“Out of the Darkness into the Light!”

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

 Zechariah 4:6

Luke 15:11-32

By promptings of the Holy Spirit, when I was a young man the Lord lead me to the truth and to the restored Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As years went by I grew in the gospel and matured as a young man, but pride, the spirit of offense and un-forgiveness entered my heart, which cause me to drift away from the Church.

For past 38 years, I have been wandering the desert and doing my own thing, like “prodigal son.” While in that desert, I kept seeking God’s face to suffice the emptiness in my soul. I long for the truth, but as years went by I continue to circle that mountain in the middle of that barren region and always coming up empty handed. Oh how I hungered after God! I tried several things and religions, but nothing would suffice that hunger and hole in my soul. I kept pushing along for I was seeking the love from my Heavenly Father. Along this trail this last year in this wilderness and through the mercies of God I was led back to the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel.

On July 2, 2011, I was re-baptized into the Kingdom God and on July 3, 2011, I was confirmed and I received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  On that glorious day, my Heavenly Father led back into the Promised Land. He swooped me into His arms and kissed me on my cheek as father did in the parable of the “Prodigal Son.” That night He placed the ring on my hand, by ordaining me to the Melchizedek Priesthood to office of Elder. It is good to be home again! Praise God!

I know without of shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ is head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and He died for sins. I know also that my Heavenly Father loves me and He has forgiven me of all my sins. He is truly the God of second and third chances. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and he was instrument to restore the true Church. I know the Bible and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know President Thomas S. Monson is our present-day prophet, seer and revelator. But most all I know deeply in my heart that our merciful Heavenly Father loves us because we are His children. I say these things in Jesus name. Amen! 

Elder Kevin Anderson, Me (Steve), Elder Bo Ingram & wife Deanna

Elder Benjamin Preisendorf, Elder Kevin Anderson, Me (Steve), Elder Bo Ingram, Elder Greg Lachaga & my wife Deanna Rogers

"Happy Father's Day - My Heavenly Father!"

Twenty-two years ago, my father passed away on Father’s Day. I never had close relationship with my dad. My dad was character and had a weird philosophy for life. My parents divorce when I was young and after the divorce he was hardly around. I had suffered abandonment issues and emotional abuse too. Also there were times he didn’t financially support us five kids. Over the years I grew to hate my dad. Many of times I wished he would disappear off the face of the earth. Even though I hated my father, I still loved him because he was my father. That is why it hurt so much.

One of the greatest things that happen to me was when I was 16 yrs old; I was converted to the LDS Church. It was during this time period, I developed a relationship with my Heavenly Father. My Heavenly Father broke through the hardness of my heart and He became my Heavenly Abba my Heavenly Daddy. Since that moment He worked on my heart and my deliverance.

One day while I was praying and seeking forgiveness for some sins that I had committed. The Lord spoke into my spirit and said the following "I died for your father on Calvary too!" Wow those words hit me hard and broke through my hardness and right then and there I forgave my father. The Lord gave a new love for my dad.

Over the next following years my Heavenly Father worked on my emotions and my heart. Shortly after my son Jason was born, the Lord led me to ask my dad for forgiveness for my past hatred. I was prayed up and I went to my dad's place to seek his forgiveness. I poured out my heart to my dad and shared with him why I use to hate him. I even shared with him that one point in my life I want to get a 5-pound bag of sugar and pour it in his gas tank of his new Cadillac, so I could hurt him where it counted. But thank God I didn't. After I was done confessing, I asked for his forgiveness.

I was expecting a complete healing between my dad and I. I was hoping that there would be forgiveness and hugs, but it didn't go that way, My father said to me, "Steve you may have legitimate reasons for hating me, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing," Wow! That was like a hit in my gut and it tore me apart. But thank God, I was prayed up in my spirit. I didn't lose my cool and the Lord spoke to me and said "You did what I told you to do, so leave it My hands now."

The following years the Lord just gave me a love for dad and I made sure I spoke to him on weekly bases or send him notes and cards too. With in the two years my dad was at death's door. On his deathbed, he asked for forgiveness and he got his heart right with the Lord and he died peacefully. Those last days with my dad were the closes I felt. I had peace in my heart that some day in the hereafter I will have the relationship with my dad that I always wanted.

I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father delivered me for all that hatred and bitterness. Shortly after my dad's death, I was in prayer and I saw in my spirit me standing at foot of my Heavenly Father's thrown and I saw myself crawling on my Heavenly Father's lap with my face pressed against His bosom and He was filling me with His love. 

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for filling me with His love. It was His love that made me whole.  I am now looking forward in having my parents sealed in the Temple and I myself being sealed to them.

I am grateful that I have a Heavenly, who loves me and cares for me. Happy Father’s Day – my Heavenly Father!

 

                            Also Happy Father’s Day Dad!

“Be One In Accord and Purpose”

 “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  Ecclesiastes 4:12

When we are by ourselves, the enemy of our soul can easily attack us and cause to fall to the wayside and eventually cause us to lose our salvation.  In the above scripture, it says when there are two of us; we can withstand the wiles of the devil. In 1 Peter 5:8 it states that devil is like roaring lion and seeks whom he can devour. So when the two us are together we are stronger because we are united to fight off the devil attacks, especially if we are in unity and in purpose. It also says in above scripture a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken. That third part of that cord is Jesus Christ. With Him being part of that cord, the enemy can’t destroy us. In Romans 8, it says if God is for us, who can be against us. It also says that nothing can separate us from His love. Because of Him, we are more then conquerors for we can do all things through Christ strengthen us. 

We need to be in one accord and one in purpose in our daily walks. Another words Jesus has to be the center in our lives and in our relationships. In gospel of Matthew 18:20, Jesus says the following, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” When He is in the midst of us, there is love, unity and peace. When He is in the center, we can move forward in doing the Lord’s work. I have two Mormon missionaries friends and they are walking in unity, love and purpose, because Jesus is the center in their lives and they are about doing His will. Since they are walking in one accord, the Lord is opening doors for them to minister the Word of God. The fields are white and ready to harvest and all they have to do is put their sickle to the field and bring in the harvest.

I would like to encourage you to put Jesus daily in the center of your life and in the following areas: your relationships, your work place and in all that you do. We put Jesus on the thrown of our hearts, but due to our own pride and ego, we push Him off the thrown. When that happens, we go off track and lose our way and fall into sin. So when that happens, I would encourage you to repent and place Him again on thrown of your heart. Another words let Jesus take the driver seat in your car and let Him do the driving. He will take you to the places so you can be His living epistles. What better way can one share His love?

 

“Brother and Sister Sandpaper”

  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34,35

 ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:39b

 Have you ever notice that the Lord places in our lives, certain people in order to challenge our daily walk in the Lord? When were around these person, one cannot help witness their character flaws. Their flaws are blaring in our faces and cause us to point our fingers at them and make judgment on them. As we point our fingers at them, one cannot help notice that same hand were pointing with has three fingers pointing back at us. They are pointing back to us to show us that we have same problem in our lives.

These flaws are sins in our lives that we need to repent of, in order for us to grow become the person Our Heavenly Father wants us to be. Sometimes these individuals can drive us up the wall because they get on our last nerve. The reason why they are getting on our nerves because the Lord is using this person as a piece of sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges. The sandpaper causes to repent and change our ways all together. It will hurt for a while, but the benefits are worth it.

What are some of those rough edges are like our pride, anger, un-forgiveness, selfishness, and etc. The Lord is using this person, so we can repent and change our ways. I would like to share an experience that I had several years ago. The Lord was using this certain individual to teach me love, patience, long suffering and endurance to see things through.

Several years back, I was a pastor of pastoral care and work with a person who was my sister sandpaper. This person was the Church’s secretary. This person was my best friend’s girlfriend and they both tie the knot in marriage. At first this certain individual and I were best friends too, but as the Lord raised me to certain positions in the church, problems came between us. Her attitude towards me was cold, indifferent and sarcastically at times. I felt, I had to walk on eggshells around her and made my life at times like living hell. I had office in the basement and I would stay in there to avoid her all together. At times I was damn if I did and damn if I didn’t.

This all came to ahead on this particular night when I visiting the both of them at best friend’s place. I said something innocently and this person attitude towards me turn to anger and very cold towards me. I had just about had enough of it and I left my friend’s place. His apartment was about fifty feet away from my house. By time I got into my place I was full rage of anger. I am a person that doesn’t get anger that easy and if I do I am over it all together easily. Well that night I was full steam and I had reached my breaking point. When I enter my door, my daughter told me that church secretary was on the phone. So I got the phone and she started to apologize, but I told her that wasn’t accepting it and that I had enough of it and I didn’t want anything to do with her. I felt justified in my anger and it felt good too. I would be damn to be treated that way again.

The next morning, I still felt justified, but the Lord was working on my heart. I started to be convicted about my anger, but I was trying to rationalize it, so I could how onto to it.

As I was being convicted, I called my prayer partner to see if I was justified on holding on this anger. Thank God, I have godly prayer partner. She encourage me to enter my prayer closet and ask the Lord’s help in this matter so my heart can be changed.

So I went into my prayer closet and got on my knees and ask the Lord to change my attitude. I was on my knees for least half hour pleading with the Lord and I ask Our Heavenly Father to give a love for that person. As I got off my knees, I was consumed with love for this person. As it says in 2 Nephi 4:21 “He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.” I called this person and made arrangements to see her later. We both asked each other for forgiveness when meet later that afternoon.

In following days this person’s attitude didn’t change and at times it got worse. But my attitude towards her did change all together. I had a godly love for her and no matter what she threw my way, I return it with love. I not only showed her love, but also went out of my way to bless her. It says in Proverbs 25:22 “For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.” My actions were consume with love for this person and showered her honor and encouragement. A year went by and nothing changed, until this particular morning. This person asked to speak to me and when she did one can see her heart was changed too. She asked for forgiveness and it was there all ready. We both cried and embraced and we felt the love of Lord consumed the both of us. This person always shared that my love and kindness made it difficult for her to hold on her ill feelings. That morning the Lord restored the both of us.

I learn through my sister sandpaper to love unconditionally, patience, long suffering and encouragement. It is my prayer when brother and sister sandpaper shows up in your life, enter your prayer closet and ask Our Heavenly Father to give you a love for this person and when He does, step aside and watch God’s miracle.     

“Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart!”

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.  Hebrews 13:15

In an earlier blog, I talked about the “Prayer Closet”. In which I encourage one to find a place and make that your “Prayer Closet” and seek Our Heavenly Father on daily bases. It is good to retreat to our special place and seek His face through out the day, for we were created to hunger after God and to commune with Him.

We know Our Heavenly Father is a good God and He loves to bless us His children. In Matthew 7:7-8, it says,  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”. Then in Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus states the following, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

We as His children love going to Our Heavenly Father in prayer to ask Him to bless us or ask Him to grant the desires of our heart. For we know that nothing is impossible with God. He like any good father loves to shower blessings on us, but the only problem is our prayers are self-center and they are selfish too. We come consume with our own selfish desires that we fail to see the whole picture. We love to flee into our prayer closet and fall on our knees and shoot our mouth off like gallant gun and saying ‘give me this or give me that.” By hearing this prayer, one cannot help to witness how selfish our prayers are.

But what Our Heavenly Father desires for us to have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. He also desires for us to have a thankful and grateful heart. He loves it when we kneel or sit before Him and express our gratitude for all that He has done for us. When we praise Him our prayers ceases to be self-center because we are focusing on Him. When we praise Him, Our Heavenly Father’s heart is moved to a greater passion. It is easier to bless someone who grateful for all blessings they have. On a personal note, I as a father love blessing my children, but I love even more when show their gratitude, because it moves me to shower them even more.

One would ask why we should have a grateful heart and the answer is simple. He loved us first and He sent us His only begotten Son to save us and He redeem and us from the fall. Jesus died on the cross to pay the bill for our sins. His death cancelled out our debt and gave us the gift of eternal life. These two gifts alone should cause us to bless Him and praise Him. Like it says in Psalm 150:1-6  “PRAISE ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp Praise him with the tumbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals .Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD”. This psalm is telling us to praise Him with our whole being. Our praise should be “Thank you Lord for giving me Your Son and loving me enough to redeem me and for forgiving me for all of my sins. Each day of our lives should be like celebrating Christmas and Easter in one.

We should be grateful for all blessings that He has given us. Such as our families, our homes, our jobs, our health, our victories and the list can go on. We should be grateful even the situations that we are experiencing, because Our Heavenly Father working something out for us, so we can grow and mature and become person he wants us to be. The lesson can teach us the love the mercy of God and knowing that nothing is impossible with God.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in 2 Chronicles 20. The people of Moab and the Ammonites were attacking Judah. They surrounded the city of Jerusalem and planning on destroying it. King Jehoshaphat was consumed with fear and sought God’s face and proclaims a fast for the Land of Judah. The Spirit of the Lord came upon one son’s Levi and told them the battle wasn’t theirs, but God’s. The Lord also told them that there was no need for them to fight this battle and He told them to stand still and see the salvation of God. Then King Jehoshaphat appointed singers unto the Lord. In verse 21 it says: “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever,” When they began to sing and praise the Lord, the Lord set a ambush against Moab and Ammonites. They were defeated and destroyed. After the battle Judah for three days gathered all spoils.

On personal note, I love to sing and praise God on daily bases. When I praise Him, it lifts up my spirits and makes my day go better. I like sitting in my prayer closet and I will sing various songs and hymns to my Heavenly Father. I also like to make up my own words as I sing and praise. I would like to encourage to take time out your busy day and sit before the Lord and praise Him, I would encourage you to stand still and see God move on your behalf.

"The Love of My Life!"

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”

Proverbs 18:22



This coming Monday April 25, 2011 is my 30^th Wedding Anniversary. It seems like just yesterday my wife Deanna and I exchange our wedding vows at my grandmother’s house and yet it seems like eons ago. I can testify to the above scripture that finding my lovely wife was and is good thing. I am a firm believer that Our Heavenly Father has a mate for each one of us and it is up to us to be sensitive to promptings of the Holy Ghost to find our mate. In the next few lines I will share with in how Lord lead me to meet my wife.

Over the years I had gone on several dates and had crushes on some beautiful young ladies, but nothing came out of it. When I was 28 years old, I ran into a two-year dry period and I came up with the notion that I will never find my mate. I resigned to the fact that I would be single for the rest of my life and if it was meant for me to have a wife; I placed that in Our Heavenly Father’s hands’.

In 1979, I moved into my first apartment without having a roommate and I was enjoying my own space and my bachelorship. It was Memorial Day weekend; I was looking out my bedroom window when I saw this attractive lady and her daughter moving boxes out their car. At first sight I was smitten and in my spirit I felt she was the one. Deanna and Michelle were moving in the apartment above me. I went down and I introduced myself and offered my services in helping her to move her boxes. When I looked in Deanna’s eyes. I fell in love with those beautiful blue eyes and I knew she was the one. One could say I melted as I gazed into eyes. After moving her boxes in, I invited her in for a fresh pot of coffee. As we drank our coffee we became instant friends and also with daughter Michelle. I found out later that Dee fell in love with me that same day and she knew I was the one for her. On August 15, 1980, I proposed to Deanna and we became engaged. Being a modern couple of the 80’s, we end living together as a family for short period of time. On our wedding night, I felt the Lord blessed our union and He became part of our marriage. The following web link is a link to our special song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STbB8M2dIlo&feature=related

A couple years after our Wedding Day, on Sweetest Day in October of 1983, I wrote this following poem.

“My Darling Wife”

by C. Stephen Rogers

I sit and ponder my life was before,

And the joy I feel is like a rare wine that is flowing over its’ goblet.

My job is being in love with a beautiful wife,

A wife that has given me life and reason to rejoice.

Before you came into my life, it was a world of darkness,

A world of corruption, anxiety and fear.

But now I have meaning and for being alive.

I was like stagnated water, and through your love, I was purified and refreshen.

 

When I have my arms around you, the feelings are hard to describe.

It is like I have the world wrapped in my arms.

When I look at you, my heart jumps several beats

When my lips are pressed to yours, my darling wife,

The passion I feel are like bombs bursting in mid-air.

Yes, my dear Deanna, I am in love with you.

When I think I have reached the bottom of that well of love

I find it goes deeper and deeper.

The love I feel is complete and ever rejoicing and over flowing.

I love thee dear wife and I have counted the ways.

And the ways spell love for you and only for you.

I can testify that Our Heavenly Father has brought us together and He has blessed our union by giving us four beautiful and fantastic children. And He also blessed us with five beautiful grandchildren. Yes Deanna and I had our problems over the years, but it is those periods one stands firm and put one’s hand to the plow and then you move forward trusting God to work it out for you. As I told Dee over the years she is only one could make me the maddest and same token the happiest. I remember way back, Dee and I were going through a dry period in our marriage and we just kept moving on. Then all suddenly I looked at Dee sleeping on the couch and silently snoring away and that instant I fell in love with her all over again.

I am blessed man to have my beautiful wife standing at my side for past 30 years, and I am looking forward to next 30 years, if God is willing. It also my heart’s desire to take Deanna to Lord’s Temple and being sealed for all time and eternity. Deanna is not only love of my life, but she is my best friend. In conclusion I leave following link to a web page that expresses our love for each other.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NSzwflkF3w&NR=1



The Seed of Faith

“God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” Romans 12:3b

 “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ Matthew 17:20 b

When each of us came into this world, Our Heavenly Father has given us the same measure of faith. It is left up to us to exercise this faith so it can grow to accomplish what set out before us. A good example of faith is that Our Heavenly Father gave us muscles and we need to exercise those muscles, or we become weak and useless and we fail to accomplish our goals. In our daily lives and through out our years we have various seasons of trails to exercise our faith.

As world has seasons, so does our faith. In the spring we plant the seed of faith, we give it much prayer and hope to see it burst forth into life. As we see the seed take root in the solid ground and take hold, so does our faith take hold. We continue to cultivate the ground, giving it the right ingredients and nourishments in order for the seed to spring into life.

With much prayer, the seed grows from a small seedling into a stem that grows into a larger and more stronger plant. As we see the plant grow, so does our faith grow also. It grows to a point that our faith and belief become larger than anything we face. Then we can say to that mountain, “Be gone” and it is gone, for our faith was greater and larger than the mountain. As the mountain is moved so is our faith moved into a stronger, deeper relationship with our Father in Heaven. 

In James 2:26 b says “So faith without works is dead also.” Several years ago, I faced one of the biggest trails in my life. My youngest daughter Megan caught staff infection from the nursery in the hospital. She was a week old and my wife was changing her diaper. As she changed her diaper, Deanna spotted a large blister on private area and it busted and started to bleed. The both of us rushed her the hospital and we found that she contacted a staff infection while she was in the nursery. She was fifth child that came in contact with it. We were told that she would have be placed in isolation and put on strong antibiotics too. We were also told that she would be the isolation for at least couple weeks to a month and if the infection went into her blood system, she would end dying. I can’t begin to describe the feelings my wife and I felt seeing our little girl lay there hopeless with several IV’s coming out of her.

Right away, I went into my prayer closet and I sought God’s face. As I was praying, I felt led to call Elders of our Church so Megan could receive a blessing. The Elders came and they blessed my little girl. Within three days the infection was gone and we were able to take her home. It wasn’t the Elder’s that healed her, because they were vessels that our God used to bring out the miracle. As I am saying this, I am not giving myself credit that took place, but it was my faith in God. I knew without shadow of doubt that nothing is impossible with my God. In times in past He was faithful and I knew that He would be faithful again.

I would like to encourage you to cultivate your faith and believe that nothing is impossible with Our Heavenly Father. As you pray and put your faith in Our Heavenly Father, step aside and believe and mighty hand God move on your behalf. Remember He is no respecter of persons and that He is faithful and awesome God. Also it is our faith that moves Our Heavenly Father.

Click on following link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Y5Me61oKM