John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Then, he tells the parable of a rich man who spent his energy building his own empire. He built bigger barns to store his grain and goods, because he ran out of room. He was looking for the easy life. After he reached his goal the man envisioned himself saying, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.”

But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.”  Jesus summed it up by saying, “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”  This parable reminds us that we cannot take worldly treasures with us, but we can send our heavenly treasures ahead of us. This happens when we are generous toward God, and honor Him with our wealth. First Timothy 6:18 urges wealthy believers to “be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.”

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Samuel confronted King Saul with these words in First Samuel 15:22. “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

The voice of the LORD had told Saul to destroy everything that belongs to the Amalekites.  But Saul and his army spared the best of the sheep and cattle.  He tried to justify his actions by telling Samuel that he had in mind to sacrifice them to the LORD.  That is the context of Samuel’s words, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” 

Today, Christians don’t follow the sacrificial system of the Old Testament because Jesus fulfilled the law by becoming our sacrifice once and for all.  Yet, we can still apply this verse into our lives through the various ceremonies and practices of the church.  Baptism and communion would be empty rituals without an obedient heart to God.  However, when love motivates us to obey the Lord, baptism and communion reflect a transformed heart that seeks to know Jesus.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – It was about midnight.  Paul and Silas were awake, praying and singing hymns to God.  Other prisoners were listening to them.  Suddenly, there was a violent earthquake.  The foundations of the prison were shaken, and the chains of the prisoners were let loose.

It is not likely today that our prayers or songs of worship will cause an earthquake.  However, don’t be surprised if spiritual strongholds lose their grip on us.  Bitterness, despair, worry, just to name a few.

For Paul and Silas, their freedom led to an opportunity to witness to a desperate jailer who feared for his life.  That jailer came to believe in the Lord Jesus, and he was saved.  You can read about this story in Acts 16.  Let it motivate you to praise God, and use open doors to tell others about Jesus.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.  

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Before Jesus died on a cross, He had a conversation with His disciples.  This conversation happens in John 14 to 16 of the Bible. Jesus is preparing His disciples for the journey ahead.  He was about to leave them physically, but would not abandon them spiritually.  He would provide for them in a number of ways.  One of those ways would be to send the Holy Spirit to guide them in the truth and empower their witness for Jesus.

With the road of suffering ahead, He also spoke words of encouragement to them so that they would not despair at the sight of the cross. In John 16:22, Jesus said, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

The resurrection of Jesus is a mountain peak moment of the Gospel.  It means Jesus is alive, and we can believe in Him.  It means that Jesus is near, and we can belong to Him. It means that Jesus is victorious, and we can live with Him forever.  His unending love gives us a reason to celebrate new life.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

Dr. Alvin Vander Griend talks about two powerful forces at work in the world.  Sin and prayer.  He says, “Not only does sin hinder prayer; prayer hinders sin. The two are always opposed. The more careless we are about sin, the less we will pray.  The more we pray, the less careless we will be about sin. Which one is moving you?”

Jesus invites us to bring our sins into the light through confession.  This does not mean we necessarily have to share all our sins with everyone we know.  But there are proper occasions to confess our sins to others.  Perhaps we have wronged someone and want to make it right, or we seek support from another Christian to help us stay true to our commitment to follow Christ.  By dealing with our sins openly and honestly, the power of sin loses its grip over us, and the barriers to prayer are removed.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In Matthew 18, Jesus called a little child to stand among the disciples.  In verse 5, He said, “Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”

One organization that has been an advocate for children for more than 55 years is Compassion International.  Their motto is “Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.”  Through child sponsorship, more than one million children in 25 countries are benefiting from their outreach.  Child sponsors have an opportunity not just to help meet a child’s physical needs, but also to develop a meaningful relationship with the child through writing letters.

Compassion believes that when children see themselves as Jesus sees them, they will flourish, grow and develop in all areas of their lives. These are some ways that a Child Sponsor can touch the life of a child in Jesus’ name-by helping them to see themselves as Jesus sees them and by giving them an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty.  During 26 hours of Compassion you can be an instrument of God’s grace in the life of a child.  38 dollars a month makes such a huge difference for someone in poverty.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – There is a simple phrase in Second Thessalonians 3:13, which challenges us to keep doing those things that God wants us to be doing.  That phrase is this:  “Never tire of doing what is right.”

Paul the Apostle was addressing a church, where some people had too much time on their hands.  They were unfocused and undisciplined.  They were shirking their responsibilities, and as a result, ended up meddling into other people’s lives.  This is opposite from what Paul taught the church.  His instructions were “to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands.”  That was the daily life that would win the respect of outsiders. But there was a group in the Thessalonian church with the reputation of being busybodies rather than busy. Paul told them to settle down and earn their food.

Paul encourages us to use our time wisely. Develop a healthy work ethic. If there is opportunity, we are instructed to provide for our family. Take some time to rest, but don’t become lazy. Look for opportunities to do good for others.  If we do this for the sake of the Lord, we will reap the spiritual benefits. Never tire of doing what is right.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In Chile, 33 miners were trapped when their mine collapsed on August 5^th.  Rescue efforts have been happening at a place called Camp Hope, where the final stages are underway to bring the miners to the surface. According to Baptist Press, two of the trapped miners have come to faith in Christ during their ordeal.

Without outside intervention, those miners would have been left hopelessly in the dark. 

The result of sin can be compared to the result of a collapsed mine.  Without intervention from above, we are hopelessly in the dark.  The cross became our place of Camp Hope, where Jesus reached out to help us.  Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The result is Colossians 1:13, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Through God’s dramatic rescue, we are free to walk in the light of His grace and truth.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Jesus challenged His disciples with these words, “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus not only taught us the way to live.  He showed us the way to live by His example of service and sacrifice. When we feed the poor or offer help to the orphan or widow in distress in Jesus’ name, we are touching people’s lives with God’s love.  His compassion shines through the obedient servant of Jesus Christ.

Outreach Magazine recently listed the fastest growing churches in America. Editor Lindy Lowry points out the common denominator of these growing churches.  They are “founded on relationships….They’re very focused on reaching their community and building bridges to their community.”  They ask questions like, “How do we meet their needs? How can we be Christ in our community? How can we be Christ in our world?” Colossians 4:5 tells us to be wise in the way we act toward outsiders and make the most of every opportunity.  One of those opportunities is to enter the world of peoples’ needs with the heart of a servant.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.

If you comment on this blog, I would love to hear how you or your church are reaching out to your  neighbors or communities with a servant’s heart.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

The call of Jonah comes at the beginning of the book of Jonah.  “The word of the LORD came to Jonah, ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’”

Jonah’s response was to run away from the LORD.  Why might we run away from God when He calls us to serve Him?  Perhaps we don’t like the mission.  Perhaps we are afraid of failure, or in Jonah’s case, we might be afraid of success. 

It becomes clear as the story goes that Jonah lacked love for the people of Nineveh.  When Jonah eventually went to Nineveh and proclaimed impending judgment, the Ninevites believed God. They actually heeded Jonah’s words and repented.  God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways. He had compassion on them and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened. 

Jonah then becomes angry instead of rejoicing like the angels of heaven.  His lack of love for the Ninevites was exposed.

The story of Jonah is a lesson of faith for us to repent of our sins now, while we have time and trust in Jesus for salvation. Church leaders also are challenged to develop God’s heart of compassion for an unbelieving world that has drifted from God.

That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.