JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Trust, today’s Focus on God examines His power as a miracle worker.

According to Psalm 77:14, God is a miracle-worker. “You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.”

The Christian faith is built on miracles, such as the Creation of the world, the virgin birth of Jesus, the miracle of His love demonstrated at the cross, and the raising of Jesus from the dead three days later.

There is another miracle worth noting-the miracle of God’s love to draw someone to faith in Jesus and to change a heart. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!”

God’s power as a miracle worker is a reason to trust in God for today and forever.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is the accusation against Jesus and the empty tomb.

In John chapter 10, some of the Jews were picking up stones, getting ready to throw at Jesus. He said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

They replied, “We are not stoning you for any of these, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Some people today claim that Jesus never claimed to be God, but in John 10, His critics made that very accusation.

No other living person could have made the claim to be God and be right, but Jesus was different. According to First Timothy 3:16, Jesus appeared in a body and was vindicated by the Spirit. The voice of the Father at Jesus’ baptism, the miracles that Jesus performed, and ultimately, the empty tomb are significant indications that Jesus’ claims were true. Romans 1:4 says that through the Spirit of holiness, Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

So, the accusation of blasphemy explains the reason why His enemies wanted to kill him, but the resurrection reveals why we have 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 empty tomb.

Peter Marshall once said, “The stone was rolled away from the door, not to permit Christ to come out, but to enable the disciples to go in.”

The fact that the stone was rolled away gave Jesus’ followers the opportunity to see the folded grave clothes. They saw with their own eyes that the body that had been laid in the tomb three days earlier was now missing. The meaning of the empty tomb can be summed up in the message that the angel gave to the women who came to Jesus’ gravesite on the first day of the week.

He said, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has risen from the dead.”

The empty tomb is not a reason to be filled with fear. It is a reason to explore the claims of the resurrection. It is a reason for celebration, awe and wonder. It is worthy news to share with others.

The meaning of the empty tomb 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 His resurrection appearance to Thomas.

One of Jesus’ disciples was skeptical that Jesus actually rose from the dead. Jesus had appeared to the other disciples, but not Thomas. When the disciples told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, he responded by saying, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” For Thomas, seeing was believing.

A week later, Jesus appeared to His disciples. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” In that moment, Thomas would have seen the evidence that Jesus is alive. He would have also seen the evidence of His love for Thomas. The nail marks revealed the price that Jesus paid for our sins. There is no expression of love more powerful and life-changing.

Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That blessing extends to you if you believe the good news of His resurrection.

A daily connection with Christ causes our doubt and skepticism to be overcome by faith and worship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment of Celebration reflects on the steadfast, bold witness of the apostles.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He did not keep it a secret from His friends. According to First Corinthians 15:3, “Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures,…he was buried,….he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….and he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.” Here was a group of men who followed Jesus to Jerusalem, where they saw His suffering at the cross and the triumph of His resurrection. Brave souls will stand for the truth even in the face of persecution, but very few would die for a lie. Each of Jesus’ followers who saw Him alive again faced some type of persecution for their witness. Most of them died for their faith in Jesus.

In the life of the early church, the disciples went their separate ways, but they remained faithful to the mission of spreading the good news wherever they went. In their courageous witness for Jesus, they said to the governing authorities, who tried to silence them, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The steadfast, bold witness of Jesus’ followers is a reason to be glad in the Year of Celebration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment of Celebration reflects on the empty tomb.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached a sermon that persuaded 3,000 people to come to faith in Christ. It was a moment when he preached the Gospel. In that sermon, Peter said in Acts 2:32, “God raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”

This happened fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus. If opponents wanted to prove Peter wrong, they could have pointed people to a tomb where they placed the body of Jesus. But the stone had been rolled away, and the tomb was empty. The empty tomb tells us that Jesus has defeated death and conquered the grave. He leads His followers to eternal life, not a mortal end. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:19, “Because I live, you also will live.”

The empty tomb of Jesus is a reason to be glad in the Year of Celebration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment Of Celebration reflects on the comeback of Jesus.

Two men were walking along the road to Emmaus wearing somber faces. They had hoped that Jesus would be their redeemer, but after the events of the past few days, their hopes had faded to disappointment. Suddenly, Jesus showed up and started walking and talking with them. After they recognized Jesus later, their spirits were lifted, and they went to tell His disciples, “It is true! The Lord has risen.”

Suppose you were watching a sporting event with a friend who cheered on the same team,  and you turned off the TV because your team fell so far behind. Then, imagine finding out the next day that your team scored a stunning come-back victory. You would probably text your friend to share the good news.

Jesus made the greatest comeback of all time when He rose from the dead. It looked bleak on Friday, when Christ was nailed to a cross, and the disciples were scattered and distressed. It looked like the enemies of Christ had prevailed, but Jesus would not stay silent in the tomb. He came back from death, and emerged victorious over death and sin. His triumph renews our hope every day and fills us with so much joy that we want to tell others about the greatest comeback in   history.

The comeback of Jesus from the grave is a reason to be glad in the Year of Celebration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Here’s the playlist themed to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the grave and triumph over death!

Happy Easter!

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment Of Celebration reflects on Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.

In John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

Then, He turned to Martha and asked her a question that is relevant for us as well.  Jesus said, “Do you believe this?”

There are various beliefs about Jesus today. Some say that He was a good man, who demonstrated wise teachings and who did good things for people, but not more than that. To others, He is a swear word. To others, He was a deceiver. Others echo the response of Martha, who said, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

By saying this, Martha was affirming that Jesus was not just another ordinary man, but that He came from heaven as a promise from God, and is the source of eternal life for all who trust Him for salvation.

The eternal life that Jesus offers us is a reason to be glad in the Year of Celebration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In First Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul talked about our situation if Christ did not rise from the dead. He said in verse 14, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

He said, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ we are to be pitied more than all men.”

Paul was living with an eternal perspective. He assures us that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, and because of His resurrection, those who are in Christ will be made alive.

Jesus told His followers, “Because I live, you also will live.” Because Jesus lives, our failures are not fatal, our faith is not futile, and death is not final. Our labor has purpose, our soul is secure, and our future is forever in the grace of God. This is our hope when our faith is in Christ to save us from our sins.

The hope of the resurrection is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com