IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Andrew Rohde
One morning Andrew and I were walking together when “out of the blue he said, “Nita, God loves me.” I replied “yes, sweetheart He does”. He then stopped suddenly and repeated what he had said, “No you don’t understand, God loves me.” I paused and stopped. This was a God moment. I replied, “yes, darling He does”. Tears had formed in his eyes, and he said for a third time “Oh Nita, God loves me.”
I could take you to the exact location where my husband was transformed that day (pictured below).
From the moment Andrew received revelation knowledge of God’s unconditional love for him to the second he left his earthly body and was instantly present with Jesus he lived loved, and this one thing changed everything.
He then went on to explain what had occurred.
When we first relocated from Melbourne to Port Macquarie after sensing a direct call to “go”, Andrew was unable to find work as a telephone technician. This was not any easy season for him as he took his role to be the primary provider as a husband in our home very seriously.
One day while I was working, he heard a brief message on the radio. Joyce Meyer had shared a simple testimony of the transforming power of God’s love in her life.
Andrew always remained teachable and responded to this testimony by deciding to simple commit to doing what Joyce had shared.
Unbeknown to me or anyone else, he began looking himself in the mirror countless times every day for many months repeating the following, “God loves Andrew Mervyn Rohde. I love Andrew Meryvn Rohde.”
The moment came when suddenly THE truth dropped from his head into his heart, He was loved unconditionally, personally, lavishly by His Heavenly Father, and nothing and no none could ever take this love away.
Andrew would share this private testimony with any one and everyone who had ears to hear, and we have received multiple stories of people who have followed this simple pattern and been transformed.
He would often say to me, “Honey I’m just going for a drive to fill up my love tank.”
Despite the deterioration of his physical body at the end of his earthly journey, there was no fear.
For “perfected love casts out all fear” 1 John 4:8.
All fear was gone – fear of what if, what people thought, the future, failure, of everything and everybody.
His favourite song was “Amazing Love”
His “go to” sermon “The Father’s Heart”, preached by one who had encountered this Love first-hand, drawing upon the parable of the lost Son in Luke 15.
The last time he preached was to a group of teenage ruby players in a Fijian village. Nothing fancy. No sound system or lighting. I can still recall the tears in his eyes as he knelt before the boys sharing about the father’s love for his wayward son. Eternal destinies were forever changed that night and hearts freed from condemnation, self-loathing and the power of sin.
Andrew completed his earthly kingdom assignment and is now present with Love Himself, simply because he chose to believe and receive the gift of salvation by grace through faith.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25 & 26
If Andrew was here, he would share his testimony how he received the love of God with you and the transforming power of the gift of righteousness, amazing grace and salvation.
He would declare a phrase close to our hearts, “it’s never too late for a fresh start.”
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16.
For ‘if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9 & 10
Have you decided to receive the gift of salvation?
It’s never too late.
God’s arms are wide open.
“I’m forgiven, because you were forsaken,
I’m accepted, you were condemned
I’m alive and well, your spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again.
Amazing love how can it be
That you my King should die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honour you, in all I do I honour you.”
