JOHN SHIRK – If we look into any of the great revivals of history, we will find that repentance was a significant part of each one. That was the case in the book of Nehemiah, as the people of Israel began to return to their land after time in captivity. They gathered at a place called Water Gate to hear Ezra read from the Book of the Law of Moses.

Nehemiah 8:5 says, “Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.”

What followed was a period of weeping, and then a celebration of joy. That is the kind of effect that the Bible has on us when we take God’s Word to heart. We become responsive to the LORD’s mercy and supreme authority. Sin loses its control over us as we confess to the LORD, and then, we are freed to worship God with a joyful heart, because of the way God has made Himself known to us.

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

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com