JOHN SHIRK – This week’s Light Reflections examine some of the bright spots in the book of Acts when God was on the move in the hearts of people.

One of those places was Acts chapter 4, as Peter and John, two followers of Jesus, were speaking to the people. Verse 2 tells us that the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Some of the religious leaders seized Peter and John and put them in jail the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

Through changing times and the current issues that the church is compelled to address, we are wise to stay focused on the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection. That is where our ultimate hope is found. That is where the battle was won for those who would believe in Christ. Those moments in history draw us to Jesus as forgiver of our sins and the source of our salvation. The message of the cross and the empty grave remind us of the victory that we have in Jesus over our greatest adversaries.

This Light Reflection inspires us to remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, and share that message with others in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verses are First John 1:2 to 4.

“The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”

One of the compelling evidences of the Christian faith is the witness of those disciples who walked and talked with Jesus. Before Jesus died on a cross, Peter denied Jesus. Before seeing the nail scars, Thomas doubted Jesus. The Disciples deserted Jesus at the sight of His arrest. But after they were witnesses of His resurrection, they went forward in faith with a fresh new boldness to proclaim the good news of God’s love. As they shared the Gospel, the church grew in size and spread throughout the world.

These faith-building verses inspire us to be bold and credible witnesses for Jesus in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines the appointing of His disciples.

In Mark 3:13 and 14, we gain insight into Jesus’ purpose for appointing certain men to be His disciples.

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve-designating them apostles-that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

There is a process involved in the making of a disciple to become a disciple-maker. An effective leader in the church learns to follow Jesus. This is more than just the initial experience of accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. This is a moment-by-moment walk with Him, where He leads us with His wisdom, and we say yes to His plan for our lives. The disciples underwent a few years of spiritual training, learning the ways of God’s Kingdom as they got to know Jesus personally. After spending considerable time with Him, and witnessing His resurrection from the dead, they would embark upon the next chapter of their calling, which was to be witnesses of the Gospel and leaders in the early church. They were faithful to the task and were used of God in extraordinary ways to persuade people to follow Jesus.

A daily connection with Christ is the key to being an influence for the Gospel.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment of Celebration reflects on the steadfast, bold witness of the apostles.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He did not keep it a secret from His friends. According to First Corinthians 15:3, “Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures,…he was buried,….he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….and he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.” Here was a group of men who followed Jesus to Jerusalem, where they saw His suffering at the cross and the triumph of His resurrection. Brave souls will stand for the truth even in the face of persecution, but very few would die for a lie. Each of Jesus’ followers who saw Him alive again faced some type of persecution for their witness. Most of them died for their faith in Jesus.

In the life of the early church, the disciples went their separate ways, but they remained faithful to the mission of spreading the good news wherever they went. In their courageous witness for Jesus, they said to the governing authorities, who tried to silence them, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The steadfast, bold witness of Jesus’ followers is a reason to be glad in the Year of Celebration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com