WHEN TEMPTATION COMES

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV

Horatio Richmond Palmer wrote a hymn that is one of my favorite hymns “Yield Not To Temptation” The words in this hymn are so true.  “Ask the Savior to help you, Comfort, strengthen and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through.”  All of us need Jesus when temptation comes.

We serve a loving and faithful Saviour.  When we are going through a dark valley and satan tempts us to do something we know we shouldn’t do, we need to cry out to Jesus and ask Him to help us.  He will carry us through all the dark valleys and will set us once again on the mountain top of happiness.

We can’t make it in this world without Jesus.  This world is filled with violence and hatred.  We need Jesus every minute of every day.  Pastor George Orlia Webster wrote a beautiful hymn “I Need Jesus”.  We really do need Jesus because it is true that we can’t make it in this world without Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to us not only to be our Saviour but also to help us through this life.  Jesus, thank You for loving us unconditionally and for helping us when we are tempted to do something we shouldn’t do.  We need You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 30, 2015

THEY ARE PERFECT

“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Matthew 5:46-48 KJV

We are not perfect but we should strive to be perfect in our love for others.  God and Jesus are perfect.  We should love the ones who hurt us just as They love us.  We would be in serious trouble if They didn’t love us when we fail Them and hurt Them.  Thank God that They do love us unconditionally.

Loving one another is not an option; it is a commandment from Jesus.  “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:12-14).

Yes, They are perfect and we should do our best to love others unconditionally as we have been commanded to love.  Can we honestly say that we always love one another unconditionally?  May God help us to love one another unconditionally and be an encouragement to each other.

Heavenly Father, we need Your help.  Please help us to love one another unconditionally.  We can’t do it without Your help.  Thank You for loving us and for being a compassionate loving and forgiving Father.  I love You, dear Father and I appreciate all You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 29, 2015

    

A NEW LIFE

“Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”

Psalm 30:10-12 KJV

Many years ago when I lived in Texas my pastor preached a sermon about flying higher than a kite.  Pastor Jim said “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start bragging on Jesus”.  I was not serving Jesus at that time so I didn’t know what the pastor was talking about.  I was not flying.  In fact, I was unhappy.

When I started serving Jesus, my life changed.  Even in the midst of heartaches, I was happy.  It is true that when we serve Jesus, we do fly higher than a kite.  There are times when I get so happy and excited that I have to think about something sad because I feel like I am going to explode with happiness.

If you want to have a new life, a life that is filled with joy, happiness and peace, start serving Jesus.  You don’t have to go to another country to serve Jesus.  You can serve Him where you live.  You can also send an encouraging email to someone and you can call people and tell them Jesus loves them.

For over forty years, I went through a crippling depression.  I didn’t talk to anyone.  When Jesus told me He loves me, I was so happy.  It was the first time anyone had ever said to me “I love you, Joanne”.  Jesus not only told me He loves me, He also gave me a new life, a life that is filled with joy, peace and happiness.

Joanne Lowe

June 28, 2015

DON’T PLAY FAVORITES

“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.”

Genesis 37:3-5 KJV

If we will read the story of Joseph, we will understand that we shouldn’t play favorites with our children.  Israel caused a lot of problems between Joseph and his brothers.  The brothers were upset and jealous because their father made Joseph a coat of many colours and didn’t make them a coat.

A mother was talking to one of her daughters and said “I don’t understand why you don’t like my good daughter”.  What the mother was saying to her daughter was she loved her sister more than she loved her.  How that must have hurt her and broke her heart because she believed her mother didn’t love her.

Not only should we not play favorites, we should be a Joseph because in the end Joseph forgave his brothers even after everything they did to him.  What a beautiful reminder that God forgives us even after the things we do that hurt Him and break His heart.  We have a loving forgiving Heavenly Father.

Joseph forgave his brothers and he also kissed them to prove to them he had forgiven them.  “And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.  Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him” (Genesis 45:14,15).

Joanne Lowe

June 27, 2015

  

VALLEY OF DESPAIR AND HEARTACHE

“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait upon the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Psalm 27:11-14 KJV

If you have ever been in the valley of despair and heartache, then you understand when other people are brokenhearted and hurting as they are going through the valley.  I’ve been in that valley many times in my life so I understand how it feels.  However, no one understands how it feels like Jesus.

Jesus understands how we feel and how much it hurts.  He feels our pain and He longs to dry our tears with tender kisses.  Not only was Jesus beaten beyond recognition, cursed, spat on, mocked and ridiculed, He also felt betrayed and all alone.  When He was hanging on the cross, Jesus was totally alone.

Our Heavenly Father is a Holy God and He can’t look at sin so when His beloved Son was hanging on that cruel cross bleeding and dying for our sins, God couldn’t look at Jesus.  I believe it broke the heart of God when He had to turn away from Jesus.  God cried because His Son had been beaten and was dying.

If you are going through the valley of despair and heartache, cry out to God and He will be faithful to comfort and encourage you.  What a compassionate loving Heavenly Father we are privileged to know and have.  I love You, dear Father.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 26, 2015

WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Jeremiah 31:3 KJV

One of the definitions that I found for everlasting in Webster’s Dictionary is “existing or continuing without end”.  Has it gone from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus, the Saviour of the world, not only loves you, He loves you with an everlasting love?  He loves you and He will love you forever.

You might wonder why I write so much about the love of Jesus in my devotions.  It is because love, unconditional love that comes from the heart of Jesus is the only thing that will get us through this world of hatred and violence.  Until we grasp in our heart how much Jesus loves us, we will never be happy.

Some people think that sex is love but it isn’t.  I wonder how many times men have said to someone “If you love me, you would go all the way with me”.  That is a lie straight from the pits of hell.  Unless we love someone unconditionally and from the depths of our heart, it is not real love.  It is just a physical act.

Heavenly Father, we’re sorry for the times we hurt You when we don’t love one another unconditionally.  Thank You for giving Jesus to us to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus, I appreciate You and I love You with all my heart.  How I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 25, 2015

GOD LOVES US

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Psalm 103:8-12 KJV

What a comfort and healing balm it is to our weary battle scarred heart to know that not only does God love us, He also loves us unconditionally.  Our Heavenly Father is a compassionate tender and forgiving Father.  O how He loves you and me!  What a privilege it is to be loved by our Heavenly Father.

I am so glad that when God forgives us He never holds our sins against us again.  When someone hurts us, we need to forgive them and then forget about what they did just as God forgives us.  How dare you and I go to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to forgive us if we aren’t willing to forgive those who hurt us?

None of us are perfect.  There was only one perfect person who ever lived or ever will live and His Name is Jesus.  I heard someone say “hurting people hurt people”.  Instead of us saying or doing something to hurt those who hurt us let’s love them unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to do.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not always loving others unconditionally.  Thank You for loving us unconditionally even when we fail You and hurt You.  May we be children who make You happy instead of children who hurt You and break Your heart.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.      

Joanne Lowe

June 24, 2015

DO WE HEAR HIS VOICE

“OUT of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.  Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.  I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”

Psalm 130:1-5 KJV

We want God to hear our voice when we pray but do we hear His voice when He asks us to do something for Him?  If we will listen with our heart, we will hear God asking us to serve His Son.  Are we serving Jesus?  If we are serving Him, do we serve Him all the time or just when it is convenient for us?

I don’t think it was convenient for Jesus to leave His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  However, Jesus willingly came to earth because He wanted to fulfill the mission His Father had given Him.  Jesus left everything He had because He loves us.

We say that we love Jesus but what are we doing to prove to Him that we love Him?  Are we willing to shut off the television, get out of our comfort zone and spread the unconditional love of Jesus to everyone we meet?  There are many people who are hurting and are discouraged and brokenhearted.

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author, said on one of her teaching tapes that the people we sit next to in church look fine and darling but inside they are hurting.  May God help us to love people unconditionally as Jesus has told us to do and also be an encouragement to one another.

Joanne Lowe

June 23, 2015

HE WILL GIVE US REST

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 KJV

Jesus won the war over evil and satan when He defeated satan on the cross.  However, we are still in a battle and we must stand firm and not let satan discourage us so much that we stop serving Jesus.  It makes satan very angry when we serve Jesus and he will do his best to stop us from serving Jesus.

I have received several emails from people who wrote and told me that they are tired and feel like giving up because satan has caused problems and lied to them.  We must stay on the battle field for Jesus.  Are you weary of being on guard against satan and his vicious attacks?  Tell Jesus, He will help you.

Jesus knows how it feels to be weary and tired and He also knows how it feels to be tempted by satan.  Jesus did not give in to temptation and sin when satan was tempting Him.  It’s not a sin to be tempted, it only becomes sin when we give in and do what we know is wrong.  It also hurts God and breaks His heart.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who is weary and tired.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have comforted and encouraged me so many times.  Jesus, please pick them up and carry them through the dark valley and set them once again on the mountain top of happiness.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 22, 2015

OUR PRECIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER

“Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!”

Psalm 71:19 KJV

We may have who we consider to be the best dad in the world.  However, as our Scripture verse tells us there is no one like our precious Heavenly Father.  As kind and loving as our dads can be toward us, it is nothing compared to the way our Heavenly Father loves us, takes care of us and protects us.

God wants us to share what is in our heart with Him.  He already knows but He wants us to come to Him like little children and allow Him to comfort and encourage us.  God is never too busy to listen to us.  I believe that there are times when we hurt Him and break His heart because we don’t talk to Him.

Do you realize how much God loves us?  He loves us so much He gave His own beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.  I have said this many times and I will say it until the day I die.  Nobody loves us like God and Jesus love us.  They love us unconditionally and they will love us for all eternity.

The best gift we can give God on Father’s Day is to serve His Son and tell everyone we see that Jesus loves them so much He died for their sins.  To do this, we will have to shut off the television set and get out of our comfort zones.  Are you willing to spread the unconditional love of Jesus to everyone?

Heavenly Father, Happy Father’s Day!  I pray that You will have the best Father’s Day You have ever had.  Thank You for being my Father, for loving me unconditionally and for adopting me into Your family.  I love You with all of my heart and I appreciate all that You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 21, 2015

JESUS LOVE LITTLE CHILDREN

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Matthew 18:2-6 KJV

I am so glad that Jesus loves children.  He is very protective of our children.  When Jesus sees someone abusing children, it upsets Him and makes Him very angry.  It also hurts Jesus and breaks His heart to see children mistreated.  O that we would love our children unconditionally just as Jesus loves them.

Do we love our children?  If so, what are we doing to prove to them that we love them?  Do we take the time to sit down with them and talk to them or do we watch television without saying anything to our children?  Someone said “I would rather watch television than talk to my kids”.  How that must hurt Jesus.

Several years ago I was really excited about something and I wanted to share it with my Mother.  However, she was watching a baseball game on television and said to me “I don’t want to talk; I want to watch this game”.  It hurt me and broke my heart when she said that to me.

May God help us to be kind and loving to our children and take the time to listen to them and allow them to share with us.  I am so glad to know that Jesus loves our children.

Joanne Lowe

June 20, 2015 

LIFE IS A ROLLER COASTER

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Psalm 27:13,14 KJV

Have you ever had a day or a week when everything seems to be going good with no crises or problems when all of a sudden without any warning, satan attacked you?  Life is a roller coaster because we can be happy one minute and devastated the next minute because of satan and his vicious lies.

We don’t have to go through these valleys alone because Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us.  “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). 

We can depend on Jesus to keep His Word because He does not lie.  What He says, He will do.  When satan attacks us we need to immediately cry out to Jesus and ask Him to help us.  Not only will He help us, He will also pick us up and carry us through the valley as He dries our tears with tender loving kisses.

May God help us to be encouragers to one another instead of causing conflict and problems.  Are we encouraging our family and friends or are we causing problems?  Kurt Kaiser wrote “Pass It On”.  It is about passing on God’s love to one another.  Are we passing on God’s love to everyone we see?

Heavenly Father, please help us to encourage one another because all of us need encouragement.  Thank You for being a faithful and protective Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 19, 2015 

A BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION

“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  And he arose, and came to his father.  But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put in on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost and is found.  And they began to be merry.”

Luke 15:18-24 KJV

This is one of the most beautiful illustrations in the Bible because it describes the unconditional love and forgiveness that our Heavenly Father has for us when we fail Him and hurt Him.  O that we as parents would love our children like God loves us that when our children hurt us we would forgive them.

It is true that we need to correct our children when they need it.  However, if we don’t tell our children we still love them when we have to punish them like God tells us He still loves us when we hurt Him and disobey Him then our children will probably think that we don’t love them anymore. 

Years ago, when I worked in a nursing home, I heard some of the residents talking about when they were children and their parents took them out to the woodshed to spank them.  God has had to take me out to His woodshed several times and correct me but He always reassured me that He still loves me.

Joanne Lowe

June 18, 2015

OUR LOVING AND BEAUTIFUL ROSE

“I AM the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”

Song of Solomon 2:1 KJV

Jesus, our loving and beautiful Rose not only has a pleasant scent, He is beautiful.  I love roses and a red rose is my favorite rose because it reminds me of the unconditional love Jesus has for us when He shed His precious blood for us on the cross so we can be saved.  Indeed, He is a beautiful and loving Saviour.

What an unconditional love for us flowed from the heart of Jesus when He walked that long lonely road to Calvary and there allowed them to crucify Him for our sins.  Our family and our friends love us but nobody loves us like Jesus and our Heavenly Father love us and no one ever will.  O how I love Jesus!

All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!  One glorious day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.  Jesus will finally get the praise and honor that He so richly deserves.  If ever someone deserves to be praised and honored, it is Jesus!

There have been times I have smelled something sweet in my home and I didn’t have any flowers in the house when I smelled the fragrance.  It was the fragrance of Jesus I smelled in my home.  It was a reminder to me of the beauty and fragrance of Jesus, our loving and beautiful Rose and His unconditional love.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your beloved Son to die on the cross so we can be saved.  Jesus, You are so precious to me.  I love You with all my heart.  How I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  Thank You for loving me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 17, 2015

HE IS ALWAYS WITH US

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”

Exodus 13:21,22 KJV

Rev. William Charles Poole wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus “Just When I Need Him Most”.  I am so thankful these words are true.  “Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong, Bearing my burdens all the day long; For all my sorrows giving a song; Just when I need Him most.”  Our Saviour is so faithful to help us.

We know that He is always with us because He has proved His faithfulness to us.  What about us?  Are we faithful to Him?  Jesus never leaves us but I wonder if we leave Him.  Are we listening for His call?  He may not call us to go to a different country to serve Him but He calls everyone to serve Him.

You may think you can’t serve Him because you don’t have any talent.  However, all of us can smile and tell people how much Jesus loves them.  It’s very important that we witness to people but the most important thing we need to do is tell them how much Jesus loves them.

Are we proving to people how much Jesus loves them by our kind and loving words and our actions?  May God help each one of us to point others to Jesus by the way we live and the things we say.  I want people to see Jesus in my smiles and hear His unconditional love for them by my kind and loving words.

Joanne Lowe

June 16, 2015

HE WILL DELIVER US

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Psalm 50:14,15 KJV

Our family, our friends and our loved ones can encourage us and pray for us when we are in trouble but only God can deliver us.  God is so faithful to protect us and deliver us.  How faithful are we to Him?  After He delivers us from harm and out of a difficult situation, do we thank Him and praise Him?

I read about someone who had prayed for her child every day for over thirty years to be saved.  The day her child accepted Jesus as personal Saviour, the mother thanked God and never mentioned it again and yet she had prayed every day for over thirty years.  How that must have hurt God and broke His heart.

I think there are times when we put God on a shelf and only take Him down when we need Him.  God is not a puppet.  He is a Holy God and He is to be respected, adored and glorified.  Why is it that we can find time to pray for something we want but we are too busy to thank Him for His deliverance and kindness to us?

If we are too busy to thank and praise God for all He does for us, we are too busy and we need to rearrange our schedule so He comes first in our heart and life.  I believe God delivers us from danger when we aren’t even aware we are in trouble.  We have a compassionate Heavenly Father Who loves us unconditionally.

Heavenly Father, You are so faithful to protect us.  Thank You for loving us even when we fail You and hurt You.  I pray we will be children who make You happy instead of children who hurt You and make You sad.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 15, 2015

A NEW HEART

“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Ezekiel 36:25-27 KJV

For over forty years, I was in the darkness of a devastating crippling depression.  I hated everyone and didn’t trust anybody and had no desire to live.  I even tried to commit suicide and when that failed, I thought that I couldn’t do anything right and didn’t deserve to live.

One day as I was lying under a bed in a mental hospital, Jesus put His arms of love around me and lifted me up from under that bed.  He said “I love you, Joanne.  It’s safe for you to come out from under this bed.  I won’t let anyone hurt you again”.  That was the first time anyone had said to me “I love you, Joanne.”

I can’t put into words the happiness and joy I felt when Jesus told me He loves me.  Jesus took the stony heart out of my flesh and gave me an heart of flesh.  He took away the hatred, the bitterness and the resentment that I had in my heart and gave me a new heart, a heart of love and compassion for others. 

This verse describes how I feel now.  “Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased” (Psalm 4:8).  O how I love Jesus!!  He is the breath I take, the reason I get out of bed and the joy of my heart.  How I long for the day when I will see Him face to face.

Joanne Lowe

June 14, 2015

HIS PRECIOUS FACE

“But he held his peace, and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?  And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14:61-62 KJV

Carrie Elizabeth Ellis Breck wrote one of the most beautiful and inspiring hymns I have ever heard “Face to Face with Christ, my Savior”.  Every time I sing this or hear a choir sing it, I feel like shouting with joy to know that one day I will see His precious face.  What rejoicing there is going to be on that day.

These words bring happiness and joy to my heart and I am filled with awe to know that one day I will see my precious Saviour face to face.  “Face to face I shall behold Him, Far beyond the starry sky; Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!”  Are you ready to meet Him when He comes back for us?

I was born July 7^th, 1943 but I invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour on August 14, 1980 so August 14^th is my spiritual birthday.  We used to sing this chorus when I was in Sunday school.  “Happy birthday to you.  Happy birthday to you.  Born again means salvation.  How many have you?”

Are you going to see His precious face when He comes back for us?  If you have never invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, I urge you to give your heart to Jesus before it is too late.  Open the door of your heart and invite Jesus into your heart right now.  It will be the happiest day of your life.

Joanne Lowe

June 13, 2015

NO MATTER WHAT WE DO

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Jeremiah 31:3 KJV

Have you ever heard someone say “I wash my hands of you”?  No matter what we do Jesus loves us and He will always love us.  He tells us that He loves us with an everlasting love.  Knowing that He will always love us unconditionally should make us want to serve Him with all of our heart and with all of our time.

The love that Jesus has for you and for me is an unconditional love.  Our love for one another is sometimes conditional.  A wife said to her husband “If you really love me, you would do what I ask you to do”.  I’m so glad that Jesus loves us unconditionally and will always love us unconditionally.

Just as Jesus loves us unconditionally no matter what we do, we should also love our children unconditionally.  There are many children who don’t live in a home.  A home is where there is love.  In many families, there is no love.  There is just fighting, cussing and hatred which makes it a house, not a home.

May God help us to spread the love of Jesus by loving our children and one another unconditionally just as Jesus has commanded us to love one another.  We need to remember that nobody is perfect and that includes us.  If we want people to love us unconditionally, we should love others unconditionally.

Heavenly Father, we need Your help.  Please help us to love one another unconditionally.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  Thank You for the many times You have comforted me and encouraged me.  I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 12, 2015

NO MORE CRYING

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  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 21:3,4 KJV

One day God Himself is going to wipe the tears from our eyes and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain.  I believe God is going to wipe away our tears with tender compassionate kisses of love.  Just think about it, there will be no more pain or death.  O how He loves us!

If you are sad and brokenhearted and feel like you can’t give another smile or go another mile, know that one day your Heavenly Father will not only comfort and encourage you, He will also dry your tears with tender and loving kisses.  Allow Him to rock you in His arms of unconditional love.

All of us need to be encouraged and comforted.  If our precious Saviour needed to be encouraged and comforted when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, then you and I also need to be comforted and encouraged.  May God help us to be a comfort to one another just as God comforts us.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for being loving, compassionate and forgiving.  When I think about You wiping my tears away, my heart overflows with love for You.  You have been so faithful to comfort and encourage me and I love You with all my heart.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 11, 2015

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME

“O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.”

Psalm 107:1-3 KJV

Years ago when the pastor would ask for testimonies, I did not give my testimony.  How I must have hurt Jesus and broke His heart.  However, before you judge me when was the last time you gave your testimony?  Someone asked me why I didn’t give my testimony.  It is because I hadn’t fallen in love with Jesus.

A person can have their sins forgiven and be assured of a home in Heaven and not love Jesus.  The more I studied my Bible and realized how much Jesus has done for me and how much He does for me every day and that He loves me unconditionally, I fell deeply in love with my precious Saviour.

When I think of Jesus suffering and dying on the cross because of my sins, I wonder why He loves me so much that He would allow them to crucify Him.  It is because not only does Jesus give us love, He is love.  If anyone ever asks you who Jesus is, tell them He is love and that He loves them unconditionally.

For many years, I was in a crippling and devastating depression and one wonderful day Jesus put His arms of love around me and said four words I had never heard from anyone.  Jesus said “I love you, Joanne”.  Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge how much Jesus loves you?

Joanne Lowe

June 10, 2015

ARE WE WAITING

“Hast thou not known?  hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?  there is no searching of his understanding.  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:28-31 KJV

I think there are times when we create our own problems because we don’t wait for the LORD.  It was very hard for me to learn to wait for Him because I was the kind of person when I decided I wanted something, I wanted it then.  God has helped me and I’m learning to wait for Him.

Jesus has already told us that without Him we can’t do anything so we already know that we need Jesus.  Not only do we need Jesus every minute of the day, I believe that it hurts Him when we ignore Him and try to do things on our own.  What we’re saying to Him is we don’t trust You to help us.

Are we waiting for Him or do we still try to do things without Him?  It hasn’t worked and it never will work.  We need Jesus every day and every hour.  Without Jesus, I can’t even get out of bed.  I need His strength, His comfort and His encouragement.  O how He loves us and one day He’s coming back for us.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for trying to do things on our own.  Teach us to wait.  You have encouraged me and comforted me as You tenderly dried my tears with compassionate kisses.  Thank You for loving me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 9, 2015

IS IT OKAY WITH YOU

“Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.”

Proverbs 22:24,25 KJV

We should get our Heavenly Father’s permission for everything we do.  It is especially important to get His permission when choosing close friends because it only takes one person to lead us astray.  I am very selective when I choose close friends.  A person can be saved and not love Jesus.

I am friendly to everyone but unless God tells me it is okay to be a close friend to someone, I pray for the person but I don’t spend much time with that person.  I asked God how I will know it is okay to be a close friend to someone and He gave me the answer in the Bible.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” (Galatians 5:22).  If a person loves Jesus, we will know it by their actions and their kind and loving words.  What about us?  Do people know how much we love Jesus by our actions and our words?

Friendship is like a marriage as it must be worked at by both people.  One of the things I have never understood is people who give gifts to their loved ones at Christmas or on their birthdays but never contact them the rest of the year.  How that must hurt Jesus and break His heart.

If Jesus didn’t tell me every day that He loves me, it would break my heart but He does tell us every day.  We can listen with our heart day or night and we will hear Jesus say to us “I love you”.  What a privilege is ours to be loved by the Saviour of the world.

Joanne Lowe

June 8, 2015

A LEGACY OF PEACE

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.  If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.  And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”

John 14:27-29 KJV

A mother said to her daughter “I have been saving money for years when your sister and brother sent me checks”.  The daughter asked her mother why she had been saving all that money.  The mother replied “Because if I don’t leave you and your sister and brother money when I die, I have failed you”.

I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that having money is not the answer.  It’s nice to have it and we do need it to pay our bills and buy the things our children need.  However, that doesn’t prove we love our children.  What our children need is unconditional love and peace in our home.

There are children who run and hide when they hear their parents argue because they are afraid of the yelling and violence.  If we want our children to know we love them, we need to love them unconditionally just as our Heavenly Father loves us.  God loves us even when we hurt Him and fail Him.

We can leave our children material things but if we haven’t left them a legacy of peace and unconditional love, not only have we failed our children, we have hurt our precious Saviour.  Jesus loves children very much and it not only hurts Him when we mistreat our children it also upsets Him (Mark 10:14).

Joanne Lowe

June 7, 2015

BECAUSE OF HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16 KJV

A teenage boy was talking to a man who loved his mother.  The boy asked the man if he was going to ask his mother to marry him.  The man said “You don’t understand. There are problems.”  The boy rolled his eyes as he said to the man “My mother loves you and you love her.  That’s all that matters.”

When we hurt God as we all do, I believe if we will look with the eyes of our heart we will see God rolling His eyes and hear Him saying to us “I love you unconditionally and I always will.”  Just as children are sometimes disobedient to their parents, we are sometimes disobedient to God but He still loves us.

Why did God give Jesus to die for our sins?  It is because of His unconditional love for us.  God loves us even when we hurt Him and disobey Him.  His love for us is an unconditional love.  God loves us now and He will love us for all eternity.  There is nothing we could ever do that would make Him stop loving us.

When we doubt His unconditional love for us, I believe it hurts Him and breaks His heart.  There is nothing more that He can do to prove to us how much He loves us.  God gave His only Son to die for us because He loves us so much.  It is the precious cleansing blood of Jesus that assures us of a home in Heaven.

Heavenly Father, I love You and appreciate You.  Thank You for adopting me and for the privilege of serving Your beloved Son.  Jesus, I love You with all my heart.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  Thank You for comforting me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 6, 2015

TEARS OF LOVE

“Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.  But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.”

John 19:32-34 KJV

When Jesus was beaten beyond recognition, tortured, cursed, mocked, spat on, ridiculed and rejected, it broke God’s heart and He cried.  The tears God shed for His beloved Son were tears of love.  Just as God cried for His Son, God also cries tears of love for us when we are hurting and brokenhearted.

God really loves us and He cares about us.  He loves us so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for us so we can have our sins forgiven and go to Heaven.  Yes, God sheds tears of love for you and for me.  What unconditional love flowed from the heart of God when He gave His Son to die for us.

We know how much God loves us but does He know how much we love Him?  What are we doing for God to prove to Him we love Him?  If we want to make God happy, we will serve His Son.  Jesus left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth on the mission God gave Him.  Again, what are we doing?

Heavenly Father, how it must hurt You and break Your heart when people reject Your Son.  I pray for every person who has never opened their heart to Jesus.  May today be the day they invite Jesus into their heart.  Thank You for loving us and for sharing Jesus with us.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 5, 2015

ONLY HIS BLOOD

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.  Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen.”

Revelation 1:5,6 KJV

Pastor Robert Lowry wrote one of my favorite hymns “Nothing But the Blood”.  It is so true that nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sins and make us whole.  It is only His blood, the precious atoning blood of Jesus that can cleanse us from our sins and assure of a home in Heaven for eternity.

There are times when hospitals run short of blood and ask for donors.  Thank God that people do donate their blood which helps the doctors when they are treating people.  However, blood from these donors can’t save us from our sins.  We must have the cleansing blood of Jesus in our heart to be saved.

Have you allowed Jesus to wash you in His cleansing atoning blood?  If not, I urge you to open the door of your heart to Jesus and let Him come into your heart.  He will not only cleanse you, He will be the dearest Friend you will ever have.  Also, He will never leave you, not even for a minute.

I dearly love my family and my friends, but it is only when I am in the presence of Jesus that I have the fulness of joy.  O how I love Jesus!  Without Jesus in my heart, I would just exist.  For many years I experienced a crippling depression but now thanks to Jesus, I am happy.

Joanne Lowe

June 4, 2015

JESUS HAS COMMANDED US

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

John 13:34,35 KJV

I don’t like hearing the news because all I hear is negative and judgmental news.  It hurts Jesus when we constantly judge each other.  Jesus has commanded us to love one another.  Jesus didn’t give us an option about loving.  He didn’t say He wished we loved one another, He said that it is His commandment.

The thing that disturbs me so much is when they constantly talk about homosexuals. The Bible makes it very clear that it is a sin.  The Bible also makes it very clear that telling lies is a sin.  We are the ones who put labels on sin and say that one sin is worse than another sin.  To God, sin is sin.

In Matthew 7:1-5, we read that we are not to judge one another.  I have heard sermons about homosexuals but I have never heard a sermon about liars.  The sin of homosexuality stinks in the nostrils of God but so does the sin of lying.  Instead of judging and condemning them, we need to pray for them.

Many years ago, someone emailed me and wrote “Is it true that Jesus hates homosexuals?”  I emailed the person back and wrote “Jesus loves everyone but He doesn’t love the sin.  He loves you as much as He loves me or anyone else.  Jesus doesn’t play favorites.”

Let’s start loving each other unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love one another and pray that we won’t do things and say words that hurt Jesus and break His heart.   

Joanne Lowe

June 3, 2015         

SECURE IN HIS LOVE

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved 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 8:37-39 KJV

Have you ever heard someone say “he broke us up by the lies he told”?  We never have to worry about someone or something taking the love of God from us because we are secure in His love for us.  What a healing balm it is to our weary and battle scarred heart to know that God will love us for all eternity.

Sometimes people worry that someone doesn’t really love them but God proved how much He loves us when He gave His beloved Son to die for our sins on the cross.  Our precious Saviour proved how much He loves us when He walked that long lonely road to Calvary and allowed them to crucify Him for us.

If you ever doubt that Jesus loves you, remember the cross and the pain, the agony, the heartache and the excruciating pain Jesus suffered and endured for us when He hung on the cross.  He was spat on, cursed, mocked and beaten beyond recognition because He loves you so much.

We sing the hymn that Evangelist Judson W. Van Deventer wrote “I Surrender All”.  Can we honestly say that we have surrendered all?  Is Jesus the Lord of our life?  May God help us to do all we can do to make Jesus happy.  If ever someone deserves to be happy, it is Jesus, our beautiful Saviour.”

Joanne Lowe

June 2, 2015

DO WE LOVE THEM

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  do not even the publicans the same?”

Matthew 5:43-46 KJV

Jesus has told us to love our enemies.  Do we love them?  It is very difficult to love someone who is cursing us, making fun of us and telling lies about us.  Yet, that is exactly what they did to Jesus and He still loved them.  We need to follow His example and love those who hurt us.

Why does Jesus still love us when we do things and say words that hurt Him and break His heart?  It is because not only does Jesus love us unconditionally, He is love.  If someone asks you who Jesus is, tell the person that Jesus not only gives love, He is love.  Jesus will love us forever even when we hurt Him.

We can’t love people in our own strength.  We need to ask Jesus for help because He has told us we can’t do anything without Him.  We read in the Bible.  “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love.  Jesus, thank You for loving us and dying for us.  We need You to help us so that we will love one another unconditionally as You have commanded us to love each other.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 1, 2015