Crestwood Blog
Have you ever noticed how much time we spend waiting in life? We wait for people, deliveries, buses, trains, planes and automobiles etc. Some things we find ourselves waiting for are not always good for us and the news we get is not what we’d hope for.
400 Not Out
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, known as ʻThe book that changed everything”. Nowadays we have a wide choice of English translations of the Bible, but this has not always been the case.
John Wycliffe translated the existing Latin Bible into English for the first time by hand in the 1380ʼs despite the threat of execution to anyone in possession of a non-Latin Bible. Many others found similar opposition right into the 1500ʼs, including William Tyndale who was burned at the steak in 1536 for printing the Bible in English. His last words were reportedly “Oh Lord, open the King of Englandʼs eyes”.
When King James I came to the throne, he was approached about producing a new and more accurate translation of the Bible from the original languages. About 54 of the best minds in England were chosen to produce the King James Bible, first published in 1611.
It wasnʼt long before some phrases from the new Bible found their way into other literature and everyday language. There are many biblical references in the works of Shakespeare and we still use it in common sayings, such as, ʻA time for everythingʼ, ʻNothing new under the sunʼ, ʻA law unto themselvesʼ and many more.
Whatever version you may use today, the most important thing is that itʼs always on our lips and alive in our hearts.
Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The world is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity, itʼs waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity”.
Today I believe that the world is not desperate for a new translation of the bible, it needs a transformation of Christians who will love the word of God and take it into all the world. Only then will those living in darkness receive the revelation and the light of the Gospel they need.
Life came into being through the word of God, life continues to burst forth by the word of God. Do you need to be enlivened? Then make His word your passion. The Bible is the very word of God to us.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” - 2 Timothy 3:16,17
Every Blessing!
Nigel Rowe
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12
At this time of year we begin to think of the light that came into the world that the darkness has never put out.
Jesus Christ came into the world and made a way for us to have a relationship once again with him. The Holy Spirit was left for us as a comforter and since that time we have the light now living in us.
Jesus called himself the light of the world that we who believe now have. Therefore through us, ‘He is able’ to do great things and to win greater battles than the armies of old.
Gideon led a small army of 300 men into battle against a great opposition with nothing but a trumpet and a light in a jar. They broke the jar and revealed the light at the right time and the battle was won. It struck me when reading this account, that the men carried lights with them, but we have Gods light within us.
The only thing that limits us is our minds and the willingness to accept Christ as Lord over all our circumstances. No matter how great the opposition, our God is bigger and able to defeat all the works of the evil one.
We must first come away from any thoughts that we can arm ourselves with any greater weapons than we have already been given. Gideon’s men had a light in a jar and a trumpet, but they won.
The inheritance we have, means that we have the Grace of God on our lives that leads us to do things well. The good that is in us; the light that shines out of us, is from God. We are earthen vessels and at times our earthiness shows. But this treasure is within and we must allow that to shine forth without hindrance.
Do we look too closely at our faults and the faults of others? Or do we look closely at the light that God has placed within us all who believe?
Our job should be to show the light of God to those around us, so that people may see the treasure within us before they see the earthly vessel. That means we have to change our priority of promotion. If self promotion is within your character, then a change is needed. Instead, look to God for your answer and your victory no matter how feeble or able you might feel, what He has invested in you is far more powerful than you know.
Blessings!
Nigel Rowe
Lest We Forget
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
This is taken from a famous war poem written in 1914 by Robert Laurence Binyon and is frequently used during remembrance week. The first part of this poem tells us what Binyon intended to remember, young men singing songs, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
Making plans for the future based on bad experiences of the past, can lead to lives full of fear and guilt. If we make decisions rooted in positive and joyful memories, with an effort to see God glorified, then you will live in joy, peace and fulfilment.
Our Memory is precious to us but can be a good thing to give up at times. Speaking of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:34, the Lord say’s “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more”.
If we always hold on to the hurts of the past and continually revisit the things that have been done to us in our conversation, then we will never truly forgive.
A better way to use our memory would be to think of good things that happen to us in our lives, and make our decisions for the future based on these instead. “...whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). This way we simply store away positive things and drop the negative, adding only good things to the memory bank that we return to when we plan our way ahead.
Isaiah 43:26 says: “Put me in remembrance; Let us contend together...”. When Christ instituted the Lords Supper He encourages us to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. Let’s be sure to remember Christ today, putting Him and all He gives us in place of your hurt, making Him your remembrance so we can contend together with Him for our future.
God’s richest blessings!
Nigel Rowe
JERUSALEM
If anyone has been enjoying the success that the home nations are having in the Commonwealth games, you may have also noticed the anthem used as the English medallist stand on the podium.
‘Land of hope and glory’ has been replaced by ‘Jerusalem’. This was a hymn that reminds me of school assemblies, to which I would add my own words “Not according to the bible”.
The words of this hymn, that the athletes are struggling with, are taken from a poem by William Blake that itself is based on an apocryphal story that suggests that Jesus travelled to the british Isles as a boy.
Blake asks four questions:
- And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green?
- And was the holy lamb of God on England's pleasant pastures seen?
- And did the countenance divine shine forth upon our clouded hills?
- And was Jerusalem builded here among those dark Satanic mills?
These words were penned in 1808 with the dismal backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. Underneath them he added a bible verse "Would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets" Numbers 11:29.
Jesus himself may never have actually walked on England’s mountains green or pleasant pastures. However because God is spirit and we are spiritual beings, wherever we walk, God also walks and where we are seen so God is there.
The hope for God’s people today is the same as it ever was and the words of the priestly blessing also found in the book of Numbers is my prayer for us all.
“The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
It is still our joy, that as God’s face shines on us through our clouded hills we will see His promises established and not even the darkest ‘Satanic mills’ can stop that.
God’s richest blessing!
Nige