Cody W Urban

Living Offering

Leviticus can be a bit of a boring book, to be brutally honest. But it's a vital part of the Torah and there's a lot of inspiration that can be drawn from it. Today as I read, I was struck by two things.…

Victory Through Intimacy

1 John 2:14 "Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the evil one." - The Message Other versions of this verse are very affirming and powerful, but The Message takes a spiritual truth…

1 John 2:1 (MSG), 1 John 2:2 (MSG), 1 John 2:3 (MSG), 1 John 2:4 (MSG), 1 John 2:5 (MSG), 1 John 2:6 (MSG), 1 John 2:7 (MSG), 1 John 2:8 (MSG), 1 John 2:9 (MSG), 1 John 2:10 (MSG), 1 John 2:11 (MSG), 1 John 2:12 (MSG), 1 John 2:13 (MSG), 1 John 2:14 (MSG), 1 John 2:15 (MSG), 1 John 2:16 (MSG), 1 John 2:17 (MSG), 1 John 2:18 (MSG), 1 John 2:19 (MSG), 1 John 2:20 (MSG), 1 John 2:21 (MSG), 1 John 2:22 (MSG), 1 John 2:23 (MSG), 1 John 2:24 (MSG), 1 John 2:25 (MSG), 1 John 2:26 (MSG), 1 John 2:27 (MSG), 1 John 2:28 (MSG), 1 John 2:29 (MSG)

Tear Down the Walls

Walls. Can be a good thing and can be a bad thing. Ezekiel 40 through 43 cover extensively the measurements and description of the temple and the walls, and one thing struck me, the last verse of chapter…

Ezekiel 42:1 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:2 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:3 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:4 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:5 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:6 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:7 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:8 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:9 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:10 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:11 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:12 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:13 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:14 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:15 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:16 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:17 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:18 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:19 (MSG), Ezekiel 42:20 (MSG)

The Heart of the Matter

We're all pretty familiar with the rich Young Ruler story, and I know I've read it dozens of times in the Synoptics, but today something struck me. Jesus says, "You know the Commandments" and then he…

Luke 18:18 (NIV), Luke 18:19 (NIV), Luke 18:20 (NIV), Luke 18:21 (NIV), Luke 18:22 (NIV), Luke 18:23 (NIV), Luke 18:24 (NIV), Luke 18:25 (NIV), Luke 18:26 (NIV), Luke 18:27 (NIV), Luke 18:28 (NIV), Luke 18:29 (NIV), Luke 18:30 (NIV)

The Spirit's Whisper

I was told a wise Jewish saying by Rabbi Lazer Brody, "Hashem needs to shout to those far from Him, but to those close, He needs only to whisper" I think that's true. Look at many of the chapters of…

Psalm 91:1 (NIV)

Reference to Santa Claus (In My Novel)

Nahum 2:3-4 Says "The shields of the soldiers are red; the warriors clad in scarlet...[They] storm through the streets, rushing back and forth through the squares. They look like flaming torches; they…

Nahum 2:1 (NIV), Nahum 2:2 (NIV), Nahum 2:3 (NIV), Nahum 2:4 (NIV), Nahum 2:5 (NIV), Nahum 2:6 (NIV), Nahum 2:7 (NIV), Nahum 2:8 (NIV), Nahum 2:9 (NIV), Nahum 2:10 (NIV), Nahum 2:11 (NIV), Nahum 2:12 (NIV), Nahum 2:13 (NIV)

Lazy people, welfare, section 8, and the Christian attitude

I do hope to not come across controversial or seemingly ignorant, stuck-up, in-compassionate, or darn right rude. But in black and white here Paul tells people not to be lazy. I like the message version…

2 Thessalonians 3:1 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:2 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:4 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:6 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:7 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:8 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:9 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:11 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:12 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:14 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:15 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:17 (MSG), 2 Thessalonians 3:18 (MSG)

Faith vs. Frustration

David wrote a great majority of the Psalms, but what I love about the Psalms by Asaph was that he was simply a worship leader. He was just a member of the community, not called to kingship and major leadership,…

Psalm 73:1 (MSG), Psalm 73:2 (MSG), Psalm 73:3 (MSG), Psalm 73:4 (MSG), Psalm 73:5 (MSG), Psalm 73:6 (MSG), Psalm 73:7 (MSG), Psalm 73:8 (MSG), Psalm 73:9 (MSG), Psalm 73:10 (MSG), Psalm 73:11 (MSG), Psalm 73:12 (MSG), Psalm 73:13 (MSG), Psalm 73:14 (MSG), Psalm 73:15 (MSG), Psalm 73:16 (MSG), Psalm 73:17 (MSG), Psalm 73:18 (MSG), Psalm 73:19 (MSG), Psalm 73:20 (MSG), Psalm 73:21 (MSG), Psalm 73:22 (MSG), Psalm 73:23 (MSG), Psalm 73:24 (MSG), Psalm 73:25 (MSG), Psalm 73:26 (MSG), Psalm 73:27 (MSG), Psalm 73:28 (MSG)

Who wants to be a prophet?

Ezekiel 3:1-27 Who would want to be a prophet anyway? The idea of foretelling future events and knowing deep and hidden truths behind the mysteries of God sound like really cool perks to the job description.…

Ezekiel 3:1 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:2 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:3 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:4 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:5 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:6 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:7 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:8 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:9 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:10 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:11 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:12 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:13 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:14 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:15 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:16 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:17 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:18 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:19 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:20 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:21 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:22 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:23 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:24 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:25 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:26 (NIV), Ezekiel 3:27 (NIV)

Sin-Salvation-Service

Ephesians 2:1-10 In Ephesians Chapter two, Paul preaches to the early Christians a timeline. A three-part story of life; beginning, middle, and end. The beginning: Eph. 2:1-2 “As for you, you were…

Ephesians 2:1 (MSG), Ephesians 2:2 (MSG), Ephesians 2:3 (MSG), Ephesians 2:4 (MSG), Ephesians 2:5 (MSG), Ephesians 2:6 (MSG), Ephesians 2:7 (MSG), Ephesians 2:8 (MSG), Ephesians 2:9 (MSG), Ephesians 2:10 (MSG)

The Magnitude of Gratitude

Ephesians 5:20, Ephesians 1:16, Thessolonians 5:18, Psalm 97:12 What does it mean to you to give thanks for all things? When you mind spare change, give thanks? When you thought you'd miss the bus, but…

Psalm 97:12 (MSG)

Circles of Confusion

Hebrews 12:1-13 In the NIV, Hebrews 12:2 mentions this phrase "fixing our eyes on Jesus." I'd like to translate that into photographical terms of "focus." Every dabbled in photography or taken a course…

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV), Hebrews 12:2 (NIV), Hebrews 12:3 (NIV), Hebrews 12:4 (NIV), Hebrews 12:5 (NIV), Hebrews 12:6 (NIV), Hebrews 12:7 (NIV), Hebrews 12:8 (NIV), Hebrews 12:9 (NIV), Hebrews 12:10 (NIV), Hebrews 12:11 (NIV), Hebrews 12:12 (NIV), Hebrews 12:13 (NIV)

Pink Slip of the World

I love Psalm 50. It's one of the times when the Psalmist is deep into the Spirit and prophecies the words spoken by God Himself, and when God takes the time to speak, let us be slow to anything else and…

Hebrew Word of the Day: Hitbodedut

Hitbodedut: Hebrew for Personal Prayers. Some of the most paramount pillars of the Jewish faith are: Ain Od Milvado: There is none but Hashem (God) Emuna: The pure ans simple belief that Hashem does…

Mark 1:35 (NIV)

Holy iPod Heart

What does it look like to have God's law written on our hearts? To me, the image that comes to mind is my iPod. It's like a metaphorical heart, not the blood pumping organ in our chest, but our mind and…

Jeremiah 31:32 (NIV), Jeremiah 31:33 (NIV), Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)

Put A Smile On

Put a smile on, Beloved of Christ! Let us not forget that though the storms of life rage hard against us that it's punishment, judgement, God's indignation. Does not the same rain fall on saints and…

Psalm 46:1 (MSG), Psalm 46:2 (MSG)

The Palace (Part Four)

The Palace Joseph, the spoiled tattle-tale brat, was given several years go a dream, a prophetic word regarding the identity of who God made him to be and who God saw him as, that he'd be a man of power,…

Genesis 41:1 (NIV), Genesis 41:2 (NIV), Genesis 41:3 (NIV), Genesis 41:4 (NIV), Genesis 41:5 (NIV), Genesis 41:6 (NIV), Genesis 41:7 (NIV), Genesis 41:8 (NIV), Genesis 41:9 (NIV), Genesis 41:10 (NIV), Genesis 41:11 (NIV), Genesis 41:12 (NIV), Genesis 41:13 (NIV), Genesis 41:14 (NIV), Genesis 41:15 (NIV), Genesis 41:16 (NIV), Genesis 41:17 (NIV), Genesis 41:18 (NIV), Genesis 41:19 (NIV), Genesis 41:20 (NIV), Genesis 41:21 (NIV), Genesis 41:22 (NIV), Genesis 41:23 (NIV), Genesis 41:24 (NIV), Genesis 41:25 (NIV), Genesis 41:26 (NIV), Genesis 41:27 (NIV), Genesis 41:28 (NIV), Genesis 41:29 (NIV), Genesis 41:30 (NIV), Genesis 41:31 (NIV), Genesis 41:32 (NIV), Genesis 41:33 (NIV), Genesis 41:34 (NIV), Genesis 41:35 (NIV), Genesis 41:36 (NIV), Genesis 41:37 (NIV), Genesis 41:38 (NIV), Genesis 41:39 (NIV), Genesis 41:40 (NIV), Genesis 41:41 (NIV), Genesis 41:42 (NIV), Genesis 41:43 (NIV), Genesis 41:44 (NIV), Genesis 41:45 (NIV), Genesis 41:46 (NIV), Genesis 41:47 (NIV), Genesis 41:48 (NIV), Genesis 41:49 (NIV), Genesis 41:50 (NIV), Genesis 41:51 (NIV), Genesis 41:52 (NIV), Genesis 41:53 (NIV), Genesis 41:54 (NIV), Genesis 41:55 (NIV), Genesis 41:56 (NIV), Genesis 41:57 (NIV)

The Prison (Part Three)

The Prison Boy, if you got a prophetic word from the Lord revealing your identity, though it may look nothing like you are then, but then you're dragged into something that seems thoroughly the opposite…

Genesis 40:1 (NIV), Genesis 40:2 (NIV), Genesis 40:3 (NIV), Genesis 40:4 (NIV), Genesis 40:5 (NIV), Genesis 40:6 (NIV), Genesis 40:7 (NIV), Genesis 40:8 (NIV), Genesis 40:9 (NIV), Genesis 40:10 (NIV), Genesis 40:11 (NIV), Genesis 40:12 (NIV), Genesis 40:13 (NIV), Genesis 40:14 (NIV), Genesis 40:15 (NIV), Genesis 40:16 (NIV), Genesis 40:17 (NIV), Genesis 40:18 (NIV), Genesis 40:19 (NIV), Genesis 40:20 (NIV), Genesis 40:21 (NIV), Genesis 40:22 (NIV), Genesis 40:23 (NIV)

The Pit (Part Two)

The Pit After a revelation into the destine God plans for Joseph, he finds himself in a pit. Shortly after, working for Potiphar as a slave. What? How does this jive? How does this work? Though God may…

Genesis 37:12 (NIV), Genesis 37:13 (NIV), Genesis 37:14 (NIV), Genesis 37:15 (NIV), Genesis 37:16 (NIV), Genesis 37:17 (NIV), Genesis 37:18 (NIV), Genesis 37:19 (NIV), Genesis 37:20 (NIV), Genesis 37:21 (NIV), Genesis 37:22 (NIV), Genesis 37:23 (NIV), Genesis 37:24 (NIV), Genesis 37:25 (NIV), Genesis 37:26 (NIV), Genesis 37:27 (NIV), Genesis 37:28 (NIV), Genesis 37:29 (NIV), Genesis 37:30 (NIV), Genesis 37:31 (NIV), Genesis 37:32 (NIV), Genesis 37:33 (NIV), Genesis 37:34 (NIV), Genesis 37:35 (NIV), Genesis 37:36 (NIV)

The Pasture (Part One)

Life comes in seasons and God is behind each and every one of them. First I want to make absolutely clear that there is no condemnation in Christ and that God works all things for the good (Romans 8).…

Genesis 37:1 (NIV), Genesis 37:2 (NIV), Genesis 37:3 (NIV), Genesis 37:4 (NIV), Genesis 37:5 (NIV), Genesis 37:6 (NIV), Genesis 37:7 (NIV), Genesis 37:8 (NIV), Genesis 37:9 (NIV), Genesis 37:10 (NIV), Genesis 37:11 (NIV)

Mountain Top Experiences

To set the stage, Saul, the king of Israel, is furiously and illogically envious of David, who is God's anointed king, the true king, who hasn't received the throne until Saul's death. Saul loses it and…

1 Samuel 19:9 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:10 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:11 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:12 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:13 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:14 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:15 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:16 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:17 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:18 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:19 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:20 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:21 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:22 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:23 (NIV), 1 Samuel 19:24 (NIV)

Pig Farmers in Israel?

I had this question and saw other commentators ask the same question: if Jesus was in Israel, why were there pig farmers? Pork is an unclean meat in Judaism. So, here's some info I found to clear this…

Matthew 8:28 (MSG), Matthew 8:29 (MSG), Matthew 8:30 (MSG), Matthew 8:31 (MSG), Matthew 8:32 (MSG), Matthew 8:33 (MSG), Matthew 8:34 (MSG)

God Stole My Ass and Gave Me a Crown pt.2

We covered in the first part how Saul's donkey went missing, and in his search, he came across Samuel who told him that he was to be the king over Israel. What I love about the next chapter in The Message…

1 Samuel 10:1 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:2 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:3 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:4 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:5 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:6 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:7 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:8 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:9 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:10 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:11 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:12 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:13 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:14 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:15 (MSG), 1 Samuel 10:16 (MSG)

God stole my ass and made me king

This is yet another example of God's wonderful sovereignty and how he takes either the seemingly innocuous or inconsequential to execute His master plan. The people of Israel asked their leader, the Prophet…

1 Samuel 9:1 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:2 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:3 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:4 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:5 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:6 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:7 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:8 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:9 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:10 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:11 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:12 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:13 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:14 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:15 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:16 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:17 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:18 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:19 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:20 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:21 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:22 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:23 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:24 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:25 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:26 (NIV), 1 Samuel 9:27 (NIV)

God's Sense of Humor

This is one of the funniest scenes in the Bible. The Philistines took the ark from Israel and thought they defeated Israels God. I can picture them slapping high fives to each other, hooting and hollering…

1 Samuel 5:1 (MSG), 1 Samuel 5:2 (MSG), 1 Samuel 5:3 (MSG), 1 Samuel 5:4 (MSG), 1 Samuel 5:5 (MSG)