MAC KIRK

“I wish to know about overcoming the world.” I John 5:1-5 A better title of this may be, “ I wish to overcome the world.” A Christian should want to do that. Now an unbeliever may see the goodness and light that is in God and desire that as well, but he will have some desire especially In this time of Epiphany when we have celebrated the birth of Jesus & the coming of the wise men ( magi) to the manger.” I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6b An unbeliever is looking to see is this something I want? An unbeliever is certainly struggling with the ways of the world and seeing that these do not satisfy eternally. I remember what someone said to me when I was at seminary when I was saying I was struggling with a certain course and what I was doing to work on it, “ And how is that working for you?” We may say this to our fellow men, “ And how is that life style and belief system working for you?” We kno...

--- Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12; Isaiah 60:1-6; Eph. 3:1-12 Wisdom-how do we get it? What do we do with it? This sounds like the five w’s does it not? We would say wisdom comes from God. He is the who. The wise men or magi as they are called came from the east , perhaps Persia or Mesopotamia. They had to make a journey to find wisdom. We would say getting wisdom is not so easy either. It starts with spiritual knowledge . “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Prov. 1:7 Ecclesiastes reminds us that “ much study is a weariness of the flesh.” 12:12 The conclusion of the whole matter is “ Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” How do we get it? I Corinithians tells us that “ in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God..” 1:21 People have their own ideas of what happiness and success looks like. But the ways of the world are not wise according to the Apostle. “ it pleased God by t...

This is going to be a topical study taking off from the wise men and the star for this Sunday....more to follow on this one. So wisdom is? Fill in the blank coming.

Jan 1. Holy Name of Jesus Numbers 6:22-27 Galatians 4:4-7 or Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 2:15-21 Psalm 8 Names are important, and titles as well. They have meaning and significance. Luke records that the child born to Mary would be called, “Jesus” which means literally savior (1:31). Of course during Advent and Christmas Eve we heard the reading from Isaiah 7 . “ the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Vs 14 ---literally “ God with us.” Today we read from Luke 2 paying special attention to vs. 21, “ on the 8th day , when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.” Genesis 17 says this was an obligation of covenantal that is believing families, “ every male among you shall be circumcised.” 17:10 We remember from last week’s meditation that Jesus was born in a manger for there was no room in the house /inn. His mother put swaddling clothes around him and she did this ...

Merry Christmas. Christmas – I. Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 We pray the Christmas prayer (collect)” Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.” We celebrate today , the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, lowly and without sin. Jesus was born of a human mother , a devout woman who served God just as you and I and yet was called by God to serve Him in a very special way. She was not without sin and yet herself bore the One who was eternal yet human and without sin. To her troubled spirit the angel Gabriel replied, “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to born wil...

The Annunciation beginning from Luke 1:26 is given a special day in some churches, March 25. At the heart this is a record of Mary who hears a perplexing message from an angel. He is named Gabriel. Was he the same angel as in vs. 11 when “an angel of the LORD appeared to Zechariah” announcing the birth of John the Baptist? Apparently so. He identifies himself to Zechariah in vs. 19 ,” I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.” Gabriel is also mentioned by the way in the Book of Daniel 8:16 & 9:21. People that have trouble believing that a virgin could have a child also have to deal with angels. Mary at the heart of the message hears this encouraging word ,” For nothing is impossible with God.” 1:37. The same words are used in Genesis and Matthew. In Genesis 18:14 we hear said to Sarah who was well beyond child bearing years, “ Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Jesus uses the same words in speaking ...

“ Always rejoice” I Thess. 5:16 ---3rd Sunday of Advent These two little Greek words are in that order in the original language. They are to be our attitude and demeanor as Christians. The chapter begins with the Apostle’s discussion of the “ day of the Lord” and its coming will be “as a thief by night.” 5:2 This week I received a Christmas letter , thinking it was such , from a Pastor I worked together with 30 years ago . His wife who was younger than he was died. In the letter was a picture of the obituary and the service done. I did not think he would outlive his wife. She was a wonderful encouraging joyous person who had been a big help to him and to my wife and I. It was very unexpected. I thought it was a Christmas letter but it was a copy of her death. I did not know she was ill. The section of Scripture with these two words is about our Christian conduct in the light of the Advent ( coming ) of our Lord . For her this was early. Time is no more . She is in ...