Last week, we went to Scotland for our New Year Conference. The New Year word was so encouraging! We came to place where God spoke through people to such a point where it became prophetic.

Some people believe that prophecy is limited to the time of the apostles. But we believe that the prophetic word still exists today.

We are given a prophetic word each New Year. Back in the 1950s they realised that the word that was given was alive prophetically for the coming year and thereafter. They are words of encouragement, motivation and deep power, which lasted for that year and onwards up to and including today. We as a church have seen the prophetic word for 2018 outwork in our lives.

The word for 2019 was given by Grace and can be found in Exodus 23: 20:

Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

If we read these words to ourselves, we can see that God has sent an angel before you personally. It’s a personal message. To keep you in His ways. To take you to a place that He’s prepared for you. God knows you in such a way that He will send you on a pathway to a place that He has got for you, and His church.

There’s a journey involved. As individuals, and as a Church.

The second part is in 1 John 5: 14:

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

These are words of knowledge. God in His will protect you. He’ll guide us and guard us. He’ll keep us safe. He’s got a place for us to go to. How many people need that! Many in the church world are in the wilderness, they’re lost. They’re not in this place that God has prepared for them. In that place that God has prepared for them, there’s a richness, a love, a unity and a blessing.

God will protect us. Each one of us need a measure of safety. Can money provide safety? Or circumstances? No. You can lock yourself in the house, that doesn’t give you safety. Safety only comes from a proper walk with God.

He’s going to guide us, keep us and protect us. He’s got a place for us ongoing where we’re not going to be lost. We’re going somewhere with Him. Among all the pressures and turmoil of life, that has to be a good thing.

If you pray to Him, because you will have challenges along the way, He will act with us according to His will. If you pray according to His will, He will answer according to His will. And that answer will come into our lives, according to the will of God.

If I’m on this journey and if I am facing these difficulties that come with life, I can pray to Him. He’s not a million miles away – He is close to me. I can pray to Him. He will hear my prayer and act according to His will! I found that word so lovely to hear.

The word brings an appointment with blessing. It brings us to an appointment with God. You and I have an appointment with the blessing of God! What could that mean? There’s a place prepared for you. You’re on this road to this appointment with God, an appointment for blessing not made by human hands. It’s an appointment that man can’t emulate. It’s for every one of us. It’s for 2019.

In 2018, did you meet with God? This is an appointment with God for 2019. That appointment in 2018 would’ve met with you and blessed you in a number of different ways. This appointment for 2019 will make you more blessed, more encouraged, more uplifted, stronger, more anointed, and more filled with the Holy Spirit. There’ll be aspects to this appointment that only God and you can work out.

There’s an encounter for you with God in 2019. There’s an encounter for you with God that is rich, fulfilling, and long-lasting. They’re lovely, treasured, meaningful and purposeful.

Jesus said “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). You can’t have an encounter with God that doesn’t include Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit. Along this journey God has planned for us and in this place that God has made for us, Jesus Christ will be with us. Christ accomplished and continues to accomplish many things. He came to preach the Good News. He came to heal the broken hearted. He came to proclaim freedom to those held captive. He came to bring freedom to the oppressed. He came to give sight to the blind. He came for me and you!

All of these things are along the journey that He’s made for you and me. He’s going to take the things that hold us captive, bind us and blind us. He’s going to heal the broken hearts. He’s going to give us freedom to live! Christ has come to give us life in all its fullness.

There is an angel going before us to bring us to a place that God has prepared for us. We have an appointment with God and Jesus in 2019.

Would we join Him on that road or would we hold back?

Grace said in her sermon “don’t you love the call of God on your spirit? That you know that God is reaching out from eternity and calling out to you personally in the realm of your spirit”. Don’t you love the call of God on your spirit?

God is speaking to your spirit.

We’re on a journey in 2019 that starts today. It doesn’t matter what will come and buffer us around, the scripture tells us we will arrive safely. The angel will bring us to this place safely. Jesus is there ensuring that safety, which all of us crave, is given to us in abundance. We can be secure in Him.

Will you go with Him? Will you follow this man? Will you find that river of life that God has prepared for you? He has called you by name…

The past is gone. 2019 has come.

Amen.