Category: Sue’s Views

Posted on

Choose You This Day

Sue’s Views
Today we celebrate the most amazing act of love the world has ever seen. A Father ….. seeing the need of us His children ….. and knowing there was only one way to meet that need ….. gave His only Son to die in our place ….. as a sacrifice for our sin. Crucifiction was one of the cruelest and most humiliating way to die. But Jesus focus was on you and me being reconciled to God and able to live with Him forever.  He even prayed for our forgiveness as He was dying. What should be our response? Jesus made it possible for us to be saved ….. but the choice is still ours. The term ‘unconditional love’ is used a lot lately but you won’t find it in the Bible! It’s true in the sense that a parent never stops loving their child no matter what they do ….. but that same love forces them to punish wrong behaviour. We have a choice to make! And it’s Heaven or Hell! Yes, there is such a place as Hell ….. but nobody will go there because God doesn’t love them. On the contrary, they will go there precisely because they have willfully chosen to reject His love, freely offered to them in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. ‘Choose you this day whom you will serve.’
image

Posted on

‘Not My Will …..’

Sue’s Views 
It was in a garden that Jesus wrestled in prayer on the night before He died. He was alone ….. betrayed ….. and facing the greatest battle of His life. At times like that ….. we need to tell it like it is ….. cry in desperation ….. but come to the conclusion “Not my will ….. but Your will be done.” That was where the battle was won! In a place of honest, open prayer.
image

Posted on

Amazing Love!

Sue’s Views
Is there anything in your life you are ashamed of ….. feel guilty about ….. regret? Welcome to the human race! We’ve all fallen short of God’s standard. We’ve all lied ….. stolen ….. coveted ….. lusted ….. hated ….. blasphemed! That’s why He gave His Son as a sacrifice to die on a cross in our place. When we repent of our sin ….. He exchanges it for His righteousness. What a gift! No matter what we’ve done in the past ….. God forgives and forgets!
Are you struggling with sickness ….. depression ….. rejection ….. grief ….. hurt ….. anxiety or fear? Jesus carried all that on the cross too! He wants to exchange it for His wellness ….. joy ….. peace and love. We only have to believe and ask. So today is very significant! Jesus invites you to come to the cross and lay your burdens down. He’s about to do something amazing! His death was horrific ….. but He defied death and the devil by rising to life on the third day. You too can experience resurrection life! In the words of an old hymn:
‘And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?’
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter2:24
Image.png

Posted on

Jesus’ Steps

Sue’s Views
Walking with God means persevering even when you feel like giving up. Every step Jesus took toward Jerusalem was a painful one but He endured it because ….. on the other side ….. He saw you and me being reconciled with the Father. The joy in that far outweighed His pain! Are you facing a challenge today? Not sure what lies ahead? He has already walked the path. Try walking it with Him!I 
image

Posted on

‘Come To Me!’

Sue’s Views
If you look at the bloodline of Jesus ….. you will be surprised who is in there. The genealogies mostly only mention men ….. but there are a few exceptions. Three women are mentioned by name and they were all women of ‘ill repute’. Tamar acted as a prostitute in order to get pregnant ….. Rahab made her living as a prostitute ….. and Ruth was a foreigner. But God chose these women to be part of his plan because they all had great faith. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past or where you come from. God will never give up on you! He sees what you can become. He says ‘Come to me’! Image.png

Posted on

Clay Vessels

Sue’s Views
No matter how sophisticated we think we are ….. or how famous ….. or how talented ….. we are all made from the same clay! It’s what fills that clay vessel that makes all the difference. God’s Spirit on the inside transforms us from a clay pot ….. to a treasure trove. From a container ….. to a dispenser of His love. So instead of comparing yourself with other pots ….. let Him fill you and do things through you that you have not yet imagined!
image

Posted on

Pass It On!

Sue’s Views
Giving and receiving are two of the major ingredients of life. We can only give what we have ….. and we have nothing apart from what we’ve received. Everything we have comes from God so nothing is really ‘ours’. When we grasp that concept ….. it’s much easier to pass what we have been given on to others. Whether it’s material possessions ….. wisdom from experience ….. or just plain love ….. it’s better shared.
image

Posted on

Weekend Views

Sue’s Views
A few views from our weekend in Orewa! Much improvement has been done since our last visit. The seawall offers protection as well as a pleasant path to walk along. It’s good to see the trees that were suffering from erosion have been replanted and are now stable. The beach is still clean and spacious ….. and the views still stunning! So thankful for this little getaway. Now we are homeward bound!
image

Posted on

Renewed Daily

Sue’s Views
This tree reminds me that ‘though our outward man is dying ….. our inward man is being renewed.’ We are so much more than our bodies. They are the means through which we relate to the world around us. But inside ….. they carry our soul (our mind, will and emotions) ….. and our spirit ( the place where God dwells). This is the part that ….. when yielded to God ….. is renewed daily. It then dictates to our minds and bodies to get in line! We are fearfully and wonderfully made!
image

Posted on

Life Is Like A Board Game!


Sue’s Views
I had fun last night playing Ludo with my grandies! Board games really bring out the true character of a person! There’s the competitive ….. ‘must win at all costs’ type! Then there’s the strategic ….. ‘take their time before making a move’ type. The aim of the game is to get home! Life’s journey is something like a board game. We start out well ….. but then we find ourselves back where we started! We win some battles ….. and we lose some as well. We have to learn to trust God and not rely on our own strategies. There will be disappointments along the way and we will be tempted to cheat or say ‘It’s not fair!’ But if we persevere and play to the rules ….. we will reach our Home! 
image