Bulletin Articles - 2025

“Showing Respect”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​30 Mar 2025
In Asia, children are taught respect by giving objects to their parents and elders with both hands. It is also considered impolite to use only one hand to hand over a business card to someone. To show respect in China, a businessman should use both hands to give a business card to a personIn 1 Chronicles 13:1-14, we see the importance of showing respect to God. David had good intentions when he decided to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. During the process, however, Uzzah reached out to touch the ark in an attempt to prevent it from falling off the cart. God struck him dead (1 Chronicles 13:10). David was stunned and upset by God’s anger. Why did the Lord respond so severely?David came to realize that what he wanted to do for God had to be done with respect for Him and His specific instructions. God had commanded that the ark be carried by the sons of Kohath on poles, not on a cart, and that no one was to touch it (Exodus 25:14-15; Numbers 3:30-31; Numbers 4:15).What David learned is something we, too, must take to heart. Showing respect for God means knowing what He wants us to do and then obeying Him completely (Genesis 6:13-22). To please the Lord, we must do His work His way. We respect God when we obey His will, as stated in Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

“We Become What We Hate”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​23 Mar 2025
Cody WestbrookThe Irish philosopher, George William Russell, once said, “By intensity of hatred nations create in themselves the characters they imagine in their enemies.” He recognized the ironic tendency in nations to adopt, over time, the characteristics of their adversaries, which they focused all their energy on avoiding. Interestingly, that phenomenon often proves true in individuals as well. One who consumes himself with the determination not to become like his parent will often, unintentionally, become like that parent. Why is that?Solomon wrote, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Pro. 23:7). The state of our heart – our thoughts – will determine our words, actions, and even our personality. This is why the Bible emphasizes protecting our heart (Pro. 4:23) and filling it with that which is holy and good (Phil. 4:8). If our heart is monopolized by disgust for the undesirable, where can the good be found? If a man constantly thinks about the negative characteristics of a father he refuses to become, how can he think about the good man he aspires to be?Scripture teaches that our primary focus should be on who we aspire to be, not who we aspire to avoid. “Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children” (Eph. 5:1). “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). It is true that we are to “abhor what is evil” (Rom. 12:9) and separate ourselves from all that is unholy (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1) but we do that because we want to be like Jesus, and Jesus hates what is evil and separates Himself from all that is unholy. Following His example (1 Peter 2:21) compels us to pursue holiness, righteousness, and all that is God-like. Hating and avoiding all that is ungodly will flow naturally from it.In short, it is a matter of perspective. One who spends all his energy on identifying and avoiding the negative misses the positive because he never learns to identify it. We become what we hate because we have no idea who we love.

“Are We Instruments of Destiny?”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​16 Mar 2025
In looking at history, we see that great events have occurred around some persons of great influence, i.e., Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, Ronald Regan, and Donald Trump. In times of great national distress, it is nothing short of providential that certain people have been placed in certain places with certain qualifications, i.e., George W. Bush and 9-11 attacks.As Christians, our influence also has far-reaching results (1 Thessalonians 1). We may not even realize the small part that we play in the process, but to the extent that we influence history, we are instruments of destiny.A case in point is the providence found in the history of Esther. At the beginning of the history, we see the wife of King Xerxes (Vashti) being ousted because of her stubbornness and refusal to attend a royal banquet (Esther 1). Because her defiance was looked upon as a threat to the king’s supremacy and authority, a decree was put out against her, and fair young virgins were sought to replace her. The king was smitten with Esther’s beauty and, as a result, was made queen in place of Vashti (Esther 2).Esther disclosed a plot to exterminate all of the Jews and assassinate King Xerxes (Esther 2:21-23; Esther 3). Because of her position as queen, Esther was able to spare her people from disaster. However, there was a real danger that she herself might not survive when her real identity as a Jewess was discovered (Esther 4).When Esther’s relative, Mordecai, saw her unique position as queen, he urged her to reveal the plot to the king. He challenged her with the same haunting question which now lays claim to us:"… Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”(Ester 4:14).As lights shining in a world of spiritual darkness (Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:14-16), are we not instruments of destiny? (Matthew 28:19-20).

“Choices”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​9 Mar 2025
Near the close of the book of Leviticus, the Lord presents a choice to the people of Israel. They could acknowledge and hold to Him as the only true God and keep His statutes or follow the rest of the nations into idolatry and disobedience (Leviticus 26:1, 2). If they obeyed, God promised them rain and food, peace and safety, victory and bounty (Leviticus 26:3-8). He promised to dwell with them and have a special relationship with them as His people (Leviticus 26:9-13). However, if they disobeyed, He promised that disease, defeat, hunger and sorrow, captivity, and fear would surely follow them (Leviticus 26:14-39). Yet, God also promised to redeem them again if they confess and repent (Leviticus 26:40-46).As most of us know, Israel chose to disobey, and they suffered all of these things. They suffered these things to some degree under the judges, to a greater degree during the time of the kings, in a most pronounced way during the captivity of Israel to Assyria and Judah to Babylon, and then completely in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem (this was the second time the temple was wiped out, some nations just don’t get it). We need to realize that God did not send all of these things at once; they occurred naturally over many years because of the bad choices the nation of Israel made, just exactly as God said they would. When we, individually or as a nation, reject God’s will, we must accept the consequences we created for ourselves. There are times when we suffer because of someone else’s bad choices. However, more often than not, we have problems in our lives because of our own failure to follow God’s will. We all have choices to make (individually and as a nation). When we make the wrong choice, do not be surprised at the consequences.

“Manna & Bread”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​2 Mar 2025
When Jesus was challenged to prove Himself by transforming stones into something to satisfy His hunger, He replied by quoting the Old Testament text (Deuteronomy 8:3), where God had taught that there were more important things for a person to think about than where his next meal might come from. In its original context, Moses exhorted Israel to remain faithful to God after entering Canaan, the promised land. He said they ought to remember their wilderness wandering, a time when they would have starved to death if God had not provided the miraculous “manna” for them.Moses said God had allowed the children of Israel to suffer hardships in the wilderness and had provided manna for them that they had never known, “that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:1-3). By putting them for forty years in a position of utter physical dependence upon Him, God was teaching Israel that they were dependent upon Him spiritually. By recognizing the origin of the bread, they needed to live temporally; Israel was to have learned that they needed the “bread” of God’s truth more than they needed food for the body.Today, we need the warning of Paul to the Corinthians, “You were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20). The words of the familiar song Live for Jesus say it well: “Live for Jesus, O my brother, His disciple ever be; render not to any other, what alone the Lord’s should be.”

“Someone Sees You”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​23 Feb 2025
One of the things I like to do in my spare time is read poetry and folktales. There are many good lessons to be learned from them. They also help me with my vocabulary. In my line of work, proper speech is a necessity and takes years to perfect. Have you ever read the folktale "Someone Sees You?" Here it is as recorded in The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett."Once upon a time, a man decided to sneak into his neighbor's field and steal some wheat. "If I just take a little from each field, no one will notice," he told himself, “ but it will add up to a nice pile of wheat for me." So, he waited for the darkness of night, when thick clouds lay over the moon, he crept out of his house. He took his youngest daughter with him. "Daughter," he whispered, "you must stand guard and call out if anyone sees me." The man walked into the first field to begin reaping, and before long, the child called out, "Father, someone sees you!" The man looked all around but saw no one, so he gathered his stolen wheat and moved on to the second field. "Father, someone sees you!" The child cried again. The man stopped and looked all around, but once again, he saw no one. He gathered more wheat and moved to the third field. A little while passed, and the daughter cried out, "Father, someone sees you!" Once more, the man stopped and looked in every direction, but he saw no one at all, so he bundled his wheat and crept into the last field. "Father, someone sees you!" The child cried again. The man stopped his reaping, looked all around, and once again saw no one. "Why in the world do you keep saying someone sees me?" he angrily asked his daughter. "I've looked everywhere and I can see no one." "Father," murmured the child, "Someone sees you from above!"(The Book of Virtues, p. 604).Interesting what we can learn from a fable isn’t it? Let us remember that our deeds are never completely unseen. Consider the following Scriptures:"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Proverb 15:3)."O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether" (Psalm 139:1-4)"For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

“How Do We Do It All?”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​16 Feb 2025
The question is asked, with all of life’s demands (i.e., God, work, home, and recreation), how do we balance it all, keep up with it all, and do it all? It is a good question and a question that we need to consider from time to time. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on the subject of “time management.” Many have written books on the subject and provided valuable insight in that regard. However, I do want to set forth some biblical principles that help us as we struggle to keep our lives in balance with all of the things we daily have to do.First, we must recognize that we can’t “do it all.” A lot of times, we set unreasonable expectations for ourselves. As a result, we end up trying to do too much with too little time and resources. While it is often difficult, it is no sin to say “no” to someone’s request for your time. God never commanded us to do “everything.” What God did command is that if you say you will do something, then keep your word and do it (Matthew 5:37). This isn’t always easy for us to do either, and sometimes we commit to things to which we should have said no. In such situations, we simply must apologize and move on.Second, we need to prioritize our activities. Of course, God always demands to be first in the decisions we make in our lives (Matthew 6:33, 22:37). Everything we say and do should be done with the goal of seeking Him in mind. If we do that, then God sets certain priorities for us. God expects us to show love for the church (Hebrews 13:1). God expects us to love our families (Ephesians 5:25, 6:4, Titus 2:4, 5). God expects us to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8). God expects us to behave appropriately with our employers (Ephesians 6:5). God expects us to show respect toward our nation and her leaders (1 Peter 2:17) and to love our fellow man (Matthew 22:39). God helps us prioritize, if we will let Him lead us.Third, we need to set reasonable, accomplishable, yet challenging goals. For example, it would be unreasonable to say that with a handful of people, we are going to knock on every door in Texas in a day. Setting unreasonable goals tends to discourage instead of encourage. However, we should not set goals that are so simplistic and accomplishable that we never grow in our involvement with the church. We need to have goals that we can accomplish with the talents we collectively possess, but that also challenge those talents. In the parable of the talents, each was given according to their ability, yet it was still a challenge (Matthew 25:15).Fourth, focus on one task at a time instead of the whole project. The old adage, “How do you eat an elephant?” is appropriate. The answer: “One bite at a time.” When you look at a project as a whole, it often appears like it will never get done. The more we focus upon that, the more we get discouraged in working on the project. Instead, we need to break down the project into tasks and focus on the singular items one at a time. Before we know it, the entire project will be complete. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 that we have enough worries simply trying to keep up with the things that we need to do today. And that’s precisely what we should do: take one day at a time.Finally, there’s a song from the movie Mary Poppins that we should consider as well. “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” When we find ourselves with tasks that we don’t want to do or tasks that are difficult either physically or emotionally, we should seek to see the good that will come from doing such tasks and then focus on the good, not the bad. We can always rejoice in the fact that we are seeking to serve God in everything we do and not man. Glorifying God in our lives should be an overriding cause for us to be happy doing the distasteful things of life (1 Corinthians 10:31).This doesn’t exhaust the subject, but it gives us some principles to consider as we seek to be pleasing to God and influential for good to our fellow man. Let us then round out each of these scriptural truths with prayer on our part for wisdom to apply each of these principles appropriately each day.

“My Eyes Bring Suffering To My Soul”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​9 Feb 2025
There are many reasons why people weep. Some because of calamity, others because they have been done wrong, some because they are happy, and some because people have been good to them and they don’t feel they deserve it. Jeremiah, as we all know, is known as the weeping prophet. I can assure you it was not because people liked him. "My enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird. They silenced my life in the pit and threw stones at me. The waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!” (Lamentations 3:52-54). Jeremiah wept because he was grieved to his soul over the lost Southern tribes who were going into Babylonian captivity. "My eyes overflow with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow and do not cease, without interruption, till the Lord from heaven looks down and sees. My eyes bring suffering to my soul because of all the daughters of my city" (Lamentations 3:48-51). In the same sense, do we grieve and weep for the lost of our own nation?When we see the multitudes around us like lost sheep without a shepherd, does it bring a tear to our eyes? Is there any compassion? Has it even crossed our mind? It certainly moved the Lord! "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:35, 36). The Apostle Paul had the same compassion for his people, "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:1-3).We must always strive to have a tender heart. We must never allow ourselves to become so calloused we can no longer shed a tear. Compassion and tenderheartedness are a way of life for the New Testament Christian. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). We are supposed to have one mind in Jesus Christ, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous" (1 Peter 3:8). But how can we have one mind without compassion?Whether we shed tears of joy or tears of sorrow, let us weep together for the good of all. "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26).

“If I Find It, Should I Keep It?”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​2 Feb 2025
A familiar phrase, especially among our young people, is: "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers." However, Moses' second reading of the law says something quite the contrary. "You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother's, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself" (Deuteronomy 22:1-3).Finders have a moral obligation to help restore what another has lost. Rather than keeping what belongs to another or even just ignoring it, under the law, the people were to protect another person's property until it could be restored to them. We find this very practical and loving concept wrapped in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). Isn't it interesting that Jesus echoed the same statement, "Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).How far we are willing to go to restore another's loss says something about the extent of our love for others because it indicates how much we think in terms of what we would appreciate. Society is growing so inconsiderate that most people have little patience for others' faults while expecting others to give them great latitude concerning their own. Christians ought to demand better of themselves. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another," "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 13:34, 35; 15:13).

“When The Perfect Comes”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​26 Jan 2025
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 can cause a degree of difficulty.In context, beginning back in chapter 12, Paul is having a discussion concerning spiritual gifts. This discussion continues through chapter 14. Paul makes a clear point in verse 8 that there will come a time when spiritual gifts will no longer be needed. He consolidates all spiritual gifts into three categories: "prophecies, tongues, and knowledge."(1 Corinthians 13:8). I believe we all have a proper understanding of this, the problem arises with verse 10. "But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away" (1 Corinthians 13:10).What exactly is the "perfect?" There are many different viewpoints. Some say that the "perfect" refers to Jesus Christ, while others believe it is the state of existence that will come when the church enters heaven. Still others affirm that Christian maturity, or love is "that which is perfect." There is another view to consider also, and that is the view that the "perfect" is in reference to the word of God. We will now discuss this view.Paul sets forth a very crucial point in verse 8, "Love never fails." He says this in comparison with something that will eventually fail, "prophecies, tongues, knowledge" (This is not personal knowledge of the word of God. In context, it can only mean the gift of knowledge). Since the text is dealing with spiritual gifts, we must conclude, then, that the phrase "that which is in part will be done away" refers to spiritual gifts. The question to answer now is, what were spiritual gifts for? We all know the answer to this, they were given to confirm the WORD of God. God's word was being delivered day-by-day and bit-by-bit through the Apostles and whoever else the spiritual gifts were given to. Everyone, thus endowed with spiritual gifts, did their part toward the full compilation of God's word. Everything pointing toward the unity of faith the Apostle Paul wrote about. "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).Paul completes his thought, referring to the "perfect," the full, the complete. The partial revelation of God's will gives way to the complete and perfect revelation. One day, the letters will all be written. One day they will be assimilated into what we refer to as the New Testament. The Christians in Paul's day (ours as well) needed to understand that their spiritual gifts were only temporary. They were needed when the will of God had not yet been fully given to men; they were in support of, or in confirmation of, the proclaimed word when it existed only in part. Just as scaffolding is needed and serves its purpose while a structure is under construction, its purpose is no longer needed once the building is completed. Spiritual gifts served a temporary, confirming purpose. "And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen" "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?" (Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3, 4). When partial revelation ended, so did the supportive spiritual gifts, that theScriptures might stand as a full, complete, final, and all-sufficient guide for mankind (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

“Truths Worth Knowing”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​19 Jan 2025
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). It seems evident to me that the majority of the world is searching for truth. In order to gain the truth that we are searching for, we must be willing to put forth some real effort. Therefore, we must study (2 Timothy 2:15; John 5:39). The Bereans understood quite well what it meant to search for truth. "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). As we study the truth, I would like us to consider some truths worth knowing. It is evident that there are many truths that will not affect our lives if we never know them. However, there are also many truths that produce significant changes in our lives when we come to an understanding of them. These are truths that are worth knowing.It is worth knowing how to come to Christ. Of all of the truths that I know, this is the one that has the most incredible value. The plan of salvation is, without doubt, worth knowing. Whether we choose to be obedient to it is a different subject all to gather. Faith (Hebrews 11:6), repentance (Acts 17:30), confession (Romans 10:9, 10), baptism (Acts 2:38). Sense it is only through Christ that we obtain salvation; it is well worth knowing what is involved in coming to Him. "Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).It is worth knowing why Christ was manifested. Manifested simply means revealed. In having this knowledge of the reason for the revealing of the Son of God, we are encouraged to follow Him closer. "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). As we daily face the trials of the Christian life, it is worth knowing that Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan. These "works of the devil" include his plans, purpose, design, schemes, aims, and ends, which he hopes to accomplish. It is worth knowing that Jesus was not manifested to start a fan club, build hospitals, or many other things but to seek and save the lost. Since that includes each one of us, we should deem it worth knowing that Jesus came to save us.When we consider all these things that are worth knowing, it's hard to imagine people actually wanting to be ignorant of them. Unfortunately, that is the truth of the matter.

“God Finishes What He Begins”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​12 Jan 2025
If we are honest, we will all admit that we often fail to finish what we begin. We are prone to set goals and cast them aside at the halfway point. We begin projects and let them sit idle for weeks hoping to finish them at some point in the future. We often look back on these unfinished plans with regret. “If only I had set aside a little time each day, this would be finished by now,” we say to ourselves. The power to see things through is a virtue that we would all do well to pursue.In contrast, we serve a God who always finishes what He starts. Paul identified this truth in Philippians 1:6 when he said, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” To be confident involves certainty. The work they had begun is in reference to verse 5–their fellowship with Paul in the gospel, and completion refers to bringing a thing to a successful finish. Thus, Paul was absolutely certain that God would continue to bless the Philippian saint’s efforts in the gospel until the coming of the Lord.This passage brings several important principles to light. First, we must remember that the work of the gospel is not really our work but God’s. He works with us (Phil. 1:6), and He works in us (Phil. 2:13). Therefore, we must have faith in Him to bless our efforts. Second, God never gives up. As long as this world stands, God will continue to work and bless the efforts of the faithful. Finally, as we contemplate the work we do in the kingdom on both the congregational and individual levels, let us do so with the same level of assurance and dedication seen in Paul and in our God. He always finishes what He begins, and so should we.

“2025, The Year of No Violins”

  • ​David Westbrook
  • ​5 Jan 2025
Our dealings with everyday life are all based on perception. Usually, when things are good, we thank God for them. When things are bad, we ask for God’s help, “Holy Father, please get us through this with the least amount of pain.” We certainly need to thank God every day for the good things in life, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). With that stated, I also believe that many of us would do well to rethink our perception of bad times. With many, when the slightest little thing goes south, the violins begin to play. And oh, what a pity party it is!A clear statement is made by Jesus in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jesus makes no bones about where peace is to be found, “in Me.” He also makes no bones about our lives on this earth, “in the world you will have tribulation.” Tribulation means “grievous trouble, severe trial or suffering,” but what many in the church define as tribulation does not in any way fit that definition. Yet, the violins continue to play.If we fall apart over the little things in life, how will we do when real tribulation comes? Let’s put the violins away and save the pity party for another day when it is needed. Let’s learn and grow from the little troubles in life so we can help ourselves and others when the significant trials come (and they will come). The Lord has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). I leave you with the words of James. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).