Wishing You Blessings for the New Year

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you the rich blessings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Choose Well

By Charlotte Lowrie

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, please join me in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer persecution and trials for the name of Christ. And for you, I pray that you will stay strong in faith. Many changes are taking place in the world, especially in America, that seem, on the surface, to be ‘right.’ But the changes are, in fact, the work of satan. Be alert to look beyond the surface and beyond popular opinion.

The battle of good against evil, is fought every single day, and we have to keep that struggle in mind as we lead our lives. The struggle of good against evil is happening not only in the world, but also in heavenly realms. On earth, the daily battle is for the hearts and souls of people around the world. As believers, we know what the end of the story is, and our work is to believe and let the Holy Spirit work within us every day. What satan uses for evil, the Lord can use for good.

Knowing that this battle rages every day, it is so important that we make good decisions. We have to choose the right thing in small as well as large matters in our lives. All of the steps and decisions along the way count toward getting to the right conclusion of matters. It’s important to also remember that we can compromise away what is good and contaminate it with evil.

Our steps must be measured and right to get to the right outcome in everyday situations. Compromise can open the door to evil, so stay with what is right at every step. 

Forgiving from the heart

By Charlotte Lowrie

One of the commands that the Lord gave us was to forgive. Forgiving is almost as important as loving; and, in fact, they are inextricably intertwined. Jesus talked about forgiving completely--from the heart. He said that no matter how many times a person sins against us, we are to keep forgiving them. 

Forgiveness is so important that Jesus said if we don't forgive others, then the Father will not forgive us even in light of the price that the Lord paid to redeem us.

But sometimes forgiving others is really hard. When we find out someone has done something wrong to us, our immediate instinct is to get even, to get retribution--and it is a strong drive. As a case in point, I recently learned that a company I've contracted with for many years violated not only a written promise, but they also violated the terms of our contract. In short, they gave my work to another person to use as his own, and he used it. I was shocked and angry.

I'm currently talking to the company, and certainly I have the option of taking legal action. The company clearly wronged me in more ways than one. Thoughts about what they did dominated my thinking for several days. My righteous indignation seemed so well deserved. Still, if I want to be forgiven for my ongoing sins, then I had to forgive them in exactly the same way and to the same degree that I wanted to be forgiven. I had to rethink my indignation.

I thought about Jesus as he hung on the cross. I imagine Him looking out over the crowd to see people he had taught only days earlier at the temple. Maybe He could pick out faces he'd seen as he taught the beatitudes. And when he hung his head, I believe that He also saw all the people who lived in the past and all the people who would live in the future. The aggregate of humanity--all sinners, all needing forgiveness. It was His responsibility to bear the crushing weight of all sin--from the beginning of time to the end.  

Yet, the Lord forgave them all. I'm convinced that Jesus saw all those people through the eyes of divine love that saw far beyond the sins that each person committed. He saw with eyes of love that look into eternity. I believe that He looked at each spirit--seeing us as God created each one of us. Jesus did not overlook sins. Rather, He looked at our sin and beyond. Through His eyes of love, His love for us transcended the price that He had to pay for what we'd done. 

In short, Jesus knew that "The victory was greater than the pain."

The next time you have trouble forgiving someone, remember to look with eyes of love--with eyes that see the sin and beyond--into eternity.

Only You Can Do It

By Charlotte Lowrie

In my work as a photographer and writer, I almost always compare my photographs and my writing to other photographers and writers work. As a result, what is considered to be good, what is thought of as "the best" becomes a moving target depending on what or who is currently in vogue. 

In a recent conversation with the Lord, He told me something that I think is important to share with everyone. 

Here is what He said.

"Do not compare yourself to others. I did not make you to be them. I made you to be you. 

"Only you can do what I created you to do." 

All that's left to be said is, amen and amen and amen.

Reflections from Prayer

Periodically, I share insights I’ve received from the Lord. In my view, the insights are so rich and valuable that it would be wrong to not share them. Following are some of the most recent insights.

• By praying what is on our hearts, we grow in love and compassion. "Do not neglect praying for others for therein is compassion born and demonstrated. Pray and grow."

• It is amazing and wonderful that the Lord has "love that has no memory." He does not remember our sins. We are seen through the lens of Christ’s perfect life, death, and resurrection.

• "My coming is near. Be watchmen. Warn each other, for My coming is near, even at the door."

• "It's not about fire and brimstone. It is about life eternal in the presence of God." Pray for your family and friends who do not believe. Pray for them every single day.

• "Live while you have days. Live for Me."

• "When you are weak (in your physical body), be strong in Me and I will be strong in you."

• "Blessings are never meant to end with you. Blessings are meant to be passed along through you to others. There is power enough for pass-alongs. Don't let the blessings stop with you. Share your blessings with others."

As we see prophecies are being fulfilled every day, I think of the Lord’s words in John 14.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." John 14:15-17 (ESV).

Please join me in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are persecuted for His name.

And if you are one of the persecuted brothers or sisters in Christ, know that prayers from around the world are with you every day.