Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work

Thomas Edison

 

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children... a people without understanding shall come to ruin.

Hosea 4:6, 14(b), RSV

 

Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw the mud, the other stars.

From Dale Carnegie's book, "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living"

 

In thirty-one days, on the first day of the upcoming new year, you are invited to join us in a challenge to change the world. Seems rather optimistic, doesn't it?

 

Let me back up a little and ask you to explore for a moment something you have likely already been thinking about, namely, that this world we live in seems to be falling apart at the seams. Why is that?

 

I think it has a lot in common with the people that God was addressing in the passage above through the prophet Hosea. It was towards the end of the Kingdom of Israel, and only a bit longer for the Kingdom of Judah. These two kingdoms, once united but then divided through their own wickedness, were on the verge of destruction because they had rejected God. They had wicked leaders who were doing wicked things. Since these evil men were their leaders, the common men and women thought they could do nothing about it. So they watched the decline of their once powerful nation, at first with distress, then with resignation fueled by the lie that there was nothing they could do, and finally with acceptance as they took part in the very sins of their leaders.

 

Does this sound vaguely familiar? A wise man once said that history may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. We live in a time when we watch with distress the reckless path our leaders are on and we often just resign ourselves that there is nothing we can do so we eventually become comfortable in just going along with the crowd. How's that working out for you?

 

Well, it's one thing to just complain, but there is something far more excellent to be doing with our time: We can change the world!

 

How do we do that? By first changing ourselves! The challenge I have for you is something that approximately 100,000 people have already taken part in. Over 400 churches have taken part as a body of Christians in the challenge, and from all reports, have had very favorable outcomes. What is this challenge? I'm glad you asked! It is to begin the healing of this world in which we live by first beginning to heal ourselves or, more accurately, to allow God to heal us.

 

In the passage above, God told us that His people were destroyed by a lack of knowledge. We have the solution built-in to this very statement, for the cure for ignorance has always been knowledge. In this case, the knowledge we are speaking of has only one source - God, Himself! The only access to that "Source" is the Bible. So, here is what I would like to encourage you to do during the next thirty-one days: Prepare yourself to cure your lack of knowledge. Do so by beginning to pray. Pray for forgiveness - this means we first have to repent. Pray for wisdom to know what to do. Pray for perseverance, because you are going to need it in this challenge. Pray for healing, first for your own hard heart, then for the hearts of those in your circle of influence, then for the nation in which you live.

 

The challenge I'm asking you to join me in, beginning on January 1st, is this: To read through the New Testament in thirty days. Once you have accomplished that, there will be additional challenges to then study the New Testament, and then to tackle the Old Testament. It is a big challenge, but it comes with an incredible opportunity: To ensure your salvation by finding out what God wants you to do and then do it! Then by helping as many other people as you can to do the same.

 

A word of caution: Most will not do this. They will fail to see the opportunity because it looks too much like work and make no mistake, it is work! Many will feel trapped in the prison that this sin has built for our world and view it as does the majority: A filthy, muddy mess that cannot be cleaned up.

 

But for the visionary few whose eyes are lifted up past this mess we are in, the stars will be clearly seen. We have an opportunity to serve The Lord God Almighty and His Holy Son for all eternity. Did we think it would be easy?

 

I hope that you will join us in this challenge. Start praying now and making preparations to do just that. Be determined to begin and to never give up, for a person that just keeps on trying regardless of the obstacles that may arise cannot be defeated. With the Lord's help, we are going to Heaven! Do you think something so magnificent can be done without your best effort? Of course, it will not be easy, but I ask you to join us on that difficult path. Together, with the Lord's help, we cannot fail!

 

Do you see the opportunity?

 

By the way, you can help us get this message out by liking and sharing these articles. Please do as a challenge so monumental as to change the world will take every one of us doing the most that we can!