ARE WE READY

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Matthew 24:42 KJV

We might have a will so our family will know what we want when we die but are we ready to meet Jesus?  When He comes back for us we aren’t going to have time to get our heart ready.  It is very important that we keep our heart in good standing with God so we will be ready when Jesus comes back.

John W. Peterson wrote a beautiful hymn “Jesus Is Coming Again”.  The words in this hymn bring tears of happiness and joy to my heart.  “Marvelous message we bring, Glorious carol we sing, Wonderful word of the King, Jesus is coming again!”  I wrote about this hymn yesterday because I love it so much.

Again, are we ready to meet Jesus?  Have we allowed God to search our heart so we know what we are doing that hurts Him?  How about you?  Are you ready to meet Jesus if He should come back while you are reading this?  May God help us to forgive those who have hurt us just as Jesus forgives us.

Heavenly Father, I love You so much.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family and for giving me the privilege of serving Jesus.  Please search my heart and if there is anything that hurts You, I’m sorry.  Please reveal it to me so I can repent and get my heart right with You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 30, 2015

A HAPPY DAY

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 KJV

John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful inspiring hymn “Jesus Is Coming Again”.  I love these words.  “Marvelous message we bring, Glorious carol we sing, Wonderful word of the King, Jesus is coming again!”  We may have happy days but none of those days will equal our happiness when Jesus comes back for us.

One day Jesus will get the praise that He so richly deserves.  “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).

Think about it!  We are going to see Jesus, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS face to face and we will be with Him forever.  Not only will we be with Him, we will also be with our loved ones who have died and we won’t ever have to say goodbye again.  How I long for that day.

My Mother died on Christmas Day and it broke my heart.  I wasn’t looking forward to the next Christmas, and then I realized that I could give my Mother to Jesus for a birthday present.  No, I did not want to say goodbye to my Mother.  I miss her a lot but I know she is with Jesus and she will have no more pain.  

Joanne Lowe

November 29, 2015

PLEASE HUG ME

“COMFORT ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.”

Isaiah 40:1 KJV

Everyone needs to be hugged even if they won’t admit it.  The person who says he or she doesn’t need anyone or anything is not being truthful.  Even Jesus needed friends.  When a baby is born, he or she cries and the mother holds the baby close to her heart and hugs and comforts the baby.

Have you ever had a day when it felt like everything was going wrong and you desperately needed a hug?  I have had days like that but I didn’t want to tell anyone I needed a hug.  God tells us to comfort His people.  How do we comfort people?  We comfort them by loving them unconditionally and by our hugs.

Sometimes we need to talk to someone but it is the middle of the night and we don’t want to call.  Our Heavenly Father never sleeps.  We can call Him day or night and we won’t wake Him because He is waiting for our call.  “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).

Have there been times when you wanted your children to talk to you but they were playing games on the computer or watching television?  God wants us to talk to Him but there are times when we are too busy doing the things we want to do.  If we are too busy to talk to God, we are too busy and we are hurting Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for all the times You have hugged me and comforted me.  Please help us to be comforters to one another and to love each other unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love.  I love You, dear Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 28, 2015

NOT ONLY 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

Jesus is not only the way to our Heavenly Father, He is also the way to joy and happiness.  “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).  Jesus wants us to have a happy and victorious life.

Eugene Bartlett wrote the beautiful inspiring hymn “Victory In Jesus”.  There is victory in Jesus because He not only leads us through our dark valleys, He also picks us up and carries us until the pain goes away and then sets us once again on the mountain top of happiness.  Jesus is our victorious Saviour.

If you have been looking for happiness, joy and peace in drugs or sex or alcohol you will never find it.  Only Jesus can give us happiness, joy and peace.  Tell Jesus you are lonely, hurting and sad and ask Him to help you.  He loves you so much He died for you on the cross.  You can have a happy and victorious life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus and for giving us a happy and victorious life through Jesus.  Dear Father, I love You so much and I appreciate all You have done for me through the years and all that You do for me every day.  Jesus, thank You for giving us the victory.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 27, 2015

OUR LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

Philippians 4:19,20 KJV

Our loving Heavenly Father supplies everything we need and sometimes He even gives us things we don’t need just because He loves us and wants us to be happy.  Jesus is all we need.  Jesus is not only our Saviour, He is also the dearest Friend we will ever have and our constant Companion.  He never leaves us.

Mylon R. Lefevre wrote one of my favorite hymns about Jesus “Without Him”.  The words in this hymn describe how I feel about my precious Saviour.  “Without Him I could do nothing, Without Him I’d surely fail; Without Him I would be drifting Like a ship without a sail.”  Thank God for our precious Saviour!

Do you know how much God loves you?  He loves you so much He gave His Son to die on the cross for your sins so you can be saved and go to Heaven.  God is not only our loving Heavenly Father, He is also a tender compassionate and caring Father.  He really cares about us.  We are precious to Him.

Heavenly Father, as we gather with our family and friends on Thanksgiving Day to give thanks to You, help us to realize that the greatest reason we have to give thanks to You is because You gave Your beloved Son to be our Saviour.  We love You, Father and we appreciate You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 26, 2015

A SONG OF LOVE AND JOY

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:11-14 KJV

Charles Wesley wrote one of my favorite Christmas carols, the beautiful Christmas hymn “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”.  Just as the angels sang and rejoiced because Jesus was born, so you and I should also sing and rejoice because the precious Baby Jesus was born.  Jesus grew up and became our Saviour.

Jesus left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus, Who had never done anything wrong or sinned allowed them to crucify Him on a cross of agony and suffered excruciating pain.  No one has ever endured pain and suffering like Jesus did and nobody ever will.

One of the definitions I found in Webster’s Dictionary for endure is “to experience (pain or suffering) for a long time”.  I’m sure when Jesus was hanging on that cross with the blood flowing down His body, He felt that He had been hanging on the cross for a long time.  He endured all that pain for you and for me.

His body was not the only thing that was hurting.  His heart was also hurting because of the way He was treated and the rejection He felt.  I believe every time they pounded a nail into His hands that He also felt the pain in His heart.  Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus loves you?

Joanne Lowe

November 25, 2015

FAMILY TIME

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Ephesians 3:14-19 KJV

Years ago when I worked in nursing homes, I heard the residents talking about all the wonderful times when the family would gather together and listen to the radio or read aloud to each other or sing.  One of the residents said “There aren’t many families like that anymore.  They go their separate ways”.

How sad it is that instead of doing things together as a family, we go our separate ways and do what we want to do.  Some of the family watches television, some play on their computers and do other things they are interested in doing.  I think we are hurting God by not doing things together as a family.

Someone was a member of a church for many years but moved away and became a member of a church close by.  The pastor of the church where this person used to attend said “We can’t fellowship with you anymore”.  When the pastor said that to this person, it broke the person’s heart and the person cried.

For those of us who have admitted we are a sinner, asked God to forgive us and invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, we are a member of the family of God.  One day, all of us will be together in Heaven.  How I long for that day!  

Joanne Lowe

November 24, 2015

THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:10-14 KJV

Thanksgiving Day will be here in three days.  As we gather with our family and friends and thank God for His kindness and goodness to us, our heart should be filled with gratitude.  The love that we feel at Thanksgiving and Christmas for one another should be in our heart every day of the year.

Someone said “The only time I hear from this person is at Thanksgiving and Christmas and it breaks my heart”.  I wonder how you and I would feel if the only time we heard from Jesus was twice a year.  I don’t know about you but it would break my heart if Jesus didn’t talk to me every day.

I think we sometimes forget that Jesus has feelings and it hurts Him when we don’t talk to Him every day.  Jesus is not a puppet for us to put on a shelf and only take down when we want Him to perform for us.  We can’t pull His strings like we do a puppet.  We need to treat Him with respect and honor that He deserves.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and for the privilege of serving Jesus.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  I love You so much, dear Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.   

Joanne Lowe

November 23, 2015

GOD CAN DO ANYTHING

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.  For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Luke 1:35-37 KJV

There is nothing that our Heavenly Father can’t do.  God can do anything and the greatest thing He has done for us is when He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins.  I am so glad that God can do anything because before I asked Jesus into my heart, I was a very hateful person.

I hated everything and everybody because I had been raped and beaten.  I had no desire to live mostly because I didn’t think I had a right to live.  However, Jesus loves me so much that He came to the mental hospital where I had crawled underneath the bed.  Jesus told me that He loves me and that I can trust Him.

I don’t know what’s going on in your heart and life today but God knows and His heart is moved with compassion for you.  If you are lonely and hurting today, tell Jesus.  Our precious Saviour is waiting for you to come to Him.  Jesus loves you so much He died on the cross so you can be saved.

Precious Heavenly Father, there are a lot of people who are hurting physically and emotionally.  They desperately need to be comforted.  You are the great Comforter.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have comforted and encouraged me so many times.  Thank You.  In Jesus Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 22, 2015

ONLY THE BLOOD

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

Ephesians 1:6,7 KJV

When our computer gets a virus and needs repairing, we take it to a place that fixes computers.  However, only Jesus can remove the viruses of sin, hatred and unforgiveness that attack our heart.  Only the blood of Jesus can fix the viruses in our heart and make us useful once again for the Master’s service.

There is nothing that we could ever do to deserve the salvation that Jesus offers us through His redeeming blood that He shed for us on the cross.  The salvation He offers us is free to us but it cost Jesus everything.  He gave His life for us on the cross.  He paid the price for our sins with His own blood.

Ellis J. Crum wrote the hymn “He Paid A Debt He Did Not Owe”.  No, Jesus did not have to die on the cross for our sins.  He had never sinned or done anything wrong but because He loves us so much and wanted to fulfill the mission His Father had sent Him on, He willingly died on the cross for you and for me.

We sing the beautiful hymn “Are You Washed In The Blood”.  Only you can answer that question.  Have you been washed in the blood of Jesus?  If not, I plead with you to give your heart to Jesus today.  Do it before it is too late.  One day it will be too late to say yes to Jesus.  He is waiting for you to come to Him.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who has never said yes to Jesus.  May today be the day they invite Him into their heart.  Thank You for Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 21, 2015

HAVE WE DONE IT

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Matthew 25:40 KJV

If we will read the rest of this chapter, we will understand that when we are kind and loving to others, we are kind and loving to Jesus.  However, when we aren’t kind and loving to others we are not being kind and loving to Jesus and we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.

Have we done it?  Have we been kind and loving to others and made Jesus happy or have we said cruel words and done things that hurt others and thereby hurt our precious Saviour?  May God have mercy on us if we have deliberately hurt Jesus because of our unkind words and actions to others.

What about our family?  Are we being kind and loving to them?  Our family should be able to see the difference Jesus has made in our heart and life since we invited Him into our heart to be our personal Saviour?  Does our family see and hear the difference Jesus has made in our heart and in our life?

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for not always loving unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love one another.  I’m sorry.  If I start to say something or do something that will hurt Jesus and break His heart, please don’t let me do it.  I need your help, dear Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 20, 2015

OUR LOVING PHYSICIAN

“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

Psalm 147:3 KJV

Not only does Jesus heal us when we need healing physically, He also heals us emotionally when our heart is breaking.  Jesus, our loving Physician really cares about us.  When we are happy, He rejoices with us and when we are sad, He cries with us.  He knows how it feels to hurt physically and also emotionally.

When we are going through dark valleys, Jesus picks us up and carries us through the dark valleys until the pain goes away.  Not only does He carry us through the dark valleys in our life, He is faithful to set us once again on the mountain top of happiness.  What a precious Saviour we are privileged to know!

We don’t know what is going on in someone’s heart unless he or she tells us but Jesus sees what is in our heart and His heart is moved with compassion for us when we are hurting.  Joyce Landorf, a Christian speaker and author used an illustration on one of her teaching tapes about people who are hurting.

Joyce said “We sit next to people in church who look fine and they look darling but inside they are hurting”.  We need to be encouragers to one another.  All of us hurt and all of us need comforting.  The person who says he or she is always okay is not being truthful because even Jesus hurt when He was here.

If Jesus needed comforting and encouraging, how much more you and I need to be comforted and encouraged.  Remember, Jesus said that when we are being kind and loving to one another we are also being kind and loving to Him.  Are we being kind and loving to Jesus or are we breaking His heart?

Joanne Lowe

November 19, 2015

OUR LAST DAY

“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 25:13 KJV

What if we knew that Jesus is coming back for us today and this is our last day on earth?  Would we change our plans for today?  I think we would probably keep the television off and use the day to let our loved ones know how much we love them.  Hopefully, we would also make sure our heart is right before God.

I know that I would ask God to search my heart and let me know if there is something in my heart that hurts Him.  Just because I write devotions does not mean that I am perfect.  No one is perfect.  I am still in the flesh like you are and sometimes I get angry and say things I shouldn’t say.

Don’t look to me or to your pastor or to your Sunday school teacher.  Keep your eyes on Jesus and on Him alone because He will never fail you or hurt you.  It is always safe to trust our Saviour because what He says, He will do.  Allow Jesus to guide you and lead you.  He will protect you and help you. 

I would go to the ones I hurt and ask them to forgive me and I would also forgive the ones who have hurt me.  How dare you and I go to a Holy God and ask Him to forgive us if we’re not willing to forgive those who hurt us?  If ever someone has a right to not forgive, it is Jesus but He forgave us.

Heavenly Father, please search my heart and if there is anything that hurts You, reveal it to me so I may repent and make it right with You.  I never want to disappoint You and hurt You yet I know that I do.  Please forgive me for sometimes hurting You and breaking Your heart.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 18, 2015

JESUS PRAYS FOR US

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Luke 22:31,32 KJV

Not only does Jesus love us unconditionally and died for our sins, Jesus also prays for us.  When He prays for us, He uses our name.  If your name is Jan, He says “Father, I pray for Jan that You would comfort and encourage her”.  O how Jesus loves you and me.  There is no greater love than the love of Jesus.

John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful cantata about our precious Saviour’s love for us “No Greater Love”.  Again, there is no greater love than the love that Jesus has for you and me.  Our family and our friends love us but nobody loves us like Jesus loves us and nobody ever will.  He will love us for all eternity.

Allow it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus not only loves you so much He died for you, He also prays for you by name.  Pastors, don’t be discouraged because Jesus is praying for you that God will bless you and your ministry.  Jesus appreciates your service to Him.

Precious Heavenly Father, what a loving and compassionate Father You are.  I love You and I appreciate all You have done for me and all You do for me every day.  Thank You for Jesus and thank You for adopting me into Your family.  What a privilege it is to be part of Your family.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.   

Joanne Lowe

November 17, 2015

NEVER SAY NEVER

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Luke 23:34 KJV

Years ago I said to someone “I will never live in a trailer”.  Guess what?  I have been living in a trailer for almost eleven years and they have been the happiest years of my life.  I feel closer to Jesus here in my trailer than I have in all my life because I’ve learned to depend on Him and I trust Him more than I ever have.

If Jesus would have said while hanging on that cross with the blood flowing down His body “I will never forgive them”, you and I would be on our way to hell for all eternity.  However, Jesus didn’t say that He wouldn’t forgive us.  Jesus asked His Father to forgive us because He loves us so much.

How can we refuse to forgive those who hurt us when Jesus, the Saviour of the world, Who had been beaten beyond recognition forgave us?  If ever someone had the right to hate and never forgive, it is Jesus.  However, Jesus not only forgave us, He also gives love because He is love, unconditional love.

Marvin P. Dalton wrote the beautiful heart touching hymn “O What a Savior”.  “O what a Savior, O hallelujah!  His heart was broken on Calvary, His hands were nail scarred, His side was riven, He gave His life-blood for even me.”  Thank God for our Saviour and His unconditional love for us.

Heavenly Father, You are a loving compassionate and forgiving Father.  Thank You for giving Jesus to us to be our Saviour.  Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for us.  I love You, precious Jesus and I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 16, 2015

DID WE CALL JESUS

“MOREOVER the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Jeremiah 33:1-3 KJV

Jesus told us to call Him and He will answer us which means we won’t get an answering machine.  We may have called our family and friends today but did we call Jesus?  It doesn’t matter what time of the day or night we call Him, He is waiting for our call and He is disappointed when we don’t call Him.

Not only is He disappointed when we don’t call Him every day, it also hurts Him.  If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Him say to us “I love you so much, I died for you.  I’ve been waiting for your call all day but you didn’t call Me today.  Don’t you love Me”?  Let’s stop hurting Jesus and call Him every day.  

Jesus said that not only will He answer us He will also show us great and mighty things that we don’t know about.  If we will allow Jesus to lead us, we won’t have as many heartaches and problems.  Jesus loves us and He not only knows what is best for us, He also wants us to be happy.

Joanne Lowe

November 15, 2015

THE CROSS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV

Rev. Frederick Whitfield wrote a beautiful hymn “I Saw The Cross Of Jesus”.  “I saw the cross of Jesus, when burdened with my sin, I sought the cross of Jesus, to give me peace within; I brought my soul to Jesus, He cleansed it in His blood; and in the cross of Jesus I found my peace with God.”

Have you ever wondered why Jesus loves us so much that He paid the penalty for our sins?  It is because not only does Jesus give us love; He is love, unconditional love.  If someone asks you about Jesus, tell the person that Jesus is love and that He loves him or her unconditionally.

It’s wonderful to know that our precious Saviour loves us and that He loves us unconditionally but do we love Him?  If we do love Him, what are we doing to prove to Him that we love Him?  One of the greatest ways to prove to Jesus that we love Him is to serve Him.  Are we serving Him?

Are we telling others about our precious Saviour and showing His picture?  Do others see Jesus in our smiles and hear His unconditional love for them in the kind and loving words we say to them?  It’s impossible for us to smile all of the time but we can be happy and smile because Jesus lives in us.

Heavenly Father, please encourage and comfort those who are hurting as You have encouraged and comforted me so many times.  I pray they will always feel Your peace, the peace that passes all understanding.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 14, 2015

KNEES AND HEART

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 KJV

It’s not enough to bow our knees in prayer; we must also bow our heart.  Before I had arthritis I used to have my devotions on my knees beside my bed.  I would sing, read the Bible and pray out loud because of this Scripture verse.  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

The more I sing, read the Bible and pray out loud, the more I grasp His unconditional love for us in my heart.  What a privilege it is to be loved by God Himself.  Not only does God love us when we invite Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, God also adopts us into His family.

How I miss those special times on my knees with my Heavenly Father.  Not only does having our devotions on our knees and praying out loud help us, it also makes God happy.  Think about it.  We have the privilege of talking to God.  Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to talk to Him.  Have you talked to Him today?

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us.  You are a tender loving, compassionate and forgiving Father.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  I count it a privilege to not only be loved by You but also to be a part of Your family.  You have been so good to me.  Thank You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.   

Joanne Lowe

November 13, 2015

THE GREATEST VETERAN OF ALL

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  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.” 

John 15:9-13 KJV

Jesus fought in the battle of good and evil and defeated satan when He died on the cross for our sins.  Jesus is the greatest Veteran of all.  He died for us and shed His blood for us when He didn’t have to.  Indeed, there is no greater love than the unconditional love Jesus has for you and for me.

When we honored our veterans yesterday, did we honor Jesus?  Think about it.  Jesus did not have to die for us.  God didn’t make Him die for us.  Our precious Saviour made the choice to pay the price for our sins, a price that we could never have paid.  One day we will see Him face to face.  How I long for that day!

Have you allowed it to enter your heart that Jesus, the Saviour of the world loves you so much that He willingly left His Father, His home and all that He had to die on the cross for you?  O how Jesus loves us.  You are precious to Him.  Thank You, Jesus for loving us so much that You died on the cross for our sins.

Precious Heavenly Father, You are a forgiving, compassionate, tender and loving Father.  Thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your beloved Son to die on the cross for us.  Please help us to love others.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 12, 2015

ONLY ONE WAY

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20 KJV

Jesus stands at the door of our heart and knocks.  I opened the door of my heart and invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour on August 14, 1980.  Jerry Clower said “You may not remember when you were saved.  That’s not all that important.  What is important is that you know you’re saved”.

We have two doors to get into our house, a front door and a back door but our heart is the only door that Jesus will come in.  The blood of Jesus applied to our heart for the forgiveness of our sins is the only way we can be saved and go to Heaven.  Have you opened the door of your heart to Jesus?

Sometimes when we are driving there is a sign “Detour” and we have to turn our car around and go a different way to get to where we want to go.  There is only one way we can get to Heaven and that is when we invite Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour.  If you haven’t invited Him in, do it today!

Do you know you are saved?  If you’re not sure you’re saved, don’t put if off another day, go to your pastor, your Sunday school teacher, a friend or someone else who you know is a Christian and ask that person to pray with you and for you.  Don’t keep Jesus standing at the door of your heart any longer.

Heavenly Father, I know that it hurts You because there are people who have kept Jesus standing at the door of their heart for many years.  Please touch hearts and soften them so they will invite Jesus into their heart.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 11, 2015

GOD’S PEACE

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Philippians 4:6-8 KJV

Rev. Warren D. Cornell wrote one of my favorite hymns “Wonderful Peace”.  I love these words.  “I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace, Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control; For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day, and His glory is flooding my soul!”  Thank God for His peace.

What do we think about during the day?  Our Scripture passage instructs us to think about good things.  It’s no wonder at all that we are nervous and scared if we listen to and read the news every day.  Most of the news is negative and it pulls us down rather than uplifting us.

Helen H. Lemmel wrote the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”.  If we will do what the words in this hymn tell us to do, we will have peace.  “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”  Are our eyes upon Jesus?

Heavenly Father, You are such a precious, compassionate and loving Father.  We love You.  Thank You for the peace You give us, the peace that passes all understanding.  Please comfort and encourage all who are hurting.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 10, 2015

I DON’T WANT ANYTHING

“THE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

Psalm 23:1-6 KJV

Are you shouting with happiness and joy yet?  Jesus Himself does all these wonderful things for us and we are going to live with Him for all eternity!  I wonder if we have ever said to God when we were praying “I don’t want anything.  I just want to praise You and thank You for Jesus”.  Have we said that to Him?

Jesus Himself fills our heart with unconditional love, joy, peace, companionship and happiness.  Are we making Jesus happy because of the things we do and the words we say?  Our precious Saviour has done so much for us and continues to do so much for us every day.  Jesus deserves to be happy.

It is very important that we understand what this verse means “THE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”.  I thought for many years it meant that I shouldn’t want Jesus.  What it means is Jesus gives us everything we need and sometimes even gives us things we don’t need just because He loves us so much.

Heavenly Father, we don’t want anything.  We want to praise You and thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 9, 2015

O HOW HE LOVES US

“BLESS the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”

Psalm 103:1-4 KJV

Evangelist Robert Harkness wrote a beautiful hymn about our precious Saviour “Why Should He Love Me So”.  Why did Jesus walk that long lonely road to Calvary and allow them to beat Him beyond recognition and crucify Him on the cross?  He died for us because He loves us.  What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth! 

If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus saying to us “I love you.  My love for you isn’t based on what you do or don’t do.  I love you unconditionally”.  Jesus proved to us how much He loves us when He died on the cross for our sins.  What are we doing to prove to Him how much we love Him?

You may think there is nothing you can do for Jesus because you don’t have talent but all of us can tell people that Jesus loves them.  There are many people who are hurting, lonely,  and desperate and some of them are even suicidal and they need to know that Jesus loves them so much He died for them.

Are we willing to get out of our comfort zone and serve Jesus?  To serve Jesus, we will have to shut off the television and go spread His love to everyone we see.  Jesus left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  How can you and I do less than give Him our best?

Joanne Lowe

November 8, 2015

IT HURTS

“Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?  behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.  What think ye?  They answered and said, He is guilty of death.  Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” 

Matthew 26:65-68 KJV

My left hand is hurting a lot because I burned it on a hot pan a couple of days ago.  I went to Jesus and told Him how much it hurts.  He said to me “I understand because I was hurt many times physically and also emotionally”.  Yes, our precious Saviour really understands how we feel when we are hurting.

Have we grasped in our heart how much suffering, rejection and pain that Jesus endured for us?  I cry every time I read about them spitting in the face of my Saviour.  We think how terrible it is that Jesus was beaten, spat on, cursed, mocked and humiliated but it was for us He endured all that pain and agony.

Dave Bolling wrote the beautiful heart touching hymn “It Was For Me”.  “It was for me He cried, for me He died, for me He shed His blood upon the tree.  It was for me He came, for me His shame; For me, oh praise His name, it was for me.”  Yes Jesus died for you and He died for me.

Not only was our precious Saviour hurt physically, He was also hurt emotionally when Peter denied he knew Jesus.  How that must have hurt Jesus and broke His heart when Peter denied knowing Jesus.  Before we judge Peter, we need to search our own heart and be sure we aren’t denying Jesus by our actions.   

Joanne Lowe

November 7, 2015

HATRED AND VIOLENCE

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV

We like to blame the politicians for everything that is wrong in our country.  However, Jesus Himself said that people who are called by His Name is the reason why our country is in such a mess.  It’s a lot easier to point the finger of guilt at someone else than point it at ourselves, isn’t it?

It reminds me of a sermon that one of my pastors preached about judging and condemning others.  The pastor said “If you will make sure your own heart is right before God, you won’t have time to judge and condemn others”.  The pastor was right.  It is a full time job making sure my own heart is right with God.

The newspapers, the radio and the television report murders, rapes and theft almost every day.  There is hatred and violence in our country.  It is time that we stop blaming the politicians and accept the fact that we who claim to be children of God need to turn from our wicked ways so Jesus will heal our land.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for sometimes blaming the politicians and other people for the mess our country is in and help us accept the fact that we need to keep our own heart in right standing with You.  We’re sorry that we hurt You by our words and our actions.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 6, 2015

THERE IS VICTORY IN JESUS

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:57,58 KJV

Eugene Bartlett wrote a beautiful inspiring hymn.  It is one of my favorite hymns “Victory In Jesus”.  We can’t do anything without Jesus.  We need Him every minute of the day.  Jesus will always give us the victory if we will ask Him to help us.  When we don’t think we can go on, Jesus will help us and give us the victory.

Jesus will not only help us, He will also pick us up in His loving arms and carry us through all the dark valleys in our life and He will be faithful to set us once again on the mountain top of happiness.  It is always safe to trust Jesus because what He says, He will do.  We can trust Him with our life!

If you ever think Jesus doesn’t love you or care about you, remember the cross and the pain and agony that He suffered for you.  An old Methodist preacher said “I heard the gospel.  I heard the gospel, and then praise God, one day I heard the gospel”.

I have said this many times and I will keep saying it until God calls me home or Jesus comes back for us.  No one loves you like Jesus loves you and nobody ever will.  Your family and friends love you but Jesus loves you unconditionally and He always will love you.  Have you got it yet?  Jesus loves you!

If you are hurting today, tell Jesus.  He will heal your broken heart.  What a Saviour, what a Friend this Jesus of Nazareth!

Joanne Lowe

November 5, 2015

IT WAS LOVE

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:10-14 KJV

John W. Peterson wrote many heart touching and inspiring cantatas and hymns but my favorite is “No Greater Love”.  There really is no greater love than the love God has for you and for me.  God sent Jesus into the world as a Baby but Jesus grew up and died on the cross for our sins.

Yes, it was love, unconditional love for you and for me that caused God to send Jesus into the world.  People take drugs and drink alcohol and have sex trying to find peace and happiness.  We can only have real love, peace and happiness when we invite Jesus into our heart to be our Saviour.

When I was lying under a bed in a mental hospital many years ago because I hated everyone and was afraid of everyone and everything, it wasn’t alcohol, sex or drugs or anything in this world that gave me the desire to live.  It was Jesus telling me that He loves me and that He loves me unconditionally.

My prayer for every person who reads this devotion is that you will know that you are loved by the Saviour of the world and that you are loved unconditionally.  There is nothing you can do that will make Him love you more.  His love is unconditional and it is unending.  Jesus loves you now and He will love you forever!   

Joanne Lowe

November 4, 2015

A HOME OF LOVE

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”

John 14:1- 4 KJV

One happy day, Jesus is coming back for us and He is going to take us to Heaven with Him where we will live for all eternity in our home of love.  There will be no cursing there, no loud voices raised in anger and we will not be hit.  We won’t have to be afraid that our Heavenly Father will kick us out.

Yes, Heaven is going to be a home of unconditional love.  Think about it, we will be with Jesus for all eternity and we will see our loved ones who have already gone home.  The greatest thing about Heaven is that we will be with Jesus and never have to say goodbye again.  How I long for that day!

There are many children who can’t wait until they are old enough to leave their house because of all the yelling and fighting.  I didn’t say leave their home because home is a place that is filled with love.  A young boy went to his neighbor’s home and said his parents were fighting and asked if he could come in.

May God help us to fill our house with love, laughter and peace so that it will become a home instead of just a house.  Let’s shut off the television and spend time with our children so they will know that we love them and care about what is happening in their lives.  Our children have feelings just like we do.

Joanne Lowe

November 3, 2015

JESUS IS THE ANSWER

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 KJV

The Bible makes it very clear that we are to bear one another’s burdens.  All of us need hugs and encouragement.  However, we must never forget that Jesus is the answer to all of our heartaches and all of our problems.  Jesus Himself has told us to come unto Him and He will give us rest.

We read in the Bible.  “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).

The yoke that Jesus gives us is not a heavy yoke like oxen wear.  One of the definitions for yoke in Webster’s Dictionary is “a clamp or similar piece that embraces two parts to hold or unite them in position”.  When we are saved, the blood of our Saviour unites us to Him and it holds us close to Him for all eternity.

The burden of Jesus is not a like a burden we bear in this life.  It is freedom from the darkness of this world.  “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).  Thank God for Jesus Who is our Light.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for Jesus Who is not only the Light of the world but also the Light of our heart.  Jesus, thank You for being our Light in the darkness and also in our heart.  We love You, dear Jesus and we appreciate all You have done for us.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 2, 2015

WHAT ARE WE SAYING

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Matthew 7:20,21 KJV

Gordon Jensen wrote one of the most beautiful hymns about our precious Saviour that I have ever heard “Written In Red”.  The words in this hymn describe the unconditional love of Jesus for you and for me.  “I love you, I love you That’s what Calvary said I love you, I love you written in red.”

When Jesus was hanging on the cross with the blood flowing down His beaten and abused body, He was saying to us that He loves us.  Jesus not only tells us He loves us, He also proved to us how much He loves us when He allowed them to beat Him beyond recognition and crucify Him.

Yes, Jesus was saying and also showing us how much He loves us when He died on the cross for our sins.  What are we saying to Him and to others by our words and our actions?  Do people know we love Jesus by the things we do and the words we say?  Does Jesus know we love Him by what we do and say?

A pastor once said in a sermon “There was a man who everyone loved and they thought he was really great.  This man was a deacon in the church and taught Sunday school and he also sang in the choir but when he went home he beat his wife”.  May God help us to be kind and loving to Jesus and to others.

Heavenly Father, help us to love others unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love.  Jesus, thank You for dying for me.  I love You so much.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 1, 2015