"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)
There is nothing mystical about a new year; no new powers and no Biblical mandate for a special celebration. However, a new year is like the big elephant in the room; it can’t be ignored. A new year forces us to look at our lives and it places us in a mindset of establishing goals. We can’t help it, but to look at the last twelve months and how we keep carrying certain things year after year. Very rare that many end a year with a sense of total satisfaction. Year after year we see many of our goals unfulfilled; year after year many of us see our waistline expanding and those nice pants that we love so much hang in our closets as reminders that we must change. The New Year forces us to do an inventory of our lives and the way we are living! I know that many already wrote their resolutions down; that is a good thing! However, there is one resolution that will not leave us disappointed at the end of the year; Psalm 37:4 tells us:
“Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.” NIV
The word “delight” means: “Great enjoyment and pleasure.” This year make it your resolution to delight in the Lord. The promise is that if you do; He will give the desires of your heart. The reason why many of us end the year so dissatisfied is because we insist on giving our delight to things, places and people. Consequently, we ignore God. As we enter the New Year, make it your resolution to delight in the Lord and let everything else in your life flow out of His presence like a stream of water that will forever quench your thirst for the abundant life that Jesus has for you.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 NKJV
An independent thinker with a profound call to see the orthodoxy of the church and passion for Christ manifesting together. Angel was born in Brooklyn, New York in April of 1968, he was raised on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico where he earned his B.S. degree in Sociology with a minor in Education from the Inter American University in San Germán in 1991. That same year he moved to Jacksonville, Florida. After working construction jobs for a year and learning the English language, his first job working with foster-care children in the capacity of youth care worker was with Jacksonville Youth Sanctuary in September of 1992. With JYS he was promoted several times as group home supervisor, legal caseworker, and program director.
While in Jacksonville, Angel studied a couple of martial arts styles. After earning his black belt, he became the founder of Good Fight Ministries as he used martial arts as an instrument to preach the gospel. In 2004 Angel was selected Martial Arts Instructor of the Year for the State of Florida and in 2005 Angel was inducted in the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame where he also received the Christian Spirit Award. In July of 2005 Angel accepted his call to pastor a bilingual church in Winton, NC where he served for a couple of years. Five months later he lost his first wife to cancer in December of that same year. This initiated a deep valley of suffering in his life, a mountain of costly mistakes and the embracing of lifestyles of sin that are well documented through this blog.
In August of 2012 Angel moved to Fairbanks Alaska with his wife Rayette Casiano and six children who are now adults. In Alaska, Angel continued his social work-related career and his ministry of preaching, teaching and writing. Angel is the author of two books, Hope for the divorcee: Forgiving and Moving Forward and 7 Banderas de Esperanza: La Bendición de Yokdzonot. In January 8th of 2020 Angel and his wife moved to Arizona.
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6 thoughts on “The Resolution for a New Year and Beyond”
The word “delight” also means to be soft and pliable. As we come to God, soft and pliable in his presence, he then is released to impart his desires into our hearts
There is a very important truth discovered here — our desires will only be discovered in his desires. Our purpose will only be discovered and realized in the larger context of his purposes. But this will require brokenness and humility as we completely abandon ourselves to his purposes.
I go into the new year filled with expectations, a touch of worry, and a bundle of hope. I do not journey into the new year alone but with God as my guide, with a commitment to my disciplines, with a community of family, friends, and faith.
Thank you for being a part of my life Angel. I pray my best for you and believe the Lord’s goodness, favor, kindness, compassion, mercy, grace, and most importantly His eternal love upon you and your family.
May the Creator of beauty and wonder take you into the new year. May He bless you with the companionship of Jesus, and gift you with the guidance and power of the Spirit.
Great insite my brother! “our desires will only be discovered in his desires. Our purpose will only be discovered and realized in the larger context of his purposes. But this will require brokenness and humility as we completely abandon ourselves to his purposes.” Amazing, real and yes painful truth! I thank God for you my friend and I am also looking forward to 2011 with great expectation! Happy New Year brother!
As do I! Psalm 84 is a reflection of my desire and prayer for 2011. Listen to verses 1-5. “How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” I am on a pilgrimage in the New Year to cry out for the living God. More and more, I want to dwell in His presence. I am determined to ever praise our King and God. I encourage you to join me in yearning for more of God. May 2011 not only a year of human failure, but also a year of breakthrough and renewal in our lives and our churches.
The word “delight” also means to be soft and pliable. As we come to God, soft and pliable in his presence, he then is released to impart his desires into our hearts
There is a very important truth discovered here — our desires will only be discovered in his desires. Our purpose will only be discovered and realized in the larger context of his purposes. But this will require brokenness and humility as we completely abandon ourselves to his purposes.
I go into the new year filled with expectations, a touch of worry, and a bundle of hope. I do not journey into the new year alone but with God as my guide, with a commitment to my disciplines, with a community of family, friends, and faith.
Thank you for being a part of my life Angel. I pray my best for you and believe the Lord’s goodness, favor, kindness, compassion, mercy, grace, and most importantly His eternal love upon you and your family.
May the Creator of beauty and wonder take you into the new year. May He bless you with the companionship of Jesus, and gift you with the guidance and power of the Spirit.
Happy New Year
Dennis
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Great insite my brother! “our desires will only be discovered in his desires. Our purpose will only be discovered and realized in the larger context of his purposes. But this will require brokenness and humility as we completely abandon ourselves to his purposes.” Amazing, real and yes painful truth! I thank God for you my friend and I am also looking forward to 2011 with great expectation! Happy New Year brother!
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It is such realities which empower you and me into being all we can be, for the glory of the Almighty and for our own personal joy!
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Amen my friend! I have a strange word for the 2011…
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As do I! Psalm 84 is a reflection of my desire and prayer for 2011. Listen to verses 1-5. “How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” I am on a pilgrimage in the New Year to cry out for the living God. More and more, I want to dwell in His presence. I am determined to ever praise our King and God. I encourage you to join me in yearning for more of God. May 2011 not only a year of human failure, but also a year of breakthrough and renewal in our lives and our churches.
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Yes; there will be amazing breakthroughs in the lives of the humble! Amen Dennis!
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