MAC KIRK

  John 15.  The Vine and the Branches   This is obviously a well-known part of the teaching of Jesus.  Every time I come to it, I gain something new from it.  It makes sense because Israel too was known as a vine.  Unfortunately Israel did not always behave in the way God required of them.  " He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes." Is 5:2  If we are part of the vine and the branches we too know this all too well. Our intentions may be pure but somehow we act in such a way that we do not experience God's peace.  It usually has something to do with us, not God, for His calling and purposes are always good. 1.  God calls us as He did with the people of Israel.  They did not follow before His call of them individually and as a people.  We too are called to Him .  Vs 16 " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chose you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit." We cannot be proud or boastful for we know before we

  Easter Living I Timothy 6 This lesson , and as the Gospel proclaims the risen Christ , truly living now in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, so we look to this Scriptural record and truth for our lives now----Christian living is the issue. We who are in the world and part of the church witness to a living Lord , and we do this by our faith and in its practice in the moments and days of our lives. This is the whole point, is it not? For these are doctrines not just of the head, but they are of the heart as well, and that is that where the rubber meets the road , in our living. I have often hummed this hymn : " Because He Lives" God sent his son They called him Jesus He came to love Heal and forgive He lived and died To buy my pardon An empty grave Is there to prove My Savior lives (Chorus) Because he lives I can face tomorrow Because he lives All fear is gone Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living Just because he lives This hymn written by the

  Easter II.  First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19; Epistle: 1 John 3:1-7; Gospel : John 21:1-19;  Sermon- "Easter --- Peter is Restored by Jesus" Abraham Lincoln’s Attitude On Restoring the South God does not hold our old sins against us, nor does He act like forgiveness is a favor to us, even though it is. When President Lincoln was asked how he would treat the rebellious southerners when they were defeated, he said, “I will treat them as if they had never been away. I remember someone said broken crayons should not be thrown away.  Why?  They still color very well even though they are broken.  We bring our brokeness to God, and we will make sense out of it. We see problems.  God has plans. How we all need forgiveness and restoration!  If we are honest,  we are all flawed , and need the help of God's new work being done in us constantly.  In the Old Testament this is illustrated as well by David's failures.  We all should remember what the prophet Nathan said to David ,"

  "The Peace of Believing"  Acts 4:32-35; I John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31 "I rest beneath the Almighty's shade, My griefs expire, my troubles cease; Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace." Charles Wesley. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee"  Isaiah 26:3 The word peace is eirḗnē (from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole") – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness) biblehub.com 1.  Fear present . gk phobia-from phebomai, "to flee, withdraw" In its usage, " (a) fear, terror, alarm, (b) the object or cause of fear, (c) reverence, respect."  biblehub.com John 20:19 sets the scene when Jesus comes to the Disciples.  They locked the doors for " fear of the Jews" What strikes fear into our hearts?    2.  Peace comes when fear leaves. The cost is " Je