OUR COMPASSIONATE AND LOVING FRIEND

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” John 15:15 KJV

Evangelist Isham Emmanuel Reynolds wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus, our compassionate and loving Friend “Jesus Is The Friend You Need”.  I love these words.  “Jesus is the Friend you need, Such a Friend is He indeed; He Who noteth ev’ry tear, He will banish ev’ry fear, Jesus is the Friend you need.”

I have many wonderful friends but none of them can do what Jesus does for me.  My friends have to go home but Jesus stays with me.  I gave my heart to Jesus on August 14, 1980 and He has never left me, not even for one minute.  I have lost count of the many times He has encouraged and comforted me.

Yes, Jesus is our Friend and He has proved to us how much He loves us.  What about us?  Are we His friend?  Jesus has told us how to be His friend.  “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).  Are we doing what He has commanded us to do to?  Are we making Him happy?

Jesus has commanded us to love one another unconditionally.  Loving one another unconditionally is not an option, it is a commandment “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).  Do we love others unconditionally?

Joanne Lowe

March 14, 2017

HE IS THE WAY

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6 KJV

The way to joy, peace and happiness is not through alcohol, drugs or sex; it is through Jesus because He is the way to real joy, peace and happiness.  There are many people who turn to sex, alcohol, drugs and all other things that hurt Jesus and break His heart trying to find happiness.

Real happiness in only found in Jesus.  Pastor Ira F. Stanphill wrote the beautiful hymn “Happiness Is The Lord”. “Happiness is to know the Savior, Living a life within His favor, Having a change in my behavior--Happiness is the Lord,  Do people see a change in our behavior?

My heart’s desire is to make Jesus happy.  He has done so much for me and has been so faithful to me.  He has never left me, not even for one minute.  There have been many times when I couldn’t give another smile or take another step and Jesus picked me up and carried me through the dark valleys.

Just as Jesus carries me through dark valleys, He will carry you through dark valleys.  We have a compassionate Saviour Who really cares about us.  “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

I love Jesus so much.  He is the reason I live, the Joy of my heart and the reason I get out of bed.  All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!  He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!  Please join me in praising the One Who loves us so much He allowed them to crucify Him for our sins.

Joanne Lowe

March 13, 2017

GOD’S FAMILY

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:26 KJV

I read a news story about two sisters that had been separated when they were born.  They searched for years and finally found one another and were reunited.  Every person who has accepted Jesus as personal Saviour is a member of God’s family and one day we will see each other in Heaven.

Are you a member of God’s family?  If not, I urge you to open the door of your heart and invite Jesus in to be your personal Saviour.  “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17).  Let’s be encouragers and pray for each other in God’s family.

Joanne Lowe

March 12, 2017

OUR LOVING FRIEND

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

 John 15:14 KJV

Pastor Haldor Lillenas wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus “My Wonderful Friend”.  Not only is Jesus our Saviour, He is also our dearest Friend.  “When sorrows and pain are my portion, When tears of bereavement must fall, My Savior, my Friend, my Companion, Will comfort and keep through it all.”

I have many friends who I love but only Jesus stays with me every minute.  Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  Not only is Jesus our best Friend, we can depend on Him and trust Him.  Can Jesus depend on us and trust us to spread His love to everyone?

Are we a loving friend to Jesus?  Does He know we love Him?  What are we doing to prove to Him we love Him?  Jesus gave His life for us.  What have we given to Him?  May God help us to prove to Jesus how much we love Him by our service to Him.  Are you serving Jesus?  If not, why aren’t you serving Him?

Joanne Lowe

March 11, 2017

DO THEY MISS US

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 KJV

A pastor said “We should live lives that are so special that even when we leave a room we’re missed”.  Do they miss us when we leave a room?  O that you and I would glorify our Father by our kindness and love to one another.  Are we making our Father happy or are we hurting Him and breaking His heart?

What about our family?  Do they miss us when we leave a room?  Many parents have said “I can’t wait until the summer is over and the children go back to school”.  I wonder how many children can’t wait to go back to school because of the yelling, cursing and fighting in their house.

Many years ago, a little boy told me that he was afraid to go home because he was afraid of being yelled at, cursed and beaten.  How that must have broke the heart of our precious Saviour when that little boy said that about his parents.  That boy doesn’t live in a home, he lives is a house.

Home is where loves lives and a house is where people live.  What about our home?   Is it filled with love or is it just a house?  May God help us to live so others will see and hear the unconditional love of Jesus in us in the things we do and the things we say.  Do our children say they miss us when we leave a room?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for the times when we hurt one another.  Help us to live so others will always see Jesus in our smiles, in our actions and hear His love for them in our words.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

March 10, 2017

HIS PRECIOUS FACE

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

One joyous day Jesus is coming back for us and we will see His precious face.  Think about it.  We will have the privilege of seeing the One Who loves us so much He died for us.  There is no joy to equal the joy that comes by being in the presence of Jesus.  Are you shouting for joy yet?

We read in the Bible.  “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalms 16:11).  Not only is there joy in the presence of Jesus, we also have happiness when we know Him.  You may be saved but do you know Jesus?

Pastor Ira F. Stanphill wrote one of my favorite hymns about Jesus “Happiness Is The Lord”.  “Happiness is to know the Savior, Living a life within His favor, Having a change in my behavior-- Happiness is the Lord,”  To really know someone, we have to spend a lot of time with the person. 

How much time do we spend with Jesus?  If we spend more time watching television than we do with Jesus, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.  After all that our precious Saviour has done for us, He deserves to have first place in our heart, in our life and in our time.  Does He have first place?  

Joanne Lowe

March 9, 2017

HE WILL NEVER FAIL US

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV

There are times when we fail each other but it is always safe to trust Jesus because He will never fail us.  Arthur A. Luther wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus “Jesus Never Fails”.  These words touch my heart.  “Tho' the sky be dark and drear, Fierce and strong the gale, Just remember He is near, And He will not fail.”

It doesn’t matter how many times we have to go through dark valleys because Jesus will always be with us (Hebrews 13:5).  While it hurts us and breaks our heart when others fail us, what is even worse is when we hurt and fail Jesus.  He will always love us but we should do all we can do to make Him happy.

Are we failing Jesus?  Do we love others unconditionally as He has commanded us to love them or are we hurting Jesus and breaking His heart?  Can we honestly say we love everyone unconditionally all the time as Jesus loves us?  It doesn’t matter how many times we fail and hurt Jesus, He still loves us.

O that we will follow the examples Jesus has set for us and love others as He has commanded us to love them.  We can’t do it in our own strength; we need Jesus to help us.  When people hurt us and break our heart, let’s remember there are times we hurt Jesus and break His heart but He loves us and always will.    

Joanne Lowe

March 8, 2017