If any part of the New Year Word describes the Cumbernauld Church, it is this verse.
We have come through our tough times in the past, and for a while, the church was in a very rocky place. I wondered if we would survive. At the time, it felt like we all had to hold on tightly to God; the journey was more than a little bumpy. But He brought us through with His strong arm and delivered us into a delightful place of joy and gladness. One of the results of our joy and gladness is the blessing of God on our singing. We have always loved to sing, but there came a moment when our singing seemed signally blessed by God. I cannot remember when this first happened. I do know around the time of the moving of God at Asbury University in Kentucky, the Spirit began to outpour in revival power, and we experienced the same thing. It didn’t seem to be connected. I did not know what was going on over in the States. One or two of our folks followed happenings online but were not involved in leadership roles. But a peculiar sense of the Spirit was upon us. We could sing and worship for hours. Around the same time, a few Nigerians began to arrive in our church. They were students studying in one of our local universities. Before too long, we had a small Nigerian community amongst us. And they love to worship! And so the sense of the Spirit in our song continues and has blossomed. We sing songs that we would never have once sung on a Sunday morning. We sing and dance, we cry, we clap, for the Spirit of God is wonderfully amongst us: setting us free from all our natural inhibitions - and in Scotland, we have many! My prayer for this year is that joy and gladness, thanksgiving and the ‘sound of singing’ may spill over into every church group and that our movement, indeed the world, may be filled with the happiness of Heaven.
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Around the town where we live there are large areas of wasteland. When we first moved to Cumbernauld, the roadsides were filled with daffodils each Spring. It was a cheery sight coming home from work each night to see the yellow heads bobbing about. The council decided to replace them with plastic, yellow waves! It cost millions. In my view, the gardens became a wasteland; the general population of Cumbernauld has not forgiven the council yet! It was a poor move.
Sometimes, we make the wrong choices. We look back on life and regret the decisions we have made. We look back on what feels like wasted years. The truth is, none of us have gotten it all right. We have all made poor choices, just like the councilman, whoever he is. We know our Father in Heaven can take our wasted years and make them fruitful for Himself. He can use the years that were wasted to teach us lessons, giving us wisdom and insight into painful situations so we can help others. Without these seemingly wasted years, there would be no garden of the Lord. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT Before creating a garden, you have to cultivate the soil. You have to dig it over, break up the soil, weed, fertilise, hoe and level it out until it is ready for planting. Only then can you sow your seeds, plant your shrubs and watch the miracle of nature. The past years that seem wasted to you have not been wasted to God. He has been digging over the soil, weeding, fertilising, hoeing and levelling out your life. It’s not pleasant, but you will have learned valuable lessons during that time. It might be not to treat someone the way you were treated. It might be not to bow down to another but to be strong and independent. What you have learned will help you develop into the person God wants you to be. “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT So even when you don’t know or understand what God is doing, rest in Him. No one can see the whole picture, but we can trust Him. Remember, He has plans “for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT One day, your wastelands will be like the garden of the Lord, for He will have planted eternity in your heart. What a glorious comparison between the dry and barren desert and the lush and verdant.
I always imagine Eden like a garden I visited on the Isle of Skye one year. Everywhere I turned, every crevice and corner was crammed full of wonderful vegetation. Mature trees gave shade from the sun, while exotic trees filled the rockeries and borders. The air was filled with the sound of birdsong and the sound of a waterfall at the centre of it all. God’s Eden will be even better. Every corner will be fruitful. The sounds of the waterfall of His voice (Rev 1:15) ringing through the garden will be heard wherever you go. Every exotic plant and tree will give glory to God. (Isaiah 55:12). They will, as it were, exude the joy of His presence: the joy of being alive. There will be abundant life wherever you go (John 10:10). No plant will be damaged or carry disease, but all will be full of radiant life and healing (Rev 22:2). Every bird will sing His praise, and to be in the garden will bring indescribable joy. There will be green meadows to lie down in and still waters to rest the soul (Psalm 23:2). And best of all, there will be One walking in the garden in the cool evening who will commune with us (Gen 3:8). What perfection! Compare all this to the far-stretching desert: as far as the eye can see miles and miles of hot shimmering sand. No sign of life. No place to rest. No shade from the sun. There is nowhere to stop and drink and refresh the soul. It will be a place that is continually arduous. And so we look not for the desert but for Eden. This verse says, “He will make her.” It is not only our desire that will make this miracle happen, but it is the action of the Spirit of God. Let us pray throughout the year that every crevice and corner of our lives might be filled with fruitfulness that will bring Him glory, but let us remember it is the Spirit of God who will do it in our hearts. Whether we are the mature ancient trees in the garden with long years of Christian service or a tiny, humble flower hidden away in some small, insignificant corner, let us do our utmost to be part of the miracle that we might bring Him glory in 2024. ‘The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins.’ Isaiah 51:3 NIV21/1/2024 Here is part 3 of the New Year Word for 2024.
Some have been through a terrible ordeal, their life left in ruins. Whether it be a bereavement or a betrayal, life will never be the same again for them, for they are left in ruins. But life will not forever be dark and the days sad. For you will experience the comfort of God, and there is nothing quite like it. The best way I can describe it is like a warm, fleecy, soft blanket that wraps around your spirit and fills you with warmth, protecting you on every side. You have become fragile without realising how you ended up in this position, and no one can understand or get inside your thinking. You don’t even understand yourself why you feel like this. But you do, and the stark reality is you feel fragile. Your Heavenly Father will not only comfort you, but He will look with compassion on all your ruins, and although the word doesn’t say what happens next, the implications are that He will begin to build the ruins again. A life smashed by the cruelty of hell will discover the gentleness of heaven. It may be a slow build, but it will happen. Brick upon brick, He will begin to sort through the rubble and make something beautiful from the ruins. No good parent who sees their child in ruins would leave them there, especially when they hear a pitiful cry for help. Make sure you cry for help, even if it is only a silent cry. He will come swiftly to your aid. And then the ruins will be rebuilt and you will sing again for joy. “He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17 NLT This is the second part of the New Year Word given to our group of churches.
Whilst some love to climb mountains and find the achievement exhilarating, it is not so in the spiritual world. Mountains are difficulties we meet that tower over us like unconquerable spiritual giants. Perhaps you have a mountain in your life? Something that shadows you that you cannot overcome or see any way around it. For some, it could even be a lifelong mountain: a problem you have always had in your personality or a family situation that has hindered you all your days, and you cannot imagine life without it. It could be a mountain of unforgiveness towards another or a mountain that you baulk at because of experiences or memories from the past. There seems to be no way forward, and you feel stuck. Whilst others seem to have moved on, you cannot see your way around this situation, and it feels like you have reached an impassable place. And so it is to such a one, who may well have a mental block over difficulties in their life, that our Heavenly Father comes and says, “I will make my mountains into level paths for you.” The impassable places WILL become passable. The mountains of unforgiveness will melt. The memories of the past will dim, and you will be able to move on and conquer your mountain of difficulty. It is good to remember that He will make a way. It will not be of your making, nor of your efforts or energies. What is, at present, impossible will suddenly change in the spiritual world. You will no longer feel stuck or have a mental block about a situation. Your eyes will be on the dawn that breaks beyond the mountain, and, suddenly, it will no longer be the only thing that fills your vision. It is tremendous when God does these things for us. The indescribable joy that floods the soul is immense. You realise that He, the Great God of Heaven, has deigned to come into your situation, reach into your tiny life and change things forever. Suddenly, the mountain has gone, and instead of the impossible is the possible and the probable. He will make the mountains a way. Not only will the mountains become passable, He will make a level path for us to walk. There will be no stumbling blocks, no giants on it. The way will be level, and even though you may only be a small child, it will be a safe place to walk. How good is our God! Not only does He make a way through the mountains, but He makes a level path for us. He allows us to walk in pleasant places and enjoy the beautiful scenery. My mother, in her later years, struggled with her ability to walk, and she also had poor eyesight. If we went out for a short walk together, she spent the whole time looking at where she was putting her feet so she wouldn’t stumble. One day, when we were heading out, I suggested she take a wheelchair. What a difference it made for her. She could sit up, look around and enjoy the fabulous scenery and fresh air. It was an enormous benefit to us both, as I could relax knowing Mum was safe. Imagine knowing the path is so level that you can walk safely, looking up and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, sharing in His praise and feasting your eyes on the King in His beauty. What a difference from looking at the dark mountains looming ahead, wondering how on earth you will cope. Now you are rich, grateful to God for His goodness and able to come safely into a new place of praise and love with Him. In 2024, you may have mountains of difficulties. Lift your eyes and begin to catch sight of the dawn behind! He will make a way where there is no way. “For the Lord in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters.” Isaiah 49:10 NLT8/1/2024 Our New Year promise came in six sections, so I plan to take a section each week over the next six weeks.
First of all, ‘For the Lord in his mercy.’ Where would any of us be without the mercy of God? We need His mercy at the beginning of our Christian walk. We need His mercy to recognise that we are a sinner who needs to be saved. We need Him amidst all the pitfalls along the way, when we are learning what He wants us to be and what is required of us. We need Him in our old age to give us strength to continue to walk beside Him. The longer we are on the Christian road, the more aware of His mercy we become. As we realise our dependency on His mercy, the humbler we feel inside. If He had not had mercy upon us, then none of us could hold our heads high and walk on His paths of righteousness. ‘For the Lord in his mercy will lead them,’ He will show us where we are to walk. No one knows what tomorrow will hold. Perhaps it is just as well we cannot see what is around the corner, but He knows, and His mercy will lead us right through the dangers and difficulties and bring us to the next part of our journey. ‘He will lead them beside cool waters.’ There will come a day when our difficulties will be past, and He will lead us into delightful places filled with calmness and peace. The waters are not cold, but cool. They are deliciously refreshing for the child overwhelmed by the heat. They are not far off, unreachable by the topography of the landscape. He will lead us beside them until we can touch them and feel their coolness. The plural gives us the impression that they are not stagnant but living waters. They are not rushing at a tremendous pace, but they are gently moving, causing the soul to be refreshed. In His mercy, He will lead us right beside those cool, calm, peaceful waters where we may bathe our souls in the goodness of God. Life will be quiet there. All sense of agitation and strain will pass, for the cooling waters will still our soul with His presence. Let the cooling waters find their way into the depth of your being until you can recognise the hand of God has led you this year right here to this place, where you can enjoy the quiet. ‘His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life.’ Psalm 23:2,3 TPT We stand at the beginning of a new year without knowing what is ahead. It could be a year filled with promises waiting to be fulfilled or a year of difficulties with ill health or sadness. None of us know what is ahead, and most of us are wise enough to know that life can change for any one of us in an instant.
At this moment, you stand at the beginning of a new year with its months, weeks, days, hours and even minutes waiting to be filled. Each minute that comes and goes is a moment you will never see again for the rest of your life. What are you going to do with it? Have you ever thought about the number of hours you sit in front of a screen? I am not talking about work but pleasure. Watching TV, gaming or surfing the net: every hour is an hour that you will never see again. Keep a note of how much time you spend watching and gaming in a week. You might be in for a shock! Multiply that by 52, and you have the number of hours you waste in a year. Everyone needs to relax and unwind from the day's activities, but bad habits develop quickly, and if we aren’t careful, we have little to show for our precious free time. This day, you stand at the beginning of a new year. Look into it as far as your eye can see. See the days, weeks and months before you. Like the land that Abraham could see stretching before him, He is giving you all this time. Your year stretches out in front of you. Each day is precious. Each evening spent with family, in church or out with friends is irreplaceable. It is beyond price. There will come a day when your time will have run out. Your hours and days will end, and, if you are lucky enough, you may have time to reflect on the good and wasted years. Let 2024 be precious to you. Use each moment wisely. Make time to relax and enjoy yourself, but in the midst of it, learn to appreciate each minute, for it will never return. Once it is past, it is history. Let 2024 be a year of fruitfulness and blessing for you. ‘Teach us to number each of our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’ Psalm 90:12 NIV The beauty of morning light breaking across a darkened sky can often be beautiful, but the beauty of the morning light from heaven is breathtaking. Christ, the morning light from heaven, is filled with phenomenal beauty. We read in Proverbs:
“Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him;” Proverbs 8:30 KJV Christ existed before time began, long before His birth in Bethlehem. (Read the whole of chapter 8 of Proverbs to find out more.) Christ brought up with the Father, was daily His delight. What a glorious thought that Christ was always with His Father, even before He was laid in a manger in the stable in Bethlehem. He came from the world of light. This indescribable, heavenly morning light broke into our world. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 NLT Heaven couldn’t contain its excitement as: “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God.” Luke 2:13 NLT I always imagine the angels couldn’t help themselves. One was sent to announce the Saviour’s birth, and suddenly, a ‘vast host’ of others joined in. They burst through the veil of darkness with such a thrill of hope for men. Men were drawn to the morning light. Shepherds, amazed at the sights in the sky, left their flocks on the hillside to find the baby lying in the manger. They couldn’t contain their excitement after being in the presence of light. “After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened.” Luke 2:17 NLT Now, the shepherds had caught the joy bug! They couldn’t keep quiet. And not only that, but the message the angel brought to the shepherds was: ‘“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”’ Luke 2:10 NLT This same thrilling, bursting joy is given to us at Christmas time. Lift your eyes and see the morning light from heaven. Let it fill you with joy and hope in believing. Let us change these words for this occasion. “Go to church and search carefully for the child.”
We are proud to be independent and often want to seek God alone rather than go to church. Our lack of trust in others and our deeply skeptical nature make us suspicious of asking others for help. We hear so many twisted stories about the church that we deeply mistrust. Yet God has put the church in place for a reason. He has a body of believers available to help others, and whilst there are twisted stories, there are thousands more good, wholesome and incredible stories that don’t make the newspapers! By participating in church, you are demonstrating humility, trust and an ability to learn. If you are genuinely searching for ‘the child’, God will lead you to the right place and people. Even when we sometimes end up in the wrong location, He still sees our seeking heart and will send us help. Let me give you an example. As a young person, I came to Christ. I was saved under one man’s ministry in a particular denomination. However, I received my baptism in the Holy Spirit in another church at a young folks' weekend. I returned to the church where I had been saved, but my spirit was hungry and longing for more. I dutifully sat in my church, trying to concentrate on the service. However, I couldn’t help thinking about the other church where I had received my baptism and wondered what was happening there. My heart was in one place whilst I was in another. It was more than just heart-longing; it was soul-yearning. Eventually, after several weeks, I visited the second church. I felt instantly at home, but more than this, I was blessed beyond measure with help and support. I searched carefully for ‘the child’ Jesus and found Him! It is not good to operate as an island. We need to become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. Put yourself deliberately under the ministry offered in the church, carefully seeking ‘the child’. Follow the leading of your soul-yearning until you find Him. The wise men had received this instruction from wicked King Herod. They used it to find the Christ-child even though the source from which the directive came was evil. Once they had discovered where Christ was, they were warned in a dream by the angels not to return to Herod. When our hearts are searching for the truth, our Heavenly Father cannot resist the draw to reveal Himself to us, no matter who is involved, evil or not! Trust your Heavenly Father and carefully put yourself in a position of learning, accepting and believing, and He will lead you to your heart’s desire Here is a Man who was focused on His work. The leader of the synagogue had asked the Lord Jesus to come back to his home, lay His hands on his dead daughter, and raise her back to life. I wonder what Christ felt. Did He sense an urgency in this situation or suddenly have a drive to go and visit this home? He seemed to, for He went as one with a mission.
They arrived at the house to a crowd of people and loud music. Undeterred by the crowd, the noise or even the people's opinions, he ordered them to “Get out!”. He was direct in His approach and knew that this was the will of God. The crowd was put outside, and the girl was brought back to life. Death fled from before His fingertips, and the news of this miracle swept through the entire countryside. When God gives you something to do, you must do it as swiftly and as straightforwardly as an arrow that hits its mark. We are not called to waffle or pander to the crowd; we are called to do the will of God. There are so many things that could have distracted Christ along the way. Indeed, if we had been in His shoes, we possibly wouldn’t have even gotten to the house in question. We would have had to have sympathy with the woman who had the issue of blood, distracted by the large crowds that had gathered, or we would have had to go home to attend to this and that or felt too tired to go that day. When we arrived, we would surely have been put off by the large crowd of noisy people who had gathered in the family home to mourn the child. Can you imagine what you might have said on arriving? “Oh, am I too late?” or “I’ll come again when everyone has left!” Our Lord Jesus appeared almost rude and abrupt, ordering the crowd of mourners and musicians to “Get out!”. But He had a work to do for God, and nothing stood in His way. Like an arrow that hits its mark, so our Lord struck death, and it fled from before Him. Death became sleep in His presence. What an anointing! What authority! He was clear-cut in His delivery and His purpose. We must learn to be like Him. If He gives you something to do, then you must do it with a clear-cut purpose and delivery. Don’t look at how it will appear, but let His driving force and energies guide you. It is His anointing that brings the miracle. All we have to do is respond in obedience and faith; His will shall be done. Let this be our prayer: “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:19 NLT |
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