Posts by Cody Westbrook (Page 8)
A Family that Follows the Lord
Our world is a philosophical and ideological all you can eat buffet. Because we are people of free will, we must all choose how we will live. What will our values be? How will we view humanity, the world, and God? What direction will we follow in life? This is also true for the family. God said of Abraham, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way…
Competing Voices
What should have been an overwhelming victory became 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. 15:8-9;…
Perspective
The Christian life is one of ultimate victory and yet it is not without its pains. We live in a wicked world full of difficulties which affect us in many ways. Be it economic uncertainty, wicked leadership, death and disease, the scorn of unbelievers, or any number of challenges which can easily produce fear, doubt, and uncertainty within us, we will struggle. And yet, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed;…
My Servant will Speak and Save (Isaiah 49:1-13)
It has been well said that Israel left Egypt, but Egypt never left Israel. Perhaps the same could be said regarding Babylon. Though Israel would ultimately leave Babylon and return home to Jerusalem, their real need was to return to the Lord (Isa. 49:22). This need sets the stage generally for Isaiah 49-55 and specifically for the second Servant Song, found in Isaiah 49:1- 13. In two sections Jehovah reveals the cause (1- 6) and result (7-13) of the Servant’s…
Concerning Prayer
Prayer is a marvelous privilege granted to the people of God (1 Pet. 3:12), and yet it is one of the more neglected tools in our spiritual toolbox. Every Christian should desire to learn more about prayer so that we may excel in this great spiritual discipline. First Timothy 2:1-7 is one of many passages that will help us in that endeavor. Consider five brief points concerning prayer from this context. First, Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer in the…
The Value of a Good Reputation
Solomon said, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Pro. 22:1). We all have a reputation of some kind and everyone has an opinion of us. It is true that we cannot control what people think, but we can control the impression we give them by the way we act. Scripture implores us to recognize the value of a good reputation. We should recognize that our reputation will not…
My Servant will Succeed!
“Comfort, yes comfort My people…’ (Isa. 40:1). In the latter years of his life, the future of Israel surely weighted heavily on Isaiah’s mind. Despite his inspired warnings, the prophet knew that Jerusalem would surely be destroyed and her people taken into Babylon. Yet, he could also see something far better on the horizon. Four Servant Songs are found in Isaiah 42-53 which were designed to give hope to Israel. Aspirations of the heathen notwithstanding, Jehovah would raise up His…
Transformed Communication
It is said that for every word of Adolf Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, 125 people lost their lives in WWII. Every word, written or spoken, has power–even the insane musings of a madman, and as children of God, we should consider this truth very seriously. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Pro. 18:21). Our words can indeed accomplish great things for the Lord (or against Him), yet it is also true that “no man can tame…
Praying for Sodom
We live in a wicked world. Being surrounded by such wickedness is often exhausting and we struggle to know how to react (cf. 1 John 5:19). Sometimes we cry out like Habakkuk, asking God how long He will allow such sinfulness to go on (Hab. 1). Sometimes we search for answers like Asaph, trying to make sense of the battle between good and evil (Ps. 78). There are any number of understandable reactions to the wickedness of this world, but…
Put to Death . . .
Christianity is a counter-cultural and transformative religion. The gospel changes hearts (2 Cor. 10:5) and transforms us into the image of Jesus (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:17-18). We pattern our thoughts, our words, and our actions after His will and example. This places us in a position of contrast in this world. We “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8) in the midst of great darkness. We raise our children differently. We treat our spouses differently. Our priorities and everything…
A Most Memorable Camp Session
For more than 50 years the Southwest congregation has conducted a summer Bible camp session at Camp Hensel. This year must be one of the most memorable. In keeping with our congregational evangelism emphasis, our camp theme was “I want to be a soul winner!” We emphasized evangelism in our Bible classes, devotionals, and evening worship periods. The result was 25 baptisms during the week and more have followed since then. It was amazing to watch the power of the…
The Power of the Written Word
Friedrich Nietzsche said, “All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.” Unquestionably, Nietzsche understood the power of the written word to influence minds and bring about change. He recognized that words written live on long after the death of the author and produce fruit for generations to come. The problem is that Nietzsche used his pen for evil, and along with so many like him, his…