One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #267, July 2023
Greetings in Jesus’ name,
On July 10, 1982 at the age of thirty-seven years and nine months, I concluded I had lived half of my life. This would mean that at the age of seventy-five years and eight months I would be gone. These were assumed to be my life’s milestones. (I’m telling this fact to praise my Father God for his blessings upon me as well as my family). In approximately 2017, when I was seventy-two years old I began to lose stamina, but I blamed it on getting older. By the age of seventy-four I asked my doctor about it and he scheduled a stress test. From this point I was getting weaker, and when they suggested a heart cath, I knew something was wrong. The results were, I had two blockages of over 95% and three of over 60%. I was in surgery in a week, but not for a five way bypass, I had a six way bypass because when they were in surgery they found I had another blockage. (I forgot to mention that I had been told by the doctor that I had a light heart attack sometime in the recent past, before I had the heart cath.) So my prediction was very close.
To verify and witness my feelings at the time, I wrote a poem to document my inspiration. I titled the poem “Folly of Thirty-Seven”.
On the number thirty-seven
Should I sit and contemplate
On old age I yet am early
On my youth I’m now too late.
Should I ponder all my losses
Should I face the wars unfought
Knowing some day there’s a vict’ry
Should I use the things I’m taught?
Thirty-seven’s just a number
Age is how you feel inside,
Knowing that I’m getting older
Knowing something I can’t hide.
Half a life is but a moment
All of life is but a day
You may make a big impression
But the mem’ry fades away.
Count the years they pass so swiftly
Count the miles so rough and long
Since you’re in the mood for counting
Count them slow- they’ll soon be gone.
RR- 7/10/1982
I wrote this poem in the early days of my teaching ministry, so it may be a little rough around the edges, but I believe the message is still there. The message is not the poem or about the poem, but it is what the essence of the poem is revealing. My whole ministry was and is, using the same format in order to fulfill the gift God gave to me. The gift God gave to me is the gift of prophecy, which doesn’t mean predictor, but I will give Christ’s definition for this word. The definition is given unto us in Revelation 19:10 “…for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. As the testimony of Jesus is the essence of prophecy, so faith is the essence of believing and truth is the essence of God’s word.
The essence of God’s word is the essence of God’s will, which is presented to us as the essence of life. If it isn’t in God’s will it gradually becomes the essence of death, which is the eternal separation from God. Hidden in the pages of God’s word are all the ingredients of living in God’s will and it also has the ingredients of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Lying within the word and essence of God are the answers to the world’s problems, and could help the world solve their problems if they would listen to the truth.
The ending to the story I began with is this fact, I was right about half past life, but the truth is, it was folly in the long run because God had the answers to keep it from coming true. On June 23, 2020, my healing began and now it has been three years since then. I’m not predicting anything else, but I will keep testifying about the Will of God and his truth. Many thanks to all who have prayed for me over the years. Our God is good.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts