Our Precious Saviour

2012-03-02T00:05:00.001-06:00

TELL THEM NOW

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Matthew 24:42,44 KJV

Several years ago, one of my pastors told us to call and thank people who had encouraged us and been a help to us. I called a friend to thank her and tell her how much I appreciated all she had done for me. She was the wife of a pastor in Texas. When I called to thank her, I was told by her son that she had died.

My heart broke because I really loved her and I was ashamed of myself because I had not called her before. It was too late to tell her how much I appreciated her. A pastor said in a sermon “I was going to tell my uncle what he meant to me but I was too late. He had died two weeks before I called him”.

One of my Sunday school teachers told us that she had gone to the nursing home to tell her aunt how much she appreciated all that she had done for her. As my teacher was walking up the steps to the nursing home, a nurse met her and said “I’m so sorry to have to tell you this. Your aunt died last night”.

Don’t put it off, don’t wait until tomorrow to tell your loved ones how much you love and appreciate them. God may call them or you home or Jesus may come back for us today. It’s wonderful to say kind things about people at their funeral but they don’t hear what you say. Tell them now before it is too late!

Heavenly Father, I love You with all of my heart. Jesus, I love You so much. You are the reason I am living and the reason I get out of bed in the morning. Thank You for dying for me. Holy Spirit, I love You. Thank You for comforting me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
March 2, 2012

2012-03-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

HE WAS ALSO BETRAYED

“And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.”
Matthew 17:22,23 KJV

Have you ever been betrayed by people that you loved and trusted? If you have, then you know how much it hurts. Jesus understands how we feel when we are betrayed because He was also betrayed. I believe when Jesus was betrayed that the pain of the betrayal felt like a sharp knife in His heart.

Someone said “I shared something with someone who I thought was my friend and my friend told someone else what I had told my friend in confidence. It really hurt me. I never thought my friend would tell anyone what I said”. We can trust Jesus. He will never betray us or repeat anything we tell Him in confidence.

Yes, it hurts when someone betrays us but what would be worse would be if we betray someone or repeat what he or she told us in confidence. It would also hurt our witness for Jesus. May God have mercy on us if we hurt the cause of Christ by the words we say and the things that we do.

Heavenly Father, I know when Your beloved Son was betrayed that it broke Your heart. My Mother used to say to me “If you don’t have anything good to say, keep your big mouth shut.” I pray that You would put a zipper on our lips if we start to repeat something that was told to us in confidence. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
March 1, 2012

2012-02-29T00:03:00.001-06:00

ARE YOU A FISHER

“Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.”
Mark 1:16-18 KJV

Jesus has told us that if we will follow Him that He will make us to become fishers of men. Some people get up very early in the morning to go fishing and will sometimes fish until dark. Why is it that we will get up early to go fishing for fish but we aren’t willing to get up early to go fishing for men?

It is so true that the level of our service to Jesus depends on our level of love for Him. Jesus proved how much He loves us when He died for us. When He was here on earth, He spread His love to everyone He met. Jesus set the example for us to follow. He fished for men from the time He woke up until He went to bed.

Are you willing to serve Jesus all day long? I wonder what would happen if we didn’t turn on the television for a week and used that time to send encouraging emails and encouraging letters through regular mail and called people who are lonely and hurting. We would make Jesus very happy.

Heavenly Father, I pray that we will become fishers of men all day long not just when it is convenient for us. May we set a good example for our children as they see us serve the One who gave His all for us. Precious Jesus, thank You for fishing for us until You caught us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 29, 2012

2012-02-28T00:06:00.001-06:00

WE NEED SOME ROCKING

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3,4 KJV

A mother who was trying to comfort her little girl said “You need some rocking”. I think if we are honest with ourselves all of us will admit that we need some rocking. We need our Heavenly Father to hold us close to His loving heart and sit in His rocking chair and rock us.

We have a tender loving and compassionate Heavenly Father who loves us so much He sent His beloved Son into the world to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins so we can be saved. If you are heartbroken, discouraged, lonely, and hurting, allow God to rock you and kiss your tears away.

Civilla Durfee Martin wrote one of my favorite hymns “God Will Take Care of You”. The words in this beautiful hymn have encouraged and inspired me many times. “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”.

Heavenly Father, God of all comfort, we need Your tender touch. Please hold us close and comfort and encourage us. Thank You for loving us and for caring what happens to us. I pray that we will comfort those who are hurting just as You comfort us. I love You, dear Father, and I appreciate all You do for me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 28, 2012

2012-02-27T00:05:00.002-06:00

THE SEASONS OF OUR HEART

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV

We have many seasons of our heart. We have the season of discouragement, the season of heartaches, the season of grieving, the season of loneliness, the season of doubting and the season of despair. Yet through all the seasons of our heart, Jesus is with us. He never leaves us.

Pastor Andraé Crouch wrote a beautiful and inspiring hymn about the faithfulness of Jesus and our Heavenly Father “Through It All”. The words in this hymn touch my heart and bring tears of joy to my heart and eyes. “Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God”.

No matter what is happening in our life and no matter how many dark valleys we are going through, we can trust God and Jesus to bring us through all of them victoriously. They will never leave us, not even for a minute. How comforting and reassuring it is to know that we can depend on them.

Can God and Jesus depend on us? When they ask us to do something, do we do it? If we do it, do we do it when they ask us to do it or do we put it off until it is convenient for us? I don’t think it was convenient for Jesus to walk that long lonely road to Calvary but He did it because He loves us.

Just as we have seasons of our heart, Jesus also has seasons of His heart. It hurts Him when people reject Him, curse Him and ridicule Him. It also hurts Him when we don’t serve Him with all our heart. Remember, the level of our service to Jesus depends on our level of love for Jesus. How much do you love Jesus?

Joanne Lowe
February 27, 2012

2012-02-26T03:45:00.000-06:00

WE CAN ALWAYS GO HOME

“And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”
Luke 15:21-24 KJV

A girl who had run away from home wanted to go back home but she was afraid of what her parents would say. Her brother had been looking for her. When he found her, she told him that she was afraid to go back home. Her brother said “One thing I know, Momma and Daddy love us and we can always go home”.

William James Kirkpatrick wrote the hymn “Lord, I’m Coming Home”. How wonderful it is to know that we can go back home to God. Is this how you feel? “I’ve wandered far away from God, Now I’m coming home; The paths of sin too long I’ve trod, Lord, I’m coming home.” Do you need to go back home to God?

Heavenly Father, how comforting and reassuring it is to know that we can come back to You and that You are waiting for us with open arms. You are a loving, tender, compassionate and forgiving Father and I love You with all my heart. Thank You for being so good to me and for loving me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 26, 2012

2012-02-25T08:25:00.000-06:00

GOD IS WITH US

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”
Isaiah 41:17,18 KJV

No matter how many valleys we have in our life, God is with us. Civilla Durfee Martin wrote one of my favorite hymns “God Will Take Care of You”. I love these words “Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you; When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you”.

When your heart is breaking, if you will look with the eyes of your heart, you will see God rocking you in His rocking chair as He tenderly whispers to you “Don’t be afraid, you are My child and I love you”. What a precious loving and compassionate Heavenly Father we are privileged to know and have.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You so much for always being with us and for protecting us from danger. What a comfort it is to our battle scarred heart to know that You really do love us and that You will protect us. How I appreciate being part of Your family. Thank You for loving me and for adopting me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 25, 2012

2012-02-24T03:39:00.002-06:00

IN HIS PRESENCE

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Psalm 16:11 KJV

Someone said “The only time I am happy is when I am with my family”. We can be happy and have a good time when we are with our family but it is only when we are in the presence of Jesus that we have the fulness of joy. A man said “There are a lot of pleasures in the world”.

This world and all its sparkling lights and temptations can’t give us real happiness. If you want to have pleasures and be really happy, fall in love with Jesus and serve Him with all of your heart. One of the definitions I found for pleasure in Webster’s Dictionary is “a source of delight or joy”.

Jesus is our source of delight and joy. It is our precious Saviour who fills our heart with joy and happiness. What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth! If you want to have real joy and happiness, stay in the presence of Jesus. He loves you so much that He died for you. How much do you love Him?

Precious Heavenly Father, I love You so much. Thank You for sharing Jesus with us and for all You have done for me. You are a tender loving and compassionate Father and I appreciate You. Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Thank You for protecting me from danger. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 24, 2012

2012-02-23T03:31:00.002-06:00

LOVE IS COMING DOWN

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11 KJV

Not only did love come down when Christ was born, His love is coming down every day for us. He delights in making us happy. His heart is overflowing with love, unconditional love for us. Our precious Saviour also wants to give us joy. He has given us a way so that we can have joy in our heart and life.

We read in the Bible “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). If you want to have the fulness of joy, stay in the presence of Jesus. That doesn’t mean that we have to pray every minute.

What it does mean is that we should not go where we can’t take Him or do or say anything that would hurt Him and break His heart. I don’t watch television. I only watch DVD’s that are about families. They are DVD’s that I have selected that make me think about Jesus.

My favorite DVD’s I watch are about the Walton family. The love they show to one another reminds me of the love Jesus has for us. It is the same when I read a book, if the first chapter doesn’t make me think about Jesus I close the book and I don’t read it.

Every movie that we watch and everything that we read should exalt Jesus. One of the definitions I found for exalt in Webster’s Dictionary is “to elevate by praise or in estimation”. Do the movies you watch and the books you read exalt Jesus? If not, stop watching those movies and reading those books.

Joanne Lowe
February 23, 2012

2012-02-22T16:12:00.000-06:00

GOD’S EMERGENCY ROOM

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.”
Psalm 102:1,2 KJV

These verses became the cry of my heart the last two days because satan did his best to discourage me and stop me from serving Jesus. When we go to God’s emergency room, we never have to wait. His arms of healing love are wide enough for every person in the world at the same time.

Pastor Charles Price Jones wrote the hymn “Come unto Me”. I love this hymn. “Hear the blessed Savior calling the oppressed, “O ye heavy laden, come to Me and rest. Come, no longer tarry, I your load will bear, Bring Me every burden, bring Me every care.” Have you given your burdens to Jesus?

Jesus, who is God’s emergency room Physician, will bear our pain, our grief and our heartaches. These last two days, I felt like I was going under for the last time. However, during these long dark days of grief and heartaches, Jesus lifted me up and carried me through the dark valleys.

How comforting it is to know that God cares about us and that He hears our prayers and answers us. I wonder how many times God has asked us to do something and we didn’t do it or we did it when it was convenient for us. We should be as quick to answer God as He is to answer us.

Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that we don’t have to wait for a Physician in Your emergency room. Precious Jesus, thank You for healing our broken heart. I love You, my wonderful Saviour, with all my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 22, 2012

2012-02-21T15:43:00.000-06:00

COMPASSION

“But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.”
Psalm 78:38 KJV

There is no telling how many times God has had compassion on us and forgiven us when we have hurt Him. Our Scripture verse tells us that He turned His anger away and didn’t stir up all His wrath. God forgives us yet many times we don’t forgive those who hurt us. We need to remember that nobody is perfect.

Just as people hurt us and break our heart, we also hurt them and break their heart. If we don’t have compassion on the ones who hurt us and forgive them, how dare we go to a Holy God and ask Him to have compassion on us and forgive us. Christians are sometimes a very arrogant people.

One of the definitions for arrogant in Webster’s Dictionary is “showing an offensive attitude of superiority”. None of us are better than anyone else. In God’s heart, we are equal. He loves the ones who hurt us just as He loves us when we hurt them. We need to pray and ask God to fill our heart with compassion.

Heavenly Father, we confess that we have sinned at times by not forgiving those who have hurt us. Please forgive us for not having compassion on those who hurt us and for refusing to forgive them. Please tenderize our heart and fill our heart with compassion and love for those who hurt us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 21, 2012

2012-02-20T10:18:00.000-06:00

OUR PROTECTOR

“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.”
Psalm 12:5 KJV

So often when we read or hear about the poor and needy, we think that they don’t have much money. That is probably true but there is more than one way to be needy. There are many people who are lonely, hurting and grieving and they need someone to encourage them.

God may want to use you to encourage someone. Several years ago, a lady sent me an encouraging email every day, sometimes twice a day. Those emails encouraged me so much, mostly because I knew that she cared enough to take the time to email me. Then, without any warning, she stopped sending them.

I thought that she didn’t care any more. It hurt me and I cried. Jesus will never stop encouraging us. All we have to do is open our Bible and we will read how much He loves us. He loves us so much He died for us. If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Him say to us “I love you and I will protect you”.

Jesus not only encourages us, He also protects us. He protects us from those who attack us physically and verbally. It breaks His heart when we are sad and He weeps with us. What a comfort and encouragement it is to our weary and battle scarred heart to know that the Saviour of the world cares about us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus, thank You for the many times You have comforted me and dried my tears with Your tender kisses of love. I love You so much. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 20, 2012

2012-02-19T07:33:00.000-06:00

THIRSTY

“O GOD, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
Psalm 63:1 KJV

Heavenly Father, we need You. We need Your loving touch. We’re thirsty for love and acceptance. Some of us are being attacked because we are serving Jesus. Please give us the strength to keep serving Jesus even though satan is attacking us with vicious and poisonous barbs. Thank You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 19, 2012

2012-02-18T07:52:00.000-06:00

HAPPINESS AND SORROW

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
Philippians 4:4 KJV

Our Scripture verse instructs us to rejoice in the Lord all the time. We should rejoice not only when we are happy but also when we are sad. How can we rejoice when we are grieving? We can rejoice because we know that Jesus is with us all the time and that He never leaves us, not even for one minute.

“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). Knowing that Jesus is always with us should be enough to fill our heart with happiness even in the midst of heartache and sorrow.

Not only is Jesus always with us, He also picks us up in His loving arms and carries us through all the dark valleys of our life and sets us once again on the mountain top of happiness. When we are hurting so much that we can’t sleep and the night seems so long, Jesus sits beside our bed and holds our hand.

Jesus is a compassionate and loving Saviour. He really does love us. It breaks His heart when we are sad. He weeps with us when we are hurting and He rejoices with us when we are happy. He longs to comfort and encourage you. Allow Jesus to dry the tears from your heart and eyes with tender kisses.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus. Precious Saviour, thank You for never leaving me and for the many times You have carried me through the dark valleys of my life. You are so faithful and You really do love me and care what happens to me. I love You, dear Jesus, with all of my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 18, 2012

2012-02-17T13:06:00.000-06:00

A MIRACLE OF LOVE

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
John 19:30 KJV

John W. Peterson wrote a beautiful song about the love of our Saviour “It Took a Miracle”. “It took a miracle to put the stars in place; It took a miracle to hang the world in space. But when he saved my soul, Cleansed and made me whole, It took a miracle of love and grace!”

What mercy, grace, forgiveness, compassion and unconditional love flowed from the heart of Jesus for you and for me when He said “It is finished:” Yes, it was finished, the end of the torture, the beatings and the humiliation of Jesus. Our precious Saviour will never have to be crucified again.

Jesus has done many wonderful things for me but the greatest thing He has ever done for me was on August 14, 1980, the day that I invited Him into my heart to be my personal Saviour and He told me that He loves me. That was the first time anyone had ever said to me “I love you, Joanne”. It was a miracle of love.

Has it gone from head knowledge to heart knowledge that the Saviour of the world loves you so much He died for you? Do you realize that if you had been the only person left in the world He would still have died for you? What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth! Worthy is the Lamb of God! All hail, King Jesus!

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your beloved Son to die for our sins. I am not worthy of Your love but I accept it and I thank You for being a Father that I can trust. How thankful I am to know that You will never beat me or curse me. I love You, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 17, 2012

2012-02-16T04:50:00.000-06:00

PLEASE HELP US

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”
Luke 17:5,6 KJV

I think if we are honest with ourselves all of us need to say what the apostles said to Jesus “Increase our faith”. Pastor John Henry Yates wrote a beautiful hymn “Faith Is the Victory”. How true these words are “Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.”

Jesus said to the apostles “If ye had faith”. He did not say that it was because of anything they did or said. The same is true in our life. It is not because of anything we do or say. It is as we believe Him and have faith and trust Him that the mountains in our life are moved.

Do you have mountains in your life that you can’t move? God can move them if you will trust Him. Heavenly Father, we have mountains in our life that we can’t move. Please help us. We know that You are able to do anything. Nothing is too hard for You. Thank You for helping us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 16, 2012

2012-02-15T08:04:00.000-06:00

THE BATTLE OF CRITICISM

“For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.”
Psalm 18:39 KJV

Have you been criticized because you are serving Jesus? I have been criticized many times. The first time I posted a devotion on the internet, I received six emails from people who criticized me. It is very important that we realize that we are unable to keep serving Jesus without His help.

When I received those emails, they devastated me and brought tears to my eyes. I had been criticized all my life and those emails reminded me of all the times that I had been told that I was no good and would never be able to make a contribution to the world so I might as well kill myself.

It is Jesus, and Him alone, that gives us strength to keep serving Him when people say hateful things to us. Jesus is the only one who is able to remove those poisonous vicious darts from our heart. It is our precious Saviour who dries our tears with soft tender kisses of love. What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Jesus has told us how to prepare for service to Him. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). Allow Jesus to comfort and encourage you when your heart is broken because people have criticized you.

Heavenly Father, God of all comfort, we bow before You this morning asking You to please hold us close and reassure us of Your love for us. We are helpless to defend ourselves in the battle of criticism. Please strengthen us and encourage us when people criticize us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 15, 2012

2012-02-14T00:18:00.000-06:00

A HEART FILLED WITH LOVE

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:12,13 KJV

Did you ever play the game “loves me, loves me not daisy game” when you were a child? We don’t have to play that game with Jesus. We know that He loves us. There is no doubt about His love for us. He proved how much He loves us and that He loves us unconditionally when He died on the cross for us.

I have said this countless times and I will keep saying it until God calls me home or Jesus comes back for us. No one loves us like Jesus loves us! We talk a lot about how much Jesus loves us. Jesus has a heart that is filled with love for us. How much do we love Him? Is our heart filled with love for Him?

We may never have to die physically for someone but we can die to our own desires. If you go out to eat with your friend, you can go where your friend wants to go to eat instead of where you want to go to eat. What about your family? Are you willing to shut off the television and spend time with them?

We are to love our family and our friends but we should love Jesus more than anyone or anything. “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

Is your heart filled with love for Jesus? How much do you love Him? Remember, the level of our service to Jesus depends on our level of love for Him. The more we love Him, the more we will serve Him. Are you serving Him with all your heart?

Joanne Lowe
February 14, 2012

2012-02-13T04:05:00.002-06:00

THE WORSE BETRAYAL

“When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”
John 13:21 KJV

Have you ever felt betrayed by someone? It made you angry and really hurt you didn’t it? Jesus was betrayed and it was the worse betrayal there ever was because as a result of that betrayal He was crucified for us on the cross and He was beaten beyond recognition for you and for me.

One of the definitions in Webster’s Dictionary for betray is “to deliver to an enemy by treachery”. That is exactly what Judas did to Jesus. However, instead of us thinking how horrible it was that Judas betrayed Jesus, we need to search our own heart and see if we have betrayed our precious Saviour.

Another definition in Webster’s Dictionary for betray is “to fail or desert especially in time of need”. There is no telling how many times we have failed Jesus or deserted Him. He has told us to go for Him and tell others the good news of how He died for their sins so they can be saved.

“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). “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35).

Have you told Jesus that you will go for Him? If you haven’t, why haven’t you? Our loving Saviour left His home, His Father and all that He had to come to earth and die a slow agonizing death for you. Will you answer His call and go for Jesus?

Joanne Lowe
February 13, 2012

2012-02-12T04:55:00.002-06:00

THE SAME QUESTION

“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”
Psalm 13:1 KJV

If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus asking us the same question that we ask Him. How we must hurt Him and break His heart when we neglect to fellowship with Him during the day. Someone said “My day is filled with appointments. I don’t have any time to spend with Jesus”.

The person who made that statement might as well as slapped Jesus in the face because that is how much it hurt Jesus. If you can’t talk to Jesus during the day, you are too busy and you need to prioritize your schedule. No matter how busy Jesus was when He was here, He always took time to talk to people.

Six years ago, a lady I have known for over fifteen years went on a spiritual retreat in the mountains. She was there for two weeks. She told me she wanted to spend time with Jesus and get closer to Him. When she came home, instead of spending time with Jesus she watched television most of the day.

We need to stop hurting Jesus. He has suffered enough for us. The desire of my heart is to make Jesus happy. Jesus is the reason I am living and the reason I get out of bed in the morning. He is also the joy of my heart. Is it the desire of your heart to make Jesus happy? Does Jesus come first in your life?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for hurting Jesus. I know it hurts You and breaks Your heart when we ignore Your beloved Son. I pray that we will always make time for Jesus and give Him the respect and honor that He so richly deserves. Jesus, we’re sorry we have hurt You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 12, 2012

2012-02-11T05:21:00.000-06:00

IT WILL NEVER END

“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.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 KJV

When we invite Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, He becomes our Bridegroom. We don’t have to wait for Him to come back to have joy in our heart. Jesus and I were married on August 14, 1980. Jesus and I went on our honeymoon of love. The honeymoon has never ended and it will never end.

I can’t wait to see Jesus face to face. I am going to give Him a hug and try to tell Him how much I love Him and how much I appreciate all He has done for me. Until He comes back for us, we are safe in His loving arms. Have you been on a honeymoon with Jesus? He wants to be your Bridegroom.

Heavenly Father, for those who have never invited Jesus into their heart to be their personal Saviour, I pray that today will be the day they say yes to Jesus. Thank You for sharing Jesus with us and for being a tender compassionate forgiving and loving Father. I love You, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 11, 2012

2012-02-10T07:18:00.000-06:00

JESUS IS MERCIFUL

“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”
Mark 10:47,51,52 KJV

Philip Paul Bliss wrote one of my favorite hymns “The Light of the World Is Jesus”. “Come to the light, ‘tis shining for thee; Sweetly the light has dawned upon me. Once I was blind, but now I can see: The Light of the world is Jesus!” How thankful I am that Jesus is the Light of my heart and life.

Until the redeeming blood of Jesus is applied to our heart for the forgiveness of our sins, we are blind. When Jesus comes into our heart, we can see because He puts His light of love in our heart and life. We don’t deserve His forgiveness and mercy but Jesus is merciful. What a precious Saviour!

No matter what you need, tell Jesus. He really loves you and it breaks His heart when you are sad and hurting. His arms are open wide for you to run into them. If you will listen with your heart, you will hear Jesus say to you “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” Tell Jesus what is in your heart.

Heavenly Father, thank You for illuminating my heart and life with the light of Jesus. I pray that every man, every woman, every boy and every girl will allow Jesus to put His light in their heart and life. I love You, dear Father. Thank You for loving me and for caring what happens to me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 10, 2012

2012-02-09T00:03:00.003-06:00

TROUBLE AND HAPPINESS

“The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;”
Psalm 20:1 KJV

Not only does God hear us in the day of trouble, He also hears us when we are happy. There are times when I have been so excited and happy that I felt like I was going to explode with happiness and God heard me and felt my happiness. How thankful I am that God hears us and understands us.

We have a loving protective Heavenly Father. One day God looked down and saw what turmoil the world was in and He opened His heart of compassion and mercy to us and sent His beloved Son into the world to die on the cross for our sins so that we may have the privilege of being saved.

If you are in the middle of a crisis, tell God about it. He knows all about it but He wants you to come to Him as a little child and pour out your heart to Him. Someone said “I don’t think God hears me when I pray”. If you will listen with your heart, you will hear Him saying to you “I love you and will protect you”.

Heavenly Father, You are indeed a tender compassionate and loving Father. I love You with all my heart and I appreciate all You have done for me and all You do for me every day. Thank You for loving me so much that You adopted me into Your family. Thank You for hearing me when I cry out to You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 9, 2012

2012-02-08T01:16:00.000-06:00

IN THE MIDST OF THE STORMS

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
Mark 4:37-39 KJV

Our precious Saviour not only protects us from the storms when we are on a ship, He also protects us from the storms of life. There are times when the storms of life threaten to pull us under for the last time. It is then that Jesus rescues us. He is our Lighthouse in the midst of the storms.

Ronnie Hinson wrote one of the greatest Gospel songs I have ever heard “The Lighthouse”. This beautiful song has inspired and encouraged me countless times. “There’s a Lighthouse on the hillside that overlooks life’s sea. When I’m tossed it sends out a light that I might see.” Thank God for our Lighthouse.

Jesus not only tells us that He is our light, He reassures us that He is our light and that we will never walk in 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).

Before I invited Jesus into my heart and He became my light in the darkness, I walked for over thirty years in the darkness of a crippling depression. It is hard for me to believe now but I didn’t have a conversation with anyone during those thirty years. Jesus has done a miracle in my heart and in my life.

If you are walking in the darkness of the storms of life, allow Jesus to flood your heart and life with His light of love. You don’t have to go through this life discouraged and defeated. Jesus will not only put His light in your heart and life, He will also encourage you and comfort you. He loves you so much.

Heavenly Father, thank You for our Lighthouse of Love. How thankful I am that on August 14, 1980, my precious Saviour illuminated my heart and life with His light of love. Jesus, You are the joy of my heart and the reason I get out of bed. With Your help, I will serve You until I die. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 8, 2012

2012-02-07T08:29:00.000-06:00

WHAT IS JESUS SAYING ABOUT US

“For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Matthew 11:10,11 KJV

What is Jesus saying about us? Is He pleased with our actions and with our words? When He looks into our heart, what does He see? If He sees bitterness, resentment, hatred, jealousy, criticism and judgment, it hurts Him and breaks His heart. The goal of my life is to make Jesus happy.

I don’t always make Him happy because I am still in the flesh and I fail Him at times. It brings tears to my eyes and makes me nauseous when I hurt Him. However, He knows my heart and He knows that I love Him. “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not” (Luke 7:13).

What a compassionate and loving Saviour we are privileged to know. What is Jesus saying about you? Are you making Him happy or are you hurting Him and breaking His heart? If He comes back for us today, will you be able to look Him in the eye or will you have to hang your head in shame?

Heavenly Father, please help us to do and say things that will lead others to Jesus. When I die, I want it said “She loved Jesus”. You know that I hurt Him but You know how much I love Him. I pray that we will make You happy instead of hurting You and making You sad. I love You so much, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 7, 2012

2012-02-06T01:30:00.000-06:00

IT DOES MATTER

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:16,24 KJV

Someone said “It doesn’t matter what I do or say because it doesn’t affect anybody else”. I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that it does matter. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were kicked out of the garden of Eden, and women have a lot of pain in childbirth.

Not only do our actions affect others, our words affect others. When someone says harsh criticizing words to us or we say them to someone else, we might as well take a gun and shoot the person in the heart because they have the same effect as a bullet in the heart.

Remember, whatever we do or say to one another, we do and say to Jesus. “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). It is time we stop hurting Jesus.

I don’t know about you but I want people to say kind and encouraging words to me rather than harsh and criticizing words. “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). May God help us to encourage one another instead of criticizing one another.

Joanne Lowe
February 6, 2012

2012-02-05T00:05:00.005-06:00

THE GREATEST MISSIONARY

“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

I have listened to missionaries and seen many slides they have showed about their work. The needs they presented were great. I saw slides of children who are starving, not just in other countries but also here in America. What a sad commentary it is on Christians that we allow children to be hungry.

Not only are children hungry for food, they are also hungry for love and acceptance. There are children who hide because they are frightened of what they see their parents doing and what they hear their parents saying. I’ve had little children come to my door and tell me they are hungry.

Jesus is the greatest missionary there ever was or ever will be. He got out of His comfort zone and left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth to die for our sins. If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus asking us to go for Him and spread His love and win souls for Him.

We read in the Bible “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). Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone and serve the One who died for you? Have you said to Jesus “send me”? If not, why haven’t you?

Heavenly Father, I know that it broke Your heart when You sent Your Son on His mission because You knew that Jesus was going to be crucified for us, yet You love us so much You sent Him. Thank You. I love You with all my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 5, 2012

2012-02-04T00:01:00.004-06:00

NO RETIREMENT

“They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”
Psalm 92:14 KJV

I have received several emails over the last seven years from pastors and missionaries and those in full time service to Jesus who have told me they were retiring. There is no retirement plan for people who serve Jesus. We must serve Him until God calls us home or Jesus comes back for us.

Our precious Saviour worked harder than anyone has ever worked and He’s still working even though He is in Heaven. He hasn’t retired. He is still spreading His love to everyone. Jesus continues to encourage us and comfort us every day. He takes our hand and leads us down the path He wants us to go.

Not only does Jesus comfort and encourage us, He is also interceding for you and for me. Carolyn Gilman wrote the song “And He’s Ever Interceding”. I really love this song. “And He’s ever interceding to the Father for His children Yes, He’s ever interceding to the Father for His own.”

We may not be able to serve Him as much as we did before due to poor health or other circumstances but we must keep on serving Him. We can call people and tell them Jesus loves them. If God lays someone on your heart to call, you need to be obedient and call that person.

Heavenly Father, You are a loving and compassionate Father. I appreciate You so much. Jesus, thank You for interceding for me to the Father. I love You, my precious Saviour. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Indeed, You haven’t retired. Every day You encourage me. Thank You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 4, 2012

2012-02-03T00:03:00.002-06:00

WORTHY THE LAMB

“And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
Revelation 5:2-5 KJV

Only Jesus is worthy to open and read the book. “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” (Revelation 5:9).

Thank God for the redeeming blood of Jesus! Our salvation is free to us but Jesus paid the most expensive price for our salvation that was ever paid for something, His own blood. What unconditional love, compassion and forgiveness flowed from the heart of Jesus for us as He hung on the cross.

Worthy is the Lamb of God! Jesus, You are so precious and wonderful. I love You with all of my heart. Thank You for loving me so much that You died for my sins. What about you? Has the redeeming blood of Jesus been applied to your heart for the forgiveness of your sins?

Heavenly Father, I pray for every man, every woman, every boy and every girl. O’ that they will give their heart to Jesus before it is too late. Please help us to stay on the battlefield and keep serving Jesus. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 3, 2012

2012-02-02T00:02:00.004-06:00

HE IS STILL ALIVE

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
I Corinthians 15:3,4 KJV

Pastor Philip Doddridge wrote a beautiful inspiring hymn about our Saviour “Yes, the Redeemer Rose”. “Ye mortals catch the sound, redeemed by Him from hell; And send the echo round the globe on which you dwell: Transported, cry, “Jesus, who bled, Hath left the dead, no more to die.”

Jesus defeated satan on the cross when He was crucified for our sins. “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). Sometimes we act like Jesus is dead. He is still alive. He is our risen victorious Saviour.

No matter how many crises and dark valleys we have in our life, Jesus doesn’t leave us and He still loves us. He picks us up and carries us through all the dark valleys and sets us once again on the mountain top of happiness. Not only does He save our soul, He also saves us from despair, discouragement and heartaches.

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Revelation 22:13). Jesus, You are the beginning and the end. You are the end of fear, sorrow and heartache and You are the beginning of joy and happiness. Thank You for filling my heart with joy and happiness. I love You, dear Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a compassionate, loving and forgiving Father. I love You, precious Father, with all of my heart and I appreciate all You have done for me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
February 2, 2012

2012-02-01T00:02:00.005-06:00

JESUS WAS HUNGRY FOR LOVE

“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 farther, 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 26:37-40 KJV

Have you ever been hungry for love? Jesus understands how you felt because He too was hungry for love. How it must have hurt Him and broke His heart when He found His disciples asleep. What is even more heartbreaking is the fact that Jesus is still hungry for love.

No matter what time of the day or night if we will listen with our heart we will hear Jesus say to us “I love you”. He not only reassures us that He loves us, He comforts us, encourages us and protects us. Jesus is a friend beyond compare. He never leaves us, not even for one minute.

How many times during the day do you tell Jesus that you love Him? He has feelings too and He wants to hear us say “I love You” to Him just as we want to hear Him say that He loves us. Have you hugged Jesus today? He has told us that when we hug someone, we are hugging Him.

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). Have you hugged someone today for Jesus? We must tell Jesus we love Him so we can fill His heart with love and He won’t be sad.

Joanne Lowe
February 1, 2012

2012-01-31T00:01:00.002-06:00

A CRIPPLING VIRUS

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
1 Peter 5:8 KJV

One of the definitions for virus in Webster’s Dictionary is “the causative agent of an infectious disease”. The devastating and crippling viruses that attack our heart are caused by satan. Jesus warns us to be vigilant for the attacks of satan because satan is very sneaky and he is out to get us.

There are a lot of crippling viruses that satan attacks us with but one of the worse viruses he attacks us with is discouragement. It makes satan very angry when we serve Jesus and he will do all he can do to discourage us so much that we will give up and stop serving Jesus. We must not let that happen!

We are powerless to defeat satan. It is Jesus working through us that defeats satan. Jesus won the war over satan on the cross but we are still in a battle and we need to be faithful to Jesus no matter how many vicious poisonous arrows of lies and discouragement satan puts in our heart.

Heavenly Father, we need Your help. We are living in a world that is filled with violence and hatred and satan attacks us every day with lies and discouragement. Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for our sins. Please help us and comfort us when satan attacks us with lies and discouragement. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 31, 2012

2012-01-30T00:01:00.003-06:00

FROM THE PALACE OF LOVE

“With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.”
Psalm 45:15 KJV

Evangelist Henry Barraclough wrote the beautiful hymn “Ivory Palaces”. Thank God that Jesus loves us and that He left His palace and came to earth to die for our sins. There is no greater love than the love of Jesus. “Out of the ivory palaces, Into a world of woe, Only His great eternal love Made my Savior go.”

Jesus didn’t come from a palace like we know, He came from a palace where love reigned. Nobody yelled at each other there. God and Jesus love each other and they encourage and comfort one another. What a precious loving Heavenly Father and what a tender loving Saviour we are privileged to know and have.

I believe that God prepared His Son for the war against satan and said to Jesus “I will be with You, My Son. It is breaking my heart to know that You are going to have to die. I love You very much, Son, and I will comfort and encourage You when Your heart is broken and the tears start to fall”.

An undeserved and unconditional love comes from the palace of love. This amazing compassionate and forgiving love comes from the heart of God and from the heart of Jesus. How encouraging and comforting it is to our weary battle scarred heart to know that they love us and will love us for all eternity.

Heavenly Father, I love You. Dear Jesus, I love You. Thank You for loving me and for being a precious Father and a loving Saviour. Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You left the comforts of Your home and Your Father to come to earth to die for our sins. How I long to see You face to face!

Joanne Lowe
January 30, 2012

2012-01-29T03:24:00.000-06:00

YOU ARE A LOVING FATHER

“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

When I was a child, I was afraid of my dad because he yelled so much and cursed so much. I realize now why he did the things he did. It was because he didn’t feel loved. It’s difficult for us to give love to others if we have never felt loved. It is urgent and very important that we love people and tell them they are loved.

Have you ever felt that your dad doesn’t love you or care about you? Are you afraid of your dad? Does your dad yell at you and curse you? Do you run to your room and hide? If so, know that our Heavenly Father loves you so much He sent His Son to die for your sins. He will adopt you and He will protect you.

We have a loving compassionate, tender and forgiving Heavenly Father. What a privilege is ours to have our sins forgiven and be adopted into His family through the cleansing redeeming blood of His dear Son that He shed for us on the cross. How thankful I am that God is my Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father, You are a loving Father and we are precious to You. How reassuring it is to know that You love us so much that You sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins so we can be saved. Thank You from the bottom of my heart for loving me and for protecting me. I love You so much, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 29, 2012

2012-01-28T00:03:00.006-06:00

WALK OR RUN

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Revelation 22:20 KJV

Several years ago, I went to the wedding of my friend who was getting married. As I was thinking about her walking down the aisle to the groom, it reminded me of Jesus, our Bridegroom. One day He is coming back for us. I don’t know about you but I’m not going to walk to meet Him, I am going to run.

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). The wise virgins were ready, but the foolish weren’t ready. Are you going to be ready when Jesus comes back for us? You may be saved but is your heart in right standing with God?

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Just because we are saved doesn’t mean we are doing His will. Many times we do what we want to do instead of what He wants us to do.

Does this mean that if we are saved we can lose our salvation? No, when the redeeming blood of Jesus is applied to our heart for the forgiveness of our sins, we are saved for all eternity. “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).

Heavenly Father, how I long for the day when I will be able to run into my Saviour’s loving arms. Jesus, I love You with all of my heart. You are the reason I am living and the reason I get out of bed. Father, I pray for every man, woman, boy and girl who has never said yes to Jesus. May this be the day. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 28, 2012

2012-01-27T06:37:00.000-06:00

ARE WE WILLING TO DO IT

“Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”
Matthew 4:1,2 KJV

When we hear the word “fasted” we think about not eating. However, there is another way we can fast and that is to shut off the television and not turn it on for forty days and forty nights and spend that time with Jesus. Are we willing to do it? Do we love Jesus enough to spend that time with Him?

Everything we do or say shows how much we love Jesus. We know that He loves us and how much He loves us. Our precious Saviour proved how much He loves us when He allowed them to crucify Him on a cross of horror and endured rejection, criticism and excruciating pain for us so we can be saved.

We need to remember that the level of our service to Jesus depends on our level of love for Him. Let me repeat this because it is so important. The level of our service to Jesus depends on our level of love for Him. How much do you love Him and what are you doing to prove that you love Him?

What about you? If Jesus asks you to turn off the television, are you willing to do it? O how He longs for us to spend time with Him and not for a selfish reason but because He loves us so much and He wants to encourage and comfort us and dry our tears with tender kisses.

Heavenly Father, Your beloved Son proved how much He loves us when He died for us. Help us to be willing to prove how much we love Him not only by turning off the television but also by the things we say and do. I love You, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 27, 2012

2012-01-26T04:41:00.000-06:00

WHY DOESN’T HE HATE 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

If ever someone has a right to hate people, it is Jesus. He never sinned or did anything wrong not even one time yet He was tortured, criticized, rejected, spat upon and beaten beyond recognition for you and for me. Why doesn’t He hate us? It is because not only does He give love, He is love.

It is impossible for Jesus to hate us because His very nature is love. He couldn’t hate us if He wanted to hate us. Jesus, the Saviour of the world, loves you and me unconditionally. There is nothing we could do that would make Him stop loving us. We may hurt Him and break His heart but He will still love us.

How dare you and I hate people when Jesus, who was tortured and abused more than anyone has ever been or ever will be, loves us? We should fall on our knees with thanksgiving for such a loving Saviour. Has it penetrated your heart that even while hanging on the cross in agony Jesus forgave us?

“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).

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for being cruel and hateful to people. May we be tender, loving, forgiving, and compassionate to those who hurt us just as Jesus is to us when we hurt Him. Jesus, I love You. Thank You for dying for my sins. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 26, 2012

2012-01-25T00:01:00.003-06:00

OUR LIGHTHOUSE OF HOPE

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”
Psalm 31:24 KJV

Not only is Jesus our Saviour, He is also our rock, our refuge, our lighthouse of love and our lighthouse of hope. One of the definitions for hope in Webster’s Dictionary is “to expect with confidence”. We can expect with confidence that Jesus will do what He says He will do because we can trust Him.

Evangelist Judson Wheeler Van DeVenter wrote the beautiful hymn “I Surrender All”. It is not only a beautiful hymn; it is also one of my favorite hymns. “All to Jesus, I surrender; All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.” Have we given Him everything? Do we really trust Him?

When things go wrong and we are in the middle of a crisis, do we trust Him to take care of us? It is one thing to say that we trust Him; it’s another thing to prove that we trust Him. We can fool others but we can’t fool Him. Jesus knows our heart and He knows if we really trust Him or if we are giving Him lip service.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sharing Your beloved Son with us. Jesus, thank You for being our lighthouse of hope in a world that is filled with disappointments and heartaches. There are times when we get discouraged and we feel like giving up. How wonderful it is to know that we can depend on You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 25, 2012

2012-01-24T06:20:00.000-06:00

OUR MERCIFUL FATHER

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
Matthew 24:14 KJV

Many of us have family and friends who have not accepted Jesus as personal Saviour. Thank God for this verse that the gospel will be preached in all the world and everyone will have the privilege of inviting Jesus to be his or her Saviour. We may hear the sermon our pastor preaches but are we listening?

One of the definitions in Webster’s Dictionary for listen is “to hear something with thoughtful attention”. I think if we are honest with ourselves that there have been times when we weren’t paying attention to the sermon. May God help us to listen with our heart when our pastor is preaching.

Jesus died on the cross for every person in the world and He wants everyone to be saved. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a loving, forgiving, merciful and compassionate Father. I pray that every person in the world will give his or her heart to Jesus. Heavenly Father, please help us to pay attention to the sermon when our pastor is preaching. I pray that You would encourage our pastors. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 24, 2012

2012-01-23T00:03:00.002-06:00

SPECIAL NEEDS CHRISTIANS

“But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:”
1 Thessalonians 2:7 KJV

Just as there are special needs children, there are also special needs Christians. When we are born again into the family of God, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us dearly, a Father who will protect us. He will never yell at us or call us stupid. How thankful I am that I’m part of the family of God.

Even though our sins are forgiven through the redeeming blood of Jesus and we become part of the family of God, some of us have emotional scars from our childhood because of being criticized so many times. We are special needs Christians. We need other Christians to reassure us that we are loved.

Bill Gaither wrote a beautiful hymn “The Family Of God”. I love these words. “You will notice we say “brother and sister” ‘round here, It’s because we’re a family and these are so near; When one has a heartache, we all share the tears, And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.”

When I surrendered to the mission field, God gave me a special verse “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1).

Heavenly Father, please help us to encourage and comfort one another always remembering that there may come a day when we will need to be comforted and encouraged. Thank You for adopting me into Your family. I love You, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 23, 2012

2012-01-22T04:42:00.000-06:00

IT’S NOT TOO LATE

“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

Have you surrendered your heart and life to Jesus in full time service? If not, it’s not too late to serve Him. “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest. behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35).

Just as Jesus stands at the door of our heart and knocks to let Him come in, so He is calling us to surrender our heart and life to Him in full time service. Will you say yes to Jesus? Do you love Him enough to shut off the television and get out of your comfort zone and serve Him?

Jesus left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for you so you may have your sins forgiven. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). No one loves us more than Jesus loves us and no one ever will.

Jesus laid down His life for you. What have you laid down for Him? How we must hurt Him and break His heart because we watch television more than we serve Him. Jesus has called all of us into full time service for Him but many people have refused to get out of their comfort zone and serve Him.

Jesus may not be calling you to go to a different country but He is calling you to give Him all of your time and your talents. Does Jesus have first place in your heart or does watching television come before Him? May God have mercy on us if Jesus is not first in our heart and life.

Joanne Lowe
January 22, 2012

2012-01-21T00:05:00.004-06:00

WILL HE BE ASHAMED

“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:38 KJV

Fanny Crosby wrote a beautiful hymn “Will Jesus Find Us Watching?” I believe that she wrote this hymn from the depths of her heart. “When Jesus comes to reward His servants, Whether it be noon or night, Faithful to Him will He find us watching, With our lamps all trimmed and bright?”

Jesus is coming back for us and we had better be ready. “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). Jesus could come back for us today, are you ready to meet Him? If not, I urge you, I plead with you to get your heart right with God.

I wonder if Jesus will be ashamed of us when He comes back for us. If we are watching a movie on television that has sex, cursing and violence in it, not only will He will be ashamed of us, it will also break His heart. We should be eagerly watching and waiting for our precious Saviour to come back for us.

Will Jesus be ashamed of you because you haven’t told people about Him? How embarrassing, humiliating and heartbreaking it will be if we can’t look Jesus in the eye when He comes back for us because we haven’t been watching and waiting for Him every day.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). Jesus, I long to see You face to face. I love You with all of my heart and I appreciate all You have done for me and all that You do for me.

Joanne Lowe
January 21, 2012

2012-01-20T09:21:00.002-06:00

WASN’T THAT ENOUGH

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer that a brother.”
Proverbs 18:24 KJV

Someone emailed me and wrote “Several years ago, I gave a gift to someone. This person is upset with me because I haven’t emailed or called since then. When I gave this person the gift, wasn’t that enough to prove that I am a friend”? The answer to that question is “No, that doesn’t prove you’re a friend”.

When we repent of our sins, ask God to forgive us and invite Jesus into our heart, Jesus becomes our personal Saviour. However, Jesus is more than just our Saviour, He is also our friend. He encourages us and comforts us just as we should do for one another. Jesus tells us He loves us every day.

No, it’s not enough to give people a gift and never contact them again for several years. If we don’t email them, write them or call them for several years it’s no wonder they don’t believe we are a friend. Friendship is like a marriage in the sense that we need to encourage and comfort one another on a daily basis.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for Jesus. He is not only our Saviour; He is also the greatest Friend we have. Jesus, thank You for the many times You have comforted and encouraged me. Thank You for never leaving me, not even for one minute. I love You with all of my heart, dear Jesus. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 20, 2012

2012-01-19T08:26:00.000-06:00

WE NEED TO STOP JUDGING

“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.”
Proverbs 19:11 KJV

We have a choice when someone hurts us. We can get angry and tell the person off or we can choose to forgive the one who hurt us and pray for that person. God is the judge of people not us and it is time we stop judging people and allow God to do His job.

We don’t know what is going on in the heart of the person who hurts us. Only Jesus can see into our heart and He knows and understands why we act the way we do. If someone hurts us, instead of getting angry and yelling at the person, we need to walk away from the situation.

If our spouse hurts us, we should go into another room instead of saying hurtful words. Once we say harsh and cruel words, they can never be taken back. The ones we hurt can forgive us but the cruel words we say remain in their heart like bleeding wounds and only Jesus can heal the wounds in a heart.

We can’t forgive people in our own strength. It is Jesus working in our heart that helps us forgive the ones who hurt us. It is important to remember that we too hurt people. No one is perfect. There is only one perfect person who ever lived or ever will live and His name is Jesus. He never hurt anyone.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for judging people. Help us to remember that You are the judge, not us. I pray that we will forgive those who hurt us just as You forgive us when we hurt You. Thank You for the many times You have forgiven me. We love You and we appreciate You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 19, 2012

2012-01-18T05:25:00.000-06:00

STILL LEARNING

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV

I think if we will be honest all of us will have to admit that we are still learning to trust Jesus with all our heart. He has proved Himself faithful time and time again, yet we still have doubts and wonder if He will help us. How we must hurt Him and break His heart. He died for us yet we still have trouble trusting Him.

Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us and that He will love us forever. Jesus loves us as much today as He did yesterday and He will love us as much tomorrow as He does today. What a comfort and encouragement it is to our weary battle scarred heart to know that Jesus loves us.

Do you trust Jesus with all your heart? Are you allowing Him to lead you down the path He wants you to go or do you insist on doing things your way? It is time that we start trusting Jesus with all our heart and do it His way instead of doing things our way. It is always safe to trust Jesus. What He says, He will do.

What a Saviour. What a friend, this Jesus of Nazareth. All hail, King Jesus! Worthy is the Lamb of God! Jesus, thank You so much for leading me down the path of joy, happiness, peace and excitement. I do trust You and I love You with all of my heart.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for hurting Jesus because we continue to do things our way instead of His way. I know that it hurts You and breaks Your heart because we don’t trust Your beloved Son with all our heart. Help us to trust Jesus with all of our heart. Thank You for loving us, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 18, 2012

2012-01-17T05:19:00.000-06:00

HE WILL SET YOU FREE

“This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;”
Psalm 102:18-20 KJV

The governor can pardon those on death row but only God can pardon us from hell. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Thank God for the precious redeeming blood of Jesus!

Jesus not only pardons us from eternal death through His blood, He also hears the groaning of our heart and He releases us from the heartache of despair, discouragement and loneliness. When it feels like the night will never end and we can’t sleep and the tears start to fall, He dries our tears with tender kisses.

If you are heartbroken, discouraged and lonely, remember Jesus allowed them to beat Him beyond recognition, curse Him, mock Him, spit on Him and pluck His beard for you. This is how much Jesus loves you. He is waiting with open arms for you to come to Him so He can comfort and encourage you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the cleansing blood of Jesus that sets us free from eternal death. Jesus, thank You for allowing them to crucify You so that we can be pardoned and set free from hell. I love You so much, dear Jesus, and I appreciate all You have done for me and all You do for me every day. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 17, 2012

2012-01-16T07:02:00.000-06:00

OUR GOD OF MIRACLES

“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

The beloved John W. Peterson wrote one of the greatest songs of all time “It Took a Miracle”. Mr. Peterson went home to be with Jesus on September 20, 2006 but his music and his love for Jesus is still touching countless hearts and lives. What a legacy of love he has left for his family.

“It took a miracle to put the stars in place; It took a miracle to hang the world in space. But when He saved my soul, Cleansed and made me whole, It took a miracle of love and grace!” The words in this song are so true. It was a miracle of love and grace. Thank God for the cross of love!

“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).

Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for the miracle of salvation through Your Son’s shed blood on the cross. Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that even while you were hanging on that cruel cross of agony, You forgave us. I love You with all of my heart. Thank You for dying for me and for loving me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 16, 2012

2012-01-15T00:05:00.004-06:00

HIS WAY

“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Isaiah 64:8 KJV

Adelaide Addison Pollard wrote a beautiful hymn “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”. These words are the prayer of my heart. “Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Hold o’er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.”

I wonder how many times we have sung this hymn but didn’t mean what we were singing. We can fool others but we can’t fool Jesus. He can see into our heart and He knows if we really do love Him. How it must break His heart when we sing this hymn to Him but don’t really mean the words we are singing.

O how I want people to see Christ living in me. My heart’s desire is to make Jesus happy. I want Him to have His way in my heart and in my life. What about you, does He have His way in your heart and life? Does your family know you love Jesus? When people look at you, do they see Christ living in you?

Heavenly Father, I pray that we will live for Jesus and that others will always see Jesus living in us. May they know that we love Jesus by the kind and encouraging words we say to them. Help us to realize that it is not enough to say kind words; we must back our words up with loving actions. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 15, 2012

2012-01-14T00:02:00.002-06:00

DEPEND ON HIM

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Hebrews 13:8 KJV

I received an email three years ago from someone who wrote “I depend on your devotions to keep me going through the day. The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is turn on my computer and see if you have sent the devotion for that day”. While that email encouraged me, it also broke my heart.

The first thing we should do when we get up in the morning is to tell Jesus we love Him and then open our Bible and read it. We should do this before we read the newspaper or turn on the television set. However, we also need to spend time with the living Word, our precious Saviour.

Don’t depend on me or any other person. We are in the flesh and we will fail one another. For years, I used to put people on a pedestal and when they fell, just as I will fall from a pedestal, it broke my heart and devastated me. Jesus will never fail us. Depend on Him and Him alone. We can trust Him with our life.

As much as our spouse and our children love us, only Jesus can give us the joy that our heart desires. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). If you want to have real joy and happiness, stay in the presence of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, You are a tender, forgiving, compassionate and loving Father. You love us so much that You have given Jesus to us to not only be our Saviour, but also to be our light, our joy and our guide through life. Thank You. I love You, dear Father, and I appreciate all You have done for me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 14, 2012

2012-01-13T07:35:00.002-06:00

HIS LIGHTHOUSE OF LOVE

“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

Yesterday was a very difficult and challenging day for me. There was nothing wrong. I was very happy when all of a sudden, without any warning; I felt a huge dark blanket of sadness come over me. I couldn’t even send a prayer request so I did the only thing I could do. I said “Jesus, please help me”.

Jesus is so faithful. He has never failed me yet and He never will. He put His loving arms around me and picked me up and carried me all day through my day of sadness. He set me once again on the mountain top of happiness. What a loving and faithful Saviour we are privileged to know and have!

Ronnie Hinson wrote the song “The Lighthouse”. “There’s a lighthouse on a hillside that overlooks life’s sea. When I’m tossed He sends out a light, light that I might see, And the light that shines in darkness now Will safely lead me on If it wasn’t for the lighthouse This ship would sail no more.”

Yes, Jesus is our lighthouse in a world of darkness and despair. How I thank God for His lighthouse of love. Has it entered your heart yet how much God loves you? He loves you so much that He sent His beloved Son to die for your sins. Jesus was beaten, ridiculed and crucified on the cross for you.

Heavenly Father, You are a compassionate, tender and forgiving Father. I love You with all of my heart. Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins. Thank You for carrying me through the dark valleys of my life. You are so precious to me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 13, 2012

2012-01-12T07:08:00.000-06:00

THE ANSWER

“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

Rusty Goodman wrote one of the most beautiful and inspiring songs that I have ever heard “Who Am I”. This song always brings tears of gratitude to my eyes and heart. Once when I was singing this song to Jesus, I asked Him why He would die for me and He told me that I was precious to Him and He loves me.

I believe when Rusty wrote this song that the words came from the depths of his heart. “Who am I that a King would bleed and die for? Who am I that He would pray: “Not my will, thine for?” The answer I may never know, Why He ever loved me so; That to an old rugged cross He would go, For who am I?”

The answer to why Jesus went to the cross and suffered all that pain and torture for us is because He loves His Father and He loves us. He wanted to be obedient to His Father and He wanted to prove to us how much He loves us. Jesus knows that without actions to back them up words mean nothing.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I started singing this song to Him and the more I sung it, the more I cried. I know that He loves you but wonder of wonders He loves me! To know that Jesus, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, loves me is overwhelming and it brings me to my knees.

I am unable to bow on my knees because of my arthritis but I bow to Him in my heart. Jesus loves you more than anyone in the world loves you. Don’t ever forget how much He loves you and that He loves you unconditionally. You are precious to Him.

Joanne Lowe
January 12, 2012

2012-01-11T04:05:00.000-06:00

HE IS ABLE

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
Jude 1:24,25 KJV

No matter how much we love Jesus and how dedicated we are to serving Him, we are still in the flesh and we will fail Him at times. I love Jesus with all of my heart. He is the reason I get out of bed in the morning. If I couldn’t serve Jesus, there would be no reason to live. Yet, I still fail Him at times.

Last night I received a telephone call from someone who was calling to change the time of an appointment I had set up. I immediately said “I don’t want to change the time” and got upset. However, in the middle of the conversation I realized that I was not responding like a Christian should respond.

After agreeing to change the time, I hung up the telephone and then I got nauseous. I always get nauseous when I hurt Jesus. It breaks my heart when I hurt Him after all He has done for me. Thank God for our Scripture that assures us that He is able to present us faultless before the presence of His glory.

When you realize that you have hurt Jesus, tell Him you’re sorry. I think we forget sometimes that Jesus has feelings too. It hurts Him when we say cruel and criticizing words to people. Jesus loves all of equally. He loves the person who hurts us just as much as He loves us. It is time we stop hurting Jesus.

Heavenly Father, put a zipper on my mouth when I start to say things that hurt You. I want people to see Jesus shining through me and hear His love for them in the words I say. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 11, 2012

2012-01-10T07:58:00.000-06:00

NO MORE DARKNESS

“The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
John 1:7-9 KJV

A pastor friend of mine said in a sermon “We were in a cave and it was so dark I couldn’t see my hands”. It doesn’t matter how many dark valleys we go through and how discouraged we get, the light of Jesus will still shine in our heart and in our life. When Jesus is in our heart there is no more darkness.

I love this song that Harry Dixon Loes wrote “Shine For Jesus Where You Are”. The words in this song should challenge every Christian to shine for Jesus. “In your home today let kindness glow, Shine for Jesus where you are; Tell someone of Christ and heal sin’s woe, Just shine for Jesus where you are.”

Does our family see the light of Jesus shining through us? Are we kind and loving to our family or do we say cruel words and criticize them? How tragic it would be if someone in our family didn’t accept Jesus as personal Saviour because we criticized them. We must shine for Jesus in our home.

One day every one of us will stand before a Holy God and give an account of what we did with Jesus. May God have mercy on us if we aren’t shining for Jesus and telling people how much He loves them. Will you have to hang your head in shame because you aren’t shining for Jesus?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not letting others see the light of Jesus in us. Help us to be kind and loving to our family and remember that You forgive us when we hurt You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 10, 2012

2012-01-09T01:26:00.000-06:00

START PUSHING

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
Isaiah 61:1 KJV

When I surrendered to the mission field on October 4, 1998, God gave me this verse as my ministry verse. God did not call me to be a pastor or to preach. He called me to be a missionary and to be an encourager to the hurting and brokenhearted and to tell them that Jesus loves them unconditionally.

There are times when people get so discouraged that they can’t even pray. It is then that we need to put them in an emotional wheelchair and start pushing. However, instead of just pushing the chair, we need to push them into the loving arms of Jesus. Only Jesus can heal a discouraged and broken heart.

Jesus is not only our Saviour, He is also the greatest Friend we have. He never leaves us, not even for one minute. When you are hurting and the night seems so long and you can’t sleep, Jesus sits by your bed and holds your hand as He whispers in your ear “I love you”. He tenderly dries your tears with kisses.

Don’t listen to satan when he tells you that Jesus doesn’t love you and won’t forgive you for the things you did in your past. That is a lie straight from the pits of hell. I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus does love you and if you have confessed your sins, He has forgiven you.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who is discouraged, hurting and brokenhearted. Please comfort and encourage them as only You can and let them feel Your love. Thank You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 9, 2012

2012-01-08T00:10:00.001-06:00

THE WAR

“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. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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 53:3-5 KJV

I watched a family movie on my DVD player yesterday. It was a heartbreaking movie about the war they were in and one of their loved ones who was killed in action. It broke my heart and I cried but what breaks my heart even more and brings tears to my heart and eyes is the war that killed Jesus.

It was a war against hatred. There was only one casualty and it was Jesus, the Saviour of the world. I have seen movies where soldiers put their own lives in danger to rescue someone who was injured. No one cared and no one put his life in danger to rescue Jesus. He was hated and rejected and He died alone.

Jesus wasn’t wounded for His transgressions. He was wounded for our transgressions. He had never sinned yet He willingly walked that long lonely road to Calvary to die on the cross for our sins. What an amazing and unconditional love flowed from the heart of Jesus for us on that terrible day.

Jesus died and shed His own blood for you. If you ever think that nobody loves you or cares about you, remember the cross and the pain and agony that Jesus suffered for you. Yes, Jesus cares about you. You are very precious to Him. Thank You, Jesus, for loving us and dying for us. I love You so much.

Joanne Lowe
January 8, 2012

2012-01-07T09:27:00.000-06:00

JESUS IS THE HEALER

”And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”
Luke 10:9 KJV

Nothing makes me any angrier than to hear someone say “It is because of me this person was healed”. I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus is the healer. It is not us that do the healing; it is Jesus working through us. How it must hurt Him and break His heart when we say we healed someone.

Not only does our precious Saviour heal us spiritually and physically, He also heals us emotionally. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). We are to comfort and encourage one another but only Jesus can heal our broken heart. He really loves us and cares about us.

I don’t know what burdens and heartaches you have but Jesus knows and His heart is moved with compassion for you. You are very precious to Him. If you are discouraged today, allow Him to pick you up and carry you through all the dark valleys of your life. He will dry your tears with tender kisses.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to die on the cross for us not only to heal us spiritually but also to heal our broken heart. Jesus, I love You with all of my heart. Thank You for dying for my sins and for healing my broken heart. You are so precious, dear Jesus. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 7, 2012

2012-01-06T07:39:00.000-06:00

NORMAL

“Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.”
Mark 10:19 KJV

I have heard people say this many times. “It’s only normal for children to be disobedient to their parents and for sisters and brothers to fight.” I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that it is not normal for children to be disobedient to their parents and for sisters and brothers to fight.

What is normal according to God and what He wants is for us to honor our parents and be obedient to them and for sisters and brothers to love one another. This is also true of sisters and brothers in the family of God. Yet, many times instead of loving each other, we criticize each other. How this must hurt God.

We need to obey and honor our parents as God has commanded us to do. We need to realize that our parents have feelings just as we do. There are times when our parents don’t show us the love that we need. However, it is impossible for our parents to give us love if they never received love when they were children.

Parents, just as you want your children to share what is in their heart with you, they also want you to share what is in your heart with them. Isn’t that what our Heavenly Father does for us? He shares His heart with us. It is time that we act normal according to God instead of what the world says is normal.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not honoring our parents and for not loving our brothers and our sisters as You have commanded us to love them. I pray that our words and our actions will make You happy instead of making You sad. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 6, 2012

2012-01-05T03:59:00.000-06:00

HE IS WORTHY

“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”
Revelation 5:12 KJV

Our precious Saviour is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing. He is also worthy to receive all of our time, all of the talents He has given us, all of our money and all of our heart. Jesus should have first place in our heart. Worthy is the Lamb of God! All hail, King Jesus!

Does Jesus have the first place in our heart or have we allowed our family, our friends, sports and the television to take first place in our heart? After all that Jesus has done for us, He deserves to have the first place in our heart. He earned the right to have first place when He died on the cross for our sins.

I heard someone say “My wife is dead. I don’t have any reason to live. I want to die”. While Jesus loves us very much and cares about us, and it breaks His heart when we are hurting and His heart is moved with compassion for us, it also hurts Him when we love others more than we love Him.

We read in the Bible “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Do we love Jesus more than we love anybody or anything? If not, we need to ask God to forgive us for putting people and things before Jesus.

Heavenly Father, we need to love others unconditionally just as Jesus has commanded us to love them but please help us to love Jesus more than we love anybody or anything. Jesus, You are worthy and I love You with all of my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 5, 2012

2012-01-04T05:47:00.000-06:00

DID HE HEAR YOU

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
Psalm 5:3 KJV

When we wake up in the morning, if we will listen with our heart the first thing we will hear is our Heavenly Father saying to us “I love you”. Does He hear us say to Him “I love You” as soon as we wake up or do we read the newspaper first? How it must hurt Him when we read the newspaper before talking to Him.

What about you? Did you tell God that you love Him as soon as you woke up this morning or did you drink a cup of coffee and read the newspaper first? Just as we want Him to tell us that He loves us, so He wants us to tell Him that we love Him. God has feelings too and it hurts Him when we ignore Him.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not telling You that we love You as soon as we wake up in the morning. Instead of turning on the television as soon as we get up, may we fall on our knees and thank You and praise You for being such a loving, compassionate and forgiving Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 4, 2012

2012-01-03T06:01:00.002-06:00

OUR GREATEST FRIEND

“And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”
Mark 6:34 KJV

Will L. Thompson wrote a beautiful hymn about our Saviour “Jesus is All the World to Me”. Indeed, Jesus is all the world to me! I love these words. “When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so; When I am sad, He makes me glad, He’s my friend.” No one loves us like Jesus loves us.

Jesus is not only our greatest friend, He is also a compassionate friend. He really cares about us. When we are discouraged and sad, His heart is moved with compassion for us. It is then that He picks us up and carries us through all the dark valleys of our life and sets us once again on the mountain top of happiness.

I am very blessed to have many good friends who I love but Jesus is the only friend who never leaves me, not even for one minute. Jesus is with me when I am sad and hurting and He is with me when I am happy and laughing. O how I love You, precious Jesus! Thank You for never leaving me.

If you feel like nobody loves you or cares about you, remember that Jesus loves you and cares about you so much that He allowed them to crucify Him for your sins. He will be your greatest Friend if you will only trust Him. If you have never invited Him into your heart, do it now before it is too late!

Joanne Lowe
January 3, 2012

2012-01-02T04:41:00.000-06:00

A ROBE OF HATRED

“Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe. And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.”
John 19:1-3 KJV

I am wearing a beautiful purple robe which keeps me warm but the purple robe they put on Jesus didn’t keep Him warm, it broke His heart. They put it on Him to mock Him. They didn’t want to keep Him warm. It was a robe of hatred. This is a very difficult devotion for me to write because I love Jesus so much.

We think how terrible it is that the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it on His head. However, every time that we say something hateful or do something to hurt people, we are just as guilty as the soldiers who platted that crown of thorns and put it on His head.

We need to remember when we hurt people; we also hurt Jesus and break His heart. We read in the Bible “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

It is time that we stop hurting Jesus. He has been hurt enough and He has suffered so many things for us. May God help us to always do things and say kind words that will make Him happy. What about you? Are you doing things and saying words that hurt people? If you are, you are hurting Jesus.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for hurting Jesus and breaking His heart. I know that when we hurt Jesus, we also hurt You. Help us to be kind and loving to everyone. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 2, 2012

2012-01-01T01:59:00.000-06:00

ALL OF THEM

“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.”
Jeremiah 33:8 KJV

One of the most vicious and poisonous darts that satan hurls at us is when he reminds us of the terrible things we did in our past and tells us that Jesus has not forgiven us and that He does not love us. I never capitalize the name of satan because that gives him respect and he doesn’t deserve respect.

Three years ago, someone emailed me and wrote “I still feel guilty about the things I did in my past and satan tries to convince me that Jesus hasn’t forgiven me and that He doesn’t love me”. I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus has forgiven all of our sins and that He does love us.

I was saved on August 14, 1980 and every day for over ten years satan tried to convince me that Jesus had not forgiven me and that He doesn’t love me. However, the more I read my Bible and the longer I stayed in the presence of Jesus, I realized that satan is a liar and to never believe anything he says.

If satan has been attacking you with doubts and with lies, don’t believe him. Jesus loves you very much. He allowed them to crucify Him on a cross of horror and suffered excruciating pain for you. Jesus proved how much He loves you and that He loves you unconditionally when He died on the cross for you.

Heavenly Father, please reassure us that You do love us when satan attacks us with poisonous vicious arrows of doubts and lies. I love You with all my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
January 1, 2012

2011-12-31T07:03:00.002-06:00

GOD IS ANGRY

“Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.”
Psalm 99:8 KJV

Sometimes we blame the friends of our teenagers when the teenagers do drugs and get involved in crime. In many cases, this is true. However, the real enemy of our children is the television set. Yet, we allow our teenagers to watch this junk and what is worse; sometimes we watch the movies with them.

There are very few movies on television that make us think of Jesus and bring honor to Him. Most of the movies have sex, cursing and violence in them. God is angry because we have allowed the television set to become like a god to us. In some homes, the television is turned on as soon as they wake up.

There are some people who spend more time watching television than they do reading their Bible. This not only makes God angry, it also hurts Him and breaks His heart. What a sad commentary it is on those of us who claim to be Christians that we watch television more than we read our Bible.

Like an ostrich, parents sometimes bury their head in the sand so they can’t see what is happening to their children. One of the definitions in Webster’s Dictionary for ostrich is “one who attempts to avoid danger or difficulty by refusing to face it”. We must face the reality that our teenagers need help.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for allowing our children to watch movies that hurt You. Help us as parents to set a good example for our children. May we protect our children and love them unconditionally just as You protect us and love us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 31, 2011

2011-12-30T06:33:00.000-06:00

A FUNERAL OF LOVE

“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.”
Psalm 103:10-12 KJV

Helen Griggs wrote one of my favorite hymns “My Sins are Gone”. “Gone, gone, gone, gone! Yes, my sins are gone. Now my soul is free And in my heart’s a song; Buried in the deepest sea. Yes, that’s good enough for me; I shall live eternally, Praise God! My sins are gone!”

When God forgives us for our sins, He forgets them and buries them in His sea of forgiveness never to be held against us again. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25). How thankful I am that God doesn’t remember our sins.

When God forgives us and buries our sins, it is a funeral of love. What kind of love is this that He would forgive our sins and never hold them against us again? It is a compassionate unconditional love. It is the same kind of love that Jesus has us and He proved His love for us when He died on the cross.

Robert Harkness wrote a hymn that should make us fall on our knees to Jesus for the great love that He has for us “Why Should He Love Me So?” “Nails pierced His hands and His feet for my sin; Why should He love me so? He suffered sore my salvation to win; Why should He love me so?”

Do you understand that Jesus was crucified for your sins? O how He loves you. Nobody loves you like Jesus loves you.

Joanne Lowe
December 30, 2011

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

ALL GENERATIONS

“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.”
Psalm 89:1 KJV

Gloria Gaither said on one of their Homecoming programs “I told my children to pick up their clothes and brush their teeth and make their beds. I helped them with their homework and took them where they needed to go but when did I tell them about Jesus and the things that will last forever”?

A dad and his son went on a fishing trip. They stayed on the lake for over twelve hours. The dad warned his son about the danger of doing drugs but he never told his son about Jesus. A mother was teaching her teenage daughter how to cook but she never told her daughter about Jesus.

Not only are we to tell our children how faithful God has been to us, we also need to tell our grandchildren and our grandparents and everyone in our family about the faithfulness of God. We get out the family albums and show pictures of our family to our children and to our grandchildren.

Going through the family album is a warm and loving time of sharing but did we show them the picture of Jesus? Did they see Jesus in our smiles? Did we tell them how much we love Jesus and how thankful we are for His unconditional love? It is very important that we tell everyone in our family about Jesus.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for not telling our family about Your faithfulness to us. Help us to realize the importance and the urgency to tell our children and our grandchildren about Jesus and about the things of eternity that will last them forever. Thank You for being so faithful to us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 29, 2011

2011-12-28T04:51:00.000-06:00

THE SCARS OF LIFE

“When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Mark 2:17 KJV

When I was a teenager in high school, I was told that I was fat, stupid and ugly and would never contribute anything to the world. I was also told that I didn’t have a right to live. After hearing these cruel words for years, I believed them and I tried to commit suicide.

One of the definitions in Webster’s Dictionary for scar is “a lasting moral or emotional injury”. I had been ridiculed and injured emotionally and the pain lasted for over thirty years. Jesus not only healed my broken heart, He also removed the scars of life from my heart and healed my emotions.

We are to comfort and encourage one another but only Jesus; our great Physician can heal our broken heart and remove the scars of life from our heart. Jesus is a tender loving and comforting Saviour. He really loves you and He longs to dry your tears with kisses. It breaks His heart when you are hurting.

If you are hurting, allow Jesus to heal your broken heart. Run as fast as you can into His open arms. He will not only heal your broken heart and remove the scars of life; He will also pick you up and carry you through all the dark valleys of your life and will set you once again on the mountain top of happiness.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Jesus to us not only to be our Saviour but also to be our Physician and heal our broken heart. Precious Jesus, thank You for the many times You have healed my broken heart. I love You with all of my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 28, 2011

2011-12-27T06:26:00.000-06:00

GIVE THANKS

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”
Psalm 30:11,12 KJV

Would you please join me in thanking God for one hour every day for all He has done for us. Don’t ask Him for anything, just thank Him and praise Him. No matter what crises we are going through, we can still thank Him. If you don’t think you have anything to thank Him for, you can thank Him that He loves you.

Heavenly Father, we don’t want anything. We just want to thank You for all You have done for us. Thank You for being a loving compassionate and forgiving Father. Thank You for taking the sadness from my heart and replacing it with happiness, joy and excitement. I love You, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 27, 2011

2011-12-26T03:47:00.000-06:00

HE IS STILL CALLING

“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

Have you said yes to the call of Jesus on your life? It’s not too late to say yes to Him. He is still calling. We read in the Bible “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35).

We need foreign missionaries. However, we have neighbors and family members who aren’t saved. We desperately need home missionaries. They show pictures of children who are hungry on television. There are children in our own neighborhood who are hungry to know that someone loves them.

In less than a week, we will start a new year. Instead of making resolutions that are hard to keep, surrender your life to Jesus in full time service. It will make Him very happy if you will start the new year by giving Him your time, your talents and everything you have. Will you give your life to Jesus today?

Heavenly Father, help us to get out of our comfort zones and serve the One who left His home and everything He had to come to earth and die for our sins. Please plant deep within our heart not only a desire to serve Jesus but also the importance and the urgency of serving Jesus. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 26, 2011

2011-12-25T05:44:00.000-06:00

ARE YOU TELLING

“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”
Luke 2:16,17 KJV

John W. Work Jr. wrote one of my favorite hymns “Go, Tell it on the Mountain”. “Go, tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere Go, tell it on the mountain, That Jesus Christ is born.” We may be telling people with our mouth but are we telling them with our actions?

Are we telling our family about Jesus? We may be the only Christian in our family and we want our family to be saved. If we tell them they need Jesus but yell at them and are hateful to them, they won’t want to be saved because they don’t see the difference Jesus has made in our life.

Can you honestly say that you have forgiven everyone who has hurt you? If you have told them that you forgive them but allow bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy and hatred to remain in your heart, you have not forgiven them. True forgiveness is when we forgive from our heart.

One of the greatest gifts we can give Jesus on His birthday is to forgive those who have hurt us just as He forgives us when we hurt Him. We need to remember that none of us are perfect. All of us hurt one another. There was only one perfect person who ever lived or ever will live and His name is Jesus.

Heavenly Father, may we make Jesus happy today on His birthday not only by what we say, but especially by the way we treat one another. Happy Birthday, Jesus! Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 25, 2011

2011-12-24T04:05:00.000-06:00

A JOYFUL CHRISTMAS

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12 KJV

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” What a precious verse! Not only is Jesus the Saviour of the world, He is also a personal Saviour. When we invite Jesus into our heart to be our Saviour, He becomes our personal Saviour.

If you want to have a joyful Christmas, spend time with Jesus instead of watching television. It is only when we are in the presence of Jesus that we have fulness of joy. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that everyone will have a joyful Christmas as they spend time with Jesus instead of watching television. Happy Birthday, dear Jesus. May Your birthday be the best one You have ever had. I love You so much, Jesus. Thank You for loving me and for dying for me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 24, 2011

2011-12-23T06:46:00.002-06:00

IS IT NEW

“I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.”
Psalm 144:9 KJV

When we sing praises to God, are the words new to us? Do we know the words in the hymn so well that we are singing them from memory instead of singing them from our heart? We read in the Bible “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation” (Psalm 68:19).

If we wake up in the morning, God has given us a new day. We have a choice to make. We can get out of bed with joy in our heart because He has given us another day to serve Him or we can pull the covers over our head and go back to sleep. He has given us a new day. What we do with the new day is up to us.

Every night when I go to bed, I say “I love You, Father. I love You, Jesus. I love You, Holy Spirit”. When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is say “I love You, Father. I love You, Jesus. I love You, Holy Spirit. Thank You so much for loving me and for giving me another day to serve You”.

When you sing to God, is it new to you? Do you sing from your heart or are you thinking about something else? Are you wondering if church will be over in time so you won’t have to stand in line at your favorite restaurant? It is time that we start praising God with our heart and also with our thoughts.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me another day to serve You. I pray that many people will give their heart to Jesus today. I know that it hurts You and breaks Your heart when people reject Your beloved Son. Dear Father, when we sing praises to You, I pray that the words will be new to us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 23, 2011

2011-12-22T04:16:00.000-06:00

HIDE IT IN YOUR HEART

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
Psalm 119:11 KJV

Our Scripture verse instructs us to hide God’s Word in our heart. It will help us remember what He tells us to do and what He tells us not to do and will keep us from sinning. There is another reason to hide God’s Word in our heart. When we are in difficult and frightening situations, we can cling to His promises.

Years ago, something bad happened to me during a terrible thunderstorm which made me afraid of thunderstorms for many years. I wasn’t saved when this happened so I didn’t have Jesus with me and I was really frightened of the storm. Now when I am in the middle of a thunderstorm I say this verse over and over.

This verse has been a comfort to me many times over the years. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3). We can trust Jesus to be our refuge and protect us not only from thunderstorms, but also from the storms of life. No matter how many poisonous darts satan hurls at us, Jesus will protect us.

Are you hiding God’s Word in your heart? He loves us so much that He has given us a way to feel safe even in the midst of frightening situations. He is a loving, forgiving, protective and compassionate Father and He really cares about us. Don’t just memorize the Bible; hide it in your heart.

Thank You precious Heavenly Father for giving us Your Word so we can hide it in our heart. Help us to remember Your promises to us when we are in the midst of danger so we can feel safe in any situation. I love You so much. Thank You for loving me and for all You have done for me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 22, 2011

2011-12-21T03:58:00.001-06:00

HE GIVES US A SONG

“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.”
Psalm 4:7 KJV

For over thirty years I wandered in the darkness of a crippling depression. I didn’t have one positive thought in all those years. I was afraid of everyone and everything and didn’t trust anyone. On August 14, 1980, when I invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour, He put gladness in my heart.

Not only did He put gladness in my heart, He also gave me a song. What a precious loving and compassionate Saviour we are privileged to know! Rev. William Charles Poole wrote one of my favorite hymns “Just When I Need Him Most”. I believe Rev. Poole wrote these words from the depths of his heart.

How thankful I am that the words in this hymn are true. “Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong, Bearing my burdens all the day long; For all my sorrows giving a song, Just when I need Him most.” Jesus is our encourager, our comforter, and our friend. He takes the sadness from us and gives us a song.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus. I pray that every person in the world will feel the gladness, joy and happiness that I feel in my heart. Jesus, I love You so much. Thank You for all You have done for me. Happy birthday, Jesus! May many people give their heart and their life to You on Your birthday. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 21, 2011

2011-12-20T08:06:00.000-06:00

HAVE YOU ANSWERED HIS CALL

“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

I surrendered to the mission field on October 4, 1998. However, I felt God calling me to be a missionary many years ago. I shared it with someone and she said “Don’t tell anybody because everyone will be watching you”. I didn’t answer His call on that day because I didn’t want people watching me.

I have found out that people are always watching Christians to see if there is a difference in the way they live after they are saved. If there isn’t a difference in the way we live and in the words we say after being saved, we need to search our heart and see if we really did make a heart commitment to Jesus.

We read in the Bible. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). May God help us to live so others will know that we are different since we invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour.

What about you? Have you answered His call? You may think there is nothing you can do for Him. You can tell people Jesus loves them. Jesus hasn’t been here for over two thousand years. He has left us to hug for Him. When is the last time you hugged someone for Jesus?

Heavenly Father, thank You for calling me to be a missionary. It is a privilege to serve the One who loves me so much that He died for me. I pray that everyone will say “yes” to Your call and surrender their life to Jesus in full time service. I love You, dear Father. Thank You for loving me. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 20, 2011

2011-12-19T00:44:00.000-06:00

WE MUST NEVER FORGET

“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

Jennie Evelyn Hussey wrote one of my favorite hymns “Lead Me to Calvary”. The words in this hymn describe the agony and the pain Jesus suffered for us on the cross. We must never forget the torture, the disgrace and the humiliation Jesus endured for us when He allowed them to crucify Him on the cross.

May we always do what the words in this hymn tell us to do. “King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be; Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.” Have you crowned Jesus the King of your heart and life? Does He come before everyone and everything in your life?

Even while He was hanging on that cruel cross, Jesus gave love and forgiveness. What an amazing and matchless love flowed from His heart when He said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”. Jesus set the example for us and showed us how to forgive others when they hurt us.

Can we honestly say that we always forgive those who hurt us? I think if we are honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we don’t always forgive them. How dare you and I ask God to forgive us when we aren’t willing to forgive those who have hurt us. Nobody is perfect and that includes you and it includes me.

Heavenly Father, help us to give Jesus first place in our life and crown Him the King of our heart and the King of our life. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 19, 2011

2011-12-18T07:04:00.000-06:00

WILL YOU GIVE YOURSELF

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:11 KJV

Someone make the remark “I can’t sing or play an instrument so I don’t have anything I can give Jesus for His birthday”. There is something all of us can give Jesus on His birthday. We can love others unconditionally as He loves us. Can you honestly say that you love others unconditionally just as Jesus loves you?

We can pray for our loved ones and our friends on His birthday. We can give Him the gift of forgiveness. It would make Jesus very happy if we would forgive those who have hurt us instead of allowing unforgiveness and bitterness to remain in our heart. Have you forgiven those who hurt you?

Will you give yourself to Jesus on His birthday? Send people encouraging emails and tell them Jesus loves them. It is very important that people know that Jesus, the Saviour of the world, loves them. If I didn’t know that He loves me, there are times I would be tempted to give up and go to bed and stay there.

Heavenly Father, put a desire deep in our heart to give our time, our talents and everything we have to Jesus on His birthday. Father, help us to prove to Jesus that we love Him by the loving words we say and the kind things we do for others. Happy Birthday, Jesus. I love You with all of my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 18, 2011

2011-12-17T03:32:00.000-06:00

WE WANT TO SEE YOU

“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.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 KJV

Carrie Breck wrote one of my favorite hymns “Face to Face with Christ, My Savior”. The words in this hymn describe the longing in my heart. “Face to face I shall behold Him, Far beyond the starry sky; Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!” O how I want to see You, Jesus.

For those of us who have confessed our sins, repented of them, asked God to forgive us and invited Jesus into our heart, we will have the privilege of seeing Jesus face to face. There is no event on earth that can even come close to the joy we will feel when we see Him face to face.

Jesus, You are the joy of our heart and we want to see You. Thank You for loving us so much that You walked that long lonely road to Calvary and died on the cross for our sins. You are a loving and compassionate Saviour. I love You with all of my heart. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Joanne Lowe
December 17, 2011

2011-12-16T04:26:00.000-06:00

GOD’S TENDERIZER

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26 KJV

Just as we have to put tenderizer on a steak to make it tender so we need Jesus, who is the tenderizer of our heart, to make our heart tender. Before I was saved, I hated everyone because I had been raped and abused physically and verbally. I didn’t trust anybody.

On August 14, 1980, I admitted that I was a sinner and repented of my sins. I asked God to forgive me and invited Jesus to come into my heart. That was the most wonderful day of my life. Jesus took the stony heart out of my flesh and gave me a new heart, a heart filled with love and compassion for others.

Have you allowed Jesus to give you a new heart or is your heart still filled with hatred, resentment and bitterness? Jesus loves you very much and He wants to give you a new heart. Humble yourself and ask God to forgive you and invite the Christ of Calvary into your heart to be your personal Saviour.

Tom Hayes wrote one of the most beautiful hymns I have ever heard “New Grace”. “There’s been grace sufficient from his vast supply. Grace to make my heart more tender, Grace to love and pray for sinners, But there’ll be new grace when it’s my time to die.” Thank God for His amazing grace!

Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for Your amazing grace. Jesus, thank You for tenderizing my heart and filling it with love and compassion for others. Heavenly Father, I pray that everyone will allow Jesus to tenderize his or her heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 16, 2011

2011-12-15T03:12:00.000-06:00

PASTORS GET DISCOURAGED

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11 KJV

I have received several emails from pastors who wrote that they are discouraged. Some of the pastors said they feel like giving up because they are being criticized. Jesus understands how they feel because He too was criticized, ridiculed and rejected. Pastors, Jesus loves you and appreciates your service to Him.

We need to pray for our pastors every day. It is important that they know that they are loved and appreciated. When is the last time you said to your pastor “Thank you for all you do for me? I know that you give up valuable time with your family to help me and I appreciate it”. Thank God for our pastors.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You would encourage and comfort every pastor. Please let them see the fruits of their labor. Thank You for the greatest Pastor of all, Jesus. Please forgive us for not praying for our pastors like we should be praying for them. May every pastor feel the love You have for them. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 15, 2011

2011-12-14T00:49:00.000-06:00

HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE GARDEN WITH JESUS

“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.”
Matthew 26:36-38 KJV

Have you been to the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus? Have you stayed up all night crying and praying for your lost loved ones and friends? If the tears haven’t rolled down your cheeks or you haven’t felt the agony and the compassion that Jesus feels for us, you haven’t been to the Garden with Jesus.

Why is it we have no trouble staying up and watching movies on television all night but we are too sleepy to stay up and pray all night? Jesus is coming back for us. We don’t know when He is coming back for us but He is coming back and He can come back even as you read this devotion.

How it would hurt Jesus and break His heart if when He comes back for us, He sees us watching television instead of praying for our lost loved ones. Someone made the statement “I do pray. I pray for an hour a day”. Yet this same person watches football games and movies several hours a day.

What a sad commentary it is on those of us who claim to be Christians that we watch television more than we pray. The world is watching us to see how we live. May God have mercy on us if people go to hell because we didn’t pray for them.

Shut off the television and cry out to God for the salvation of your lost loved ones, your friends and the world.

Joanne Lowe
December 14, 2011

2011-12-13T06:17:00.002-06:00

THE UNIVERSITY 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

You may have graduated from several universities but have you graduated from the University of Love which was founded by God when He sent Jesus to die for our sins? People study for many years to be a doctor but if they never put into practice what they learn all they have done is learn.

They haven’t helped anyone. It is the same when we study the Bible. If we never put into practice what we learn, all we have done is study. It is not enough to just study the Bible; we must also apply what we learn to our daily lives. Also, we must spend time with the Living Word, Jesus, and learn His heart.

Have you enrolled in the University of Love? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you? We must always remember that when we are kind and loving to others, we are being kind and loving to Jesus. Are you being kind and loving to others or are you hurting Jesus and breaking His heart?

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). Heavenly Father, please help us to not only study but also put into practice what we learn in Your University of Love. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 13, 2011

2011-12-12T06:55:00.000-06:00

LEANING

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 KJV

For years, I tried to carry my burdens by myself. However, I found out the hard way that only Jesus can give me rest. He has promised us that He will give us rest if we will go to Him. There are times when I lean very hard on Him but He still stands. No matter how hard we lean on Him, He will never fall.

Pastor Edward Mote wrote one of my favorite hymns “The Solid Rock”. The words in this beautiful inspiring hymn are so true. “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.” Thank God for our solid rock, Jesus! What a precious Saviour!

I receive a lot of emails from people who write “You are a wonderful Christian”. I am so glad that people know that I love Jesus. However, keep your eyes on Jesus. I am not perfect. The greatest Christian you know is only a sinner saved by grace. Don’t lean on me or anyone else. Lean on Jesus!

If you are tired of carrying heavy burdens, run into the open arms of Jesus. He loves you so much and He wants to give you rest. You can depend on Him to not only give you rest but also to pick you up and carry you through all the dark valleys in your life. He will set you on the mountain top of happiness.

Joanne Lowe
December 12, 2011

2011-12-11T00:44:00.000-06:00

OUR WORDS AND OUR THOUGHTS

“Let the words of my mouth, and the mediation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14 KJV

I wonder if the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart are always acceptable in His sight. We may not say the criticizing and angry words that we want to say but we are thinking them. Jesus knows what we are thinking and He knows what we want to say.

“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether” (Psalm 139:2-4).

The greatest gift we can give Jesus on His birthday is to turn off the television, get out of our comfort zone and surrender our heart and life to Him in full time service. Another gift we can give Jesus on His birthday is to love one another as He has commanded us to love each other.

I think that we sometimes forget that loving one another unconditionally is not an option, it is a commandment. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Can we honestly say that we always love one another as He loves us?

Let’s give Jesus our heart and our life on His birthday and also give Him our words and our thoughts. Happy Birthday, Jesus! I love You with all of my heart.

Joanne Lowe
December 11, 2011

2011-12-10T06:33:00.000-06:00

ARE YOU THE SAME

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Hebrews 13:8 KJV

A man said to his friend “I don’t want to go home because I never know what kind of mood my wife will be in”. A friend who was visiting me several years ago said “My husband doesn’t understand why I get upset and yell. He’s not with the kids all day. He gets away from the kids when he goes to work”.

I know that it hurt Jesus and broke His heart when my friend said that about her children. Jesus loves children and He is very protective of them. We need to understand that it is a privilege to have children and we should love them all the time no matter what they do. God never yells at us when we disobey Him.

“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).

What a sad commentary it is on those of us who claim to be Christians that there are times when we yell at our children. The world is watching us to see if there is any difference in the way we act since we invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour. What about you? Are you the same every day?

Jesus is always the same. He loves us as much today as He did yesterday and He will love us as much tomorrow as He does today. It doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do because He loves us unconditionally just as we should love our children. Do you love your children unconditionally?

Joanne Lowe
December 10, 2011

2011-12-09T08:04:00.000-06:00

FAITH

“And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”
Luke 8:46-48 KJV

Last week, I went through a vicious attack from satan as he tried to stop me from serving Jesus. Many years ago, I heard Jerry Clower say “I have been all over the country popping off about trusting and praising Jesus. I’m going to the hospital and if my son is alive or died, I’m going to praise Jesus”.

How sad it is that when we are being attacked, many times instead of trusting and praising Jesus, we think He has forgotten us and doesn’t care about us. The only thing that kept me going in the midst of this vicious attack from satan was knowing that Jesus still loves me and that He will always love me.

When we are saved, we become an ambassador for Jesus. It is very important that people know that we trust Jesus all the time. We must trust Him even in the midst of a crisis. “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10). Do you trust Jesus even in the midst of a crisis?

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and for sending Your Son to die for our sins. Please help us to trust Jesus even when satan attacks us with vicious arrows of discouragement. I pray for everyone who is discouraged today. Would You renew their strength and reassure them of Your love for them. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 9, 2011

2011-12-08T04:02:00.000-06:00

WITH TENDER KISSES

“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3 KJV

Someone emailed me two years ago and wrote “I don’t want to live any longer. It hurts too much.” The person shared what was wrong and my heart and prayers went out to the person. I’ve felt the same way this person feels. There was a time in my life when it hurt too much to live and I didn’t want to live.

Many years ago, I crawled under a bed in a hospital because I was afraid of everyone and everything. I had been raped and beaten. One glorious day, my precious Saviour came to me and lifted me up from under the bed. He healed my broken heart with tender kisses of love and He bound up my wounds.

If you are hurting today, tell Jesus. He loves you so much and He longs to heal your broken heart and bind up your wounds. Nobody understands how we feel like Jesus understands. When He was here on earth, He too was ridiculed, rejected, scorned and criticized. He really cares about you.

Run into His open arms and allow Jesus to heal your broken heart and bind up your wounds. He will be faithful to dry the tears from your eyes and from your heart with soft tender and compassionate kisses. He will remove the hurt from your heart and replace it with joy. Thank You, dear Jesus, for loving us.

Heavenly Father, You are a forgiving, compassionate, loving and caring Father and I love You with all of my heart. Thank You for loving me and for the many times You have allowed me to share my heart with You. I pray for everyone who is hurting today. Please encourage them and comfort them. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 8, 2011

2011-12-07T05:27:00.000-06:00

HIS PRECIOUS FACE

“Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”
Matthew 26:67,68 KJV

Jesus was abused and treated worse than anyone has ever been treated. Not only did they curse Him and nail Him to the cross, they also spit in His precious face. Has it entered your heart yet how much Jesus loves you? He loves you so much He died for your sins. What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth!

If you ever feel like nobody loves you, remember the cross and all the suffering that Jesus endured for you. You are very precious to Him and He loves you unconditionally. What a comfort and encouragement it is to our weary and battle scarred heart to know that Jesus loves us.

We know how much Jesus loves us because He proved His love for us when He allowed them to crucify Him on the cross but how much do we love Him? What are we doing to prove to Him that we love Him? Jesus got out of His comfort zone for us. He left His Father and His home and came to earth to die for us.

Are we serving Him with all of our heart? Have we got out of our comfort zone for Him or are we still watching television hour after hour? How we must hurt Jesus and break His heart because we don’t always serve Him like we should serve Him. Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone and serve Him?

Heavenly Father, help us to get out of our comfort zone and serve Jesus with all of our heart and all of our time. Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You died for us. I love You, Jesus. Worthy is the Lamb of God! Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 7, 2011

2011-12-06T06:32:00.002-06:00

RESTORE US

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
Psalm 51:12 KJV

Our enemy, satan, is working overtime. I have received several emails from people who are lonely, discouraged and hurting. Christmas is a wonderful time of the year because we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. However, many people have lost loved ones this year and they miss their loved ones.

We must not let satan discourage us from serving Jesus. It would make satan very happy if we would get so discouraged that we stop serving Jesus. Our precious Saviour defeated satan when He died on the cross but we will still have battles. Jesus will bring us through all of our battles victoriously.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You would please restore the joy of our salvation because satan has launched a vicious attack against us. We need You, dear Father. We need You to hold us on Your lap and rock us. Please dry our tears with Your soft tender compassionate kisses. Thank You for loving us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 6, 2011

2011-12-05T05:19:00.000-06:00

WE NEED JESUS

“For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”
Isaiah 25:4 KJV

Pastor Vernon John Charlesworth wrote the hymn “A Shelter in the Time of Storm”. I love the words in this inspiring beautiful hymn. “The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide, A Shelter in the time of storm; Secure whatever ill betide, A Shelter in the time of storm.” Jesus is so faithful to protect us and encourage us.

Jesus, how I love You! Thank You for the many times You have protected me, encouraged me and comforted me. You are the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. You are the great I AM. You are the bright and morning star and the beautiful rose of Sharon. Worthy is the Lamb of God. All hail, King Jesus!

I don’t know what is going on in your life, what heavy burdens and sorrows you are bearing and what grief you are feeling but Jesus knows and He cares about you. When we cry, Jesus weeps with us and when we are happy, He rejoices with us. He really loves you. He loves you so much that He died for you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to die for our sins. You are a tender forgiving, compassionate and loving Father. I pray that we will be kind and loving to one another. When people look at us, I pray they will see Jesus in our smiles and hear Him in our words. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 5, 2011

2011-12-04T03:18:00.000-06:00

JOY AND GLADNESS

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
1 Timothy 2:5,6 KJV

Julia Harriette Johnston wrote several hymns. I really like this hymn. It’s one of my favorite hymns “There’s a Sweet and Blessed Story”. I love these words. “From the depth of sin and sadness To the heights of joy and gladness Jesus lifted me, in mercy full and free.”

For over forty years, I wandered in the darkness of a crippling depression. Not only did Jesus save me and lift me from the depth of sin, He also lifted me from the depth of sadness. He put His loving arms around me and told me that He loves me and will never leave me. What a precious Saviour!

There are times when I get so excited and happy that I have to force myself to think of something sad because I feel that I am going to explode with happiness and joy. When I think that the Saviour of the world loves me, not only does it fill my heart with joy and happiness, it also brings tears to my eyes.

Pastor Byron Banta, who was my pastor when I lived in Texas, said one time in a sermon “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start bragging on Jesus”. No matter how sad I am when I start bragging about Jesus the sadness goes away. If you are in the valley of sadness, start bragging on Jesus.

Heavenly Father, You are a loving compassionate Father. Jesus, thank You for lifting us from the depth of sin and sadness to the heights of joy and gladness. You are such a beautiful and precious Saviour and I love You with all of my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 4, 2011

2011-12-03T06:53:00.000-06:00

A PRECIOUS CHILD

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 KJV

Peter Philip Bilhorn wrote one of my favorite songs “Sweet Peace, the Gift of God’s Love”. I love these words. “Through Christ on the cross peace was made, My debt by His death was all paid, No other foundation is laid. For peace, the gift of God’s love.” What a precious gift of love from the heart of God!

With my mind, I can’t comprehend God loving me so much that He sent His beloved Son to die for my sins on the cross but with my heart I believe it. Jesus, who is the most precious child ever born, loves His Father and us so much that He willingly walked that long lonely road to Calvary and died on the cross for us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me unconditionally and for the gift of peace that we have through Jesus. Father, I pray that every person in the world will give their heart and life to Jesus so they too will have this peace, joy and happiness that I have. I love You with all of my heart, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 3, 2011

2011-12-02T07:57:00.000-06:00

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:11 KJV

A discouraged dad said to his wife “We don’t have money to buy the kids gifts for Christmas this year”. With tears in her eyes she said “It breaks my heart to know we can’t buy gifts for the kids”. Even if we had all the money in the world, it couldn’t buy what our children need the most, unconditional love.

Our children may tell us all the things they want for Christmas but what they really need is for us to reassure them that we love them unconditionally. It doesn’t matter if we tell them every day that we love them, if we don’t spend time with them and give them unconditional love; they are not going to believe us.

It would make our children very happy if we would shut off the television in the middle of a football game or a movie and say to them “What would you like to do today?” After they recovered from the shock of seeing us turn off the television, they would feel very loved and important.

One of the greatest gifts we can give Jesus on His birthday is to love our children unconditionally just as He loves us. When we hurt Jesus, He forgives us because He loves us. Let’s make this a very special birthday for Jesus and give unconditional love to our children.

Joanne Lowe
December 2, 2011

2011-12-01T00:31:00.000-06:00

WALKING AND TALKING

“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
Luke 24:32 KJV

William Appel wrote a beautiful hymn “Walking and Talking with Jesus”. “You may walk with Him today! Believe it, weary soul; He will cause your heart to burn; His words will make you whole; With the smile of His dear face, He’ll cheer you on the way; Safely He will guide and lead you on from day to day.”

Jesus is not only our Saviour, He also guides us and leads us. When we grow weary, He encourages us and He dries our tears with tender compassionate kisses. Are you walking and talking with Jesus? It’s wonderful that He comforts us, encourages us and comforts us but what are we doing and giving up for Him?

Many years ago when I was going door to door on visitation for church, I asked this lady “If you knew that God was telling you to sell your home and give the money to missions, would you do it?” She didn’t hesitate. She said “Absolutely not! This house is mine. I worked very hard for the money to buy it.”

How that statement must have hurt Jesus and broke His heart. Nothing we have belongs to us and that includes our time and our talents. Jesus bought the right to our heart and our life with His own blood when He allowed them to crucify Him on the cross of Calvary for our sins.

Heavenly Father, I pray that we will get out of our comfort zone and serve Jesus with all of our heart. How can we do less than serve Him when He gave His life for us on the cross? I love You, dear Father. I love You, Jesus. I love You, Holy Spirit. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 1, 2011

2011-11-30T00:01:00.004-06:00

ARE YOU TELLING THE STORY

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”
Psalm 26:7 KJV

William Marks wrote an inspiring hymn “Keep Telling It”. I believe that he wrote this hymn from the depths of his heart. The words describe how I feel. “If there is abundance of joy in your heart, Made bright by the light from above, If Jesus has bidden your sorrows depart, Keep telling the story of love.”

When your pastor asks for testimonies, do you get up and give your testimony? I don’t understand how people can stay in their seat after all that Jesus has done for us. A man gave this testimony “It is because of my mother that I am saved today. She never stopped praying for me”.

Are you giving your testimony in church and telling the story to everyone you see about Jesus and all that He has done for you? We brag on our children and grandchildren. It is time we start bragging on Jesus. If ever someone deserves to be praised and adored, it is Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not giving our testimony like we should. Jesus, You are the great I AM, the beautiful rose of Sharon. You are the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. All hail, King Jesus! Thank You, Jesus, for loving me and dying for me. I love You so much. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
November 30, 2011

2011-11-29T05:15:00.002-06:00

ARE WE FOLLOWING

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24 KJV

Ernest W. Blandy wrote a hymn that we sing a lot “Where He Leads Me”. We sing the words “Where He leads me I will follow” but do we really mean what we are singing? When Jesus leads us somewhere, do we follow Him? Are we denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Him?

One of the definitions for deny in Webster’s Dictionary is “to restrain (oneself) from gratification of desires”. How can we say that we are denying ourselves and taking up our cross if we don’t shut off the television? Some people turn on the television in the morning and don’t shut it off until they go to bed.

It has been said that peer pressure is the main reason that teenagers are tempted to do things they shouldn’t do. That is not true any more. Television has become a very bad influence on our teenagers. I have heard teenagers say this “I saw it on television and I thought it would be cool to do it”.

If we want our teenagers to follow Jesus, we as parents must set a good example for them. If teenagers see their parents watching movies that have sex, violence and see people doing drugs and hear cursing in them, they will ignore their parents when they are told that they shouldn’t watch those movies.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for all the times that Jesus was leading us someplace and we didn’t follow Him. I pray for every teenager in the world. Dear Father, please capture their hearts and lead them to Jesus. Don’t let them get involved in things that will not only hurt them but will also hurt You. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
November 29, 2011

2011-11-28T00:03:00.003-06:00

WHAT SHOULD WE SAY AND DO

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”
John 21:25 KJV

We are to comfort one another. “COMFORT ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God” (Isaiah 40:1). How should we comfort them? What should we say and do? We should comfort them by telling them that Jesus loves them. All the advice and counsel is meaningless if they don’t know Jesus loves them.

Our Scripture verse tells us that even the world couldn’t contain the books that should be written about Jesus and all He did. I believe with all my heart that Jesus hugged everyone He ministered to. Jesus hasn’t been here for over two thousand years. We need to follow His example and hug people for Him.

You may not feel comfortable hugging people physically but you can hug them with your compassionate and loving words. I think if we will be honest with ourselves, all of us want to be comforted. All of us have heartaches, trials and burdens to bear. We need each other.

Heavenly Father, please help us to comfort one another by our loving actions and by saying kind and loving words to one another. May we never forget that when we are kind and loving to one another, we are being kind and loving to Jesus. He said that whatever we do to others, we do to Him. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
November 28, 2011

2011-11-27T02:57:00.000-06:00

FROM SADNESS TO HAPPINESS

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”
Psalm 30:11,12 KJV

Every time I read these verses, they remind me of how Jesus rescued me from underneath a bed in the hospital where I had crawled because I had no desire to live and was afraid of everyone and everybody. Jesus took the terror and sadness from my heart and filled my heart with happiness.

I had been told that I was ugly and stupid and had no right to live for so many years that I believed it. There are some kids in school who say cruel and hateful words. There are also adults who say hateful sarcastic and cruel words. O that we would love one another as Jesus has commanded us to love each other.

When Jesus lifted me up from underneath that bed, He said “I love you, Joanne. It’s safe for you to come out from under the bed. I won’t let anyone hurt you again”. If you are living in fear and are sad, allow Jesus to rescue you just as He rescued me. Run into His waiting arms and ask Him to protect you.

Heavenly Father, thank You being a loving compassionate and caring Father. Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus, I love You with all of my heart and I appreciate all You have done for me and all that You do for me every day. You are very precious and dear to my heart. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
November 27, 2011

2011-11-26T00:14:00.000-06:00

OUR POWER RESTORER

“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

When we have storms and the lights go out, Gulf Power sends a crew that works until the power is restored. There are times when the storms of life dim the light of happiness in our heart. Gulf Power can’t restore the light in our heart. Only Jesus, our power restorer, can restore the light in our heart.

I receive a lot of emails from people who have heavy burdens and from people who are grieving and from people who are in the middle of what seems to be impossible situations. Nothing is impossible to Jesus. He not only restores the light in our heart, He also restores the joy of our salvation.

We are to encourage and comfort one another. However, that’s not enough. We need to take our loved ones to God in prayer and ask Him to comfort and encourage them. If you are hurting today and are in the middle of a crisis, tell Jesus. He is waiting for you to come to Him and share your heart with Him.

Jesus, how thankful I am that You love us and that You restore the light in our heart and restore our happiness and joy. You are a tender loving and compassionate Saviour and I love You with all of my heart. When the darkness of life’s storms comes against us, You fill our heart with joy once again. Thank You.

Joanne Lowe
November 26, 2011

2011-11-25T00:02:00.003-06:00

HE HOLDS OUR HAND

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”
Psalm 37:23,24 KJV

Yesterday afternoon as I was sitting in my recliner, I saw the Thomas Kinkade afghan that my sister gave me several years ago. It is too beautiful to use so I hung it on my wall so I could look at the picture in the afghan. There’s a road in the picture and it reminded me that Jesus holds our hand on life’s road.

Our Scripture tells us that when we stumble and fall, we won’t stay down because Jesus will lift us back up. Are you holding the hand of Jesus as you travel down life’s road and letting Him lead you or are you going where you want to go? We don’t know what is going to happen in the future but Jesus knows.

Not only does Jesus lift us up when we fall, He also picks us up and carries us through all the dark valleys of our life. He will set us once again on the mountain top of happiness. If you will listen with your heart, you will hear Jesus say to you “I love you and I will never leave you. I will hold your hand and lead you”.

Jesus, thank You for holding our hand and leading us down the road You want us to take. You are a loving and compassionate Saviour and Friend. Thank You for being with us when the storms of life threaten to pull us under for the last time. I love You with all of my heart. Worthy is the Lamb of God!

Joanne Lowe
November 25, 2011

2011-11-24T00:02:00.003-06:00

DON’T BE ANXIOUS

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
Psalm 55:22 KJV

Edward Henry Joy, who was an officer in the Salvation Army, wrote a beautiful hymn about leaving our anxiety with Jesus “Is There a Heart O’erbound by Sorrow?” If we would leave our burdens and our anxiety with Jesus and trust Him to take care of us and our loved ones, we would have less stress in our life.

Jesus is the greatest Friend we could ever have. I believe that Edward Joy wrote this hymn from personal experience and from the depths of his heart. “All your anxiety, all your care, Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there; Never a burden He cannot bear, Never a Friend like Jesus.” There is no friend like Jesus!

I wonder how many times we have shared our heart with Jesus and asked Him to take care of us and our loved ones and then as soon as we said “Amen” we started worrying again and trying to solve our problems. O we may be able to fix the immediate crisis but it won’t last. The problem will come back again.

It is time that we start trusting Jesus because what He says, He will do. When we worry and try to fix the problems after we have said “Amen”, we are telling Jesus that we don’t trust Him and don’t believe He can solve our problems. How we must hurt Him and break His heart.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not trusting Jesus and for hurting Him. When we hurt Jesus, we also hurt You. Thank You for being a loving, forgiving and compassionate Father. I am so thankful that You love me enough that you sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I love You, dear Father. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
November 24, 2011