Richard Rogers

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Jesus Is Coming In the Clouds Soon (March 31, 2023)

“Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wonderful works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?” (Job 37:16)

In their divinely-crafted beauty, clouds are beheld in many stunning sizes, shapes, and colors. They are all magnificent displays of the matchless artistry of the Almighty God of the universe who made all that exists with mankind as His crowning creation. Our certain hope as followers of Jesus Christ is that one day soon we will meet our Creator in the clouds and will joyfully spend eternity in His presence. Thank You, LORD, for your grace, your love, and your priceless gift of abundant and everlasting life!

“For the LORD Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And there we shall always be with the LORD.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

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Spiritual Nearsightedness (March 30, 2023)

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)

Growing up and for much of my adult life, my eyesight has been impaired by a condition called myopia, or nearsightedness, in which a person has difficulty seeing objects clearly at a distance. Although I still wear corrective lenses to remedy the condition, thankfully, my visual nearsightedness has improved over the years according to my optometrist.
Just as 30-40% of Americans must deal with this physical condition of myopia, many of us, including Christians, suffer from spiritual nearsightedness. From time to time, especially when confronted with hardships and trials, we tend to shift our focus from Almighty God where it should be to the various worldly concerns that distract us and cloud our spiritual vision.

The peace and calm of our lives are bound to be disrupted by raging storms that test our faith. During these stressful times, we are prone to be consumed with trying to fix pressing personal problems ourselves, neglecting to call upon the name of the sovereign God who has promised to guide us through even the most difficult adversity and work all things to our ultimate good.

When life turns sour and our spiritual vision is diminished by worry, fear, and doubt, we must exercise our faith and shift our attention from a worldly to an eternal perspective. Looking beyond our troublesome circumstances, we must focus on Jesus whose guiding light clears our spiritual vision and whose soul-saving gospel gives believers victory over the world and everlasting life.

As the Apostle Paul prayed, let’s ask “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…” (Colossians 1:17-18).

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Not My Will… (March 29, 2023)

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Before His unjustified arrest and brutal crucifixion, Jesus—knowing the extreme suffering that He was about to endure for mankind’s salvation—retreated to the Mount of Olives to take His anguish to His Father in heaven through prayer. While His disciples slumbered nearby in the Garden of Gethsemane, our LORD, showing His humanity, sweat great drops of blood as He pleaded with the Father to make another way if possible. In absolute obedience, however, Christ surrendered His will to that of the heavenly Father and willingly completed the mission for which the Son of God had been sent to earth—to enter humanity as the sinless suffering servant required for the redemption of our sins.

“But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:13)

Many of us have a very low threshold for physical and emotional pain, but occasional suffering is a reality we all must face in a world under demonic influence. As Christians living in a wicked culture that is turning away from God and rejecting the absolute truth of His Word, we are bound to face growing ridicule and persecution. We have been relatively fortunate in America, but eventually, we may be subjected to threats of imprisonment and death because of our faith like many fellow believers around the world. We must do God’s will regardless of the temporal affliction that it may bring. As suffering saints, we can be joyful in tribulation, knowing that, being partakers of Christ’s sufferings, we will ultimately share in the glory of our risen LORD!

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

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Be a Worldly Non-conformist (March 28, 2023)

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

We live in a world that increasingly demands conformity and compliance to ungodly standards. Remember those school days when seeking popularity among our peers, we sought to fit in, to be cool, and to be a part of the student groups and cliques that are so common. Today, there is mounting pressure on each of us to be politically correct, to conform to the expectations of the world, and to adopt the prevailing attitudes, practices, and behaviors of a society that is rapidly moving away from Christian morals and values that used to flourish in the United States and upon which this once God-fearing nation was established. A modern society that seeks to glorify man not God insists that we conform to a new and evolving set of moral standards that are largely contrary to biblical truth and godly wisdom.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD.” (Psalms 1:1-2)

Christians face the daily challenge of life in a pagan culture that seeks to impose itself upon us. While we live in an immoral world, we’re not supposed to become part of it. Rather than blend in, we’re called to stand out from the worldly crowd by showing everyone with whom we cross paths the love of Jesus Christ and shining His light into the dark shadows where evil lurks. We won’t win any popularity contests, but believers are called to stand up and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, share our faith and the absolute truth of God’s Word. Our primary concern should be not what the world thinks but what God thinks! While we are to respect authority and practice good citizenship, God is our highest authority and His Word must be our guide. When confronted with today’s evil influences, the Bible instructs us to be worldly non-conformists!

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

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Why? (March 27, 2023)

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11) (NIV)

Sooner or later, we are all confronted with circumstances that we do not understand, and, as we scratch our heads in confusion, the first question that generally comes to mind is “Why?” This is especially true when seasons of hardship and trial come into our lives, leaving us distraught, even devastated, and prompting us to search desperately for answers. Often, we cry out to God, begging to know why He permitted unwelcome trouble or tragedy to disrupt the serenity that we feel when things are going well. Reality teaches that we must go through deep, dark valleys that we may bitterly detest in order to get to the lofty mountain peaks that we certainly desire.

Throughout God’s Word, the three-letter question “Why?” is asked by many prominent biblical figures who were puzzled by the plight in which they found themselves. Sent by God to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land, Moses prayed, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?” (Exodus 5:22) (NKJV) Reflecting His humanity, God’s Son, the incarnate Jesus Christ, cried out from the cross, quoting from Messianic prophecy recorded by David in Psalm 22, saying “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) (NKJV)

Until we see Jesus face to face, we may never know the “whys” of many of the adversities that life in a fallen world is sure to impose upon us. As believers, however, we know that God is in control and that He has a purpose for every trying issue of life that we must face. We must focus on the LORD rather than the difficult circumstances that test our faith, knowing that nothing can disrupt our lives without His divine permission. We won’t always understand, but as followers of Christ, we do know that God is trustworthy. Recalling His past faithfulness in our times of distress, we must trust and obey Him, clinging steadfastly to His countless wonderful promises!

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) (NKJV)