MAC KIRK

PRE LENT WISDOM FOR US ---a Topical Message of Encouragement In the Gospel of Matthew we see  “ the character of this new community ( the Church from Matthew )  in which anger is overcome through reconciliation (5:21-26), lust is kept under discipline (5:27-30), marriage is honored through lifelong fidelity (5:31-32), language is simple and honest (5:33-37), retaliation is renounced (5:38-42), and enemy-love replaces hate (5:43-48)” The Moral Vision of the New Testament , Richard B. Hays. The Book of Leviticus reminds us that the people of God “shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” 19:1 I was encouraged by looking at Louis Berkhof, Summary of Christian Doctrine who said unlike justification “(requiring) no work with a view to merit..” ( in other words of grace alone) sanctification is not a “legal act but a recreative act, …” “ USUALLY A LENGTHY PROCESS” “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you : sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and...

The Water, The Wine and the Whys   John 2:1-11    Disaster strikes, and life is not the same as it was.  A young person dies suddenly, and we ask, " Why?" Life does not always give us our desires, but we find many disappointments. Our prayers do not seem to be heard. It is in times like this that we ask questions like, " Where was God when the tragedy happened?"  We cannot but be moved as we see the pictures of the needy around us. I am sure all of us can identify with feelings of loss like this as we go on life's journey.  Someone knocks on a door with a military uniform giving some very bad news to a family who was looking forward to seeing their loved one come home.  Many turn to God in times of loss and distress. Others go away from Him.    Jesus and His disciples were at a wedding. The wine had run out. His mother, Mary, lets Jesus know. " They have no wine." There were six stone jars each holding twenty or thirty gallons of w...

Honor One Another- Devoted to One Another  Romans 12:10    These are a couple more in this passage of the 58 "one anothers " in the NT.  We started with vs. 5, " one body we are in Christ, and each one of each other members.." In the practice of our own individual gifts we are reminded in this passage ( gifts are prophecy, that is teaching the Word; or service---the word deacon in Greek; or exhortation , i.e. that is to call on or entreat....;leading with diligence; showing mercy with cheerfulness) that we should practice all of these gifts by 1. in brotherly love towards one another kindly affectioned and 2. in honoring one another before the other. 1.Let me take the second one today in showing forth our interests and concerns for others in the lives we live in the world and in the Church.  It should obviously not be two separate lives .  What people see so to speak is what they get. ..no hidden agendas, not a passive aggressive person that is. ...

Members of One Another  Romans 12:5     We are " members one of another" in the Church and the Body of Christ. There are 58 " one anothers" in the NT. God has a plan for the Church as we read in Eph 4:15-16 ," speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."  In I Corinthians 12:14-26 in fact he spends almost the whole chapter talking about each member's importance in "the body." 1. No individual Christian can function effectively by himself. " And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I  have no need of thee." 12:21  We all need each other. If you have dust in the eye, the hand is needed to get it out. Romans 12:15 says " rejoice with them that rejoice, ...

Gifts we can give to ourselves and others through Christ in the New Year” Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12 The Wise Men , magi are figures , kings perhaps, three of them , of those who are seeking wisdom and a divine Child.  They are representatives of ourselves , Gentiles who are engrafted into the  family of Christ through the wisdom that is presented to us, in the Child who is our Wisdom, our Righteousness and our Salvation. The Apostle says it this way in the Epistle, “ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesu...