OUR HEALING SAVIOUR

“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.”

Isaiah 53:5 KJV

Our healing Saviour not only heals us spiritually and physically, He also heals us emotionally.  Doctors can operate on us and set our broken bones but only Jesus can heal a broken heart.  Jesus wants us to be happy.  Jesus tells us that He has come so we might have life.

We read in the Bible “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). Thank God for our compassionate and loving Saviour.  He healed us spiritually when He died for our sins on the cross.

It doesn’t matter what is wrong with you, Jesus can heal you.  What a privilege is ours to be loved by the Saviour of the world.  Don’t forget to tell Jesus you love Him.  Jesus has feelings and just as we want Him to tell us He loves us so He wants us to tell Him we love Him.  Have you told Jesus you love Him today?

Joanne Lowe

August 7, 2017

CHILDREN

“And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Mark 10:13,14 KJV

Several years ago, I wrote a devotion about children.  Someone who was on my mailing list for new devotions emailed me and asked me to take her name off my mailing list.  She said “I don’t have any children so this devotion does not apply to me”.  How that must have hurt Jesus and broke His heart.

I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that every person not only has the responsibility but also the privilege of loving children and leading them to Jesus.  How do we lead them to Jesus?  We lead them to Jesus by our loving words and actions.  Children are precious to our loving Saviour.

Our children need to see and hear the love of Jesus in us.  A teenage boy said to his parents “You sing in the choir and teach Sunday school but when you come home, you criticize the pastor and the sermon.  If that is what being a Christian is, I don’t want any part of it”.  What a hearbreaking statement!

My Mother used to say to me “Don’t do what I do.  Do what I tell you to do”.  It doesn’t work that way.  Children are going to do what they see us do.  It is very important and even urgent that children see and hear the love of Jesus not only in our words but also in what we do.  May God help us to live for Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

August 6, 2017

IN HIS 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

There are parents who have pictures of their children on the walls of their home.  Our Heavenly Father has pictures of His children in His heart.  Think about it!  God loves us so much that He keeps our pictures in His heart.  What a tender loving and compassionate Heavenly Father we are privileged to know.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for loving us so much that You keep our pictures in Your heart.  You are a tender loving and compassionate Father and I love You.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family and for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 5, 2017

IT IS HARD TO DO

“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

Luke 6:27,28 KJV

Our Scripture verses instruct us to love our enemies but it is hard to do, isn’t it?  Yet, that is exactly what our loving Saviour did when He died for us on the cross.  He had been spat on, cursed, mocked, rejected and beaten beyond recognition.  If anyone ever had a right to hate people, it was Jesus.

Even while hanging on the cross in excruciating pain with the blood flowing down His body, 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).  This is an amazing unconditional love for you and me.

If we would ever realize that when we hurt people, we also hurt Jesus I believe that we would stop criticizing them and start encouraging them.  Thank God for our Saviour and for the old rugged cross.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!

Joanne Lowe

August 4, 2017

 

WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

John 8:36 KJV

Pastor Haldor Lillenas wrote one of my favorite hymns “Glorious Freedom”.  I love these words.  “Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters; Chained like a slave, I struggled in vain. But I received a glorious freedom, When Jesus broke my fetters in twain.”  Thank God for the redeeming blood of Jesus!

Every time I remember how Jesus came to me when I was lying under a bed in a mental hospital afraid of everyone and hating everybody with no desire to live and lifted me up from under that bed, my heart overflows with love for my precious Saviour.  I have a lot of good friends but my best Friend is Jesus.

One of my pastors said in a sermon “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start bragging on Jesus”.  I have had the privilege of serving Jesus full time since January 24, 2005 and since that date I really have been flying higher than a kite.  Of course, satan does his best to discourage me but he will never win.

Heavenly Father, You are a compassionate loving Father.  Thank You for allowing me to serve Your Son.  Precious Jesus, how I love You!  One day I will see You face to face.  I’m going to give You the biggest hug You have ever had.  How I long for that day.  Thank You for dying for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 3, 2017

SERVING JESUS

“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.”

Psalms 5:11 KJV

When we are serving Jesus, it makes satan very angry and he will do all he can do to discourage us so much that we stop serving Jesus.  We must not let that happen!  As soon as satan attacks us, and he will attack us, we need to ask Jesus to help us and He will defend us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.  I pray for every person who is discouraged, hurting, and lonely and needs comforting.  Please encourage and comfort them as You have done for me so many times.  Thank You for adopting me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 2, 2017

VIOLENCE OR LOVE

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:15 KJV

A pastor went to visit a young man who was in jail.  The young man told the pastor that he had a bad mother and that his dad was never there and he grew up watching television and that is where he learned to kill.  The pastor said “I’m sorry you had a bad mother and your dad was never there”.

The pastor also said to the young man, “I’m sorry all you had was television but don’t you tell me that you don’t know the difference between right and wrong”.  It is time that we start loving instead of hating and killing.  The newspapers and radio report violence every day.  How this must hurt Jesus.

There are parents who won’t let their children go to movies that have a bad rating.  Yet, these same parents not only allow their children to watch the same movies on television, they watch the movies with them.  It’s no wonder at all that there is so much violence in the world.

We aren’t serving the Lord if we’re watching things that hurt Him and break His heart.  Several years ago, someone emailed me and wrote “Is it okay to watch television?”  I answered the person’s question and wrote “It’s okay to watch television if you would watch the same thing with Jesus sitting beside you”.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for hurting You by serving satan instead of serving You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 1, 2017