JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is Intimacy with God.

James 4:8 invites us to a closer relationship with God.  “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” How would our lives look different if we accepted this invitation?

An intimate relationship with God means that we know Him personally. We are familiar with His ways and seek His will. The more we walk with Him, the better we understand His heart. We are moved by His unfailing love for us to live by faith in Him.

In the Old Testament, David yearned for an intimate relationship with God. He wrote in Psalm 63:1. “You, God, are my God. Earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you…”

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul expressed a similar yearning in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ-yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings…..”

Intimacy with God is a vital step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK-Today’s Good News Focus is on Matthew 7:7.

Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Jesus is NOT saying that we will get everything on our Christmas wish list. But He IS saying that if we want to have a relationship with the living God and be part of His family, that opportunity is ours for the asking.

The door of heaven can be opened through faith in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. He is the key to our salvation. He is the way to a fulfilling and meaningful relationship with God. He is the source of grace that we need to enjoy His presence for today and forever.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to places of grace and peace in relationship with God in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com