So new years is now here and everything is to change isn’t it. All the resolutions for self-improvement, decisions for things we have wanted to change, but never did, and now suddenly we have courage to publicly announce that we are going to finally do this thing. We look forward to a brighter tomorrow each year and yet each year it seems nothing truly changes. For some magical reason we believe within a 24 hour period everything in our life is about to change. We celebrate the New Year with all kinds of events, parades, football and gatherings. Don’t worry, I even went to someone’s house for a couple of hours but it was more for fellowship than celebration. But celebrating does not put anything in motion.
We should know the times and seasons like the sons of Issachar and that means knowing more than how to turn of the calendar. For me the new year started about 7-8 weeks ago. It was a new year in the spirit realm and we already are in it. Gods calendar is not the same as ours. Much of the shifting we feel actually started shifting a few weeks ago, we just now are feeling or sensing the shift. So many prophetic words are given about the New Year, and for the most part I dismiss almost all of them. So many are given based on performing for the calendar moment, than truly being led by the spirit.
A New Year starts with so many people having a hope for the next year. This tells me two things. First people are not happy with their lives as they are. They look backward to dismiss the hard times of the year, so they turn forward with expectation for the future. That is the second thing I see each year the expectation of something to change. The desire is sitting inside of people; they just don’t know exactly how to make that change. They hope their sheer will power will do it, when in reality it requires their will to come under the will of God. He wants to be their hope and also be the catalyst of lasting change.
This year the greatest selling game at Christmas was the Ouija board! Alarming yes and no. It shows me the desire for the supernatural is extremely strong in people. But what it really shows me is the desire to know the future is even more dominant. As the world seems in such disarray and evil is increasing, people are starting to come into fear. It’s a time of many unknowns, and people want something to believe in and also something to put their hope in. I see it both in the world and even in the church as people are leaning at times into fantasy, and spiritual speculations of an ideal world, job, or environment to walk out their faith in. God did not say he would change the circumstance to be perfect but he would perfect us in circumstances so they do not have a hold on us. It’s time the church become the voice of the supernatural and the future. We need to not be giving some flowery prophetic words but some real words of direction. People are hungry right now and we need to wake up to what’s going on around us. I don’t know how much more ripe things have to be before we actually know the time and season we are sitting in. Jesus is our hope and future. He is our expected end. He has a plan for each person. We are to help people find that plan and find the person of the Christ.
Greg Crawford 