A Book Of Unique Ability

Jesus said...

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32, ESV

While praying to the Father, Jesus declared God's word to be truth (John 17:17) -- that is, the objective and absolute standard of life and Godliness. His statement above from the eighth chapter of John's gospel account makes the point that any man or woman who abides in his word will know "the truth." In so stating, Christ makes a powerful and unmistakable claim of deity.

Yes, the word of God the Father and God the Son are one and the same. The word of the Father that sanctifies the soul (John 17:17) is the same word of the Son that sets a soul free from the bondage and condemnation of sin (John 8:31-32).

There exists no other single volume nor collection of volumes that can truthfully make the same assertion. Great literary masterpieces and best sellers have prompted men and women the world over to change their world views and ways of living. Yet, every letter of every word on every page of every copy of every other book ever sold in the history of the world is utterly powerless to set free a soul condemned by sin to die.

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12, ESV

If you don't have a Bible, GET ONE.
If you've got a Bible, READ IT.
If you read the Bible, BELIEVE IT.
If you believe the Bible, LIVE IT.

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The Lord's Merciful Offer

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18, ESV

It is remarkable to me that the same God that the same God who declared unto us the transcendence of his ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9) makes this offer to such a feeble minded people -- an offer to reason with us! His offer of sin-cleansing grace -- sufficiently powerful to remove any trace of iniquity -- is given when we humbly accept the offer to come and reason with him.

The Lord of heaven is a God who desires our service from unabridged minds, devoting conscience, emotion, volition, and intellect to his purposes. In so doing, we benefit our own souls while glorifying God in the process. It is, after all, "for his name's sake" that he "leads us in right paths" (Psalm 23:3).

Can you think of anything more important that accepting the Lord's merciful offer yourself? The only thing that can even compete is telling others of that same offer once you have accepted it yourself.

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The Wonderful Simplicity Of God's Law

When a judge in Greensboro, North Carolina issued the oath of citizenship to fifty individuals, he advised them to obey the "Ten Commandments." If they did, he said, they need not worry about keeping over 35-million laws which have been enacted in their new country.

A disclaimer needs to be made here. Students of the Bible will observe that we are under a different law today -- that is, "the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). It will also be observed that in death, Christ abolished the Old Law (Colossians 2:14), thus placing into effect a new and better covenant (Hebrews 7:22; 8:6). Thus, any council to live one's life by a set of religious laws that were for a different people at a different time may not be wise.

However, it is the sentiment of this judge that we might deem to be wise. The idea is that if we will take the comparatively succinct and simple laws of God found in the pages of the Bible, there will be no pressing need to memorize the myriad of laws on the books in this or any other country. One who truly follows Christ is one who will be a good citizen, faithful in paying taxes and obeying the law of his land (when and where it does not conflict with the supreme law of God). Read Romans 13:1-7 and notice the character of the disciple of Christ when it comes to submitting oneself to civil government.

God's law is amazingly simple when one considers the timeless wisdom and applicability. We serve an infinitely wise God who has provided us with everything we need to live in peace with both God and man!

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He Didn't Choo-Choo-Choose His Counsel Wisely

My wife, Kelly, and I purchased a Garmin GPS navigation unit in early 2007 as a means to learn our w around our new hometown of Richmond. Kelly was skeptical of the merits of such a product at first. Ask her how she feels now about "Emily" (that's the name of Garmin's British-accented female voice), and she will gush about how essential it has become in finding her way about town. Yes, "Emily" has become a vital part of the Roark family.

Despite her fantastic talents and abilities, Emily is not always right. From time to time, Emily will become confused on a particular route. Other times, she just plain gets lost herself. But those occurrences are few and far between. One such rare occurrence recently popped up at the wrong time for one California man traveling in Upstate New York.

32-year-old Bo Bai, a computer technician from Sunnyvale, California, had rented a vehicle equipped with a GPS navigation system as he made his way around the Bedford Hills area of New York. As Mr. Bai was crossing a set of railroad tracks, the GPS system instructed him to turn right.

Placing his unquestioned trust in the little computer on his dashboard, Bai took a hard right and drove for a short distance on the tracks. The Ford Focus Bai was driving became stuck on the tracks, and his efforts to free the vehicle were unsuccessful. He abandoned the vehicle just minutes before it was slammed by a northbound train. Thankfully, no one was injured, but about 500 passengers were stranded for more than two hours.

Mr. Bai will be held liable for the damage to the train and track, as well as other costs such as loss of revenue. No word on the condition of the GPS unit.

There is a lesson here: We simply must choose our counsel wisely. Beyond that, when we receive counsel, we must take every measure at our disposal to be certain what we have been taught is truth. There seems to be an endless supply of teachers who, either out of malice or ignorance, will lead a soul down the pathway of error.

My friend, take everything you hear and lay it alongside the Scriptures. Any doctrine that implies a false doctrine is itself false.

Remember the words spoken by the prophet, Jeremiah, to the people of God:

Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.' "
Jeremiah 23:16-17, ESV

The Lord has entrusted you with only one soul. To lose that soul by blindly following false teaching would be unmatched tragedy.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Proverbs 14:12, ESV

Had Mr. Bai compared what he could readily see with what he was being told, he would not have made that fateful turn onto the railroad track. Similarly, if more men and women would compare "what is written" with what they have been told, they would not be wasting away in a denominational perversion of Biblical Christianity. The case of Mr. Bai has temporary consequences, but in what may be the case of our friends, family, co-workers, or even ourselves, the consequences will be eternal.

Choose your counsel wisely!

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Highlights From The 2007 Cold Harbor Lectureship Book

The eleventh year of the Cold Harbor Lectureship will feature relevant topics, qualified speakers, and outstanding singing. Every year, we publish a book to go along with the oral lectures. The speakers spend great amounts of time in authoring manuscripts several months before they ever step behind the microphone to deliver their message.

Whether you hear these lectures in-person (obviously the ideal), via the live broadcast on the Cold Harbor website, or on a set of DVDs or CDs, you will be greatly enriched by having the corresponding manuscripts. Several of our speakers will change their oral presentation to such as degree that you will benefit doubly by both hearing and reading the information they provide.

The following are just a handful of quotes from some of the authors in this year's book:

"The essence of wisdom is to learn of the ways of God as revealed in His divine inspired word and apply its contents to life." ~ Jimmy Clark

"It is becoming harder and harder as a Christian to be a patriot of this nation. The more man enacts laws legalizing and legitimizing abortion, homosexual behavior, etc., the more difficult it is to be a supportive, loyal citizen of this country." ~ David Sain

"Let us be reminded: The faithful Christian is obsessed! A radical! A fanatic! A revolutionary! Christianity is their vocation (their work and other activities are their avocation). The dedicate, determined, zealous follower of God will not allow anything or anyone to come between him and his charted course." ~ Paul Sain

"In becoming like God we do what honors and glorifies God. In becoming like God we do what is ultimately best for us. In becoming like God we do what is ultimately best for those around us. We must learn to be like God, learn to imitate the nature and character of God in every respect possible. In brief, we are to take his nature, copy it, and make it our own." ~Jody Apple

"Conscience is not our morals or ethics. Conscience is that facet of our minds that tells us that we ought to do right, but it does not tell us what right is. We are taught right by hearing God's word." ~ Glenn Colley

"Fearing God should cause us to obey him, not from abject terror, but from a healthy respect built on understanding. We owe him respect as the Almighty Creator. He has shown that he is fair, loving, understanding, wise, and consistent." ~ Nick Genter

"Thankfully, when a mother trains a child to live for God, the child usually chooses a Godly life. Such a life is the natural result of training arising from a mother's immense love. It is a love that encompasses kindness, patience, and endurance. It is a sacrificial love that is not irritable or resentful. Rather, it is defined by all that is hopeful and good. With her love comes a protective nature. It compels her to do everything she can to secure her home, especially in the spiritual sense." ~ Teresa Hampton

"Money is morally neutral, being neither good nor bad. It has potential for good or bad, depending on how it is earned, how it is used, and attitudes associated with it. Money is a tool to be used and should never be an end in itself. If money becomes the goal rather than a tool to accomplish a goal, disappointment will follow." ~ Dwayne Wilson

"A person's life cannot even 'get off the ground' until an humble respect for God and his will is in place. Once the prerequisite of genuine regard for God is intact, the individual is in a position to hear God and to begin the process of assimilating God's wisdom as it relates to a variety of life's characteristics, including pride/humility, wealth/poverty, sin, folly, goodness, use of the tongue, vengeance, strife, gluttony, justice, love, lust, laziness, death, friends, and the family." ~ Dave Miller

These snippets scarcely even "touch the hem of the garment," but hopefully they have piqued your interest sufficiently to look into ordering a copy of two of this year's book. The book is LOADED with helpful and thought-provoking material based on the book of Proverbs.

If you are interested in ordering this year's book or any of our past years' books, visit the Cold Harbor website by using the link on the right side of this page, then click on the "Lectureship" button on the home page.

We hope these books will provide relevant Biblical teaching for many years to come!

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An Abundance Of Counselors

I have spent the last several days going through the final manuscript editing process as we compile and format this year's Cold Harbor Lectureship book (with immeasurable help from our superb secretary, Carolyn Elliot). Among the many worthwhile observations I was able to make during this process, one that may have stood out above the others was how many immensely talented individuals make up the church of Christ.

This year's Cold Harbor Lectureship program includes 23 individuals -- some of which I have met, and others I have yet to meet. These 23 men and women come from all over these United States and have differen backgrounds, but they all show evidence of a Godly spirit and a depth of Bible knowledge.

Having read 21 of the 23 proposed manuscripts (still waiting on two more!), my knowledge and understanding on the subject of wisdom from the book of Proverbs has increased many fold. One of the biggest draws of any sound lectureship is reading the different writing styles and observing the various delivery styles that make every speaker unique. You and I as individuals will benefit from participating in this lectureship, and the church of God will be strengthened as a result. Such is the goal our elders set forth for this effort every year.

The Bible says...

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 11:14, ESV

The men and women who are taking the time to be in Mechanicsville this November provide you and me with a perfectly lovely situation: An abundance of wise, experienced counselors who love the Lord and his word, thereby making Mechanicsville, Virginia one of the safest places you can be at that time!

We hope many of our Food For Thought readers will be able to join us this November as we make an in-depth examination of the book of Proverbs' treatment of the subject of wisdom.

For more information, visit our Lectureship Page, or you may call the church office.

Virginia is beautiful in November! See you in then!!

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