taleof2trees.com

There has been four hundred years of silence. From Abraham to Malachi, God has engaged with his people…his chosen people of Israel. He has deliberated with, delivered, and dealt with them. He has dwelt among them, instructed them, fed them, and given them prophets to guide them, kings to rule them and set in motion their salvation by the prophetic arrival of The Messiah…. then…nothing. He stops speaking…. for 4oo years!

Then, at His perfect time, He sends angelic messengers to speak to the unexpected, the unsuspecting, the unlikely…

…an old priest Zechariah, serving out his days according to God’s laws of old and gives him and his aging wife, Elizabeth, an angelic visitation from Gabriel to tell them they will have a son. This son will pave the way for the promised Messiah. God is true to his word and John is born.

…a young teenage girl, living in a backwater village, Nazareth, is favoured by God for her righteousness, visited by another angelic messenger delivering Gods word that she “will conceive a baby, by the Holy Spirit, who will be holy and called the Son of God.”

…a man, Joseph, Marys’ betrothed, wary of Mary’s story about her pregnancy, is told by an angel in a dream to not be afraid to marry her, for she is with a son of the Holy Spirit, to be named Jesus…for he will save his people from their sins.

…A group of Shepherds, out on the hillsides of Bethlehem, another little rarely mentioned village. They are the lowliest of society, not held in regard by their community, Poor and uneducated, these families live on the outskirts, unnoticed by most. God chooses to break the news of the arrival of the awaited Messiah to them with an angelic host.

… a group of wise men, believed to have studied Hebrew Scriptures and understood the timing and sign of the Messiah’s birth came looking for the newborn King of the Jews to worship Him, and were warned by an angel to not return to Herod…but go home another way.

But it is Joseph that draws my attention.

Joseph is the unsung hero in this Christmas story.

Joseph…this unsuspecting man of unknown age, has his life upturned by a series of events he could never have imagined. A God-fearing man well educated in Jewish law and Scripture finds himself embroiled in what could become the village scandal. His young fiancé claims to be pregnant…by the Holy Spirit…and is carrying the Christ child…the promised Saviour.

Forgetting all his teachings and prophecy, not connecting that he, Joseph, has been chosen by God himself, to be part of its fulfillment, he becomes focused on how to extract himself from this unfolding dilemma to save face…and decides to quietly divorce Mary.

But when God has a plan…and you are it…there is no bowing out quietly!

His life is about to be thrust into the pages of history, forever the man standing to the side of the nativity scene…the light and attention on Mary and the Child. Of course…. that is what this is all about.

But let us step back a little and look a bit deeper at this extra-ordinary figure…this quiet, unassuming man who bunkered down with the angelic dream that he marries Mary, despite his initial gut reaction. Our equivalent of the shot-gun wedding, he takes on this mandate on his and Mary’s lives and becomes her husband and upcoming father of this child, not his own… in this daunting task set before him.

He must take the very pregnant Mary to Bethlehem, his ancestral birthplace, to enrol for Caesar’s census on the people. A 4-day journey ordinarily, may well have taken longer than this, as any heavily pregnant women would agree…an exhausting time at best …but to travel on foot and by donkey on dusty roads was also a dangerous journey. Still, they would have been travelling in an entourage, with many others heading to Bethlehem as well. Imagine the anxiety of this man to get his wife to safety and comfort…and in time!

With no Bookings.com, advanced accommodation in a peak season was not an option. Given the influx of people to their ancestral homes, it is a time to bring families together, Joseph must have had family there but a busy time with many demands on the host family. It is considered by cultural and biblical scholars that, in a time where animals were kept indoors for safety, Mary and Joseph were accommodated within this part of the family home.

Her time is now. He is a first-time dad…and culturally, this was secret women’s business and Mary through the childbirth process was considered ritually unclean! The Bible does not indicate whether some women from family were there to assist Mary, but it is highly likely. A first-time labour and birth…it would not have been an easy time and fraught with concerns for both mother and child in this environment, despite our deeply sanitised ideas about this miraculous birth.

The Christ child, born safely, wrapped, and resting in an animal feed trough…all three exhausted, relieved, in awe and with the resounding question of “what now?.’ This question, according to Luke, is answered within a brief time with the arrival at the stable, of a few shepherds, societies undesirables, come with a story of angelic hosts telling them of the birth of the Messiah. Where is this going?

Here in this humble and lowly place, I can imagine Joseph, like Mary, pondered these events in his heart. How does one man…an imperfect human, “father” the acclaimed Son of God? Where does one even begin?

Joseph again in response and obedience to an angelic dream warning him to go to Egypt to escape the murderous, jealous wrath of Herod, pulls out all stops and protects and provides for his family. On return to Nazareth on angelic direction, he lives, loves, and learns to foster Jesus’ early life, doing what Jewish fathers do… teaching him Torah and his trade. When Jesus turns twelve and is taken with the family to Jerusalem, and announces he is in the temple doing his Father’s business, historically, Joseph steps out of the biblical record and is not spoken of again.

It is easy to diminish the role of this man…the man God chose to father the earthly beginnings of The Messiah’s ministry. Not on his own in this fragile entry and preparations of the Saviour of the world, Joseph was one of the few unknowns who said yes in faith to the long-awaited call from God and acted on what seemed futile and frail plans given to these few faithful followers.

When next you stand and look at the nativity scene, cast your eyes to the right or left of Mary and see with renewed awe, the man God chose and what he was asked to undertake and cooperate with, to bring about God’s plan…and with him, the woman, the shepherds, the wise men …this ragtag group of unexpected, unsuspecting, unlikely unknowns…and think to put yourself in the picture?? Would you say yes?

References:

Holy Bible: Matthew 1 and 2 ; Luke 1 and 2

Brandon Robbins YouTube …”This movie will change the way you Imagine Jesus’ Birth”

Photo: Einfurt Christmas Market Nativity scene Naomi Roorda

” I am truly His rose, the very theme of His song.”

Song of Songs 2:1

” Breathe on my garden with your Spirit-Wind.

Stir up the sweet spice of your life within me.

Spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden.

Hold nothing back until I releae your fragrance.

Come walk with me as you walked with Adam in your paradise garden.

Come taste the fruits of your life in me.”

Song of Songs 4:16

When I’m hungry for an encounter with Jesus and I feel disconnected or forget that He is just feel as hungry for an encounter with me, I find picking up Gabby Conlon’s book, ACTIVATE, a real Godsend. It provides a starting point, a springboard if you like, into the realm of The Spirit, through the imagination. Just the painting of some simple pictures to facilitate an invitation to meet one on one with Jesus and I always come away from the experience in awe, humbled by the simplicity of his desire to love on me.
Gabby Conlon’s book “ACTIVATE”. Equipping and Empowering Everyday Believers to Live in the Realm of The Spirit, uses everyday scenarios that cover, in several chapters, a broad range of experiential encounters to be had.
The activation I have chosen…The Secret Garden Page 7.

Gabby explains her encounter with Jesus in The Secret Garden, a place of peace and rest where Jesus invites her to just “BE”. She asks “What do you want to say to me? What is on your heart?” and It is in this place, Jesus hands her something Precious….
She then invites the reader, through imagination, to a garden for their own experience to spend time with Jesus…to be in intimacy and friendship. The roadmap for that encounter is here for you to insert yourself into a garden of your own choosing. Just follow and my prayer is that you will be surprised and overwhelmed in all the best ways, by your friend Jesus and his love and desire for you to see you… and life itself… from His perspective.

This was my experience only yesterday….
I was walking through beautiful gardens alongside Jesus. Everything in the garden seemed so much brighter…vibrant in its colour and form. I was running my hands through the leaves of the bushes as I casually strolled along, with no other purpose in the moment than to “BE”, enjoy, experience everything present in its fullness…especially Jesus’ Presence.
In the experience I was just peaceful and exhilarated. In real time, tears are flowing down my face.

The perfume from the flowers was exquisite and powerful to my senses…a heady aroma. I turned to ask Jesus how he had created the scent for each flower and what was its purpose. Without Him speaking but in the kindness of His face and the depth of His eyes, the answer came to me.
Each flower type is unique in its form and fragrance, to attract to itself the perfectly designed insect or bird to pollinate it, carrying the essence of life and reproduction onto another, to perpetuate life and recreate His design.

I was aware in that moment that Jesus was referring to me… unique and perfectly designed.

When order and peace exist, His will and purpose in and through me is an extraordinary dance, choreographed by The Creator of the Universe. Jesus is the fragrance I carry…the pollen…the substance required for the ongoing creative process that clings to me…not by my “gathering” but in me seeking Him out in hunger, diving into the depths of His word, exploring every possible avenue to know and experience Him.
And He, by clever design, has all I need visible and ready to be absorbed, clinging to every fibre of my being so when I exit His presence, I am covered in His essence and release to others along the way back to the “hive”…my home, work, church… where it is food for the generations to come…and food for me in the moment, giving me strength and hunger to seek more.

Jesus then took me to a shaded seat and pulled me close to Him. He produced from His robes an exquisite crystal bottle. The bottle itself was luminous…iridescent light from its contents shone through and around the glass. He encouraged me to open it. The perfume was indescribably beautiful. He took the bottle and poured some of its liquid over my head and some dropped onto my arm, and it ran through my fingers, oily in consistency and yet this luminous liquid vanished as it was absorbed immediately into my skin.
In that moment it was clear to me how “thirsty” my body and being was for more! I was dehydrated! Jesus laughed and motioned for me to follow Him along the path to a river of the same luminous liquid, into which He promptly launched Himself, calling me to join Him.
Normally hesitant to jump, I quickly immersed myself in it. Jesus laughed again with delight, and I heard the word “SOAK”.
That word has lingered with me…SOAK….!
The definition of SOAK, a verb…an action word is:
to make or allow something/someone, to become thoroughly wet by immersing it in liquid.
What better way to learn to know Him than to immerse myself in Him…. using all my sensory capacity to absorb Him into my being…to allow Him to permeate/penetrate fully into every aspect of my being, through encounters like this, reading His Word, prayer and meeting with other believers in worship…walking in the garden or bush. Wherever it is…whatever it is for you….
SOAK!!
It is not a suggestion. It is imperative! Naomi Roorda Nov 2024

References and Acknowledgements:

With wholehearted thanks to Gabby Conlon for her amazing toolbox in this extraordinary book, “ACTIVATE”. Equipping and Empowering Everyday Believers to Live in the Realm of The Spirit, gabbyconlon.com (books available for purchase)

Biblical References: The Passion Translation Song of Songs

Photography: Naomi Roorda

When Thank you seems inadequate…

I was kneeling in prayer, looking out at my moonlit yard…that beautiful light on the trees, silhouetted against the black sky. The stars were just amazing. Then words, thank you fell from my lips in prayer, and I was suddenly overwhelmed by the inadequacy of those 2 words.

I’d spent the day in anxiety because I couldn’t find my passport…a problem, given my husband and I were flying out in 2 days for a week away! I’d spent hours hunting through every pocket, bag, drawer and every other conceivable storage space, even after praying for help.

I was spent and compelled to stop, tell God I was done looking, and gave it over. Just that one “declaration of dependence” was sufficient to touch the heart of my Father. I found myself in a room with a bag I’d totally forgotten, went straight to an inner pocket…and there was my passport!  In that moment, thank you was the response!

That story may seem trite, but it was one of the many this past week.

When thank you is not offered….

In the face of a difficult encounter with 2 of my grandkids, I felt inadequate and ineffective in their lives.  I again had to stop the inner accusations flooding in from enemy territory, hand the situation to God and sense His peace. So, in this moment of thanks, I was again aware of the inadequacy of my words against the flood of provision bought with the life of Jesus…for me…for these obscure and seemingly small or impossible situations in my day-to-day life.

At ages eleven and twelve and in an season of self-absorption, I am sometimes treated by the kids with disdain …indifference at best. They will leave after spending a day with me without a hug or thanks for whatever the outing or activity was. Yet, my love for them does not waver. They are bone of my bone…flesh of my flesh! My desire is to be loved by them…of course. I want to be given every opportunity to give all that I am and have, to see them grow, succeed and become their very best. I know I have much to offer and contribute to that…but my advances and all I have needs to be recognised, valued and received. I cannot…and will not…force myself on them

Does it upset and hurt me when I am treated as if I have no value or importance in their current mindset of life? Yes, it does. And I love them regardless, keep showing up and putting out the hand of love and invitation for relationship in the hope it will one day be seen appreciated and received.

Don’t get me wrong here. I am not helpless, cowering in a corner of self-pity. I have ways and means of creating situations and environments to highlight their dependence on me yet awhile…and the authority to bring discipline and reason to their perceptions of who I am and my value to their lives. Withdrawal of “blessings” and privileges when no thanks for these is expressed or even consciously acknowledged is sometimes a necessary reminder that self-determination comes at a cost…to themselves. But I will not manipulate that, nor do I desire to create reasons for resentment. I want them to come…to spend time together because I Iove them.

When Thank you is not understood…

As I write this, it becomes clear to me that this is how our Heavenly Father is with me…with us…. but I do not have His infinite capacity to love unconditionally. I can sometimes allow my woundedness to affect my responses to the point of withdrawal of love, kindness and resources, even if only briefly. Jesus woundedness however, stands as a perpetual, perfect and powerful invitation to us…to me… to recognise and receive the enormity of this love gift that echoes through time and brings so much blessing to me….to all of us! His response to our acknowledgement and acceptance has…and never will…wane.

My attitude and thinking were then challenged by Scripture….as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and for training in righteousness”, when…

Colossians 3:23-24 says,” Put you heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for The Lord himself and not merely for others”. TPT

Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In the midst of everything, be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.” TPT

This action of thanksgiving …to God…shifts my need for recognition and validation from, in this instance, my grandkids, who lack the maturity to understand another’s need for validation and acknowledgement, to everything I do being an act of service for God…not others. It lifts me above the temptation of resentment, judgement, and my looking for acceptance and praise from others rather than God.

When Thank You is the heart response…

Why does the King of Glory, seated beside the Father, have any interest in me and my daily diary of difficult or disappointing relationships and encounters, my sometimes skewed reading of peope and my expectations of how they should respond to me, or celebrate my joys and excitement and relief…even at finding my passport? Why would that matter to the King of Creation Himself…Jesus? That’s where my comprehension of the person of Jesus and His extraordinary gift of Himself is dependent on His Word. God is ever-present and interested in the details of my life…my comings and goings, my dreams and plans, my relationships, my anxiety over my missing passport, my difficult moments in interactions with others, my decisions, my reactions…. all of it.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, bring your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.” TPT

That speaks to me of a constant dialogue within relationship between God, my Father and me, with me in a constant posture of thanksgiving. Why? Because He loves me and wants me to choose Him, to acknowledge and receive that love relationship.

So, He waits on the other side of our distractions, our disdain, our self-determination for our YES…our Thank you. But that thank you should never be spoken without a real heart of gratitude. The words are inadequate when delivered with no honour, respect or realisation that the “gift” is given in response to relationship and our value and understanding of its cost to the Giver.

Author: Naomi Roorda. August 2024

References and Acknowledgements:

Edit and proof reading: Anna Mellor, Jeff Roorda

Bible References: The Passion Translation

Photo 1: Freepik Thank you Screenshot-2024-08-14-142658-thank-you-726×1024.png

Photo 2: Give Thanks …Christian Art Gifts Inspirational cards to Colour Naomi Roorda

I was never one of those kids with a wild imagination. In the playground, I was bemused by the elaborate game strategies and complex rules coming from the mouths of the kids in charge as they had the “vision” of how everything played out. It was all a great mystery to me. Now in adulthood I have found it no easier as a person who is very practical by nature, an “in the moment” girl.

I have just recently purchased an experiential book called “ACTIVATE” by Gabby Conlon. It is a toolkit for learning” to live in the realm of the spirit”, to see and experience a personal relationship, one on one in a moment through activations. …. suggestions for how to engage with Jesus through the power of our imagination.

The Oxford dictionary defines Imagination as the faculty or action of forming new ideas, images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses…. the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.

Many believe imagination to be make-believe…. a deluded practice. To you, I would just say, try before you buy! Like all things, to become proficient in any endeavour, it’s a decision, a choice…to practice, a commitment to the cause and a determination to see and enjoy the fruit of your labours. Try it. God loves to surprise!

One such activation was to tune into Holy Spirit and imagine Jesus inviting me on a road trip, see the vehicle or mode of transport, noting colours, details. See myself sitting with Jesus and ask Him what He wants to share with me.

Thanks to “The Chosen” tv series, it was easy for me to slip into this role of walking with Jesus along the dusty roads in the Galilean Hills. Those nomadic days of hot, dry air, living simply and humbly, sharing basic meals around a campfire under the stars after a long day of walking together…wiping the dust from my feet with a damp rag before climbing, footsore and weary into my makeshift tent to sleep the sleep of exhaustion.

Today as I wake and stretch out the kinks from sleeping on the ground, and come washed and refreshed to the campfire, Jesus is already seated. I am welcomed to sit next to Jesus. There is nothing extraordinary about this campsite, just basic necessities of shelter and food, a stone to sit on at the edge of the crackling fire…the early morning sun, not yet warm, flickers across the face of the King of Glory as He turns His eyes towards me. I am enamoured with this face…the fine lines around those eyes that see into the depths of my being and knows my innermost thoughts…. the play of laughter at the corners of His mouth…his nostrils twitching with the tickle of smoke rising from the fire. His skin is weathered from the sun, his hands rough and stained from years of apprenticing and working as a carpenter. I am suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that Jesus has invited me to be here, and I am sitting in the presence of The Divine. Yet …. a fellow traveller in every way human. My mind boggles as I try to wrap my head around the reality before me.

Jesus turns and speaks to me. It’s just the two of us in this time and space…in this very human encounter yet a holy moment.

“I want you to walk with Me today. Whatever and whomever comes our way, crosses our path, we will face together. As we walk, our feet step one at a time, walking towards whatever the Father has planned for us to bring change to. You don’t need to be anxious about what’s ahead because my Father knows, and I am here walking beside you… as His Son. I want you to walk these pathways with Me knowing that others, mighty men and women of God in their roles as warriors, prophets, kings …and simple folk, just walking in faith, have trodden these roads and byways ahead of you. They have left a testimony of faith for you to follow, accessed through My Word.

Today, feel the unhurried simplicity of it all. It’s not complicated. Create an atmosphere of peace in chaos, bring comfort and compassion to those who grieve and hurt, feed someone along the way, offer some water, love on others as you pass through. In this, you beat a pathway of testimony for those coming behind you to follow.

We walk many roads. We bump shoulders with humanity on the open roads in life…travellers for all kinds of reasons. Your interactions are not fixed time slots in a diary. Trust Me for divine appointments. Learn to respond with love and sensitivity in a moment. Trust my hand…my purpose in all you do…the mundane, the mandatory…the miraculous…. all in My perfect timing. Open your heart to the of the world around you, in your corner of influence. Opportunities are everywhere.

” In Tune”-ities…because they are wherever you are, waiting for your sensitivities to receive the signals, tap into Me and respond in the strength and power in My Name

Do what needs to be done and when you begin to feel yourself empty out, stop and refresh yourself, fill your love tank again in intimacy with Me. The road may at times be arduous, but you walk in peace and rest because I am with you. Walk with Me. Remain in tune with the life-force within you. “

Come for a walk …anywhere…. with Me today and see what/who I bring your way for you to release Me into the moment. Introduce Me as your friend, who is right there with you in this moment.”

Colossians 2:6,7,9 ” In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with Him. Your spiritual roots go deeply into His life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way…. For He is the complete fullness of deity living in human form! And our completeness is now found in Him. We are completely filled with God as Christ’s fullness overflows within us.“

References and acknowledgments:

1.”ACTIVATION” Equipping and Empowering Everyday Believers to Live in the Realm of the Spirit.

By Gabby Conlon

With thanks and gratitude Gabby for your faithful obedience, for opening a door to experience Jesus through so many creative ideas. For anyone wishing to preview or purchase this extraordinary toolkit from Gabby, she has given permission to share her contact. gabbyconlon.com

2.The Passion Translation Bible

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If a Picture paints a thousand words…

In this case it was a photograph…or many, taken on a recent trip around New Zealand.

My husband and I love New Zealand. It’s a photographer’s heaven on earth! Around every corner, at every roadside stop, from every window, a vision of The Creator’s handiwork was there to capture. And so, I did! Thousands of photos over the three weeks there!

Then, in the last few days, as I began to review the images I’d captured, I realised my amateur photography” skills” …or lack thereof, had not done justice to the awe and wonder of all I had seen and experienced in those moments of pure heart response to my surroundings. Having deleted hundreds of photos in my disappointment, I can remember sitting in the car looking out the window, asking God how I could possibly capture and maintain the awe I was feeling as I looked around me. I mean, it was palpable!

I have some understanding of the geological process and forces of nature that have been in play in the history of this country, that have produced the landforms, created the climate and ecosystems, dictated the colour of the lakes in their brilliant blues, scraped out the wide gravelled riverbeds and glacial valleys, and caused the uplift that sees mountains jagged tops scratching at the sky.

I had hoped to capture that in photos to recreate the feelings I’d experienced and my worship of God…the fullness of my awe at His handiwork and the smallness of man. Just think, this was all created with yours and my enjoyment and wonder in mind.

Scripture tells us this in Romans 1:19,20.

“In reality, the truth of God is known instinctively, for God has embedded this knowledge inside every heart. Opposition to truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance, because from the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities…His eternal power and divine nature…have been clearly seen. He has made His wonderful attributes easily perceived, for seeing the visible makes us understand the invisible.”

As I read this verse, suddenly it becomes clear that what I was feeling in those extraordinary moments where my heart was moved by my vision, was impossible to capture in a mere photographic image!

This is so beautifully conveyed in the words of this song…” IF” by BREAD,

                             If a picture paints a thousand words

                             Then why can’t I paint you.

                              The world can never show.

                              The You I’ve come to know…

During the holiday, I was involved in an online experience in the evenings with Mark Virkler, a pastor, author and educator in Hearing God’s Voice, about “Dialoguing with God” and on this particular day, a journalling exercise question was asked,

“God, what do you want to say to me about seeing You everywhere, always”?

The answer to that very question, is in that very verse in Romans. Yet in my journalling, I listened to what He wanted to say directly to me, and I share it here, for though it is personal, I think it speaks to anyone.

“Let’s use your photography as an “image” of your current experiences of Me. You try so hard to “capture the moment” knowing you are only able to produce a postage stamp of what’s before you, missing the full experience…the 180–360-degree experience, with all its movement, colour, smells…and the tangible and intangible senses and context. It’s impossible to encapsulate in that image, your emotional response to what you are seeing, in that moment.

You ask Me how you might seize and maintain the awe and majesty of your immediate response to Me in that experience of you looking outward…. how to communicate your inward heart/head experience? You ask how to bring that one postage stamp image, and the enormity of that moment in time into sharp focus to relive the emotion of it? Is it possible?

I am here, there and everywhere, not restrained by time. As you see things in the moment, they were made and done in another space and time beyond your frame of reference or capacity to understand. But My word gives you all you need to experience, by faith, the timelessness, majesty and awe of God…every syllable pregnant with the Creative Spirit of the Almighty God.

But then, you don’t need to go to New Zealand to participate in my glory. It’s in every flower in your garden, the laughter and recognition in the eyes of your grandson, the coming together of family around the lunch table, the smile of a perfect stranger. Live in awe of every sunrise, season and situation. I’m in it all.

Translate that into your passion and creative desire to show My creation, through your photography, your craft, your writing… My loving power on display for all to see. Let him who has eyes SEE! Every picture tells a story, every creative channel a means of expressing your awareness of the heart of God for all to experience.

References:

The Bible:  Verses quoted from Passion Translation… Romans 1:19,20

The Song: “IF”  performed by BREAD.  Written by American songwriter-singer David Gates 1971

Photography: Naomi Roorda  2024 1. Walter Peak Farm. Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown. New Zealand

2,7,8 .Lake Wakatipu New Zealand

Naomi Roorda May 2024

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the things I see happening around me, to my friends and family and in the wider world. I’d just been thinking that the effects of disease were becoming one of the greatest impacts on humanity…and the fear that comes with it. Fear of pain, fear of treatments, fear of loss of finances or function, fear of finality.

As I sit, pondering this, it strikes me that our health is one of the enemy’s greatest battlegrounds. In ill health we become vulnerable, physically, mentally, spiritually.

“We live in a fallen world.” I hear this so often and many Christians accept disease as a natural course of life because of that statement.

So, when dis-ease manifests itself in whatever form, we do the tests, follow the protocol, without questioning options, without prayer…and push God to the back seat of our decision-making processes.

I’ve had breast cancer and a mastectomy so I’m not in much of a position to refute that statement as it stands. But as I write, I wonder if it is not the disease itself, but my response to it and its processes that is the problem, where instead, I am called to display the Power and Sovereignty of God over the enemy’s attack.

The enemy wants to see me vulnerable… helpless… and choose a fear response over what God’s Word clearly says about my victory through Christ Jesus. I get that good people die. Godly Christians succumb to death. My perception of God’s goodness is challenged in those moments of questions, heartache and loss.

That is part of this conundrum! Is disease the enemy in itself? Or am I driven to my choices outside of Christ by my fear of death?… (over which Jesus is victorious…)

Hebrews 2 :14-15 TPT says, “Since all his “children” have flesh and blood, so Jesus became human to fully identify with us. He did this so that he could experience death and annihilate the effects of the intimidating accuser who holds against us the power of death. By embracing death, Jesus sets free those who live their entire lives in bondage “(to fear).

Many beautiful souls I have sat with in their end moments, in my nursing years and personally, have passed with no fear of their future, confident in their belief Heaven was just on “the other side” and peace was their portion.

As painful as it is to watch and be helpless in the situation, my response still has to be one of praise to the all-knowing and Sovereign God in trust, making the deliberate choice in the face of such tragedy and grief, to praise God, believing that God has the greater perspective over and above my situation. Having been in that situation, faced with my mortality, I understand just how difficult it is to maintain that place of praise…. or to even begin there in the face of a diagnosis. Yet, in faith, Jesus should be our first port of call. I can say, in all honesty though, that I began in a place of pleading…and eventually…. I came to that place of release to God, over that which I had no control.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make straight your path”….even in those times…no especially in those times…when I have no reason or answer to what is before me.

So, I go back to my initial thought process and ask “What should my response be to disease, in whatever form that personal state of being “ill-at-ease is?

I relate to you my own testimony of going through the upheavals of breast cancer. It was disorientating and challenging to be faced with such fear…fear of what was ahead of me in treatments, tests and their trajectory. My diagnosis came in the midst of my husband’s mother’s last weeks of devasting breast cancer, so that visual was right before me, as was her impending death and funeral.

In that, I found myself in desperation, on my knees before God, pleading for mercy initially, then realising I had a part to play in this situation. To be on my knees, absolutely…but not as yet another victim…another chalk mark on the enemy’s victory board, but reaching out claiming by faith, His love, strength and faithfulness…and healing. Using the account of the haemorrhaging woman as my focus and intent, I would just reach out in belief that I would be healed. I was confused then by the path God took me on. I prayed for healing, believing in its possibility right up until the anaesthetist put me to sleep. I woke with no breast. That was tough!

 It has been a journey of discovery of God’s grace, not outcome. I had to surrender my need for certainty of outcome and/or the pathway to certainty. Jesus is my certainty. That was trust…in His ultimate love for me. Once I realised this and released that, and allowed God to move, heal, provide, and give grace to my circumstances, everything changed.

It became clear as I sat in the day infusion ward each week receiving treatment that the other five people in my immediate space…and in each chair in the other 6-8 pods or rooms of 6 chairs each…that this was not just happening to “me”. This was spiritual attack on a grand scale…and to me, it seemed the enemy was winning!

So, each week I prepared for my treatment day, making cards and little gifts of essential oils, and during treatment, I would write in the cards messages of hope, encouragement, verses of scripture and links to uplifting songs and of God’s love. As I left, I’d leave the bundle with the head ward sister for her to distribute to those patients who needed some love each week. It became a ministry shifting the focus from what was “happening to me” to bringing Jesus’ heart, in the smallest gesture, to someone else who was hurting.

Its not a pat-me-on-the -back claim but to present the idea that sometimes God places us directly in enemy territory. To do that, we need to be in “camouflage” so we can infiltrate the space undetected. Once the enemy had me in that chair and the IV in, he could smile and go off to someone/ somewhere else. But God used me in that space while the enemy’s back was turned! So, I planted seeds in the enemy’s turf, with no knowledge to date of its impact… but I know God used that small act of obedience and kindness to His advantage. That is just one small example.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, ” We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature and timing of every test and trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out victoriously.”

On the other side, I have been given a mandate to heal the sick. Matthew 10:8 quotes Jesus saying,

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give.”

I am to recognise and confront the enemy and disease with fearless authority in Jesus’ mighty Name and not allow the enemy to dictate my response to something Christ conquered through His surrender, death, and resurrection so I could be free. I’m promised freedom but not told what that looks like….and what I perceive it looks like or should be is very often not what God has in mind.

Either way, it does not release me from the charge to place my hand of faith on someone in need, to release the Spirit of God into their situation in the moment. The outcome of that encounter is also not in my hand or control.

Freedom very often is healing and victory over disease. Believing in, receiving and TAKING the healing in a release of my faith sometimes requires patience. Faith and patience wins.

Psalm 27:13 – 14 says,
“Yet will I believe with all my heart, that I will see again your goodness, Yahweh in the land of life eternal. Here’s what I learned through it all: DON’T GIVE UP: Don’t be impatient: be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting…for He will never disappoint you!”

Faith says “I HAVE IT” …. In the face of no evidence.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. Faith is all the evidence required to prove that which is still unseen.”

And sometimes freedom may well be an attitude of fearlessness in the face of that disease, standing in faith of God’s healing, on this side…or sometimes on the other side of death. That is God’s call…and even in circumstances where I feel helpless in the face of a loved one who is dying, when I do not understand God’s reasons for not stepping in to heal, I am called to trust that He is GOD. Psalm 139:16 says, “You saw who you created me to be before I became me. Before I’d ever see the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book.”

 He is Sovereign and my response, according to 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, is to:

“Rejoice”.

When??

 “Always”.

Why? Because our praise ushers in “God’s peace that transcends human understanding “Philippians 4 :7

 “Pray.”

 When?

“Continually”

Why? Because “prayer with our faith-filled requests brought to God with overflowing gratitude, not only gives peace but it guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Phil 4:6 TPT

” Give thanks”

 When?

 “in ALL circumstances”.

  Why? Because it shifts our focus from our circumstances to Him and His capabilities.

“Keep your thoughts continually focused on all that is authentic, real, honourable, admirable, beautiful, respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind…and on every glorious work of God….

“Because this is God’s will for me in Christ Jesus.”

What makes these statements so profound is my inability to achieve this in my frail human capacity. What sets me apart from the worldly responses in times of difficulty, pain, loss, tragedy, unanswerable questions is the strength I am given in those unspeakable moments through exercising my will to push despair, hopelessness and fear aside in an act of obedience…in an act of exercising my faith in Jesus Christ. I can rejoice, pray and give thanks because my love for God is greater than my need for certainty and outcome and His love for each of us is beyond our comprehension…as expressed in Ephesians 3: 19 ” Endless Love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding!”

So, if I trust in the God who tells me to call Him…Father…the One who loves me beyond measure….who had planned my destiny before I was conceived…who is my Provider, Defender and Author and Perfecter of My faith, then the outcome as I perceive it should be, is not my focus.

Instead it is the “Means”, Jesus Christ, and my trust in the finished work of the cross for my release from that which Satan uses, sometimes dis-ease, to attempt to separate me from the knowledge of all that I am to God and all He is to me.

Hebrews 12:12 says, “So be made strong even in your weakness by lifting up your tired hands in prayer and worship. And strengthen your weak knees, for as you keep walking forward on God’s paths, all your stumbling ways will be divinely healed.”

Psalm 138:8 says, ” The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; your mercy and loving kindness, O Lord, endure forever-forsake not the work of your hands.”

I leave you with this Scripture from

1 Peter 5:8-11 from the Passion Translation, as my prayer and great desire for you.

“If you bow low in God’s awesome Presence, He will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in His hands. Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him…and leave them there! For He always tenderly cares for you.

Be well balanced and always alert

because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour.

Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith!

For you know that your brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure.

And then! After your brief suffering,

The God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in His eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore and make you stronger than ever!

YES. He will set you firmly in place and build you up!

And He has all the power needed to do this…forever!

Amen.”

Naomi Roorda.

References:

Quoted Scripture: The Passion Translation

Review, Editing and comments:

Anna Mellor, Jeff Roorda, Sandy Clancy, Neidra Jennaway…with thanks as always xx

I am aware, at times, of a moment or two of understanding…a glimpse of what God intended in His relationship with us…a longing for us to “get it” …to actually grasp the enormity of the sacrifice He made for us.

We accept so glibly, the account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He retreats after the Last Supper as His “place of secret prayer” and asks His disciples to pray for Him while He steals some last few moments with His Father and for themselves ” for strength to be spared from the severe test of their faith to come.” ( Luke 22:39-40 TPT)

It is clear He knows His time has come…where the temptation in the desert pales into insignificance in this moment of painful realisation of His Father’s will and the denial of, and complete rejection of Him by those He has loved, taught and given understanding. The struggle internally with His fear and dread of what He knew deep down He could not avoid is recounted in Luke 22:42-44. In The Passion Translation, verse 44 reads, ” He prayed even more passionately, like one being sacrificed, until He was in such intense agony of spirit that His sweat became drops of blood, dripping to the ground.”

In His humanness, He asked to be freed from His prophesied demise…if it were at all possible…” Father, if you are willing,take this cup of agony away from me.”….the bargaining that comes in the face of death. But in utter devotion to the Father…” Your will must be mine.”

Jesus returns to His disciples, a distance off, presumably Joining Him in prayer, but oblivious to His encroaching betrayal, trial and crucifixion. He finds them asleep…complacent. He would be disappointed…abandoned by their apparent disregard of His tortured soul.

In a few short sentences, pregnant with His own plagued emotions, He hints at His own internal struggle between His humanness and His divinity. “Watch and pray that you don’t enter into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He Knew His Father’s will from the outset…spoke openly about the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He walked amongst us and witnessed the degradation, oppression, hostility, arrogance and pride of a people…a stubborn people…. a people with hearts tuned only to their own little worlds. A people with no vision.

He knew too that this act of love…of complete utter sacrifice of Himself…to death…. would pass largely unnoticed, the very act not understood…the love…absolute love that would not be comprehended by those who perpetrated it, those who witnessed it those who had been told but did not fully grasp the enormity of the deed.

In resignation to His Father’s will, with full comprehension and understanding of what His Father required of Him to free us, Jesus, in these words, submits Himself totally to the forces of evil that will totally destroy Him in His humanness.

“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it…. Thy will be done.”

One could feel justified for believing God to be callous, unfeeling, if this were taken out of context of the whole story of Jesus life…. a life full of purpose…a life dedicated to gentleness, love for humanity as a whole…expressed in His life encounters with people as recorded in The Word…the Bible. His love was based on acceptance and compassion. He loved people truly…deeply.

This is where we see His divinity at its best…In the simple touch or word, healing broken hearts and souls in gentleness and complete love. It is in these brief encounters we witness a departure from his humanness because we are unable to love that selflessly, to work that tirelessly, to remain true to our purpose. He never faltered. He never failed…but always acted completely within His Father’s will, in every circumstance, at every crossroad. Unswerving, unfailing devotion.

I am encouraged by these short verses that depict Christ’s struggle…that bids us witness His agonising over His decision to submit in the Garden to what He was about to endure. This temptation.

Hebrews 4: 15 reads, “For we have not a High Priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses…But One who in every respect, has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

While this struggle highlights Jesus humanness, it shows Christ’s example to us in His complete devotion to His Father…our God…in His circumstances…ones that are beyond His control from a human standpoint. He does not run. He does not hide. He takes the circumstances…what is before Him, to God, then trusts Him for the outcome.
It was not a sin to ask God if there was another way of achieving His intentions…His plan for humanity. Jesus did not suggest or imply God had “got it wrong”. He didn’t blame God for His current circumstances.

When it was clear there was no way around this mountain…this seemingly insurmountable obstacle…Jesus committed the circumstances and the outcome to His Father.

Oh how I would learn from this!

“Thy will be done.”

References and acknowledgements:

Editing and proof reading: Jeff Roorda

Written in 2008 by Naomi Roorda

Photo: “Praying Hands” Naomi Roorda :

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Bible references: The Passion Translation…Brian Simmons Luke 22:41

I’m so taken by how God uses even the smallest things to jolt my memory or remind me of a truth.

Yesterday morning, I was up early with the aim to go walking. It was quiet and I sat briefly with a cuppa before heading out to enjoy some alone time with God…to walk and pray. I find my prayer less formal …more conversational and intimate when I walk, talk, and listen. I just wanted to grab a verse or word to meditate on before I left.

Right there on the floor was a dragonfly…perfect in every way…except dead. Its wings iridescent, its body shiny and its legs folded up towards its head, as if kneeling to pray. I could have easily missed it, but the word transformation came to mind as I picked it up. I love dragonflies! I did a search recently on the “spiritual” meaning of dragonflies for a group of women in a rehabilitation centre as I’d made some beaded ones as a gift. The dragonfly is renowned worldwide as a symbol of transformation.

Be transformed by a renewing of your mind…Romans 12:2. The Passion Translation words it like this:

“…be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes.”

As I walked, rummaging in my bag, I found a small notebook with a word God had given me months before…a call to make time to be with him, a place and space sacrosanct for an exchange of my cares and anxieties for His peace, purpose, and power. As I sat for a coffee, I read again that word given after marvelling at God’s grace and subtle but purposeful interactions with me when I take the time to listen, notice, see…when I’m tuned in to Him with a desire for exchange…intimacy.

Pen in hand and notebook turned to a fresh page, I began to write. I share this brief and personal God encounter with you as a reminder to you of how precious you are to your Heavenly Father and that He uses everything to convey His love to you and through you to others.

“I left for you this morning, a gift…a reminder of transformation, of timing and treasured beauty. Stay tuned to the tiny, almost unseen, and imperceptible graces of each day and the intricate beauty in nature around you and to the delicate balance of life that is held in My hands.

Although fragile in its form and its short life, the dragonfly plays a unique and precious part in that balance.

You too, seemingly invisible in your activities and daily living, are fulfilling a unique and precious part in my plan. Step out each day in that confidence that in your small “doings” and interactions, you are impacting the lives of others…sowing seeds.

So spread those delicate and intricately woven wings of yours, knowing that though fine, they have the capacity to lift you above the fray and transport you in your purpose.”

I find God is calling me yet again to dive deeper to discover more of Him.

I would not have ordinarily watched a program on Free Diving…an extreme sport, of underwater deep diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than using scuba gear. Called “The Deepest Breath”, this documentary showed this discipline is for those with a love for challenging the very limits of their body’s capabilities, mentally, physically and I would daresay, spiritually as it requires tapping into a “space” within, only accessible in the moment of the deep dive. The immersion in deep water affects the body’s physiology limiting the depth and duration possible and high ambient pressure pulls the body downwards making the descent easier but the ascent challenging.

I watched in awe at the discipline of training required to allow the body to cope with the pressures of deep water by slowing the heart rate, stilling the mind to keep from panicking and taking a breath as the body craves oxygen and timing the ascent to the surface so as not to black out before surfacing. Wearing only a wetsuit and a head torch the diver follows an anchored guide rope to the set depth, where attached tear-off tags await the divers to take as a validation of their successful dive back to the surface. Then, on ascent the guide rope is used to hold to help propel them to the surface.

Many divers dive into dark waters searching for “GOD” with offers of alternate guides to Divine discovery and enlightenment. There are innumerable experts on how to attain it. Wandering into some of the murky waters of claims of self-determination they miss the very guide rope and interaction with God they had begun to search for and lose themselves totally, deceived by the Look-alike guide rope of New Age philosophies and religious rhetoric. They entice them to change direction and follow their particular diver or rope, either into the depths of deceitfulness or the surface of distractions and/or disappointment.

Psalm 119:105 “Your Word (God’s Word) is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path”.

It was in this context that I was given this word from God.

Acknowledgements and Thanks:

To my mentors, spiritual guides, truth tellers and those honest souls who challenge my thinking and statements, open my eyes to new and deeper perceptions and encourage me to search the heart and Word of God, I thank you and thank God for you.

Jeff Roorda, Anna Mellor, Felicity McDonald, Lyn Henderson, Kris Thornton

References:

1. Netflix Documentary: “The Deepest Breath.” Director: Laura McGann
2. The Holy Bible:           The Passion Translation             New International Version
3. Photo Acknowledgement: Jakob Boman unsplash.com/photos/Td9fnTMHuOA
4. Photo Acknowledgement: NEOM Made to Change unsplash.com/photos/dulVtESluoM

Luke 24:1-35

The stone is rolled away.

The tomb is empty…devoid of “Hope.”

The empty space echoes the silence…the sound of confusion.

The hollow cavern of what has passed, beckons them in.

The inexplicable rattles around in their heads.

They stand absorbing the darkness into the very fibres of their being. They are adrift in a sea of pain…. lost!

They have come bearing their reasoning, for what they are unable to accept or explain, as perfumes and ointments to embalm, soothe and preserve any explanations and perceptions for what they have experienced, for what they now see…. but can’t resolve.

Seeping into their very souls is the realisation that their intent did not align with Heaven’s mission. The graveclothes of disappointment lie folded. They don’t understand.

Suddenly the place is illuminated…to show it for what it is! An empty space…a place for dead things! No rhyme or reason to remain.

A voice reminds them…. why are you here?

God’s voice above reason speaks…a privileged glimpse of things yet unseen, undiscovered, unrevealed.

Hope revived! He is risen!

They are told not to linger here. It’s done. Finished!

The place in which they stand has had its day. It is now no longer relevant to the unfolding story. The past is redeemed!

Hope remembered!

Women, whose testimony is culturally unaccepted, given the news and instructions to deliver to the confused followers.

Responsibility now rests in the recall of revelation, the receiving of it by others in the hands of the Holy Spirit to convict. The others, and the eleven are shellshocked and in disbelief, even considering this news.

The Emmaus Road…..

Two apostles.

A walk of defeat, disbelief, disappointment…backs turned against Jerusalem, leaving behind their shattered hopes and unmet expectations, to return to a life once lived.…comfortable, predictable…a life before Hope arrived.

They walk together…gravitating towards like-minded, mulling over the details, coming to an uneasy alliance with others jilted and struggling with the unjustness of all they’ve witnessed and experienced. It is cold comfort.

The risen Lord walks with them…unrecognised.

He listens. No surprises at their lack of understanding as they recount events…even now no realisation of Who He is, Who has been and now is, in their midst. Scriptures supporting all that has just unfolded before their eyes are unveiled by The Living Word.

Jesus moves to walk on, yet something compels the two to invite Him to stay.

It is in the intimate…. in the breaking of bread…the partaking of Him…with Him…that eyes are opened. It is in the confession of faith…

Hope recognised!

It is here that it dawns on them that the answer is not in the walking away, but in the walking towards…..not to return to the heart shattering event or circumstances….not to relive the pain or rehash the negative details of who did what to whom….but to return to Jerusalem…the “City of Peace”, …because its within its walls that redemption is found….

Hope reignited!

Shaken out of apathy, hearts inspired, the apostles returned to seek the truth at the place where they left off and  abandoned their dreams…because therein lies the answer…God’s greatest revelation and gift….

Hope resurrected!!

With thanks to:

Lyn Henderson, Vanessa Hall, Jeff Roorda for feedback and comments

Photo:

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