MAC KIRK

Joseph is an Example to Follow     Matthew 1:18-25       We can say that in our world that there appears to be a lack of role models to follow .   If someone tells us to do something we usually listen to what they say if we know the person.   But if it does not appear right, we may ask , “ why do you want me to do this?”   It does go back to the person who told us .   We will sometimes continue to discuss, but then we have to make a decision about what is right for us as well as what informs our conscience .        Joseph definitely had some choices to make .   He was “righteous” according to Matthew which means he was a follower of the law and obviously had faith in God much like his forebears did., ie. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah.   And he believed in Mary too.   They had good communication.   But this was an incredible situation.       Have ...

Merry Christmas.  Christmas. Isaiah 9:2-7;Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14    We celebrate the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, born of Mary, a virgin, a devout woman who served God in a very special way.  “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” 1:35 (Luke)    Grit.  In the grit and dirt of a manger He was born.  “There was no room for them in the inn.”2:7  He was born in the same place the animals slept in.  This shows his humanity and lowliness.  Mary wrapped him in “swaddling clothes” as was the custom to keep the limbs in place.  This shows she was poor as it was usually done by someone else.  And if we are his servants then we too will endure hardships, loneliness, difficulties and disappointments.  “ The servant is not greater than his Lord.  If they have pers...

Bishop JC Ryle on Holiness for Forum 3 , Advent 4     John Charles Ryle was one of the greatest of the Victorian evangelicals.   CH Spurgeon, the noblest of the Baptists called him “ the best man in the Church of England.”   A deep conversion at the age of 21 along with family poverty, the death of two wives gave him a measure of authority when he spoke Christ’s power to meet human need.   He upheld the reformation doctrine of grace as found in the 39 articles, he commended the English reformers. He was a minister of the gospel in the church of England for 40 years before being appointed as the first Bishop of Liverpool in 1880.   ( all from Holiness,   evangelical press, 1979---Ryle’s other works include Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, The True Christian, A Call to Prayer, and A New Birth and Practical Religion.)   Ryle says in the introduction that “ practical holiness and entire self-consecration to God are not sufficientl...

The Wise and the Foolish-   Matthew 25:1-13   ( morning prayer reading from 1928 BCP Lectionary- 4 th S. in Advent)       Three centuries ago a story went round about a student’s visit to Thomas Goodwin, the Puritan president of Magdalen College , Oxford .   In the dark study Goodwin opened the conversation by asking if his visitor was ready to die.   The lad fled.         Today’s reading asks us to be ready and to watch for “ ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.”   The Gospel is about two groups---one group of five had oil for their lamps; the other did not.   They were not ready.   What does the oil represent?       Luther said that the oil represents faith, Origen said good works and Grotius the Holy Spirit.   I think all three answers put together are the right one.   You must have all three to be ready to enter heaven. ...

The Anglican Walk with Jesus Christ   St Peter Publications , Week 2      The Anglican walk as we said in our first lesson is a walk with Jesus Christ for “ I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”   We also said the Christian way ,” is a particular and complete culture or ethos of truth and life, including language, art , music, doctrine, worship, and morality …capable of engaging other cultures and bringing them to Christ” page 4.   The English BCP first in 1549 and then on 1662 became the standard that guided other nations as they developed their own prayer books.   We said it was common , or a communion that the king, the peasant and all prayed the same prayers . Titus 1:4   The daily offices were not just meant for the monks and nuns. They were meant to be “ the daily expression of the common prayer of all.” Pg 15 AWJC.       The Anglican walk with Jesus Christ is “...

“ Christian Realism- Patience from James 5:7-10”      That well known Anglican, JI Packer in his book Knowing God says this in his chapter ,” These Inward trials” : “ Unreality in religion is an accursed thing….Unreality toward God is the wasting disease of much modern Christianity. We need God to make us realists about both ourselves and Him…”    John Newton who knew much about grace, also an Anglican priest wrote it this way ,” I asked the Lord , that I might grow       In faith and love , and every grace;….I hoped that in some favoured hour at once He’d answer my request, and by His love’s constraining power , Subdue my sins, and give me rest.   Instead of this, He made me feel the hidden evils of my heart…’Lord, why is this?’   I trembled cried, ‘ Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?   ‘ Tis in this way’ the Lord replied ,’ I answer prayer for grace and faith’   THESE INWARD TRIALS I EMPLOY FROM SELF ...

“ The Anglican Walk with Jesus Christ” ( ST Peter’s Publications, 1998)     My first contact with the Anglican way was in my grandfather’s church in Philadelphia.  Now that sounds odd.  He was an Englishman in many ways having been born in Maryland but was then in England till he was almost 20 years old with his father .   In his Presbyterian church I saw the little prayers or collects that they were called in the bulletin , and I said ---now that is a prayer!  They were the prayers from the Book of Common Prayer .    Then I had the opportunity to attend seminary in Philadelphia near him and I lived with him in the Presbyterian manse.  The seminary was the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church founded in 1874.  Here I was introduced into a new style of worship at least for me using the BCP.  The prayers were beautiful.  It lifted me to another world ----a world where  God was speaking to m...

Romans 15:4-13   “ Likeminded”   “….now the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to be likeminded toward one another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God”      Instead of unity within the Church of Jesus Christ, our history has been one of splits, confusion, insensitivity and false doctrine.   This has had untold effects upon people----our fellowship should be one of unity, and the power of like-mindedness can help us.   Philippians 2 says the same : “ If there be any encouragement in Christ , if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassions, fulfil my joy , that ye be of the same mind, the same love , having , joined in one thing the soul minding….”       What is the basis for being of one mind and being likeminded as Christians?   It is none other than the Christ of Advent!   We heard Isaiah 11 ,” there shall be a Root o...

You Know What Time It is”  Romans 13: 11     Do you know what time it is?  It is the time of God’s own coming into our lives silently but with strength.  In an interesting phrase we are reminded of this.  “ You know what time it is”  Literally “ And, this, knowing the time, that it is the hour”  Did you ever have anyone ask you,” What time is it?”  I am tempted to say.” Daytime”, but then I politely tell the time.  Some know the time because they have a watch but they do not know the time!  The time  is “ that we should be aroused out of sleep; the night is advanced, and the day has drawn near!” Ro. 13:12   In God, there is no time.  Time as my theology professor used to say is the measure of the motion of created objects.  God is eternal.  In Him there is our past, our present and our future!     One of the earliest Christians, St. Augustine ( died in 430 AD) heard parts of th...

The King    - Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43   “ who delivered us ( the Father) from the authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His Son of His love”   1:13   Who is the King?   God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.   We are in this kingdom and have “ redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”   Dr. Hodge said that the kingdom of Christ is “ spiritual, catholic and absolute.”   It is not a kingdom of this world, but nonetheless he said to the thief on the cross, “ Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”   Here is the question for this Sunday,” What does this kingdom mean for us now----and how does Christ help us as a king?”   We can rightly ask this knowing it does not look as though anyone is in charge when we see the chaos of our world.    Then we see the tragedies of the physical storms of this age .   People as well h...

Remembrance Day – Veteran’s Day and some recollections on the coming of Advent- Luke 21:18-19   Today’s gospel from Luke talks of wars and rumors of wars and the persecutions for the Christians as well as being hated for their faith.   But we hear these words of challenge and truth:” by your patient endurance you will gain your souls.”   In England they call it remembrance day which is thought of in november.   “ For the armies of the faithful , souls that passed and left no name; For the glory that illumines patriots lives of deathless fame. For our prophets and apostles, loyal to the living Word. For all the heroes of the spirit, give we thanks O Lord.   William Merrill, 1909   The souls of time past knew something of patience and endurance that it took to win the conflict.   It is said at the funeral of Winston Churchill that something astonishing happened.   1874-1965   The traditional taps was played, but ...

2 Thess 2    “ Comfortable Words from the Last Days”       Have we ever felt that things are just not working the way we planned?   Life deals us its disappointments, heartaches and losses and we can become overwhelmed with the perplexing puzzles we feel we cannot solve our way out of.   Of course much of our culture has its own weaknesses.   It is almost as if we were in one of those bouncy like things that we take our children or grand-children to.   Yes, they are fun, but would if they just went on and on?          2:2 of this letter reminds us as well “ not to be quickly shaken in mind….not to be troubled, neither by spirit , nor by word..”    The readers there were thinking in strange ways about the coming of Christ. They thought it was so imminent that they could quit working .   “ not that anyone should deceive you in any way …”    I am sure we can identify wit...