David M Rogers
"The Web Servant"
Who is This Guy, Anyway?
By David M Rogers
www.BibleTruth.cc
Updated: September 2011
Table of Contents
A little bit about the author of BibleTruth.cc. I am a real person. Though presenting on the Internet, I am not hiding behind it.
My name is David M Rogers. I am a 1976 graduate of North High School in Eastlake, OH where I was a basketball giant, and a 1982 graduate of Liberty Baptist College (now called Liberty University) in Lynchburg, Virginia with a B.S. in Pastoral Ministries and minors in Greek and Theology. The teachings I set forth in this website bear very little resemblance to the systematic theology that is propagated at Liberty. My pilgrimage has brought me out of that religious establishment and many of its dogmas.
Heading into college, I was Baptist
through and through. I loved the doctrine of the
imminent, pre-trib rapture, because I was excited about the prospects of
the sudden, unannounced return
of Jesus. So, in my first year at Liberty,
I was zealous for "the LORD" (whom I then knew him as) and especially
for the rapture, and I decided that I was going to "master" an
understanding of the rapture. As I studied the topic from reading the
pertinent passages in the KJV, I kept
thinking, "I really don't see these 'proofs' that the preachers are
attaching to these several passages of 'rapture' Scriptures."
Then I picked up an NIV and read the applicable texts. They read very
clearly like I thought the KJV was really saying. Without the
influence of anyone, but only through study and meditation of the Word
alone, my conclusion: there
is no such thing as a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. The Bible, properly interpreted, simply does not
teach such a doctrine. Jesus is to return when He said he would -
after the tribulation events (Matthew 24:29-31) By the end of my first year at Liberty,
I was convinced of that.
During my second year of college, I decided I was going to study 2 Thessalonians 2 and the Restrainer until I could figure out its meaning. I was sure there must be a better way of rendering the text than the common Christian rendering, which didn't make good sense of Paul's writing. I was only in my first year of studying Greek, so the process was slow on the technical side. But the key to figuring it out, I already had a good grip on: the fact that Messiah was coming for his own AFTER the great tribulation. With that in mind, I kept asking myself as I read through this difficult passage, "What is Paul really saying here?" and, as I point out the the article itself, "What is being restrained here"? after which then I could ask, "Who or what is the restrainer?" By approaching 2 Thess 2 already having a proper understanding of the timing of Messiah's coming, it was natural to see that Paul was answering a different question than was previously thought by the scholars. (Check out my findings here: The Restrainer)
When I returned home after graduation from Liberty (1982), my pastor was planning to hire me and place me in a teaching position in his conservative, independent Baptist Christian School. He was "grooming" me to become a regular part of the ministry at our Baptist church. But I felt compelled (out of honesty) to tell him of my discovery of the truth about Jesus' return, and my rejection of the pre-trib rapture theory. He, in turn, rejected me for having any part in his church or his school.
I married fellow Liberty alumnus Cathy Baier. And we now have four adult children. After marrying Cathy and moving to Illinois to attend Seminary, we soon came to understand and believe that the seventh-day Sabbath was still a commandment for all those who love the Almighty. We began, at first, resting all day Saturday, and then from Friday evening to Saturday evening. We returned home, leaving seminary, because I was convinced of the futility of spending much time and money on an education that would not lead to a job in any church or Christian school, because we were separating from traditional Evangelical doctrine.
Soon after, I lost a job because I wouldn't work on the Sabbath. This was all the beginning of a journey with YHWH that eventually changed my mind and my understanding of a great many of the doctrines that were taught to me in the fundamentalist church. Cathy was always with me on this journey. When we studied the Scriptures and were convinced that changes needed to be made, Cathy was with me in mind and heart.
After some years in the SDA church, which we were attending because they were observing the seventh day Sabbath, we left to find a worship experience which included the keeping of the annual set-apart days. We and friends began a home study fellowship which grew as we came to understand the need to guard the Torah. We soon began calling ourselves the Miqra. I was an elder, leader and teacher at the Miqra for several years.
The contents of www.bibletruth.cc are my writings and studies, but are tempered with the insights shared in the Miqra congregation. Every detail of these studies should not be thought of as "set in stone." We are and expect to always be "growing in the knowledge of our Master and Savior." I will correct any and all errors of teaching and grammar in this website as I become aware of such errors.
I was a computer analyst/engineer. I loved my work and my career path. I enjoy laying hands on computers. There is no end to learning about new technologies, software, etc. And I cannot think of any other career which I could have enjoyed more. Working in computer technologies is how I used to make money to pay the bills.
After being laid off from work in 2009, I was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease, and began a regimen of home dialysis, which I performed every day for nearly 4 years. I then switched to hemodialysis. With lots of time on my hands, I was able to spend more time studying and writing Bible studies and posting them to this website. Finally, I have returned to work in August 2011 on a part time basis. Back to the IT world. It's good to be able to perform the duties and responsibilities which the Almighty has appointed. Hallelu Yah! He gives us the ability to generate a living:
But remember Yahuwah your Elohim, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 8:18)
Hallelu Yah!
My life's work has always been about studying and living and proclaiming the Scriptures. My passion is learning more about my Maker. Since He instilled within me a renewed sense of purpose in my life around the age of 19, it has been my driving force to spend time getting to know Him better. My choice of studies in college was not with the intention of becoming a Pastor or minister. My motivation was to learn all I could about God through Bible study, the learning of Greek and Hebrew, and the pursuit of godliness.
I spend a lot of time reading, studying, writing and discussing Bible topics. My prayer, since the age of 19, has been for wisdom from above - to know the truth about the Creator and to live my live accordingly, in obedience to His revealed will. This web site is one of the fallouts of my pursuit of Elohim. I would like to share with you what I have learned.
I would like to bless you, the reader, as Yahuwah commanded Aharon and his sons to bless His people Yisrael and to place his sacred Name on them (see Numbers 6:23-27). I have placed the personal name of our Elohim back into the translation because Yah's personal name is in the Hebrew text and He wants his name to be known.
The apostle Sha'ul (a.k.a. Paul), who was a Torah scholar, started nearly every letter of his with an abbreviated form of this blessing. You will find in the opening of each of his epistles something like this:
Grace (favor) and Peace to you from Elohim (God) our Father....
Feel free to email me any questions you may have about the contents of this website at david "at" bibletruth "dot" cc
Acknowledgement must be made to my college roommate and best man, Dr. Ronald
Giese, also formerly a Hebrew teacher at Liberty University, whose terminology of "web servant" I
borrowed. While most web sites are built and managed by
self-proclaimed "web
masters," Ron understands the humility the true
believer exudes and expresses by the self-designation, "web servant."
For
Yahusha called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28, NIV corrected)
Though I have credited Ron with the term "web servant," and I have placed the emblem of our alma mater to the right, do not construe this as an endorsement of Liberty University. I learned many things at Liberty. Some of those things are still with me, such as love for the Scriptures, love for God and his Messiah, walking uprightly in the sight of God and men. However, there were many things I learned at Liberty which I have had to unlearn as I have discovered the truth in Scripture. Many of their positions, teachings, customs, traditions and practices are in sharp opposition to the revealed truths of Scripture. They have been zealous for God, but have unwittingly influenced a whole generation of people into believing and practicing a boatload of lies - rejection of Torah, lawlessness, Dispensationalism, Sunday as a holy day (ignoring the true Sabbath of Scripture), Christmas and Easter celebrations. They have insisted that their parishioners adhere to their man-made and denominational laws while ignoring and even flagrantly transgressing the commandments of the Almighty (which was the sin of the Pharisees).
There are so many beautiful people who are a part of the Liberty campus. My hope and prayer for them is that they take some time to clear their head and then carefully read their Bible again and listen to the Holy Spirit. There is a whole new understanding of the walk of faith for those who want to find the true path which Messiah taught to his disciples. I would invite any of the Liberty family - you who are brave enough to step outside your religious bubble - to remove your Baptist blinders and search the Scriptures and start doing and believing them. I hope the Scripture studies on this website will steer you in a positive direction and will assist you in "coming out of Babylon."
END