Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Courage.   Break-through.   Beating the odds.   This story has all that together.   I want to encourage you to read the overcoming drama of Mark Inglis.   He is the double amputee that climbed to the top of Mount Everest .   The blog link listed below will lead you to his story and his websites. http://moverstreet.blogspot.com/2006/05/so-whats-your-excuse.html What I believe is most encouraging is to not that our God, though not mentioned in Mark’s story, teaches us to be overcomers.   We are not to give up or give in but to push on.   Even when it is not easy or there is no end in sight, God has a plan. He will take us to the top and allow us to see His wonder, His beauty, His glory and even to feel the cool breeze of victory just by allowing His wind to fill our sails, if you know what I mean. It is to the top for me.   How about you?   Learn a lesson from men like Russell Stone, a double amputee in our church, and Mar...

Bouncer.   Bodyguard. I have always wanted to be one of those guys.   You know, I am built for it.   Muscles.   Height.   Attitude.   Well, at least I can dream, yet the thought of being a protector and offering protection is a big deal. This is not the type of thing to keep you from getting a disease or from getting caught from bad stuff you do.   This is bigger protection than any one can offer around us.   No body guard is big enough or tough enough to keep our toughest enemy away.   Think about it and then do something about it. "Be careful!   Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour."    1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) I recently posted an e-devotion declaring that much of the time we are our own enemy, yet we both know that Satan has a plan to get us, like the lion mentioned in the above verse.   He wants to keep us from bein...

What an honor it is to support people who are doing the Lord's work.   I am not talking about people who just think they are working for God, but I am referring to those who from a genuine heart, an authentic calling and a real sense of purpose are leading people to see and know God.   This is no easy business.   But this is the best business. I ran across an article that you need to read if you are in ministry or care for someone who is.   Take a look at this link: http://www.theresurgence.com/mdblog_2006-05-24_death_by_ministry Just a simple thought moving into this week.   Make the most of what you have and don't throw away precious time trying to do too much.   Does that make sense.   Far too often I find myself strung out and missing out on some of the best things. Focus is important.   Focus on the Father is vital.   Focus on my focus gives perspective.   Not having focus leaves me short sighted, ignorant and not effective ...

Happy Memorial Day to all (praise the Lord for those who have fought for our freedom, and be encouraged to pray for our troops and our nation)... "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."    Matthew 5:16 (NASB) Can they tell?   I mean, do people know who you are and what you are?   A football player wears a jersey, and he is proud of it.   A policeman wears a uniform, and with it comes responsibility, authority and pride.   A nurse wears one of those medical type shirts and pants, and we glad to see them when we have a great need. But can they tell who we are?   No, there aren’t any Christian uniforms or standard dress.   Yet our language, responses and attitude tell a person much about us. My prayer for this week, and beyond, is that as people see you and me that they can tell we belong to Jesus. Jesus said, "If you understand what...

"But the greatest among you shall be your servant."    Matthew 23:11 (NASB) Memorial Day is a special time of memories and saying 'thank you.'   Around us each day are people who have given much time to serving our nation and in so doing have served all of us.   Look around.   Find the veterans, or those still serving, and let them know how much you appreciate them. We are blessed to live in America .   Even with all the ugliness of our world and the crimes near by, we have the freedom to worship and to talk about Jesus.   In fact, our leaders have the freedom to talk about their beliefs which ought to give Christians an open door of talking about God.   Walk through that door. "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."    Romans 13:1 (NASB) I recently had the opportunity to visit our nation's c...

What a week.   I rarely if ever draw your attention back to e-devotion of recent days, but today will be a little different. I am told (and so are you) to ... "You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses.   Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others."    2 Timothy 2:2 (NLT) Then Jesus reminded me (I mean us) of a tough truth ... "Don't give what is holy to unholy people.   Don't give pearls to swine!   They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you."    Matthew 7:6 (NLT) So, here is my point.   No, you are not swine.   You are the cream of the crop.   You are the apple of your heavenly Father's eye, and He wants us to get it.   That is, get not just what I say but what is truth.   Here are the topics and themes of the past few e-devotions that may help us apply or re-apply some point of truth God d...

"Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good— crucified."    Galatians 5:24 (MSG) That is tough.   It even hurts.   But what is most eye opening is when I try to go against the stream, that stream and the status quo. Paul is possibly the height of our professors teaching us about what it is to be a Jesus dude or dudette.   His view is much different than ours.   I mean, we never killed Christians for being Christian.   We have never been put in jail, has rocks thrown at us, had to run so we could live and much more.   Yet Paul kept on. Listen up.   What are we willing to do for Him? "This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines."    John 3:30 (MSG) Does that make sense?   It is not about you (remember, Rick Warren an...

"Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead."    Philippians 2:3 (MSG) Jesus said it.   He lived it as well.   Pretty simple way of loving a person.   Would you agree?   Many people have used this pattern: JOY --- Jesus, Others and You.   Here are just a few pieces of this important puzzle God put in front of us: lift up your friend   (Eccl 4:10 ) loves at all the time    (Prov 17:17 ) speak encouraging words to one another    (1 Thess 5:11 ) build up one another   (1 Thess 5:11 ) serve one another   (Gal 5:13 ) confess your sins to each other   (James 5:16 ) pray for one another    (James 5:16 ) speak the truth in love   (Eph 4:15 ) put on a heart of compassion   ( Col 3:12 ) sharpen one another   (Prov 27:17) be good friends, devoted to one another   (Romans 12...

Today's devotion is ripped off from Pastor Mark Batterson of the National Community Church in Washington , DC .   I recently attended a conference he hosted and have continued to be challenged in big ways by what Batterson says and writes.   Read his article and then I will leave you with a couple more thoughts... “The Enemy Is Us” by Mark Batterson One of my passions is reaching emerging generations. I said something yesterday that I'd never said before. And it wasn't in my notes. But something crystallized for me. I cited a study that found that 58% of college grads who grew up going to church stop attending church for one reason or another. I've actually seen studies that peg the number as high as 86%. These are church kids. And we're losing at least six out of ten. That attrition rate is going to kill us. It's like we're losing a generation. It's Judges 2:10: "After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not ack...

There is something about this guy.  I mean Jesus.  He was about His Father's business and talking about stuff that could change a person's life, if they left it.  We ought to take every opportunity possible to talk about Him. Let's be relevant.  In other words, lets talk about what others are talking about and turn their ear to hear and eyes to see Jesus.  God may use your new thoughts to put you around many people who need Him. He may allow us to make a difference in lives we never thought we would be able to influence.  What we can and who we say it around will influence others.  

"Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory !... "     Revelation 19:7 (MSG) You did know today is a holiday.   Right?   If you don't, let me remind you that it is NASCAR day.   The official day of the real racing world has come on us.   If you live in Martinsville , Daytona, Sonoma or the like, you may know that the celebration is huge and exciting. Well, maybe some people know about it.   A few people are wearing a pin announcing it.   At least some racing websites are talking about it...but it is a celebration for the groupies, like me, to talk about the track and our driver. Do we take advantage of such celebrations or current events?   We ought to. We can do much by riding the waves created around us to make the message of Christ rise high.   You see, there are places you get to go, people you get to talk to and stuff you get to do at times where the name of Jesus has got to be mentioned. ...

"God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God's goodness into us."    2 Corinthians 5:21 (LB) That is an awesome statement.   Without the death of Christ and the love of God, we are lost and hopeless.   Praise the Lord for His care and work to guide our lives into His kingdom. Has your new life in Christ made a difference in you?   In your thinking, in your actions, in your words and even in the way you look... Think about this: "The Magic of Three Days "   By Patt Barnes It was a beautiful spring day, and a sense of peace stayed with me as I left the cathedral on Easter Monday morning. I paused for a moment on top of the steps leading to the avenue, now crowded with people rushing to their jobs. Sitting in her usual place inside a small archway was the old flower lady. At her feet corsages and boutonnieres were parading on top of a spread-open newspaper. The flower lady was s...

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."    2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) One of the first movies I remember seeing was the "Twilight Zone" (1983).   It scared me to death.   Some of the scenes I can still remember and have not seen them for well over 20 years.   Man, the unknown is scary.   It can put fear into our lives. That is often why people will not commit to doing what Jesus says.   Out of fear of the unknown or of just being scared, people say no to God.   In our small group Bible study last evening we were talking this issue and noted how some of Jesus' disciples   would have missed awesome stuff had they lived out of fear. But that fear doesn't come from God.   Avoiding stuff is not an option when it comes to God because avoiding means we miss God.   When we allow fear in our lives, we push faith out of our lives. That is Satan's plan and his ...

The sign as you pass the church by reads, "C H _ _ CH: what is missing?   U R?" How true is that old quote.   Jesus talked about us in Hebrews 10 not missing this place and the community He intended to excite, encourage and empower us to be awesome parts of His family.   When we fail to be the church, we fail to lead the world to Christ.   Got that? I recently shared a message with our church family called "Responsibilities of Church Members" sharing what the Bible says about out part in the body.   My honor today is to pass on some of these thoughts to you and ask you to ask yourself 'what your part is' in the church. So here are my notes with a prayer that God will fill us with His truth... Membership says: "I belong here" and God says that believers belong together (Heb. 10:23 -25). Membership says: "We share the same beliefs and goals. God says that believers are to be committed to one another for the sake of sp...

"Look! I will force those who belong to Satan—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love." Revelation 3:9 (NLT) How do you catch a mouse? You use cheese. How do you catch a kid? You use candy. How do you catch a pagan? You use their own thinking. In the verse above God tells us that the real winners are not the successful business people or the accomplished and high paid athlete or even the long term politician. He says the winners are those He loves. My question is this: how do we make more winners? Easy. You get them on their own turf, influence them, win the right to speak and then speak up. Silence is deadly. Don't tell a person about Jesus and they go to hell. Don't warn a person of a serious mistake or illness or situation and their lives may have been harshly impacted forever. Look at the other side. Warn them, tell them and get their attention and you may make them a winne...

Relevance has more to do with the core of reality than what we think is truth. Being relevant means that you share what has mean not what is empty and isolated. There is an opportunity before us to share truth, live truth and to lead others to truth. It all begins with what we believe is truth. Take a look around you. Examine what you are reading and what you are talking about. Then, see what others are looking at, reading and talking about and if you are a long way off from other people. Listen in for a minute. If we don’t deal with what people are talking about, we may be left behind. The church has far too often taken that route. We have tried to make others think our thoughts or to direct society when they are already on a super highway headed in a direction we may not be headed in. To relevant is to join them. To be relevant is to join others on their journey and guide conversations, thoughts and lives toward Jesus. That is not easy, but it is God’s call on our lives. That...

“How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me – things so undeserved, yet you give to prove your love for me? The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude – all that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to you…” ( lyrics of “My Tribute” by Andrae` Crouch) No, that song was not written for my mom or any mom. It was written as a tribute and honor to God, but the words fit how I feel about my mom. Forgive me for getting sappy or mushy, but Mother’s Day for all of us is one of those times of remembering and honoring that special person who has given a great deal. We talk about how dads often teach us about our heavenly Father, yet I want to thank my mom for being a picture and example of the Father as I was growing up. She taught me so much. I am thankful for Judy Harrison. I love you, mom, and happy Mother’s Day. You gave, when you didn’t have it to give. You sacrificed, when you could have done something for you. You worked, when you most likely need...

So often I get in a conversation about half way through it. My wife says that I am nosey. Well, I tell you today about a conversation, a God conversation, I caught the tale end of. I was caught off guard in many ways. It happened while I was driving down the road and listening to the radio hearing Nicole Nordeman’s song “Wide Eyed” (see this link for the lyrics). http://lyrics.crossmap.com/track/nordeman-nichole/wide-eyed/wide-eyed.htm She talked about meeting people on the streets of Los Angeles and how people shape what we think, say and do. Yet a meeting with Jesus changes our lives and the way we see life. Have we allowed our meeting with Him, our time with Him and our love for Him to impact our lives. Often, in these kind of conversations, I have to raise my hand as the guilty one missing the mark God desires for us. Here is what Jesus did when meeting new people: “When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke— like sheep with no shepherd ...

Proverbs 31 describes the perfect woman, and often it reminds us of how God has blessed our lives. No, we would not be here with out a mom. Our lives would be much less full and fulfilled without this precious gift. Spend some time this weekend thanking God for her and thanking her. MOM is a word we all have used. Think about it! "M" stands for ‘mother’ who cared and helped us grow. "O" stands for ‘out of her way’ she went to serve us. And the final "M" stands for ‘memories’ with a boat load of thanks for creating lasting memories of love and love for life. I praise the Lord for my mom (I love You) and for my wife (WGM ...world's greatest mom to our kids).

I am still on a high from the awesome experience and learning at the Buzz Conference ’06 in Washington , DC . What was Buzz about? Thanks for asking. This was a group of young church leaders and church planters from across the US and as far away as Australia led by Mark Batterson , lead Pastor of National Community Church (NCC) in DC. 300 plus people all with a heart to do Kingdom work for Jesus. The theme was “compel them to come in” as commissioned by Jesus. Please know that I was blown away but the people I met and the stuff I learned. So what I am going to do in the coming lines is give you some bits of buzz, stuff I learned from the conference. Yet I have to first say THANK YOU and GREAT JOB to all the staff at NCC who did an incredible job… >>>Worst fate is to be ignored. We are called to be unignorable. >>>Faithfulness is not maintaining the status quo … it is competing for the kingdom. God is going to use someone who doesn’t want to loose. >...

Here is a big thought, especially for church people, that ought to make us stop and think: "The theologians of our day are the movie makers and song writers." Think about it. Jesus intentional did everything He did. There were no chance messages or off the cuff conversations. He not only knew what to say but just what a person would need. As we become more like Jesus, our words and walk will be more intentional. Do you think? As parents we are told to teach God's truth to our kids all the time. As part of God's family we are to share our testimonies with those we meet. As compassionate people we are to help those in need and lift those who have fallen. As believers we are to care about and passionately share the truth. Do you see where I am coming from? "Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversati...

"If you give God the right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you." --- Oswald Chambers "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Psalms 139:23-24 (NLT) There is more to being real than not wearing a mask. It has to do with being authentic and original and being you. I was doing a little shopping last week while out of town and spent some time in a shop that sales coins, some rare and some not so rare. What I learned, and you already know, is that the originals cost more. The knock-offs and imitations are cheap. They may look good, but to the trained eye, it is worthless. The same thing is true in life. People know a fake. They know the person who trys to look the part or act like something they are not. The church is full of these kind of people. Don't turn me off...keep listening. There are people who walk in the door dressed ri...

I have always thought of myself, at least when it comes to ministry, to be a pretty creative person. At a conference I attended last week, I learned so much more. But what I learned in the brightest light and in the biggest way and with the boldest punch was an old reality...we have to do everything we can to get the world to see Jesus. That means we have to be creative and not boring. That means we don't shoot for the bizarre but for the eye catching. Whether we are talking about a TV commercial, sign at church, sermon that is preached or card that is handed out, we can and ought to do all we can to let people meet Jesus. "And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled." Luke 14:23 (NASB) In this e-devotion I am going to copy some things or note I took at that conference. I pray they will stir something in you and in me. Thanks and may the Lord make us more and more ...