Stacey with Senait, her sponsored child.

STACEY GAGNE –  Greetings from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!  Our team has had a very full and inspiring day today as we visited Ethiopia’s Compassion Office and the Sadamo Guenet Church project, also the home of Senait, the beautiful little girl that I have the pleasure of sponsoring.

We had the privilege of joining the Compassion staff with their morning devotions this morning.  Not only did we receive encouragement as we worshiped with them, but they prayed for us.  We spent time the Country Director Tsehaywota Taddesse.  He truly shared his heart with us and shared the testimony of how God moved his heart for children.  He shared how “God mobilizes the world for the heart of even just one child”.

It was eye opening to hear that there are 370 churches in partnership with Compassion in Ethiopia and many anxious to be added to that list!  I love that Compassion has a heart to see local church bodies grow by way of families who become involved in the program and in turn become involved with the church body and learning about the love of Jesus.

This afternoon we headed out to Sedamo Guenet Church where we were greeted by the church staff, compassion site directors and families involved with the program.  We were treated to a coffee ceremony, helped feed children their lunch and heard the testimony of several mothers who are a part of the Child Survival Program and have received Jesus as their Lord as a result of how they have been impacted.  The CSP program is fairly new for this project, having been established in 2002.  There are 36 children and 35 mothers currently involved.    183 children are registered to the Child Sponsorship program.

Our time with all of the children was very sweet; of course mine was focused on Senait and her mother Aberush.   Oh how she has grown and looks so much healthier than she did in 2010!   We played together, talked, sang,  I had the opportunity to visit her home and present them with gifts.   Mom, Aberush pulled out a special chest she had tucked away for her most special things and in it were the letters that I have sent to Senait.  Wow.  That brought me to tears.  When it was time to say goodbye, there were many hugs and kisses as we walked out to our van.  We were almost all loaded into the van and ready to close the door and Senait’s mom Aberush rushed back over to the van in tears and gave me one final long hug.    Aberush and Senait live with the grandmother who pulled me aside earlier in the day to share how much her family has been impacted since Senait’s sponsorship.   Though she is extremely young and shy,  Aberush’s actions spoke that to me in volumes.

Child sponsorship matters.  It impacts children, families and in turn communities and beyond.  I welcome you to begin praying now about being involved in a families life and participating in WJTL’s 26 hours of Compassion February 20 -21.      I also invite those of you who are current sponsors or even potential sponsors to pray about the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia in August with us to meet your child and get involved with a service project at the church where they receive their care.  Our visits are a HUGE encouragement to them.

I hope that you are staying tuned to the live reports.  You can also go back to listen to them at our wjtl casts page.   More photos are coming soon and video will be edited and posted in the near future.

Serving with joy and delight here in Ethiopia!

Stacey Gagne

JOHN SHIRK – From Ephesians 3:17 and 18-And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.

His love is wide. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

His love is long. Isaiah 59:1 says, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save.” Jesus came the distance from heaven to earth to rescue us from the eternal consequences of our sin.

His love is high. Psalm 103:11 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.”

His love is deep. Micah 7:19 says, “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

Each dimension of God’s love is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

KRISTI LEIGH — Good morning!  It’s beautiful to know that so many of you are singing songs of praise to God throughout our region this morning!  The playlist is below.  Please let me know if you have song questions or if you’d like me to add you to the Playlist Email Group.

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ
Kristi@WJTL.com

STACEY GAGNE –  I am thrilled to invite you to tune in next week to follow along as I report live for WJTL from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with Compassion International.  I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you!

Many listeners will remember that I took a trip to Africa on behalf of the station in the fall of 2010.  The trip was life changing for me and also for the children and sponsors who were connected as a result of the trip and WJTL’s 26 Hours of Compassion Event we held upon my return.    On this trip, we’ll be following up with the Faith Bible International Church Compassion project and also visiting the homes of some of  the children being sponsored locally!   I’ll also be visiting Senait, the beautiful little girl that I sponsor, and had the privilege of meeting on our last trip.  Needless to say, I’m excited to bring some goodies to share with her and the kids at the projects that we visit.

Our team will also visit  Ethiopia’s Compassion Office, meet some students in the Leadership Development program,  and spend time at several other projects where I’ll get updates on Compasssion’s work there, where the needs are, and find out how WJTL listeners can get involved during our next 26 Hours of Compassion event February 20-21.

Join WJTL  January 21 – 25 as I get a second chance at a once in a lifetime experience.  I anticipate sharing many stories with you through live reports, blogs, videos and photos and more.

JOHN SHIRK – WJTL, remembers what the Bible says about Lot.

He lived in a civilization with much moral decay. Sodom and Gomorrah was about to be destroyed. Lot’s family was perhaps the only God-fearing family left. Second Peter 2:7 calls him a righteous man who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men.

Just before the destruction of these cities, Lot tried to appeal to the residents to stop with their evil intentions, but they would not listen to him. They said, “Get out of our way. This fellow came here as an alien and now he wants to play the judge!” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

Sometimes, when we stand for what is right, the world will apply pressure for us to retreat. We might be falsely accused or belittled for what we believe to be true. In the face of mounting pressure, that is the time for our faith to shine brightly and stand firm in our witness for Christ.  In climates of corruption, the world needs courageous voices who are willing to speak up for what is right in the eyes of the Lord, not with a spirit of condemnation, but with a heart of conviction.

Lot’s appeal for righteousness is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In Luke 17, Jesus told us to remember Lot’s wife. The reason that Jesus wants us to go back to the book of Genesis is so that we might take heed and learn from her fatal mistake. As Sodom and Gomorrah was being destroyed, members of Lot’s family were fleeing for safety. The angels urged them NOT to look back. Lot’s wife escaped the destruction of her city, but looked back and became a pillar of salt.

Was this just an innocent glance? It appears that there was more than just turning around to see the destruction of the city. It is quite possible that in her heart, she looked back with affection at her past, and was not willing to put it behind her. When Jesus talked about remembering Lot’s wife, he then said, “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

One of the lessons of faith that we can learn from Lot’s wife is to leave the emptiness of our past behind, and not to think of returning. We can’t move forward in our faith with the Lord if our heart is longing to return to our past before we came to Christ. The Apostle Paul’s perspective was different than Lot’s wife. He said, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The downfall of Lot’s wife is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – 2013 is a Year to Remember at WJTL. Since faith remembers God,  we will reflect on matters of historical and Biblical significance so that we might learn from the past and grow in the faith.

Today WJTL remembers the Great Confession.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Then Jesus asked them, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

This is what is known as the Great Confession, which acknowledges the title of Jesus as being the anointed one of God to be the Savior of the world. This confession also acknowledges the deity of Jesus as the Son of God.  He was born, not from the seed of man, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus responded to Peter’s confession by calling him blessed. We too will experience God’s blessing by acknowledging Jesus for who He is.

Peter’s Confession in Matthew 16 is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – We are coming toward the end of 2012, the Year of Transformation at WJTL, with an emphasis on life change from the inside out. I sincerely hope that the devotionals and the stories of changed lives that we have been sharing have left an impression on your life in terms of how Jesus is able to transform you to be more like Christ and to prepare you for doing God’s will with a sincere heart of devotion.

When we talk of transformation, I often think of Second Corinthians 3:18 which says, “we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

So, for the disciple of Jesus, God’s Spirit is working in our lives constantly. It’s a process of transformation, where we are learning who Jesus is more thoroughly, seeing Him for clearly, and reflecting Him more accurately.  So, there is in the Christian life two types of transformation taking place. One type of transformation is when we first acknowledge our need for Jesus to be our Savior and Lord and are converted to becoming a Christ follower. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. And then the second type of transformation is a process called sanctification, where Jesus is shaping us on a daily basis to grow in godly character and maturity.  So, even though we are moving into a new focus next year, let’s never forget that Jesus touches lives in ways that transform our hearts. Up and coming in 2013 will be the Year to Remember. We will remember highlights in church history, and lessons of faith from the Bible, because faith remembers God in the midst of daily life and learns from past experiences.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

FRED MCNAUGHTON – Jenn Paules is going to interview poem author Cameo Smith from Mount Wolf, PA this morning at 10am. Cameo wrote this poem in response to the Newtown, CT School shooting.

11 Days before Christmas 2012

T’was  11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air,

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say,

They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“This is heaven.” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same,

Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy that only heaven can bring

Those children all flew into the arms of their King.

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below,

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.

Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”

“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools,”

“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”

Then He and the children stood up without a sound,

“Come now my children, let me show you around.”

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran,

All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

“In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

JOHN SHIRK – From First Timothy 1:15.

Words from the Apostle Paul, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst.”

There are times in the New Testament when Paul gives us a window into his tainted past. His conversion to Christ was a dramatic transformation of character in a short time. In reflecting on his life, Paul realized that there were many sins of his that Jesus had forgiven.

In this verse, we can put our personal name in place of the word “sinners”.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save….me. His grace is a gift for me to receive. There is nothing I can do to earn it, but I can receive His forgiveness by trusting in the name of Jesus and what He did for me at the cross.

When we experience His forgiveness, our burden of guilt is removed and we can truly appreciate and celebrate what Jesus has done for us.

Recognizing Jesus as our Savior from sin is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com