Month: July 2022

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Potential

Sue’s Views
Our beautiful hibiscus tree fell down in the wind the other night! The problem was shallow soil so there was not enough depth for its roots to anchor it sufficiently. Frank soon fixed the problem by digging a bigger hole. However ….. it was a good illustration of the need to not limit potential whether it’s a plant ….. a business ….. or a person. No doubt when it was first planted ….. it was a small pot plant. The spot chosen would have seemed adequate. But fifteen years later ….. it succumbed to the inevitable! Always try to see beyond the outward appearance to the potential within. Most people rise to our expectation of them!

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I Am!

Sue’s Views

Whatever season you are in ….. God is there! When Moses asked God ‘What is your name?’ ….. God answered ‘I Am!’ Not ‘I was’ ….. or ‘I will be’! He is God of the past ….. present ….. and future. When you are troubled by past memories or regrets ….. He says ‘I am your healer ….. forgiver ….. and reconciler.’ When you are struggling with your present situation ….. He says ‘I am your helper ….. provider ….. and wisdom.’ When you are anxious about your future ….. He says ‘I am your peace ….. protector ….. and guide.’ This pic portrays 3 seasons in one. Autumn leaves ….. winter trees ….. and spring flowers. He is the God of yesterday ….. today ….. and ever more!

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Tangled Web

Sue’s Views
Mankind has never been able to keep God’s commandments. That’s why we needed a Saviour! Jesus came ….. not to do away with the Law of God ….. but to fulfill it. It’s true we can’t keep it by ourselves ….. but Christ became our once and for all sacrifice. He paid our debt on the Cross. That doesn’t mean we are free to live as we please. It means we are free from the sin that caused us to live selfishly. The world’s answer to dealing with sin is to add more laws that tolerate and even encourage more sin. Respect for God’s law has been ridiculed ….. but we are expected to respect those who disrespect God! “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!” (Sir Walter Scott, 1808)
“Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 12:28

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Magnolias

Sue’s Views
No matter how bad things seem ….. there’s always something to be thankful for! I’m thankful that God created magnolias to blossom in the middle of winter. They are like a ray of sunshine against a dark ….. cold ….. and grey backdrop. For many right now ….. the backdrop is looking a little bleak. Inflation ….. rising prices ….. sickness ….. increase in violence and crime ….. anxiety ….. to name a few. I encourage you not to look at the backdrop ….. but look for the magnolias! They are a reminder that God is in control. World problems will come and go ….. but He reigns supreme for all eternity! 
“But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne.
He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness
The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”
Psalm 9: 7-9

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Water Baptism

Sue’s Views
We were privileged to witness our eldest grandchild be water baptised last night. We believe it to be an important step in the Christian journey ….. but it has to be the decision of the individual person. Baptism is more than just a ceremony. It symbolises the washing away of the ‘old man’ and the beginning of the new. It is also an act of obedience. Jesus himself was water baptised as an example to us all ….. and He taught his disciples to do the same. 
‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Matthew 28:19-20
Awesome stuff Israel! We look forward to seeing your journey unfold and we’ll be cheering you on!

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Backward Progress!

Sue’s Views
Do you ever feel like you are taking one step forward and three steps backward? Don’t worry ….. you are not alone! I left Asaph lying on his back on the blanket yesterday while I made a cup of tea. Next minute he was wedged under the chair! Babies often crawl backwards first. It’s all about their development. Their arms develop strength before their legs ….. and so they push and move backwards. But eventually ….. they ‘find their legs’ ….. and there’s no stopping them! So moving backwards is a sign of development and progress even though it may not seem like it at the time. You too ….. are strengthening muscles and character you didn’t know you had! 
“….. but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”Romans 5:3-4

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Remove the Plank!

Sue’s Views
Why is it always easier to see faults in others than in ourselves? Jesus addressed this by saying we will be judged in the same way we judge others. He said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Ouch! In all honesty ….. finding fault with someone else makes us feel better about ourselves. We start to play the comparison game. ‘At least I’m not that bad!’ But when we point a finger at someone else ….. there are three fingers pointing back at us 👈! If you really want to help that person ….. start by looking inside first.

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It Seemed A Good Idea At The Time!

Sue’s Views
As I shared yesterday ….. God forgives our sins but we have to live with the consequences. In a time of famine ….. Abraham chose to go down to Egypt where there was food ….. instead of asking God first. It seemed a good idea at the time! He soon realised his mistake when his wife was taken into the Pharoah’s hareem! However God was gracious and she was released unharmed. But Abraham brought a couple of things from Egypt with him. One was a maid for his wife (we all know how that turned out) ….. and the other was lots and lots of livestock. It meant the land couldn’t contain it all and quarrels broke out between him and his nephew, Lot. I’m inspired though by Abraham’s generosity in the matter. He gave his much younger nephew the choice of where he wanted to settle. Lot immediately chose the best most fertile looking land ….. and Abraham took what was left. But the land Lot chose took him close to a city called Sodom ….. which led to his demise. I guess you could say ‘that was his ‘lot’ in life! I love how the Bible is full of people who mess up big time. It is so relatable! But it also proves God’s love and faithfulness toward us all. You can read the story in Genesis chapter 12 and onwards.

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Faith Without Works is Dead!

Sue’s Views
An oldie but a goodie! This pic demonstrates the need for faith and works if you want to get somewhere! Using only one oar will take you round in circles ….. but using both will get you to the other side of the lake. Abraham was chosen by God because he was a man of tremendous faith. He wasn’t perfect. In fact he messed up quite a few times! He learned that God forgives ….. but we have to live with the consequences of our choices. He also learned that God requires proof of our faith. That’s where the ‘works’ come in. He was given one of the biggest tests of faith when God told him to sacrifice his only son ….. the one he’d waited all his life for ….. the one God’s promise depended on. And yet he obeyed ….. knowing that God was even greater than this test. And God stopped him just in time and said:
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Gen 22:12
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Memories

Sue’s Views
Reflections are beautiful! The only problem wth them is that they are not always exactly true. For one thing ….. they are upside down and back to front. And if the water is rippled ….. the reflection will be distorted. So it is with our memories! Our childhood memories ….. as true as they may seem ….. may not be totally accurate. We may not have all the facts. Over the years ….. we may have added to or subtracted from what really happened or what was really said. Many of us live our lives with resentment or disappointment due to a painful memory. Because we’ve focussed on it ….. it may have become bigger in our mind than it needs to be. Ask God to show you the situation from His perspective. He will not only reveal the truth to you ….. but will also bring healing to your heart and reconciliation to your relationships.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, 
because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Is 61: 1-3