JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Luke 24:44 and 45.

Jesus said to His disciples, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

There were times during Jesus’ ministry when He would tell the disciples that He was going to the cross and then would rise from the dead.  They had no idea what He was talking about.  But after the fact, and after Jesus explained the meaning of it all, then they understood. 

Sometimes, when we read the Bible, we might not understand everything we read. But the more we search the Scriptures, the more we will learn, and the more we learn, the better we will understand. Jesus invites us to approach Him and learn from Him. He guides the humble and teaches them His way.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to places of understanding the Scriptures in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Q and A Segment explores the question, “What is the role of spiritual leadership in the church?”

Ephesians 4:11 tells us that it was Jesus who gave gifts for “some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service.”

The purpose of teachers and preachers is to proclaim God’s word in a way that accurately represents God’s character and mobilizes God’s people to live out the Christian faith in acts of service.

As God’s word is faithfully proclaimed, the church body will grow in a number of ways:

According to Ephesians 4:12, the body of Christ will be built up. This implies that the faith of the church will grow stronger.

According to verse 13, the church will be unified in the faith.

And according to the same verse, the church will become mature in the faith so that we can reflect Jesus in our witness.

Leadership sets the tone for the church to grow together in faith and to express our faith through love in the Year of Exploration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment of Celebration reflects on the words of the prophets.

Second Peter 1:19 says, “We have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The main purpose of prophecy is to draw our attention to the testimony of Jesus. Even before Jesus came into the world, the words of the prophets were indicating that when He came, He would be born of a virgin and born in Bethlehem. He would come in peace, riding on a donkey. He would be rejected by His people, betrayed by a friend, and abandoned by His disciples.  He would be pierced for our transgressions, but His body would not see decay. He would once again see the light of life and be satisfied.

These predicted events tell us that God knows the future, and keeps His promises. We can trust Him to do what He says He will do.

The words of the prophets are reasons to be glad in the Year of Celebration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com