“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29

While walking through the main hallway from our bedroom to the living room, I noticed a picture upside down on the floor. A small spark of horror shot through me. It seems strange to say that… and just as strange to write. But I have DOZENS of pictures and portraits of my kids hanging on that Hall of Fame! ONE of them had dropped to the floor! I felt like I feel when I see a U.S. Flag touch the ground! UNACCEPTABLE!

Photographic memories are cherished honors to me. When I take the time to look back and remember, I have a better picture of my life than when the picture was actually taken. See those pictures of my kid’s receiving their college diplomas? I REMEMBER how HARD it was to get there… and I am reminded how much HARDER it was to get through! But the triumphant smile on the picture says… DONE!

Those pictures of weddings with everyone dressed in their best, all smiling, tell a story of expansion, as our family has increased over the years BY CHOICE! Each picture in sequence, with little one’s included, count off the blessed increase! Now ONE was on the floor…NOT ACCEPTABLE! I picked up the picture and looked… it brought back a flood of precious memories. As I put it back in its place, I realized that the restoration had an immediate affect on my heart as well. I was reminded that I am a VERY blessed man!

Being ‘Born Again’ into God’s family can be like a photo. The evidence of the moment is there…but I don’t clearly remember it. Looking back on my life, He has grown me up into a MUCH different person than I would have been without Him. Old struggles and trials, now over, serve as victorious snapshots as He was shaping me into the person I have become. What USED to hold fear and uncertainty has become laughing milestones… photos that prompt the question, “remember when?”

Children do not choose to be born. That is the decision of the parents… even if made in ignorance! But Parenting is the most serious business on the planet and my Heavenly Father takes it quite seriously! I was NOT an accident and my Father has an EXACT PURPOSE in my upbringing. He is ALWAYS working to mold me into a carbon copy of His son Jesus Christ… THE Perfect Picture!

There may be times I fall and feel UNACCEPTABLE!… like I deserve to be in the ‘Hall of Shame!’ But MY Father will NEVER allow me to hang there. Because His Son chose to hang on a Cross, I will forever hang on His wall! Take a look… See that smile? It is there because I could NOT be ANY more grateful!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

In my wallet I held a $25 gift card to a specialized health food store in the next town. Since ‘Health Food’ is not really a thing with us, it had been in my wallet for a LONG time. We went to that store a couple months ago and shopped, walking out with 1 jar of Red Pepper Jelly! Since the card had about $21 left on it, since I was in that town, and since the Red Pepper Jelly was running low, I decided to stop in.

My wife is a preschool teacher and every year, on special occasions, she gets gifts from parents. Some are eclectic… like this gift card. We don’t shop at this store, but apparently they do… did…and thought it a great gift to honor my wife. They picked what THEY loved and passed it on to HER. The card lay unused because we do not treasure the place like they do. Though it does NOT make the gift any less act of love… it DOES make it of little use to US!

The gift card industry is BIG business. BILLIONS are spent on them, as it is a great way to give something without really having to pick out something user specific. Stores love them because a large percentage of gift cards go unused… bringing profit to the merchant without having to provide a product! The cards are store specific, so I can’t use THIS card at the junk food store! Too bad huh?

The biggest need, in this whole wide world of choices, is SALVATION from the lake of Fire. From the Garden of Eden to now, sin sincerely placed a HUGE debt upon every living human being. A debt that NO one could actually pay. But apparently enough distraction was found that eternal death wasn’t really that big of a deal to most humans. Enter God!

While we were sinners, God’s Son came and made a purchase. HE didn’t need the gift, didn’t NEED man, but LOVED us more than we deserved. His action at the cross paid for my debt… IN FULL! Afterward, He presented that free gift in the form of a card. “Here ya go! Life for FREE!” It is presented to man as “The Gospel!” It has to be CHOSEN and REDEEMED to work! Sadly, it mostly goes unused!

Far too many folks buy into satan’s lie that hell is about sinning, and that the chances of going there are diminished if sin is. Focus on sin is silly… since 1 sin kills us forever! NO one can reverse that fact. But there IS a GIFT CARD that EVERYONE has at their disposal. But to USE it.. you have to CHOOSE to accept it, GO to the only 1 place that honors it and purchase the ONE item for which it was given… Eternal LIFE!

SOOOOO… as the commercial asks.. “What’s in YOUR wallet?”

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10

It was this last Saturday. The cleaning person who prepares the church for Sunday morning ended up being the same person who was going to be standing at the pulpit giving the sermon. That person was me. After gathering the trash from the receptacles in the various room, I went to the broom closet, you know…the same place Superman used to go to change from his earthly garb, and did the very same thing. Except on the way out – I grabbed the broom and dustpan!

Now this may sound ridiculous to some… but to me, cleaning the church is a Holy occasion. It isn’t mystical or magical. But neither is it a chore or a job. Long ago Jesus taught me that before I could have the PRIVILEGE of serving Him as HIS janitor, I had to FIRST remove my earthly garments and replace them with His Holy ones. And the very FIRST thing that ALWAYS has to go… is my attitude!

Before looking at even 1 speck of dirt, I had to remind myself that HE is perfect and beautiful and that I am not. I had remind myself that this is HIS house and not mine. That this is NOT JUST another building. That the specks of dirt on the floor, even though small, are to be removed. That while others may not even notice… HE ALWAYS does. Because this Church I am discussing is not just some structure made of earthly materials… this Church is ME! I had to remind myself that what I was about to DO was a Holy Honor… NOT a menial job!

It is SO easy to get SO caught up in life that I forget my place. What the world sees as just another guy, God sees as His Prince. It is far too easy to forget that in myself. Contrary to the world, losing sight of who I am in HIS eyes, The Prince… causes me to forget my place AND my task. To forget that I am on THE Mission representing HIM… NOT myself… is a dangerous place to fall. I MUST remember that The King’s training, AND His expectation for His kids is FAR removed from those in human palaces.

Royal children often live a life of ease and pampering. But God sees to it that His kids learn how to get down on their knees FIRST. That is why cleaning a floor or weeding a garden is where you’ll often find His prince or princess. The scepter He requires His kids master is not made of gold, but of bristles. Dirty fingernails are more beautiful to Him than the most luxurious manicure! They are the signs of a servant. And to BE a servant, one must have the HEART of a servant! And THAT is exactly what the word ‘deacon’ means.

YUPP!!! I can say it for certain… even though it gets messy at times, I would rather be a floor cleaner in the house of my Father than a dignitary anywhere else on Earth. And that is straight from the heart!

“In God, whose Word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:4

Moving toward an appointment I had made, irony seemed to be lurking from every angle. For the second day in a row I found myself driving to a busy section of town. Driving during Florida tourist season just makes me irritable. Being ‘frugal,’ I also hate paying for things that are no fun. Yesterday it was $180. Today was going to be $1200! All because a man I highly trusted had sent me here. Topping it off, I was greeted by the staff, not once, but 3 times with, “HEY.. HOW YA DOIN?” Smiling, I rolled my eyes and said… “I’m Blessed… but do you really use that same line on EVERYBODY?”

Normally, people freak out at the thought of a root canal. Mention the word ‘dentist’ and most folks break out in a sweat! Ironically, the first thing the assistant did was take my blood pressure! Though it had never been checked on any previous dentistry, I knew my blood pressure would be normal. The gauge to register the ‘off the chart’ reading has not been invented yet and would have to go around my wallet! But in my mind, the money was already gone! So I thought I’d make the best of it.

I wore short sleeves and had a couple Christian Bible bands around my wrist. Mentioning I was in ministry as my profession, I had dropped Jesus hints all over the place. For obvious reasons I did NOT want to be the irritable one in the room. When the dentist placed that tent thing over my mouth and I could no longer talk, I prayed, covertly twisted my wrist so the full message of those bands might come into their view… then fell asleep.

Though I had never met this specialist before today, I had total trust in the doctor’s abilities. Why? Because I trusted the man who had sent me here. I went to him to check out an increasing pain in my tooth, he analyzed it and appointed me here. There was NOTHING MORE for me to do than to follow through on his recommendation. Even though it was going to COST ME more!

I can say for sure that NO one in that office sensed my irritability at losing both time and money. I made SURE of that! I wanted them to see ‘JESUS’ in me. NOT ‘ME’ in me. The cavity being fixed was caused by a natural degenerative process in which I had proven incapable and incompetent at stopping. Ironically… mortal life has the same issue!

I was born into death. In my own strength and ability, I am incapable and incompetent at stopping its consequence. But I have discovered that the painful process of restoration had already been paid by someone else FOR me. To me, the pains of life are an inconvenience. To HIM… they were DEADLY and BRUTAL! Giving my life into His hands in exchange for His, I need not be anxious…EVER! In fact, He asks I be His representative to the world THROUGH any pain I run into. Ironic huh?

Since getting home, yesterday I have brushed my teeth 6 times and gargled 3 times with a fluoride rinse! So… “How are YOU doing?” 

“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James 2:18

Knowing it was going to be a crazy day before it even started, I ran through the places and schedule of where and when I had to be. After a phone call had come in, my 3 appointments had just turned into 6. When the time was approaching event # 3, I noticed that my grass was NOT up to par with the neighbors. In fact… it was VERY long and stringy. The question popped into my head, “do I have enough time to fit this in?” I BELIEVED I DID… but I was wasting time.

Quickly changing into my work clothes after deciding to race the clock, I realized that I just added a #8 to the mix! I was going to need a shower! With no time to think about it, I ran through the list! I have a lawn mower AND the gas to run it. I believed that mixing 3 things together could get the job done and on time! So gas in mower and mower in hand… I pulled the starter and off I went!

Having been on a FAITH study for a while, and with plenty of time to think as I mowed, it came to my mind that cutting the crass is NOT MYSTICAL. Jesus was trying to teach me something! I KNEW and BELIEVED that the mower was in working order and KNEW and BELIEVED that with fuel and MY energy, the tool COULD and WOULD cut the lawn. But… KNOWING and BELIEVING did NOT cut the grass. “I did!”

FAITH is a VERY BIG word! But I think man, along with satan’s help, has watered it down to a fraction of its original size. Especially in the Church’s mind! Faith has turned into some mystical, cloudy idea that has no meat or teeth to it. And I believe Christ is not happy about it either! Slogans like, “have faith and everything will work out OK.” and “I have faith that ‘so and so’ will do the right thing,” are not FAITH! They are WISHES! And wishing is NOT Faith!

My grass did NOT get cut because of my faith. It got cut because I used the TOOLS of faith to CUT IT! I had to actually DO something to EXERCISE my Faith in order to get the job DONE! To this, I lay my question. Do you believe that God can save your family member or friend? Then what are YOU DOING to see to it that the saving gets done? Do YOU believe that God can stop that weak area of your life and turn it into victory for Him? Then what are YOU DOING to apply His power and promises to YOUR problem?

FAITH, as I see it, is an ACTION word. It cannot, will not and does not work if elbow grease is not applied. And just like there is a method to cutting my grass ( I do not push it around in circles with no plan) there is ALSO a method to applying God’s resources to any task at hand. If you don’t know HOW… you can easily get help. Just ASK a brother or sister who has a nice looking yard!

FAITH is WORK! FAITH gets dirty and messy! FAITH does NOT come with ease! And FAITH usually requires an occasional shower. But make no mistake… if you are sitting on your haunches and looking at a messy yard, know for sure that GOD is using that vision to get you to GET UP AND MOVE!

The clock it ticking!

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”’ Nehemiah 8:10

This last weekend the McCay Clan celebrated Christmas! Yes, I know it is the end of February. But due to work, other commitments and just plain life, we had not really had the opportunity to get ALL of us together in one place in December. The children hadn’t even exchanged gifts yet! So the event was organized, food was made, gifts were wrapped and we all planned to enjoy each other.

For a couple of us, the 1 hour trip turned into 2 because of traffic. Last minute calls for food and supplies were made on the fly, but the money and time spent were just a part of the package. Each time a new family arrived I knew it, even if I was at the other end of the house. The “HEY…. YOU MADE IT,” and joys of greeting sounded out loud and clear. It seemed volume equaled joy!

Toward evening, the kids gathered out front to ride bikes, scooters and little kid die cars. Someone pulled out a ramp for the bikers to jump and it was ‘game on.’ When a cheering section was formed to encourage daring feats of action, I couldn’t set still anymore. I walked over to my grandson’s bicycle and headed toward the ramp! Yes… I heard them behind me saying… “WHAT??”

It was a JOYOUS and WONDERFUL evening. Someone crashed and got bloody… but it wasn’t me. I made the jump as hoped, maybe even shocking some of the kids. But I knew that even in crashing and burning, we were making memories together. That is what families do.

The occasion for Nehemiah’s verse was a gathering of God’s people to Hear the Word of God! Yup! They had found an old Bible among the ruins of the city, and taking time off from rebuilding, they listened and celebrated hearing the Word of the God of Israel… The Father of THEIR family! His order for the day was to REJOICE! Not grieve or mourn. God had hit the ramp, stuck the landing and once more showed that when it comes to the meaning of life… He’s still ‘got it!’

God LOVES family. He is building His own and calling out to everyone to come and join in. Sometimes it takes work, planning, grief, execution, money and time… but joining His family has BOTH short and long term benefits that are out of this world! 

 So…..what is YOUR strength?

“and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15

BONGGGGGG! My phone went off. Then BONGGGGGG again! Over the next several minutes the BONGGGGGGing was driving me crazy! I was in the middle of ‘GROUP Text Hades!’ Female members of my clan were planning a get together and I saw that 1 message referred to my wife and I… questioning if we were coming. I simply answered ‘yes.’ But it didn’t end there!

It was later in the afternoon when I noticed a missed call from my son’s phone. I can’t answer my phone when I am on the motorcycle. Calling him back I got his answering service… and left a message. 4 hours later, he won ‘telephone tag’ when I answered. He asked me… “hey dad, are you coming to the family thing?” My reply was… “didn’t your wife get my message? I had said ‘yes’” “No, she never got that message!” he replied. So I confirmed again. “Yes.”

This same scenario happened to me several times this week. And NOT just with texts. Emails are not getting to people ‘every time’ I send them either. The funny thing is, when folks DON’T get a message, they sometimes mix that absence with care or love! “Don’t you love us anymore?” was one comment! MY immediate reaction is to pull up my phone to see if they had inadvertently got deleted… just to CONFIRM that “I STILL CARED!” haaaaaa It’s crazy right?

In these days of technology, ‘getting the word out’ should be simple. But because of the tech noise, the culture, and the overlap, what USED to be… is no longer. 100% reliable communication is still under development between us humans. But it is NOT for God!

The Bible verse today clearly states that God has told us EVERYTHING we need to know about His plan of salvation and our growth in faith. Now if that is true, WHY do so many people seem to have NOT ‘gotten the message?’ God makes it clear that the failure is NOT the fault of the sender! But in the receiver. The saying is true, “God has said it… THAT should settle it!” But!

When we talk about FAITH, too many folks place that subject into a mystical, ghost-like state… leaving the subject fuzzy and unclear. It’s almost like believing it is there, but understanding it LATER, when we ‘see it,’ is acceptable. But to God… it is NOT! To Him, one either HAS FAITH and is WALKING IN IT… or they don’t and are not! His written Word, His Son and the Holy Spirit are the realities He has sent us to deliver His most important message to mankind since ‘fruit!’

“Did YOU get it?”

“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” Proverbs 21:21

It is something most of us do every day 6 days a week… except for holidays. And though I am the one to usually do it, my wife will still want to know if I did! Without thinking about it, I usually have an expectation or anticipation as I make that daily journey. A hope that something of ‘benefit to me’ will be there… in my mailbox!

When I opened the mailbox yesterday, it was full. A couple of envelopes were so big they had to be folded in half to fit in there. I wondered! After carrying my bundle into the house, I started to go through it like a lottery player with a ‘scratch off.’ But when I was done, I felt like I had just been played for a loser! Literally EVERY single piece of mail was an attempt by someone to SELL ME something! In other words…organizations had just paid MONEY to the U.S. Postal Service… to try to get mine!

Advertising is an art. Companies spend a LOT of money to discover the best return for their investment. If it costs, $1000 to make $140, you can bet they will not ever do that again! But even if $1000 brings in $1200… there WILL be an attempt to stuff my mailbox again with a more carefully considered effort. Yesterday’s trip was an example of just that.

Sadly, being in ministry, I get a lot of junk mail. Having been in sales, I don’t like wasting people’s time if I have no interest. So when I PURCHASED a product from 3 different ministry sources in the past, I was NOT expecting that I would be placed on a list and badgered for more cash! But alas, that is how it works. I was disappointed because it seems that even ministry has become big business. From the marketing information, that these folks weren’t ‘pursuing righteousness and love,’ It seemed that they were pursuing the money in my wallet!

There is an old question that helps to guide a salesman to success. “WHAT does a person want and WHY do they want it?” helps keep from wasting everyone’s time. If your product answers those 2 qualities in a prospect, you are then offering a reasonable solution to their meet THEIR need. Honest salesmen are more like trouble shooters who solve problems. Until the SALESMAN’S need for money becomes more important than the needs of the customer. Like now! I threw the whole bundle of mail in the trash! Which is what I usually do… every day! This leads ME to a question. What am “I” pursuing.

God tells me through His Word that if I pursue HIS righteousness and love, I WILL reap something bigger than what I would if I did not! I have personally discovered this bit of wisdom to be 100% true. If I FREELY make YOU an offer you cannot refuse, will you refuse it? Or live in anticipation? Here it is… “Seek God and His desires FIRST! The rest just falls into place.”

 You’re welcome! No charge!

‘”Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.'” Jeremiah 18:11

This morning I heard my wife shriek! She likes to do devotions as she stares out at the side of the house where her flower garden lies. Birds and squirrels usually frequent the habitat… but not today. Her peaceful world was interrupted when 2 big rats ran in front of the glass door. “AAAAA!”

For the last couple weeks we have been hearing the pitter-patter of little feet at the same time in the morning! We knew where the sound was coming from. Rats had found a hole into our attic and made it their home! AGAIN! Being the man of the house, I did what any normal man would do. I put off the task of climbing up, in and around there for as long as I could! ‘Could’ arrived last night as I decided TODAY was the day of e-RAT-ication!

It was dark yesterday when I put on my headlight and asked my wife if she wanted to join me. She was creeped out at the very thought! I knew the rats had left to go out slumming in the darkness, so I went up, out and around the house to see if I could find their entryway. I discovered a new hole in some fascia and patched it. This morning, with full bellies from a night of carousing, they had lost their home! Having expected this result, when she shrieked… I smiled!

Lots of folks like to claim the Bible verse of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I have never heard ANYONE lay claim to Today’s verse! WHAT! It isn’t CONVENIENT? Picking and choosing is a poor way to approach Scripture. It is also a poor way to live!

ALL of us have songbird-squirrel times. All of us have rat times as well. Our natural reaction to a RAT is ALWAYS repulsive. We have been programmed to see them as the dirty, disease carrying vermin that they are. Until we ALLOW them entry and get used to their co-habitation. We KNOW they have to go…but inconvenience, lack of time, desire and money have a way of putting off their exit.

The moral of this story is simple. I have things in my life that have GOT to GO! Unfortunately I have allowed them to live in me so long, I am used to their presence. Heck.. sometimes I dress them up and even PLAY with them. But a dressed up rat is still a rat! And the CHOICE as to how long it stays is still in my court!