SING TO JESUS

“(A Psalm of praise.) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” 

Psalms 100

King James Version

Agnes C. Ellingwood wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus “Keep on Singing”.  “Have you grown discouraged, weary, Amid the cares of life? Do you often grow disheartened And falter in the strife? Jesus knows about the burden, He’ll bear you safely thro’; Then sing a song of gladness, He’ll care for you.”

Jesus knows how it feels to be weary.  He didn’t have a car so He had to walk everywhere He went.  There is no telling how many miles that our Saviour walked spreading His love and healing people and He grew weary and had to rest.  We read in the Bible.  “Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour” (John 4:6).

Jesus also knows how it feels to be discouraged.  When He was here on His mission that His Father gave Him, He didn’t have people encouraging Him like we do.  I believe there were times when Jesus cried because He was ridiculed and didn’t have a lot of people to encourage Him.

We have given men the message that if they cry, it is a sign of weakness.  It is not a sign of weakness.  Someone asked a man “Are you crying?  Men don’t cry, only sissies cry”.  May God forgive us for giving that message to men.  Jesus cried and if He cried, it is okay for men to cry because Jesus was not a sissy.

We read in the Bible.  “Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.  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 11:32-36)

It is time that we stop criticizing men for crying and allow them to express their feelings with tears.  It’s so wonder that some men seem to not care because they sometimes yell or don’t talk at all.  Think what would happen if we would hold our husband and sons and grandsons and allow them to cry just as they hold us and allow us to cry when we are hurting and discouraged.

My heart breaks because no one held Jesus and comforted Him when He was hurting and discouraged and lonely and as I am typing this devotion, I have tears in my eyes.  What are we doing to encourage Jesus?  Are you serving Him?  If not, why aren’t you serving Him?  Jesus left His home, His Father and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  There is no greater love than the love that Jesus has for us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.  I pray for every man and every boy.  Please comfort and encourage them and let them know that You love them and that it is okay if they cry.  Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  I love You with all my heart and I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 24, 2019

A DAY OF REJOICING

“And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?   But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?  And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14:60-62

King James Version

Jim Hill wrote one of my favorite hymns “What A Day That Will Be”.  “What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace; When He takes me by the hand And leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day that will be.”

Have you ever thought about what it is going to be like when we have the privilege to look upon the face of our precious Saviour?  It really is going to be a privilege to see His face.  He is going to take our hand and lead us.  How I long for the day when I see Jesus face to face. 

Are you going to see Jesus?  Has there ever been a time in your life when you admitted you were a sinner, asked God to forgive you and invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour?  If not, I urge you to do it now before it is too late.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your Son to die on the cross for our sins.  I pray that You would melt hardened hearts so they will open the door of their heart and let Jesus come in to be their personal Saviour.  I love You, Heavenly Father, and I appreciate all that You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 23, 2019

HIS TRIUMPHANT RETURN

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  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 4:13-18

King James Version

When Jesus died on the cross for your sins and for my sins, He was beaten beyond recognition, spat on, mocked and had nails pounded into His precious hands as He hung on the cross with the blood flowing down His body.  There is good news.  Jesus will never have to die for us again. Harold Lane wrote one of my favorite hymns “The Next Time He Comes”.  I’m so glad the words in this hymn are true.  

“From the lofty courts of heaven came a bud on earth to bloom, Knowing when He left His Father that His fate would be the tomb;  But the grave, it could not hold Him, angels rolled the stone away, Now the mighty Rose of Sharon is still blooming yet today.

Chorus

But the next time He comes, He won't have to die for me, The next time He comes, there won't be a Calvary; The next time He comes will begin eternity, And when He comes again, He'll be coming for me.”

Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus died for you?  This is how much He loves you.  There is no greater love than the love our precious Saviour has for us.

I watched a wedding on a family movie and when the bride came down the aisle, everyone stood up.  When Jesus comes back for us, everyone will kneel in honor and respect to Him. We read in the Bible.   “Wherefore God also 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).

It brings tears of happiness to my eyes to know that one day Jesus is going to get the honor, the recognition and the respect that He so richly deserves.  If ever someone deserves to be praised and adored it is Jesus!  He is the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.  All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!  O how I love Jesus and one happy day I will have the privilege of seeing Him face to face.

                                 Joanne Lowe

                                  July 22, 2019

WITNESSING FOR JESUS

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

Luke 4:18

King James Version

When God called me to be a missionary on October 4, 1998, He gave me this verse as my mission calling.  God did not call me to preach.  He called me to heal the brokenhearted by telling everyone how much Jesus loves them.  When I think about God calling me to be a missionary, I’m reminded of this hymn that Margaret Clarkson wrote “SO SEND I YOU”.

The words in this beautiful hymn are a call to us to let others know about Jesus dying on the cross for their sins so they can be saved.  “So send I you to bind the bruised and broken Over wandering souls to work, to weep, to wake To bear the burdens of a world a-weary So send I you to suffer for My sake.”  

It is impossible to “bind the bruised and broken” unless they know that Jesus loves them and that He loves them unconditionally. Many years ago, I was the captain of one of our church buses at my church when I lived in Texas.  Every Saturday I would visit the children who rode the bus to Sunday school and I would also go door to door on visitation on Wednesday nights.

What breaks my heart and puts tears in my eyes is that I never told the children or the people I visited that Jesus loves them.  I just invited them to church.  We can witness, invite and give our money, our time and our talents to Jesus but if we don’t tell people that Jesus loves them, we are not telling them the most important thing and it also hurts Jesus.  

When is the last time you told someone that Jesus loves him or her?  Have you told your children and grandchildren how much Jesus loves them?  It is wonderful to give them gifts, but please don’t forget to tell them that Jesus loves them so much He died for their sins.  

Have you told Jesus today that you love Him?  He has feelings too and He wants us to tell Him that we love Him.  If Jesus didn’t tell me every day that He loves me, it would break my heart.  O how I love Jesus!  He is the Joy of my heart and the reason I’m living and knowing that one day I am going to have the privilege of seeing Him face to face fills my heart to overflowing with happiness.

Carrie E. Breck wrote a beautiful hymn about seeing Him face to face.  “Face to Face with Christ, My Savior”.  I love these words in this hymn.  “What rejoicing in His presence, When are banished grief and pain; When the crooked ways are straightened, And the dark things shall be plain.”

A hymn that I sometimes sing to God when I’m praying and thanking Him for giving His beloved Son to die for our sins is “To God Be the Glory”.  “To God be the glory, great things He has done; So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the life gate that all may go in.”

If you haven’t opened the door of your heart and invited Jesus in to be your personal Saviour, I urge you to do it now.  Please don’t keep hurting Jesus by refusing to open the door of your heart to Him.  Jesus loves you so much that He died for you.  What a precious and loving Saviour we are privileged to know and have!

Joanne Lowe

July 21, 2019

HE GIVES US PEACE

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27

King James Version

Horatio Gates Spafford wrote a beautiful and inspiring hymn about peace “It Is Well with My Soul”.  “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll: Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.”

Rev. Warren D. Cornell wrote one of my favorite hymns “Wonderful Peace”.  I love the words in this beautiful hymn.  “Ah! soul, are you here without comfort and rest, Marching down the rough pathway of time? Make Jesus your friend ere the shadows grow dark - O accept this sweet peace so sublime!  Peace, peace! wonderful peace, Coming down from the Father above, Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, In fathomless billows of love.”

Someone said “I went through a very difficult time in my life.  I did what I was supposed to do but I didn’t feel any peace.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that it is impossible not to have peace no matter how many dark valleys we go through if we have invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour.

Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us and that He will always be with us and He keeps His promises.  What a loving Saviour we are privileged to know and have.  “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20).

Can we honestly say that we always love one another unconditionally as Jesus loves us?  I can’t say that I always love unconditionally.  There are times when I have to ask God to forgive me for not loving unconditionally.  We read in the Bible.  “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

It is time we stop judging others and start loving them unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love each other.  Never forget that when we are mean and hateful to others, we are also being mean and hateful to Jesus and breaking His heart.  “Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 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 25:44, 45).

If we want others to love us unconditionally, we need to love them unconditionally.  It is so true that we get back what we give out.  There are many people who are lonely, discouraged and hurting and they need to know that Jesus loves them.  Do they know Jesus loves them by our actions and by our words? 

Joanne Lowe

July 20, 2019

 

JESUS UNDERSTANDS AND CARES

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:14-16

King James Version

When we are tempted to do something we shouldn’t do or say something we shouldn’t say, Jesus understands.  It is not a sin to be tempted because Jesus was tempted.  It only becomes sin when we do what we are tempted to do.  John Peterson wrote the beautiful inspiring hymn “NO ONE UNDERSTANDS LIKE JESUS”

I love these words in this hymn.  “No one understands like Jesus; Ev'ry woe He sees and feels; Tenderly He whispers comfort, And the broken heart He heals.”  Yes, Jesus understands when we are tempted to do something wrong and He understands when we are discouraged, feel all alone and have a broken heart.

However, our loving Saviour doesn’t want us to be discouraged or have a broken heart and feel all alone.  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).

The next time you are tempted to do something that would hurt Jesus or say something that would hurt Him, remember He understands and He still loves you.  I used to have a terrible temper before I was saved.  I hated everybody and I let them know it by my words and by my actions.  I am so glad that Jesus saved me and gave me a new heart.

“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: (Ezekiel  11:19).  Now, when I do lose my temper, it’s usually at me because I can’t do the things I want to do because of my arthritis but Jesus understands and He cares when I’m discouraged Just as He cares when you are hurting and discouraged.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  Please comfort and encourage all who are lonely discouraged and hurting.  I love You so much and I appreciate all You have done for me.  Thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.  I pray for my Pastor, Pastor Davis.  Please encourage him and let him know how much You love him.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 19, 2019

ARE YOU TELLING

“And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.  And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.”

Mark 5:15-19

King James Version 

Jesus told the man who He had healed to go home to his friends and tell them what He had done for him.  I think if we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus saying to us “Tell your friends what I have done for you”.  Are we telling our friends what Jesus has done for us?  Do our friends know we are saved and love Jesus by our words and by our actions?

When is the last time you told your family and friends how much you love Jesus and what He has done for you?  Does your family and friends see and hear the difference Jesus has made in your heart and in your life? Are you leading others to Jesus by your actions and your words, or are your actions and words turning them away from Jesus?

For many years, I wouldn’t even look in a mirror to comb my hair because I didn’t like the person I saw in the mirror.  Before Jesus told me He loved me and saved me and gave me a new heart, I was hateful, sarcastic and rude and I didn’t like anybody including myself.  When I realized Jesus loves me, my attitude changed toward people and toward myself.  O what a difference Jesus makes in our life.

Lynda Randle wrote a beautiful hymn that describes what happened to me “Since Jesus Passed By”.  “Like a blind man I wandered So lost and undone A beggar so helpless Without God or His Son Then my Savior in mercy Heard and answered my cry And oh what a diff'rence Since Jesus passed by.”

Since Jesus saved me and gave me a new heart, I am happy and sometimes I get so excited I feel like I’m flying higher than a kite.  Many years ago, I had a pastor who said in one of his sermons “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start serving Jesus”.  The pastor was so right because since God gave me the privilege of serving Jesus by writing devotions, I have been happier than I have even been in my life.

Pastor Ira Stanphill wrote one of my favorite hymns “Happiness Is the Lord”.  “Happiness is to know the Saviour, Living a life within His favour,

Having a change in my behaviour, Happiness is the Lord.  Real joy is mine, no matter if teardrops start; I’ve found the secret–it’s Jesus in my heart.”

Have you found the secret?  Have you invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour?  If not, I urge you, I plead with you to give your heart to Jesus today before it is too late.  Jesus loves you so much He allowed them to crucify Him on the cross for your sins. Don’t miss out on spending eternity in Heaven with Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

July 16, 2019