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

JOHN SHIRK – From Micah 5:2.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

This prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 2:1, which says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod.

Jesus could have come to a major, strategic city to draw attention to His significant worth. However, He would be born in Bethlehem, a small town several miles from the holy city Jerusalem.

God does not work in conventional ways to advance His plan of redemption. Using conventional wisdom, Jesus might have appointed religious leaders to follow Him as disciples. But instead, Jesus appointed unschooled men to follow Him and be trained to become  leaders of the early church.

In the Old Testament, Samuel wanted to appoint one of David’s brothers to be the next king of Israel. But God, seeing through appearance to the heart, was calling David. God can work through things and people whose value is overlooked by society, to draw the world to His grace and glory.

A receptive heart to Jesus is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK-from Luke 1:38.

After hearing what God was calling her to do, Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

She was given the task of delivering Jesus to the world.

The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Then later, the angel said, “For nothing is impossible with God.”

It was a sacred calling, and she accepted without hesitation.  Mary’s response reminds us that the Lord has a purpose for us as well, a sacred calling to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. Mary’s response gives us insight of how to do that.

Respond as a servant of God. Don’t try to change the details of His plan. He knows what He is doing. He made us for such a time as this. This is the window of opportunity to follow His calling. As we cooperate with His mission, He provides the fruit. Some of it is evident and some of it is not.

Willingness to serve God is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

 

JOHN SHIRK – From Hebrews 9:22b.

“Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”

This foundational truth points us to the reason why Jesus came to shed his blood for us. We have sinned against a holy God, and cannot save ourselves from the wages of sin, which is death. Only a hand beyond us could rescue us-a hand that is holy and nail-scarred. Up until the time of Christ, the blood of bulls and goats were sacrificed, but that was not really effective to forgive people’s sins. The Bible tells us that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That sacrificial system was only a shadow of things to come, not the real deal.

Verse 26 says that Christ has now appeared at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. His blood, shed on the cross, was a sufficient payment for our sins. Because of what Jesus did at the cross, we have forgiveness of sins through faith in His name. With the guilt of our sins cleared away, the barrier has been removed, and we have freedom to walk with God as His follower and friend.

Trusting the blood of Christ for forgiveness is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving reminds us to be thankful for the things (or people) most important in life. Christmas reminds us about the greatest gift our Heavenly Father gave us and to share that gift with as many as we can. I cannot think of a better time of year to share encouraging comments from two of our listeners. They represent the 115,000 people who listen to the station each week.

“I love listening to WJTL in the car as I run errands with my three year old. I truly feel that you help me fulfill the command in Deuteronomy about talking about our faith with our children while we walk on the road, or drive in our case. My daughter just recently started asking spiritual questions and I love that after hearing a song about Jesus’ death and resurrection she wants to ask why Jesus died, what sin is etc. Your music and messages open a discussion door without me forcing it open and makes her curious about our faith, so thank you!” – Anna

“I just wanted to thank you for the past few days while we were all anticipating the carnage of Hurricane Sandy and not knowing what would happen. Once again through music, God’s message came through loud and clear . . . It was an excellent music format for Faith, Strength and Peace!! Thank you to everyone who sacrificed to keep all of us informed during a very uncertain time!” – Denise

We are so grateful to our great WJTL listeners who make this ministry possible. We could not do this without your encouragement and financial support. Typically about 30% of our budget arrives between the middle of November and the end of the year. We stretch every dollar as far as it can go and in fact have not raised our already conservative budget for the past several years even after moving into The Junction Center. All year we balance good stewardship with what we have and faith for what will come.

As a friend of WJTL you will want to know that donations are running 4% behind last year and that a total of $306,000 still needs to be raised by year’s end. Please consider making an exceptional gift so that we can enter 2013 on a strong note. Gifts of any size though are very much needed and appreciated.

I pray for God’s blessing and protection on you and your family this season.

Sincerely,

Tim Landis
President/CEO

WJTL/Creative Ministries, Inc.

PS: To give online go to:
https://wjtl.com/stationinfo/support/

JOHN SHIRK – From Micah 6:8.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Implications of acting justly include treating people with fairness and without discrimination based on racial background or economic status. Acting justly shows concern for the poor and takes a stand for innocent victims of injustice.

Loving mercy includes willingness to forgive the sins of others just as God forgave us. Another dimension of mercy is extending the kindness of God to a wounded soul.

Walking humbly with God acknowledges our own need for God’s grace and seeks to bring Him glory in our lives. We acknowledge His greatness and depend on His goodness. Where He leads us, we follow.

God has not left us without direction. He has provided a roadmap that reveals His good and pleasing purposes. The Bible is a valuable resource to guide us in the truth of God’s will.

Obedience to God’s Word is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

FRED MCNAUGHTON -THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Extraordinary Give – The Day of Giving on November 30th. 240 WJTL Listeners donated $24,820.  WJTL also received a $1000 grant for being one of the first ten organizations to receive 50 individual donations.  Additionally, Lancaster County Community Foundation will match a percentage of your gifts and we will find out that amount in the near future.  Thank you again for your enthusiastic support!

Visit the Extraordinary Give Leaderboard and see what other organizations benefitted from this extraordinary day of giving.

(This was the original blog, giving the info on the Extraordinary Give)

I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to invest in WJTL today and stretch your donation thanks to the Lancaster County Community Foundation. Any donation you make to WJTL today online at extragive.org will be stretched. WJTL has joined with almost 200 other local non-profit organizations in saying, “When we give extra, extraordinary things happen!”.

Please click on this link now and make a donation to support WJTL today.

Extraordinary Give is Lancaster County’s first 24 hour online giving marathon. Every dollar donated will be stretched by a $250,000 contribution from the Lancaster County Community Foundation.

 

THANKS!