that's powerful :: Wednesday E-Devotion

What is the most powerful thing in the world? Nuclear bomb. Battleship. Mother's voice. Smell of a skunk. You get the point.

As I was reading this morning about the impact of our church and others, this question came to my mind. Lots of thoughts drift in and out of there as you can imagine, yet this one stuck. Take a minute to think about the power of your life and the power you are around.

I am not talking about powerful people, powerful weapons or the like. I am talking power that impacts the farthest and the longest. Think hard.

Romans 1:16 (nlt) --- For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (nlt) --- And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

Not a Sunday School or typical Christian answer such as, "God is the most powerful thing." True, yet the most powerful thing that God uses to see lives change is the testimony of what God has done in a person's life. Your testimony and mine demonstrate the power of God. The power to change lives. The power to change situations. The power to provide and heal and encourage and lift and far beyond.

When we speak up on the account of God, great things happens because we open a door for the power of God to intervene. If you remember in our last series, Chase the Lion, we talked about the fact that stepping out in faith opens the door for God to do miracles.

Think about it. Your words. Your talking about God. That demonstrates what God can and will do for others. It may change someone's life. It may change your life. Now, that's powerful.

1 John 1:2 (nlt) --- This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.

2 Peter 3:9 (nlt) --- The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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