JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 15:8.

Jesus
told His followers: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

This is
a good focus point for 2019, to glorify God with a fruitful witness for Jesus.

The key
to being successful in this endeavor is to stay connected to Jesus. He said in
John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in
you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

With
Jesus, we have a strong and vibrant testimony. Without Him, we are helpless.

The words of Jesus inspire us to stay close to Jesus and bear fruit for God’s glory in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Philippians 3:13 and 14.

The
Apostle Paul wrote, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it. But 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.”

Paul
had baggage from his past. He had persecuted followers of Jesus. He had done
much harm to the early church. But that was not the end of his story. He
converted to following Christ, and his sins were no longer held against him.
When we follow Jesus, our past does not have to define us, because His
forgiveness frees us from the guilt of our past.

Through Jesus, we are set free to move forward in God’s plan with a clear conscience.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – 2019 is the Year of Redemption at WJTL. We will examine the wisdom of Jesus’ teachings, which have the power to set us free and the freedom phrases found in the Bible.

Today’s
Freedom Phrase is based on John 8:36.

“So if
the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Real
and lasting freedom is found in a relationship with Jesus, where we follow Him
as our Savior and Lord.  This means,
taking His teachings seriously and recognizing their value to guide us to an
abundant and eternal life. He gives us direction for life that takes us to
places where we would not have traveled on our own, and enables us to
accomplish things we could not do by ourselves.   

Through Jesus, we are set free to experience a life-changing relationship with God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Isaiah 9:6.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”

The birth of Jesus to the world 2,000 years ago means that we were offered a gift. Jesus is God’s gift to the world to free us from the penalty of sin and to give us a new place in His family of believers. Fear of death or the future no longer has to paralyze us from enjoying life today. Eternal life is the promise of hope for everyone who receives the gift that God offered on that first Christmas morning.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death….” That is what we deserve by our disobedient actions. But when grace enters the picture, our sins are no longer counted against us. The second part of Romans 6:23 says, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Receiving the gift of Jesus as Lord and Savior is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Matthew 1:23.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means, “God with us.)

The coming of Jesus to earth as a baby was tangible evidence of God’s love for the world. Knowing that God is with us and NOT against us makes a huge difference in how we approach life.

We can live with courage, knowing that God is with us. The LORD told Joshua, just before taking the Israelites into the Promised Land, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with youwherever you go.”

We can also live with godly contentment, knowing that God is with us. His grace is sufficient for our needs. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Walking in relationship with Jesus is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on John 3:16 and 17.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus came to the world on a rescue mission for souls that were lost without God and were helpless to produce a remedy. Jesus came to be the remedy. He is the gift from God that this world needs for forgiveness and eternal life. We can find a certain hope for our souls by trusting in His grace to save us from our sins. That is the message of the birth of Jesus, His death, and resurrection. Acts 2:21 assures us that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Trusting in Jesus for salvation is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Matthew 9:12.

Jesus said this to a group of skeptics, who wondered why he was eating with tax collectors and sinners.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus did not come merely for a social call. He came on a rescue mission. The church serves as the hands and feet of Jesus to reach out to the lost and hurtingtoday. Ravi Zacharias says, “Those who are hurting and faltering need the strong arm of God to hold them. The Church has to provide those arms…..If we are to reflect Christ to the world around us, we need to learn what this means”…..’I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’

Walking with a mission of mercy is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Joseph (whose story is found in the book of Genesis).

Hebrews 11:22 says something curious about this man of God: “By faith, Joseph when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.”

Joseph’s forefathers were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They each received specific instructions regarding the promised land for Israel. Joseph knew that Egypt was not the permanent home for his people. Near his death, he said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He then proceeded to make the Israelites swear on oath that when God comes to their aid, his bones must be carried up from this place. That is exactly what Moses did at the time of the Exodus.

The faithfulness of Joseph to believe the promises of God inspires us to trust His words in the Bible and to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Psalm 51:12.

David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

After David confessed his sin to God, he asked for two important requests in this verse.

He asked for the joy of his salvation to be restored. When he was covering up his sin, David lost the joy of his faith. Sin has a way of doing that. David earnestly wanted the joy of the Lord to return. The grace of God is able to do that for us when we return to God.

David also asked for a willing spirit to follow God. We cannot do this on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to write God’s laws on our heart so that we want to obey His commands consistently.

Walking in prayer, confession, and obedience to God are virtues to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on First Peter 2:12.

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

The call to Christian integrity goes beyond mere words to a way of life that reflects the actions, attitudes, and teachings of Jesus Christ. One famous quote commonly associated with St. Francis of Assisi is, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.”

Jesus emphasized the importance of letting our light shine before others so that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.

Walking in the light of God’s goodness is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com