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Jesus

Sue’s Views

I’m so thankful that Jesus came and put an end to all the rituals ….. sacrifices ….. and laws ….. that the people had to live by in the Old Testament! But He didn’t come to abolish the law ….. He came to fulfil it. Because He shed His blood ….. I don’t have to take an animal to Church for the priest to kill on my behalf. Because ….. when He died on the Cross ….. the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom ….. I can now enter into God’s presence freely and boldly. And because He is now interceding for me continually ….. I don’t have to obey all those laws to be saved. He summed them all up in 2 laws. ‘Love God with all your heart ….. soul ….. mind and strength. And love your neighbour as yourself.’ 

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God our Designer

Sue’s Views

 You don’t have to look too far to realise God is a God of detail ….. colour ….. and design. The Tabernacle of Moses is a wonderful example of this. God gave Moses a blueprint with exact measurements ….. materials ….. colours ….. and order. He also gave certain people the ability to make each item according to His specifications. Everything was symbolic and pointed to Jesus. Next time you are out in nature ….. take a moment to appreciate the designer! 

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Obedience

Sue’s Views
One thing Covid has taught us is to obey rules for the benefit of others. Of course ….. there are always the odd few who refuse to have their freedom compromised! The book of Leviticus in the Bible is a book of the law. It contains something like 600 different laws ….. some of which make perfect sense and have to do with health and safety. Others however make no sense to us at all ….. but we just have to trust that God has His reasons. We always want to know ‘why’! In fact ‘why?’ is one of the first questions children ask! Sometimes we just have to answer ….. ’Because Mum or Dad says so!’ And sometimes we just have to do things because God says so! Even the seagulls have learned to social distance! Well ….. at least some of them have!

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No Idols

Sue’s Views
What is your idea of God like? The Bible teaches that we were made in God’s image. That means that we are to be like Him. But what is He like? Jesus shows us the answer to that question. Everything He did was a reflection of His Father. One of the qualities of God is His holiness. We like the fact that He loves us ….. provides for us ….. protects us ….. and most of us agree that we should treat others the same way. But holiness? That would mean I would have to change. That would mean denying my fleshly desires. And therefore ….. instead of becoming like God ….. we invent a ‘god’ that fits our needs. We make God in our image! The Israelites made a golden calf out of their jewels. To them it represented God ….. but it was one they could control. They could carry it around and decide when to move instead of moving when God said so. It had no voice and therefore could not tell them what to do. It led them into orgies and riotous living. Most of us don’t bow down to idols ….. but we all worship something. There is only one true God ….. and He must have first place in our lives!

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Look in the Mirror

Sue’s Views
The Word of God can be likened to a mirror. It shows us what we are really like! It can’t change us …..it can only reveal what needs to be changed. Maybe a hair out of place ….. food in our teeth ….. dirt on our face. It’s then up to us to remove it! God gave us laws to show us we need a Saviour! There’s no way we could ever live up to them no matter how hard we try. God’s standard is 100% perfection. Anything less than that is sin in God’s eyes. In the Old Testament ….. God required animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. But they had to be made over and over. Jesus ….. God’s only Son ….. was and is the answer to this problem. He became our once and for all sacrifice so we could have a relationship with God. If you see something in the mirror that needs changing ….. don’t walk away and ignore it! Acknowledge it ….. and ask Jesus to help you change.

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Free to Serve

Sue’s Views

Having been in level 3 lockdown for the last 3 days ….. we are so happy to be ‘set free’ again today! But can you imagine what it would be like to be released after 400 years of bondage? At first ….. there’s relief and a sense of celebration! They sang and danced! But before long ….. they began to long for the things they’d left behind ….. like garlic and onions! Sometimes freedom has its own challenges. The Israelites soon discovered that they weren’t free to do what they liked. They were free from slavery and all it’s hardships ….. but now they were called to serve! God had His own requirements. The difference is that His rules required obedience out of love. Left to ourselves ….. we humans would ruin everything God made. Our selfishness would lead to all kinds of evil. He had to set boundaries. He gave Moses ten laws that needed to be obeyed for people to live the best life possible. They are all about respect for God ….. for our parents ….. for marriage ….. and for our neighbours.

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Fine Dining

Sue’s Views
After experiencing a sea opening up for you to cross on dry land ….. and seeing your enemies drowned in that same sea ….. you’d think you’d never doubt God again! But a few days later reality set in! There were no supermarkets or coffee bars in the desert! The Israelites began to be hungry and thirsty ….. and complained to Moses for bringing them out of Egypt where they had been held captive but at least had food and drink. God wanted to teach them to rely on Him ….. and He had planned their menu! Manna for breakfast ….. and quail for dinner! Fine dining at its best! Can you imagine how many quail it would take to feed over 2 million people plus animals for 40 years? But every night ….. they would fly in! And when they were thirsty God told Moses to strike a rock with his rod ….. and rivers of water flowed out! Still they complained! I wonder how often we focus on the negatives ….. instead of being thankful for the positives. We take so much for granted. The daily grind can seem monotonous and tiresome ….. but it is actually full of miracles!

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Miracle Working God!

Sue’s Views
Many years ago ….. Frank & I went to Universal Studios in Hollywood. We were taken around on a little train to see the sights. One of the attractions then was the parting of the Red Sea from the movie ‘The Ten Commandments’. I must say it was rather disappointing. I’m sure today’s movie makers would do a much better job! But this was no movie! It actually happened. Have you ever felt trapped with nowhere to go? The Israelites found themselves between a rock and a hard place! Mountains on one side ….. a sea on the other ….. and their enemies closing in on them from behind. But God said ‘Stand still and see what I’m about to do!’ He caused a powerful wind to blow so that the sea parted and left enough of a dry path for at least 3 million people plus livestock to pass through! Yes! It makes for a wonderful opportunity for special effects ….. but God doesn’t need any! He is still a miracle worker and will make a way for you as well!

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The Great Escape

Sue’s Views
Who has discovered that God’s ways of doing things is very different to ours? You could call the Book of Exodus ‘The Great Escape’! Two plus million people escaped from prison in one night! But they had strict rules about preparation ….. diet ….. and what to take with them. Much of it didn’t make much sense at the time ….. but God had their best interest at heart. He was about to take them on the journey of a lifetime! Instead of taking them by the shortest route ….. He took them the long and arduous way. By doing that ….. they avoided the hostility of enemies who would have taken them back to Egypt. They still encountered many obstacles and hardships ….. but God was teaching them obedience and trust. If life is tough for you right now ….. know this ….. God sees the whole route of your journey from beginning to end. He may be protecting you from dangers you are unaware of. He may be training you for greater things ahead. He may be detoxing you of things of the past. As He provided for 2 million people ….. He will provide for you!

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Hyssop

Sue’s Views

After nine terrible plagues and still Pharoah refusing to let the Israelites go ….. God told Moses to get the people ready for a night to remember! He told each family to kill a lamb ….. collect its blood in a basin ….. and apply it to the door posts and lintel of their home using a common plant called hyssop which is similar to our lavender plant. That night ….. the angel of death would pass over every home and kill the first born ….. except those that had the blood on the door posts and lintels. For the Egyptians it was a night of mourning. For the Israelites it was a night of release from their slavery. This story points towards the need for Jesus to die and shed His blood in order for us to be set free from the slavery of sin. Why the hyssop? The blood in the basin did nothing until it was applied to the doorframe. The hyssop was the means by which it was activated. For us ….. it refers to our testimony. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb ….. and the word of our testimony! When we share our testimony and confess our faith in Jesus ….. we are applying the blood to our selves and our households.