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Rogers Update 8/1/2017
August 1, 2017
Dear Friends,

Proverbs 16 teaches a basic principle that man makes his plans, but God decides.  James further says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  (Jas 4:14-15)  Both these passages teach that no one is really in control of what is ahead.  God decides.  Here is the story:

I have been in Utah since June 16th and everything has gone very well.  I spent the first three weeks at Santaquin Baptist Church teaching through the book of Habakkuk.  During the first week I also taught Bible at their VBS program with a theme that Jesus is the Good Shepherd!



Please don’t laugh out loud!

It was a great week and several decisions were made.  Pray the Lord will open doors in the follow up of these precious children!  (The daily average was 40 children including quite a few from a local polygamous community.)

After Santaquin, I did a Bible Conference at Grace Baptist Church in Randolph, a small rural town in North East Utah.  I taught on “How to Break Out of Church and Serve the Lord!”  I had a great time there.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been staying in the upstairs apartment of Faith Baptist Church in Spanish Fork.  For those who are unaware, this is the church I started while in Utah.  The people here have been so gracious to let me stay in the apartment for the remainder of the time I am in Utah.  I did speak at Faith Baptist the first Sunday I was in the apartment and have been speaking in the mid-week services. 

The second Sunday I spoke at First Baptist Church in Nephi, also a rural community in the middle of Utah.  During these weeks, I have had wonderful opportunities to meet with many people who are becoming close friends.  I hope I have been an encouragement to them as they have been to me.  I have also had additional opportunities to be involved in counseling.  This is a great privilege!

But life does not always follow the plans we have so carefully laid out.  Last week I was not feeling well.  I just thought I was being tired and possibly my pancreas was acting up.  It does that on occasion.  Saturday night I was having dinner with some close friends, but I was overwhelmed with exhaustion.  I excused myself and went back to the apartment to rest so I would be ready for the next day services.  I started to undress for bed when I discovered that all of my upper body on the right side was covered in a rash.  I had a terrible night with developing pain and went to the emergency room the next morning.  (I had to cancel the meetings at the church I was scheduled to speak at.)  I was diagnosed with a severe case of Shingles!  I couldn’t believe it. 

Shingles is for old people – wait a minute – I am 62 years old!  The doctor gave me a shot and several prescriptions.  He also told me it was going to get worse.  He strongly urged me to cancel the rest of my trip, rest for a few days, and go home.  He told me that someone should drive me home to Indiana.

The doctor was right.  The last few days have been miserable.  Monday I watched the Shingles travel down my arm six inches in two hours.  Everyone here in Utah has been fantastic.  They are checking on me regularly, have brought me food and medicine, and have been praying for me.  I had to cancel my final meeting at a church this Sunday and the last Mid-week service for Faith Baptist.  (I have rarely canceled services due to sickness.  I have preached with the pancreas hurting, after neck surgery, and with pneumonia.  This time I had no choice.)  The pastors of the churches were very understanding.

Beabea is flying out Saturday and will drive me home.  Pray that all will go well without difficulties.  I am following the orders from the doctor, and all my friends who care for me have also given me orders.  If I go outside of the apartment, I feel as if I should cry aloud, “Unclean, unclean!”  At first I wanted to react in the flesh and counsel God on why this whole incident was not in His best interest – that I could do the ministry better if I was not sick.  Then I thought of Job and I realized that this could not have come by mistake.  God does know what He is doing, and He is so worthy of my trust.  He is also much smarter than me.  (I know, tell you something you don’t know!)

I am so thankful that most of the people who receive this email will be praying for Beabea and me as we travel home.  I have watched God answer your prayers so many times.  One final prayer request.  Pray that the Lord will use this in my life to draw me close to Him.  There is a divine purpose in all of this, and I don’t want to miss out!

In sack cloth and ashes with blisters and boils (that is maybe a little over dramatic),

John

 

John (and Beabea) Rogers
jtrbem@gmail.com
 
7265 West 320 South
Russiaville, IN 46979
Home: (765) 889-3264
Cell:     (765) 753-0056

Commissioning Church: Shepherd Road Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1054, Mulberry, FL  33860

Barnabas Enrichment Ministries
P.O. Box 229
Elkhart, IN 46515-0229

(765) 667-2532

Please send all financial gifts to Barnabas Enrichment Ministries with a note designating the gift for the ministry of John & Beabea Rogers.

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