IT HURTS

“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”

Matthew 26:36-40 KJV

Have you ever been betrayed and hurt by someone you thought was your friend?  Jesus knows how you feel because He was hurt when they fell asleep.  Instead of hurting one another, we need to be praying for and encouraging each other.  We need to remember that when we hurt others, we also hurt Jesus.

We read in the Bible.  “Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:40)).  When we are kind and loving to others, we are kind and loving to Jesus and when we aren’t kind and loving, we aren’t kind and loving to Jesus.

Heavenly Father, please help us to do things and say things that make Jesus happy.  Please comfort and encourage all who are lonely, hurting and discouraged.  Thank You for being a kind loving and compassionate Father.  I love You and appreciate You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 31, 2018

WHAT A PRIVILEGE

“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.”

John 14:2,3 KJV

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote “The Longer I Serve Him”.  I love these words.  “Since I started for the kingdom since my life He controls Since I gave my heart to Jesus The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.”  The words in this hymn are true.  What a privilege it has been to serve Jesus since January 24, 2005.

Pastor William C. Martin wrote a beautiful hymn about our precious Saviour “The Name of Jesus Is So Sweet”.  The words in this hymn are how I feel about Jesus.  “I love the name of Him whose heart Knows all my griefs, and bears a part; Who bids all anxious fears depart - I love the name of Jesus.”

Are you serving Jesus?  If not, why aren’t you serving Him?  Jesus left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  He paid the price for our sins that we could never pay.  What kind of love is this that would make Him die for us?  It is an amazing unconditional love.

You may think that there is nothing you can do to serve Jesus because you can’t sing or teach.  Every one of us can love others.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).  Loving is not an option, it is a commandment.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.  I love You, dear Father.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen. 

Joanne Lowe

August 26, 2018

IS IT WELL

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.”

Psalms 146:1 KJV

Horatio G. Spafford wrote a hymn we sing a lot “It Is Well with My Soul”.  We sing this hymn but are we singing it from our heart or just singing the words?  Is it well with our soul?  Do we have things in our heart that hurt God and break His heart?  He loves us unconditionally.  Do we love others unconditionally?

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23,24).  Let’s be sure our hearts are right before God.

Someone said “he doesn’t deserve to be forgiven”.  We need to remember that every one of us has hurt God at times.  The only perfect Person Who ever lived or ever will live is Jesus.  He never sinned, never did anything wrong yet He died on the cross for our sins so we can be forgiven and go to Heaven.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5,6).

None of us deserve to have our sins forgiven because none of us are perfect.  It is only through the cleansing redeeming blood of Jesus that He shed for us on the cross that we can have our sins forgiven.  What about you?  Have you forgiven those who hurt you and have you asked the ones you hurt to forgive you?

Joanne Lowe

August 25, 2018

HIS FAITHFULNESS

“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22,23 KJV

Rev. Thomas O Chisholm wrote one of my favorite hymns “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”.  I love these words in this hymn.  “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.”

In a world that is filled with violence, it is a healing balm to our weary battle scarred heart to know that we can depend on God to never change.  He loved us yesterday.  He loves us today and He will love us forever.  There is nothing we could ever do that would make Him stop loving us.

A man who was talking to another man at work said “I don’t want to go home because I never know what mood my wife will be in”.  We can honestly say that our Heavenly Father will always be in a good mood and we don’t have to be afraid of Him.  He is a compassionate loving Father.

There are children who hide from their dad because when he drinks, he curses them, yells at them and beats them.  Our Heavenly Father will never curse us, yell at us or beat us.  He loves us unconditionally and will protect us from danger.  What a privilege it is to be a part of the family of God.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the many times You have comforted and encouraged me.  I pray for all who are lonely, hurting and discouraged.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 24, 2018

EVERYONE

“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

Monday night when I went to bed I said “I love You, Heavenly Father” and I thanked God for all He had done for me that day and I asked Him to forgive me for anything that I had done to hurt Him.  Then I prayed and said “Father, please bless everyone I love and be with them.” 

My Pastor sends a Prayer Chain letter every morning and I prayed “Father, please heal, comfort and encourage everyone on the Prayer Chain and everyone You love”.  Then I realized, I had asked God to heal, comfort and encourage every person in the world because He loves everyone in the world.

Frances Townsend wrote a beautiful hymn about our loving Heavenly Father “For God So Loved The World”.  I love these words.  “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son, to die on Calvary's tree from sin to set me free.  Some day He's coming back, what glory that will be! Wonderful His love to me!”

Yes, one happy joyous day, Jesus is coming back for us.  Are you ready to meet Him if He should come back today?  Is there anything in your heart that hurts Him and breaks His heart?  We need to make sure that our heart is in right standing with God at all times because we don’t know when Jesus is coming for us.

“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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).  What a joyous happy day it will be when Jesus comes back for us.

Joanne Lowe

August 23, 2018

NO PARTING AND NO HEARTACHE

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

Revelation 21:23 KJV

Mattie E. Buttram wrote a beautiful hymn “Homeland”.  “Guide me, angels of light, to that home, Where my loved ones are waiting for me; In that land where no sorrow can come, We will live, blessèd Savior, with Thee.”  Not only will we be with our Saviour forever, we will also be reunited with our loved ones.

Jim Hill wrote the heart touching hymn “What A Day That Will Be!”  “There is coming a day when no heartaches will come No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye.  All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore What a day, glorious day that will be.”  How I long for the day I see Jesus.

Not only is Jesus the Light of the city, He is also our Light in our world that is filled with the darkness of hatred and violence.  It can be very dark outside and the sun isn’t shining but Jesus is still shining His light in our heart.  Thank God for the light and unconditional love of Jesus.  O how Jesus loves you and me.

Pastor Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote a beautiful hymn “O How He Loves Me”.  “He walks with me along life’s road, O how He loves me; He carries every heavy load, O how He loves me.”  Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus loves you so much He died for you?

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to die for our sins.  Jesus, You are so precious to me.  How I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  I love You with all my heart.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 22, 2018

HE IS STILL ALIVE

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

Matthew 28:5,6 KJV

Charles Wesley wrote the beautiful hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”.  I love these words.  “But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!  Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!  Now above the sky He’s king, Alleluia!  Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!”  Thank God for our risen Saviour.

Sometimes we act like Jesus is dead but He is still alive.  It is impossible to smile all the time because we have crises and dark valleys in our life but even when we are going through them, we have the assurance that Jesus still loves us and cares about us.  There is no such thing as a gloomy Christian.

If we have confessed our sins, asked God to forgive us and invited Jesus to come into our heart, we are saved and going to Heaven and that should make us rejoice.  Not only will we go to Heaven, we will see Jesus face to face.  Are you shouting with joy and happiness yet?

Carrie E. Breck wrote one of my favorite hymns “Face to Face with Christ, My Savior”.  “What rejoicing in His presence, When are banished grief and pain; When the crooked ways are straightened, And the dark things shall be plain.”  The words in this inspiring hymn fill my heart with happiness and joy.

The next time satan lies to you and tells you Jesus doesn’t love you, remember Jesus loves you so much He died on the cross and shed His blood for your sins so you can go to Heaven.

Joanne Lowe

August 21, 2018

ARE WE WILLING

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

John 21:15-17 KJV

Bill Gaither wrote one of my favorite hymns “Lovest Thou Me”.  “Modern times have brought us many blessings People live in wealth and luxury But the Master asks this question Lovest thou me, lovest thou me, more than these?  Lovest thou me, more than these my child?  What will your answer be?” 

Several years ago, I was going door to door on visitation and I asked a lady “If you knew Jesus was asking you to sell your home and give the money to missions, would you do it”?  She didn’t hesitate.  She said “Absolutely not, I have worked very hard for this home and it is mine”.

Before we judge and condemn this lady, we need to search our heart and answer the question.  Are we willing to sell our home, our car or anything else Jesus asks us to sell and give the money to missions or like the lady would we reply and say “Absolutely not”.  How we must hurt Jesus at times.

May God help us to love Jesus more than anyone or anything and give Him first place in our heart and in everything we do.

Joanne Lowe

August 20, 2018

OUR VICTORIOUS KING

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”

Psalms 24:10 KJV

Rev. James M. Gray wrote an inspiring hymn about our Saviour “Who is the King of Glory?”  I love these words.  “Who is the King of Glory?  He who overcame our enemy; Who took our place at judgment bar, And made His cross the victor’s car; He is the King of Glory!  He is the King of Glory!”

Pastor J. Wilbur Chapman wrote one of my favorite hymns “One Day”.  “Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away; Rising, He justified freely forever; One day He’s coming—O glorious day!”  The words in this beautiful hymn should fill our heart with joy and happiness.

They spat on Jesus.  They beat Him beyond recognition.  They pounded nails into His hands and when they did I believe for every nail they pounded into His hands, He felt that agonizing pain in His heart.  They rejected Him and cursed Him and left Him alone to die.  Yet He stayed on the cross because He loves us.

Jesus walked that long lonely road to Calvary to die for our sins and while hanging there in pain and agony that you and I will never know, He asked God to forgive us.  “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).

We should fall on our knees in gratitude for Jesus, the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth.  All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!  O how I love Jesus.  He is the Joy of my heart and the reason I live.  Please join me in praising Him.

Joanne Lowe

August 19, 2018

OUR HEART AND OUR LIFE

“Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.”

Numbers 18:29 KJV

Salathial C. Kirk wrote one of my favorite hymns “Our Best”.  “Every work for Jesus will be blest, But He asks from everyone his best. Our talents may be few, these may be small, But unto Him is due our best, our all.” Are we doing our best for Jesus?  After all Jesus has done for us, we should give Him our best.

You may think you don’t have any talents and there is nothing you can give to Jesus.  You can give Him first place in your heart, in your time, in your relationships and in everything you do.  Is Jesus first in our heart and in our life?  We can tell people that He is but Jesus sees into our heart and He knows.

I didn’t think there was anything I could do for Jesus so I didn’t serve Him.  Then one day, someone told me that I could write how I felt about Jesus.  I have been asked by many people several times to write for them.  I am not a professional writer and I have no desire to be one.  I write about the love of Jesus.

You might think that you can’t sing or write, teach or do anything for Jesus but you can smile at people for Jesus.  You can hug for Jesus.  If you’re not comfortable hugging people, hug them with your words.  There are so many people who need to know that Jesus loves them.

Are you willing to shut off the television, get out of your comfort zone and serve Jesus?  Our Saviour left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die for our sins.  How can we not serve Jesus Who loves us so much He died for us?

Joanne Lowe

August 18, 2018

IT DOES NOT MATTER

“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

Someone said “there is no God”.  It does not matter what we think or what we tell others about God.  There is a God and He proved His unconditional love for us when He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for us.  What does matter is when we say we don’t believe; it hurts Him and breaks His heart.

God has been hurt enough!  He had to turn away from His Son when Jesus was hanging on the cross for our sins.  The heart of our Saviour was broken that day and so was the heart of God.  Instead of saying and doing things that hurt God, we need to be doing everything we can to make Him happy.

How can we make our Heavenly Father happy?  We make Him happy by making Jesus happy.  What makes Jesus happy?  We make Jesus happy by being kind and loving to one another.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

Can we honestly say that we always love one another as Jesus loves us?  I can’t say I always love as Jesus loves us.  There are times when people say something unkind or criticize me that I want to say something to hurt them. I ask God to forgive me and help me love as Jesus has commanded us to love one another.

Jesus was rejected and beaten beyond recognition yet He asked God to forgive us.  “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).  Let’s love and forgive as Jesus does.

Joanne Lowe

August 17, 2018

JESUS HEALS WITH LOVE

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 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 11:33-36 KJV

Jesus wept because they were weeping.  Our Saviour has a heart of compassion.  Someone said if men cry, they are sissies.  Jesus cried and He is not a sissy.  Jesus didn’t cry because Lazarus was dead.  Jesus wept because He loved Lazarus.  Jesus heals with love, unconditional love.

My Mother died on Christmas day several years ago and I miss her so much.  Some people told me that a Christian should not cry when someone dies so I didn’t cry. I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that if Jesus cried because Lazarus was dead you and I can cry when our loved ones die.

I have nurses who come to my home to see me and just like Jesus did, they heal with love.  Before they take my blood pressure, they talk to me like we’re old friends.  They know if your heart is sick, you are sick all over.  It is so important and even urgent that we are encouragers to each other.

There are people who are going through dark valleys, people who are discouraged, heartbroken and lonely.  There are even some people who are suicidal.  These people need to see the unconditional love that Jesus has for them by our kind loving words and actions.  Hug someone for Jesus today.

Joanne Lowe

August 16, 2018

FOR US

“And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.”

Matthew 27:35 KJV

Charles Austin Miles wrote the hymn “Crucified!”.  This beautiful hymn tells us once again how much our Saviour loves us.  “His voice I hear, His love I know; I worship at His feet; And kneeling there, at Calvary’s cross, Redemption is complete.”  Jesus died for you and He died for me.  O how He loves you and me.

Jesus wasn’t crucified for His sins because He had never sinned.  He was crucified for our sins.  “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  O what an amazing and unconditional love Jesus has for us.

Jesus will never have to die for us again but I believe His heart is broken because people have not opened the door of their heart and let Him come in.  “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).

Have you opened the door of your heart to Jesus and let Him come in to be your Saviour?  If not, I urge you to do it now before it is too late. If you have opened the door of your heart to Jesus, are you serving Him?  We should be serving Jesus all the time, not just when it is convenient for us to serve Him.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all who are lonely, discouraged, broken hearted and going through dark valleys.  Please comfort and encourage them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 15, 2018

FORGIVENESS

“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

Today is a very important day for me because on August 14, 1980 I confessed my sins to God and invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour.  I was born on July 7, 1943 but if I hadn’t asked God to forgive my sins and invited Jesus into my heart on August 14, 1980, I wouldn’t go to Heaven when I die.

We want people to forgive us when we hurt them and break their heart but many times we don’t forgive those who hurt us.  We can tell them that we forgive them but if we don’t forgive from our heart as Jesus forgives us, we have not forgiven them.  Jesus set the example for us when He asked God to forgive us.

How sad it would be and how it would hurt Jesus and break His heart if He comes back for us today and we haven’t forgiven those who have hurt us.  If Jesus hadn’t said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”, we would be on our way to hell instead of going to Heaven because our sins are forgiven.

How dare you and I ask God to forgive us when we hurt Him if we aren’t willing to forgive those who hurt us.  We need to remember nobody is perfect.  All of us have hurt God at times.  There was only one perfect Person Who ever lived or ever will live and His Name is Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me unconditionally even when I hurt You.  I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 14, 2018

DON’T BE DISCOURAGED

“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Psalms 30:4,5 KJV

James Rowe wrote a beautiful hymn “After the Midnight”. I love these words.  “After the shadows, there will be sunshine; After the frown, the soul-cheering smile; Cling to the Savior, love Him forever; All will be well in a little while.”  One day Jesus is coming back for us and there will be no more sadness.

Evangelist J. Wilbur Chapman wrote one of my favorite hymns “One Day!”.  “One day the trumpet Will sound for His coming, One day the skies With His glory will shine; Wonderful day, my beloved One bringing; Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!”  Just think, one day we will see Jesus face to face.

Not only is Jesus coming back for us, God is taking care of us.  Civilla D. Martin wrote a beautiful hymn about our Heavenly Father “God Will Take Care of You”.  I’m so glad these words are true.  “No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.”

Are you going through dark valleys?  Do you feel like giving up and going to bed and staying there?  Don’t be discouraged.  Lean upon our Heavenly Father and allow Him to comfort and encourage you as you lean on Him.  He will pick you up and hold you close to His loving heart.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all who are discouraged and feel like giving up.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me so many times.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 13, 2018

DO WE

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”

John 21:15 KJV

I think if we will listen with our heart, we can hear Jesus saying to us “lovest thou me more than these?”  Do we really love Jesus more than anyone or anything?  Does He have first place in our heart, in our home, in our activities and in our time?  We can say He does but He sees our heart and He knows if He does.

Two families that had known each other for many years talked about all the wonderful things they had done together and how much they loved each other.  They were together for two weeks but not one time in those two weeks did they say that they loved Jesus and appreciated what He had done for them.

I believe we hurt Jesus and break His heart many times when we don’t thank Him for all He has done for us and include Him in our conversations.  We show our friends pictures of our family and brag about them but how often do we brag about Jesus?  If ever someone deserves to be praised, it is Jesus.

When people look at us and hear us talking, are they hearing how much Jesus loves them and seeing His unconditional love for them by our actions?  If they don’t see Jesus by our actions and hear His love for them by what we do and say, we are breaking the heart of our precious Saviour.

Does Jesus have first place in your heart and life?  If not, you are hurting Him and breaking His heart.  He is the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.  Please join me in praising Him.

Joanne Lowe

August 12, 2018

JESUS PAID THE PRICE

“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.”

Luke 23:33 KJV

Jesus had never sinned yet He willingly walked that long lonely road to Calvary where they crucified Him and He paid the price for your sins and for my sins.  If you ever think nobody loves you, remember how much Jesus loves you when He allowed them to crucify Him for your sins.

Carrie E. Breck wrote one of my favorite hymns “Face to Face with Christ, My Savior”.  I love these words.  “Face to face—oh, blissful moment! Face to face—to see and know; Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ who loves me so.”  We are going to have the privilege of seeing Jesus face to face.

I love my family and I have many friends that I love and I enjoy the time we can spend together but they have to leave and go home.  Jesus never leaves us, not even for one minute.  When we can’t sleep, He sits beside our bed and comforts us as He says to us “I love you and will never leave you”.

What a privilege it is to be loved by the Saviour of the world.  Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge how much Jesus loves you?  He loves you so much He allowed them to beat Him beyond recognition, spit on Him, curse Him, reject Him and crucify Him on the cross.

Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for Jesus and for the price He paid for our sins on the cross.  Thank You for sharing Jesus with us.  Jesus, I love You so much and I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 11, 2018

HE HAS FORGIVEN 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.”

Psalms 103:8-12 KJV

My home has some ugly stains on the wall.  They were there when I moved in and it used to upset me to see them.  Now I don’t even see them because I am keeping my eyes on Jesus and thank Him for all He as done for me.  No matter how many lies satan tells us, God has forgiven us if we are saved.

God has set an example for us to follow.  We need to forgive those who hurt us just as He forgives us when we hurt Him and do and say things that break His heart.  If we want people to forgive us, we need to forgive them.  Remember, there was only one perfect Person and His Name is Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and for adopting me into Your family.  I pray that You will comfort and encourage all who are hurting and discouraged.  Please encourage every pastor who is preaching the good news of our risen Saviour.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 10, 2018

GIVE THEM TO JESUS

“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

Gordon Mote wrote one of my favorite hymns “Give Them All To Jesus”.  I love these words.  “Give them all Give them all Give them all to Jesus Shattered dreams Wounded hearts Broken toys Give them all Give them all Give them all to Jesus And he will turn your sorrow into joy.”  Jesus wants to help you.

I know from personal experience when we give our burdens and our heartaches to Jesus, He does turn our sorrow into joy.  On August 14, 1980 when I invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour, He told me that He loves me and would never leave me and He hasn’t left me, not even for a minute.

If you have been trying to forget your problems by getting drunk every day or having sex or doing drugs, it will never work.  You may feel good for a while but after the effects wear off, your problems and heartaches will still be there.  There is only one Person who can help you and His Name is Jesus.

Several years ago, a lady came to see me and told me how bad her marriage was and how hateful and cruel her husband was to her.  Three hours later her husband came to see me and told me how bad his marriage was and how hateful and cruel his wife was to him.  I couldn’t fix their marriage so I gave it to Jesus.

We can’t fix our problems and heartaches by ourselves but Jesus can.  Not only will He fix them, He will also pick us up and carry us until the pain goes away.  I love Jesus so much.

Joanne Lowe

August 9, 2018 

GOD’S HEART

“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

God’s heart is full of love for you and for me.  He loves us so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.  Our Heavenly Father not only gives us unconditional love, He is unconditional Love.  It hurts Him and it breaks His heart to see the way we act and the way we treat His Son.

God doesn’t just love us, He so loves us.  If someone ever asks you who God is, tell the person that God not only gives love, He is Love.  When His Son was beaten beyond recognition, rejected, spat on, and nailed to the cross to die for your sins and for my sins, God’s heart was broken and He cried.

It has been reported that a woman tried to run over her neighbor and the neighbor’s children with her car.  The woman who tried to do this is in jail and is being held without bond.  Those who have not invited Jesus into their heart are being held captive by satan.  However, they have a way of escape from satan.

We read in the Bible.  “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).  If you are reading this and are still being held captive by satan, cry out to Jesus to save you.  Jesus is waiting with His arms open wide so you can run into them.

Heavenly Father, I pray for everyone who has not invited Jesus into their heart.  Thank You for Jesus and for the privilege You have given me to serve Your Son.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 8, 2018

PRAISE

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.  While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.”

Psalms 146:1,2 KJV

Horatio G. Stafford wrote the beautiful and inspiring hymn “It Is Well with My Soul”.  “My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought—My sin—not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”  All of our sins are forgiven because of the cross.

The cross Jesus died on was a cross of unconditional love and mercy for you and for me.  Do we praise Him all the time or just when we think about it?  Praising Jesus should be natural and an important part of our day and night.  If ever someone deserves to be praised, it is our precious Saviour.

Please join me as we praise the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  One happy day we will have the privilege of seeing Him face to face when He comes back for us.  Are you shouting with happiness yet?  I will never understand why we can yell for our favorite team but won’t lift up our voice to praise Jesus.

It is time we stop hurting Jesus because we fail to praise Him.  When we hurt Jesus, we also hurt God.  May God have mercy on us and forgive us for the times we hurt Jesus.  Frances R. Havergal wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus. “I Gave My Life for Thee”.  Jesus died for your sins and He died for my sins.

Jesus left His home, His Father and all that He had to come to earth to die on the cross so you and I may have the privilege of going to Heaven when we die.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!

Joanne Lowe

August 7, 2018

ADOPTION

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15 KJV

Fanny Crosby wrote a beautiful hymn about our Heavenly Father adopting us “Adopted”.  The words in this hymn are so beautiful and so true.  “O what a blessing, how can I express it?  Out of the fullness of rapture I sing, Now by the Father received and adopted, I am a child and an heir of a king.”

I am so thankful that on August 14, 1980 I admitted I was a sinner, confessed my sins, asked God to forgive me and invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour and God adopted me into His family.  What a privilege is ours to be adopted by our Heavenly Father.  God loves you unconditionally.

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote the beautiful hymn “The Family of God”.  Are you part of the family of God?  Have you opened the door to your heart and let Jesus come in?  If not, I urge you to do it now.  Your family and friends love you but they can’t do it for you.  Salvation is personal between Jesus and you.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who has not invited Jesus into their heart.  May today be the day they say yes to Jesus.  Thank You, dear Father, for loving me unconditionally and inviting me to be a part of Your family.  I love You and appreciate You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 6, 2018

 

GIVE OF YOURSELF

“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35 KJV

Gordon Mote wrote the beautiful and inspiring hymn “Give Them All to Jesus”.  I love these words.  “Give them all Give them all Give them all to Jesus Shattered dreams Wounded hearts Broken toys Give them all Give them all Give them all to Jesus And He will turn your sorrow into joy”.

The words in this hymn are so true and I know they are true from personal experience.  For over forty years, I wandered in the darkness of a crippling depression.  I believed no one loved me or cared if I lived or died.  Then one day, Jesus put His arms of compassion and love around me and told me He loves me.

We need to give Jesus everything but we also need to give of ourselves to others.  We may not have a lot of money or live in a big house or drive an expensive car but every one of us can give a smile, an encouraging word, a hug and unconditional love from our heart.  When is the last time you hugged for Jesus?

Some people have said that I must be very rich to be so happy.  I am not rich according to the world’s standards but I am rich because Jesus paid for my sins when He died on the cross.  One day I will have the privilege of seeing Jesus face to face.  How I long for the day when I can hug Him and tell Him I love Him.

Heavenly Father, how I love You and appreciate You!  Thank You for all You have done for me.  Thank You for Jesus.  I pray You will comfort everyone who is discouraged and hurting and going through dark valleys.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 5, 2018

WHAT KIND OF AN EXAMPLE

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

1 Timothy 4:12 KJV

Every Christian has to answer this question.  What kind of an example am  I to the people who are watching me?  We can fool others but we can’t fool God because He can see into our heart and He knows if we are sincere or just putting on an act.  I pray that others will always see the love of Jesus in my actions.

We need to remember that there are no perfect people.  There was only one perfect Person Who ever lived and His Name is Jesus.  One of my pastors said in a sermon “If you will make sure your own heart is in right standing with God, then you won’t have time to judge others”.

When I was living at home, my Mother said to me many times “Don’t do what I do.  Do what I tell you to do.”.  It doesn’t work that way because we are going to do what we see not what is told to us.  May God help us to spread His love to everyone we meet not only by our words, but also by our actions.

Harper G. Smyth wrote one of my favorite hymns “Make Me a Channel of Blessing”.  “Is your life a channel of blessing?  Is the love of God flowing through you?  Are you telling the lost of the Savior?  Are you ready His service to do?”  People are always watching Christians so we need to set a good example.

Heavenly Father, I pray that I will always be a good example to those who are watching me.  I pray for every pastor.  Please encourage them, comfort them and protect them.  Thank You for loving me even when I fail You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.    

Joanne Lowe

August 4, 2018

GOD STILL CARES AND PROTECTS

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Matthew 10:28-31 KJV

Civilla D. Martin wrote a beautiful and heart touching hymn about our Heavenly Father “God Will Take Care of You”.  I love these words.  “Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you; Beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you.”  God loves you and He will take care of you.

There are many children who run in terror to hide from their parents when their parents are drunk because they are afraid of being hit.  We never have to fear our Heavenly Father.  He will never yell at us or hit us.  God will take care of us and He will always love us even when we hurt Him.

It doesn’t matter how many trials, heartaches or dark valleys we have in our life our Heavenly Father will never fail us.  We can trust Him to take care of us and protect us.  God loves you so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for your sins so you may be saved and live in Heaven for all eternity.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much You gave Your Son to die for our sins.  I love You, Heavenly Father and I appreciate all You have done for me and for the privilege You have given me to serve Your Son.  Please comfort and encourage all who are hurting.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 3, 2018

HE IS STILL WAITING

“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

Ralph Carmichael wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus “The Savior Is Waiting”.  “Time after time He has waited before And now He is waiting again To see if you are willing To open the door Oh, how He wants to come in.”  Jesus has been knocking  on the door for many people and He is still knocking.

There are Christians who haven’t answered His call to go.  “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).  He may not call us to go to a different country to serve Him but He calls every Christian to serve Him.   Are we serving Him?

Heavenly Father, I pray for all who have never invited Jesus into their heart.  Please melt their heart.  May today be the day they say “yes” to Him.  What a privilege and joy has been mine to serve Jesus since January 24, 2005.  Please comfort and encourage all who are hurting.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 2, 2018

ARE WE READY

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

Matthew 24:44 KJV

Are we ready to meet Jesus if He should come today?  Every Christian has to answer this question.  Is God pleased with the things in our heart or is our heart filled with things that hurt Him?  Have we forgiven the people who have hurt us?  If we haven’t forgiven from our heart, we haven’t forgiven them.

When we see Jesus, will we be able to look Him in the eye or will we have to look away from Him because of the things in our heart?  Someone said “I will never forgive him for what he said to me”.  We need to remember that none of us are perfect.  Jesus is the only One Who is perfect.

Heavenly Father, if there is anything in my heart that hurts You, please let me know so I can repent.  I pray for every pastor who is preaching the good news of our risen Saviour.  Please encourage them.  I love You, Heavenly Father, and I appreciate all You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 1, 2018