Month: April 2023

Sue’s Views

Walking with God means going through the tough times! When we are in a situation we’d rather not be in ….. our prayer is often …..”God, get me outta here!” We look for all the ways God could rescue us ….. but He usually doesn’t send a helicopter to take us out. No! He comes down to where we are and walks us through! I’m glad I’ve walked through some things I wanted to go away. I know God so much better!

Sue’s Views

Does it seem like your life has taken a detour? Things were going along nicely ….. and then you were thrown a curve ball? You feel like you are going in the wrong direction ….. heading away from your goal? That’s when we need to trust our Heavenly Father ….. who sees obstacles in our path way before we do. Our ‘inconvenience’ may be to accommodate someone else’s need. Don’t worry! He will bring you back on course!

Sue’s Views

The reflections in this photo are blurry because the water is agitated. Only perfectly calm water can give a true reflection. When we are anxious ….. fearful ….. or overly busy ….. we can’t hear or see things clearly. We are more likely to make hasty and unwise decisions. God says ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’

Sue’s Views 

The stone’s been rolled away! Nothing could keep Jesus in the grave! The same power that raised Him back to life is available to you and me! No stone ….. no matter how big ….. no matter how long it has been there ….. can stand in the way! Doubt ….. unbelief ….. fear ….. rejection …..addictions ….. sickness ….. and not only on Easter Sunday ….. but everyday!

Sue’s Views

It’s funny how ….. when something happens outside of our realm of understanding ….. we try to explain it away. Many read the Bible with a ‘pair of scissors’! They keep the bits they like ….. but cut out the passages that don’t fit with their theology. These include miracles ….. and things that challenge their comfort. If they were to believe these things ….. they would have to change the way they live. The Resurrection of Christ is one of the events that has had lawyers and judges setting out to disprove its authenticity ….. only to come to the verdict that the evidence proves it happened! Jesus appeared to more than 500 people after his death and burial! Why did it cause so much controversy? Because ….. in rising from the grave ….. Jesus overcame sin and death for us all. He proved He is God ….. and made it possible for us to be saved!

Sue’s Views

When we hear news of terrible things happening around the world ….. murders ….. trafficking ….. identity theft ….. consumerism ….. moral decline to name a few ….. we can ask ‘How can people be so evil?’ We compare our petty crimes of ‘white lies’ ….. borrowing and not giving back ….. spreading rumours ‘so others can pray for them’ ….. and conclude that we would never do anything that bad! The Cross was the stopping place for sin. What is sin? It is anything that falls short of God’s standard. God’s standard is 100%. It doesn’t matter whether you get 99% or 5% ….. you have missed the mark! There are no big sins and small sins! That’s why we are all sinners ….. and we all needed a Saviour. That’s what Easter is all about! On the Cross ….. a wonderful exchange took place. Jesus took my all my wrongness and exchanged it for His rightness. He took my shame and gave me His approval. He took my fear and gave me his boldness. He took my sickness and gave me His wellness. He took my death and gave me His life. Will you accept that exchange? Today would be a great day for a new beginning!

Sue’s Views

If we knew today was going to be our last day on earth ….. I wonder how we would spend it and what conversations we would have. Jesus chose to spend his with his disciples ….. preparing them for what lay ahead. They could not understand why He had to leave them. What was the point of it all? One thing He told them was that it was better for them that He go because He was going to sent a Helper ….. a Comforter ….. Someone who would be like having Jesus by their side every moment of every day! And not only that ….. but also Someone who would empower them to do the things Jesus did! He was talking about the Holy Spirit ….. who is available to each one of us because of Jesus death and resurrection! They received this wonderful gift fifty days later and ….. with the help of the Holy Spirit ….. they turned the world upside down! He turned their mourning into joy ….. and He will do the same for you!

Sue’s Views

The Cross consists of two beams ….. one is vertical ….. one is horizontal. The vertical beam represents our relationship with God. The main purpose of Jesus death, burial and resurrection was to give us access to God the Father. Before the cross ….. we were separated from God by our sin. But Jesus paid our debt ….. giving us access to the Father ….. and allowing us to receive His forgiveness. The horizontal beam represents our relationship with others. We are part of a global family! That means there is sibling rivalry ….. and the bickering that goes on in any family. There are plenty of opportunities to offend and be offended! But because God has forgiven me of my ginormous debt that I could never have paid ….. I can ….. with His help ….. forgive my brother and sister for the much smaller debts they owe me. In fact ….. if I don’t ….. God can’t forgive me of mine. His hands are tied! So as we approach Easter weekend ….. let’s forgive our debtors so we can receive Gods forgiveness.

“And forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” Matthew 6:12

Sue’s Views

As we approach Easter weekend ….. I want to focus on the Cross of Christ. The Cross has become a well recognised symbol of Christianity ….. with many different versions. They are hung around necks ….. hung on walls ….. and erected in graveyards and where loved ones have met their demise on the roads. Some are very elaborate ….. made in gold ….. jade ….. and other precious materials. Some have the figure of Jesus still on them ….. others are empty. Many have become a fashion accessory! The Cross of Christ was most likely rough ….. just two pieces of wood nailed together. They were a common sight! Jesus wasn’t the first to be crucified. It was the means of execution for murderers ….. thieves ….. and extortioners. But Jesus was the only man to be crucified and then raised back to life! That’s why the Christian symbol of the Cross is empty! What Jesus went through was horrific ….. but He was willing to do it for our sake. Someone had to pay the penalty for our wrongdoing. Someone who was sinless. Someone who met the requirements for a perfect sacrifice. No one but Jesus could do that! 

 “Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed! We—every one of us—have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of every one of us!” Isaiah 53: 4-6