JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Isaiah 53:4 and 5.

This is a prophecy about Jesus, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed.”

This prophecy came to light at the cross, where Jesus died for our sins. At the time this prophecy was written, crucifixion had not been invented. Yet, the prophet wrote about the way Jesus would be pierced for our transgressions.

The cross was the place of the great exchange, where the Savior suffered for our sins so that we could be forgiven by God and restored to a peaceful relationship with God. Our ultimate healing flows from the blood of Jesus shed at the cross.

This Light Reflection inspires us to remember the price that was paid for our redemption in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Blood.

In the Gospel, blood is the cleansing agent for our heart.  Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

This is why Jesus went to the cross, so that he might pay the price as a ransom to set us free from the death penalty. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. That includes each one of us.

But here is the good news for us to embrace, and this is why the message of the cross is the power of God for those who are saved in His grace.

First John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” All of our sin is erased. All of our guilt is removed when we come into the light of His grace and truth.

Find encouragement in the blood of Jesus to make us clean before God in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK -Today’s Good News Focus is on Romans 5, verses 6 to 8.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

It is hard to fathom a love that is willing to go the extra mile like this. Jesus did not die for those who were righteous, because there were none righteous except for Him. Jesus died for us in our sinful condition. His motive for going to the cross was love, which moves us to receive His gift of forgiveness.

Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Jesus is our source of Good News, leading us to a place of redemption in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Romans 12:21.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The crucifixion of Jesus is the most vivid way this verse has been lived out. Jesus was using the hatred of humanity against Him to offer the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life to those who would put their faith in Him.

God’s love is the inspiration for us to seek the well-being of our enemies. Romans 12:20 says, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.”

The way of Jesus shows us a better way to respond to hatred than through revenge.  Offer kindness and respect. Serve them and pray for them. Leave room for God’s wrath rather than taking matters into our own hands.

Through Jesus, we are set free to overcome evil with good.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on First John 4:16.

“And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.”

The reason why we have the capacity to love God and other people is because God loved us first. If we want to know what the true nature of love is, we can look to Jesus who demonstrated God’s love for us in this way: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The worthy Savior gave His life for unworthy sinners. He loved us in our worst moments, not just our best.

His example can help us to love our children in the midst of their temper tantrums, to offer hospitality to someone who cannot return the favor, and to overcome hatred with love.

Through Jesus, we are set free to love people as God loves us.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – All this week, the person of Integrity from the Bible that we are examining is Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 urges us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Here we see that Jesus willingly went to the cross. He did not do this reluctantly or begrudgingly. His love for us kept Him moving forward to reach the goal. Jesus kept the joy of His future glory in mind as He was going to the cross.

Keeping God’s eternal promises and His unfailing love in view will strengthen us to press on in the faith through the trials of life.

The faithfulness of Jesus to endure the cross inspires us to endure hardship for Him and to live a life of integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Q and A Segment explores the question, “To what extent did God demonstrate His love for us?”

Philippians 2:8 reveals how far Jesus was willing to go for the sake of saving your soul and honoring His Father’s redemptive plan.

“Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross.”

His love can be defined by severe mercy, extreme sacrifice, extravagant grace, and extraordinary forgiveness.

Why would Jesus love us to this extent? The purpose for His sacrifice is found in First Peter 3:18: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

If you feel unworthy to be loved by God, join the club. In that regard, we are all unworthy. But God gave us a gift. That gift is Jesus, and His love is good news to the extreme in the Year of Exploration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason To Believe is the wonder of the cross.

One of the great wonders of the cross is that while Jesus was nailed to the cross, the nails were not the ultimate force that kept Him there.

In Matthew 26, when Jesus was arrested, one of Jesus’ disciples drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. This drew a swift rebuke from Jesus, who said to His disciple, “Put your sword back in its place….” Then He said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

Jesus was saying that if He wanted to call off His mission to die for our sins, He could call the heavenly cavalry at any time consisting of 72,000 angels. Jesus did not need nor did He desire His followers to defend Him.

“The wonder of the cross” is that no one took the life of Jesus from Him. He laid it down for us willingly because of His extraordinary love for the sinners of the world.

The wonder of the cross is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is the declaration of the Centurion who stood by the cross.

On the day when Jesus died, Matthew 27:54 records the response of a centurion and those nearby. “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God.’”

There were a number of extraordinary circumstances surrounding the crucifixion. In the middle of the day, darkness came over the land.

At the death of Jesus, there was an earthquake that caused the rocks to split. The curtain of the temple was torn in two. And Matthew’s Gospel records that tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

Another extraordinary circumstance was the way Jesus prayed for those who were crucifying Him. He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

The Centurion was perceptive to the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death and concluded that Jesus was not an ordinary man.

The exclamation of the Centurion acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is the power of the cross.

Jesus paid a price for a debt load at Calvary that no amount of money could purchase. That price was His blood that was shed at the cross. His blood was the complete payment for our sins, and the full price for our redemption. The cross was such a monumental event that Jesus’ sacrifice is celebrated in the songs of heaven for eternity.

The value of Jesus’ blood to our freedom and forgiveness is found in places like Ephesians 1:7 which says, “In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

And First John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

The blood of Jesus, shed for you and me, is the source of power that flows from the cross to reach us with God’s saving grace.

The power of the cross is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com