Walk In Love

The Bible calls us to “walk in love” by following the example of the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 5:2).  Walking in love is not about doing what feels good to me, but about doing what is best for the other person. In the face of danger, loving action may even seem harsh in the moment, such as when I remind my children to look both ways at intersections to avoid getting hit by a car while riding their bikes. 

Many would like us to believe that the only way to love an individual is to allow them to do whatever makes them happy for the moment, but God would have us understand that there are actions that are “unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11).  There are actions that feel good for the moment (like riding a bicycle at high speed through an intersection), but in the end they lead to only to pain and destruction (like being hit by a car).  The Bible calls these destructive actions “sin” because they violate God’s holy law for how we as people were designed to live. Therefore, we find true love, life, and fulfillment by “finding out what is acceptable to God” (Ephesians 5:10) and avoid the things that are unacceptable to God.  This passage in Ephesians lists some actions that are unacceptable to God, such as, fornication (i.e. all sexual sin outside the bounds of Holy Matrimony between a man and woman), covetousness (greed for money and possessions), and mouths that cannot be controlled.

But wait! Isn’t listing sins judgmental and unloving?!  Certainly it is if we put ourselves in the position of the Judge – God himself. There is, however, a solemn responsible for us to loving warn others about the consequences of their self-destruction actions. We are not the judges, but God is the judge, and he will both judge and punish sin (Ephesians 5:6).

Part of loving others must include warning them of sin and its painful consequences.  Loving others means showing the way of safety and salvation. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the only remedy for sin and he is the only one who can reconcile us with God and bring us into eternal life, joy, and peace.

So yes, as people who believe in the Bible, we will continue “walk in love” warning people of sin and sharing the wonderful good news about the Lord Jesus.

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.

Acknowledge God's Discipline

Proverbs 3:11–12 (NKJV) ¹¹My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; ¹²For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

The fourth principle we see in Proverbs 3 as we begin this New Year is “Acknowledge God’s Discipline.”  The writer begins verse 11 saying “do not despise the chastening of the Lord.”  God’s chastening was part of the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:14 (NKJV) ¹⁴I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. For those he loved if they departed from God’s ways and walked in iniquity they would be chastened even the king.  The challenge goes on to not “detest correction.”  It may be important here to remember the difference between discipline and punishment.  Discipline or correction desires to bring back to the proper behavior and fellowship.  Punishment on the other hand is payback for what was done wrong. 

Discipline or correction is a sign of God’s love just as it is a sign of a Father’s love.   Proverbs 13:24 (ESV) ²⁴Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. So rather than despising God’s discipline and correction we can be thankful for it rather than like a fool who “despises his father’s instruction” (Prov. 15:5; cf. Prov. 12:1; 13:18; Prov. 29:17).

Just as some children foolishly resist parental discipline, we are warned not to ‘reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe his reproof’ (v. 11). Some professing Christians become bitter and even angry with God when they endure physical and emotional pain. Others are tempted to despair, wallowing in their misery. Instead, we should remember that we are children in whom our heavenly Father delights (v. 12b) and that he is sovereignly allowing us to suffer because he loves us (13:24). Thank God that he cares enough about us to discipline us as a father and doesn’t let us get away with much for long. Unlike that of our earthly fathers, God’s discipline is perfect (Heb. 12:9–10), which means that you can be sure that every trial that comes into your life is perfectly designed by your heavenly Father for your benefit. It has been said, ‘He will melt you in his furnace that he may stamp you with his image.’ The psalmist states, ‘Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word’ (Ps. 119:67).^[1]

The promise that comes with this principle is that God’s love brings maturity.  We are promised that we are being conformed to the image of Christ! (Rom. 8:29)

  May we all respond quickly and correctly to God’s discipline and correction.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/user/churchoflittleton  FW # 60

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^[1] Jim Newheiser, Opening Up Proverbs (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 64-65.

Acknowledge God's Direction

As we have begun the New Year many have made resolutions and are striving to change their lives in some way.  During the next few days we will look at ways we need to acknowledge God in the New Year.  The principles are taken from Proverbs 3.

Proverbs 3:1–4 (NKJV) ¹My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; ²For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. ³Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, ⁴And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

We need to acknowledge God’s direction or learn God’s truth.   The challenge in verse one is “do not forget my law”.  To forget would mean that I am not mindful or I do not have a proper response to God’s law.  The first step in not being forgetful is to know, to be “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:9-10) and His Word.  God reveals his law, which is His will, in His Word.  Practically I acknowledge God’s law by reading His Word, putting myself under the teaching of His Word, working to memorize His Word. (Psalm 119:11)   The positive side of this challenge is “Let your heart keep my commandments.”  When our heart, that is our mind and will, is set on being obedient to God’s commands we will want to know these commandments by heart.  Our desire to obey will drive us to want to know God’s Word.

In verse two the writer continues “do not let loyal love and faithfulness leave you.”  This “mercy” or “loyal love” is “fidelity to obligations rising from relationships.”  And “truth” or “faithfulness” is that which can be relied on because of stability.  But when these words are put together they are “faithful love” combined these individual words give us a further meaning.  The “binding” and “writing” is stressing that the teaching become second nature, a regular part of the life.  The ramifications of this terminology are that the disciple is actually subject to the Lord, not the teacher, and that the requisite “discipline” is respect and obedience for the Lord and his teaching and not merely for a human instructor^[1]

With these principles come some promises which are length of days, long life, and peace.  One does not have to talk with too many individuals to realize that people desire long life, but even more than that they desire the life they have to be peaceful, yet how many are willing to get to know God’s Word so that they might experience it?  The second promise is to have favor and a good name by God and man.  An individual may have a good reputation before man, but this goes beyond that to having a life of integrity before God and being pleasing in His eyes.  These blessings are in opposition to the individual who is not faithful who is promised in Prov. 13:15, “The way of the unfaithful is hard.”

 

Our hope is that you might Acknowledge God’s Direction in this New Year!

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/user/churchoflittleton    FW # 57

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^[1] Allen P. Ross, "Proverbs" In , in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 916.

Pray for one another to make excellent choices!

Philippians 1:9–11 (NKJV) ⁹And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

In this prayer for the believers at Philippi Paul expresses his desire to see them continually grow in their love. “The Christian love for which Paul prays is regulated by knowledge of the gospel and comprehensive moral insight.  These constraints do not stifle love.  Far from it: They ensure its purity and value.”[1] But for this love to be genuine or authentic it needs to be shaped or molded by their knowledge of God and His Word and godly discernment.  The purpose of this growth in love, knowledge and discernment is so that we can make decisions to approve what is excellent.  If we don’t make decisions that are pleasing to God, then we won’t find ourselves without offense when the Day of Christ comes. 

This challenge to “approve things that are excellent” may not be an easy choice between things that are black and white or obviously right or wrong.  They will be choices that are determined by what is the best choice of two or three good options.  “It turns, rather, on delicate choices that reflect one’s entire value system, one’s entire set of priorities, one’s heart and mind.” [2]

We can apply these criteria; to our use of time and ask ourselves, “What have we done with our time during the last week?  How much time has gone to building our own spiritual life?  How much time has gone to investing in the spiritual lives of others through teaching and/or witnessing?”

What have we done with our time during the last week?  Did our activities of the week build our spiritual lives?  Do we have a thirst for a knowledge of God in our reading that drives us to learn more and more about Him.

The purpose of Paul’s prayer was the hope that the Philippian believers would make wise discerning choices that they might be pleasing to God.  This is a challenge to us to be considering the believers we know and praying for them in the same manner.

The result of a life of making excellent choices is a life full of the “fruits of righteousness.”  As this love grows and our choices excel the Holy Spirit produces within us the “fruit of righteousness.”

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/churchoflittleton  FW # 46

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[1] Carson, DA, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, pg. 127

[2] Ibid, pg. 128