Crestwood Church

Blood of the Lamb

2009-08-12T15:56:00.000+01:00

“And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.!”

Revelation 12:11 In this incredible verse in the bible we have an awesome statement of how you can win over this present age and the one who controls it. The “they” in these verses is referring to the believers in Christ of which you are if we have put your faith in him. The “him” refers to Satan the prince of the this world (John 14:30). There is one thing that many of us who have been believers in Christ for some years and that is that we cannot win on our own and with our own strength. Every time we try we are spiritually bruised and beaten, but here John writes about how we can win through another strength not of our own. There are two things that Satan runs from and there is one type of person that he can’t defeat. This week we will look at “the blood of the Lamb” Firstly the kind of person– In this verse the believers were totally committed, being blessed with health or wealth was not their priority, they were faith fol-lowers of Christ. They were not afraid of death as they knew that ultimately this would lead to life, with God. (I am not teaching like some 80’s cult that we should all go and lie down and commit suicide or desire to face martyrdom, but simply asking how committed to Jesus are we, what is your priority, your well being or the gospel of Jesus). People who join the army don’t join it to die, they join to protect the freedom of their country or the state that they are protect-ing, but some do. A soldier goes into battle knowing that it could be his last. The bible teaches us that we are like soldiers, we are fighting not against physical powers, but against the evil world that surrounds us all. We too as disciples of Jesus will face difficult times, because of our faith. But whether we live or die we will still win in the end. This verse teaches us that because we have come under the blood of Christ we are protected from the enemy, just like the Israelites were protected from the angel of death during the Passover (Exodus 12) We come under his eternal protection because of his blood shed on the cross. When we apply his blood to our lives, Satan cannot touch us. We don’t have to physically cover ourselves with his blood, it’s a metaphor, but we associate ourselves with his death, by believing and trusting what he has done for us. We apply it by being obedient to his commands and standing for his truth and living them out.
Andy Hodson

Predestined-

2009-08-12T15:53:00.000+01:00

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:29-31.

I was reminded of two very important facts this week that I’d like to share with you. The first was that “If the enemy can’t steal your salvation he’ll settle for your destiny.” Most people who attend church are either in need of salvation or have a real destiny in Christ Jesus. Many Christians are content to merely survive life and shy away from expectations of great and glorious lives. We may also know of people who have walked through the doors of a church building with a desire to meet with the living God, only to find themselves distracted by thoughts of what others might think, pride, self-loathing, or feeling just not good enough. They may leave with every intention of setting things straight and getting themselves in a better state in which to meet God. How often I feel like screaming out “You can’t get yourself right to come to God, first meet with God and He will make things right.” The second fact is from this wonderful passage of scripture in Romans 8, Paul reminds us of the powerful truths, that we are ‘Predestined—Called—Justified and Glorified.’ We need to be aware that this is not just a promise for the future, or as someone once said, “Pie in the sky, when you die, in the great by and by.” No, this is spoken in the past tense, it’s already done! We are in the centre of God’s will and plan now and have been from eternity past, and ever will be for eternity future. What a great inheritance and promise that we are not forgotten or alone because He fore-knew us. We are not without hope because He predestined us to be conformed to Christ’s image. We are not without purpose because He has called us. We do not need to listen to those who accuse or condemn us because we have been justified through Christ who loves us. We don’t have to build ourselves up or seek the praise of men, because He has glorified us! You may not feel too glorified today, you may be going through tough times, but God’s prom-ises are not dependent on our feelings. Someone may have given you a hard time this week and all you see is hardship and suffering, or perhaps you are the victim of injustice or harsh treatment. I would encourage you not to lower the bar of expectation and blessing. Instead, know that Christ understands what you’re going through and this too may bring about glory. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:16-17. Satan tried to steal Christ’s destiny but he was always going to fail, don’t allow your destiny to be stolen. Put aside those feelings that could easily take over, and instead take hold of God’s promise that you ARE Justified and Glorified, make your decisions based on that. So justified and glorious one, all that remains is to remember that God is for you and that being the case, who can be against you? Be Blessed, Nigel

New out of nothing

2009-08-12T15:48:00.001+01:00

This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Romans 4:17

Newton, Einstein, Hawkins, Galileo are known as great scientists who have made discoveries based on information or assumptions that they have seen or conceived by observing nature and the universe. They have devised formulae and laws to show us how the cosmos works and holds together. We hail these men as giants in our modern world and man thinks he has the answers to life, universe and beginnings. But the one question that he will never be able to answer or discover is where did it all come from. Who made something out of nothing, where in the vacuum of nothingness did matter however massive or miniscule arise from? And this ultimately is the question who or what can create new things out of nothing? For centuries we have philosophized and attempted to answer this question, over the course of time we have spent years, money and re-sources on discovering this great question. And yet we have forgotten to consult the only one who knows– God, the Almighty, the Creator. He is the only one who can, he is unique over anything and everyone, god, being or machine. Today when we scale this down to our understanding and level, he still is the only one who continues to bring new things out of nothing. He is the one who changes lives from emptiness to fulfilment. He takes something dead and brings it back to life again. As we move into a new era, lets not get consumed or caught up with how, but let’s be driven by the fact that God can and will continue to bring new out of nothing, new people, new churches, new opportunities, new wonders as we continue to serve him as his people. Andy Hodson

The Youth of Today

2009-08-12T15:46:00.000+01:00

Ecclesiastes 12 v 1 says, ‘Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come.’

The first part of this verse is always encouraging, but the second is a bit more of a concern. For those of us who are more ‘mature’ in years, when we look back across the span of our lives, we can more readily associate with ‘days of trouble’. As we heard vividly last week, life often isn’t plain sailing. But just as trouble is a certainty, it’s also true that a firm foundation in Jesus is something that we can depend upon whatever we encounter. For those who are a little younger in years, the future may well seem just that, distant and ‘not for now’. We’re incredibly blessed to have so many young people at Crestwood. Individuals who are not only committed to attending, but also very willing to contribute and keen to use their many gifts. As you read this many (it may seem like all) will be travelling to Oasis 2009. It is a young people’s holiday run by a number of local independent churches. Over many years it’s proved to be a substantial launch point for countless young people into deeper relationships with God and beyond. During this week, our young people, along with 100 others, will be challenged and encouraged by God’s word on a daily basis. Could I encourage you to pray for them and us whilst we are away. The burden of responsibility for so many is significant and we genuinely feel the power of prayer. To assist, I’ve listed everyone who is attending and you can either pray for an individual, a family or maybe an aspect of Oasis, the choice is yours. Individuals: Dan & Lorna Brown, Megan Cleeton, Jordan Armstrong, Ruth & Lydia Edwards, Alex Hughes, Ben & William Goudie, Hayley & Lydia Crump, Sophie, Chloe & Bethany Hodson, Dan & Gemma McManus, Andy & Isobel Hodson and Marc & Lynne Crump. Aspects: Travelling, safety on and off site, Spiritual growth, developing friendships and a positive atmosphere. Energy, wisdom and patience (for the leaders). Finally, God has never failed us and each year it is good to look back and reflect on what a faithful God we serve and the power of prayer. Marc Crump

Trees planted along the bank

2009-08-12T15:45:00.000+01:00

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

Psalm 1:1-3 God is a prayer answering God, how I know this once again this week, and he is also a God who brings joys for the people of God. It is not a one off; like the world offers but “joys” is plural meaning many of and constantly. In this Psalm the writer compares the people of God to trees planted along the river bank. It means that those that are in that place are in constant supply of food and water from the river. There roots are anchored to its source. How refreshing to know that God is always there, supplying our needs and bringing constant joys in to our lives. We haven’t got to go chasing after the latest thing as we already have all we need. But there is more, so much more, like trees planted next to water, they thrive, they grow big and strong and their leaves glisten and sparkle and never wither. The trees prosper in such conditions. What do they prosper in? They prosper in ALL the things that they were created to be. They were created to be a testimony– to stand tall and grow upward and strong. They were created to shelter the weak, the birds and insects that rely on the food and shelter that the tree offers. They are created to be beautiful so that they attract people to the surrounding areas where they are placed. They were created to support the unseen world beneath the ground to be a source of life, drawing water from the streams to the ground. The were created to produce fruit each season. This is what they were made for and this is what they do. They are not fruitful in other areas, they don’t need to be, because this is the order of creation that God called them to be. As believers we are known as the trees planted by the river bank because we also are a witness, we are shelter to the weak, we are to be beautiful in the way we love each other and the world and we are those that produce fruit each season. Let’s not get concerned about the other areas of life like the world because we were not created for these purposes. We are called to a higher purpose, we have been rescued from the compost heap where we were weeds ready to be burnt and now God is making us into great trees that glorify and bring honour to his name– let’s live as were created and not as the world wants us to be.

Andy Hodson

God or feelings

2009-08-12T15:43:00.000+01:00

So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said” But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

Gen 27:22-24 I am sure we are all aware of the story behind this verse, how Jacob tricked his father into receiving his brothers' birthright. There is a serious message behind this story that we can learn from. We live in a very touchy feely world. We hear what we want to hear, but we often react when our feelings are effected. Our feelings are probably the most erratic part of our human existence. So why are we so quick to listen to them? In this verse Isaac hears the voice of Jacob and very clearly believes it to be him. But he trusted not in his hearing but in his touch. You may ask why did he not use his sight, the bible tells us that his eyes were failing. So he had to rely on other senses. I wonder which senses we rely on. Is it what we hear or what we feel? From a spiritual point of view do we listen to our feelings more than we hear the Spirit of God? If we are honest we all listen to both at times and have conflicting information. The secret of our lives is to listen more often (ideally all the time) to God. When we listen to God’s voice we are guaranteed the truth no matter the subject and the outcome. When we go with our feelings we can be confused and led away from the purposes of God and God’s best for our life. Feelings often seem right, but if they contradict the Word of God or the Spirit’s gentle voice they are as right as Jacob with hairy arms. The other negative about feelings is that they are only a human characteristic, God never has feelings. His character is always the same. What God says about us is true the day you first heard it and is still true about us billions of years in the future. God loves you, has always loved you and will always love. Justification (being made right with God) is based on the character of God being consistent, if he changes so does our state before him. Praise God that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are a constant unchanging Godhead
Andy Hodson

Managing 'our' Money

2009-08-12T15:41:00.000+01:00

People say the Bible’s not relevant but if we read our papers or switch on the news, it’s a different story. The New Testament has more to say on the subject of money than Heaven and Hell combined and five times more than it does on prayer. As a culture we’ve never had so much BUT equally never before has there been so much social unrest and unhappiness ‘we are consumed with consuming’ I believe that our society is unhealthily imbalanced in an obsession with possessions, success and wealth. As God’s people do we blend in or stand out? We have a responsibility to be Salt and Light and this includes how we approach finance and what we do or don’t do with it. There are two key issues that help us get things back in balance Ownership and Attitude. The starting point has to be whose money is it? Psalm 24 v 1 states that ‘the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.’ Who gives us the gifts, abilities and opportunities to work? If we acknowledge its God rather than ourselves then everything we have should be managed not because we’re owners BUT because we’re custodians. The next is attitude, materialism after all is a state of mind. God’s word encourages us to store up treasure in heaven and to invest in what’s of real value. We should have two accounts, an earthly one and a heavenly one. Our society is enslaved to debt and consumerism often at the expense of what is really important. "The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all of our money." How much are you worth if you have no money? Wouldn’t things be different if we were known for being people who valued strong relationships and ‘quality’ time above possessions. Being salt and light involves standing out from the crowd and being honourable with the resources God entrusts to us. Set your mind on passing on God’s principles and values after all one of the greatest gifts that you ever give is that of appreciating the value of money and what things truly cost. If we fail in these responsibilities we run the risk of merging into the background. Perpetuating the dominant view world and becoming people who are not only debt dependent but people who are infrequently satisfied with what they have. People who value little because it costs nothing, can be discarded and replaced by the next thing If we can get these principles in order then managing our money shouldn’t be the issue that it often is. Get a grip on your finance before it gets a grip on you.
Marc Crump

12 Big Questions

2009-08-12T15:40:00.000+01:00

It is useful to ask ourselves:

1. Am I really a Christian?
2. What is my most prevailing thought?
3. What one decision would I make if I knew I couldn’t fail?
4. What one thing should I eliminate from my life because it holds me
back from a fuller expression of my potential?
5. Am I involved with the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) or is it just a
great commotion?
6. Am I on the path of something absolutely marvellous or something
mediocre?
7. Who do I need to forgive or What do I need to get over?
8. What good thing have I previously committed myself to, that I no
longer do?
9. If everyone in the UK were at my level of spirituality would there be
church growth or decline?
10. How often do I pray and enter the presence of God?
11. How much time do I spend in personal development and hearing God
through His Word?
12. When was the last time I shared my faith with someone who is not
attending church?
As much as this is a personal thought provoker, if you want to pray
something through with one of the leaders or someone else in the church
please take the opportunity.

Having the right mind

2009-08-12T15:38:00.000+01:00

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 worry’s & the doubts, God cannot fail.

All the help we can get

2009-04-08T16:03:00.000+01:00

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26

Pray is one of the essential Christian lifelines and yet it is so often neglected. This may be for a number of reasons but includes, laziness, time management, busy social lives and not knowing what to pray for.
The great thing is that God in his infinite wisdom already perceived this need with the believer and has given us help and instruction through his word. Leaving us with no excuses. This isn’t because God wants to come across as the great disciplinarian, but rather he knows the impact of a regular and powerful prayer time.
Jesus himself always made time to pray, no matter what kind of a day he had had or was going to have. As man incarnate he needed that connection with the Father to bless him, uplift him and empower him.
Here Paul through the inspiration of God reveals that all believers are weak, and clearly one of these weaknesses is in relation to pray.

Isn’t is reassuring that when we don’t know what to pray for the Holy Spirit prays for us so that we have an opportunity to hear the Holy Spirit working through us to teach us and motivate us to pray and overcome the problems we face.
The original word for the Holy Spirit “helps” is to aid or assist. God is not wanting to take over but to share the burden with us. Those of us who have children or grandchildren know that when a child comes for help, it is much better to work with them than to do it all for them, mainly so that they learn and grow up, knowing how. God our father works with us in a similar way.

Often we can pray, but we can pray inappropriately, outside of the will of God. This is why we need his leadings from within us to prompt us of the right kind of prayers to pray. We don’t know what God wants us to pray, but God does. We must be careful to come before the Almighty with prepared hearts full of the truth through the saturation of his word.
When we are weak, or we feel that we are burdened or that our prayers seem unanswered the Spirit of God speaks into our spirit the peace and strength of God, which may not be at that time all that we have prayed for, but gives us strength for another day. It lifts us and keeps us. Don’t try and explain it, you can’t express it, just be thankful that God is there.

Why Baptism?

2009-03-11T09:02:00.000Z

“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes.” Gal 3:26-27

There are only two set ordinances that the Lord through the bible urges the believer to practice in. Other than reading your bible, prayer, worship etc, communion (or breaking of bread) is one, the other is Baptism.
Baptism comes from the word “baptizo” which means to dye or to cover. It was used in the textile world as a term to change the colour of a garment. A piece of cloth was baptised in a particular colour and it took on a new form from then on.
The symbolism of baptism comes from this point and is probably why this word was used in the church and by Jesus.
It is not a means of salvation, the bible is very clear that a person must first believe and repent, and it is therefore an act only a believer should participate in.
The main reason for baptism is to declare your allegiance to Christ, by being baptised you are identifying yourself with Christ. As it says in this weeks verse, we are united with him.
Baptism is a symbol of the new life that we have in Christ, we once were clothed in self, now we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We put on new clothes.
When we participate in baptism we go into the water, we go under the water, and we come back up again.
This symbolises that sin has been dealt with. We have declared that we are sinners by needing washing, we have buried our sin by going under with it and we rise up again clean in Christ having left our sin behind us.

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:4

As we share with Christ in his sufferings and death we will also share with him in Glory.

On March 29th we are holding a Baptism for Crestwood Church at Hanbury Hill Baptist Church in Stourbridge. If any one is thinking about Baptism or would like to know more about it, please speak with one of the elders.

God stands for us

2009-03-06T08:46:00.002Z

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. Romans 3:23-24

Bishop Moule wrote

“The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of it but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of the Alps; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they are."

(referring to God’s Glory):

And yet to us, God DECLARES we are righteous.
The word righteous is justifies, which is a term used in court and it is one of the verdict that God will declare over every human being that has walked this world from Adam to the last child born at his appearing.
If justified is to be innocent, then condemnation would be the verdict of those that are guilty.
To be justified means so much more than just pardoned, it is a part of it, just as to be condemned is more than just being guilty. The verdict that God makes also contains the sentence. To be condemned is not just being found out, it is to live a life forever out of the presence of God. On the opposite extreme to be justified means to be pardoned, yes, but also forgiven, restored, and to inherit all that meeting God’s standard entails.

The hymn writer wrote

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!” Thomas O. Chisholm

This includes heaven the presence of God and all the blessings that go with that.
Justification is also a forensic term, which links this amazing truth to us that not only do we look righteous on the outside, but also on in the inside. Christ was the spotless Lamb, without wrinkle spot or blemish. Through faith we also are accepted and declared by God to be the same.
It is so easy to simplify words so that they become easy to understand but by over simplifying we lose the impact of our inheritance and what Christ has won for us at the cross.
It is because of Christ’s grace that we have received such divine intervention, we could spend a billion years improving and still never meet the lowest aspect of the glory of God. (if he has one)
If God has declared it, we may not look like it, live it or feel it, but there is one thing that remains true, on the day of God’s judgement we will be justified. We will stand with Christ in a life time that never ends

Tell it out

2009-02-19T16:29:00.000Z

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. Romans 1:1-2

What is your mission in life? What is your purpose? If we know what are purpose is, it makes achieving it much more of a possibility. Here Paul declares his mission, and he goes on to live the rest of his life achieving and fulfilling it. Many people today are not content with life and fill that emptiness with many other pursuits and lifestyle. Sport, shopping etc, but when we know what it is that we are alive for, our lives become consumed with the passion of achieving it. How much more is this true in the work and service of God. If like Paul we are chosen to do something then doing it becomes the most fulfilling and exciting part of our short lives.
We are not all asked to be Apostle Paul’s, in fact Paul and his mission was unique for the foundation of the church and that generation. However there are lessons we can learn from him found in these verses and aspects that should be part of all of the mission that our life is made for.
Paul was sent out, called to do a task, therefore an action is required, and equally so is obedience. If Paul had stayed in Antioch where he was living and ignored the call of God to go, where would the church be today?
By going he achieved the greatest step of faith. Often the biggest step can be the first one. He was the answer to the cry of many hundreds of years before him. God had promised his people years before that the good news that Paul would bring would be given and here is the evidence.
But he had to be sent and he had to do it God’s way, it had to be God’s message, it wasn't Paul’s idea of good news, it was good news from God. It says THIS good news, there has been and will continue to be good news from time to time received by many around the world, but not this news. This news is life changing and available to everyone. This news is the news that should constantly be on our lips no matter what our calling in life is. The Good News is the message of the cross and the person of the Lord Jesus. Like Paul we are encouraged to “go” and preach this gospel (Matthew 28)
How we do it, is a specific thing to us or the church. Paul was sent to preach to the Gentiles across Europe. He was chosen for this task, your chosen task may be in preaching, teaching, helping, encouraging, resourcing and many other ways, but together we are all part of this great plan of God. There are many people in our lives and living on our estate that are waiting to here, see or feel this good news reach into their vicinity, it is up to us to make sure they get an opportunity to receive it. If we had a cure for one of today’s great needs, we would tell the world

Miles Apart

2009-02-10T23:39:00.003Z

This year is the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. Whatever our views of Darwin's theory, it is fair to say that he was a remarkable man. His ideas separate the very beliefs that humanity holds.
Some believe that he has discovered the truth about man’s existence and with it destroyed the idea that there is a God. Others believe that he has deluded the world with a theory that is false and as a result has taken the eyes of the world from the real creator of the universe.

If there is no God? Then humanists and atheists are right in their assumptions, that we should live for today as today is all that we have; with this view there is no future outside of our three score and ten yearsBut they are completely wrong in their idea that no God leads to happiness. In our civilized 21st century world, with all its latest technology, development and embracing of evolutionary theory, we don’t enjoy our lives and we are never satisfied? Suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism, family breakdowns, crime are all on the increase in the UK and have been since we accepted these humanistic teachings. Despair, loneliness, stress, pain and anxiety amongst many other emotions, fill the lives of our nation. The sad truth is, that if there is no God then we should be more concerned and worried because mankind has no hope of rising above the despair that he has got himself into. The other debate about this first view is what actually is enjoyment? Is enjoying life, drunkenness and revelry, spending until debt consumes our life? Is it doing whatever we want as long as it’s alright for me? Sadly this is the way the morality of our country is going.
If there is a God? Then there is another way. Worry, fear, pain and emptiness that eats away at so many of us has an answer. That answer is found in God, the giver of life. Evolution teaches that life is here by chance, without purpose, without reason and without help for our problems. Belief in a Creator God teaches us that there is one that cares, one that made us out of love. Everything he made has a purpose, a reason and a hope.
The answer to most of the whys that we ask ourselves are found in having a relationship with God. It is only when we know God personally that life and the ability to live it, as the Creator intended us to, makes any sense.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires.” Romans 1

We are what we are, because we have rejected God.
If denying God and living without God has bought about our separation from him, then believing God and worshipping him brings us back into a relationship with him.
This is true but not so simple. Our separation from God made us at enmity with him. There is a barrier that divides man from an eternal, holy God. The bible teaches that God sent Christ (Jesus) as a mediator between us and the Father.

“For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.” The Bible

He sent Christ to set you free to be the person he made you to be and through faith has given you freedom to live, the right way. No God means we are on our own, we die, that’s it. With God means life, future, hope, living, it also means judgement if we reject him.
Don’t fall for the lies of this present age, but look to God and see him in creation, his Word and in the lives of millions across the world, know him for yourself, just ask him, call upon him and he will answer.

Imagine

2009-01-26T16:18:00.000Z

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

Isaiah 55:8
In the sixties there were a lot of movements, looking and thinking at life in a better way. This has always gone on since civilisation of the human race began, but in many respects was epitomized in the pop culture of its time. One song Imagine by John Lennon which is today still one of the most popular songs of all time clearly describes man’s idealistic society. Lyrics such as “Imagine there's no Heaven, It's easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky. Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too, Imagine all the people, Living life in peace”
It all sounds wonderful, but an utopia is unachievable with mankind. You might ask, “where is my foundation for such a negative statement”, you only have to look at the Garden of God, a place where man was given a paradise of perfection, without endless boundaries, and yet in Eden, man still wanted more. Yes it would be great to imagine a world without wars, and political boundaries and with only one religion, that people followed. Isn’t this only achievable with God and not without him. If there is no hell, or heaven and no God, where does man get his help from...He doesn't’!, Without the thoughts and ways of God there is never any sense made of this sinful fallen world that we live in. There is no authority or higher law that tells us we are wrong, what is right and wrong anyway? It is what is right and wrong in our own eyes. We are all so different and struggle to make simple agreements on the most basis of subjects, can we ever expect man to decide what is right and what is not.?
Our greatest imaginations are lost with our inabilities to perceive and understand the life that we have been given. Without God to develop and grow that understanding and make sense of this life, we make up our own ideas which have failed us many times over.
Those that desire to go down the road of believing in the non existence of God, hell, sin etc, are the humanistic thinkers who believe that we will eventually evolve into higher beings. The evidence of the past 6000 years is that whatever developments or advancements of technology we have made, the understanding of life, social, spiritual and moral aspects of the human mind, have not developed in the way that was perceived. Without God, we will have to keep imagining, but sadly we will never find a way that works on our own. The good news is that with him we can reached a true “utopia”

I will build my Church

2009-01-26T16:15:00.000Z

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. NKJV Matt 16:18

This is one of the most famous verses for the church in the bible and yet we often miss its meaning.
The first observation is that Jesus is not saying that Peter himself is the Rock on which he is building his church to elevate Peter, but to simply say that Peter has been proved to be right and trustworthy for the task. The Roman Catholic church have used this verse to elevate Peter above all the apostles and build a doctrine on it, this was never Christ’s intention or thinking.
The next part of the verse gives the reason why, it is Christ himself who will build his church, not Peter, Paul or anyone else.
Peter was certainly the one to be used to lay the first foundation as he preached faithfully in Jerusalem, but everything about the church was from God. Jesus himself, the Holy Spirit, the doctrine and teaching and last but not least salvation can only come through these gifts from heaven.
This leads to the second observation, it is Christ who builds his church and not us. As much as we plan programs, events and services, we have to remember that without prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit, true growth will never occur. As we prepare for a season of evangelism, whether is be Crestwood or the work on Lakeside, let us remember what our role is. Ours is to be the workforce, the Lord is the one to make it happen and ultimately to receive the glory. Remember because it is his Church, he loves her with everything he has, and has no intention of damaging or destroying that which he has built.
The last observation is simply to look at the action of the church, here the church is seen not in a defensive mode as often portrayed but in an offensive, attacking formation. The gates of hell will not prevail. In other words, the power of the church will be stronger than the power of hell. The gates are its defence and the church that is built by Christ has the authority and power to break down the gates of hell and rescue those that are been drawn towards it. This is a fresh way of thinking, but it is a biblical way, the church instead of loosing lives to Satan, is storming the gates of hell and dragging people away from the pit of hell. No wonder Paul goes on to say that we are in a spiritual battle. How often are we storming hell, or are we just defending our castle.

God's Pharmacy !!!

2009-01-22T08:03:00.001Z

Something a bit different

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex.
We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium.
If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Eggplant, Avocados and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs.
Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers.
And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.
There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and balance the glycaemia index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.
Grapefruits, Oranges , and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the
breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells.
They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

Whatever our thoughts– God is an amazing creator

YOU and GOD are enough

2009-01-10T09:11:00.000Z

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” Judges 6:14

There are two things here which I want to reinforce from last Sunday morning.
Crestwood has been independent for two and a half years, we have seen much growth, numerically and we give thanks and all the glory to God. Who has blessed us way beyond our expectations, but hasn’t he promised us, if we trust him and pray he would. (Ephesians 3:14-20) But what about each of us individually?
Are we stronger now than we were a year ago. Have we learnt from the past, are we still totally dependant on others, or are where we are strong in the Lord’s strength with the church to support us.
This is the model that God wants us to have. We can’t do without the church to empower us as we are a vital resource for each other, but more importantly we can’t do without direct strength that comes from waiting and leaning upon the Lord (Isaiah 40:31).
The strength that you need is already within you, just as God was sharing into the life of Gideon, the big question is do we believe it and do we know where to look for it?
The important words in this verse are the last four. “I am sending you” it is not the church on its own sending you, it is not your personal ambition sending you, it is the magnificent king of heaven who is sending you. He believes in you, he knows you and he wants you to be successful.
It is time that we all realise that God is not looking for a single person or persons to lead us, but individuals that make up a mighty army who can take this area by storm. Yes we need leaders, but we also need faithful servants of Christ to carry out the spiritual battles that we face daily.
Can I use this opportunity at the beginning of a New Year to encourage you to remember your quiet times. How much time you spend in the day with Christ has a parallel effect of how much you know him, know who you are and are strengthened to do whatever it is that God sends you to do. If we don’t spend time praying and reading his word, we have less opportunity for God to speak into our lives, strength, power and encouragement, don’t cut off your lifeline.

Do we need training?

2009-01-03T21:47:00.000Z

... to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ Eph 4:12

In our modern western world there is a massive emphasis put on education and training. Developing people through schools and colleges and in the work place so that they each may be better suited to achieve the tasks or opportunity that arise in their chosen profession or general lives.
How much more should we individually and collectively be trained “to do his work and build up the church”. The word equip, comes from a word which is to fit more correctly. When you go to the tailors, he adjusts and measures the suit so that when it is ready to be worn it fits exactly as it can, in the same way as a bride preparing herself for her wedding goes to a bridal shop for fitting.
Are we the best that we can be for works of service for our Lord or can we develop through Christ and the body of the church, so that we can be more effective for carrying out his plans.
The work of the church is three fold, it is reaching out (evangelism), reaching upwards (Worship) and developing from within. (Training).

There are a few barriers to the third stream of church:-
1– The church does not provide the necessary training so that individuals can grow. This can be down to inexperience or lack of willingness to do so.
2– Leaders are focused on other things that they see are more important.
3– Individual believers in the church don’t see that they need training.
4– Individual believers have no desire to grow and develop any further, that they are happy in what they already are.

These are all honest and genuine reasons that I have heard and seen over the years, in churches I have attended or been involved in.
Brothers and sisters, let us as a leadership, not forsake our responsibilities, and as individual children of God not think that we are above development and training. I include the eldership or any other believer. We must become more open to be tailored into the people that God wants us to be, than we want to become ourselves. So that we can measure up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Outside the camp

2008-12-06T22:57:00.001Z

So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. Heb 13:12-13

As we approach Christmas we are reminded of the beautiful scene of angels, shepherds, wise men and innkeepers. All are an important and a major part of the nativity story. However the part of the story which is the most important, the glue as it were, that holds it all together is often ignored. Our materialistic world, don’t want to see a baby in a manger who grew up to...die. It doesn’t fit in with this politically correct world. Now the true story of Christmas is at best watered down but mainly ignored. If we leave Jesus the Saviour out of Christmas what is there left. The rescue plan of God meant that Jesus had to die on a cross outside the city walls. He was made a public spectacle of, for the world to sneer at and deride. He was cursed on a cross, and knew the rejection of man and the awesome hatred of those he created. Because he suffered and died and conquered sin, we live, we have a life both now and in eternity. If Christmas is all about a Saviour who has come into the world and redeemed it through the shedding of his blood what is a Christian in relation to this world?
It is about being one who is connected with Christ at every level. Not just the pleasant parts, but the tough ones also. The world hates Christ it will also hate you. If we are truly living for him, the world will disown us and despise what we do. They will take the bits of our Christianity that they like and reject the rest. In the UK the sad truth is that this is often the same for the believer. We will do what benefits us, but when it means getting our hands dirty, or sticking our necks out, we give in. The writer to the Hebrews, exhorts us to “go out to him, outside the camp” It means leaving this world and what it stands for, what it believers, what it cares about, what makes it tick and get out and represent him...Christ. Carrying the cross of Christ and being associated with him, even if it means the kind of rejection our Lord had. It is easy to serve the Lord in the church, it is easy in our Christian families, but on the other side, outside the protection of the camp, is where our faith is made real. If Jesus had stayed in the camp, we would never have known salvation, the message is the same today, if we stay in our cosy camp those outside will never know salvation.

Only God is good

2008-11-29T21:03:00.002Z

“No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” Romans 3:10-12

In the United and States and some of the large UK cities there has been a major push by the Humanist society. This latest push is a deliberate attack to bring down Christmas and more importantly to destroy the message of the church.

Their main advert is “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake”

Sadly those behind this type of message have not thought it through. It is often claimed that there are many super intelligent who have grasped Christianity, but it is equally true that there are many that also cling to Atheism. This kind of message devalues and undermines their intelligence. If there is no absolute authority, how do we measure good or bad. Isn’t good only a measure of something that is right and pure. And isn’t our understanding of what is bad only comparable with something that is good.

In the book of judges, there is a rejection of authority and constantly the phrase, “they only did what was right in their own eyes” occurs, and the country of Israel was in turmoil. Without laws, rules or authority, anarchy rules. Without God where would we get our authority from, who is to say that anyone is better than anyone else.

When God sat down and looked across his creation, he marvelled and declared this is “very good” man pleased him and brought him delight. Creation was good, but man was set apart as very good. Since man chose to listen to his own desires and the lies of the serpent, man has not only become separated from God, but instead of being very good has become useless...evil, fit for the fire. Useless because they are not able to be the person that they were created to be. If you buy an object for a particular task and it is unable to do the job, it is declared useless.

We have two can openers in our house, the other day the good one broke, that became useless, unusable, it would never in a month of Sunday’s open a can. The other opener when you try to use it mangles a can and you have to almost saw the can apart to open in, it is almost useless, but at least it does...eventually, what it is meant to do. We don’t even mangle our way to achievement, we have all failed our purpose of living out a relationship with God.

We can’t just be good unless God makes us new and rebirths in us the person of the Holy Spirit.

Is God male or female?

2008-11-21T20:36:00.003Z

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

The world has debated for centuries questions such as this and it is not my intension to expand this subject to its limits, but to look at a few things that, is God. God in his very nature is beyond our comprehension and the second we try to understand him, we end up seeing him through the eyes of a human and by doing this down size him into something that he is not. God cannot be measured, he can not be quantified, we will never describe him fully he was not created, he just is and has always been. This verse intrigues me, as it says that we are made in his image, both male and female he created them. We are both like God, man is not more and woman is not less. So what is God? Obviously all the scriptures in the bible refer to him as being male, He did this and He said that.

The early church struggled with the same question and the best answer found is that the Greek language uses the masculine as a default and therefore God is called a "he" since He is a Spirit and is genderless (just as the angels and other spiritual beings). It would have been improper to use the word "it" since God is a person, or "she " since it would have made God a female ( a Goddess). The personal pronoun "he" is the only one that can be used without creating theological problems. God is Lord, the alpha and omega, has always been and will be everlasting. Since God is our creator, creator of man, woman and all earthly creatures great and small, therefore void of being descriptive into being either man or woman. He is neither male nor female, but He is referred to as The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Through the identity of the first 2, He has the reference of a man, but our minds cannot comprehend who He is in His actuality. He is God, we are not. God chose to come into our world as a man and that is how he has been revealed to us. So if God is not limited to being male or female, but having attributes of his nature that include both, that brings us a different understanding of God. Male and female are different not just physically, but emotionally, physiologically and in their general being. The best and perfections of each of these are characteristics of God. He is Father, and a perfect one at that, but he has the tender hearted nature associated with a mother with her baby child at the same time. He can understand as a man in the same way as he can think as a woman may. This means there is no limit to God’s understanding. When we say that God doesn’t understand my situation the opposite is true. He understands far better than we can even imagine. No wonder the Holy Spirit is called counsellor it’s because he understands and has the power if we trust him to help us and deliver us from our limited understanding.

Believers- Do we need to work hard?

2008-11-08T11:26:00.001Z

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. Proverbs 12:14

There are two major aspects to our Christian walk which are often belittled or neglected and they are found in this proverb.

The writer Solomon can speak with authority of this subject not just because scripture is inspired by God (which in itself is enough) but also because he has proved it to be true. Solomon chose wisdom over everything else when asked by God, what he wanted (1 Kings 3) as a result he became one of the wealthiest and most powerful of people this planet has ever known, (from a physical perspective). He established a system of work that made Jerusalem and its temple and the other cities to thrive and encouraged hard, but fair work. As a result these years produced a peace that Israel has not known since.

When Solomon turned away from wisdom and became lazy, indulging in parties, banqueting and foreign wives, his kingdom was snatched from him and divided into two, and still has not recovered to this day.

Dear brothers and sisters, there are two sides to our faith, there is the part which God does, which is the only part that brings salvation and heaven, the part that changes us for eternity (justification) and there is our part which builds the relationship with God now while we exist on earth. (Sanctification) This is the part that can be threatened, because it depends on us and not God.

This part is all about our walk, our appreciation, our dependency and our personal holiness with God. This is epitomized by what we say and what we do.

If we say we love Him, but never want to serve him, what does that say about our relationship. If we speak out and gossip about our brothers and sisters in Christ what does that say about the family that we are a part of?

The one single thing that in our society that we cherish most, even more than money, is our time. The past few weeks there has been a mountain of activity and giving of time by so many of the church and as this verse states, it brings its rewards. We had more children at holiday club this year, the toddler groups are flourishing, Crestwood has never seen so many families on one night as we did on Friday (over 200 people came) and our youth and kids works are doing well.

Lets keep working hard, not just for each other, but for our Saviour who gave all for our salvation. Let’s keep finding ways to build each other up with love and strength , speaking wise words over each other and we will see the benefits.

The Plumb Line

2008-11-01T20:02:00.002Z

Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight.And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I answered, “A plumb line.”
And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. I wonder if God were to set a plumb line against your life, what results would he come back with? Amos 7:7-9

In verse 7, the prophet is describing a wall that was built with a plumb line. In other words it was built correctly.
(A plumb line has two purposes, 1– to test its depth and is usually used to measure depths of water, and 2– to test the straightness or trueness of a building or object. It is the latter that the Bible is referring to here. The cord with the bob on the end would be dangled down until it is stationary and the wall would be compared to the string or cord to measure its accuracy. Today we also use lasers or spirit levels, but plumb lines are still used in certain areas of engineering.)

Amos was writing directly about the Nation of Israel, he was commenting on the fact that they had wandered far from being true. The nation of Israel were formed correctly, they became a nation by the hand of God and he gave them a name by which to honour and serve– Jehovah. As time went on they drifted further and further away from their maker. Until the time when this prophecy was written when God was going to judge Israel for their lack of obedience and integrity.
Today we live in a fallen world, with people who were once made with a “plumb line” but as a people we have drifted away from God. If today was the day for God’s judgment where would we stand? The bible tells us that without Jesus in our lives, we are already condemned, because we have not believed in the Lord Jesus, the only man who is true.
Today is a day to recognise that individually we are sinners before the master architect. Compared to him God we are way out. In fact we are so far out of true that no distance imaginable, no matter where heaven is, could deceive God into believing that was are straight. The question is are we going to carry on, being way out of line, or are we going to seek God and ask him for his forgiveness. The wonder of being a Christian is not that we are perfect (far from it) but that God in his mercy, chooses to see us as being true, because we have believed on his Son, Jesus who was, is and will always be true. So when God gets his plumb line out you, does he measure you or does he see the trueness of Jesus.

Your will be done

2008-10-18T13:09:00.000+01:00

Pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”.
Matt 6:9-10

We have just faced another week of financial indifference and unprecedented action from our government. This is not exclusive to the UK; most of the Western world is looking long and hard about making massive decisions to strengthen and stabilize their own economies. What is God saying to us? Is he saying anything at all? Are these events just part of what is? Or is there something important to look at from a spiritual angle perspective? It is easy to reject God’s hand in these situations, but what IF God’s hand is in this, in some way.

Our first thought is often, if God is in this, then he is judging us for our godless behaviour, our worldliness as a nation and our immorality and greed.
The one thing that keeps Britain proud today (apart from the Olympians march around London, which will soon be forgotten) is its economy, this has held Britain in good stead and may it into one of the powers of the world. Manufacturing has mainly gone, but our commerce is up there with the big boys. But is it really as simple as that, is it God’s timing to judge us? Have we asked him? We can be so quick to get on our knees and speak out to God asking him to release us from this uncertain time, when we haven’t asked him “is this your will, Almighty God”

What if, God is allowing this to happen not out of judgement, but out of grace. When we discipline our children, we are not judging them, we are chastising them, we are trying to put them back on the right course. Britain has gone majorly off course. Could this be God’s hand allowing people to see that their wealth is not enough to satisfy and fulfil their lives? If God takes away their false securities it exposes the holes and emptiness in our lifestyles that we are so proud of. It seems we have little left if we haven't got our wealth. Is Almighty God trying to bring Britain to its knees so that his grace may be poured into our brokenness.

As a church let’s see times like this as an opportunity for salvation and pray that his kingdom may come into the lives of many who are facing difficulty. That they may find security, hope and peace in that which counts and matters. Pray into his will, not that which seemingly gives us the greater benefits