The slave trade - Stop the Traffik
25/03/2007 by steve.
The original slave trade is highlighted in the new film “Amazing Grace”, the true story of the fight to stop the original slave trade.
It can be seen here http://www.amazinggracethemovie.co.uk/ and is a must.
The new slave trade, although internationally outlawed, involves the traffic in people, often from east to west, often young girls traffiked for prostitution. They are taken away from thier family to another country, beaten and raped and then sold onto brothels. The idea that they do it because they chose it is false. They often run away, but are beaten into submission until there soul is crushed.
Sign the petition, raise your voice to stop the modern slave trade.
http://www.stopthetraffik.org
Steve
From Joanne
17/02/2007 by steve.
STOP CRYING
“Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.”
Luke 7: 12, 13
King James Version
Have you ever been told to stop crying? I have been told to stop crying many times in my life. As a child I would cry when my Mother would punish me and she would say “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry for”. Do you know how hard it is to stop crying after you’ve been punished? It’s almost impossible. When I was going through all those years of devastating depression, there would be times when I would shed a few tears and I was told “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop crying like a little baby”.
How wonderful it is to know that Jesus doesn’t criticize or condemn us for crying. He has compassion for our tears. Our tears are precious to Him. Just as Jesus understands when our hearts are breaking and has compassion for us, we need to also understand and have compassion for our loved ones and friends when they are hurting. We need to hug them for Jesus. When people are hurting all the words in the world won’t help, they need somebody to hug them and reassure them that Jesus Loves them and understands.
We can comfort and encourage each other but only Jesus can heal a broken heart and put the lights of hope back into our hearts. He is the only one who can take the despair, loneliness, sorrow, grief and torment from our hearts. He is a healing salve to our wounded hearts.
He sits beside our beds through the long night when all the memories come back to haunt us. He takes our hands, leans close to us and whispers gently and softly in our ear “I Love you and I will never leave you”. What amazing tenderness from the heart of our blessed Saviour! He is a friend beyond compare. Nobody can love us like He Loves us. What a friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!
Joanne Lowe
February 17, 2007
CRITICISM OR ENCOURAGEMENT
CRITICISM OR ENCOURAGEMENT
“The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up. Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.”
Job 33: 4 – 6
King James Version
Many years ago when I was married and lived in Oklahoma, my husband and I attended this small church. I remember this one Wednesday night at prayer meeting just like it happened yesterday. The reason why I remember it and will never forget it is because of a man who stood up and prayed. He said in his prayer “Why did You do that? That was a wrong decision. You shouldn’t have done that. It would have been better to do it like this and now I have to suffer the consequences”. I wasn’t even saved; I was just going to church because that was the thing to do but I knew that prayer was terribly wrong. How dare we criticize the Potter and tell Him what to do, we who are but clay!
There is nothing wrong in voicing our fears and doubts and questions to God but none of us have any right to tell Him how and what He should do. If He had chose to do so, He could have made us like puppets and all He would have had to do is pull our strings but He want us to love Him and serve Him because we want to and because it comes from our hearts. Yet all too often we treat Him like He is our puppet. We try to pull His strings and make Him perform the way we think is best for us. How we must break His heart when we treat Him like this.
Are you encouraging or criticizing God? Are you telling Him what a wonderful job He is doing in your life or are you asking Him why He doesn’t do things your way? Have you thanked Him today for all that He has done for you?
Joanne Lowe
February 16, 2007
HOW SAD IT WOULD BE
HOW SAD IT WOULD BE
“Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
Luke 19: 38 – 40
King James Version
As I read this verse this morning my heart broke, I thought how sad it would be if we would refuse to honor our King and tell others about the saving grace and love of Jesus. He said that the stones would “immediately” cry out! What a sad commentary on us who claim to be saved and love Jesus that we don’t immediately cry out to our loved ones, friends and the world about our beautiful Saviour.
We may not be called to go to a foreign land to serve Jesus but all of us are called to serve Him right where we are. I remember on October 4, 1998 when I walked the aisle and surrendered to the call of full time service as a missionary. Pastor David said one of the most beautiful prayers that I have ever heard. He took my hand and prayed for me and then told me “God will tell you what He wants you to do in His perfect timing. Don’t wait until you have all the details. Start serving Him right now; right where you are”. I began telling others how much Jesus loves them.
You may think that you’re not able to speak as well as other people or that you don’t have any talents. The most eloquent speaker and the most talented person in the world would not touch the heart of Jesus and be able to serve Him effectively unless that person was speaking and acting from a heart of love. All Jesus wants is a person who is willing to serve Him.
I certainly didn’t have any talents when I surrendered to the call of full time missionary service but I was willing to serve Him. I had a burning desire in my heart to tell others how great Jesus is, how much He loves them and what wonderful things He had done for me. He began to plant the ministries of composing inspirational writings when He inspires them and encouraging pastors in my heart.
However, He had to prepare me for the ministries that He was entrusting to me by filling my heart with compassion and love for others. I had to mature in my faith before He could use me. If I hadn’t been willing, excited and eager to serve Him with all my heart, walking down that aisle would have only been a show to draw attention to myself and to impress people.
How is your heart today? Does Jesus have to use a stone to cry out for you because you are unwilling to serve Him? How sad it would be if you would have to stand before Him when He returns and He would look you in the eyes and ask you “Why wouldn’t you serve Me? Why don’t you love Me”? Do you love Him? If so, what are you doing to prove it?
Joanne Lowe
February 16, 2007
From Joanne
11/02/2007 by steve.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE PRINTS
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
John 20: 24, 25
King James Version
Many sermons have been preached and many things have been written about doubting Thomas. All of us at one point in our lives were like Thomas, we didn’t believe and we doubted. We must have a personal faith in our hearts. Our families, loved ones and friends can’t believe for us, there must be a desire deep within our hearts to reach out to Jesus and ask Him for mercy, forgiveness and understanding. Have you been to the cross of Calvary, the cross of love, and seen the print of the nails in His hands? More important, have you seen the print of the scars of hurt, anguish, loneliness and sorrow in His heart that He suffered for us?
Someone sent me an email and said that she has never known one day of sorrow in her life. I replied “Haven’t you ever cried out to Jesus with a broken heart for your family and friends to be saved and to know the joy and happiness that only He can give”? She had told me in an earlier email that she was the only person in her family that was saved. She has never replied to me. Unless we have prayed and wept for the salvation of our families, loved ones and friends and the world, we have never felt the print of the sorrow in the heart of Jesus.
Until we experience a little of the pain and suffering that Jesus endured in His heart for us, we will never be able to love others the way He has commanded us to love them. The Bible says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) How can we lay down our lives? We can lay them down by not insisting that everything has to be done our way. We can stop fighting over things that have absolutely no importance to God. I know several married couples who actually get angry over what they watch on television. One person even told me that she got so angry over her husband keeping the remote control to the television that she refused to be intimate with him until he gave her the remote.
If the television is causing conflict in our homes and if our children are glued to the television watching scenes of violence and sex and hearing vulgar words, we need to get rid of it! This needs to be stressed as it stinks in the nostrils of Jesus. If the television is causing conflict in our homes and if our children are glued to the television watching scenes of violence and sex and hearing vulgar words, we need to get rid of it!
How it must break the heart of Jesus to see us watching such filth and listening to all that cursing. I’m sure that He has shed buckets of tears in his precious heart over the way that we continually hurt Him. We should never watch anything on television or go to a movie unless it brings honor to Jesus and draws us closer to Him. If we would be ashamed to have Him watch the movie with us, we should not watch it!
Have you been to the cross and had a personal encounter with Jesus? Your family can’t save you. It is only through the redemptive blood of our Saviour that you can receive forgiveness for your sins and have eternal life. Without Jesus, there is no hope; there is no peace and there is no happiness. Give your heart and life to Him before it is too late!
Joanne Lowe
February 11, 2007
joannelowe8@bellsouth.net
http://joannelowe.blogspot.com/
http://www.heavenwardbound.com/