JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Q and A Segment explores the question, “Who was Asaph and what was his struggle?”

Asaph was a gifted musician in the time of David, and he used music as a tool to glorify God.

But Asaph lost focus at one point in his life, and he wrote about it in Psalm 73. In his testimony, he recalled, “I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” He started to perceive their lives on the other side of the fence as having no struggles, free from burdens, and with healthy bodies. He said, “This is what the wicked are like-always carefree, they increase in wealth.” This perspective led him to false thinking, and it is the kind of path that might tempt us if we perceive the same things. He said, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure.”

But before he went further down this path of envy, something gave him perspective. He entered the sanctuary of God. Then he understood their final destiny. The result was a celebration of being in relationship with God. He said to the LORD, “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.”

Asaph’s journey shows how an eternal perspective brings clarity when we come to God in a place of worship in the Year of Exploration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

I recently visited the new Butterfly Atrium at the Hershey Gardens with my family.  It’s a wonderful place, perfectly setup as a walk-through experience inside a butterfly’s world.  There were colorful flowers and plants, a little stream, and big chunks of fruit set out, where butterflies lounged and filled up on nectar.  There were all kinds of butterflies: from teeny tiny ones to ginormous.  We walked through on the path, watching each step since the butterflies roam free, flitting to and from wherever they please.  While may were in flight from here to there at any given time, we found some hanging from flowers, others clung to the windows, and a few liked to plop down right in the middle of the path.  Everyone carefully approached to get a close look at their wings and take some pictures of these amazing creatures.  I was thinking how special the experience was…and how different it would be if it were any other bug.  I mean, nobody wants to visit all sorts and sizes of spiders in their natural habitat!  There’s something about butterflies that makes us feel comfortable and even a little mystified.  Then…out of no where, a butterfly landed right on my nose!  And do you know what happened?  Nobody shooed it off.  No one rolled up a news paper to swat it.  And I had zero urges to flick it away.  Instead, everyone responded with incredible delight, treating me as specially chosen by this butterfly.  Phones and cameras emerged and we all giggled until it finally detached its sticky little feet from my face and flew away.  It would have been so different if it were any other bug.

In the days after that experience, I’ve wondered how people would respond to me if I were a bug.  Are there qualities about me that sting like a bee?  or smell like a stink bug?  or cause concern like a mosquito?  Do I have a problem with boundaries like ants at a picnic or drone on loudly like a locust? I hope not!  I really want to be like a butterfly.  I want people to feel at ease–and even special if I come close.  And the good news is: God wants us to be like that, too!  The fruit of His Spirit certainly makes us beautifully attractive: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  (Galatians 5:22-23)  None of those are scary or intimidating–and we are marked by those qualities because of Jesus living in our hearts.  If you don’t feel like those things describe you very well, I’ve got more good news: Jesus Christ makes us into a new creation.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)  The old stuff is gone–and we are transformed.  That’s something butterflies can relate to! 🙂

Playlist for September 9th/11th, 2016

Hour 1

1. Okay  – LoveLike Violence
2. Roses – I Anthem
3. Birds Will Never Fly – Come Wind
4. You and Me Both – The Classic Crime
5. Beyond The Stars – Spoken
6. Incomplete – Thousand Foot Krutch
7. Oh Lord – NF
8. Falling All Over – I Am Spartacus
9. Madness – Citizens & Saints
10. Unshaken – Attaboy
11. Run Devil Run – Crowder
12. Reach for the Sky – Red Letter Hymnal
13. Bummin’ – Relient K
14. Sadie Hawkins Dance – Relient K
15. Don’t Bring That Trouble – NEEDTOBREATHE

Hour 2

1. Black Honey – Thrice
2. Live While I’m Alive – Flagship Armada
3. Saved My Soul – Audio Adrenaline
4. Anthem Song – Aaron Gillespie
5. Way You Love Me – XXI
6. Angels & Demons – Disciple
7. Hunger Strike – Seventh Day Slumber
8. Strive – Found in the Fury
9. Someday – Plankeye
10. These Hands – Hearts Like Lions
11. Feel Invincible – Skillet
12. Sweep the Leg – Family Force 5
13. Loving Led – ILIA
14. Speak  – Foreverlin
15. Til the Day I Die – TobyMac (FEAT. NF)

Five Fun Free Family Things To Do This Weekend
September 9-11, 2016

5 East Petersburg Day 2016 tonight and tomorrow (Friday & Saturday, Sept 16 & 17) at East Petersburg Community Park. Musicians, face painting, balloon bending, dance presentations, hoola hoop contest, a TV giveaway, whoopie pie eating contests, a chili cook-off and more. For times and More Info: EastPetersburgDay.com

4 Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn Annual Whoopie Pie Festival tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 10) 10am-4pm in Strasburg. Over 100 different Whoopie Pie flavors, Whoopie Pie themed games and events, Crafters and artisians and more. More Info:  www.whoopiepiefestival.com

3 PRAISE JAM 2016 tonight (Friday, Sept. 9) from 7-10pm at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene. An evening of Praise & Worship featuring local worship teams from the area. Also, ‘Piercing Word’ drama group.  Cafe’ will be open and all proceeds will go to ‘Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Center’. More Info: ephratanazarene.org

2 Hempfield’s 18th Annual Community Days tomorrow and Sunday (Sat. Sept. 10 & Sun. Sept. 11) at Hempfield Park. Car show, fireworks, music, crafts, kid zone activities, a variety of foods, and more. More Info: HempfieldTwp.com

1 Landis Homes Fellowship Days tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 10) 9am-3pm at Landis Homes, East Oregon Rd, Lititz. Train Rides, Face Painting, animals, bouncy castle, Lisa and Grandma Landis  and Kids Cookie Break broadcasting live in the morning. More Info landishomes.org

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 – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is people all over the world.

Today, there are over 7.1 billion people in the world, and God is the creator of each person who lives on the face of the earth at this time.

Psalm 145, verse 9 tells us that “ the LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

The LORD knew about each one of us before we were born, He knew what we needed, and He provided a way for us to live forever with Him when He sent Jesus to the world.

The writer of Psalm 95 acknowledged God as Creator and responded with worship. Verse 6 says, “Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God.” Our breathing proves that we exist, but our worship reflects that we thrive for the glory of God.

The people of the world have been made in the image of God, and were made to bring glory to God. The existence of people on the earth is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Q and A Segment explores the question, “What does it mean to be made in God’s image?”

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air.”

Here we see the creation of humans set apart from the animal kingdom. Humans have been uniquely made in God’s image.

That reflection was marred in a moral sense when sin entered the human race, but according to James 3:9, humans are still being made in God’s likeness.

There are several ways in which we are made in God’s likeness. God communicated when He created us. And we have the capacity to communicate by putting our thoughts into words.

God also gave us the capacity to reason. In Isaiah 1:18, He says to humans, “Let us reason together.”

God also gave us the capacity for love. The Bible tells us that God is love, and He also demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus to the world. First John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”

These are some of the ways we are made in God’s image in the Year of Exploration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Five Fun Free Family Things To Do This Weekend
September 2-4, 2016

5 The 159-year-old Perseverance Band of Lebanon will perform on  Sunday (Sept. 4) from 4-6pm at Coleman Memorial Park. Lawn chairs recommended. More Info: PerseveranceBand.org

4 Freedom Fall Festival tomorrow, Saturday (Sept. 3) from 10am-4pm at The Freedom Center in Windsor, PA. Car Show, 3 Bands of Live Music, Kids Zone, Food, Crafts, Merchandise Vendors, and more. More Info: TFCWindsor.org

3 The Hospice Labor Day Auction at the Solanco Fairgrounds tomorrow (Saturday, September 3) and Monday, September 5 beginning at 7:30am both days. Family-friendly free event.  All proceeds directly benefit patients and families receiving care from Hospice. More Info: HospiceandCommunityCare.org

2 First Friday in Lancaster tonight  (Sept 1) – 5 to 9 pm in downtown Lancaster. Discover innovative exhibitions, performances and a few surprises. Art galleries, museums, performing groups, professional theater, and more from Lancaster’s arts community. More Info: VisitLancasterCity.com

1 29th Annual Heart of Lancaster Arts and Craft Show Saturday and Sunday (Sep 3 & 4) 10am to 4pm at Roots Market, Graystone Rd, Manheim. 200 Juried Artists, Live Domonstrations, music and more. Rain or shine, free parking and admission.  More Info: HeartofLancasterArtsandCraftShow.com

See the playlist below; and email me if you’d like it emailed to you with all the album details.

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com