Ramon Arias | January 4, 2016
My deepest prayer and desire for this New Year is that your life will be fulfilled one day at a time as you gain greater understanding of your God-given potential in Jesus Christ.
In Christ, you are equipped to attain the knowledge that guides you to His fullness. It is this knowledge that allows you to understand our perilous times and the things you need to do that no one else could do.
As you develop your critical thinking from genuine and true knowledge, all the falsehoods that people base their understanding of life and their social institutions on will become evident. This knowledge will make you reject falsehoods and allow you to avoid being pulled into the sea of desolation.
You will agree with Thomas Jefferson’s 1781 statement:
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History by apprising [citizens] of the past will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and designs of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every disguise it may assume; and knowing it, to defeat its views.”
You are part of God’s history, and the earth is the battleground where two forces are at war. The battle is between the children of God and the children of Satan. It is not a coincidence or mistake that you are reading this. You were born for such a time as this. You know by clear evidence that society is in deep trouble and even though you cannot do everything to change it, you must take courage and do something. You were designed to be productive in this world and you must do it. You are vital in making the difference with God’s help.
You never know how God wants to use your life; history is filled with stories of people of all ages and all walks of life that made the difference and made this world a better place. Just because there are those who reject God’s ways and really make things worse, this doesn’t mean that God has lost the war—far from it.
Apart from Jesus’ incomparable accomplishment for the liberation of humanity, there are other Bible characters whose life and calling must not be overlooked. Joshua is a biblical historical figure we can learn from. He was born a slave in Egypt. He became Moses’ right-hand-man and finally, the leader of Israel who lead them to victory against overwhelming odds to conquer the Promised Land. It was his faithfulness to God’s calling upon his life that made him unique.
However, his greatest accomplishments were his loyalty and obedience to God by believing Him. This made Joshua successful in his personal life and in national leadership. Joshua’s life should be of great encouragement, for we know that there is a clear difference between “belief” in God and “believing” God. Belief acknowledges God’s existence, but by believing God, a person not only accepts His existence but also believes and obeys His Word.
God’s blueprint for personal and national success is not complicated, it is very simple and only the wise can understand this and know that with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit on their side, they are more than able to go above and beyond their human strength. You must believe you can make the difference in this life; it is your gift for this generation and those who are yet to come.
God’s blueprint has not changed and will continue to be fulfilled. It also gives us the opportunity to verify our daily walk with God and double check our progress in doing His will.
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9