A Pocket Full Of Suckers

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

I was up in Wisconsin this summer, visiting my Aunt and Uncle, Jerry and Nancy Mankowski. I still live on the old dairy farm, in the central part of the state.

Jerry was telling me that he felt very very sluggish for a long period of time. Then you can barely move around. So he went to the doctor to see what the problem was. At the VA clinic they gave him a lot of different tests.

The VA clinic gave him a complete physical and running a bunch of tests including blood test. They discovered that the problem was low blood sugar. Is blood sugar wasn't low all the time and it would just spite down at certain times of the day.

Dr showed him all the test results and charts. They didn't think he needed medication. The doctor told just to keep them suckers in his pockets!  They just told him when he feels a little sluggish to suck on a sucker to add a little sugar to his blood.

That's a nice homegrown remedy for an occasional medical ailment. If your blood needs a little sugar, A nice sucker should do the trick!  Don't need expensive medications, from multi-million dollar pharmaceutical companies. You just need to sucker now and then. But don't we all!

William James Roop

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

The Linen Burial Cloth

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

The gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face that Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes, The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, well it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away for the entrance. She read and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, The one in Jesus loved. She said "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, And I don't know where they have put him!"

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He's stupid and logged in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Did Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrapping slide there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus in was folded up and lying to the side.

Is that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, You have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. Call the napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, In every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant said the dinner table for the master, He made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, And then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, in the server would not dare touch the table, until the master was finished.

Now, if the master were done eating, He would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, The wadded napkin bench, "I'm done."

But, if the master got up the table, and folded his napkin, And later beside his plate, The servant would not dare touch the table, because... The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

Jesus Christ is coming back!

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

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Apostolic Theological Seminary

Only In South Louisiana

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

My wife and I bought an RV for our future ministry needs. We will be renting out all three of our houses, and living in the RV full time, to travel for ministry, church to church.

My wife and I are very excited It's exciting to start a second career but also very exciting to work for the Lord. We bought the RV late morning, in Patterson, Louisiana.  We then drove to the DMV to register it with the State of Louisiana.

We had an appointment for two-thirty and was there a few minutes early and they let us in. While we're standing there waiting for the registration paperwork to be made out, my wife and I overheard two women talking in the office.

The two women were talking about being on their fishing boat, and fishing all day! My wife looked at me said, "only in South Louisiana will you hear two women talking about fishing!"  Most places in the world that's a conversation for men. 

But South Louisiana is where the Cajuns live! Cajun women can fish just as well as their husbands can fish! Everybody here has a boat, or even a couple of boats! And most people hunt and fish. That's just part of the Cajun culture here in South Louisiana.

Well the registration finally got typed up and we had to pay over thirty-three hundred dollars! I was in shock about the price on the taxes. Thirty-three hundred dollars a lot money to me! As my wife was writing out a check, I whispered to her if we had enough money in the bank account. She assured me that we did!

The RV cost forty-thousand dollars, and the tax rate was 8.9% on recreational vehicles. But what can you do, taxes or a part of life, and their only going up! I guess if I want to drive on the roads and bridges I need to pay the taxes to support them.

Do you have any interesting Cajun stories you can share with us? If you do, you could tell us in the comment section. If you enjoyed this story you can click on the "follow" button so that you can read all future stories.

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

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Care and Dying 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

A Calf In The Snow

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

My uncle Jerry and I were sitting in his living room talking and telling stories. I went up there to visit family and friends this summer. My mother is from there and she still has lots of family there. I escorted my wife and my mother there also.

Jerry was telling me a story about how a neighbor cow had her calf. He said he always provided a warm place with straw or his cows to calve her young. Jerry said that was all wrong and he shouldn't do it that way. He said that makes the cows weak and sickly their whole life.

You said back in the day they would let the cows have their calves outside in the snow and the cold. He said by doing that the cows would grow up stronger and healthier. He said the cows that were born in the winter were always the healthiest cows that produced the most milk.

And he went on and said the cows born during warm weather always had health problems and didn't produce as much milk. My uncle Jerry grew up on this dairy farm and led this area as a life. He knows a lot about dairy farming. I'm from the city and don't know anything about it!

Weather this is true or not I do not know. But it does make a lot of sense. If you're born and grow up and harsh conditions you tend to be tougher and stronger. This is even the case with humans. If anybody has a pity on this please leave a comment in the comment section.

William James Roop

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

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