“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

Labels: Applying, Blood, Lamb

“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

Labels: Called, Chosen, predestined

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

Labels: Creator, Fulfiment, Wonders

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

Labels: Chidlren, Oasis, Youth

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

Labels: Anchored, Joy, Prosper

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

Labels: Emotions, Feelings, Listening

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

Labels: Finance money, value