MAC KIRK

Mark 8:31-38 " Rebuke" " And having called to him the crowd with disciples his he said to them, ' Whosoever desires after me to come, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross, and let him follow me." ( orig. Gk) Disciples are learning people.  But the hard saying of Jesus in vs 31 about the necessity of suffering created a situation for Peter. " And he began to teach them that it is necessary for the Son of man many things to suffer, and to be rejected of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise again, and openly the word he spoke."  " And taking to him Peter began to rebuke him." But he, turning and seeing his disciples rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me Satan,for thy thoughts are not of the things of God, but the things of men." Disciples are learning people.  " Discipline is the other side of discipleship. Discipleship without discipline is like waiting to run ...

1 st Sunday in Lent     “…receive not the grace of God in vain…”  2 Cor 6:1      “..There were some at Corinth who while they may have heard the apostolic gospel, had not received it in such a way that it became a regenerating influence in their lives. They had not yet learned to say, ‘ The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” Tasker on 2 Corinthians. The Apostle goes on in this chapter to talk about being the ministers of God which every Christian is and what that looks like .  What do we look like to others?    He enumerates some of the characteristics of the Christian ----“much patience….by pureness, by knowledge, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned ( not hypocritical) ( Tasker-“ a sincere, heart-felt concern to promote the true welfare of all the brothers for whom Christ died, however unattractive or unlikeable they may be.”), by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righte...

I John 2:1-17 , focus vs 1-2    Quinquagesima  ( alternate 1928 BCP Epistle Reading)    One little word breaks our fellowship with God and exists in our very being and nature. We are all born with original sin in this world and although that is removed by the regenerating power of the Holy Ghost we never are perfect in this life until we get to heaven.  Sin is evident in our lives.  No one in this world is untouched by its effects. 1:9 of the letter said that ," if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." So sin can be erased.  But John would not have us treat sin lightly.  2:1 " I am writing these things to you that you may not sin."  Do not sin.  Jesus called His followers, " little children" Jn 13:33  as he does in the I Jn 2:1. We are enabled by God to have a child-like faith in Him.  " Many years ago a passenger ship made its way tow...

Good Ground  Luke 8:4-15   Second Sunday before Lent   In the movie " Gettysburg" there is a haunting scene where the Commander of the Southern forces, Robert E. Lee, looks at how the armies have run into each other at Gettysburg and says to Longstreet, the commander of one his divisions, " I pray this is good ground."  There is a hope that even though he did not plan running into the Union Army under General George Meade, it will be good ground for "his boys."  Too many had already died.     That line from the movie " Gettysburg" reminded me of the Scripture from Luke 8, " And that in the good ground, there are they who in a heart right and good having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with endurance." vs 15  The other kinds of hearts are also mentioned. The seed is the Word of God, sown by the sower. 1.  Some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.  vs. 5  Th...