John Shirk
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JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Marvelous.
The meaning of marvelous is “Causing great wonder; extraordinary.” Another definition of this word is “Extremely good or pleasing; splendid”.
The Bible uses the word “Marvelous” to describe the deeds of God.
Psalm 86:9 and 10 says, “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.”
Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s marvelous deeds. In His death and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated God’s love for the world and gained victory over the grave.
These events have paved the way for our redemption, so that we might saved from our sins. Referring to Himself, Jesus said in Matthew 21:42, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
Find encouragement in the marvelous deeds of the LORD in the Year of Endurance.
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Daily Challenge-Flavor This World With the Gospel
john : September 30, 2021 5:38 pm : John Shirk, Staff PagesJOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to flavor this world with God’s good news.
Jesus said to His followers in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth.”
Salt is a preservative. When God’s people live out the Christian life, our influence keeps the world from descending deeper into moral or spiritual decay. The power of God’s love will flow through us to build faith and bring out the best qualities in people.
Salt also adds flavor to food. When God’s people live out the Christian life with acts of service, gracious words, and the attitude of Christ, we give other people the opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Colossians 4:5 says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Take the Daily Challenge to flavor this world with God’s good news on the journey of faith.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is “Harvest.”
This a farming term referring to the gathering of crops after they are fully ripe. It is the time when the farmer reaps what has been planted.
There is a spiritual analogy to this process in Galatians 6:8 and 9.
“A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
We might not always see the fruit of our labor, and in such a situation, the only thing growing in our lives is discouragement. We feel like giving up, but God encourages us to keep pressing on with faithful service. The harvest is coming. Our labor in the Lord is bearing fruit. God’s reward is near when we see Jesus face to face, and hear His words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Find encouragement in the harvest of blessing that is promised for persevering saints in the Year of Endurance.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to be a peacemaker.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Jesus came on a peacemaking mission to restore us to a right relationship with God. He removed the barrier of sin at the cross for all who would call on His name for salvation.
We have a peacemaking mission today to be ambassadors for Christ. We are called to follow Jesus and represent Him while we live in the world. That means, spreading word of His amazing grace to reconcile us to God. The Apostle Paul was one of Christ’s ambassadors. He wrote in Second Corinthians 5:20, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
Take the Daily Challenge to be a peacemaker as an ambassador for Christ on the journey of faith.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Sacrifice.
Today, it is possible to celebrate salvation in Christ because of His sacrifice on the cross 2,000 years ago. There was a sacrificial system of animals in place before Jesus came into the world.
But according to Hebrews 7:27, “unlike the other high priests (in the Old Testament), he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”
The price was high, and the pain was extreme, but His love for us was deep and wide. The death and resurrection of Jesus are pivotal moments in human history, and they are foundational events to the faith of Jesus’ followers. According to Hebrews 7:25, “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
Find encouragement in the sacrifice of Jesus to save us from our sins in the Year of Endurance.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Blood.
In the Gospel, blood is the cleansing agent for our heart. Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
This is why Jesus went to the cross, so that he might pay the price as a ransom to set us free from the death penalty. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. That includes each one of us.
But here is the good news for us to embrace, and this is why the message of the cross is the power of God for those who are saved in His grace.
First John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” All of our sin is erased. All of our guilt is removed when we come into the light of His grace and truth.
Find encouragement in the blood of Jesus to make us clean before God in the Year of Endurance.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
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