John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – This is the Year of Exploration at WJTL. We will explore various questions about the Christian faith and examine daily reasons to believe in the Gospel.

Today’s Q and A explores the question, “What are some noble spiritual goals for the New Year?”

Common New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, eating healthy, spending less money, and saving more money.

Those ambitions may be on your list as you begin 2016. There is merit to these goals. It is good to remember that every goal requires a plan. There is a process on the pathway to success.

There are noble goals for growing in our relationship with God in 2016.

The Apostle Paul said, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.”

A good starting place for knowing Jesus is to spend time with Him in prayer and Bible study. Then, take those truths that we learn from God’s Word and live them out for the glory of God.

Establishing priorities to know Jesus and honor His name are noble ambitions in the Year of Exploration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – This is the Year of Exploration at WJTL. We will explore various questions about the Christian faith and examine daily reasons to believe in the Gospel.

Today’s Reason to Believe is the Big Picture.

From the beginning to end, the Bible outlines human history in a way that reveals Jesus as our only hope for salvation from sin.

The first two chapters in Genesis reveal Creation, where God made the heavens and the earth.

The third chapter of Genesis reveals the fall of Adam and Eve and the consequences of sin.

Much of the Bible covers God’s plan of redemption through the coming of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament anticipates the arrival of the Christ with the law, feasts, and prophecies. The New Testament reveals Jesus as the Christ, who fulfills the law and the prophets.

And the book of Revelation reveals the new heavens and the new earth, where God’s followers are restored to complete fellowship with God.

According to First Peter 3:18, Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

The big picture of history and God’s plan of redemption is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Isaiah 9:6, which says about Jesus, “He will be called….Prince Of Peace.”

Verse 7 goes on to say, “Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end.”

Under His righteous leadership, true and lasting peace will be established. While the world yearns for the peace that Jesus offers, it does not yet experience this reality. That is because we need to acknowledge peace on His terms. Welcoming the influence of Jesus as our Savior and Lord invites peace. But peace is elusive as long as we push Jesus away.

On a personal level, we can experience the gift of God’s peace this Christmas, by embracing the presence of Jesus.

Romans 5:1 says, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Receiving Jesus as our Prince of Peace is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines His purpose for coming to the world.

According to First Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

The Christmas season is full of special activities, shopping sprees, decorations, and gifts. It can be a busy season that keeps us doing things that may be good, but may also keep us from slowing down to reflect on the greatest gift of all-the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

God’s love for us prompted Him to send Jesus to the world on a rescue mission. Jesus did not come to us because we were good, but because He is good. His blood shed for us at the cross was an acceptable sacrifice for our sins, and as a result, we are declared acceptable to God through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot enter heaven on our own merit, but it is possible to enter heaven on the merit of Christ and what He has done for us at the cross. That was the purpose of Jesus that adds meaning to Christmas.

A daily connection with Christ is our lifeline to God’s forgiveness and His gift of eternal life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK-In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines His letter to the church at Thyatira.

In Revelation 2:22, the main message to this church was to turn away from immorality and idolatry, and turn to God. The whole church was not corrupted, but some were by the influence of a woman named Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess.

The church was making some progress. Jesus identifies their deeds, their love, their faith, their service, and their perseverance, and says, “You are now doing more than you did at first.”

But they were too tolerant of the sinful practices that Jezebel promoted. Tolerance is consistent with the Christian faith when it reflects kindness and respect to a person who disagrees with us. But tolerance goes too far if we are putting our stamp of approval on sin. Validating sin leads to the spread of a spiritual cancer throughout the body.

Romans 2:4 talks about the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience as influences to lead us to repentance.

A daily connection with Christ teaches us to love God, love people and hate sin.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines His letter to the church at Pergamum.

In Revelation 2:14, The main message to this church is to beware of falling into an immoral lifestyle. There was evidence of compromise in the church at Pergamum. The whole church was not infected, but some within the church were being corrupted. In His love for the church, Jesus calls the compromisers to repentance. To those who did not fall into false teachings or an immoral lifestyle, Jesus commends them for remaining true to His name.

Pergamum was identified as a place where Satan has his throne. Believers were in a tough place. There can be many temptations and different forms of persecution in communities where Satan has a stronghold. There was a hostile climate toward Christians in Pergamum as seen by the reference to the death of Antipas, who was a faithful witness for Jesus.

A daily connection with Christ calls to an uncompromising faith.

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines His letter to the church at Smyrna.

In Revelation 2:9, His main message to this church is to commend them for their faithful witness. He says, “I know your afflictions and your poverty-yet you are rich.” “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.” “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

The witness of this church reveals that followers of Christ will, at times, face persecution for our faith.

Polycarp was the bishop at Smyrna, and when he was 86 years of age, he was pressured to acknowledge Caesar as Lord. But Polycarp would not bow to the pressure. He said, “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” As a result of his stand for Jesus, Polycarp became a martyr for the faith.

A daily connection with Christ inspires faith and courage for times of testing.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines His letter to the church at Ephesus.

It appears in Revelation 2. This is the first of seven churches to receive a message from the Lord. Each message is different, but they reflect the character of the same God who is loving and holy.

The main message to the church at Ephesus is this: “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

Here was a church that was still working for the Lord and enduring hardships. They were discerning truth from error among their teachers. However, over time, they lost their first love. They may have been going through the motions of the Christian life, but lost the delight of their service and their radiance.

Jesus loves this church, and because He cares, He calls them to return to the love they once had for Him-to recapture that sense of wonder of God’s amazing grace that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A daily connection with Christ calls us back to our first love.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Galatians 6:6.

“Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.”

There are at least three ways in which students of God’s Word can share all good things with our instructors.

The first way is to support them financially. According to the Bible, the worker is worth their wages, and this is true of those who work hard among us to teach us God’s Word. This will encourage our instructors to continue their good work as God provides their needs through our giving.

Another way to share good things with our instructor is to tell them how we are applying their lessons of faith into our lives. It shows we are attentive and receptive to their words. This reflects spiritual growth through their ministry.

Another way we can share good things with our instructor is to tell them how their teaching is shaping our character into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This reflects the good fruit of their ministry.

Sharing good things with our instructor is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Philippians 4:2 and 3.

The writer was the Apostle Paul, and here he addresses a serious conflict between two women who love the Lord. He urges them to agree with each other.

Then he says, “I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”

The identity of the loyal yokefellow is not immediately clear. However, it appears that this conflict is serious enough to require mediation. Paul is not taking sides on this conflict, but he is intensely interested in seeing them come to agreement. There are several things we can learn from this passage of Scripture.

1) It is entirely possible for sincere Christians to have disagreements.

2) Mediation may be necessary when the unity of believers is threatened.

3) It is important to make efforts to work through conflicts in a spirit of grace and truth.

4) Reconciliation is possible through the influence of Christ on conflicting parties.

Working through conflicts is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com