MAC KIRK

“The Christian Life Gives Us Christian Living”   James 1:17 -27       Somehow there is a lot of confusion about the Christian life. Some think that going to church is being a Christian and that is all that is needed. That is certainly important to go to church and join with fellow Christians and make up what we call the body of Christ here on earth. We know that our Christian lives   were begun by God Himself. “ Having willed He begat us by the word of truth for us to be first fruits of his creatures.” 1:18 This is important for us to ever remember.   We did not create our Christian lives.   We should be humbled because it is God who did that.        James writes his letter to the scattered believers who were living in a world that was not so friendly to them.   They were experiencing “trials”   1:2   (literally surrounded by trials.   It is the same word used in the Lord’s Prayer, “ an...

God’s Wondrous Ways of the Blessings of His Presence 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43 Psalm 84 Ephesians 6:10-20 John 6:56-69 A few weeks ago we learned of how works in our lives in many ways. When Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel , God ministered to him after his great ordeal and weariness at Mount Carmel. An angel touched him (I Kings 19:5) in his weariness of body and spirit and fed him two times. How does God continue to touch us in our lives here and now? Another OT reading which was for today tells us of the bringing of the ark of the Covenant to the temple ( I Kings 8). In the ark were the two tables of stone. .. that is the ten commandments written by the finger of God. We read today that “ when the priests were come out of the holy place that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.” I Kings 8:11 Is this not ...

A Wise & Understanding Heart”----or “ What the World Needs Now is?...” I Kings 3 There was a song written a long time ago that asked, “ What the World Needs Now Is..?” I think the answer was something like this:” What the world needs now is love, sweet love It's the only thing that there's just too little of..". It certainly is something we need more of. I do not think we would disagree with that. But is that all? What would you and I answer to that question? Peace perhaps? More wealth so it can be spread around so to speak? We would not celebrate poverty necessarily. Wealth and money can be helpful , and certainly is something we need more of. I do not think we would disagree with that. But is that all? What would you and I answer to that question? Peace perhaps? More wealth so it can be spread around so to speak? We would not celebrate poverty those of us who know what that is. My Dad used to say that during the Depression on the farm in Missouri they had ...

How does God touch us when we are needy?" I Kings 19:4-8;Ps 34; Eph 4:25-5:2; Jn 6:35,41-51 I saw a picture the other day of two young birds who were being fed by their mother and I marveled. The mother fed the two young birds. Kittens also need some nursing before they eat regular cat food. That is also a picture of need. Of course all animals are unable to feed themselves without some assistance and I personally enjoy feeding dogs and the like. Watch your hand though! They are needy creatures. We too are needy creatures. I imagine we can recollect times in our lives when we were extremely needy. It may be more than just the need for a job. A job can provide our financial needs but does not always meet our emotional, spiritual or mental needs. All of us have thru times in our lives when we needed someone to tell us that we mattered and that our lives were important to others. If we were honest we could also say that we have gone thru times of sadness, extreme tiredness and e...

John 6:22-34    A little lad fed the people literally thru the miracle Jesus creation of food from such a small amount.   5 barley loaves and 2 small fishes.   Now the people had wanted to make him a king but Jesus resisted that. 6:15 The crowd followed again in small ships but Jesus says to them that they were only following him because of the bread they received.   They according to Jesus did not follow Him for spiritual reasons, “ Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves and were satisfied.” 6:26     People come to church for different reasons , so it has not changed much.   I am glad when people come for whatever reason they do come.   Jesus said we should not be so worried about work and the money we get from it as if that was all there was to life.   Certainly that is important.   We all need bread so to speak.   Jesus says “ work not for the food that perishes, but for th...