OUR PROTECTOR

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.  To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen.”

1 Peter 5:8-11 KJV

I am so glad that when we have bad dreams at night that they are only dreams and are not real.  I had a terrible nightmare the other night that frightened me so much I was shaking.  It took me a long time to realize it was only a dream.  We need to realize that satan will attack us whether we are awake or asleep.

It makes satan very angry when we serve Jesus and satan will do his best to discourage us so much that we stop serving Jesus.  We must not let that happen!  Jesus knows how we feel because when He was here on His mission, He got discouraged just like we do and being human, He also felt like giving up.

No matter how many times Jesus was ridiculed, rejected and cursed He stayed on the battlefield and completed the mission His Father had given Him.  You and I also need to stay on the battlefield and complete the mission that God has given us.  Have you answered the call of Jesus to serve Him (Isaiah 6:8)?

Heavenly Father, thank You for protecting us from the attacks of satan.  I have lost count of the many times You have encouraged me and dried my tears.  Precious Heavenly Father, You are a tender loving and compassionate Father.  Thank You for all You do for us.  I love You so much.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 31, 2016

BROKEN HEARTS

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

Psalms 147:3 KJV

Doctors can do open heart surgery but only Jesus can heal our broken heart when someone hurts us.  How does our precious Saviour heal our broken heart?  He heals it with His tender compassionate words and kisses.  Jesus knows how it feels to have a broken heart because His heart was broken on Calvary.

Marvin P. Dalton wrote what I consider to be the greatest hymn I have ever heard “O What A Savior”.  Just as the Star Spangled Banner is our National anthem, I believe O What A Savior should be the Christian’s anthem.  Mr. Dalton described the love that our Saviour has for us in this beautiful hymn.

Let the words in this hymn go into your heart.  “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.”  Jesus died on the cross and shed His own blood for you and for me because He loves us unconditionally

What kind of love is this?  This is an amazing unconditional love that can only come from the heart of our precious Saviour.  There have been many times that Jesus has picked me up, carried me through dark valleys and dried my tears with tender kisses.  What a precious Saviour we are privileged to know!

People can tell us they’re sorry when they hurt us and we can forgive them but the hurt is still there just as it is when we hurt someone.  When we say sarcastic and criticizing words we might as well take a knife and plunge it deep into their heart because it hurts just as much and only Jesus can heal us.

Joanne Lowe

August 30, 2016

BLESSINGS

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:10 KJV

If you have ever been ridiculed, cursed and rejected because you are serving Jesus, you are blessed.  There are some people who have been rejected by their families because they are serving Jesus.  Some people have been scorned and laughed at by their friends.  Those people are not friends.

When God first called me to the mission field, someone said to me “You don’t want to be a missionary because everyone will be watching your life”.  I didn’t want people watching me so I didn’t surrender to the mission field for several more years.  I found out that people are always watching Christians.

A leader in the Christian field said “People are always watching me to see if I make a mistake”.  We read in the Bible “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  We are to let the light of Jesus shine through us by our good works.

Don’t let satan or even people keep you from serving Jesus.  It doesn’t matter if we are laughed at, rejected or scorned because of our service to Jesus.  Even Jesus was ridiculed, scorned, cursed and rejected but He stayed on the mission field His Father had given Him and died on the cross for our sins.

Joanne Lowe

August 29, 2016

KNEES AND TONGUE

“For is it written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Romans 14:11 KJV

One day Jesus is going to get the glory, the honor and the respect that He deserves because every knee will bow and every tongue confess to God.  What a wonderful day that will be.  If ever someone deserves to be praised, adored and exalted it is Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

However, just bowing our knees to Jesus is not enough.  We must also bow our heart to Him.  Jesus should have first place in our heart, in our life, in our relationships, in our thoughts and in everything we do.  When we wake up in the morning our first thought should be of Jesus and we should tell Him we love Him.

When I wake up in the morning before I even get out of bed, I say “I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit”.  When I go to bed at night I tell Them again that I love Them.  Do you realize what a privilege it is to be loved by the Saviour of the world?  He loves us so much He died for us.

If you have bowed your knee to Jesus but have never bowed your heart to Him, I urge you to bow your heart to Him.  All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!  He is the LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS!  Please bow your knees and lift your voice and join me in praising our precious Saviour.

Joanne Lowe

August 28, 2016

WE DON’T KNOW

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

Isaiah 6:8 KJV

As I watched Bill Gaither and the Speer Family singing “The King is Coming”, the thought came to me.  They don’t know how much they have encouraged me and inspired me by their service to Jesus.  We don’t know who God will encourage and inspire by our service to Jesus.  We just need to be faithful.

Sometimes I get discouraged because there are days that I visit almost one hundred websites to tell them about the devotions and to tell them Jesus loves them and sometimes I only receive two responses.  It is very discouraging and I feel like I am failing Jesus.  God spoke to me and reminded me of these verses.

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing,, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6,7).  It is not us that give the increase.  We plant the seed but God gives the increase.  We just need to be faithful.

Pastors, please don’t be discouraged.  Keep preaching because you don’t know whose heart God is touching.  Many years ago, one of my pastors preached a sermon about bragging on Jesus.  Pastor Byron said “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start bragging on Jesus”.  That sermon was planted in my heart.

My pastor was so right.  Since I have been writing devotions and bragging on Jesus, I really do feel like I’m flying higher than a kite.  Again, Pastors, don’t let satan discourage you.  Keep preaching your sermons because you don’t know what God will do in the heart of someone with what you say in your sermon.

Joanne Lowe

August 27, 2016

WE CAN KNOW

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

1 John 5:13 KJV

There are times when satan lies to us and tells us that we aren’t saved and that Jesus doesn’t love us.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that satan is a liar.  If we have invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, we are saved and Jesus loves us so much He died for us.

We read in the Bible.  “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).  Don’t ever forget that Jesus loves you so much He walked that long lonely road to Calvary and allowed them to crucify Him on the cross for you.  O how He loves you!

The next time satan lies to you and tries to discourage you, ask Jesus to help you.  Jesus is faithful and He will help us.  We must stay on the battlefield for Jesus.  He stayed on the battlefield for us.  How can we do less than serve Him with all of our heart and with all of our time after all He has done for us?

Joanne Lowe

August 26, 2016

HAPPINESS 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 2:11-13 KJV

What beautiful verses.  This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible because it tells about the birth of our Saviour.  It was a day of happiness and joy when Jesus was born.  There is going to be a day when this Baby Jesus Who grew up and died on the cross for our sins is coming back for us.

When He comes back for us and takes us home to Heaven to live with Him for all eternity there will be no more crying, sorrow or pain.  Children won’t have to run in terror to hide for fear of being hit.  There will be no more beating of spouses and no more drugs and alcohol.  We will have happiness forever.

It is very important for us to remember that one day all sorrow, heartache and pain will be gone forever when Jesus comes back for us.  This world is filled with violence, hatred and all other things that hurt Jesus and break His heart.  When people criticize us and hurt us, we need to remember Jesus cares.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for Jesus.  Precious Saviour, how I long to see You face to face and thank God, one day I will see You face to face.  I am going to give You a hug that will last for all eternity.  Thank You for loving me and for never leaving me.  I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 25, 2016

OUR HEART

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 KJV

How hard are we looking for Jesus?  Are we searching for Him with all our heart?  Jesus is the answer to all of our heartaches, all of our burdens and all of our crises.  It doesn’t matter how many poisonous arrows of dicouragement and doubt that satan hurls at us because Jesus will help us through every crisis.

When we are discouraged and feel like giving up, Jesus will help us and He will encourage us.  I had the flu this past week and had to give up and go to bed.  The last two days I have felt like crying and I don’t know why.  However through it all, Jesus has told me over and over that He cares and loves me.

What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  What a privilege is ours to be loved by the Saviour of the world.  One happy day we will see Him face to face.  How I long for that day when I will see my precious Saviour face to face.  Are you looking for Jesus with all your heart?

You won’t find happiness, peace and joy in alcohol, in drugs or in sex.  You will only find it in Jesus because He is our joy and our happiness.  Without Jesus, life is not worth living because Jesus is our life.  O how I love Jesus!  Are you ready to meet Jesus if He comes back today?  If not, say yes to Jesus now. 

Joanne Lowe

August 24, 2016

JESUS STILL CARES AND LOVES US

“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

All of us hurt Jesus at times because we aren’t perfect but Jesus still cares and loves us.  He has told us that He loves us with an everlasting love which means He will love us for all eternity.  It is His lovingkindness that draws us to Him.  O how He loves us.  There are times when I fail Him and it breaks my heart.

As long as we are in the flesh, there will be times when we fail Jesus but He knows our heart and He knows if we fail Him on purpose or not.  When Jesus was here on earth, He was tempted like we are so He understands how it feels to be tempted.  When satan tempts us, we need to ask Jesus to help us.

One of the most vicious attacks that satan hurls against us is when he tries to convince us that Jesus doesn’t love us.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that satan is a liar.  Don’t let satan convince you that Jesus doesn’t love you because that is a lie straight from the pits of hell.

Jesus Himself has warned us to be on the alert for the attacks of satan.  We read in the Bible.  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8).  May God help us to do our best to make Jesus happy.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus.  I pray You will forgive me for the times when I have hurt You.  Father, please comfort those who are hurting.  Jesus, thank You for loving us with an unconditional everlasting love.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 23, 2016

A SURPRISE PARTY FOR JESUS

“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

Let’s have a surprise party for Jesus.  We have surprise parties for our children and loved ones so we should have a surprise party for Jesus.  What shall we give Him?  We can give Him our love, our thanks, our laughter and our happiness because He has set us free from the bondage of satan.

We can make a cake for Him and decorate it with tears of joy, gratitude and happiness because of when He has done for us.  We can also sing to Him because of the knowledge that He loves us unconditionally.  He loved us yesterday.  He loves us today and He will love us tomorrow and for all eternity.

We read in the Bible.  “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).  Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross for our sins and paid the debt for our sins that we could never have paid.  Knowing that He loves us so much that He died for us should cause us to celebrate.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your Son to die for our sins.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins on the cross.  How I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray. 

Joanne Lowe

August 22, 2018 

OUR LEADER

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Romans 8:14 KJV

Are we allowing the Spirit of God to lead us?  If we aren’t allowing Him to lead us, we are allowing satan to lead us.  If we are allowing satan to lead us, we are hurting our Heavenly Father and breaking His heart.  God knows what is best for us and He will lead us down the path He has for our life.

May God help us to let the Spirit of God lead us.  I think there are times when we rebel against God like we do against our parents.  However, God knows what is going to happen and we can trust Him to keep us from danger.  A little boy said to his sister “I think I know more about this than Mom does”.

Are there times in our life when we think we know more about things than God does?  God knows our beginning from the end.  He knows about our past and He knows what is in the future for us.  Think about it.  God knows there are times when we are going to fail Him and hurt Him but He still loves us.

Thank God for His unconditional tender compassionate and eternal love.  We have a tender loving Heavenly Father Who loves us so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for us.  If you are lonely and hurting, remember God loves you and He cares about you.  Allow God to comfort you.

Our Heavenly Father will rock you and dry your tears with tender compassionate kisses.  We read in the Bible.  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;” (2 Corinthians 1:3).  God loves us.  How much do we love Him?  Thank You, Father, for Your love.   

Joanne Lowe

August 21, 2016

IT REALLY HAPPENED

“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Luke 23:33,34 KJV

It really happened.  They really did hit Jesus.  Not only did they hit Him, they beat Him beyond recognition.  They spat on Him.  They mocked Him, ridiculed Him and rejected Him.  They treated Him like He was a criminal who needed to be killed.  They said He was a liar and then they crucified Him.

Rev. Ray Overholt wrote one of the most heart touching hymns I have ever heard “Ten Thousand Angels”.  Yes, Jesus could have called ten thousand angels to set Him free but He stayed on the cross because He loves us so much.  Jesus paid the debt for our sins that we could never have paid because we are sinners.

We read in the Bible.  “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).  Yes, Jesus had never sinned yet He willingly walked that long lonely road to Calvary for us.

It brings tears to my eyes to know that Jesus loves us so much that He stayed on the cross when He could have come down.  All the nails in the world couldn’t have kept Him on the cross if He had chosen to come down.  Do you know how much Jesus loves you?  He not only loves you, He loves you unconditionally.

May God help us to get out of our comfort zones and spread His unconditional love to everyone we see.   

Joanne Lowe

August 20, 2016

WHERE ARE OUR TREASURES

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Matthew 6:19-21 KJV

Where are our treasures?  Are they in Heaven or are they on this earth?  If we have only laid up treasures on earth and haven’t laid up treasures in Heaven our heart is here on earth instead of in Heaven.  Not only that, we are hurting Jesus and breaking His heart.  Where is our heart today?  Is it with Jesus?

Many years ago when I was going door to door on visitation for my church I asked a lady “If you knew that God was telling you to sell your house and give all the money to missions, would you do it”?  The lady didn’t hesitate.  She said “I worked hard for this house and it belongs to me.  I would never sell it.”

How that must have hurt God and broke His heart.  He gave His beloved Son to die for our sins but the lady wasn’t willing to sell her home.  However, before we judge and condemn that lady we need to search our own heart and be sure we would be willing to sell our home and give all the money to missions.

One of the greatest sermons I have ever heard is the sermon one of my pastors gave on judging people.  The pastor said “Instead of judging and condemning people, search your own heart and be sure you are in right standing with God.”  I want to please God and make sure my heart is in right standing with God.

Joanne Lowe

August 19, 2016

REJECTED

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not,”

Isaiah 53:3 KJV

When Jesus was here on His mission He was rejected many times.  What breaks my heart is knowing that even today He is being rejected by many people.  He has stood at the door of their heart and knocked for many years but they refuse to open the door and let Him come in to their heart.

We read in the Bible.  “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).  O how we need to pray for those who have refused to let Him into their heart.  How it must hurt Jesus and break His heart.

I think we sometimes forget that Jesus has feelings.  He rejoices with us when we are happy and He weeps with us when we cry.  “And said, Where have ye laid him?  They said unto him, Lord, come and see.  Jesus wept.  Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him” (John 11:34-36).

We know that Jesus doesn’t play favorites.  He loves all of us with the same unconditional and compassionate love.  So when we are brokenhearted and feel like we can’t give another smile or take another step, He picks us up and carries us until the pain goes away.  What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who has not opened the door of their heart to Jesus.  May today be the day they humble themselves, admit they are a sinner and invite Jesus into their heart to be their Saviour.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.  

Joanne Lowe

August 18, 2016

NO DARKNESS

“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 KJV

Someone said “We were in a cave and it was so dark in there we couldn’t see our hands”.  It doesn’t matter how dark it is because if we are following Jesus, we won’t walk in darkness but will have His light.  What a privilege it is not only to be loved by Jesus but also to have His light in our heart.

There are times when we have the darkness of despair in our heart when we are walking through dark valleys but even in the midst of that darkness, we can see the light of Jesus shining brightly.  Nothing or nobody can take His light from us.  He is the light of the world and the light of our heart.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to us and for His light that shines brightly in our heart.  Precious Saviour, thank You for Your light of love in my heart.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 17, 2016

THANK YOU FOR THE SON SHINE

“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

It has been dark and cloudy for several days.  It even rained a couple of times.  A few minutes ago the sun came out and brightened everything.  It doesn’t matter how dark and cloudy it is outside because when Jesus comes into our heart, He shines brightly even through the darkness of criticism and despair.

It doesn’t matter how many crises and dark valleys you have in your life, Jesus will shine brightly through the heartaches and tears.  He loves you so much and it breaks His heart when you are sad.  Jesus weeps with you when your heart is breaking and the tears start rolling down your cheeks.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Son.  How You must love us to give Your beloved Son to die for us.  I love You so much.  You are a tender loving compassionate Father.  Jesus, thank You for shining brightly in my heart even when my heart is breaking and I am in despair.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 16, 2016

THE MOST HEARTBREAKING GOODBYE

“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

Many years ago, my brother left to go in the service.  My Mother went outside and stood watching down the road for a long time even after my brother was out of sight.  I believe when Jesus left His home to come to earth on His mission that God stood watching for a long time after Jesus left.

While it is heartbreaking when we have to say goodbye to our loved ones who go into the service or move, I believe the most heartbreaking goodbye there has ever been was when Jesus left His home.  I believe that God hugged His Son for a long long time.  How it must have broke His heart when Jesus left.

What breaks my heart is to know that God had to turn away from His Son while He was hanging on the cross.  Jesus had taken our sins on Him and God can’t look at sin.  I believe God cried not only because they had beaten His Son beyond recognition but also because He had to turn away from Jesus.

We don’t have any idea of how much God and Jesus love us.  We think we know but we really don’t know.  Think about it.  God gave His beloved Son to die for our sins and Jesus died for our sins.  What kind of love is this?  It is an unconditional and amazing love that only comes from Them.  O how They love us!

Heavenly Father, I love You so much.  Thank You for Jesus and for adopting me into Your family.  Thank You for the privilege of serving Jesus for the last eleven years.  Jesus, You are very precious to me and I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 15, 2016

WE NEED HIM

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 KJV

Annie Sherwood Hawks wrote one of my favorite hymns “I Need Thee Every Hour”.  How true this hymn is because you and I need Jesus every hour.  Not only do we need Him every hour, we need Him every minute.  We are living in a world that is filled with violence and hatred and we need His protection.

Today is my spiritual birthday.  I invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour on August 14, 1980 and I have needed Him every minute of every day.  He is such a faithful Saviour and Friend.  He has never left me, not even for one minute.  When the tears start to fall, He is with me to dry them with tender kisses.

Someone emailed me and wrote “It is unscriptural to tell people that Jesus dwells in our heart”.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that it is scriptural.  “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love,” (Ephesians 3:17).  Yes, Jesus lives in our heart. 

It doesn’t matter how many crises you have in your life or how many dark valleys you are going through, Jesus cares about you and He will help you and dry your tears if you will only ask Him.  It breaks His heart when you are sad and cry and He longs to set the joy-bells ringing in your heart once again.

Heavenly Father, thank You for letting me serve Jesus.  Precious Saviour, thank You for loving us and for never leaving us.  How I long to see You face to face and praise God, one day I will see You face to face.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 14, 2016

HAVE WE RETREATED

“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

Have we retreated from the front lines in the fight for right and wrong?  Jesus is still our Commander and He has already won the war.  He defeated satan on the cross when He died for our sins.  However, there will always be wars and conflict until God calls us home or Jesus comes back for us.

We need to become encouragers to one another and remind each other that one happy day our precious Saviour is coming back for us and there will be no more wars, no more crying, no more running in terror to hide and no more abuse of children.  What a glorious day it will be when Jesus comes back for us!

We must stay on the battlefield for Jesus and not retreat.  Jesus stayed on the battlefield for us and didn’t retreat.  Not only did Jesus stay on the battlefield for us, He also left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  O how He loves us!

Are we willing to shut off the television set and get out of our comfort zone to spread the good news of our risen Saviour?  There are many people who are hurting and lonely and they need to know Jesus loves them.  May God help us to stay on the battlefield for our Saviour and tell everyone that they are loved.

Joanne Lowe

August 13, 2016

BECAUSE I KNEW

“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

I asked Jesus once why He loves me so much and why He tells me He loves me all the time.  He spoke to my heart and said “The reason I was able to complete my mission when I was here on earth was because I knew My Father loves Me.  Knowing He loves Me gave Me the courage, strength and desire to go on”.

When you are in the middle of a crisis or walking through a dark valley, remember Jesus loves you and He will give you the courage, the strength and the desire to keep serving Him.  Not only does Jesus love you, He loves you unconditionally.  You are so precious to Him that He died for your sins.

I’ve said this before and I will say it until God calls me home or Jesus comes back for us.  Nobody loves you like Jesus loves you and nobody ever will.  He loved you yesterday.  He loves you today.  He will love you tomorrow and for all eternity.  What a privilege it is to be loved by the Saviour of the world!

Why do I keep telling you Jesus loves you?  It is because an old Methodist preacher once said “I heard the Gospel.  I heard the Gospel.  I heard the Gospel.  Then praise God, one day I heard the Gospel”.  It had gone from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus loves him.

My prayer for you is that you will allow it to enter your heart that Jesus loves you so much He walked that long lonely road to Calvary and there allowed them to crucify Him for your sins.  Have you got it yet?  Jesus loves you!  Yes, I’m talking to you!

Joanne Lowe

August 12, 2016

MY ARMS ARE OPEN

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 KJV

Are you weary and tired?  Do you feel like giving up?  If you will listen with your heart, you will hear Jesus saying to you, “I love you and I care about you.  I long to give you rest if you will only come to Me”.  If you’re tired and heartbroken, allow Jesus to comfort you and give you rest.

Just as Jesus has His arms open to give us rest, we should also encourage and comfort one another and help one another.  We need each other.  Even Jesus needed companionship.  If He needed friends, how much more you and I need one another.  May God help us to be encouragers to one another.

Jesus has His arms open for us and He also has His heart open for us.  What about us?  Have we opened our heart not only to receive Him as our personal Saviour, but also to make Him Lord of our life and heart?  It is very important that we tell Jesus how much we love Him and appreciate Him.  He has feelings too.

I think we sometimes put Him on a shelf like a puppet and only take Him down when we need something or want something.  May God forgive us.  If ever someone deserves to be loved, respected, honored and adored, it is Jesus.  He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  O how I love Jesus.    

Joanne Lowe

August 11, 2016

THE BEGINNING OF LOVE, JOY AND HAPPINESS

“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.”

Luke 2:10,11 KJV

When Jesus was born it was the beginning of love, joy and happiness.  Our precious Saviour not only loves us, He loves us unconditionally.  There is nothing you could ever do that would make Him stop loving you.  He loved you yesterday.  He loves you today and He will love you tomorrow and for all eternity.

God loves us so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins so we can have our sins forgiven and be saved.  If you ever feel like nobody loves you, remember that God gave His Son to die for you and Jesus allowed them to crucify Him for your sins.  That is how much They love you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us.  Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for us.  How I long to see You face to face and praise God, one day I will see You face to face.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 10, 2016

DISCOURAGED AND HEARTBROKEN

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

1 Peter 5:7 KJV

Are you discouraged and heartbroken?  Jesus understands how you feel and He cares about you.  I believe there were many times when Jesus was here on earth on His mission that He was discouraged and heartbroken because He was ridiculed and rejected so many times. 

When you are hurting, tell Jesus because He really loves you and cares about you.  He will be faithful to pick you up and carry you through every dark valley and will set you once again on the mountain top of happiness.  Not only will He carry you, He will weep with you.  What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth!

One glorious day when Jesus comes back for us, we will be with Him for all eternity.  There will be no more crying or heartaches.  How I long for the day when I will see Jesus face to face.  What a privilege is ours to be loved by the Saviour of the world.  What happiness, peace and joy will be ours for all eternity.

Joanne Lowe

August 9, 2016

ARE WE HIS FRIEND

“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 15:13,14 KJV

Are we His friend?  We are if we are doing what He has commanded us to do.  He has called us to serve Him.  “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8).  Have we answered His call? 

He may not call us to go to a different country but He has called all of us to spread His unconditional love to every one we see.  What about you?  Have you obeyed His call?  Mary Haughton Brown wrote the beautiful hymn “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go”.  May God help us to go where He wants us to go.

Joanne Lowe

August 8, 2016

WHAT IF WE KNEW

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 24:44 KJV

What if we knew that today is our last day to live?  Would we watch television most of the day or would we use the time to visit and call our loved ones and tell them how much we love them?  For those of us who have loved ones who have not accepted Jesus as Saviour, would we cry out to God for them?

May God help us to realize the importance and the urgency of praying for our loved ones who have not accepted Jesus as personal Saviour.  The greatest gift we can give our loved ones is to tell them that Jesus loves them so much He died for them.  We must also prove to them that Jesus loves them.

How do we prove to them that they are loved by the Saviour of the world?  We prove it to them by not only telling them about Jesus but also by letting them see and hear the love of Jesus in us.  If we tell them that Jesus loves them but continue to say sarcastic words to them, they are not going to believe us.

A teenage boy said to his parents “You go to church and sing in the choir.  You teach Sunday school but when you come home you criticize the pastor and the sermon.  If this is what being a Christian is, I don’t want any part of it.”  One day we will stand before a Holy God.  Will we have to hang our head in shame?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not always setting a good example.  Help us to love one another unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love. Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  I love You, dear Father and I appreciate all You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 7, 2016

HAVE THEY SEEN HIM

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

Matthew 5:16 KJV

The other day as I watched and listened to Sandy Patty and Larnelle Harris on the internet sing “I’ve Just Seen Jesus”, I wondered if people have seen Him in my actions and heard Him in my kind and loving words.  It is very important and even urgent that people see Jesus in us so God will be glorified.

May God help us to prove to people how much Jesus loves them by our kind and loving actions and by our kind and encouraging words.  We need to realize that if people don’t see and hear the love of Jesus through us, they will see and hear the hatred of satan.  Are we showing the love of Jesus in our actions?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for the times when we fail You and hurt You.  We need You to help us be kind and loving to people and we need You to help us encourage them instead of being hateful to them and discouraging them.  I love You, dear Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 6, 2016

TWO ARE BETTER

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 KJV

Someone said “I don’t need anything or anyone”.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that the person who said that is not being truthful.  Two are better than one.  We need each other.  I have a pinball game that I play on my computer to keep my fingers from getting stiff because of my arthritis.

There are three balls to a game and if I don’t get a high score on the first ball, I quit playing.  If I would play all three balls I would get a higher score and my fingers wouldn’t hurt as much.  It is the same with needing one another.  If we fall and are unable to get back up we need to let someone help us get back up.

Jesus hasn’t been here for over two thousand years.  We need to hug one another for Him.  We may not be comfortable hugging people physically but we can hug one another with our words and with our actions.  It is not enough to tell them Jesus loves them.  We need to prove it to them by our actions.

We must always remember that Jesus said when we are kind and loving to one another, we are being kind and loving to Him (Matthew 25:40).  Have we been kind and loving to Jesus today?  Does Jesus know we love Him by the things we do and the words we say?  May God forgive us if we are hurting Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

August 5, 2016

WHAT A PRIVILEGE

“Wherefore also God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 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 2:9-11 KJV

Do you realize what a privilege it is to serve Jesus?  It is a privilege just to say His precious Name.  How it thrills my heart to know that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  On that day, Jesus will finally get the honor, praise and recognition He deserves.

Joanne Lowe

August 4, 2016

PRAISE HIM FROM OUR HEART

“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen.”

Jude 1:25 KJV

We sing praises to Him but are we singing from our heart or just singing the words?  It is so important that we praise our precious Saviour from our heart.  If ever someone deserves to be loved, praised and adored, it is Jesus.  He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  He is precious and wonderful.

Joanne Lowe

August 3, 2016

THE GIFT OF 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

Some children wanted to give their pastor a Bible for his birthday present so they tried to sell things to make the money.  However, they couldn’t sell them and was unable to buy the Bible and it broke the children’s hearts.  When the pastor found out about it, he was moved to tears that they cared that much.

God has all the money in the world but He gave us something from His heart that didn’t cost any money, the gift of His beloved Son.  This is how much God loves you and me.  We buy our loved ones gifts but are we giving them love from our heart?  Do our children know how much we love them?

Someone said “I don’t have any money to buy my children Christmas gifts”.  If you are like this person and don’t have the money to buy gifts, give your children the gift of love.  We can buy the most expensive gifts for our children but if we don’t give them love, we haven’t given them anything.

May God help us to give our children and loved ones the gift of unconditional love not just at Christmas time but every day of the year.  Our children need to see the love of Jesus in us and hear His unconditional love for them in the words we say to them.  Thank God for His gift of unconditional love to us.

Joanne Lowe

August 2, 2016

ARE WE PLEASING HIM

“When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Proverbs 16:7 KJV

If we are having problems with someone, we might need to search our heart and be sure our ways please the Lord.  We sure can’t please Him if we are sarcastic, hateful and rude to people.  It is very important that we let everyone we see know how much Jesus loves them.  May God help us to spread His love.

Joanne Lowe

August 1, 2016