Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises

Spring 2019 Volume 40, No. 2

Family Altar Newsletter

1Family Altar Newsletter

ANNIVERSARY75 YearsThe Story of My Life

to get some training, with fear and trembling, I picked up my old King James Version Bible and took a Jersey milk cow, and went off to Baylor University to milk my way through school in order to get my room and board. I suffered through the hardest year of my life. The doctor said that I would never be able to preach because of my physical condition. But at six o’clock each morning, I would meet my little cow down at the cow shed in the middle of the block, where a big dormitory now stands at Baylor University, and would begin my day in prayer.

On August 10, 1936, I married Marie Brady in the First Baptist Church of Galveston, Texas. Mrs. Roloff and I were blessed with two daughters and eight grandchil-dren.

I started out preaching on the streets of Waco, in the jails, in the old folks’ home, in churches, or anywhere I got an opportunity to preach. After graduating from Baylor, we moved to Fort Worth where I attended Southwestern Seminary for three years.

Our first pastorate was at Prairie Grove in Limestone County and then Navarro Mills in Navarro County. The next was Shiloh Baptist Church, my home church where I was saved under the ministry of Brother W.A. Cockrell. Our next pastorates were in Purdon, Texas; Trinidad, Texas; Magnolia Park Baptist Church in Houston; and the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. Six months after we came to Corpus Christi, the Park Avenue Baptist Church building burned, and then we bought new property and transferred the location to Furman Avenue, and re-named the church the Second Baptist Church.

On June 28, 1914, I was born on a farm in Navarro County about ten miles south of Dawson, Texas, which is between Corsicana and Waco, and south of Dallas. I went to a little one-room schoolhouse in my dad-dy’s north field and then transferred to Dawson High School where I graduated. I was the sickliest member of the Roloff family among three boys: Melvin, Edell, and Lester, and I was the youngest of the three.

My mother and dad worked hard and taught us boys to work and to be honest. My dad ruled the roost and told us in no uncertain terms what we could do and couldn’t do. It was during a revival that I did not want to attend that I got saved, but my life found no direc-tion until one night, during one of my sick spells, when the Lord dealt with my heart about the call to preach. I became afraid and turned pale enough that my moth-er started toward the old-fashioned telephone to call the doctor. As best I remember, I said, “Mama, that’s not the Doctor I need tonight.” And there, in that long hall of that old ranch house, I promised God that if He would let me live, the sun would come up on a preach-er the next morning. He gave me the best night’s sleep I had experienced in many months. I walked out the next morning, weak in body, and looked across my daddy’s south field and waved goodbye. From that day until this, I have never doubted God’s call to preach as His will for my life.

The year after God called me to preach, and after I had graduated from high school, we faced a mighty depres-sion. I worked on the farm for seven cents an hour, hauling hay for neighbors for seventy-five cents a day—four dollars and twenty-five cents a week. I even went to west Texas and picked cotton. But determined

Lester Roloff

Continued on p. 3

2 Live-stream 24/7 on roloff.org

Ruthie Bogue by Ruby Jo Patton

John Michael Downs by Scott Murphy Family

L.C. & Phyllis Easterling by Robert Easterling

Margaret Fritts by Harry Fritts

Percy Jeane by Marjorie Jeane, wife by Joy Knox, daughter by Scott Murphy Family

Laura W. Kane by William Kane

Jimmie Lindley by Bill Lindley

Jim Mallett by Arlene Mallett

Ruth H. Miller, sister by Ann Miller

MemorialsWe remember and honor:

Quotable Quotes from

Brother Roloff“The whole armor of God is an uncomfortable

uniform for an easy chair.”

“If you go against the grain of God’s laws, don’t complain when you get splinters.”

“Learn to trust Him even when you can’t track Him.”

“When we obey God’s instructions, He will take care of the obstructions.”

“Faith regulates your feelings, but your feelings never regulate your faith.”

“I’d rather be a fool for Jesus than a tool for the devil.”

“If you don’t want the fruit of sin, stay out of the devil’s orchard.”

“We don’t need to re-write the Bible; we just need to re-read it.”

“When you’re out of Bible order, you’re out of Bible blessing.”

“God does not expect us to understand all the Bible, but He does expect us to believe it.”

“If you run with the dogs, you’re sure to have fleas.”

“We are all writing something in the sands of time for someone else to read.”

“A man who makes plans only for this life is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.”

“Salvation is all of God. The Father thought it. The Son bought it. The Holy Spirit wrought it.”

“God is too good to do wrong and too wise to make a mistake.”

Tammy & Lisa Peyton by Kay Riggs, mother

Brother Roloff by Anonymous by Julia Crane Dubose by Rev. Cham McMillen by Kay Riggs

Patty Smith by Arlene Mallett

Johnny Tippit by Arlene Mallett

Wayne & Gladys Traylor by Jack & Karin Traylor

Eve Mae Ward, sister by Col. & Mrs. Richard MacCormack

John Y. Yoder by Aaron W. Cowden

75 Years of Music“Singing was a big part of Brother Roloff ’s life. Some people loved it, and some people couldn’t stand it! But he loved to sing, and he had to sing! He always seemed to have a theme song. When he went to Bible college, he adopted the song “Keep in Touch with Jesus.” When he started the Family Altar Program, his two theme songs for the broadcast were “Then Jesus Came” and “The Stranger by the Sea.” After he started the homes and the church, he heard the song “Living by Faith.” He adopted it as the theme song for all of his ministries. Ever since I’ve known him, the one song that, every time I hear it, I think of Brother Roloff is “God Leads Us Along.” I’ve seen him go through many sorrows and many joys, and this was his song each time.” Ida Cavitt“Miss Ida” dedicated her life to the Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises, serving as Brother Roloff ’s secretary and office manager until the Lord called her home in 2008.

The 75th Anniversary CD features favorite musical selections sung by Lester Roloff. This CD is free during 2019 with

a donation of any amount. Please mention “Anniversary CD” when you write to us.

3Family Altar Newsletter

Roloff Evangelistic EnterprisesLater we built the Alameda Baptist Church, which was our first independent church. Then we pastored the People’s Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas.

When we came to Corpus Christi in 1944, I felt a burden for a radio ministry and started on a 250-watt station. We were kicked off of it ten months later because of our stand against liquor, and soon after the Lord enabled us to broadcast on a 50,000 watt station twice a day.

There are some outstanding times in my life; the first, of course, was when I was saved. The second was when God called me to preach. The third one was when I said, “Lord, why can’t I live by faith and walk by faith?” to which He said, “Help yourself!” I did not know the price or the cost at that time, and I am glad I didn’t. I climbed down off the totem pole of denominational prestige and acceptance and recognition and honor, and stepped outside the denominational gate. One day, after praying with our janitor for enough money to make a down payment on a place to live in Corpus Christi, I asked God for a tent and vans to go into full-time tent evangelism. I went to the post office and came back with a check for five thousand dollars! It was from a precious farmer friend who said, “I had a feeling you needed this. Take it, and use it, and pay it back when you can.”

That was the beginning, or at least the continuation, of the greatest and most thrilling life of faith this country boy could ever know. Many—yes, far too many—to ever tell in this brief story are the experiences of how God has honored faith.

Navarro Mills Tabernacle

Liberty Bell Quartet

Brother and Mrs. Roloff

Shiloh Baptist Church: where Brother Roloff was saved

“The Big Tent”

Thank you for making the Family Altar Program possible. Here’s my tax-deductible gift of $_______________

Live-stream 24/7 on roloff.org4

Mailbox

Contact Us:Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises

PO Box 100 * Fort Thomas, AZ 85536361-289-9215

Email: office@roloff.orgwww.roloff.org

You can listen to the Family Altar Program 24/7 on our website or download the free app for your

phone or tablet!

Make checks payable to: Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises

Credit Card Information: ________________________________________ CREDIT CARD # ________________________________________ EXP. DATE CSC# (3 digit code) _________________________________________ NAME ON CARD

_____________________________________________ PHONE #

_____________________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS

ONE TIME GIFT RECURRING MONTHLY GIFT

“Thank you for sharing the old-fashioned preaching that is so needed in this changing world. Bless you as you minister to the needs of sinners saved by grace.” -N.M

“God bless you, and please keep Pastor Roloff ’s broadcast on the air. They are much needed today.” -H.M.

“I’m reading [Brother Roloff ’s] biography by his wife. I love listening to him on 88.7 FM Oakland at 10:30 every morning. Some-times I hear him twice if I have a night I can’t sleep. He is on in the middle of the night. Even though he has been in Heaven many years, his messages are never old.” -H.H.

“I have been a friend and follower of the work of Brother Roloff since I was 15 years old. I am now 55. I appreciate the fact that you offer copies of Brother Roloff ’s messages on your site. I am so very grateful you offer “Dr. Law and Dr. Grace.” Nobody out there that I have listened to teaches the real Gospel truth the way that Bro. Roloff did, and—thru the continuation of his work via radio and the internet—STILL does.” -P.M.

“I started to listen to the Family Altar Program around 1975. I do thank the Lord for the great work you are doing. I will be praying for you and the ministry. -A.D.

“I miss this preacher. I got saved in his service long ago.” -W.D.

MAY IS LETTER MONTH! WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Psalm 105:1 “Make known His deeds among the people”