5/8/2021 - Rowdy Cogdell

CNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together is reasoned, relevant content, apologetics, worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane why does God allow suffering. Can anything good come out of pain and suffering in this world hi Alex McFarlane here welcome to another edition of truth for a new generation. Famously, Helen Keller, who was blind said that the world is full of suffering, but the world is also full of the overcoming of suffering. In today's program were going to talk about one of the perennial objections against the gospel which is pain, suffering, what people often feel like is injustice is just not fair. Why have I been dealt a hard hand in life, and very often I dialogue with skeptics who say well there's pain and suffering. Therefore, there must not be a God or certainly not the biblical God is compassionate and loving. I will go to talk to somebody that has had a cross to bear in life and somebody who's in my opinion, had a real painful pathway to walk that many people probably couldn't handle, but he's handling it well and he's doing it for God's glory. But first let me read little bit from Psalm 107, some 107 says give thanks to the Lord for he is good his mercy endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he is redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered out of the lands from the east and the west and from the north and the south and it talks in Psalm 107 about wandering in the wilderness being hungry and thirsty and almost fainting and it says that God's people cried out to the Lord in their trouble and God delivered them out of their distress verse seven he led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city for a dwelling place over that man would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and for the wonderful works he does for the children of men, for he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness. Well, God is our provider. God is our source of joy and strength in God is our source of sustenance in all of life, and I believe somebody that personifies that so well trusting in the Lord is a friend that I've met in West Texas. His name is rowdy Cogdill and I'm in his business right now which is the night owl espresso and T-bar inside of the ghost horse gallery here at 506 Main St. in Silverton, TX West Texas and your I've got to ask about your name are you name is rowdy, Luke Cogdill right yes or Luke being your middle name have to tell him that your first name rowdy. A lot of people asked me that they asked if I'm wild, not little bit wild, but my parents are going to call me tournament with Billy Rankin rowdy bill or something along those lines, and I guess just the Lord told them to name me rowdy and not exactly sure how that name came to be, but yes, that's what they decided I was real crazy when I was a young kid while I how did you get into coffee business running the coffee shop here in Silverton. Well I started about three or four years old, drinking coffee with my grandfather Billy Whitten who is recently passed away about a year to go and he would always take me to the coffee shop and I listen all the older people that would you know start stories and swap gossip and everything until he is so once I started getting older and learning in no the coffee trade itself after I graduated from high school here in 2013 I was given the great opportunity to go down to Austin Texas to the Texas school for the blind and visually impaired, and I study down there for three years and for two of those three years I worked at their on-campus coffee shop that blind and low vision students run and not wasn't even thinking anything about it about open amount coffee shop really until after I graduated, not thought that was something I would be really wanting to do here and I was given the great opportunity and it was a a God wink or a godsend from their names are Tammy and Hunter Penn. They moved here about six or seven years ago from Colorado and that Tammy wanted open art gallery here and when I was getting ready to fly back to school for my last year at the blind school. Tammy asked me already. What you want to do when you get there at the Texas school for the blind, and I told her what I'd really like to open amount coffee shop someday in. She then asked me would you like to open coffee shop tomorrow gallery that I'm about open in Silverton asked immediately told her that sounds like a great idea that something I've always wanted to do so. The coffee shops been open since August 2016 and that's the same time that I started working for the Silverton volunteer fire department here and out.

What you do with volunteer fire department. I am the Silverton chaplain. I pray for our men and women that are on the fire department pray at meals when we have our business meetings. Pray for each and every one of us as we go on the call and then we try and pray for each other when we get back from a call.

I also work with the command vehicle. Do mainly radio traffic for far. Fire scenes work with our water tender which is a 5000 gallon tank semitruck with water traffic control discounted to some not.

I guess high risk jobs. I'm on the I guess you could say the behind-the-scenes is where you could find me.

This where I would be sure, sure. For those just tuning and were speaking with rowdy Cogdill here in West Texas and I want to talk about your blindness because you operating a business.

You being a chaplain for the local fire department having those wonderful things and yet you've got a physical challenge your your blindness that many people would find debilitating and they maybe wouldn't even try and you had your doing more and busier than most cited people I know the and it started you know when I was a lot younger of when I was in high school. Well let me back up a little further.

I was born January 28, 1994 to Billy Grant Cogdill and toy Cogdill and Amarillo Texas and when we moved back to our ranch. The tool ranch. I grew up and I was considered legally blind because I was had detached retina is in all sorts of different eye conditions. I will buy what age were you considered legally blind.

I'd say about four months, goodness, what hey we got a take a break. I want to hear this function listening to truth for new generation with Alex McFarlane, a very special guest, rowdy, Luke Cogdill to come back and talk about why God allows suffering can good come out of suffering and how we manage things in life that we find painful stating TMG is back after this. America today is like a patient struggling to live yet is being forcibly euthanized by her quote doctors, the life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself team "caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient economy is crashing crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex Farland has one single purpose to get you prepared the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow. Regardless of what tomorrow brings. The assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and local Christian bookstore welcome to the podcasts I hear you.

We are so excited that you joined us, and this is just going to be a great new podcast dealing with issues around race issues around friendship and how do we deal with the tough issues and also excited to be here with my good friend Alex to do with you Adele in on the I hear you podcast we talk about race. We talk about culture.

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Not only do we learn new things. We make friends would grow and that's good for all of us with just two friends why why why black and we just invite everyone to come and join to share with us is a big difference between hearing and listening and show love and look forward to an audience. Thank you so much for giving us a chance, I hear you with Alex and Odell were every get you podcast for apologetics resources by Alex McFarlane and to find out where Alex is speaking to visit Alex McFarlane.com program Alex McFarlane here in West Texas talking to a new friend I've made rowdy Cogdill and he's talking about dealing with blindness and me just say this.

I do want to hear your story.

Let me commend you rowdy because you seem to represent the Lord so well. You've just got joy about you and you you're not. I've never heard you say anything about being angry with God or you know why me, why me so many people seem to go that way and good job brother you you represent Christ.

Well, even in spite of your your disability will appreciate that and it was not always like that.

Whenever I was a lot younger I used to always know I hate to say this but I used to cut you not not really because God but I would complain to God.

Why is it me because I realized I was only legally blind person in my family. But when I started looking at my dad's dad's name was Billy Cogdill. My grandfather, he had polio when he was about 19 and when I came to know him, I would always seem in a wheelchair and that polio had taken over. I believe 90% of his body and I never saw him complain about it. Did he complain about it before whenever he was younger. Oh yeah, I know there's a lot of people that can can complain about stuff but whenever you have the love your family and friends, and my fiancé you know what Taylor she understand it's God that is put me in this position and she's okay walking by my side for the rest of our lives in a with this and gone back to pop really know. Like I said I never saw him complain he would always praise the Lord for you know being alive every day and that was something him and my dad be the two people I look up to. Speaking of your dad your dad mentioned that you would since childhood, probably had 50 or more surgeries on your eyes, you do remember those when you were a little bitty child having to go through those procedures and I'm 27 years old in ever since I was four months old when my first surgery was and I've been through probably 50 or 60 surgeries and halfway through that, you know, I would like I said earlier I was complaining the Lord what I have to put up with this now of what you can see how clear is it, if ever seen a Dairy Queen straw. Not that I'm aware of the there like the big blue straws that are big enough you can drink like a Dairy Queen blizzard out of there about size your I'd say your pointer finger, maybe a little smaller than that you can look to the Strawn's see out the other end and then you put a piece of cellophane over the end of that straw and then poke a hole right in the center of the straw of the cellophane that you put on the end of the straw and that's about how I can see you know that's a very I can picture that that's a very good description.

So looking out of a straw and then a tiny little holder so I am just curious are you are you able to drive you're not. You don't drive.

Do you would you like the legal answer of the not legal answer why not here in West Texas is a lot of farmland out rowdy where I grew up in rural North Carolina. I was driving by the time I was about 10, so that out on the farm things are little bit different. I do understand yes sir. Hello, that's a lot of people to understand like I was saying earlier during my elementary to high school years up until 2015 you knob.

I'd probably had about 30 or 40 surgeries. Maybe by then. I'm not exactly sure we've lost count since I've had so many I was never 2020. My vision was good enough I could see the road a little bit but I couldn't write see anything probably 20 or 25 feet away. I guess her something along those lines, and maybe not that far but I could read decals on the side of cars so let me ask you this. At what age did you accept Christ as your Savior will act can remember. I remember was a young age I was probably about nine or 10. I think when I accepted the Lord, I believe my mom would probably know exactly the day because we probably have it down in our paperwork at the church were in our records at home, but I think is about nine or 10. Did you did you ever praying ass. God specifically to heal your vision. Oh, it was it's been an ongoing deal.

I still ask him to heal my vision every day.

It the struggle is real and and I know that sounds if it's a cliché but the struggle is definitely real for not just me as a blind person but I have some a lot of blonde friends that talk about the struggles that they're going through and I just tell him that you need to put your love and trust in the Lord and your family as well. Number one the Lord second, your family, don't ever give up that's that's the number one thing I want to let people know you know there's there's times I thought I've had bad days like where I don't want to go out and do anything, but I know that the Lord's always with me.

My grandfathers are with me in no a lot of people that I trust in life are with me here on earth or up in heaven.

Definitely Taylor being in no just a phone call away and she comes over to see me ever so often. That's another reason I keep myself going because I want to be that wonderful husband in the future for her. I meant let me ask you this. At what point did you begin to understand that may be your blindness is actually something God entrusted to you, and you could use it to to glorify him and and you you grew through it. I have to say it probably be around probably right after high school, right during high school. Actually, there's a program that's no longer appear in the Panhandle was called sweet and what is called the summer work experience and ethics program and was for a lot of blind and low vision students as well as people that had other types of disabilities and it was put on by the state and the third year that I was in that program. I worked at the Hampton Inn and suites in Lubbock and you know I was just doing my job was.

There is maintenance you notice learn from the people that actually worked there and I was working the front desk one day and the manager came in asked can I see you in my office here in a few minutes ready want your three appear and I was thinking yes ma'am and after she walked off and went to her office is like a noble or what I do to make them mad now, but you know I didn't know if it is something I didn't do or what, but when I went back there and talked with her. She asked she basically at that point gave me a job opportunity that I would think I would never been given. She offered me a full-time position down in San Antonio at the Amb. suites in their maintenance department. Now as you talk to me today about own my own coffee shop. So that means I didn't take it but I was very appreciative and honored that I was even considered for something like that because I was just barely at a high school and didn't think I'd be getting a job offer that soon and I didn't even put in a resume while hey, hold that, but we gotta take a brief break. Folks take to the truth for a new generation is back. Join Alex McFarlane for spiritual awakening in our times studying the book of acts. June 25-27 in the Billy Graham training center at the Cove near Asheville, North Carolina.

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Truth and liberty.net in the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism. Alex McFarlane is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to the truth for a new generation radio were back on trip for new generation and before we resume our conversation with the rowdy Luke Cogdill. I do want to remind everybody on my website which is Alex McFarlane.com my speaking schedule is there. We got a lot of really really great things coming up including the major Fourth of July thing. I'll be doing in Indiana and just all sorts of opportunities around the country were doing the biblical worldview and apologetics, and of course will be at first Baptist Church of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina October 15-17 with a big treat for new generation conference and the theme of that conference is going to be reaching millennial's in younger churches all across the country are asking how do we reach the twentysomethings were working to be talking about that, so keep us in prayer. And of course my book the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. It's available everywhere and we encourage your prayers.

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Well, if you been listening were talking with rowdy Congo where in West Texas and he's been talking about the blindness that he has sought encountered since he was four months old, but again I want to say your witness for Christ in your you're the joy you radiate as walking with the Lord rowdy.

I mean that's just such a positive thing and I felt like your story would be encouraging to a lot of people because it in in one way or another with all got stresses we've all got burdens we bear most people don't have the burden of blindness, but again did did you feel like you.

You made a choice. She said, look, I'm gonna I'm going to honor Christ. I'm not going to get mad at God. How did you make the decision to joyfully go forward with the Lord, even in spite of your blindness. It was like a set of my grandfather and my dad and munch my family.

I used to be upset about it but once I started realizing my full potential after the little deal at the high school and am going to that program and then going to the Texas school for the blind and then in 2019 getting to go and get my seeing-eye dog. Trevor, who was a black lab and going to that school. Having a seeing-eye dog is eye-opening to a lot of people and to me it's it's kind like a conversational piece and they ask: what is Trevor do for you and he helps me get around town go around obstacles keeps me from walking out in front of cars whenever there's a certain danger and just knowing that I have the love for the Lord that I do in growing up in a godly family that is my biggest deal. I'd like to share with people you know just as well as for the blind community. There's a lot of things that people think blind and low vision people can't do. But I'm here to tell him you just give us a little time in the technology that is out in the world today.

It might be a little more difficult for us to get jobs as our sided counterparts like my I do woodworking's here little bit here and there as well as leatherwork, but they have technology, such as talking, take measures, braille compasses and stuff that a lot of people don't realize because they're more focused on what we can't do. But I'm here to tell a lot of people we can do a lot of stuff. Just give us a little bit of an opportunity can good come out of suffering. Have have good things come into your life and into your heart through your suffering. I'll definitely add I definitely think so Alex, it's it said wonderful thing you know my blindness.

I've had a lot of suffering when I was a lot younger like I said I was low vision I'm not allowed to drive just due to my visual impairment in Mont being legally blind, and that was the most heartbreaking thing for me is because I can't drive certain places I can go hang out my friends always have to get rides from people. But I looked past that and you know with the love the Lord and just doing certain things that I'm able to do now I look back and think why in the world did I ever complain to God about this for the person out there who needs to make the decision to trust the Lord and really give their burden to Christ. You've got a verse Isaiah 43 to the right I sought on that the shirt you wear as chaplain of the fire department we read this verse it says when you pass through the waters, I will be with you when you pass through the rivers, they will not overtake you when you walked to the far, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze or harm you, you know that the water won't overtake you.

The flames won't hurt you.

That Isaiah 43 two.

That's a great verse about how God protects us is that yes sir, definitely is it's it's one of the verses that I cling to. I know it's people tell me that I need to quit thinking about the fire department so much.

You know, not making it up staple of my life, but you know the gallant wonderful group of men and women that help me through the fire service here in town, but that verse means a lot to me because I can take it back to when I was in elementary, junior high, and that kinda makes me think of my past. He's been every with me every step of the way and that verse when they brought it back from College Station whenever they first made their made our logo. I thought that is the best verse that I can think of in.

That's what I want to live my life but is making sure that everybody knows that does not matter if you what kind disability have what's going on in your life you may have just lost a loved one, you may lost your mother you may lost her father doesn't matter what you got.

Just keep your trust in the Lord and your family and your friends and surround yourself with good people and you will come out of it. A okay rowdy that's a great word, and to everybody listening. Let me say some of the reasons we don't fully know why God allows all of the things in life. But if we will trust our situation with Jesus Christ right. First of all suffering very often shows us how much we need the Lord and maybe Debbie God in his mercy allowed suffering into the this or that person's life to humble them so that they would turn to Christ and like in the case of rowdy condo unit suffering deepens our desire for God and and causes us to put our trust in the Lord. Suffering comes with opportunities for ministry and I read a verse by Robert Browning Hamilton.

It said I walked a mile with pleasure. She chatted all the way but left me none the wiser for all she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow and NARA word said she bit of the things I learned when sorrow walked with me. If we allow it suffering and challenges can do wonderful things to bring our heart to Jesus Christ and our witness to a watching world.

God bless you folks keep your eyes on Christ and take a bold stand for truth. TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex Harley ministry, PO Box 10231, Borough, NC 27404.

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