The Profane Father

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

My wife and I was just recently in the Morgan City, Louisiana area. We had not been there for a couple of months. While we were there we stayed at my father-in-laws house.

My Father-in-laws house is a few miles northeast, called Stephensville.  It's a small quiet place along the bayou. We were sitting and watching tennis when Herby starred to talk about people cussing.

He said that he was playing golf with someone he knew from around town. He playing with his two kids. Herby joined them for a round. Herby told me how this man was cussing all of the time while they were playing! He was also cussing in the presence of his two small kids!

Herby ask him why he wants to cuss in front of his children. The man said it didn't matter too much. Herby said it doesn't matter It's just not right to cuss in front of your children. Plus, I'm offended by it as well, I don't want to hear your profanity. The man continued cussing in their presence. So Herbie walked around and started leaving.

The man said, hey where are you going? Herby told him again that he didn't want to hear his profanity, in front of his children, and himself. Herby left that day, and never played golf with that man again, or had anything else to do with him.

Years later he saw one of the sons of that man in a pool hall. When he asked about his father the boy started crying and confessed that his father had molested both him and  his brother all of his life! The father was charged and put in jail for his crimes.

Herbie said he never had any respect for people who cussed a lot. He said that was always a bad omen for bad character. You freely admitted that he cussed a little at work, but he never brought it home to his wife and kids. There's just some things a man should never do!

William James Roop,

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

Sanctification

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This is an article that I found on the web. It was so good that I wanted to share it. The author does not reserve any rights.

Sanctified by the Word of God

Jesus tells us in John 17:16-19 that we have a practical progressive sanctification of our present life by the application of the truth of God’s Word.

The word “sanctify” in verse seventeen means “to consecrate, or to set apart persons or things to God” (Ex. 28:41; 29:1, 36; 40:13; 1 Thess. 5:23, etc).

The Holy Spirit uses the Word to do His work within the believer. Let’s distinguish between the sanctification by the Holy Spirit within us at the beginning of God’s work of salvation in our souls, and the everyday application of God’s Word in the Christian’s life. We are in the need of daily sanctification by the truth of God’s Word. This is a progressive work that will go on in our lives until we are presented perfect in Christ at His second coming.

Sanctification is not the eradication of our sinful nature, or of the “old man” in a once and for all experience.

However, God takes His Word, not human speculation or opinions, and sets us apart from the world to Himself. We are set apart for God’s special use. Therefore, our values, goals and behaviors are distinct from the worlds.

The Word of God sanctifies us as we study, meditate, memorize and apply its truths to our daily life. The Holy Spirit uses it to make us aware of sin, confess it and repent. He takes the Word and reveals God’s perfect will for our lives. We grow in His grace through the knowledge of His truth. As we yield in obedience to His truth we are sanctified by the truth.

Jesus prayed to His Father, “For this sake I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:19). Jesus was already set apart to God. Indeed, He was sinless. However, the night before His death on the cross He was dedicating Himself “that they too may be truly sanctified.” Literally, He said, “sanctified in truth.” Jesus’ death eternally separated believers to God and His kingdom, and God’s truth is the means of their daily sanctification.

“Sanctify them in truth; Your Word is truth” (v. 17). Just as Jesus was set apart for special use, so are the believers. “The truth” is communicated in the “Word.” As we hear the Word, we comprehend the truth and obey it. This changes our values, our lifestyle, and a behavioral change takes place. We are changed in our everyday practice.

As we daily appropriate God’s Word we are sanctified by it. We are set apart to God and changed in the way we live so that we bring honor and glory to the Father.

True daily sanctification in this life comes through the ministry of the Word of God. Jesus told His disciples, “Now are you clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3). God set us apart to Himself when He saved us. As we grow in Christ we experience more and more sanctification. We are progressively set apart to God as we grow in our faith, and love for God more than the desire of the world. This being set apart daily comes as the Holy Spirit applies God’s word to our everyday experiences. The Holy Spirit enables us to obey God’s Word. He is the author of the Word and He uses it to enlighten our minds, enable our will and encourage our hearts.

We were made clean through the Word at the new birth. As we obey the Word of God daily the defilement is washed out of our lives. When we sin we do not need to be saved all over again. We will never be regenerated a second or third time. After you bathe, you do not need to bathe again when you get your hands dirty. You wash them off and you are clean once more. God has given us a bar of soap. It is found in 1 John 1:9. Use it daily.

This is the practical and progressive sanctification that is seen in Ephesians 5:25-27 as Jesus sanctifies and cleanses His church. As the believer makes himself available to the Holy Spirit he is changed from the inside out. The Word of God has the liberty in the heart of the Spirit-controlled Christian to displace sin and replace in its place the righteousness of God. The blood of Christ cleanses the believer from actual sin.

Every born again Christian does pursue holiness until the second coming of Christ. At that time He will change these bodies of humiliation and make them like His glorious body. When that happens we shall have reached our goal and become absolutely, perfectly holy and sinless forever.

It is our responsibility to apply the word of God daily in the power of the Holy Spirit. It does not come automatically. For example, to abstain from sexual immorality requires the exercise of self-discipline enabled by the Holy Spirit.

God’s perfect will is that His people be holy (1 Thess. 3:13). “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). The context deals with sexual immorality; however, the truth can be applied to any area of our lives. “For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification” (v. 7). Paul has in mind the progressive sanctification of his readers whereby they are conformed to the image of Christ in daily experiences.

God’s purpose is for the Christian to live separated lives in purity of mind and body. This is practical sanctification.

A holy life demonstrates God’s supernatural power at work in a believer’s life. A holy walk involves a right relationship with God.

Do you have an appetite for God’s pure Word? Let the Holy Spirit empower you to walk in holiness as you search the Scriptures and obey His Word.  

Selah!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006

A FREE GIFT FOR YOU
ABIDE MISSIONS

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Apostolic Theological Seminary


  


      

Bible Verse Melted In Steel

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

Here's a story I found on the internet that I thought you would find interesting. The story was originally written by Kelsey Straeter, but heavily edited by the author of this blog.

Bible Verse Melted to Steel

We’ve all heard it said that the Word of God is mighty, all-powerful and everlasting. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul asserts that the Bible is “God-breathed,” meaning God had a hand in everything that was written in it, and God still speaks actively to people as they read the Bible today. But when horrific tragedy hits in instances like what happened to the World Trade Center on 9/11, many find it difficult to hold firm to that Truth. Even as Christians, we often question how is it that a loving God would allow such evil and mass chaos?

Though we may lack the understanding of God’s ways in extracting beauty from this broken world, it is quite awe-inspiring when He sends us an undeniable message of hope amidst the devastation. Times like these remind us that the Bible is a living Word.

Such was the case when one firefighter was sifting through the rubble on Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers. In March of 2002, he was with a crew sorting through the rubble and remnants of the south tower, when he made an unthinkable discovery: a Bible fused to a chunk of steel. Strangely, pages from this 9/11 Bible remained, and the page the Bible was open to was particularly interesting.

In shock, the firefighter immediately brought the treasure to Joel Meyerowitz, who was the photographer assigned to work on Ground Zero for nine months. He, too, was there in the South Tower, looking through the rubble, seeking artifacts to archive that might tell the story of the people and their experience during the 9/11 attack.

“This shredded, burned and rubble-covered Bible came to me from the loving hands of a fireman who knew that I was the record keeper of ground zero,” said the photographer, according to a report by The New York Times.

Meyerowitz, the author of “Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive“, was totally speechless when his eyes fell upon the Bible verse exposed on the surface of what he called “heart-shaped” Bible fused to steel.

Of all the books, chapters, and verses in the Bible, the Bible was open to the book of Matthew, revealing Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and specifically a section titled “Retaliation” was Matthew 5:38-39:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:38-39.

“My astonishment at seeing the page that the Bible was open to made me realize that the Bible’s message survives throughout time,” said Joel. “And in every era we interpret its teachings freshly, as the occasion demands.”

It totally mesmerizes me that amidst the burning destruction of 9/11 and the remaining rubble, this fragile yet powerful piece of parchment was able to endure and send a lasting message to us all:

Our fleshly nature urges us to repay evil for evil, but God calls us to press on in forgiveness and love, while leaving vengeance to Him.

Today, the National 9/11 Memorial Museum holds this 9/11 Bible, which Meyerowitz gave to the museum along with other findings from the rubble at Ground Zero, and it has been viewed by religious leaders, such as Pope Francis.

What an amazing God-breathed message for us all to remember in regard to the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers, and all of life’s tragedies that we may face… May the words from this 9/11 Bible be seared on our hearts as securely as this page was fused to steel. May the message make us consider our actions when we face hardships so that we respond lovingly, as Jesus would. It's a shame we did not take this message to heart. We could have avoided the long war in Afghanistan, and the expenditure of a lot of treasure over the last twenty years!

William James Roop

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

God Shut Him In

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This is a portion of an article that I have come across, the author is unknown.

I have always thought that Noah was safe inside the Ark because he built it according to God's specifications. I thought that perhaps it was the strength of the gopher wood and the soundness of the architecture that ensured that the waters of the flood would not come into the Ark.

But today I encountered a verse that shifted this whole paradigm.
Let's read what Gen 7:16 says .." The animals going in were male and female of every living thing as God had commanded Noah..
THEN GOD SHUT HIM IN....

Don't miss this.... even after Noah had built the Ark, it was God Himself who shut him in, in order to shut out the waters of the flood... In other translations this verse says "The Lord sealed them inside."

It is not the fact that you have locked your house that keeps you safe at night, it is not your good driving skills that keeps you safe on the road, neither it's your healthy eating habits that keeps you healthy - only God can shut you in and shut out the devil that is seeking to devour you.

May GOD SHUT US IN AS WE OBEY HIM AND TRUST IN HIS WORD. Amen!!

William James Roop, M.A.B.S

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

Tithings

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

I found this article on the web and wanted to share it. It's not my writing, the author is unknown, but I agree with it. If you have any comments, write them in the comments section.

I love Malachi. 

The thing is, Malachi 3:7 proves to us that churches that teach a monetary tithe requirement are wrong to do so.

Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

Notice in verse 7 God is calling for a return to His ordinances?  Since God is calling for a return to His ordinances in Malachi 3:7, it is imperative that ministers of God consider what God's ordinances say concerning tithes when teaching the subsequent Malachi 3:8-12.

Here are all the verses concerning tithes that are found in God's ordinances:

Leviticus 27:30-34
Numbers 18:21-31 (cross reference Nehemiah 10:29,37-38)
Deuteronomy 12:10-11,17
Deuteronomy 14:22-29
Deuteronomy 26:12-17

The tithes Malachi is speaking of are tithes governed by the ordinances.  We know this, because God would not call for a return to His ordinances in verse seven and then turn around and tell people to transgress the ordinances in verse 10.

So what do the ordinances say concerning tithes that are to be brought to the House of God?

1.  Tithes are to be agriculture and agricultural food by-products (Lev. 27:30,32; Deut. 12:17)

2.  The congregation is not to go near the House of God with their tithes.  This is because the tithe of the congregation is the inheritance of the Levite, not the property of the House of God.  (Num. 18:21-23; Neh. 10:29, 37-38)

3.  Only a tithe of the tithes is to go to the House of God, not the full tithe. (Neh. 10:37-38)

4.  Only Levites are to tithe to the House of God. (Neh. 10:37-38)  

Given the fact that Malachi is calling for a return to God's ordinances, Malachi can only be speaking of agricultural tithes and can only be speaking to Levites.

Again, God would not be calling for a return to His ordinances in verse seven and then tell people to transgress the ordinances in verse ten.

Conclusion:  It is wrong to use Malachi 3:7-12 to teach the Christian congregation that God requires them to tithe money to the House of God.  Malachi is neither speaking of money in that passage, nor is it instructing Christians.

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Apostolic Theological Seminary

The Trouble Tree

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

Here is a story that I have come across. It is by an unknown author.

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farm house, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

'Oh, that's my trouble tree,' he replied 'I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children.. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.' 'Funny thing is,' he smiled,' when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. We all need a Tree!

William James Roop, M.A.B.S,

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Volunteer Stories

The Trucking Tango

Apostolic Theological Seminary

Low On Salt

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

I was up at my aunt and uncle's house in Wisconsin here recently. They own the old family dairy farm. While we were there he told me a lot of interesting stories.  Here is one of those stories.

My uncle, Jerry Mankowski, told me a story about a medical emergency that happened to him a few years ago. He woke up one morning with his hands shaking! He could not stop them from shaking. Also he had little feeling in his body.

His long time wife, Nancy, said that she would take him to the clinic. Jerry told her no, he really needed an ambulance! She called an ambulance immediately! When the ambulance arrived, off they went to the local hospital!

Upon arrival at the hospital, a battery of tests were performed. As my aunt and uncle sat there, the doctor's convened and discussed. They knew what the problem was almost immediately, but they just wanted to make sure.

The doctor eventually came out and revealed what was the diagnosis. Jerry had very low sodium levels in his blood!  He was just low on salt! The doctor turned to my aunt Nancy, and said to her, " put the salt shaker back on the table!"

Now both of them put plenty of salt on their food. The salt shaker is always on the table. It's popular today to have a no salt diet. But that is not healthy for us. Our blood needs to have a good salt content for a healthy body.

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary