End of Year Evaluation, New Year Motivation

Another Christmas is past and the year draws to a close.   Families all around are cleaning out the remnants of Christmas.  Let me encourage you as you do to evaluate whether Christ had first place this past Christmas, and whether he had first place this past year.

Yes, the New Year is a great time to evaluate our lives.  Where have we been and where are we headed?  This takes some careful examination.  Imagine a ship or plane captain that is only one or two degrees off as they chart their course over the Atlantic.  It seems like it makes no difference yet when they reach shore they will find they are hundreds of miles from where they had planned.

Life is similar.  We must carefully examine where we are going.  What may seem OK from a daily perspective in light of eternity may find us far from where we thought we were headed.

One of the first things to examine is how much am I allowing the Word of God to impact my life.  It should be our compass that helps us determine where we are headed.  Not only do we have the responsibility to be reading and studying the Bible but we have the responsibility to be under the teaching of God’s Word on a regular basis.

Some evaluation questions to help me see how I am doing:

11.   Have I been reading/studying God Word on my own?

22.   Am I faithfully attending Church?

33.   If so, are the messages at church driven by teaching of Scripture based upon the message of the original author to the original recipients?  Or are they based more upon the opinions of the speaker?

44.   Do the people that attend church with me have a passion for the Scriptures?  Do they bring their Bibles to church with them? Are they following along in their Bibles as the pastor preaches? Do they get concerned if the message of day is not based upon the text of Scripture?

55.   Am I willing to respond to the teaching of God’s Word and personal study?  Do I confess and forsake sin?  Am I concerned with being obedient to Jesus Christ?

66.   And most importantly, have I place my faith in Christ by asking forgiveness of my sin believing that Jesus Christ blood is the only thing sufficient to cleanse me and make me acceptable to God?  To trust in anything else whether it is baptism or any other works will not work.  In Revelation 20:13- 15 God’s Word makes it clear that at the final judgment all those judged on their works alone will be cast into the Lake of Fire.  It is those who put their faith in Christ that are saved by God’s grace(Eph. 2:8-9).

I hope that these few words help you set your course straight for the next year and many to come. 

Eulogy - Harold Roemelin, Jr.

Yesterday we attended the funeral of my beloved Uncle.  My younger brother was not able to attend, but wrote the eulogy that was read.  Thought some might like the opportunity to see the impact he had on some of us nephews.

Harold Roemelin, Jr.; Bud; or “Uncle Butch” as we knew him had a vibrant personality, a zest for life, and a laugh that came from the gut.   He was typically an affable prankster. 

It would be impossible for me to express my lamentations in regard to his loss.  Through my teen years we were very close and for some time almost inseparable.  In a word, he was not only a mentor but a good friend.  After school I would often flee to join him at his house, and many a weekend we spent together either chasing this or that antique or going to an estate auction.  He was quite gifted mechanically and taught me many things encouraging me to pursue both mechanics and wood working.  He could be given to generosity, and through the years he gave me some of his tools, some of which reside in my tool box and get used quite occasionally but never without a pleasant memory of him and what he taught me. 

The stories are too numerous to recite here, but he never missed a chance for a gag.  Whether taking advantage of a dutiful and obedient child by shooting a hole through his hat after telling him to throw it in the air or putting a hole through a watch, he loved to laugh.  When he laughed it required his entire body, and he often laughed almost uncontrollably.  It was impossible not to join in. 

His mechanical abilities were quite great.  In the military he was promoted to sergeant for having fixed the transmission of a Jeep amidst a war game and then used the Jeep to get back to base in the mock battle.  He understated what he’d done by saying that the fix was not really a big deal but under the circumstances the Army saw it so.  In later years as his children came of age he transferred his love of mechanics to things like go-carts, mini-bikes, and motorcycles, all items that required constant maintenance.  Not only did the use of these teach us how to drive and ride but through them he taught us the principles of keeping things in good repair, a trait he got from his father.  Whether it was replacing chains, sprockets, and clutches or just servicing the machines it set us on the proper course for taking care of such.  He would not tolerate the abuse of a mechanical device. 

He had an avid love for adventurous activities as well.  Canoe trips down the Current River and taking swims at the farm are amongst the great memories for many of us. 

None of this ignores the colossal flaws in his personality.  Indeed, he was a most difficult person with whom to interact.  At work they used to wager on how long a new employee would last under his management.  However, for those who could pry beyond that most inflexible exterior there was an interior that was quite soft.  He had quite a capacity for kindness despite his flaws. 

It was quite painful watching him go downhill so much between visits.  I saw a man who’d taught me so much as a child sit astonished when I fixed the wheel on his oxygen cart because the suppliers couldn’t do it.  It was a task he could have done in his sleep some time before.  That said, I should think that his pain is all over now, and we have hope that he is now where there is no need for a Jeep nor a war game.

Rest in peace my old friend.

His loving nephew,

David Lindow 

I would ask you to continue to pray for his wife and family as they mourn their loss.

A Clear Conscience

Paul’s testimony in Acts 24:16 was that he “always strived to have a conscience void of offense before God and men.”  What a statement!  What a goal!  We should all desire to have a clear conscience before God and men.

What we must realize is that there is a difference between having a “clear conscience” before God and having a “seared conscience.”  Although they are similar in that individuals with a clear conscience and a seared conscience both go through life without “feelings” of guilt, yet they don’t both go through life without “genuine guilt”.  I Timothy 4:2 speaks of men who “depart from the faith”, give heed to deception and wrong doctrine, “speak lies”, and have a “conscience seared with a hot iron.”  Individuals with a “seared conscience” don’t feel guilty but indeed they are guilty.   An individual gets a seared conscience when they fail to heed to their own God given ideas of right and wrong, they refuse to listen to principles of Scripture, and though at one point they may have “felt” guilty doing a certain practice such as lying they ignored that “feeling” so long that there is no longer any “feeling” of guilt at all.  This is a dangerous position to find oneself in, that one can sin without any “feeling” of guilt.

One who has a “clear conscience” has been brought under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.  In John 16:9, Jesus told us that He would send the Holy Spirit to convict of “sin, righteousness, and judgment”.  This conviction takes place as one submits to the Word of God.  It should take place in our personal Bible study times as well as in the public teaching of the Word of God whether in corporate worship or small group.  That is why we as pastors have such a responsibility to Expository preaching and teaching.  (Expository teaching works to expose the meaning <God’s Message> of the original author to the original recipients then apply it to our present day lives.)

One then with a clear conscience before God must confess their sin (I John 1:9) as the Holy Spirit through the Word of God brings conviction.  They must then choose to daily moment by moment strive to follow their conscience and the Holy Spirit as they apply Biblical principles to their everyday lives.

Both those with a “clear conscience” and a “seared conscience” have dealt with their “feelings” of guilt.

The individual with a “seared conscience” has ignored the “feelings” until they are no more leaving the guilt and the broken relationship with God.

The individual with a “clear conscience” confesses that sin asking forgiveness believing that the blood of Jesus Christ is the only sufficient remedy for it.  Then not only confessing the sin but they also repent – they forsake the sin, so not only are the “feelings” of guilt gone but the guilt itself is gone too!

My prayer is that all reading this may be able to say I have a “clear conscience” before God, my guilt is gone because my sin has been dealt with not ignored!  If you have any questions more information can be found at www.fbclittletonil.org .

Mean Teachers

Recently I heard a young student say to a teacher, “Kids say that you are mean.”   Thankfully this teacher was mature enough to not even be upset.

This student was using “mean” in the terms of “causing trouble or being a bother” as if this teacher gets joy out of harassing and giving students a difficult time.

What this student did not realize is that the teacher recognizes their responsibility to educate and that to fulfill their responsibility of education the students need to be disciplined.  Therefore, when a child is acting in such a way as to disrupt their own education and the education of the other children in the classroom a loving and concerned teacher will deal with this and bring consequences into the life of that student so that they hopefully learn to be disciplined in their life so that they and those around them can receive an education.

Whether or not they realize it teachers with this view of discipline are actually reflecting the loving character of Jesus Christ.  In Rev. 3:19 in speaking to the Laodiceans Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.”  (cf. Hebrews 12:5-6)

Parents are given many challenges in Proverbs in how to discipline their children.

-      Prov. 29:17 “Correct thy son, and he shall give you rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

-      Prov. 23:13 “Withhold not correction from the child”

-      Prov. 29:15 “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

-      Prov. 29:18 “Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death.”

-      Proverbs 13:24 (NKJV) ²⁴He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Unfortunately, if children like the one above are allowed to be the focus of the home and they are seldom if ever disciplined they will not realize their teachers’ actions as loving.  (Note: Discipline is giving loving consequences to an action to bring about God honoring behavior.  This differs from punishment – which is simply “payback” for a behavior.)  Therefore, if we as parents choose to hand over our God given right and responsibility to the government and our local schools, we must realize that we are asking these teachers to act “in loco parentis” that is “in the place of the parents”.  We should then expect them to be disciplining and training our children so that they can receive the best education possible.

In recognizing this we as parents out of love for our children, the other children in our community, and our teachers would do great help if besides just teaching numbers and the ABC’s to our children before they enter school we will also discipline and build character in their lives.   Every young person entering preschool should understand terms such as lie and obey and they should be disciplined and trained to consistently respond the first time they are told to do something.  When we get back to these ideals we will have a bunch of teachers who are less stressed and who can do a better job of teaching our children because they will spend less time training and disciplining our children what we should have already taught them.

In closing let me say thank you to the many teachers who are “mean” in the manner explained above.  Thank you for coming along side of us as parents to help educate our children, because no matter how good of job we do as parents we recognize that all people, including our kids, are sinners and will occasionally need a “mean” teacher!

Beardstown Fall Fun Festival

Saturday and Sunday we will again be ministering at the Beardstown Fall Fun Festival.  We will take our Gaga Ball and set it up.  This game has become very popular at the local festivals and fairs and it gives us an opportunity to pass out tracts and share the gospel with people as well as invite people out to our church.

 Now some of you are saying, "What is Gaga Ball?"  It is a dodgeball game played in an enclosure.  Ours has 8-eight foot gates that are 2 foot tall.  You must hit the ball with your hand and if it hits anyone from the knee down they are out.  One cannot hit the ball a second time unless it has touched a wall or another person.  The ball is always live so people often knock themselves out either by hitting off the side of their hand or by the ball ricocheting back at them.

 As you can see below the game draws some large crowds.

It would be great to see many of you come join us for  a time and enjoy the game or a conversation. 

Hello Again!

It has been a very busy summer.  Along with multiple special outreaches I have also taken three seminary classes working on my masters degree in Biblical Counseling.

It is hard to believe that I have one class left (11-28-12)!  It will be on how to run your own counseling center.  I then have to complete 50 hours of counseling while being overseen by an experienced counselor.  During this time I will be looking for those who will be willing to work with me not only to help me finish my degree, but to help them walk in a more consistent fashion with Jesus Christ.

I appreciate any prayer during the few months that follow as I continue to work and fulfill my regular responsibilities as the Under-shepherd of First Baptist Church and as husband and father of seven!

Have a great week serving the Lord.