Crestwood Church Blog

We have been preaching these past weeks from 1 John about the difference between the way the world thinks and the way a Christian thinks. Here is a perfect example about the way that man has stormed off on his own agenda without asking is it right morally and spiritually.

There is a new bill proposed in Parliament which will reach its second reading on the 12th May 08. The Bill is called the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

The main parts of the bill (if accepted) will allow the following:

· More and easier abortions

· More embryos to be destroyed

· Human and Animal mixed embryos to be created

· Saviour siblings (Babies created to order, for their blood, tissues and part

Organs.

· And a serious downgrading of the value of Fatherhood.

More information can be found on www.passionforlife.org.uk

I don’t even feel it is important to say why as believers this is fundamentally wrong, so all I will say is, who is God and who is creator. The second we start messing with the order and sanctity of life, we are on extremely dangerous ground as a nation and as individuals.

What can we do?

1. We can pray? And please do. For the supporters of the pro-life campaign in Parliament. And that this bill will be rejected and thrown out.

2. We can write to our local Member of Parliament.

3. We could join the national lobby of parliament on the 14th May 2008 at 12:30PM onwards.

There are many all party parliamentary groups who are united in this, including, Pro-life group, Right to life, Care, Life, Passion for Life, Lawyers Christian Fellowship, Christian Medical Fellowship and many others.

We are not called to fight against governments or political powers, but we are called to fight for justice and the needs of our fellow man. Pray for wisdom for our nation.

Andy Hodson

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Labels: Abortion, Children, Moral

Freedom is one of the greatest needs of mankind, just ask Alan Johnston who had been imprisoned in Gaza for 114 days and has now been released. I am sure however strong that man’s character has been that there were times of doubt, fear, loneliness and a catalogue of other emotions. To be imprisoned by an enemy that we cannot escape from in our own strength must be torture in itself.

What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: What if the
Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? They would have
swallowed us alive in their burning anger. The waters would have engulfed us;
a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.
Praise the Lord,
who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a
hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free! Our help is from the
Lord...Psalm 124

And yet, the reality is, not knowing Christ is to be caught in a trap far greater than the hands of Palestinian extremists. It is to be caught and imprisoned with the great imprisioner, Satan. Where in our own strength there is no hope.

As believers we have little understanding of what the future holds for those who cling onto their own lives and fail to hand over the keys of it to Christ, and as a result we have only a small understanding of what we are saved from in the first place.

Christ has come and torn down the walls of separation and has rescued us as a bird out of a trap, without him we are swallowed up, we are beaten.

How we feel in this world, may seem hard to handle at times, but when we realise what Christ has done in setting us free we should rejoice and praise him with all that we have.

In the past when as a nation we have won victories in war over our enemies there is mass celebration, there will be celebrations in the Johnston house this week, there will celebration when people are released from prisons, there will be celebrations of freedoms of different kinds right across the globe. And yet at times the people of God fail to get excited about the victories that are already theirs in Christ.

We often hear, "but to get excited outwardly is just not a part of our character, we’re British," lets put aside our “Britishness” and be Children of God first and foremost and celebrate more enthusiastically when we join together what we are free from...sin, death.
And what that freedom has bought us...union with the Almighty God, for eternity.
Children and Heirs with Christ...Halleluiah for all that Christ has done.

Labels: Celebrate, Children, freedom, victory

"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

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Proverbs 22:6

Our children are a gift from God - they are loaned to us to while we have breath. As spiritual parents our duty and our joy should be to train our children in the ways of the Lord.

Here in Proverbs, the bible says to direct your children - this is asking us to lead by example. God directs us and his example is pure and perfect. The more we follow God ourselves the more we can lead our kids into the truth and the right path.

We live in a society that is very impressionable and with so many media mentors and iconic so called 'stars' to follow, our children have a great deal of discerning to do at a very young age! Often they're not capable of making the right choices.

There are so many paths that they can take. Man-made paths lead to ruin, depression, loneliness and bitterness. There is only one true path that will give our children fulfilment for now and for eternity and that is the path that Jesus stands on, saying "I am the way to the Father".

We need to remember that the greatest mentor any child can have, other than the Lord Jesus, are godly family members. Ones that can instruct, guide, discipline and above all, love, for the good of the spiritual health of the child. We need to be showing by our lifestyles the ways of the Lord. This isn't always easy, at times we are unsure of the right way and need to ask the Lord what we should do or say and live by his word. Remember the world is watching what you say and do, but above all, so are your children. Lead them on the right path.

Labels: Children, Parenting, Teaching

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches."
Matt 13:31-32 (NLT)

This week we're holding our holiday bible club. Don't underestimate the potential for the growth of the kingdom of God amongst our children. What starts small will eventually grow into something that is unstoppable. Who would ever have believed that the gospel would have been as successful as it is? (Other than the Lord Jesus that is!)

When we are planted and rooted into the things of God, we become an unstoppable force that always achieves the purpose it was intended for. The purpose is always so much bigger than our expectation. Let's pray for the kids of the next generation - that they will become children of God for this generation and help us in fulfilling the purpose God has already laid out for Crestwood Church.

Remember our faith should be like that of a little child: open, tender, real and to the point. Sow a seed today.

Labels: Bible, Children, Mission

Today is Kids Sunday at Crestwood Church, a day to celebrate the gift of our children. It is so easy sometimes to forget that the kids are as big a part of Crestwood Church as anyone else. How we bring them up will play a massive part in determining their future.

Can I encourage you to join with the Psalmist and declare: "We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders."

In their youth let's teach them the truth about our Saviour, that they may grow up to know him and serve him. Whether they end up at university, become successful businessmen or go onto become famous in their own particular field, the greatest desire for our children has to be that they might know Jesus as Lord.

Labels: Children, Church, Teaching