The Bible and Life

Saturday, May 11, 2024

I'm Done With Church!

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

Here is an article from an unknown author that I wanted to share with you.

🚫 "I'm done with church." 🚫

Have you ever felt this way? Maybe someone at church said or did something that hurt you deeply, and now you're considering walking away altogether. But before you make that decision, consider this:

If someone in your family hurt you, would you quit the whole family? Would you say, "Sorry Mom and Dad, I can't come over for the family meal because my brother will be there and he said something mean to me!" Probably not, right?

And if someone at work hurt your feelings, would you quit your job? Someone at the gym took your machine, would you quit the gym you love to go to? What about if someone at the park looked at you funny? Would you stop going to the park altogether? And if the owner at your favorite restaurant didn't shake your hand one time, would you quit and never go back?

Chances are, you wouldn't.

So why should it be any different with church? Yes, we're all human, and sometimes people in the church hurt us. But let's not let those hurts drive us away from the community that God has called us to be a part of. Many people often claim, "Pastor, God led me to this Church," only to disappear a little later. What happened? Did God change His mind? No, but the Devil was at work.

Sometimes it's rooted in bitterness, sometimes it's the result of backsliding, but if the Church is following the Bible, we must recognize that the excuse is flimsy and we should swallow our pride and stay to help and heal.

Instead of quitting church, let's work through our hurts and conflicts together, just as we would with our families, friends, or colleagues. Let's remember that the church is made up of imperfect people, just like you and me, and let's extend grace and forgiveness to one another.

So if you're feeling hurt or discouraged, reach out to someone you trust at church, whether it's a pastor, a friend, or a small group leader. Let's lean on each other and continue to grow together in our faith journey.

THINK: If you ever choose to depart from a church, it's essential to have a face-to-face conversation with the pastor before leaving. Showing respect to the servant of God by engaging in dialogue and offering the opportunity for prayer is crucial. Anything less than this is cowardice and cannot be justified by claiming that "God led me to leave."

The Devil continually seeks to undermine good, Bible-believing churches and families. We all face temptations to become discouraged, experience misunderstandings, get hurt, and even contemplate quitting. However, these moments aren't when we should succumb to temptation; rather, they're opportunities to draw closer to God and reconcile with others.

Finally, we could fill a football stadium with people who have come and gone from a good, Bible-believing church without valid biblical reasons to depart. Don't be the one who leaves; be the one who stays!

William James Roop

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Transformation

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

This is the most heart touching story that I have read in a long time.

Jim preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story:

It was Easter Sunday, and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people.

As I was sitting there, I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?” We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So, as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.”

He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him.

I asked him, “What’s your name?” “David.” “How long have you been on the street?” “Six years.” “How old are you?” “Thirty-two.” He looked fifty—hair matted, front teeth missing, wino, eyes slightly glazed. “Where did you sleep last night, David?” “Abandoned truck.”

I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking, I’ll give him some money.

I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people; we take them to get something to eat. I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it.

I’m going to die on the street.”

I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels.

But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening. I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!”

Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell.

Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed.

He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days.

He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing, and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford.

A year later, David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.” This past Easter, we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey.

And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.” We can get so full of ourselves.

Lord, thank you for sending others our way. May we never stop seeing them as Your precious children no matter how busy or tired we become. Amen.

William James Roop

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Who Is Your Daddy?

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

Here is a fun story from an unknown author.

Ben Hooper

A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg , TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, 'I hope he doesn't come over here.' But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.

'Where are you folks from?' he asked in a friendly voice.

' Oklahoma ,' they answered.

'Great to have you here in Tennessee ,' the stranger said.. 'What do you do for a living?'

'I teach at a seminary,' he replied.

'Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really great story for you.' And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.

The professor groaned and thought to himself, 'Great ... Just what I need ....another preacher story!'

The man started, 'See that mountain over there? (pointing out the restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?' Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?'

He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad. 'When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, 'Who's your daddy?'

But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.

Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's your daddy?'

The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?'

'This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy.. 'Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now, You are a child of God.'

With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.'

'With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them , 'I'm a Child of God..''

Ben Hooper

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, 'Isn't that a great story?'

The professor responded that it really was a great story!

As the man turned to leave, he said, 'You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!' And he walked away.

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over & asked her, 'Do you know who that man was -- the one who just left that was sitting at our table?'

The waitress grinned and said, 'Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's governor of Tennessee !'

Someone in your life today needs a reminder that they're one of God's children!

William James Roop

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Why Did God Create Evil?

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

Here is a fun story from an unknown author.

THIS…

Why did God create evil? The answer struck me to the core of my soul!

A professor at the university asked his students the following question:

- Everything that exists was created by God?

One student bravely answered:

- Yes, created by God.

- Did God create everything? - a professor asked.

“Yes, sir,” replied the student.

The professor asked :

- If God created everything, then God created evil, since it exists. And according to the principle that our deeds define ourselves, then God is evil.

The student became silent after hearing such an answer. The professor was very pleased with himself.

He boasted to students for proving once again that faith in God is a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said:

- Can I ask you a question, professor?

"Of course," replied the professor.

A student got up and asked:

- Professor, is cold a thing?

- What kind of question? Of course it exists. Have you ever been cold?

Students laughed at the young man's question. The young man answered:

- Actually, sir, cold doesn't exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is actually the absence of heat. A person or object can be studied on whether it has or transmits energy.

Absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit) is a complete absence of heat. All matter becomes inert and unable to react at this temperature. Cold does not exist. We created this word to describe what we feel in the absence of heat.

A student continued:

- Professor, does darkness exist?

— Of course it exists.

- You're wrong again, sir. Darkness also does not exist. Darkness is actually the absence of light. We can study the light but not the darkness. We can use Newton's prism to spread white light across multiple colors and explore the different wavelengths of each color. You can't measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into the world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you tell how dark a certain space is? You measure how much light is presented. Isn't it so? Darkness is a term man uses to describe what happens in the absence of light.

In the end, the young man asked the professor:

- Sir, does evil exist?

This time it was uncertain, the professor answered:

- Of course, as I said before. We see him every day. Cruelty, numerous crimes and violence throughout the world. These examples are nothing but a manifestation of evil.

To this, the student answered:

- Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist for itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is like darkness and cold—a man-made word to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not faith or love, which exist as light and warmth. Evil is the result of the absence of Divine love in the human heart. It’s the kind of cold that comes when there is no heat, or the kind of darkness that comes when there’s no light.

William James Roop

Friday, May 3, 2024

Victor Plymire of Tibet

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

Here is a story about a great Christian that I wanted to share with you.

VICTOR PLYMIRE OF TIBET.

Sometime between 1934-1936, Victor Plymire, a former Christian and Missionary Alliance missionary, in Hong Kong and also in Shanghai.

The Lord spoke to him and said, "Leave your family here and go to Los Angeles."

He asked, "What for?" but the Lord did not tell him He left his family on the mission field and went to Los Angeles where he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit! As a result, his denomination cut off his support.

Plymire then became a faith missionary in Tibet where he took the power of God to thousands of people in the Himalayas. He, his wife, and children rode mules over those mountains, because they had no other way to travel. They went from village to village and preached the power of God.

When I met Plymire, he was about sixty years of age, and the anointing of God was flowing mightily through him out to others. He is typical of the early pioneers in this century who were willing to move forward with God in a new wave of the Holy Spirit.

To be like them, and to be used like them, it is necessary to know what God is doing in every move of the Spirit.

Many good Christians have rejected God's new moves and, consequently, have become stagnant and missed His blessings.

- Dr. Lester Sumrall ( The Pioneers Of Faith )

- JESUS SAVES TV

William James Roop

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

What is Holy Ground?

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

Here is an article that I wanted to share with you.

By calling a place “sanctified” or a “sanctuary”—or claiming that it’s “holy ground”—does not make it true.

Go there. Enjoy! Gather together.

But God is the only one who reserves the right to call a thing holy - not any man. Otherwise, where does it end?

Keep the right perspective.

Christ destroyed the need for a holy physical location!…and every Old Testament location was a type of Christ and/or his church which was to come.

The same goes for the most elegant, old, traditional buildings. It doesn’t matter how beautiful it is - it is not the House of God. I am not saying that to be mean - but when you call the building the House of God - you apply something he reserved and called forth by his own blood to a brick and mortar building.

No place on earth is holy, we are holy.

Nor do we go to places to be more holy, either (John 2:19, Colossians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:20).

This can possibly hurt some feelings, and that’s not my intent - it really shouldn’t hurt when someone insists that we call you - the Christian - for who you really are! You are the true holy sanctuary!!

You are God’s holy ground!!

You are sanctified in full!! Yes, our actions and attitudes are being sanctified but we are not.

Our identity in Christ is final from the millisecond we are born again by obeying Acts 2:38. We will spend the rest of our living days on earth renewing our mind to reveal how holy and complete we actually are!

The Spirit of Christ cannot live in non-sanctified, unholy places—and the Scripture is clear, He lives in us!

We are the temple of God!

Be awake to who you are! He is!

Everything you expect when you “go to church”, realize that it all takes place NOT because of where you are, but because of WHO YOU ARE and who HE IS!

BE the House of God on Monday.

Make Him preeminent all week.

You are complete in Him more than Sunday & Wednesday.

You are a light!

You are an altar!

You are his dwelling place.

Don’t limit HIM to any building.

Be the building.

Assemble!

And don’t limit HIM to the assembly!

William James Roop