MAC KIRK

“ Three-Would Be Followers”    Luke 9:57 and also Matthew 8   “ Why would anyone want to return to the devil or the world from which they have escaped?” Cyprian    This thought from one of the early church fathers sums up the point of what Jesus says.   Three followers were “would da, should da, could da”   It is all about following .   “ I will follow you wherever you go “   ( a scribe –Mt 8).   Enthusiasm without follow through and commitment was this man’s struggle.   He had enthusiastic interest .   But Jesus was going where he did not want to go.   Jesus was going to the cross—“ he set his face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem .”   Without the cross men could not have the life of the ages, that is eternal life.   “ For the Son of man did not come to destroy the lives of many, but to save.” Vs. 56        In an article in the latest “ Banner of Truth” Ian Hamilton, Minister of Cambridge Presbyterian Church, UK draws our attention to Abraham as an example of faith.   “

Luke 8:26-39----“ An Account About Demons-the Basics of Salvation Shown”   “I am not what I ought to be; I am not what I would like to be; I am not what I hope to be. But I am not what I once was, and by the grace of God, I am what I am.” -- The Rev'd John Newton   Jesus steps ashore and a “demon-possessed “ man from the town meets him.    This is a picture of our redemption and salvation.   Jesus meets us in our condition of sin and despair.   “ For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but lived in the tombs”   These were caves that were places of burial.   It is so true that He calls us.   We do not call ourselves to eternal life.   We are not able to do that.   This is called Total depravity.     Not only that but this man was possessed of demons for a long time.   “ which had devils long time” KJV     How utterly helpless he was.   The demons were many for their name was “legion”   In the roman army legion was a whole regiment, ab

Looking at Ourselves thru the Prism of a   Character Study” Luke 7:36---       Some of us would probably confess to people watching.   Whether you are at a shopping mall, or an airport or watching beach volleyball we have all people watched.   You learn a lot about people and human nature by watching others.    In this incident in the Gospel of the woman “ a sinner”---so called and of Simon the “ Pharisee” we see opportunities for spiritual growth and love as we people watch   but some   unfulfilled.         The woman may have heard of Jesus when he talked about eternal life and said, “ Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”   She followed the Lord to the house of a Pharisee who had invited Jesus to dinner.      Simon did invite Jesus.   At least he checked the blo

“ God Provides!”   I Kings 17:8-24, Luke 7:11-17      One of the hardest things for us to understand is how God provides .   We worry, fret, stew, plot, plan hard and still find we are in doubt.   The Christian has all they need for this life and the life to come.   Our eternal life is secure we think.   We hope.   We fret over that too and when death comes some of us think , “   sure hope there is something to this!”   Instead Jesus in this lesson today from Luke shows us a grieving mother who He has compassion on.       Note the account in Luke 7.   The miracle is done openly by Jesus.   Many people were around.   Jesus was at the gate of the city.   Two processions met.   Jesus had come from around Capernaum and the other procession of course was the funeral procession.       Note first the love of Jesus for the woman.   “ ….there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her. And when the