“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32

It was the second day in a row that I entered the business. And just like the first, there, right at the door, was ‘The Doorkeeper!’ Call him the screener, security, front man or whatever…his job was to make sure EVERYONE obeyed the rules. And the rule was, wear a mask and answer the questions. Because the day before took far too much time, I was irritable.

MY opinion is that the whole mask thing is wrong, unscientific, politically motivated and it has gone on for FAR too long. But I wasn’t ASKED my opinion. I was asked to “answer the questions.” AGAIN! When I joked, “I already said ‘no’ to ‘em yesterday,” he took offense. “Sounds like you’re telling me how to do my job!” was his response. I was IMMEDIATELY contrite and apologized, adding “I’m not a normal kind of preacher!” Then round 2 happened!

I watched his face soften as I had hit common ground. His next question was, “what version you think is best?” Knowing I was being set up, I said, “NIV or ESV…you?” “King James,” was his reply. When I asked “Why,” “1 John 5:7,” was his response. And just like that, we were friends! Sorta!

When I get a Bible verse with a ‘disputation’ attached to it. I like to do the research. EVERY common version of the Bible will lead you to today’s Bible verse and point out that Jesus Christ is God and THE ONLY Savior of mankind. When disputing comes into the discussion, reading ALL the versions, along with the original language and commentaries, is a CINCH in the ‘smart phone’ age and usually clears things up. Not this time!

It happens that I HAVE both versions of the Bible AND a smart phone. It took me all of about 8 minutes to find out what his beef was. I had fun because I also LEARNED something new. Now that I understand his position, and have an even clearer opinion of mine, I am ready to face ‘The Doorkeeper’ again and pick up where we left off. You see…I am DETERMINED to WIN!

I’m not going to tell you the controversy. Betting you a dime to a donut (an old saying that probably should be changed to $1 to a donut) I’ll bet YOU HAVE a smartphone and know how to use it. I’ll let YOU have your OWN fun if you want to look it up yourself! Me? I’m ready! And when I see ‘The Doorkeeper’ again, I’m not even going to bring it up! I’m going to WIN by keeping my mouth SHUT and him as my friend.

On…I’m just curious…how do YOU spell that circular shaped delicacy of goodness with the hole in the middle? And who really cares? The main thing… is to keep the main thing… the main thing! Are YOU FREE?

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet He did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

If you’ve been to my church lately, you know Dickie. Dickie is my friend and REAL superhero. He is ALWAYS excited to see me, and makes such a fuss when he does. I like him as a friend because he has NEVER, EVER pointed to, or called me out on, ANY of my faults or weaknesses. Dickie is my encourager for Jesus. Because HE loves and trusts Jesus so much, it makes it MUCH easier for me to do so as well. Dickie has Cerebral Palsy.

At 72, Dickie lives in a wheelchair… when he’s not in a bed. He can’t walk or do ANYTHING for himself. When he talks, there’s only a couple people in the world who know what he is saying. I’m not one of them. But he grunts, squeals and moans to try to communicate. When I walk into his room, his face ALWAYS lights up! That’s what it did when I went to visit him yesterday in the hospital.

It was an honor to visit him and, just like usual, his face lit up when he saw me. But when I saw what was happening, I got upset. Dickie can only eat pureed food…and ONLY when someone spoons it into his mouth for him. But he was in the hospital because he hadn’t been able to swallow ANYTHING but liquid. But there, on the table beside him, lay untouched scrambled eggs and toast! IMMEDIATELY… I started barking.

This is NOT a complaint, criticism of medical staff, or anything even resembling that. This is about Dickie, and HIS favorite person… Jesus Christ. And the point is SO SHARP, I could cry at the reality. You see, I have absolutely NO IDEA what Dickie is going through, how he feels or what he is thinking. I can ONLY imagine. And that alone breaks my heart. ALMOST like I broke God’s!

God is perfect, Omnipotent, Almighty and Omnipresent…ALMOST! God DIDN’T know what sin or temptation felt like. But in order to understand and rescue ME, He had to get His hands dirty! Which makes the story of Jesus Christ all the more miraculous. Like following footprints in the snow, Jesus walked in my shoes in order to know what I know. Which SHOULD make it easier for ME to walk in HIS!

I have been charged with the honor of sharing Christ and His Gospel with those who do not know Him. If you love Jesus, you have been too. One of the biggest barriers to evangelizing is overcoming people’s apathy toward God. Knowing Dickie helps me to ‘get it’ though. You see, it is not natural for me to walk into Dickie’s room. My initial human reaction is to be repulsed! Because HE… could be ME! A VERY SCARY THOUGHT!

Jesus is my Paraclete before God (go ahead and look that word up). That means He is my intercessor and defense attorney before His father, The Righteous Judge. Jesus NEVER argues the Law before His Dad because He’d lose! His ONLY defense for me is His own invested life and blood. And because He KNOWS what it’s like to be tempted, He pleads MY case passionately before His Father. And because of God the Father’s LOVE for His son, NO charge against me can or will stick…EVER!S

Seeing Saint Dickie is both humbling and encouraging. Because of HIS experience, he makes ME want to be a better believer. My respect and love for Dickie compels me to help, spend time with and try to make him feel more comfortable. Christ’s love and learned knowledge of temptation compels Him to make me sanctified before God. BOTH of them make me…BETTER!

Do YOU know The Paraclete? 

“…know that a person is not justified by (observing) the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus…” Galatians 2:15

Every once in a while I stop in to say hello to my wife at her job. Katie teaches at a VERY special, advance and unique preschool. Every time I walk into her room 2 sensations overwhelm me. Wonder and royalty! Her room is decorated, top to bottom, with colorful reminders of basic learning tools. When I walk in, the kids know exactly who I am. And while I like to tell them I’m Batman, they all know me as Mr. Katie!

I was listening to her teach reading to some 4 year olds and I heard her say, “when 2 vowels go walking, the first one does the talking, and it’s usually long!” I didn’t remember ever hearing that before!. Later, when I asked her about it, she started firing off rules on how to teach kids to learn to read, explaining how hard it really is! I was amazed!

I have been reading now for a long time. I don’t sit there and try to figure out how to pronounce a word because, unless it’s one I’ve never seen, I already KNOW! Or at least THINK I do! Once I learned how to read, I forgot all the rules because I didn’t NEED them anymore! Now I just DO it! But KNOWING HOW to read does not make me qualified to TEACH someone how to read! And therein lies a HUGE problem.

Today, in the aftermath of a so-called pandemic, our kids have been isolated from professionals trained HOW to teach. Left to learn online, or from people who THINK they know, too many kids are falling WAY behind in the basics of education. Add to that an indoctrination agenda that ISN’T about education, I can see a future catastrophe! The same problem exists with masses of people who THINK they know God.

I have asked LOTS of people what they know about God, and I can tell you most aren’t even close! People who DON’T know God will usually say that to get to His house (heaven) you just have to be a good person! The next task is to explain how they qualify! “I’ve never killed anyone and try to live by the 10 commandments!” BEEEEEEEP! Wrong! Here’s a rule…anyone bringing up Old Testament laws as qualification is lost!

I KNOW God because I KNOW His son Jesus Christ! PERSONALLY! I put my faith in Him long ago and continue to grow up, under His Love and Grace, by studying His Word. And UNLIKE Ms. Katie’s reading rules like, “when 2 vowels go walking…” there are NEVER any exceptions to HIS rules. All I can say to that is…”YEAH!!!”

Have YOU placed your faith in, and KNOW Jesus Christ?

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;” 1 Peter 5:2

THE question came from my lovely wife. And, depending on what we’ve done recently or upon what I have planned, it CAN be an irritating one. “So what are we eating tonight?” THE question can be loaded. Like last night. I told her my idea and she said, “if I don’t eat a salad tonight I’m gonna kill somebody!” “WHAAA?” I was shocked, because Katie doesn’t get serious about food. But the look on her face showed… she was now!

When it comes to food, I’m more picky than her. Since she’s at her job all day, the mystery of “what’s for dinner” has been picked up by me! SOMETIMES, like last night, she doesn’t LIKE what I plan. When that happens, it’s easy to take the rejection personally. A simple comment like, “the meat was too tough,” can make me feel like it was MY job to make sure the cow was relaxed when I killed it! And I’ve never killed a cow in my life!

This week at church, the subject of how to give and take criticism came up. It came up because “I” brought it up. I had just read an article about it and was intrigued. It is MY job, as the King James Version says of this verse, to “Feed the Flock of God.” For the last 10 months that hasn’t been easy. Lots of sheep don’t WANT fed or don’t LIKE what’s in the trough! I’ve gone to take the bleatings, or lack thereof, personal!

I am honored to have the best dog gone herd of sheep there is. And since I don’t HAVE a dog, I am it! Having been ‘it’ for so long, and growing up in a house where my dad was always ‘it,’ I know that it is a fine line between ‘supplying’ and ‘force feeding.’ Every once in a while, I cross it. But thank God I’m reminded when the “eager to serve” meter tips to “I’m gonna kill someone!”

The term the writer of the article used to describe herself was as a “serial-advice-giver.” Standing in the middle of the room with all eyes on me, the ‘staff’ hit me hard. It was embarrassing!! And I KNEW the shepherd who threw it! Jesus was simply showing me that I had crossed the line! I had taken the comment, “what’s for dinner,” WAY to personally.

I care! Sometimes too much! But that care comes with a problem because, SOMETIMES…the sheep don’t! And OFTEN…what has slipped into the herd is not a sheep at all! It is times like this that I have to take a break, back off and ignore the bleating (or lack thereof). Even Jesus honors the free will of the flock. If they don’t like what He’s serving, He LETS them go graze where they wish.

After some suggestions from some sheep who love me, I made adjustments. Yesterday, my wife got salad, I took a break, and I’m working on a cure to not force feed those who don’t want what’s on the menu. I’ve also returned the flocks $50,000 bonus. Those dog gone, flocking sheep…don’t they know I can’t be bribed!!!??? 

“How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 31:19

For the last year I have been taking shooting lessons from a GREAT instructor. Yesterday was class. At this point we are practicing and working on pulling everything together… over and over and over again. Because all of this practice will SOON be put to the test. There is a competition coming up in less than 2 weeks.

I didn’t really decide to start this hobby. My friend and fellow Church member simply TOLD me where to be and when. Then INSISTED! Honestly I simply showed up to honor him…and to shut him up! I didn’t realize I could have this much fun and enjoy shooting so much. But I never HAVE succeeded in shutting him up! Which is a good thing.

Dan is a GREAT instructor. He knows his stuff and how to teach it. He doesn’t put up with any nonsense either. MANY times he has told me, “QUIT FOOLIN’ AROUND AND FOCUS!” Something I have ALWAYS had a hard time doing. My listening to HIM, and not focusing on what ‘I’ think is important at the time, has made me better… in more ways than one.

The thing I shoot at is called a target. As a target, it is what I aim at. AFTER I shoot, it really isn’t a target anymore. It becomes a gauge where everyone, including myself, can SEE how well I actually shot! After reading Psalm 31 today, this verse stuck out and I saw how I could make a point here! And here it is… GOD LOVES to SHOW OFF!

The biggest problem between people and God is unbelief. People focused on themselves can find LOTS of excuses NOT to believe in God. But when I SEE Him as He is, it becomes easy to spot him all over the place! This verse today says that He LOVES to show off the target of His love (ME), to those who don’t know Him. You can easily see the bullet holes of grace, love, power and benefits of God by looking at MY life. Because honesty, I SHOULD be nothing more than a disgusting gutter monkey!

How shot up are YOU and are YOU showing off as God’s target? 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Having made several trips this week to various stores, I was shocked to enter one that had a gal setting behind a desk, right at the doorway. The paraphernalia on the desk included Covid warnings, safety instructions, masks and hand sanitizer. Since I don’t wear a mask, the lady asked me, “would you like a face covering?” Because my sensibilities had been violated, my answer came with an angry edge to it…”No!”

A year, even 6 months ago, I could understand. But now, this mask thing has gone so far, it has become a political tool with dangerous repercussions. ‘Faith’ is what made America strong and resilient. But ‘Fear’ is being peddled as the new normal. And the masses seem to have lapped it up. Is it possible that, as a nation, we may have entirely lost our most precious commodity?

The U.S.A. was founded upon Faith in God. If God is taken out, there is really no foundational basis for our country to rest. What is left is nothing but fear. What I see and hear everyday is proof that our nation is losing its heart and soul to a lie… and all under the umbrella of personal peace and safety.

I grew up watching the Lone Ranger. The stories were predictable. It was usually a whole town that had succumbed to an evil that had overtaken it. Everyone KNEW what was wrong, but no one DID anything about it. That is until the ‘masked man’ showed up, evil was conquered, and righteousness prevailed. The final scene was a silver bullet left behind with the Lone Ranger heading toward another town. I miss him!

The former greatness of America is PROOF that Jesus works. He said in Mark 8:35, “If you lose your life, you will save it.” Which is a 180 degree turn from what I see today. What made America great is self sacrifice, working hard toward a greater good, loving and caring for one another, and drawing closer in crisis…not isolation.

The Lone Ranger wore a mask over his eyes to give him anonymity. He wasn’t looking for fame or personal wealth. I STILL have NO idea why people wear them today! But personally, I’d rather live by Faith than die in fear!

If you’re afraid to die, you’re already dead!

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, He took many captives and gave gifts to His people.'” Ephesians 4:7-8

Normally I write the Words of the Day in the morning, and while I had several ideas to go on, I could NOT get past the overwhelming feeling of gratefulness. It is all because of YOU! The only explanation I have comes from this verse today. Jesus Christ gives Gifts to His people. And the gifts ARE PEOPLE! SO I want to acknowledge and thank YOU… for YOU!

You’ve probably heard me say the line that “No one of us, have it all together. But all of us together, have it all!” It is a description that perfectly describes family and friends…and more importantly, ‘The CHURCH!’ So THANK YOU for being part of MY life. Knowing YOU makes ME a VERY WEALTHY MAN!

May God’s Peace and Joy reign in YOU today!

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Last night Katie and I were treated to a royal gathering. The royal guests included my daughter and her family, and my nephew and his. Three couples, 3 Princes and 1 Princess (all 4 and under) shared play, dinner, discussion, royal history and advice. Though not advertised, the theme of the evening could easily have been called ‘Raisin’ Royalty!’

I haven’t seen my nephew for several years, since his living in California prohibits backyard get togethers. Being Family, we all shared a history that goes even BEYOND his lifetime. I shared stories about his dad while they all filled me in on the joys and challenges of being young parents! With kids playing in the pool and running around us, THEY were the obvious focus of attention. Which is the way it’s supposed to be.

Having spent the morning at the hospital and on phone calls and texts with MY sheep (the Church), I realized that life is am ever-learning and recalling experience. When I reached down to pick up the baby, my brain IMMEDIATELY went into recall mode! “Support his neck! Hold him so any sudden move won’t cause him to flop out of your arms! HE CAN’T WALK YET so DON’T STAND HIM UP! Beware of projectile vomit!”

I got away with all of them except the latter. Holding him tight, he kept jumping up and down… then threw up on my legs! What would be horrifying if an adult was humorous with a baby. Why? Because that’s what babies do! As we actively sat there, it was no surprise to me that the conversion was predominately on how to effectively raise great children! Being Christians…that means ROYALTY!

As Believers in Christ, we are destined to rule and reign with Him in Glory. What happens HERE is literally Spiritual Training. Unfortunately, and far too often, God’s kids expect GOD to do most of the work…as if by magic. It’s apparent by the kinds of requests I get. “Please pray that __________ gets healed, _________ gets a job, ________ gets relief from pain and ________’s life gets better or saved.” As a kind of spiritual dad, it becomes MY duty to explain THEIR role in the process. And it’s ALWAYS WORK!

I think that we are all children and all parents at the same time. Always learning, recalling, encouraging and cleaning up vomit or poop (yes both happened last night)! But I have to remind myself that when I was born into His family, the position came with expectations and responsibilities. The older I get, the bigger they are! But after seeing my nephew and all the parents last night, I KNOW they are all going to be JUST FINE!

So…..how old are YOU?

“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

I was sitting in the Medical Lab waiting to be called for my annual physical. I had tried to resist, but there was no way to get the blood test done without wearing a mask into the office. They supplied me one and I joined 5 other masked hombres in silence. Not being used to the mask, I got a tickle way up in my nose, which grew into a HUGE irritation. Then the question hit me, “to pick…or not to pick??”

I didn’t want to cause alarm in others by indulging in unacceptable behavior. Neither did I want to risk the chance of shoving a potentially diseased finger up my nasal passage! As the irritation grew, I couldn’t even find a magazine to hide behind, since during this so-called pandemic, magazines are outlawed too! Finally I buried my nose into the bend in my elbow and rubbed hard! It was then I heard…”Mr. McCay?”

Reflecting on that experience, and after reading this Bible passage again, the comedic side of God seemed to be leading me to the question, “does God pick His nose?” Digging deep, that was the question I got! Saving the next natural question, “does God even HAVE a nose,” for later, I started to scratch the itch!

The question of predestination and the debate of election (picking) believers based upon God’s foreknowledge, has been going on for centuries. I don’t mind telling you that I think some MAJOR theological bigwigs are simply out of their illogical minds when it comes to the subject! And it all has to do with the nose!

Does God pick me because He knows I’ll pick Him? Or do I pick God because He knows I HAVE to pick Him? In all my digging I have come to the conclusion that the answer to BOTH questions is YES! Which in EITHER case, points to this absolute fact… ‘I am living proof that… God indeed…DOES pick His knows!’

Do you?