JESUS IS CALLING US

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

Isaiah 6:8 KJV

There are times when Jesus calls us to do something for Him and we either don’t respond or we don’t hear Him talking to us.  Jesus is asking us to tell people of His unconditional love.  We may not be called to be a missionary in a foreign country, but we can tell our loved ones, our friends, and our neighbors about the unconditional love of Jesus.

I think as Jesus said this, He said it with a heart filled with love and compassion for us.  I believe His heart was broken as He said this because He knows there are so many people who don’t believe that He loves them.  They may have accepted Him as their personal Saviour, but have never grasped in their hearts that He really does love them and cares about their happiness.

He calls us to turn off the television and pick up the telephone and tell someone who is lonely and hurting how much He loves them.  We will never be able to serve Him as He asks us to do unless we put Him first in every area of our lives.  Jesus is the Saviour of the world and He should come before our families, our loved ones and friends, and before every activity.  He deserves to have first place in our lives and to be given respect.

One day He called to us from an old rugged cross and said by His actions, I love you so much that I am willing to suffer this devastating heartache and agonizing pain.  Can you hear Him calling you to serve Him and tell others of His love?  Have you surrendered everything to Jesus, or are you holding back an area of your life that you aren’t willing to give up?

Joanne Lowe

July 5, 2017

HIS REDEEMING BLOOD

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

John 19:30 KJV

It doesn’t matter if we live in a free country because if we haven’t invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, we are not free.  It is only when the atoning cleansing redeeming blood of Jesus is applied to our heart for the forgiveness of our sins that we are free.  Thank God for the redeeming blood of Jesus.

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote a beautiful hymn about our Saviour “I’m Free”.  I love these words.  “So long I had searched for life’s meaning, Enslaved by the world and my greed; Then the door of the prison was opened by love, For the ransom was paid, I was freed.”  We have been set free by the redeeming blood of Jesus.

As we celebrate the 4^th of July, let us also remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross when He shed His blood for our sins.  I am so glad I live in a free country but what thrills my heart is to know that Jesus has set me free from the shackles and bondage of satan.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much You gave Your beloved Son to die for our sins.  Jesus, thank You for setting me free from the bondage of satan through Your cleansing redeeming blood.  I love You so much and I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 4, 2017

GARMENTS OF LOVE

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Isaiah 61:10 KJV

I have a beautiful purple robe that I bought several years ago.  It keeps me warm when the weather turns cold.  I have another robe and it is the robe of righteousness.  I also have the garment of salvation which Jesus gave me with His blood when He died for my sins on the cross.  Thank God for heavenly garments.

The beautiful robe I bought keeps me warm when the weather gets cold but only Jesus can warm our heart that gets cold when people say sarcastic and criticizing words that hurt us.  Jesus understands how we feel when we are criticized.  When He was here on earth, He endured rejection and criticism.

Are you wearing these garments of love?  Have you allowed God to clothe you with the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness?  If not, don’t wait.  Invite Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour.  He loves you so much He died for you.  Give your heart and life to Jesus today before it is too late!

Joanne Lowe

July 3, 2017

THE BODY AND HEART OF JESUS

“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:23,24 KJV

My sister gave me a beautiful figurine of Jesus which I had on my entertainment center.  One day I was cold so I put my sweater on and as I was walking from my office into the living room I didn’t realize how close I was to the entertainment center and my sweater hit the figurine and knocked it off and it broke. 

Even now, I have tears in my eyes as I tell you about it.  As I looked at the pieces of the broken figurine, our Scripture verses became so real to me.  Just as the figurine of Jesus broke into pieces when I knocked it off, so the body and heart of Jesus was broken on the cross of Calvary for you and for me.

What a compassionate and matchless love Jesus has for you and for me.  Our family and our friends love us but nobody loves us like Jesus loves us and no one ever will.  Jesus loves us unconditionally.  There is nothing or nobody that will ever take His love from us.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39).

Joanne Lowe

July 2, 2017

HOW IT MUST HURT GOD

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Genesis 1:1 KJV

How it must hurt God and break His heart to see the things we do to the earth He created.  When God created the earth everything was beautiful.  People throw things out their car window on the highway as they are driving.  People throw their cigarettes on the ground and they also spit on the ground.

Not only are we hurting God by the things we do to the earth, we also hurting Him by the things we do and say.  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27).  When we say cruel words and do mean things to one another, it hurts God.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for hurting You and for sometimes being hateful and saying cruel words to one another.  You are a compassionate tender loving Father.  Please help us to love one another unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 1, 2017

NOT ENOUGH WORDS

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

John 21:25 KJV

Not only is it impossible to write all the books that should be written about our precious Saviour, it is also impossible to tell you all that He has done for me.  He not only died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, He also came to me when I couldn’t go to Him.

Many years ago as I was lying under a bed in a mental hospital where I had crawled because I was afraid of everyone and everything and hated everyone, Jesus came to me.  He put His arms of compassion and unconditional love around me and lifted me up from under that bed.  What a precious Saviour!

Jesus told me He loved me.  No one had ever told me they loved me.  I have tears rolling down my cheeks as I am typing this devotion.  I know He loves you but when I think about Jesus, the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” loving me, my heart is filled with gratitude and love for Him.

Squire Parsons wrote the beautiful inspiring hymn “He Came To Me”.  “He came to me, O, He came to me.  When I could not come to where He was, He came to me.  That's why He died on Calvary, When I could not come to where He was, He came to me.”  Do you know this beautiful Saviour?  O how I love Jesus!

Joanne Lowe

June 30, 2017

THE KING OF KINGS

“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 19:16 KJV

If ever someone deserves to be honored and respected, it is Jesus the “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS”.  What brings tears of happiness to my eyes is to know that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!  What a glorious happy day that is going to be.

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10,11).  Jesus is finally going to get the respect He so richly deserves.

Do you realize that it is a privilege just to say His lovely Name?  Think about it, the “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” walked that long lonely road to Calvary and there allowed them to crucify Him for your sins and for my sins.  Even while hanging on the cross in agony and pain, He thought about us.

What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  He is a Friend beyond compare and He loves us.  Has it gone from head knowledge to heart knowledge that the Saviour of the world loves you and that He loves you unconditionally?  There is no greater love than the love of Jesus.

If you will look with the eyes of your heart, you will see every person in the world bowing to Jesus and confessing with a loud voice that Jesus Christ is truly Lord.  What a joyous day that is going to be.  How I long to see my precious Saviour face to face.  I will be with Him for all eternity.  Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

June 29, 2017