Linen Garments

Hello Everyone.  Praise the Lord!

The tombs of the Pharaohs in Egypt show that linen was used for burial cloth, and its seeds were considered crucial to the afterlife; as a result, linen seeds have been found in the tombs. The Biblical account of Joseph in Egypt shows that he wore fine linen garments and was embalmed (mummified) in the usual Egyptian method after his death (Genesis Chapters 41-42 & Chapter 50). By New Testament times, linen was still being used for burials, as seen the case burial of Jesus in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 and John 20.

The Israelites in the wilderness, after fleeing Egypt were instructed by God to make linen garments for the priests, and to weave the tabernacle curtains with twisted linen fibers of red, blue and purple to make the design of the cherubim, as well as plain linen for use as curtains surrounding the Holy Precinct (Exodus Chapters 28, 31, 35, 36, 38 and 39). Linen was used again in the curtains of the Temple built by Solomon (I Kings 10, II Chronicles Chapters 2 and 3), some of which was imported from Egypt. Solomon also used linen for his bedding (Proverbs 7:16). Ezekiel Chapter 44 describes that in the future temple built by the Jews in Jerusalem, the priests will again wear linen garments.

Linen was a symbol of purity in Biblical times, and it is recorded in the prophets that angelic beings appeared, wearing fine linen garments (Ezekiel Chapters 9 and 10; Daniel Chapters 10 and 12; and Revelation Chapter 15). Revelation Chapters 15 and 19 also records that saints, slain as martyrs, are clothed in fine linen. Words such as “pure” and “clean” denote that the symbolism of righteousness as well as holiness was attached to the wearing of linen. The symbolism of filth and spiritual distance from God is seen in the example of the garments of the Priest Joshua, as Satan rebukes him for standing before a Holy God wearing filthy linen garments (Zechariah Chapter 3).

Ancient Jewish sources note that when the priests had unremovable stain on their linen garments, or the garments had excessive wear, the garments were torn into strips and recycled for use as candle wicks. This fact is displayed in Isaiah’s commentary, where linen candlewicks are described (Isaiah 42).

Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, details what some scholars believe to be the ‘typical’, unconcerned, linen-clad rich man, oblivious to the plight of poor, hungry and sick Lazarus.

Levitical law prohibited the weaving of linen fibers with wool- at least for the average people (Deuteronomy Chapter 22); only the High Priest had garments of linen and wool. Biblical scholars speculate that the reason God prohibited the mixing of the fibers, is that linen represents the plant kingdom, and wool represents the animal kingdom, with ritual sacrifice. It is thought that God looked upon linen as untainted by blood; no one has to slay an animal to get linen fibers.

There were two types of linen garments: the rough, unprocessed linen garments of the poor, and what the Bible describes as “fine” or “pure” linen of excellent quality, which only the rich could afford. Isn’t it interesting that the martyrs of Revelation are wearing “fine” and “pure” linen; even though it can be assumed that the martyrs were relatively poor at the time of their deaths!

Falling To Her Death

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

I was up in Central Wisconsin visiting family this summer. My uncle Jerry took me to a little town called Wild Rose. There we ate burgers and beer at tavern called sluggers.

On the way back he pointed to a house and told me the story of how a woman died there. She lived alone she had no husband or family. She lived in this house with about a hundred acres. But she did have a neighbor behind her who lived on another farm.

This neighbor was an elderly man who also lived alone. This elderly man would several times a week check in on the lady. Especially the long cold winters of Wisconsin. Folks up there, in that part of the country, are still neighborly, and still strive to take care of each other.

One day this neighbor fell down the stairs going down into her basement! She had left her phone upstairs. When she fell and hit the bottom of the basement, she broke her back in three different places! She was completely paralyzed and could not move. She also had other injuries that were life-threatening!

The lady laid there for three days before she finally passed away! She was paralyzing could not move and she could not call anyone! For three days she laid there not knowing what would happen. It appears she could move her hands a little bit. Because she scribbled on the basement floor her last will and testament!

The elderly man who checked up on her finally came only to find her deceased. He immediately called the police and an ambulance! There they confirmed her death and discovered her last will and testament. She willed her entire property over to this elderly man who would occasionally check up on her.

The older man had his own farm and many acreage himself and had plenty of money. He didn't need this inheritance from her. What he did with the house and land I don't know. But always pays to be neighborly and nice to your neighbors. If I get paid in this life but most likely you'll get blessed in the life afterwards!

William James Roop

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

Our Anchor

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

Laurinburg Exchange
Anchor down (the storm is coming)
Laurinburg Exchange Laurinburg Exchange

Community, today it is good for all of us to pause, do a little foundation assessment … and ask ourselves, “when the flood comes, am I anchored down in my Christian faith to withstand an onslaught; do I have enough concrete in my life, so that when the worse of the worst, a flood comes will I be washed away?”

Ask ourselves now, while the sun is shining and there’s a calmness around us; ask now while the health is pretty good; ask now while the diagnosis is pretty good; ask ourselves if a storm comes “am I anchored?” or will I fall apart or come to pieces? If I lost everything I have, like Job (Job 1:13-22), would I be able to keep it together? If not, now is the time to dig deep and lay a solid foundation.

In the natural we all know that when there is a storm on the horizon we look to the meteorologists to keep us informed and to warn us when there is danger; and when they do we prepare ourselves; we get batteries for flashlights; we buy bottled water; we buy non-perishable items; we get plenty of gas for our cars; we get first-aid kits; those that have boats and ships they tie it down; some people and businesses board up their doors and windows; they do all that they can to secure their worldly possessions and then they anchor down so that when the gusty winds blow, the torrential rain falls, that they will have a solid foundation.

Wise is the person who takes the storm serious and make preparation; those who do not want to be caught in a storm with nowhere to go; those who because they are prepared don’t suffer loss or lose their lives; unwise is the person who does nothing; who don’t take the warning serious; their mindset is “nothing bad will happen to me, it will always happen to somebody else!” then when the worst happens they lose everything and sometimes they lose their lives; we hear all the time about casualties in the aftermath of a storm; friends, Jesus did not say the words that He said for nothing; think about it.

He himself, the Savior is telling us to prepare now for the worst; and He tells us how do it, because when, not if, floods come, only those who have anchored down will not be washed away; those who are playing church; those who have drifted away from the fellowship of Christ; those who are not taking their spiritual life serious; those who very seldom spend quality time in the word and seldom pray need to hear this.

This is not the time to relax or be at a distance from God; no time is a good time but certainly we don’t need to be out of fellowship with God!

I was talking with my niece last week, who is really going through a trying time with her husband who is battling cancer. When I talked with her, she said, “Unc, the thing that keeps me going in this most difficult time is staying close to the WORD!” She said, “I keep the word near me and I keep it in the ear of my husband who is in the hospital. I let him hear your sermons because he like to hear you preach.” She said, “I listen to different sermons from pastors that encourages me ”.… I encouraged her to stay close to the word.

Community, it is the WORD and the WORD only and doing what the word says that will anchor you in the time of a spiritual flood. Some folk anchor around their family; not good; family can die; some anchor around their money, their possessions, their houses, their social status; not good; you can lose it all in a moment’s time, and then lose your mind too! Nothing but the WORD and doing what it says can “anchor you.”

There’s a song that we sang in church sometimes that says, “There’s a storm out on the ocean, and it’s moving this a way; if your soul is not anchored in Jesus, you will surely drift away!”

I feel sorry for the unchurched, those who are living aimlessly as sheep without a shepherd; those who don’t seem to have a care in the world; those who are alienated from God by wicked works, who are spiritually blind (Col. 1:21); those who don’t have an anchor at all, and who live only for this world; my heart go out to those who when the floods come have nowhere that they can go.

Jesus talks about this very thing. Talking to his disciples he said, “Whosoever comes to me and hears my word, and do it…is like a man that digs deep and lays the foundation on a rock: and the flood waters came and beat forcefully against it, and could not shake it: for it was built upon a rock. But he that hears, and do not what the word says, is like a man without a foundation who built his house upon the sand; and when the flood waters beat forcefully against it, immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great (Luke 6:47-49).”

To “build on the rock” simply means to obey what God commands in His Word. To “build on the sand” means to give Christ lip service, but not obey His will. Community, let us take an assessment now, look at our foundation … what are we building on? Make sure your soul is anchored in the Lord.

The Rev. George Ellis is the pastor for Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

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

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Apostolic Theological Seminary

Solar Power Airport

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

I was just up in Wisconsin with my wife and mother. My mother was born and raised in the area. A lot of my mother's family still live in that area of Central Wisconsin.

One of the big news this summer up there was the airport in Wautoma, Wisconsin. They have a small general aviation airport there with lots of acreage around the airport. So they came up with with an idea to utilize that acreage.

Except for the runways and taxiways, they are going to put solar panels all around the airport to generate electricity for the town and area. The city is going to put solar panels on around two-hundred acres, which should generate ninety-nine megawatts of power, to power around fifty-thousand homes!

I thought it was a fantastic idea and a good way to use land but otherwise would be unusable. But it seems a lot of people I'm town don't like it. I would suspect that most of those people whom are complaining, never go out to the airport anyway!

Seems like a great way to produce electricity free from the sun without having to generate it. And it's going to be on land which no one goes out to anyway. Unless you're a pilot, or a family member of a pilot, we have no reason to go to a general aviation airport, so why would it matter to them?

You might say well it's going to cost the town money. That's not the case since a private company will build and provide the maintenance, in exchange for the ensuing profit it would regenerate.  So the local taxpayers would not be burdened with increased costs.  Seems like a good idea to me.

William James Roop

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

Exodus 14

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

And every obstacle is an opportunity for people of faith.

A “teachable moment” for all time

Exodus 14 is a chapter that changed the world.

Before the cataclysmic events of this narrative, the Jews were enslaved to the mightiest empire the world had ever known. After this chapter, they were an empowered people protected by the mighty God of the universe. Their lives and destiny would never be the same.

After God parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptian army, the people responded to their deliverance with praise: “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, ‘I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him” (Exodus 15:1-2).


Unfortunately, it took only three days and a lack of water for the people to complain against Moses (vv. 22-24). But Moses, unlike the people, knew that the God who stopped the Red Sea could provide water in the wilderness. He “cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet” (v. 25).

Then God used this “teachable moment” to make “a statute and a rule” for all time: “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer” (vv. 25-26).

Who are your Egyptians?

These miraculous events are God’s strategy for us when we face the Egyptians of our day.

First, view opposition as opportunity.

Even though the Jewish people were following God’s explicit will, the enemy nonetheless pursued them and threatened their very existence. We should expect spiritual Egyptians to attack us every day (Ephesians 6:12). But such challenges show us our need for God and draw us to him in faith. And, as Jesus said, persecution “will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:13).

Second, remember what God has done so we can trust him for what he will do.

His nature does not change: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). If he has forgiven your sins in the past, he will forgive them in the present (1 John 1:9). If he has met your needs before, he will meet them again (Philippians 4:19). All he has done, he can still do.

Third, “diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God” (Exodus 15:26).

The Word Biblical Commentary translates “diligently listen” as “pay close and committed attention to his voice.” The question is not whether God will speak to us, but whether we will choose to listen.

Fourth, obey his word and will.

If we “do what is right in his eyes,” we position ourselves to experience his best for us. Such provision is not legalism but grace. As we noted yesterday, we cannot earn God’s favor, but we can receive it.

Who are the Egyptians in your life today?

NOTE: There is a New Testament parallel to this Old Testament miracle. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and left the tomb on Easter Sunday, and the world has never been the same. He came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), defeating our spiritual enemy by dying for our sins and rising from our grave.

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

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Apostolic Theological Seminary

10 Bible Verses Most Gets Wrong!

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

Crosswalk.com
10 Bible Verses Everybody Gets Wrong
Kathy Howard

10 Bible Verses Everybody Gets Wrong
The Bible is the most important book ever written. The one true God chose to reveal Himself to us through the written word. Amazing and humbling!

Yet sometimes we get it wrong. We misunderstand or misapply the truth God has given us. Although there are countless causes, through my experience I’ve seen two primary problems crop up again and again.

Perspective - Too often we read God’s Word with our own purposes and goals in mind. But the Bible is all about God. When we read it with His eternal purposes in mind, we will better grasp the truth of His Word.

Context – The Bible may have unlimited applications, but its meaning never changes. It means the same today as it did when it was written. To understand the original meaning, we must pull back and understand the context – of the passage, of the chapter, of the book.

1. 1 Corinthians 10:13
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Many Christians claim this verse as a “promise” that God will never allow them to experience more difficulties than “they can handle.” Yet, the larger passage (1 Corinthians 10:1-13) deals with temptation and our ability to withstand it. God promises He will always provide a way for us to say “no” to temptation. In fact, Paul learned by experience that God will allow us to face circumstances “beyond our ability to endure” so that we will learn to rely on Him (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-11).

2. Proverbs 22:6
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Misunderstanding Proverbs 22:6 as a promise has led to grief for many parents. The book of Proverbs is wisdom literature, which offers general principles for successful living. A proverb is not a promise. Instead, let us use it as a tool for wise parenting and decision-making, and entrust our children to our faithful God!

3. Matthew 7:1
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Is all “judging” wrong? Jesus did condemn a harsh, critical “judging” motivated by a self-righteous, hypocritical attitude. But in the whole of Scripture, God clearly commands Christians to lovingly point out sin and exhort each other to holiness. It is not our place to determine their motives, but it is our responsibility to gently identify behavior God has already judged to be “sin.” The goal is to reconcile that person with God and others and to keep the sin from spreading (Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:5-7, Hebrews 12:15, James 5:19-20).

4. Psalm 37:4
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

If I find joy in God, will He fill my life with all the things I value and enjoy? Wait – remember context and focus. In this psalm, David contemplated the age-old question of why evil people seem to prosper while the righteous often struggle. David wrote to encourage his readers – and us – to widen our perspective, to live in light of eternity and to set our hope in God’s everlasting purposes. When we commit ourselves (delight) to God’s capable hands, our desire for the righteous to prevail will be realized in His timing.

5. James 1:2-3
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

We would think that James meant we could find joy in Christ in spite of our trials. That makes more sense! Yet, James really did say – and mean – because of our trials. While God cares very much about our physical circumstances, James knew He uses trials to refine our faith and make us more like Jesus. That is something to rejoice about!

6. Matthew 18:20
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Considering just this verse, we might believe that Jesus is with us only when we are with other believers. But the context of the larger passage is church discipline. When another believer sins, if he will not listen to one, two or three fellow believers should bring the matter to the church (Matthew 18:15-20).

7. Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Does God control all the circumstances of our lives to make things turn out great for us? Let’s take a step back to grasp the glorious truth of Romans 8:28. First, this promise is not for all people, just Christians who love and follow Jesus. Second, in the larger context, (Romans 8:18-39), Paul reminds us that although we must temporarily endure earthly suffering, God works through it to continuously work out His greater, eternal plan for us (Romans 8:28-30). The “good” God is working towards is not temporary, earthly “success,” but the eternal purpose of us being “conformed to the likeness” of Jesus (Romans 8:29).

8. Habakkuk 1:5
“Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

If we read this verse by itself, we might believe God is going to do something wonderful and glorious before our eyes. Well, He definitely did, but probably not what you’d expect. God sent the prophet Habakkuk to pronounce judgment on Judah for turning away from God. The amazing thing God planned was to send the brutal nation of Babylon to conquer His people and carry them into captivity. This verse should stand as a strong reminder that God does discipline His children.

9. Jeremiah 29:11
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

This verse is definitely a promise. But it’s a promise for a particular people in a particular time. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promised that after Judah’s pre-determined exile in Babylon, He would bring them back to the Promised Land. We often misappropriate promises. And while God does make a lot of promises to all believers, this particular promise isn’t one of them.

10. Philippians 4:13
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13 is probably the most misused verse in the Bible. We pull it out of the surrounding passage and hold it out as God’s obligation to empower our plans and dreams. Yet, Paul was writing about being content no matter his earthly circumstances. He could endure any difficulty or physical need through the strengthening power of Christ. Oh yes, Philippians 4:13 is a great promise indeed! Jesus will give us the strength we need to endure desperate need. His empowering presence will be with us through every difficult circumstance.

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

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Apostolic Theological Seminary

The Secret Bomb Shelter

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

I and my wife with my mother was up visiting my Uncle and Aunt, Jerry and Nancy and Mankowski. They both are still living on the old family dairy farm. My mother still has a lot of family living in that area.

I was sitting down with my uncle, and he was telling me about the local news. He said that a couple of towns over, they had leveled a building, so that they could build a parking lot.

When they leveled of the building they found underneath something very interesting. They discovered an old nuclear fallout shelter that was constructed for the town. They built the shelter in the nineteen-fifties, to I'm sure, a great fanfare. But since that time it was slowly forgotten about, except for a few city officials. After the Cold War they sealed the shelter off.

After about thirty years everybody had forgotten about the shelter. That's until they tore down the building that was over it. That's when they re-discovered the long lost shelter that was underground. The shelter was full of dehydrated food stuffs, for the hundreds of people they planned on keeping safe in there for weeks at a time.

The city officials decided to just throw away all the dehydrated food, and fill in the old shelter with dirt! I just shook my head and told my uncle that I thought that was a great waste. But when word of the dehydrated food, most of it was taken by the local hunters.  But for just a little money, that could keep the shelter in place, and just put it in the parking lot on top of it.

It's just a little extra money they could have kept their nuclear fallout shelter! But these days you never know if you're going to need one! Both Russia and China are still threatening us with nuclear war! I thought it would be a good investment just to keep it around.

William James Roop

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary