great “they” is) that dogs resemble their owners. I saw this image of Genni and realized that the saying has some truth. There is a lot of truth in that saying. She’s long in the body, short in the legs, and has big fat feet. We’re three for three there. Fortunately, I’m the taller of the two and walk on two legs so that people can tell us apart.

    The resemblances between us got me thinking about the fact that we’re created in the image of God.

    Then God said, “Let us make man[a] 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

    What does that mean? It doesn’t mean we look like Him, since we have physical bodies, we all look different and God doesn’t have a physical body. So it must refer to something else.

    We’re unlike all the other things or beings that God created. 

    We’re the only beings that Scripture describes as being created in His image (imago dei). We were made with a higher purpose, to rule over all the earth. Being created in His image is both an honor and a huge responsibility. When creation looks to people, it should see the image of God.

    What part of Him were we designed to reflect? His character and His personality. We were created to walk in holiness and righteousness. We were designed to walk in faithfulness and integrity. We were to have passion and compassion, loyalty and levity, love and light, and more. We were designed to be wise and selfless.

    Since the time of the Garden of Eden, we’ve been sinful people with sinful nature in a sin-filled world. We don’t reflect much of the image of God. Yet, for the believer, there are ways we can begin to resemble the one in whose image we were created.

    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

    When we begin to exhibit the fruit of the spirit, we start in a small way to show the image of the Creator.

    That fruit comes with maturity (as indeed does all fruit). We mature in our walk through testing and trials, through worship, through giving, and through service. We mature when we spend time communing with Him in prayer, and in meditating on and studying the Word. The fruit doesn’t just happen; it must be nurtured.

    Until next time, rejoice in the fact that you were designed in His image and open your heart to being more like Him.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

    Created and Being Shaped Into His Image
    Reflections on the image of God
    God sees the big picture

  • Waiting – A Teen Runaway Reminds Me of Mary

    Waiting – A Teen Runaway Reminds Me of Mary

    Old Edmonton Greyhound station
    Old Edmonton Greyhound station

    I was headed home for Christmas. In December 1975, I had been laid off from my job in Northern Alberta, along with what seemed like half the community. 

    On the spur of the moment and using most of my meager supply of cash, I hopped on a Greyhound bus. It was a seven-hour ride to Edmonton, then a several-hour layover, followed by a milk run that took another five hours or so to Fox Creek. In those days, the bus stopped at every community and often at spots in the middle of nowhere for anyone who flagged it down.

    The bus rolled into the downtown station around 1 AM. It was as dark and cold as an Alberta winter morning can be, and no businesses were open. I grabbed a cup of vending machine coffee, every bit as awful as you imagine, and sat down to wait. The place was pretty much deserted.

    A pair of drunks sat off in one corner, sharing something from a brown bag. An ancient-looking janitor was half heartedly mopping the floor. A young teenage girl sat cowering in a corner, clutching a backpack, and there was me, barely 18.

    I nursed the coffee for a long time while several buses came and went. The drunks left, and the janitor finished and left as well. Finally, out of boredom, loneliness, and desperation, I walked over and said hi to the girl.

    We chatted a bit, and I asked her where she was going. She told me that she didn’t know, but as far as $113.00 would take her. She was 14, pregnant, and had been dumped by her so-called boyfriend when she told him the news. She was terrified to go home and face her parents. She had no plan except to run away as far as possible.

    That scene has played out countless times in every corner of the globe for millennia. In this case, the story is fictionalized to a degree; I was far to shy to go over and talk to the girl at the station. She caught a bus to some unknown destination about an hour after I arrived. I did have a sense that she was running away.

    It came to mind when the pastor preached yesterday.

    In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[e] will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. Luke 1:26-36 ESV

    Mary, a young virgin, was about to be pregnant. She could have faced the same rejection or worse as the girl at the bus stop that early morning many years ago.

    She didn’t hesitate. She stepped out in faith and accepted the Lord’s plan for her despite the risks.

    In our prayers this Christmas, let us remember the blessing of the incarnate Christ and Mary’s courageous faith. Let’s also remember all the frightened girls (and women) who find themselves pregnant and alone. They’re not carrying the future Messiah, but they are in need of love, comfort, and hope.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

    Tribulation Produces Perseverance
    Who were the heavenly host on the first Christmas
  • God has prepared a new name for you

    God has prepared a new name for you

    One rendering of the Corbin coat of arms

    Names are important. They identify us to one  another. At church, it’s much easier to know who someone is talking about when they say Kevin than when they say “the grey-haired guy with a mustache.”

    Differing cultures have different name protocols. In the Bible, many names end with”el,” referring to God. This identifies the person with some component of their faith.

    In the Bible, you will also sometimes see a name with the word “bar” in it. Bar means “son of.” Thus, Jesus would have been known as Jesus bar Joseph, Jesus the son of Joseph.

    Many European-based cultures used something similar. The name Stephenson originally meant son of Stephan.

    They also used occupations or place names as surnames. Bob Clark was Bob the Clark (clerk), and John Smith was John the Smith (blacksmith, perhaps).

    My surname, “Corbin,” comes from a Norman name that refers to being under the sign of a raven. The ancient family coat of arms had three ravens on it. Today’s image is one rendering of the crest.

    Sometimes, we are called names that hurt us.

     What names have you been called during your lifetime that hurt you? Perhaps they had to do with appearance, fatty, four eyes, flat chested. Maybe they had to do with something you had done: thief, drunk, killer. 

    Or perhaps they were names you gave yourself: lazy, stupid, useless. It could be as simple as four kids in your class with the same name, which led to confusion: Bob, Sally, Tom.

    It doesn’t matter in the long run because God sees believers in a different light because of Jesus. There is a new name for those who believe. What an incredible thought.

    He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17

    I don’t know what your name will be—a precious child, a faithful servant, or something far more intimate and personal that Jesus is saving for His new bride. I do know that whatever name you are given will not hurt you.

    It will be your name alone, prepared for you in advance by the creator of the universe. No more hurt, no more anonymity, no more confusion. A unique name for you from God. 

    Enjoy it.

    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.

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  • Scars – the healing power of the gospel

    Scars – the healing power of the gospel

    solitary skydiver in an olive-drab parachute

    Since it’s Remembrance Day and a holiday, I opted to dig  out a back issue from 2004. It isn’t about Remembrance Day, but I want to take a moment to thank all who have served and are serving. 

    Now, onto talking about scars.

    On the lower part of my left leg is a divot. I got it many years ago when the ground and I had a disagreement after a skydiving accident. My landing wasn’t very smooth, and I caught my leg in a gopher hole, smashed it against a rock, and gave myself a greenstick fracture.

    The leg has long since healed, but the scarring remains. In this case, there is not so much of a visible scar as most of the damage was below the skin, but it is scarring nonetheless. That’s not abnormal. Scarring is part of the healing process.

    I have plenty of other scars from surgeries, accidents, and life in general. Some are visible, others not. Jesus forgives us our sins, and he heals us.

    If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 NIV

    Jesus understood scarring. He bore many injuries and indignities for us.

    But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NIV

    Yet often, when we’re healed, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, and even when he’s forgiven us of our sins, the scars will remain.

    Often, the scarring isn’t visible on the surface, but it’s there nonetheless. There are the scars of damaged relationships, divorces, broken families, criminal records, loss of employment, ruined reputations, loss of credibility, and more. Our bad choices can leave a lot of rubble behind, even when Jesus has brought us into the right relationship with Him and healed us of our part of the damage.

    Our forgiveness doesn’t give us license to keep on sinning. Each time we mess up, we have the potential of leaving a scar on someone else. We can leave the debris behind, cluttering the way for someone else.

    We walk by grace, not by law, but we can learn much from the moral portions of the law. The ceremonial law was for the Jewish people, as was their criminal law, but the moral law still has something to offer us. The law no longer binds us. Our sins are forgiven, but there is danger when we drift away from its precepts.

    Learning and obeying God’s truth can keep you from much of the damage that leaves scars. It’s not a guarantee because other people are always in our lives, but it will make a huge difference.

    Until next time, when faced with the opportunity to sin, remember that Jesus forgives and heals, but you can still carry the scars. Flee the temptation and avoid the damage altogether.

    Praise the Lord for His guidance, patience, and mercy.

    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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    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.” All rights reserved.

    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.

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  • The World Changed on Reformation Day

    The World Changed on Reformation Day

    Happy Reformation Day. 

    On this day, five hundred and seven years ago, one of the most transformational events in history occurred. A then obscure, devout Roman Catholic monk, Martin Luther, Attached what would come to be known as the “Ninety-Five Theses” to the door of the Wittenberg Church in Germany.

    At that time, the Roman Catholic church was in the practice of selling indulgences.

    The church believed that a believer ascended into heaven only after an appropriate amount of time was spent in Purgatory, facing cleansing and punishment for sin. To reduce this suffering, the church sold indulgences, reducing the time spent there. A living person could also purchase reduced time or skip Purgatory through a guaranteed mass performed at their future funeral.

    These indulgences were a huge money-raiser for the church, and Luther was concerned that such practices did not match up with what the Scriptures taught. He compiled a list of 95 theological issues for debate and attached them to the church’s door. That was the equivalent of posting the challenge on social media today.

    This act would eventually lead to him being declared a heretic, sentenced to death, and eventually to the formation of the “Lutheran” church. The Reformation was underway.

    Around the same time, other believers also questioned various doctrines taught by the church, and a move was made to reform the church’s teachings. Not all 

    The Reformers did not agree on every issue; in fact, there was great diversity and even animosity between them.

    This clumsy, diverse movement led to the establishment of what would be called the protesting or Protestant Church in all of its diversity. Although numerous “pre-reformers” were working to recover the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in the work of Jesus Christ, this October date is generally considered the start of the Reformation.

    Many of the reformers were martyred  or spent their lives hiding as “heretics.”

    Why should we care?

    As Protestants, we trace our lineage not to the reformers but to the teachings of Christ himself. The true doctrine of “by faith alone” was recovered by not invented by the reformers. It was always foundational to the bible but has become lost in church bureaucracy and tradition. Still, these men and women paid a high price for the truth. Their sacrifice is worth remembering.

    The truth is, as the Scriptures declare,

    But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

    Are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ. Jesus Romans 3:24

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

    For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God   Ephesians 2:8

    Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Psalm 3:8

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

    We don’t merit redemption. We can’t earn it, and we can’t buy it. It is a gift of love and mercy. 

    Praise God for the salvation he freely offers.

    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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  • Where is God on Rainy Days

    Where is God on Rainy Days

    Hilside waterfall obscured by sheets of rain, Abbotsfor BC - atmospheric river

    Yesterday, Kathy and I went for a country drive in the rain. I’ve been stuck at home the past two weeks fighting a nasty bug and was going stir-crazy. The “atmospheric river” plaguing us and causing localized flooding didn’t improve my disposition. I did manage to sneak out for a few minutes on Saturday to vote, but other than that, I have been housebound.

    I needed out before cabin fever set in, so rain or no rain, we took a drive. We saw a few eagles and plenty of little waterfalls. This photo looks a little grainy and unclear, but that’s because the rain was coming down in wind-blown sheets, obscuring our view.

    I was grateful to get out for a few hours despite the weather.

    Can I let you in on a secret? Life can be like the weather; some days, it’s great, and others, it’s downright oppressive and miserable.

    Some so-called Bible teachers will tell you that if you have enough faith, you can get everything you ever wanted from God, and everything will be perfect. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing and deceivers.

    God is more interested in our holiness than in our temporal earthly happiness. His goal is to make us more like Jesus through or despite the circumstances surrounding us.

    Even Jesus, fully God and fully man, and sinless in every way, experienced the hard side of life. He was rejected, mocked, hated, rebuked, tortured and killed. Why should we expect any different?

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

    Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 ESV

    Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 ESV

    In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV

    When the clouds roll in, don’t despair. Jesus still has your back. Tough times are part and parcel of the fallen human condition. 

    Whatever we face has a purpose, and Jesus will shine in our lives through it. He will never leave or forsake us, no matter the weather.

    Until next time, rejoice in His faithfulness.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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  • How reliable is your heart?

    How reliable is your heart?

    Mount Baker as seen from Abbotsford
    Mount Baker

    Mount Baker, or Kweq’ Smánit in the local Nooksak  language, dominates the skyline to the southeast in nearby Washington State.

    One source describes it as a “10,781 ft (3,286 m) active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc.” It is one of the snowiest places on the planet; in 1999, the ski slopes recorded a world record of 95 feet of snow in one season.

    I love to look up and see the mountain before me. However, I’ve heard people say it’s always the same view, and they forget it’s there.

    Yes, it’s always there, but the view is never the same twice if you have the eyes to see. The view may be similar day to day, but it’s never the same.

    The mountain’s weather pattern constantly changes, highlighting or hiding parts of the peak. The face of the mountain changes with snowfall and melt or with differing times of day.

    Like many things in life, we can grow to become so familiar with something that we fail to pay attention anymore. This happens with Christians. Sunday mornings can become mundane. Bible reading can become tiresome. Prayer can seem as simply a ritual.

    Even the gospel message and our salvation can become humdrum. I’ve heard Christians say things like, “Another message on salvation by grace, or becoming more like Jesus? Why can’t the pastor come up with something new and interesting ?”

    When we become inoculated against the truth of salvation through Christ alone, by faith alone, our hearts harden. We forget what we were saved from and the cost of that salvation.

    Our hearts have deceived us into thinking that we are okay or that we don’t really need savings. Sometimes, we can get so proud that we believe that we are somehow unique enough to deserve salvation.

    Our hearts are dangerous things. How reliable is your heart? It changes like the mountain does.

    The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

    The world tells us to “Just follow your heart.” It sounds like wise advice, but it’s a lie straight from the pit of hell, and it smells like smoke.

    My heart can tell me many things, some of which might be true. Yet, in the wee hours of early morn, if I’m honest and truly examine my heart and its desires, it isn’t pretty.

    I’m a relatively nice guy, not a vile criminal. I care about others and am reasonably honest. At least, that’s what my heart tells me most of the time. The truth is I’m self-centered and predisposed to all sorts of sin.

    How reliable is your heart? My heart would quickly lead me to destruction. It is a path I cannot risk following.

    Would I want to stand before God based on the merits of what my heart says? Absolutely not.

    Honestly examine your heart and then consider what Jesus did for you despite that. Marvel at what it cost Him to pay the penalty for your sin.

    May the recognition of His great love and mercy cause you to rejoice. May that joy never become stale or old news.

    Be 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.

    “Follow Your Heart? Not Biblical Advice 

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    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.” All rights reserved.

    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.

    # Right Belief Must Become Right Living
  • Did You Know? – This might change how you do Bible reading

    Did You Know? – This might change how you do Bible reading

    The letter "J" in gold topped with a golden crown

    This morning, I want to discuss a bit of trivia that might impact the way you read your Bible. Did you know that the letter “J” is a medieval European invention? It was originally an alternative form of the letter “I” and was quite interchangeable for a long time.

    That is why names like Jens Jensen are often pronounced Yens Yensen. I know that Jens or Yens is undoubtedly not a biblical character, but it seems to serve as a good illustration of the point.

    So, what does this trivia have to do with the Bible? It means that since “j” had not even been invented in Bible times, every place you see the letter “J” in the Bible, you can count on it being the anglicized version of the word and replacing an “I” or a “Y.”

    For example, the city of Jerusalem is actually Yerushalayim.  Judah is actually Y’hudah. Jesus is Yeshua. Jehovah is YHWH, and the Jewish people did not put vowels in his name for fear of mispronouncing it. We might see it as Yahweh.

    Sometimes, we see crosses in church with the letters INRI above them. This is Latin and reads “Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm”. Latin uses “I” rather than “J” and “v” rather than “u”. The English translation is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

    The change from “I” or “Y” to “J” does not create a big problem because they are simply forms that we are used to seeing.

    Did you know that most (if not all) of the proper names we see in the Bible differ from their biblical forms. One substantial change is found in the name James. James is a thoroughly English name, and some sources claim that the change from the Hebrew name was to honor the English king of that name, who was sponsoring the Bible translation. 

    So, what was the actual name of the half-brother of Jesus who wrote the earliest book of the New Testament? He was Ya’akov, a name translated elsewhere in the Bible as Jacob.

    While we have changed the spellings of Bible names and place names, the underlying truth of the Bible remains unchanged. Since we are talking about changed names, I arbitrarily decided to work from the book of Ya’akov (James) this morning.

    Who was this Ya’akov, this James? The most prevalent theory amongst conservative scholars and the testimony of much of the early church is that he was the half-brother of Jesus, along with Jude (Y’hudah), author of the New Testament letter that bears His name. 

    He doubted that Jesus was the Messiah but became convinced when the resurrected Lord appeared to Him. He went on to become a pillar of the church in Jerusalem until his death in 62AD.

    James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. James 1:1

    Many translations do not quite do justice to the opening of this verse. It is better rendered as “James, a “bondservant” …” 

    The Greek word doulos or bondservant means one who voluntarily placed themselves in the service of another. James has willingly committed himself into the service of “God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

    The use of the phrase “of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” is often overlooked in a causal reading of James, but it is quite a powerful statement. James was not just a follower of his half-brother Jesus. 

    He brings God and the Lord Jesus Christ onto the same level. James’ brother is more than a mere man; he is the “Lord Jesus Christ,” the promised Messiah. James makes it clear that Jesus is the Messiah, and the Messiah is God.

    His words affirm Jesus’ divinity. That is pretty powerful stuff for the opening sentence of a letter.

    From our vantage point 2,000 years later, with all of Scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide us, we know this to be true. James was making this bold and public claim within 15 years of the death of His brother. Transformed from disbelief to bondservant, James understood who Jesus was and proclaimed Him boldly.

    Until next time, may you be as bold as James.

    Praise His name and trust in Him.

    Be 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.

    You might find this interesting

    A long but vitally important list

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    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.” All rights reserved.

    All scripture from ESV (Engkish Standard Version)

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

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    Some thoughts on Bible reading

    Read the Word. Read the Word. Read the Word.