Eyes Wide Open

Eyes Wide Open                              

It never ceases to amaze me how God can use every day, normal life situations to teach us Biblical truth.  It is God who must open our eyes, but we must be willing to see what He opens our eyes to.  When we are willing to see, we find that God is at work all around us.  One of the things I believe God wants us to open our eyes to is His supreme, perfect love for us. 

The life of discipleship to Christ is not an easy one.  The devil and sin attempt to interfere with our growing in Christ at every turn.  We often lose focus with the Christ who loves us and died in our place.  We still struggle with the sin nature that is still part of us, even though we have been freed from slavery to it, by the salvation we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Although this conflict with our own flesh is difficult, it will eventually come to an end when Christ completes the work he began in us with our salvation and makes us perfect when He takes us home to heaven to be with Him.  Until that time we are still under construction and we are being “perfected” as he molds us and purges us, as part of the process of making us like Him.  This can often be difficult in itself and painful as he removes the parts of us that serve no good purpose.  He often uses trials and tribulations to purge us and strengthen our faith.  But so often we do not see what He is doing in us.  Perhaps it is cliche, but we cannot see the forrest because of the trees.

I have often said, and will continue to say.  If we ever really understood how much God really loves us.  If we could ever truly grasp the concept that is His perfect love.  We would have no difficulty in our decision to follow Him.  There would be no doubt, no fear of the direction He leads us.  Our devotion to Him is often dictated by our understanding of His love.  We are to be faithful to Him even when we don’t see what he is doing, but we can be faithful to Him regardless because we can see and know His great love for us.  The better we understand His perfect love for us, the more perfect our obedience is, because we have no fear of whom we know loves us completely. 

I John 4:18 says:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear...

If we could only see how perfect His love for us is, we would be far less hesitant in seeking His will and plan for our lives.  Which brings me back to my introductory point about how God can use every day situations to teach us Biblical truth.  

This Christmas I received a new lens (35 mm F/1.8) for my Nikon Camera.  Without getting to technical for those who are not photogs, I will explain it as simply as I can.  

This new lens primarily does two things really well.  Both are predicated upon the fact that the “eye” (aperture) is able to open much wider than either of my other two lenses.  Because of this much more light is able to enter the camera.  Which enables me to take pictures in much darker environments without a flash.  The second thing the wide open “eye” (aperture) does is create a shallow depth of field.  Meaning that the subject of the photo is in focus but the background is blurred, allowing the subject of the photo to stand out from the background.  With this effect when you look at the photo, you are able to focus on the subject and not be distracted by the surrounding environment.  I realized that this is exactly what we need as Christians.  We need to allow God to open our eyes wide open, so that we can see His love and all that He has for us.  Furthermore as he does this the surrounding confusion becomes blurred and we will see only Him and His love.  Which in turn makes it easier for us to understand and follow Him by faith, because we see Him and His love.  And even when we do not understand all that he has in store for us we trust Him because we know He loves us perfectly. 


Click here for photographic illustration

No Egg Sugar Cookies

No Egg Sugar Cookies
Because my youngest son is allergic to eggs, I am always looking for good cookie recipes that don't call for them.  I also love sugar cookies.  I like them to be the perfect combination of crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle.  The key to this recipe is the brown sugar and cream of tartar.
In my opinion they are the best sugar cookies I have ever eaten.  I love them!  If you like your cookies a little crisper then bake a little longer, chewier then shorter.


1 3/4 Cup  Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t cream of tartar
2 T Reallemon extract
3 C flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream butter and sugars.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Drop by spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet.
dip bottom of glass in sugar and press down each cookie.  Bake 8 minutes.  Enjoy

Honor for the Faithful

Honor for the Faithful

There was also a prophetess, Anna...A widow for 84 years.  She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.

It’s not about who you are, it is about how you believe.  God is not a respecter of who you are, but He does honor or respect those who are faithful to Him.

Anna was had been a widow for many years.  In her day, widows had a very low status in society.  A widow was virtually helpless and on her own.

But despite her lot in life, Anna remained faithful to God.  Day and night she prayed faithfully and served faithfully.  As she prayed, she longed to see the promised Messiah.   God chose very few to see the newborn son of God.  He only chose the faithful and pure of heart.  It was because of Anna’s faithfulness, that she was one of the honored few to see God in the form of a baby.  

Jesus would later say to his disciples, “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear...it has been given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto some it has not been given.”

God chose to answer Anna’s prayers because of her faithfulness.  God honors the faithful no matter who they are or where they come from.  The un-faithful He does not honor, no matter what prestigious position they attain.  Anna faithfully served and prayed and God was faithful to answer her prayers of faith.  

But what is a faithful prayer?  

Anna prayed faithfully until her prayers were answered.  But her prayers were not answered right away.  Anna prayed and served for 84 years before God granted her prayer to see the Christ Child.  

Faithful praying may mean a lifetime of prayer before seeing the prayer answered.  

God is looking for faithful prayer warriors who are willing to pray faithfully until God answers and accept whatever answer He gives.

The Issue of Opposition

My Issue with Opposition

Now when they (the magi) had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”

Do you ever face opposition in your life?  I have, Mary and Joseph did, and virtually everyone else has as well.  You are not alone.  But if you are like me, when first reaction is often that I want to say, “Lord, now what?  I am trying to follow you and obey you the best I can by Your strength.”

As Christians, the thing we need to remember, when opposition arrises, is this:  It’s not necessarily because I have done something wrong or somehow disobeyed God.   

Sometimes opposition is directed by God because we have are not in the center of God’s will, and he is lovingly calling our name and trying to get our attention to bring us back to where we ought to be. 

But other times opposition comes when we are doing exactly what God has asked and we are in the center of His will.  In fact, when we are in the middle of God’s will there will always be opposition directed by satan, to defeat or un-track us.  

Joseph and Mary were in the middle of God’s will.  They had been chosen to be the parents of the Son of God and they had done all that they were asked.  So why the opposition?  Because Satan does not want God’s will to be done.  Satan was attempting to defeat God’s will and destroy the son of God.  And he was using a person (King Herod) to do it.  God knew what satan had put in Herod’s heart to do.  Mary and Joseph where right where they were supposed to be, and God moved them.  I am sure it was unsettling to them to have to move, but not as unsettling as the opposition they faced.   Bottom line, God clearly directed them according to His will.  So that they could stay in the center of His will.  And God protected them in the center of His will.  

When opposition stares you in the face what should you do?  One, turn to God in trust.  Second, ask God to search your heart and make clear if you are where you are supposed to be according to His will.  He will make it clear to you.  If you are not in the middle of His will, get there.  Third, don’t let satan discourage you with opposition.  If you are in the center of God’s will, satan will oppose you.  But God will protect and direct you.  4th remember that when opposition came for Mary and Joseph, they did not ask God to take away the opposition.  In fact when the disciples faced opposition they did not ask Jesus to take it away either.  Instead they asked for boldness as they faced the opposition! (Acts 4:24-31)

My issue with the issue of opposition?  Don’t take issue with it, Allow God to examine your heart, and trust him.  He will deal with the issue and He will not leave you nor forsake you.

How to Throw Down Your Idols

How to Throw Down Your Idols

And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. 
Acts 19:19-20

Many in Paul’s world worshipped Idols.  No Idol was as revered in all of Ephesus than the Goddess Diana.  An entire community seemingly was built around this idol.  The community thrived with businesses that manufactured these Diana idols, sold sacrifices to the goddess diana, etc.

When Paul went to Ephesus he realized that idols, and idol worship are in blatant opposition of God.  So what did he do?  He didn’t go around directly condemning the worship of the false goddess Diana.  He did not focus on the industry surrounding it.  Instead he instead preached and taught about the True, Living, God of the Bible.  When the people saw and learned first hand about Jesus Christ, and the power of the Living God to change peoples lives in contrast with their dead, powerless false god diana, they threw down their idols and turned to the living God.  

So it is today that we need to throw down the idols in our own lives. What is an idol?  An idol is anything that diverts our devotion to God.  Anything that interferes or takes away from our relationship to Him.  We all have, or have had idols.  Money, people, things, desires...our own will instead of God’s.  

When it comes to ridding ourselves of these idols, the best way is to focus on the real power of the True living God.  The reality of how God can impact your life, change your life, give peace that passes understanding in contrast with the emptiness that other things provide ought to compel you to give up all to worship God and His son Jesus Christ.  When you simply turn your focus to Him, he overwhelms you with love and compassion in such a way that you have little need to waste energy on worldly gods.  He opens your eyes to the truth.  The true God is all you need.

Furthermore when we uphold God in such a way to others as Paul did we find it far more impact-ful in drawing them to Christ than a condemning tone ever could.  

Victory is found in Jesus Christ.  Salvation is found in Jesus Christ.  It is not found in any other.  

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin French Toast

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin French Toast

Note: I like the taste of cream cheese with my French Toast.  I also have a sandwich iron which is what I use to crimp/seal the edges of the toast and make a pocket.  If you don’t have a sandwich iron, you can just add just add scoops or cream cheese on top and mix it in.  This is also good without cream cheese.  Sometimes in place of cream cheese I use bananas.

For 10 slices of toast/or 5 stuffed servings

10 pieces of Texas Toast/Thick cut bread

1/2 cup of Pumpkin puree

1 Tablespoon Sugar - optional

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Pinch of Ginger

4 eggs

Powder sugar

Cream cheese - optional

2 Tablespoons butter

Syrup

In a large bowl mix eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon and ginger.

Heat flat iron skillet and coat and melt butter coating surface over medium heat.

If you have sandwich iron turn on now

Dip bread in pumpkin mixture on each side and fry until lightly golden brown on each side (or until sliglhtly lighter than your preferred darkness of toast as it will continue to cook in sandwich iron if you are using one) or until desired doneness if you are not using sandwich iron.

Place slice cooked toast in sandwhich iron, top with cream cheese, then the second slice of toast.  Cook about 1-2 minutes more.

Sprinkle with powder sugar and drizzle with syrup (I like to heat my syrup up)

Enjoy!

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”  Acts 19:15

There is no second hand spirituality.  There is no second hand salvation.  No one else can develop spiritual maturity on your behalf.  A strong Christian heritage is a wonderful asset, but it can never take the place of strong personal relationship with Christ.

There are only three individuals who know where you really are spiritually speaking.  God, He looks on the heart.  Yourself, you know who you really are when no one is looking.  And Satan, He knows those who belong to him and those who are purchased by God

Seven sons of the Chief Priest Sceva attempted to cast out some demons in the same manner they had seen Paul cast out demons.    They confronted the demons in “the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.”  The demons replied by viciously attacking and humiliating these men.  They could imitate the words of Paul, but they could not imitate the very real and personal relationship that Paul had with Jesus Christ, from which Paul got his power.  The demons recognized Paul’s name and that of Jesus, but they did not recognize the seven sons of Steven despite their heritage and associations.

You can imitate the words of a spiritually mature Christian, but you cannot inherit his or her walk with God.  Developing spiritual maturity and spiritual strength is hard work and comes over time.  Imitating the words of a strong Christian alone will never lead to victory in Jesus.  Victory in the Christian life can only come about through a personal close walk with Jesus Christ.  Yes, Spiritual Christians can be great models on this earth, but ultimately you must follow after the same Christ that they follow, and then you will find spiritual strength and victory.

Introducing Me!

                               Welcome To My Crazy Life


With 3 kids ages 1 1/2 to 7 years old (2 boys and 1 girl), things get a little chaotic around here.  Add in the fact that McGary's have a propensity to be loud, confrontational, un-embarrasable, competitive and opinionated, and there is rarely a dull moment.
As a pastor and a follower of Jesus Christ I have a high standard of myself to be  a good example.  Not just for my wife and kids.  Not just for people that attend West Whitner.  But for others everywhere, whether I think they are watching or not.  I have a habit of applying that to my children as preacher's kids.  Sometimes I forget that they are just kids and ought not to expect them to be perfect, just as I am not perfect.
The truth is that I am just a normal guy.  We are a normal family.  We love, we laugh, we argue and we make mistakes.  We have our struggles and our trials.  We have good times and bad.  We have victories and defeats.  We are just like anyone else.
Which is why I am starting this blog.  To share some of the life behind the curtain.  I never have been to good at hiding reality, but this is a closer look.
I am not perfect.  I am just a recipient of God's grace.
I love my life
This is my life.