Posts by Cody Westbrook (Page 13)

Many things in life are unsure. Few are guaranteed. Life can be difficult to manage with so many uncertainties, but Christians possess a precious blessing that those outside of Christ cannot have–assurance. Romans 5:1-5 Paul identifies 5 blessings of justification. Five blessings that belong only to those who have submitted themselves to the will of God and have been washed in the blood of Christ Jesus that they may stand holy in His sight. These blessings are given to point…

In Acts chapter eight, we learn of the evangelist Philip’s interaction with an Ethiopian man whose curiosity was sparked by Isaiah’s writings about the silent sufferer in Isaiah 53. Beginning from this Scripture, Philip “preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). First, Isaiah revealed that the word that best describes the man of Isaiah 53 is “insignificant.” Humanity was unimpressed as they beheld this “tender plant,” “a root out of a dry ground,” one who had “no form or comeliness” and…

In Psalm 119:33-40 the psalmist eloquently expresses his desire to learn more of God’s Word. Note the imperatives in each verse: teach me (33), give me (34), make me (35) incline (36), turn (37), establish (38), turn (39), and revive (40). While this section of scripture describes both the desire to learn and the reasons for learning, it is only one context which emphasizes these two points. As we reflect on Psalm 119:33-40, note some other passages of scripture which…

One of Satan’s deadliest methods is convincing a person to be shortsighted. He dangles the “passing pleasures of sin” before us and convinces us to choose what feels good now at the expense of the pain to come later (Heb. 11:25). Esau fell into this trap. Genesis 25 records the occasion on which Esau begged Jacob for a bowl of stew. Jacob was willing but he drove a hard bargain. The price was Esau’s birthright, which he willingly paid–a decision…

What should have been an overwhelming victory turned into a terrible tragedy. God’s command to king Saul was simple—“utterly destroy” the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:1-3)—but he did not heed the voice of the Lord (1 Sam. 15:1; 19-20; 22). Instead, he listened to his own voice (1 Sam. 15:17), and that of the people (1 Sam. 15:24). He left king Agag alive, along with other spoils of war, which he claimed were to be sacrificed to the Lord (1 Sam.…

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Though society advances at a rapid pace, the fundamental issues of life are constant. Among those is the troubling phenomenon of the success of the wicked. From the beginning, God’s faithful have pondered this reality and asked God “why?”. Psalm 37 is David’s inspired account of pondering this difficulty. In a world where nice guys always finish last, what are the righteous to do? Psalm 37:1 commands, “Do not fret…

No doubt you are familiar with the old phrase, “When in Rome, do as the Romans.” It suggests that when visiting a foreign locale, it is polite to abide by their customs. As it pertains to customary greetings, when to drink your coffee, or anything else that is harmless, surely there is some wisdom behind the thought. But, there is a boundary that cannot be crossed. That boundary is God’s will. Peter’s statement in Acts 5:29, that “we ought to…

Against the milieu of this world’s wickedness stands the church of Christ. God’s Eternal Purpose (Eph. 3:9-11) is the establishment of the body of Christ as an entity in which man is at peace with God and his fellow man (Eph. 2:14-18). He wills that Christians live holy lives (Eph. 1:4-6) of sacrifice to His cause (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:9). The church of Christ is the body of people who have been called out of the world to meet…

To say that the past 12 months have been challenging would be an understatement. Overwhelming would probably be more accurate. Arise! 2020 was an amazing success. In fact, we broke every attendance record up to that point. But just a few weeks afterward, COVID graced us with its presence. For a time, we didn’t know if there would be an Arise! 2021. But, thanks be to God that there was, and that it was perhaps the most successful year yet.…

First Kings 21 chronicles one of the one of the more heinous acts of Jezebel and Ahab. Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard which Ahab coveted greatly. When Naboth refused to sell it to Ahab, Jezebel arranged his murder. This crime did not go unnoticed. First Kings 21:17 records, “Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel…” Ahab and Jezebel’s actions throughout their reign posed a great…

Stewardship is one of the more challenging principles of New Testament Christianity, not because it is difficult to understand but because of the all-encompassing nature of its application. Everything we have is entrusted to our care and must be utilized responsibly. Such a reality should humble us and compel us to give determined attention to discharging our responsibilities as faithfully as possible. This begins with a proper understanding of stewardship in general. First, stewardship involves measurability. In the parable of…

English writer John Heywood is said to have written the proverb “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” The statement perfectly captures the stubborn unreasonableness of one who willingly rejects truth. Sadly, the world is full of such people. Tragically, some can even be found in the church of our Lord. While Heywood perfectly captured the stubbornness of rejection, the Psalmist identifies the antithesis–the desire that should be found in every child of God. Psalm 119:18…