Heavenly Minded

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

In the culture we live in today, it is very easy to become complacent with your daily life. Although we need to be content with what we have, but from a spiritual standpoint, have you come to a place where you’re satisfied with your relationship with Jesus? I certainly hope not!

Last night I was talking with my wife and I was telling her when I was single, it was very hard to find a true Godly woman. I prayed that God would put me with someone who truly holds such reverence for God. Who isn’t satisfied with where she is spiritually. I have made a decision to give every area of my life to Jesus and to live separated from this world. That is to live in the world but not of its ways. Therefore, I want to be with someone that wants to live that way too. Well, I am very grateful to say He has answered that prayer and put me with a woman who is always striving to get closer to Him.

God’s word says not to be unequally yoked (2 Cor 6:14). That means not to marry a non-christian if you are a christian. However, these days everyone says they are a christian and we know that’s not true according to Matthew 7:14. What I think that really is saying is how much are they willing to live separated from the ways of this world. How much Jesus do you want? For me, I had to narrow my search for a Godly woman. My relationship had to be Jesus first and uncompromising on the way I live for Him. He needs to be the rock on what my marriage will be built on. What kind of music do they listen to? What type of movies do they watch? Have they done away with television? Do they walk with Jesus every day in His Word and in prayer? Do they have a desire to help others? Are they living a repenting lifestyle? And on and on… I realize that search gets very tight, but I refuse to live any other way.

This world is filled with distractions for the person who lives for God. Jesus was always getting away to spend time with His Father in Heaven. He would get up early and go off by Himself before anyone else got up. He held His relationship with the Father with such devotion, reverence and importance!

In Matthew 18:1 it was asked of Jesus by His disciples “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” And Jesus’ reply was unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So, what exactly does He mean “become like little children?”

You know, since I’ve been married and became a father to 5 children who I did not bring into this world. God has entrusted me with them to teach them the ways of the Lord. I sometimes refer to them as step-sons and step-daughter but I feel conviction over that. It sounds less personal that way. And my relationship is dedicated to their whole lives with love and concern for the way they are brought up with the Word of God. So, I’m going to drop the “step” if that’s ok.

My 13-year-old daughter and my 11-year-old son are always asking to go with me to places. They don’t care where we go, just that we go even if it is to work with me. My 9-year-old son asks me “So, when are we going fishing”? It wasn’t a question to see if I would take him. He already assumed I would. He just wanted to know when. Take a look at any child that loves spending time with his daddy. He always wants to do things with him no matter what it is. They are telling other people about their daddy… My daddy can do this. My daddy can do that. My daddy is strong. Its like “Daddy” is at the forefront of their mind all the time. That is what Jesus is talking about being little children.

A few times Jesus referred to the Father as “Abba” (Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6). Abba is more of intimate way of saying Father like “Daddy” or “Papa”. Even saying it like that is humbling. The true meaning of humility is seeing yourself as you really are and seeing God as who He really is. That puts everything in its proper place.

I was also talking to my wife about our marriage and how that ties in with Jesus. I remember back in high school before I knew the Lord, I had relationships that I thought was love but it really wasn’t. But, now that I know the Lord, we have a relationship that is Christ centered. Only a relationship with Jesus can you have a perfect balance in one with a spouse. When we both set our minds on Him and discuss His character brings us closer as a couple. It’s like a triangle. Jesus being at the top and the husband on one end while the wife is on the other side. When the husband and wife are at both corners they are far a part from each other. When they get closer to Jesus at the top, they become closer together! I love that picture of a perfect threesome only with the true and living God.

"And it shall be in that day," Says the Lord, "That you will call Me 'My Husband,' And no longer call Me 'My Master'... (Hosea 2:16)

May I challenge you today to take a look at your level of commitment to Jesus? Do you spend time with Him? I’m not just talking about praying while you drive or praying with your children or spouse, although we need to being doing that to. I’m talking about taking 30 minutes, an hour or even 2 hours with Jesus alone reading His word and praying to Him asking Him to search your heart and thanking Him. Seek His kingdom first and all things, which are according to Him, will be added to you.

The True Gospel

            “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46 NKJV)

Before I came to the point of giving my life to Christ, I spent a lot of times going up to altar calls and saying the “sinners prayer”. I had struggled continuously with sexual addiction to an extremely high degree. Truth is I was just wanting God to fix me but not really willing to truly and fully repent of my sin. I liked it too much at that point. I didn’t realize Jesus wasn’t going to save me if I truly didn’t want Him, which is true. I thought I was wanting Him, but not really bad enough to give Him everything.

The thing is, I didn’t really understand the full gospel. I’ve seen the movies of Jesus dying on the cross but I've always looked at it like anyone can go and die on a cross, wear a crown of thorns, and have nails driven into his hands. Some of it was because those movies really didn’t show an accurate view of the reality of the true pain Jesus went through.

There is a quote from a British journalists that witnessed something very horrifying and it describes a little about the type of brutality that Jesus went through. This is what he said...

[1] "I had arrived in Ramallah at about 10.30 in the morning and was getting into a taxi on the main road to go to Nablus, where there was to be a funeral that I wanted to film, when all of a sudden there came a big crowd of Palestinians shouting and running down the hill from the police station.

I got out of the car to see what was happening and saw that they were dragging something behind them. Within moments they were in front of me and, to my horror, I saw that it was a body, a man they were dragging by the feet. The lower part of his body was on fire and the upper part had been shot at, and the head beaten so badly that it was a pulp, like red jelly.

I thought he was a soldier because I could see the remains of khaki trousers and boots. My God, I thought, they've killed this guy. He was dead, he must have been dead, but they were still beating him, madly, kicking his head. They were like animals.

At the same time, the guy that looked like a soldier was being beaten and the crowd was getting angrier and angrier, shouting "Allah akbar" - God is great. They were dragging the dead man around the street like a cat toying with a mouse. It was the most horrible thing that I have ever seen…

It was murder of the most barbaric kind. When I think about it, I see that man's head, all smashed. I know that I'll have nightmares for the rest of my life.

According to scripture, this is what it was like on a very light level of what the Lord Jesus went through, physically anyway.


What I didn’t understand is what went on behind the scenes. You know, that nobody sees in the spiritual realm. God’s word says that He cannot look upon evil (Habakkuk 1:13), but Jesus Himself didn’t only have our sins put on Him to bear, He BECAME sin! He who is holy became that of which is very unholy! That is why God the father turned away from His only son! The ONLY one with love for Jesus turned from Him. How lonely He must have felt. To be separated from God is hell! I’m not necessarily suggesting that Jesus went to hell even though what it says in Matthew 12:40, but to be separated from the only one that truly has love for you must have been utterly lonely that with all this torment and pain and becoming sin, He might as well been in hell. Also, since God knows no time (Psalm 102:12, 27), when He suffered it was like eternity for Him just like hell would be for us.

Let’s think about this for a moment. Think about the physical brutality of having your beard ripped right out of your face (Isaiah 50:6) and the kind of lashings He endured that filleted His body wide open all over His entire naked body (Matthew 27:28) to the point of it looking like red shredded hamburger hanging from it. He was completely naked with no clothing of protection for the most sensitive private areas to be lashed as well!

Then the part where He became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Have you ever done something so bad you feel absolutely horrible about it? Think of the horror and torment that would follow a crime so horrendous. Jesus didn’t only die for those sins, He became that! He became that for you to be free! And He also had to suffer the agony and torment that kind of sin would follow. When the Father looked down at Him, it wasn't like He was seeing a holy son of God. He saw a horrible, wicked, filthy sinner, even though Jesus made no sin Himself was worthy of the full wrath of hell! But it wasn’t for that one murder or even two. It was for billions and billions. Think of that agony for one murder and multiply that billions of times.

Now, think about if you were a young child with your daddy or mommy in a foreign third world communist country that had murderers and torturers all around you wanting to devour your flesh like a mountain lion. All the sudden your mommy, who loves you like no one else could, abandons you with such anger to be left all alone! Imagine how all these things would feel all at the same time. And that doesn’t even come close to describing what our loving Lord Jesus went through on the cross at Calvary for you!!!

I know this is not typically how we might look at the cross but isn’t it true when you really look at scripture and consider there is no exaggeration in God’s Word. It happened just like that. Please consider how this should affect your outlook on What Jesus means to you. He loves you so much He gave His life for you! Receive it!

[1] “I'll have nightmares for the rest of my life” By Mark Seager - http://gluefox.com/kontr/israel/ramallah.shtm

Intimacy with the Husband (Jesus)

For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2 NLT)

Have you ever looked at your relationship with Jesus more than Him just being your friend, or someone to call on when your in trouble or needing help?

How do you think you would feel if you had a friend that would never call you unless he or she needed something? They would make promises to you all the time that they would call you up and spend time with their best friend but always had an excuse. If your like me, that would kinda get you a little upset.

Or let's say your out shopping and you run into your friend. You call out to them and try to get their attention but they act like they don't hear you. You walk over to them and say "How have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you. Let's go get a cup of coffee and catch up", but they don't say a word and walk away or if they do say something, they say I don't have time to. But the next day, they are needing a hand to move and call you up for help.

Let's be honest. Isn't that they way we treat our Lord at times? He is always trying to get our attention and pursuing our hearts. We tend to not think of it that way because He isn't loud and pushy. He is gentle and soft with a quiet whisper. However, His desire for us is extremely strong and sensitive. The Lord speaks to us in several ways. He speaks to us through our circumstances, other people, authority, dreams, visions, thoughts and the Living Word of God!

As the scripture in 2 Corinthians presented above says Jesus is our husband and that would make us (as christians) His bride! Consider, for a moment, the book of Song of Solomon was written not just about Solomon and His lover but it is more about Christ and His bride (You)! Let's look at this passage out of Song of Solomon as a letter written between You (the wife) and Jesus (the Husband)....

JESUS:
I have entered my garden, my treasure, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spices and eat honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply of your love!

YOU:
I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: "Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.” But I responded, “I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?” My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. I jumped up to open the door for my love, and my hands dripped with perfume. My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt. I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him but could not find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls. Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem—If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love. (Song of Solomon 5:1-8 NLT)

There have been times that I have felt Jesus calling me. Sometimes it was to go pray to Him. Sometimes I obeyed and sometimes I haven't. The times I have obeyed have been the most wonderful Christ-filled moments of my entire life! Those times He has blessed me with His presence so much that if I could have experienced Him a bit more I could physically touch His face!

There was one time when I was single laying in bed. I was living in a trailer in a bad part of town. I was there for the purpose of ministering to the lost people stuck in poverty and addictions. Anyway, I was already to fall asleep and the Lord spoke: "Come...come and walk with me outside. I want to spend time with you." It wasn't a pushy voice but very gentle and meek. I said "Lord, I just got into bed and I'm very tired. Can't this wait till tomorrow?" then it came to mind of Song of Solomon. I did not want to loose my chance to walk side by side with my King! The Creator of the universe!

There have been many many times He has done that and every time I obey I am so very glad I did for I received part of Him that nobody can ever take away! Start looking at your relationship with Him like that. You are His wife! Your His lover, His spotless Bride! Treat Him like your perfect Husband!

-Doug McGowan

The value of a sinner

This is about a story by Max Lucado found in his book called “No Wonder they call Him the Savior”

This brings back to me the realality of the character of Jesus Christ. The story starts out talking about these people who broke into this department store. But instead of stealing anything they did something so bazare. They swapped the price tags on everything! They swapped the price of a $300 camera and put it on a $5.00 box of paper and other items that cost little money, they put that price on very expensive items! And then they left the store without taken a single item!

Then Max goes on to explain that is exactly what we have done in our own lives today. What God considers very valuable we look at it as cheap but yet the pornography industry is a billion dollar industry! We sell our integrity for something that will saticify us a very short time. We pay for cable to watch things on television that rots our minds!

Of course the story is about what kind of value Jesus puts on a person. Even on a person that can offer absolutely nothing! A person that is even a thief and a person that can offer no ministry. A person who has probably never brought anyone into the kingdom and a person that has never prayed a prayer in his life. A person that has messed up his whole life and the only thing he has to show for it is hanging on a cross! Not to mention that when that person is at the end of himself that he feels utterly broken and the need to be saved he speeks with boldness to Jesus as Jesus himself was about ready to die on the cross. The thief boldly asks Jesus to be with Him in the kingdom! And then Jesus grants him that request!!!

Wait a minute! This thief has not done a single thing in his life to deserve any mercy much less to be let into the kingdom of Heaven with the God of the universe! But yet Jesus says “As suredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise!” He didn’t tell him that he needs to go say 10 hail mary’s or 5 Our Fallther prayers. Jesus knew that in that crook’s heart was a genuine brokenness over his sins and a heartfelt desire to be with Jesus. Isn’t that what Jesus wants from all of us …..Just a desire to have a relationship with us reguardless of the things we have done or have NOT done? If I can say it, I think Jesus could care less of the ministries that we do or any of the good things we have done if we don’t have a relationship with Him first. He holds that extremely valuable! Why else would the Father sacrifice His own Son so that could be possible?

He came for the sick! He touched the untouchable leper. He forgave the sins of a seductive selfish woman. He healed the poor blind men. He healed the man who was demon possessed throwing things at Him. He forgave the men who spat on Him and nailed Him to the cross. We can offer Him absolutely nothing! Even our surrendered lives we cannot say that it is all us because the scriptures say we love Him because He first loved us. See, its Him that draws us near Him but we still have a choice to accept it.

Have you ever come to that point? I mean where it finally clicks in your mind and your heart of what Jesus has done for you? You know I would always consider myself saved because I once said a prayer of salvation but then a week later I would be back doing the same old thing. Indulging in gross sexual sin and loving it. I was serving myself instead of God. Even though I said a prayer of salvation I hadn’t truly known what it meant to really know what I had been forgiven of. I just wanted to be free from bondage but not enough to give my life to Him. It wasn’t until I had come to the end of myself and truly gave up on myself when He started to open my eyes and ears to understand enough of what He did for me on the cross. Then I just wept over what I really was like in light of Jesus.

See, its not enough to say we believe. The question is do we believe enough to give up on ourselves and know what He has truly forgiven us for. And if you are not at that point then ask God to bring you to that point. Ask Him to draw you near Him even if you don’t want it on the surface level. On the surface I wanted my sin because it was fun and it took me to a place where I could forget about my troubles even though I was creating new ones. But deep down inside I knew I was destroying myself and I knew I needed Him so I had to ask Jesus to make me want Him. AND HE DID!!!

NO WONDER THEY CALL HIM THE SAVIOR!

-Doug McGowan

Painful Mercy!!!

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:10 NKJV)

Other than Jesus of course, I think Job probably suffered more hardship than anyone and it wasn't just for a testing. God does not use our circumstances for just one purpose! It was also to build up in him something that Job needed more of and also to pray for his so called friends!

If its true that whatever God does and allows to come into our life, is for our benefit and is meant to draw us closer to Him, and it is true, then we can be assured and have faith that its what we need even if its painful.

Have you ever had something so painful you cry out with a deep hurt within the pit of your soul?

Growing up from about age 9 untill about 18, I had many times that I felt so tormented with depression that it had a grip on me so tight. I would pray and cry myself to sleep many many nights that God would kill me and I couldn’t figure why He had me go through such hard times.

And then there was a time (for mny years) I went through hardships due to my bad choices and sinful behavior of sexual sin with prostitutes and pornography that left me utterly broken and needy. I have had to deal with the death of my father and a 2 brutal murders of my niece and sister and another sister who was killed because of drugs. And growing up with abuse in my family had an inpact on me as well.

Psalm 23 says “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” When a sheep continues to go off away from his shepard enough times, the shepard eventually has to break the legs of the sheep to keep it from wondering into dangerous territory to get eaten by wolves. The same with us and our shepard Jesus Christ. If you have hardship in your life it may be because He wants to teach you something or to work something in you. For me growing up I feel that it was because God allowed me to experience depression and abuse so I can have compassion later in life for those who stuggle with such hard issues and also it was for more of a reason to get a closer relationship with Jesus. But the times that were hard due to my sin, He was trying to teach me something. If you look hard enough you will see the mercy in both. They fill a need for His prupose and plan for you.

Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15 NKJV)

What about the book of Revelation? It's full of God's judgement and trouble upon the earth like never before. So much trouble it says people will cry out like birth pains! But, that pain is meant to bring people to their knees and cry out to God so God can save them. People can be so set in their ways and so hard hearted, they need trouble to humble them. God knows where they are headed if they don't turn to Him!

I can't end this reading without bringing to mind the ultimate suffering of all. It happened in the garden of Gethsemany and lasted all the way to Calvary! With great drops of blood and thorns piercing His head, being beaten to a bloody pulp with no recollection of Him even being a human let alone recognized as being the one they knew so well! Not to mention all the pain that we don't even understand that went on between Him and the Father! The only true Love He had ever known turned to complete and utter anger and hate torwards Him looking at Him staright in the eyes leaving Him utterly alone in a dark cold evil world!

However, isn't that the greatest sign of Mercy??? Praise God for hard times!

-Doug McGowan

Grace, Mercy, and Compassion

“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.” (Psalm 51:1 NKJV)

There seems to be a lot of confusion of what grace is and what mercy is. Are they the same and if not what is the difference? Some say Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. And Grace is getting what you don't deserve. How confusing! Isn’t that really the same? To NOT receive something IS to receive something else. If I deserve to go to jail but the judge lets me go free, isn’t me being set free mercy? Mercy, isn’t going to jail, but the ONLY alternative is to be set free.

It truly goes much deeper than just that. Grace is more of a disposition of God. And Mercy is His love that is given as an action from His grace.

Rex Andrews says… [1]”In the Old Covenant we have shown quite clearly the grouped oneness of the words, Grace, Mercy, and Compassion. Each of these words has a shade of meaning all of its own. Yet each is a part of the others. Grace is, particularly, what a welcoming smile indicates. It is GRACE which a little child watches for in your face. Grace is described often in the Old Covenant by some form of the phrase, “face toward” anyone. And in the Lord, Grace is the FACE of LOVE. Compassion is that which takes place within as a desire to help, share, and suffer with another. It is Love MOVING to surround another and impart of one’s own life to bear his trouble or sin. MERCY is the supply of any Need. It is the actual DOING of what Grace favors and Compassion generates a motion toward. Grace is Love smiling and giving. MERCY is WHAT is given: Salvation. By Grace are ye saved – that is, MercIED with Life. And that REVEALS what the true love of God is in itself. That Love IS a love of lowliness and mercy: Grace ministering Mercy. Mercy is Salvation – LIFE.”

[1]“These three words are apart of each other - one spirit - three views of the same thing: LOVE in expression.” They are all part of God’s Love.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

In reference to being set free from going to jail, and in light of this scripture, For by Grace [judge having favor on you] you have been set free from the compassion that has moved him to have such mercy [the decision to let you go]. Grace is the judges favor on you. Compassion is his emotion. Mercy is the act of letting you go!

Today, go and show others the same love that has been given to you. Do it with compassion and a joyful heart. Ask God to put that in you.

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[1] “What The Bible Teaches About Mercy” by Rex B. Andrews