JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Revelation 21:23 and 24.

The Apostle John was describing the new Jerusalem which will shine with the glory of God.

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.”

Many people wonder what heaven is like. The book of Revelation describes heaven as a beautiful place. Nighttime does not exist in the New Jerusalem. Jesus is the source of light for this coming Kingdom. The great street of the city is of gold as pure as transparent glass. The city sparkles with brilliance like a precious jewel. And those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be there.

This Light Reflection inspires us to live with the hope of heaven through faith in Jesus in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Revelation 19:10b.

“Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

The book of Revelation is a prophetic book. Contained in its writings is a promise of blessing for the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, who hear it, and take to heart what is written in it.

Here we see one of the blessings of taking the prophecy of Revelation to heart. It leads us to worship God. Jesus is revealed as KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS. His victory is revealed over the forces of evil. His worthiness is celebrated at heaven’s throne among the angels and God’s people.

The prophecies of the Bible are not mere speculation. They are true and trustworthy. Second Peter 1:19 talks about the prophetic message as something completely reliable. We 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 our hearts.

This Light Reflection inspires us to heed the prophecies about Jesus in the Bible in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Revelation 22:21.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

These are the final words that we see in the Bible. This is a picture of eternity, when the people of God are united with the Lord forever in a place of peace and rest. Grace is how we are saved, and grace is how we are sustained forever. God will wipe away every tear from the eyes of His people. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Billy Graham has said, “I have read the last page of the Bible. It is going to turn out all right.” This is good to remember in the midst of a difficult day or when it seems that our world is crumbling apart. Our troubles today are not the end of our story if our ultimate hope for salvation is found in Jesus.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to live with the hope of heaven in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is the Apostle John.

Not all of Jesus’ disciples were martyrs for their faith. John was an exception, but he still suffered for the sake of Christ. He recalls what happened in the book of Revelation, chapter 1, verse 9.

In the New Living Translation:-“I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.”

He might have been isolated, but he was not alone. Jesus appeared to him and told him to write in a book everything he saw and send it to seven churches. Today we have access to the book of Revelation, which states a promise of blessing to those who take the message to heart.

The faithfulness of the Apostle John to write the book of Revelation inspires us to put our eternal hope in Jesus and to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is Fulfilled Prophecy.

According to Revelation 19:10, the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. Many scholars who teach on this subject believe that Jesus fulfilled at least 300 Old Testament prophecies when He came 2,000 years ago. There are other prophecies that He has yet to fulfill. The fulfilled prophecies about Jesus at His first coming give us reason to believe that Jesus will fulfill the other prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

One person in the Bible who was led to believe in Jesus through prophecy was an Ethiopian official in Acts chapter 8. He was reading a prophecy in the book of Isaiah. Philip was a follower of Jesus who came alongside of the man to explain how Jesus fulfilled that prophecy, and told him the good news about Jesus.

Second Peter 1:21 says that “prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Fulfilled prophecies in the Bible are reasons to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – While physical death is the result of our sin, eternal life is the promise of God for those who receive His grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21 pictures a new heaven and a new earth. Life’s harsh realities in our world today will not be present in God’s new world order.

Verse 3 says, “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

No more funerals, no more brokenness, no more hospitals, no more bad news. This is the picture of God’s restoration when He makes everything new.

The restoration that God has promised for His people is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com