Why even announce for 2015? Why seek the Lord at all for this? Is it any different?

Throughout yesterday as the messages of hope and the future appeared, I thought “I agree”. “Amen”. “Good for you!” I know people get caught up in resolutions and change. They want to see the new year as better than the last. There is a hope on the table.

This prophecy sets a place of reference I believe. A course or a thought process as you may end your gym membership or determine lettuce 3 times a day is not working for you! Last year my prophecy for 2014 for the church stayed in the top 3 out of over 1,000 messages. (The vision for our church fellowship was in the top 5.)

For me there are three reasons I present the outlook I see as God giving to me for the upcoming year. None of them have to do with “have to’s” or urgency, expectation or pressure. As a matter of fact I did not see this coming. I do not even think I gave any thought about it except on one occasion that I shrugged off and a text over the weekend. I actually thought I had too much to do, wanted to go somewhere, do something.

Here are my reasons for this 2015 prophecy.

-As a prophet I think my gift is my function and that is available to God and to the body as He sees fit or deems to be used.

-Prophecy can shape or change paths or destinies of people and add value to the body of Christ and ultimately this impacts the world.

-Prophecy is three fold; a result of God’s message, a voice honed by hearing God and an interpretation of what is seen, dreamed or envisioned.

I think it began to unfold in my mind as I began to see rings appearing on the fingers of women. Engagement rings, wedding rings and promise rings. I began to think this can not be a coincidence. I began to think back to a time when had I seen the flood of jewelry appearing on hands? I could not find it.

God was up to something. I did not want to miss it. So I began to investigate, to get closer to it.

For many years it felt as if we were getting further away from commitment, from promise. People used that thinking, that observation to announce “great darkness” upon the earth. But over the last year or two I began to see great treasure upon the earth.

I looked where the theme of the last few months might be leading. The overriding message was love. God had me on a path I did not see in full until just the last few days.

When I first began to dial into what I heard the Lord to say for 2015 I was immediately caught up in the fact that 2015 would appear on a 24 hour clock as 20:15 or 8:15PM. I heard the PM to mean a “private message”. I think that August 15th will have meaning for the church, but I also believe that 8:15 at night will have much meaning to many.

What is 8:15? I think it speaks of a “post” dinner moment. A time following a friendly repast where “lovers” will engage in quiet conversation.

And then I saw the dinner. The hunger, the expectation, the waiting and the readiness. I could hear a child calling out in the room, “I’m hungry!”

How do we get there? The church will experience an attitude of viral force. The experience of Jesus will over take the negativity of Facebook, twitter and a thousand other experiences. Why? Because of love.

The following it was what I have been seeing.

Envision if you will a man making a date with his wife. On Wednesday or so, the plans of many months of preparation and planning have been put in play and time and date are set. “Saturday we will drive to this romantic restaurant. Saturday morning comes and there are things to do. There is sunshine and brightness, but not even a storm could dampen this day. The chores are done. Clothing is laid out with care and quick trip to get the flowers is done. The small box rests in his hand. In this box is the sign of promise, the nature of love. This small band with shimmering stones has been hidden away. The box concealing its beauty. At 5 o’clock the magic begins. The door is open and she sets herself in the seat. He runs to the driver’s side, whistling a little tune. As they drive the radio is on but neither are really listening. There is traffic and people but for them the world holds only two. As they pulled up under the restaurant’s awning the uniformed man came to the door. Opening the door for the lady, the man came around and handed him the keys. They were escorted into this beautiful restaurant. The maitre d greeted them and took them to a quiet corner where out the window was a setting sun. The look in their eyes as they faced one another was light and life and love. Wine was brought to the table and the glasses were filled. As the night moved on, food was brought and drinks were had. A band played soft music and the world was a dream. And as they sat there, time seemed to stand still. He reached in his pocket for the small, blue felt box. As he opened the cover, tears formed in their eyes. Not tears of despair, but tears of happiness and joy. As the ring was placed on her finger with care, the moment was melded in their lives forever.

The next season of the church is that of lovers. Lovers of His presence and His purpose. I feel that this season that is upon us is pregnant with purpose.

Many have been in preparation for this season, while some are just entering into it. It is as if you knew something was beautiful but one day you walked into the house and the beauty had increased. The person or the object had taken on new meaning and gathered new value.

For so long we have been caught up in “serving” mode that we missed out on the intimacy mode. It is not that serving is not right but serving without love or intimacy soon loses its “awesomeness”. Especially if you come out of a lifestyle where it has been about you and not about others.

I said it was about love and it is. Loving God, His love for us and loving those about us.

2015 is bringing the love to the table.

Get the plan– You must have a plan. A game plan of sorts. Not just any plan but an understanding of the desire of God towards you and you towards others. Set the date in motion. A plan for intimacy and time spent with God and others.

A word about plans. Part of the people want no plan because they feel it is binding and religious. Others do not know how to make a plan, so they don’t. Still others find plans unbreakable. Plans have the potential to bring you great freedom or great despair. So, does the reading of scripture. Where are you coming from in your thinking determines a lot of where you are going.

2015 is a year of planning for the future.

Set the time-One of the hardest things to do is to set the date. Why? Because it is a “will the stars align” moment. Will all go well? Yesterday, I was in a conversation where I began to unravel a man’s thinking about “nothing will ever go right”. What if it fails? How about, what if it doesn’t! To see vision become reality, setting dates and putting signposts and markers in play is important.

Like a store keeps track of sales through inventory, so does a person set plans of expectation through plans of “inventory”. What will be on hand when I reach here? Your call! Yesterday, I listened to a man plan his New Years Eve for him and his sweetheart. Restaurant reservations, hotel reservations, flowers at the hotel, music and dancing. All of this took him 15 minutes. He even had a plan if it was too cold to take a romantic walk!

2015 is a year of plans set in motion.

Get the ring-In the vision the ring represents the “prize” or the value of the time long after the date is over. What will you reveal in the coming year? What prize, what gift, will you be, after the last meeting?

While many are looking to revealed others are looking to be concealed. That occasional check in the “box” to make sure it is still there. Even in darkness God still opens the “box”.

2015 is the year of promise and value.

Dress for it– We have heard “dress for the job you want-not the one you have”. I am not talking about the actual clothing but what you want to look like when you are done. To be cloaked in love, adorned with grace, shod with peace!

Too often we think our behavior or attitude does not matter. But that is our “dress code” if you will. That is what people see. Do you bring a good attitude to your friends, your family? 2015 has a dress code. It will require an attitude adjustment.

2015 is a year of being “dressed for success”.

Get there-Today is the day. It is now. We say “for such a time as this”. So be it. What is the vehicle you will bring? What will it look like? Will it get there?

When I was young and I would “go on dates” I always spent time cleaning my car. Washing it, vacuuming it. Making sure it was perfect.

Too often we forget that our vehicle often is our ministry or demeanor, revealing our method of expressing Him. Too often, voids of knowledge, ignorance and lack of care, have left ministries and people on the side of the road.

2015 is a year for getting there! What does it take?

Know the time-Many times I have seen the chiros of God missed by folks who thought I “have a better plan”. 1 Chronicles 12:32 tells us of those who knew the times. The sons of Issachar had analyzed their times and had perceived correctly what those times were all about. They knew what to do because they understood …

Be like the character of the rabbit “who did not want to be late for a very important date” Not out of urgency but out of desire for the meeting.

2015 is the year for knowing the time and understanding it.

Get served-There must be a decision to receive. Many of the abuses of the “give me” times have left many with their arms crossed and a shaking of the head, “no”. “Not me. Take care of everyone else.” I get it. Not to be perceived as a taker. But God wants you to receive that you might pass it on to others.

It is not elitism to allow yourself to be served. In the midst of great taking many have avoided the ability to receive. Some of it might be shame, but much is about pride.

You can’t “pay it forward” if you won’t receive the pay!

2015 is the year to be served and receive.

Location, location, location-There is an increasing need to sit in a place of intimacy, to enjoy the light, to share the view and to hear the music.

Why does a date like I shared become so valuable? Because it affects all the senses. Seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling.

It is in these times of intimacy life becomes alive. Determine times of intimacy with God and with one another. Love is in the air!

2015 is the year of intimate times and places.

Revealing the promise-As the ring is presented and placed upon the finger, there is a bond that is created. God has given many promises but I believe there are many who have “felt those promises were for others”.

I watched a Match.com commercial. Two women are being told about the company. A relationship finding service. One says “if I wasn’t married, I would use it.” The other doesn’t use the service, and when asked “how is that working” she said “not so well”. A lot of people are like the first woman, kind of feeling left behind in their choices. Others like the second,  have felt they have “no choices” as they feel that “works for others” and not for them.

That is not true. God is forever working on your behalf. He is the God of promise. Intentional towards you. He “wants” it more than you do!

2015 is the year of God and His promise.

So much of what I have written is but a few moments that could change your life forever.

Some of you read it and thought about romance and love. Others thought, what happens next? I wish I could tell you. Romance and love lead to many things. They can lead to family and purpose, passion and change.

Throughout this I have spoken about purpose and living life intentionally. Because of the romantic lean you may not have noticed it. Why? Because love changes everything! Or you may have looked at the steps and thought “I can do this” or maybe you thought “but I know I can’t”. Others just had eyes glaze over because it exceeded the 140 characters they live life by. What if meaning is more than 140 characters??? Sometimes I think we spend so much time working to be relevant that we forget what it is like to just breathe. He made you this way for a reason!

2015 is filled with promise. Filled with purpose. Clearly I believe it is a time of love and loving life. God brought us this far, that we might see further to go. That we would embrace the journey.

It is His plan and His purpose.

Only the church can stop wars and destruction. Heal racism and bigotry. Bring justice that heals and makes whole. Love people into purpose. Mend the divides and turn anger into peace.

All of that and more!

I have a few questions…

Are you ready to participate? Will you embrace purpose? Will you allow for love? Will you devote time? Do you want to change the world?

I humbly offer this to you not as a guide, but the view and the vision of one man who loves God.