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JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to believe God’s promises.

Second Corinthians 1:20 says, “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

Jesus said He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets. They spoke about the Messiah and identified future events that He would fulfill, It is believed that Jesus accomplished at least 300 of them in His earthly ministry. He stands ready to fulfill more prophecies at His return, when He appears as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Seeing Jesus in this light gives our faith more confidence. We can depend on God to fulfill His promises in Christ. He will do what He declared. His grace will prevail and lead His followers to ultimate victory.

Believing God’s promises is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Philippians 1:12 to 14.

The Apostle Paul said, “I want you to know that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”

The persecution of the early believers is a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ, moving in their lives. They were witnesses to His resurrection from the dead, and continued to proclaim Jesus as Lord whether their audience was receptive or hostile to their message.

Billy Graham has said, that “courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”

This Light Reflection inspires us to stand for Jesus with a courageous faith in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to boast in the Lord.

When we understand that life is a gift and all our blessings come from God in heaven, we realize that He deserves all the credit.

Second Corinthians 10:17 says, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

It is better to boast about what God has done for us than to boast about what we can do for the Lord.  If there is good fruit flowing out of our lives, He deserves the credit, because He is the One who has given us the strength we need to accomplish anything meaningful for Him. Psalm 115 says, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

The gift of this day is an opportunity to draw attention to the greatness and glory of God.

Boasting in the Lord is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Second Corinthians 12:7 to 9.

The Apostle Paul had a revelation about the value of suffering. He shared his personal experience, which many people identify with today.

“In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Paul recognized that his physical weaknesses and hardships were making his faith strong. Satan may have given him the thorn in the flesh, but God was using it in Paul’s life to make him humble and to strengthen his faith.

This Light Reflection inspires us to rely on the power of God’s grace to be our source of strength in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is Looking to the example of Jesus.

Family members and friends may motivate us by their good example, or let us down by moral failures. The truth is that all humans are fallible, except for one man who lived 2,000 years ago. His name is Jesus. His example is reliable for directing our lives in the ways of God.

Philippians 2:5 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!”

The example of Jesus reveals the pathway to honoring God with thriving relationships. That pathway is humility, service, and sacrifice.

Looking to the example of Jesus is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from James 1, verses 2 to 4.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Trials come in different ways and affect people in different ways. Not everyone grows more mature and wiser through their trials. Some become bitter and cynical about life.

Staying focused on God helps us to see the bigger picture of our trials. Yes, it may hurt right now, but God has our lives in His hands and is able to accomplish something good through our painful circumstances. This is not the time to give up. This is the time to press forward with God. He is at work, to refine our character. The trials we face may not be in our plans, but they can be used for God’s purposes, to purify our faith and make us a voice of hope in this generation.

This Light Reflection inspires us to let perseverance finish its work when our faith is tested in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from First Peter 1:6 and 7.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Through the journey of our lives, there will be trials that test our faith. They might come unexpectedly. While we may not fully understand why we experience hardship, we can trust a loving God to be with us through it all.

One of the ways that God can work through our trials is to refine our faith so that it is proved genuine, not just to ourselves but others who have witnessed our journey. Sometimes, God also works through our trials to define our mission. We are moved by compassion to help those who have gone through similar experiences.

This Light Reflection inspires us to stay faithful to God through the trials of life in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is Prayer.

A conversation with God on a daily basis is good for our soul and builds life’s most important relationship.

James 5:16 tells us that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Martin Luther once said, “I have so much to do today that I should spend the first three hours in prayer.”

Prayer is a powerful way to seek after God’s own heart and to know Him better.  We can pour out our anxious thoughts to God at His throne of grace. He loves us and listens to the cares of our heart.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, this is what He said in Luke 11:2 to 4:

“Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Prayer is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com