Crestwood Church Blog

"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." Proverbs 28:13

One of the toughest challenges of having children is discerning which of the kids is at fault when a problem arises. They all blame each other and when asked individually, look very sheepish! They'll put on their best face and look at you with eyes that cry out, don't you trust me dad?

Sometimes it's obvious- when the chocolate that they've taken is smeared around their mouths or has dropped onto their top, but what about when the evidence isn't there? Sometimes we rely on instinct, other times the different character of the kids. Either way, there are many times when we just don't know.

With God this isn't a problem, he knows all things- and that includes everything that we do. We can't deceive God, therefore the only hope we have is confession.

This is an acknowledgement of guilt and once we've come before God in this way, in his grace and mercy he will forgive us. (1 John 1:9, If we confess our sin to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.)

When we confess to him, we inherit a peace of conscience and a pardon for the sin committed. In this way our lives prosper, because we're at one with the Father again and we're open to his gracious hand of blessing in our lives. If we bottle up our sins and resist confession, we keep God at bay and stay his hand of blessing.

Confession is the key to a life enriched by Christ. It keeps us in step with him and we know his abiding presence.

The bible encourages us to confess our sins to each other (James 5:16-17) because this can also prove a stumbling block and hold back the purposes of God in our lives. "Confess your sins to each other...The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results". We are only deemed to be righteous if our sins have been pardoned, and we can only be pardoned if we confess our sins to the Father.

In some respects the Catholic Church has the right idea of "confession". They hold it as a high priority, they recognize that without it communication with God is silent.

We don't need to go to an earthly father or priest, we can call upon the highest authority there is, God himself. But sometimes we do need to put things right with those we have offended or hurt before God can forgive us.

If God seems silent, ask yourself the question: When did I last confess my sin to the Father?

Labels: Children, Confession, Father

Taken from Stewart Bloor's Blog at www.tiptonfamilychurch.org

Have you ever thought how close you actually are to meeting famous people? In fact you are probably closer than you realise, as I did when I started to think about it. For example, I know a Labour mayor, who will of course know his local MP, who will know the Prime Minister, who in turn knows the Queen. That means that I am just three introductions away from meeting HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

In the world of football, it's even less. Because of a friend who is a professional footballer, I am just two introductions away from the England manager and the captain of Liverpool. And it's just one introduction that would see me meet with people like Sam Allardyce, Graham Taylor and Steve Bull.

Not that I am on a path of pursuing the stars, but I'm sure you see the point I am making - how close we actually are to meeting well-known people. But what about Jesus? The Bible says that 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'. In effect we don't even need an introduction to meet with Jesus, we can just go direct ourselves.

Labels: Celebrity, Fusion, Jesus

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father”. John 14:13

What do we ask for, what kind of things can we ask for? We can get caught up in these questions so often that we actually forget to ask.

Sometimes we feel unworthy, selfish and an array of other emotions. But when we consider what effect our asking has on the Father it may change our attitude towards prayer.

The phrase “so the Son can bring glory to the Father” shows us a better way.

How can my prayer which seems selfish glorify the Father? When we show helplessness, we are really showing dependency on God. When we cry out to Christ and have no answer, we are saying that we believe God is our direction and source of wisdom.

If we pray anything in his name, we are saying that which doesn't go against the Character of God. His word is his character in written form. Don’t expect God to answer your prayer if you pray contrary to it, but do if it falls into line with the character of a gracious , loving and merciful God. Remember though he is also a God of justice and righteousness.

Don’t let your little view of God mar your prayer life, God wants to bless you and he want you to enjoy him, therefore ask away, not selfishly or just because, but because it will honour the Father .

We need to learn to be adventurous in our prayer and believe not just for the improbable but for the impossible. God rewards those who sincerely seek him (Heb 11:6b) Ask what would Christ want me to be, what would he want me to do and pray a prayer of faith that would agree with your answer. Maybe we don’t know, then prayer that God would stir your heart to overflowing and leave you without a doubt what he wants you to do or be. Make your prayers, prayers and not requests and allow God to work miraculously through them.

The Father is waiting to hear your heart and what thrills him is when you human heart is in tune with his.

Labels: Ask, Father, Glory

Jesus said "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 14:12

Last night I watched the film Luther based on Martin Luther, the 16th Century German Monk who brought about the reformation. This was a time when true Christianity was practised outside of an immoral Roman Catholic church which was based on idolatry and money grabbing. Through his persistience and his devotion to his Saviour, he took on the greatest power of his day and won. He made the Bible accessible to the common man by translating it into German, paving the way for our own English versions. It was his search for the truth that underlined his passion to achieve this mammoth task. He found the truth as he read the illuminated words of his Saviour.

It was the light that gave him power and strength. Before he was blinded to the truth, but the more he studied the word the more he was convicted not just to believe it, but to act upon it. It wasn’t out of duty, but it was born out of love for God. In his time the Roman church scared the people into conforming to its way and left them empty, frightened and without hope or certainty. But the true gospel is about liberty and not suppression, it is about hope and truth — and truth sets you free (John 8:32)!

What hit me about Luther’s story was how ordinary our lives are compared to his. We know precious little of this way of life, but how we should want it. To be so overwhelmed by the love of God and so consumed by his light or truth that we will not rest until that which concerns us has come out of darkness and into line with his light.

It may not be a reformation of the church, it maybe a person, an area, something that needs illumination. Something that is dead because Christ isn’t Lord of it and you are determined that with God’s help it may have life.

Labels: convicted, Determined, Light

Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. Psalm 14 1-2

Do you know that you will never be embarrassed by God or made foolish when Christ reigns. People may mock your faith and seek to belittle you with cruel words today. You may feel a fool for serving God while you live now, but what about the endless days of eternity...

You will be proved right, your faith will be genuine and all those that mocked you today will admit how devastatingly wrong they have been. The bible says a fool says in their hearts, there is no God.

Have we stopped and thought how ridiculous that is, and if it is true that there is no God, then there is no creator, there is no plan or design to our life. We are just be a bunch of chemicals floating around in an aimless state.

And yet we can breathe and make decisions. We can produce art and make music and our deepest longing, in fact an aching of our soul is to be loved and to love back. Can a lump of metal do that, are we really as insignificant as a rock. If we take God out of the equation, that sadly is the only conclusion we are left with. We are formed by a chemical reaction, we function until the chemicals go beyond their sell by date and that’s it, nothing else, no other hope or aspiration. No wonder God would call anyone a fool for not believing in God.

But this verse has an even bigger impact. If it is foolish to say there is no God, how much more foolish would it be, to ignore the obvious that there is a God and mock him. God is not one to be mocked (Gal 6:7) but by mocking you and insulting your faith, that is exactly what they are doing. They are bringing judgement on themselves.

It may be hard to understand why those close to us at work or in our families ridicule the name of Jesus in us. But that’s our world that lives in darkness.

Our part in this is not to take offence but learn to forgive, so that through our seemingly foolish actions they may find wisdom which is the light and truth about God.

Labels: foolish, Forgive, Ridicule

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18

The Christian life is a seemingly crazy one at times, when we ask for help of how to over come problems, the bible’s answers is to fix our eyes on things that cannot be seen.

That doesn't sound very helpful, and at times we can feel that way when we go to God with our troubles. This reminds me of Thomas who couldn’t believe the resurrection of the Lord Jesus until he physically saw it himself.

But God it trying to catapult us into a different world, not the world we know but a world where we will not need “pick-me-ups” and words of comfort. A world where Jesus is king and in control.

God, through the Apostle Paul, is putting the context of our concerns into the big picture of eternity. Whatever we face today is only temporary and will not be with us long, even if it is with us all the days of this world. Compared to the world and life that is too come, it is a blip on a screen and it will never trouble us for any moment of eternity.

Faith is the essential ingredient in our Christian lives for survival down here. It is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. So we have hope in a better future with Christ, free from financial worries, health issues, job prospects, relationship problems and the rest.

Whatever is in front of you today which is wrong will not be with you in glory. God is an unseen God, but we still have an unmoveable belief that he is real. We need this kind of faith to know that whatever God has promised us in his word will come to pass. There is nothing wrong in believing for these promises today, because God is a merciful God, we just have to be prepared to except that God knows the end from the beginning. What we ask for is not always for our good now.

Trust him, believe him for now, and put your hope in things yet unseen.

Labels: Belief, Faith, Future, Promise

Without it-

Since we preach that Christ didn’t rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? Because there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. Christ has not been raised, therefore all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. we apostles are lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true there is no resurrection of the dead., then Christ has not been raised. Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. We who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. in fact, Christ has not been raised from the dead. No one will know the great harvest all who have died.

With it-

Since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. f Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Labels: Resurrection, Salvation, Saviour

God is not a man, so that he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it out? Numbers 23:19

Have you ever wonder what a difference a week makes. One minute people can be ecstatic and jubilant and the next week they can become angry and murderous. Such is the human nature, a warm summers day can transform us from being down to someone who has a spring in their step. Where as a damp, dreary day can remove a glowing smile from our face and fill it with negativity and be downcast.

Go back 2000 years to the bustling streets of Jerusalem AD 32. The streets were filled with people who wanted to catch a glimpse of the “Miracle Maker” they chanted words of victory and awe, a week later, they had nailed him to a cross and killed him. What kind of mind can change that drastically. Are we any different, would we have been with the crowd singing “Hosanna’s” and then shouting “Crucify” days later. Very few in Jerusalem had a different and unchanged mind. Many made their mind up immediately and followed the crowd and the authorities.

Who do we listen to, what crowd or authorities do we listen to?

There are many hidden crowds and authorities as well as the physical ones, that would seek to change our mind. Let not just fix our eyes on Jesus, but are minds also: may our mind be that of Christ.

We change like shifting shadows, but God is forever constant, he will never change his mind. If our mind is on the Lord, he will lift even the gloomiest day and fill it with a thousand rainbows, if our mind is on him, we will get through the seasons of drought, the troubles, the agonies, the worries and the doubts, God cannot fail.

Labels: Assurance, unchanging

Then Jehoshaphat added, "But first let's find out what the Lord says." 1 Kings 22:5

Going into battle in the days of ancient kings was a common affair. Knowing your enemy and the best time to attack was essential to success. Kings had prophets and seers to give them advice on such matters. Very much like Presidents have their aides, who have their own special areas of expertise.

Even today, many kings and presidents rely on all manner of different types of advisers, often using the occult for discernment. Little has changed in the worlds history.

In King Ahab's case, he had 400 Prophets of Asherah who advised him, servants of a false god. Today people look to psychics and ignore the living God.

Even Christians leave God to the last possible moment for advice, because they either don't trust God or don't want to hear what he has to say. This was certainly the situation with Ahab. Because he was an ungodly king, his practices were foreign to God and therefore whenever a man of God came to him, it was always a rebuke.

If he had listened, rebukes would have become blessings, but a cold heart cannot see truth.

Jehoshaphat was a godly King of Judah, he followed after the Lord and his opening remarks are something we can cling onto for a message for life "But first let’s find out what the Lord says." The conditions were right, the cause was right, the army was right for its size and combat capabilities, but Jehoshaphat knew, this means nothing unless the Lord is with you. 400 prophets said one thing - but God’s prophet said something different. Who would you follow?

What did Jehoshaphat say? Let’s find out what the Lord says. We all lack understanding and even though we read God’s word, there are times when we don’t get it or we just haven’t digested enough of it in. But instead of doing our own thing or following the crowd, we must find out, read more of his word, ask other believers for advise and seek God in prayer, then and only then go into battle.

King Ahab refused to listen to God’s prophet and as a result he lost his life. The battle itself was won, but the king was replaced, ultimately because he refused to seek the Lord’s counsel.

As believers in the battles we face, we have the Almighty God to guide our paths. Find out which way he wants you to go and trust him and don’t move until you know that is what he wants and not just what everyone else thinks.

Labels: Battle, God, Jehoshaphat

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don’t bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don’t believe it! Matthew 24:24-25

Not too long ago a well known international evangelist announced on TV that Jesus Christ would personally appear before thousands of people in Kenya, Nairobi. Many thousands of "Christian" viewers ploughed vast sums of money into his ministry, because they saw this man as God's anointed - despite the fact that this is impossible! The next time the Lord Jesus appears, it will be to rescue his people and judge those that rejected him. Nevertheless, this amazing claim was still made. Obviously the event took place without the appearance of the Lord.

Meanwhile, other "Christian Stars" portray the work of the Holy Spirit with all kind of strange occurrences: like gold dust from heaven and barking like a dog, to name but a few of the un-God like "signs" and "wonders" that occur in certain sectors of the church.

But the problem is thousands of people still regularly hold the latter as God's anointed and follow after these so called Prophets and seers of the modern church. There are many references to false teaching and false prophets in God's Word and especially concerning the days before the Lord's return, which the verses above are making reference to.

The sad truth to me is the statement in v24, "to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones." These people are not just leading non believers astray; but those who love the Lord. When the Lord is seemingly silent with miracles, some feel that they need to imitate the work of the Holy Spirit with these counterfeit signs. Today's church needs to ask the Lord for the gift of discernment so that which is false can be exposed for what it is. Ultimately we have the Word of God, (which the early church never had) and anything that contradicts it, has to be false.

John writes "You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." 1 John 4:1

I wonder how alert we are and how easily led we are. Let us not be led away by the latest new thing, just because it seems miraculous, but let us seek God's Word and in the Spirit discern the truth. Because often these false things can lead us away from the truth and cause us to miss out on the real miracles that the Lord wants to bestow on his children.

"Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good." 1 Thess 5:21

Labels: Discernment, Falsehoods, Miracles