JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 8:29.

Jesus said, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

Jesus knew two things about Himself that His skeptics did not know about Him. Jesus knew where He came from and where He was going. Jesus pointed that out to the Pharisees, and then said, “But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.”

Jesus came from the Father in heaven. He was planning to go to the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. He and the Father made plans for His death even before the creation of the world. Jesus pleased the will of the Father by staying true to the mission. Then, after He rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven. That is where He is today.

The words of Jesus inspire us to acknowledge His heavenly origin, holy purpose, and victorious destiny in the Year of Redemption. 

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Acts 17:28a.

The Apostle Paul said, “For in him we live and move and have our being.”

The good news of Jesus gives us a new purpose in life. Our focus when waking up in the morning is to know God better and be an instrument that makes Him known in the world. First Corinthians 10:31, says, “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

As we walk with God, our mind becomes trained to commit all our activity to the glory of God, even in the ordinary activities of eating and drinking. This is the main purpose of our lives-to glorify God. That is also the motivation of our heart that enables our faith to be a thriving witness for Jesus.

Through Jesus, we are set free with a new purpose to glorify God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Isaiah 64:8.

“Yet, you, Lord are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

The Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Not only has God made us, but He also has formed us for a specific purpose. What is that purpose?

Rick Warren has said, “The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.”

Because He knows us better than we know ourselves, He also knows how to guide us in His will and shape our character into His likeness. God can do extraordinary things through a life yielded to His purposes.

Walking with a God-directed purpose 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 First Corinthians 10:31.

“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

This statement gives us clarity on the purpose of our lives-to glorify God.

This purpose will give us wisdom for the activities we choose to do. Can I glorify God with this activity? If so, how can this be used for God’s glory?

We can use ordinary things, like food, for God’s glory. We can receive it with thanks. God uses it to nourish our bodies so that we will have strength to do His will. We can also use food to build friendships with neighbors moving next door or a family experiencing a crisis.

The glory of God gives our activity meaningful purpose.

Walking with purpose to glorify God is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Promise of Hope is based on Proverbs 16:1.

“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.”

This is a significant statement for the person who belongs to God. Yes, we can go ahead and make our plans. God might bless those plans or He might redirect them. Proverbs 3:5 and 6 tells us that as we submit ourselves to God and trust in Him, He will direct our steps. And if He redirects us, we have to believe that His plans are wiser than ours. We may not understand why He changes our plans, but we know enough about Him that we trust His plan to be good and productive for bearing spiritual fruit.

A God-directed life is a promise of hope for those who follow Jesus in the Year of Trust.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reasons to Believe are life, purpose and identity.

These three experiences of the Christian life are described in a single statement made by the Apostle Paul. When he was in Athens, he linked these experiences to a relationship with God. He said in

Acts 17:28, “In him, we live and move and have our being.”

In a relationship with God, we have life, eternally and abundantly through faith in Jesus Christ. Our spirit comes alive to God’s grace.

In a relationship with God, we move. He puts the purpose into the steps we take. That purpose is to glorify God. This focus will affect the choices we make day-to-day.

In a relationship with God, we have our being. As we know God as He is, we come to understand how He sees us. First John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

Life, Purpose, and Identity in Christ are reasons 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 purpose we have in God’s plan.

Psalm 138:8 says that “the LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.”

Not everyone who loves God may have the exact same mission field or the same ministry in the local church, but we do have the same purpose. That purpose is to know God and to glorify God, so that the name of Jesus will be famous throughout the earth.

Colossians 1:16 says that we were “made by Him and for Him.” Since God has given us breath, He has a plan for our lives. Therefore, we have meaningful purpose.

What He begins in us, He is able to complete. We are motivated by the love of God to wake up each new day and commit our lives to His plan. A good prayer to say to God each morning is “Lord, have your way in me today. Guide me in Your footsteps. Give me a willing heart to follow Your clear directive, and give me a discerning heart when I am not sure about where you are directing me. Amen.”

Our purpose in Christ is a reason to believe in God’s Good News.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines hope and purpose.

In Philippians 1:21, a follower of Jesus made this remarkable statement, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

What did that statement mean for the Apostle Paul? He went on to elaborate that if he went on living in the body, that would mean fruitful labor for him. After he departed through death, he would be in the presence of Christ, which he described as “better by far.” He saw death as a promotion into heaven.

Yet, in the body, he recognized his purpose to spread the good news of Jesus to unbelievers and to build the body of Christ. His relationship with Jesus is what enabled Paul to live with this perspective.

A daily relationship with Christ inspires higher purpose and heavenly hope.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Second Timothy 4:7.

At the end of his life, Paul the Apostle said, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Here was a man who finished his life well. Paul could reflect on his journey as a Christian, and say that he fulfilled what God had called him to do on the earth.

It is believed that Abraham Lincoln once made this statement: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

The Apostle Paul was full of life during his ministry years, following Jesus and preaching His good news. In Philippians 1:21, he said, “For to me, to live is Christ.” Elsewhere, he said in Philippians 3:13 and 14, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul lived with a singular purpose of living for Christ, and pursuing God’s plan for his life. At the end, he could reflect on a life of productive faithfulness to the Gospel while he lived on the earth and depart without regrets.

Keeping the faith is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment Of Celebration reflects on the purpose of life and the promotion of heaven.

The Apostle Paul lived with this eternal perspective in Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Paul lived with the perspective that as long as he lived in his body, and as long as God gave him breath, his service for God would mean fruitful labor. He knew that the church would benefit from his ministry. Paul was committed to laboring for the Lord so that the church would make progress and experience joy in their faith.

Yet, internally, Paul was torn. His heart was where his treasure was. His treasure was Jesus. His longing was to be with Christ. He knew that death was a promotion into the presence of the Lord forever.

As we follow Jesus with a sincere heart, we also are likely to feel this type of internal struggle. That is a normal reaction for the person who loves Jesus in the midst of a world that loves sin. But with an eternal perspective, we acknowledge that God has placed us here on the earth “for such a time as this” to live for Christ and make Him known.

For the follower of Christ, our purpose in life and promotion to heaven is a reason to be glad in the Year of Celebration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – From Esther 4:14.

A quote from Mordecai to Queen Esther, “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

This is perhaps the most often quoted passage in the book of Esther. Even though this book of the Bible does not mention God by name, His hand is clearly working in the circumstances that are unfolding in this book. An evil plot by Haman to wipe out the Jews is thwarted by Queen Esther. She used her influence to spare the Jews from annihilation. Her relative Mordecai offered her the encouragement she needed to take a personal risk for the sake of saving her people.

Whatever platform God has given us, that is an opportunity to stand for what is right. It may involve personal risk. We might pay the price of persecution for standing against evil. At the same time, we will know the joy of developing a deeper relationship with God as we follow Jesus with a loyal heart.

There are general purposes that God has for His followers: Knowing Him better, Glorifying Jesus, Building the church by the use of our spiritual gifts, and being a witness for Jesus to a world who needs His grace. For such a time as this, God is raising up His people to shine the light of grace and truth on a world darkened by division and deception.

Using our position as a platform to do God’s will is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com