THE IMPORTANCE OF PASTORS

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

Romans 10:13-15
King James Version

I have said many times that I have the best Pastor in the world and it is true but is he perfect? No, he isn't perfect just like you and I aren't perfect but Pastor Davis loves Jesus and he loves the people in his congregation. I thank God for putting me under the leadership of Pastor Davis.

Pastors are very important because they not only preach and lead the people in their congregation, they also set the example of how to live for Jesus. It is very important and even urgent that we encourage and pray for our pastors and their families. One of my pastors said many times "Pray for my wife because when I am discouraged, God uses my wife to encourage me".

When people are sick and in the hospital, there are times when pastors have to get up in the middle of the night and go to the hospital to minister to them. Pastors sacrifice time with their families to encourage and minister to the people in their congregation. May God help us to be an encouragement to our pastors and their family.

Joanne Lowe
February 7, 2020

HE IS ALIVE

"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

Matthew 28:5, 6
King James Version

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote the beautiful hymn "Because He Lives". Jesus rose and He is alive. Sometimes we act like Jesus isn't alive but He is still alive. What a precious compassionate and loving Saviour we are privileged to know and have.  I love the words in this inspiring hymn and I'm so glad they are true. "God sent His son, they called Him Jesus He came to love, heal and forgive He lived and died to buy my pardon An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives."

Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for loving us so much You gave Your beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You walked that long lonely road to Calvary and allowed them to crucify You for our sins so we can be saved and live with You in Heaven for all eternity. I love You so much, dear Jesus. You are so precious to me and one day I will see You face to face. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 6, 2020

STOP IT

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

John 8:7
King James Version

If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus say to us "He that is without sins among you, let him first cast a stone at her". How dare you and I criticize, judge and condemn people? If you can say that you always love others unconditionally, you are not being honest with yourself. All of us, including me, get our feelings hurt and get upset with people when they hurt us.

There is only one Person Who has the right to get upset and His Name is Jesus. However, when we sin and hurt Him, He doesn't condemn us. He tells us not to sin again. "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:11). If Jesus forgives us for hurting Him and crucifying Him, how dare you and I refuse to forgive those who hurt us. May God have mercy on us.

Joanne Lowe
February 5, 2020

GIVE HIM PRAISE

"And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

Matthew 21:6-9
King James Version

Rev. John Mason Neale wrote a beautiful hymn praising our precious Saviour "All Glory, Laud and Honor". I love the words in this hymn. It is one of my favorite hymns. "All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. You are the King of Israel and David's royal Son, now in the Lord's name coming, the King and Blessed One."  Jesus deserves to be praised. He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! What a Saviour! What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth! 

Please lift your hands and voices and join me in praising the One Who loves you so much He died for you. All hail, King Jesus! Worthy is the Lamb of God! One day our loving Saviour is coming back for us and we will be with Him for all eternity. How I long for that happy day when I will see the One Who died for me face to face.

Joanne Lowe
February 4, 2020

NO MORE HEARTACHES

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Revelation 21:4
King James Version

Jim Hill wrote one of my favorite hymns "What A Day That Will Be". I love these words in this heart touching hymn. "What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace; When He takes me by the hand, And leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day that will be!"

Yes, one day there will be no more heartaches and we will be with Jesus forever. Jesus understands and knows how it feels when people say things about you that aren't true and they ridicule you and judge you. May God have mercy on people who are judgmental, criticizing and pointing the finger of guilt at others. One day God will judge them for judging us.

All of us would be wise if we would do what one of my pastors always told us. The pastor said many times in his sermons "If you would make sure your own heart is in right standing with God, you won't have the time to criticize and judge others". May God forgive us and have mercy on us for pointing the finger of guilt at someone when there are things in our heart that hurt God and break His heart.

If Jesus comes back for us today, will you be able to look Him in the eyes or will you have to hang your head in shame because there are things in your heart that hurt Him and break His heart? May God help all of us to love one another unconditionally just as Jesus loves us.

Joanne Lowe
February 3, 2020

TRUST

"Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."

Psalms 4:5
King James Version

When we need help, do we trust Jesus to help us? He has proved Himself to be a loving faithful and compassionate Saviour. It is always safe to trust Jesus because what He says, He will do.

Joanne Lowe
February 2, 2020

COMFORT

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God."

Isaiah 40:1
King James Version

We go to visit people in the hospital and nursing homes who are physically sick but how often do we go visit people who are hurting emotionally? The Bible makes it clear that God said to comfort His people when they are hurting. That includes people who are hurting emotionally as well as those who are sick physically.

When is the last time you picked up the telephone to call someone who needed comforting? When is the last time you mailed a letter or sent an email to someone who is hurting? Several years ago, I heard a woman say "After my husband died, people were so kind and comforting during the visitation and the funeral but a couple of weeks later when I felt so alone, nobody called me or came to see me.

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author, said on one of her teaching tapes "The people we sit next to in church look fine and they look darling, but inside they are hurting". Joyce has another tape called "Balcony People". On this tape she tells about being at an airport with a pastor's wife and the pastor's wife pointed to herself and said "Pastors and their wives need balcony people".

Are you a balcony person to your pastor and family? When is the last time you invited your pastor to dinner? Your pastor may not be able to come due to other commitments but just knowing you care enough to give an invitation to dinner would be an encouragement to your pastor.

It is very important and even urgent that we encourage our pastor. Several years ago, I received an email from a pastor who wrote "We were so excited when we were invited to come minister at this church. However, nobody has said anything encouraging to me. I feel like leaving my pulpit and stop being a pastor".

One day every person in that church who criticized and discouraged that pastor and family will stand before a Holy God and give an account of the way they treated the pastor and family. God makes it very clear that we are not to discourage and criticize our pastor. We read in the Bible "Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm" (1 Chronicles 16:22).

If you're not encouraging your pastor, become an encourager to your pastor. Not only will it make your pastor happy, it will also make Jesus happy. Making Jesus happy should be desire of every Christian. I praise God and thank Him for my Pastor. Pastor Davis really loves Jesus and he proves it not only by what his words but also by his actions.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every pastor who is preaching the good news of our risen Saviour. Please comfort them, encourage them and let them know how much You appreciate their service to You. I love You, Heavenly Father, and I appreciate all You have done for me. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Joanne Lowe

February 1, 2020