MAC KIRK

Freedom and Liberty I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." – Thomas Jefferson So said the author of the Declaration of Independence. ST Paul said it this way in his letter to the Galatians," 1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Why would anyone exchange their freedom for slavery? Sometimes slavery creeps in and is hard to spot. Of course the colonists in America felt that way as well....

July 01, 2010 I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." – Thomas Jefferson Deism, with me, is but another name for vice and depravity. I hear it is said by the Deists that I am one of their number. And indeed that some good people think I am no Christian. This thought gives me much more pain than being called a traitor. Being a Christian is a character which I prize far above all this world ...has, or can boast." — Patrick "give me liberty or give me death" Henry The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, anarchy and tyranny commence. If 'Thou shalt not covet' and 'Thou shalt not steal' were not commanments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free." — John Ad...ams, signer of the Declaration of Independence and America's second president Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of tha...

Matthew 10:34-42 "Characteristics of Generation Me Not every generational researcher agrees on the definition of Generation Me. Most commonly, Generation Me is simply another name for Generation Y, which includes everyone born between the early 1980s and the turn of the century. However, some sociologists extend Generation Me back into the 70s to include a portion of Generation X, because many of the cultural factors that created Generation Me were taking effect at that time. Also, note that the term "the Me Generation" is sometimes applied to Baby Boomers to contrast them with the self-sacrificing Greatest Generation that came before them. If that sounds awfully similar to the way we describe Generation Me, then it may be true that the older generation always thinks the younger one is self-serving and spoiled. To make things more confusing, sometimes "the Me Generation" and "Generation Me" are used interchangeably. On the other hand, if you'...

Father's Day 2017 As we gather to think of fathers today we remember them before God in our own way. Of course our Heavenly Father is the greatest Father we could have in this life and in the life to come. As we heard the lessons today we hear echoes of fathers and our own witnessess as His children by faith in His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. First, Jeremiah 20 talks about how the prophet is overwhelmed. Who has not felt like that? " Everyone mocks me" he says. " The word of the Lord has become a reproach and a derision" His witness to this Word seems difficult in the midst of a people who wish he would just shut up." I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fie shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. 10 For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he wil...

John 17:1-11 All of us face suffering and difficulties and struggles in our lives. We come to God to ask for help and forgiveness if we need it. None of us are perfect. None of us have arrived. That does not happen until we see God face to face and His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord in heaven. We trust in His guidance and providence . We cannot always see the way forward but rely on His direction for each day. One thing we see in today's Gospel is that we have eternal life now on earth if we know the " true God and Jesus Christ, whom ( He) sent." 17:3 1. Eternal life begins now on earth. This is God's action on our behalf. We simply trust in His Son and believe He is who He said He was. He is Divine just as God. Christ ascended into heaven as we celebrated on Ascension Day, Thursday. As one of the confessions says, " Christ's exaltation consists in His rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the r...

Epiphany VI - Matthew 5:21-37 Today I would like to take these vss, only a part in the Sermon on the Mount, and think about them in the area of relationships. 5:23-24 " If you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has aught against you; leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way; first, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." None of us can always do this perfectly, and that is the whole point of the Sermon the Mount as well. Who is always pure in heart? Who always a peacemaker? Who is always meek? Yet we seek to be like Christ and yet we fail so often in our lives and in our relationships. How can we hope? 1. The very inability to do the things we should illustrates our need of God's help in our situations and relationships. That is the whole point of the sermon on the mount. Yes we are to do His Will and forgive and repair as we try but we must let God help us do it. This remind...

No...I have not left the Church of God, but the one I was the pastor of I did . Sometimes we feel God does lead us and it is not always easy. We can do the right thing and step out of the way which I felt I had to do in the parish in Kerrville. When the parish switched to another fellowship not Reformed Episcopal, but more roman, I could not teach any longer what I believed in good conscience, so I stepped aside > I wish them well. I do believe that we should be true to our convictions . I happen to believe that compromise on the reformed nature of the protestant side of the Church made them weaker but they made that choice. Going ahead with a new call down the road possibly....we will let the new Bishop guide who happens to agree that he could not sign the Fifna roman sacramental system either.... ( so the ACNA needs to come to grips with this issue at some point...).Of course the Bible is our standard, not the Bishop. But we will compromise when we have to..... Com...