John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Ezekiel 36:26.

God is saying to the house of Israel, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

The Gospel offers us restoration and transformation of the heart. God was saying that a day is coming when a nation of people will have their hearts of stone replaced by hearts of flesh. Their resistance to God would give way to tenderness. They would become teachable. That is what happens when we open our heart to the good news of Jesus Christ. He puts His Spirit in us and moves our heart to have the desire to love Him and obey Him fully.

Walking with a new heart 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 Simon the Zealot.

We don’t know much about this man in the Bible, except that he was identified as one of Jesus’ disciples. According to Acts 1:13, he gathered with other disciples for prayer after Jesus ascended into heaven. He came from a radical background. The Zealots fiercely opposed Roman rule and were against payment of taxes to a Roman emperor.

The historian Josephus described Zealots as reckless persons, zealous in good practices and reckless in the worst kind of actions. Some zealots were willing to use violent tactics to overthrow Rome.

It was from this background that Jesus called Simon to follow Him. One implied lesson to learn from Simon the Zealot is not to rely on political aspirations to advance the kingdom of God. Rely on Jesus. Simon’s zeal would have been redirected this way so that he would be known for his love for Jesus rather than his hatred toward Rome.

The faithfulness of Simon the Zealot to redirect his zeal inspires us to embrace Jesus, reject the way of violence, and live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on John 14:6.

Jesus told His disciples, “I am the life.”

He is the source of life. He spoke of two dimensions of life when He held out the offer of life to us-eternal life and abundant life.

In John 6:40, He said, “My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

In John 10:10, He said, I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Jesus offers the kind of life that abounds in peace, in love, in grace, in joy, in hope, in gratitude, and in good deeds. Receiving Jesus as Lord is the key to these abounding treasures.

Faith walks toward God, using the bridge that He has provided to cross over from death to life.

Walking in the life that Jesus has for us 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 14:6.

Jesus said, “I am the truth….”

When Jesus was on trial, He said to the Roman Governor Pilate, “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Jesus invites us to listen to His teaching and live out what He says. If we do, Jesus says we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. But Pilate was not ready to acknowledge Jesus as the source of truth. He was not even ready to acknowledge that there was truth. He asked Jesus, “what is truth?” And then, he walked out to face the crowd. If truth is not established firmly in our heart, it leaves us vulnerable to just go along with the wishes of the crowd. That is what Pilate did.

Faith walks toward God, using the bridge that He has provided to cross over from a world of lies to a place of truth.

Walking in the truth of 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 14:6.

Jesus declared to His disciples, “I am the way…”

He did not present Himself to His disciples as one of several options. He said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

This puts Jesus in a unique place of being the only One who can provide the way for us to have a relationship with God the Father.

God is holy and we are sinful. There is a chasm between us until Jesus steps in the gap to provide a bridge of grace. He came to the world to restore what had been broken by our sin. Isaiah 53:12 says about Jesus, “He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Faith walks toward God, using the bridge He has provided to cross over from isolation to a life-changing relationship.

Walking in the way of following 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 Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”

This is a good verse to memorize and recite whenever we are embarking on a new chapter in life.

When we graduate from school and pursue a career, that is a good time to seek God’s will and trust Him to direct our steps.

When we get married, that is a good time to commit our relationship with our spouse to God’s influence.

When a son or daughter steps into our lives for the first time, that is a good time to commit their future to God, and to commit ourselves to training them in the ways of God.

Walking in acknowledgement of God with wholehearted trust 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 Miriam.

She was the older sister of Moses. After the Israelites went safely on dry ground through the Red Sea, worship music followed. Miriam was instrumental in the celebration.

Exodus 15:20 records that she took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.

She sang to them, “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”

The faithfulness of Miriam to worship God with music inspires us to use music as an instrument of praise and to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Gaius.

He was one of the few people that the Apostle Paul personally baptized. After he was converted to Christ, it appears that he excelled in the area of hospitality.

In Romans 16:23, Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.”

Gaius not only made room for Paul to stay at his house, he served in such a way that Paul thoroughly enjoyed being there.

The faithfulness of Gaius to show hospitality to the early church inspires us to offer hospitality with a cheerful attitude and to live a life of integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on First Peter 3:8.

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

These are all qualities that build unity in the church and strengthen a community.

Sympathy is one of those qualities that expresses sorrow in the presence of someone else’s tears and pain. Romans 12:15 instructs us to “mourn with those who mourn.” With a sympathetic heart, we have the ability to enter into someone else’s world of grief and offer the gift of friendship and comfort in the midst of it all. We tell the grieving person that they are not alone in their sadness.

Jesus has not left us alone. He is the ultimate example of someone who understands. He has endured the pain of the cross. One of the ways He enables us to become sympathetic is by taking us through times of distress. Then, when others go through similar experiences, we are sensitive to their needs.

Walking with a sympathetic heart 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 Ephesians 4:3.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

This whole chapter of the Bible gives us insight on how to contribute to the unity of the Spirit.

One of the key factors that builds unity is character formation. The character quality of honesty contributes to telling the truth. The character quality of humility contributes to serving others, and the character qualities of love and respect contribute to building up others with our words.

Another key factor is serving in our area of giftedness. Ephesians 4:11 says that Christ himself gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up in the unity of the faith. God works through godly character and acts of service to build His church in healthy ways.

Walking in the unity of the Spirit is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com