Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Earlier this week I sent to you and posted something my brother wrote.  I'm gonna follow up by giving you more of  Steve's  heart and thoughts today.  You will be blessed by reading and digesting this.  Honestly, I am so proud of my  dad  cause he is an awesome servant.  Then I go to my brother.  He is a servant too.  Guess this kind of stuff runs in the family, and as you have to know that I love to serve people and lead others to get involved in serving.  Over the last 3 years or so I've watched Steve serve pastors (all over the country) and his church in big ways.  Read on and pray for Steve, his church ( Lifechurch.tv ), our church ( The Community ) and your church that we could see more and more people served and come to know Jesus !   "Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated...

Lift High (by Eddie Kirkland and Steve Fee) Broken people, call His Name Helpless children, praise the King Nothing brings Him greater fame When broken people call His Name Lift high your chains undone All rise, exalt the Son Jesus Christ, the Holy One We lift our eyes to You Sinners all, exalt the Son Your ransom paid and freedom won We will see His kingdom come When sinners all exalt the Son Lift high your chains undone All rise, exalt the Son Jesus Christ, the Holy One We lift our eyes to You ... Oh lift up your heads Look on Him I love that song.  It talks about what our church, the big "C" church and my heart is really all about.  Not so much about anything other than pointing people to Jesus.  Notice the heart beat of the song.  It is "broken people" and those people are every where.  Question is: what is the church offering to those who are broken? Those people may be homeless, hungry, sick, jobless or thousands of different kinds...

What I am sharing with you in today's devotion comes from my brother.  The picture is of Steve and his wife Susie.  Steve is a huge part of my life and ministry even through he lives over 1,000 mile from me.  One of the things that he says in what you will read below is that our vision at The Community Fellowship is big.  My heart is to lead people to demonstrate the love of God to our community  and to do that with passion.  Please read below understanding that I want to lift up Jesus first and foremost.  It truly is not about me: I realize this probably only goes to Michael but I hope that he will forward this note…the last month or so The Community Fellowship has really jumped out at me…I was recently with Michael & his family for three days in Virginia but it is more of what I see and hear happening in and around their community of Collinsville and Henry County Virginia…some great stuff…I recently listened to the series that he recently shared, R...

I've read this several times in the past, but I thought it may give you the courage to believe God even when life seems to be going in the wrong direction.  God really is good!  Read on: The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. . Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescu...

We got back late Friday night from our mission trip.  Burnsville, West Virginia is a small but wonderful place (population 480 people and just off Hwy 79 in the middle of the state).  Our team of 46 people fell in love with the community and with Crossroads Church and Pastor Rodney Jamison.  Just heard that their attendance Sunday morning was so big that they had to move out of their small meeting room and into the sanctuary that we cleaned last week (only the 2nd worship service in that room in the last 50+ years). If I have learned anything on mission trips, it is you have to be flexible.  All kinds of things happen.  Lots of blessings show up that you don't expect either.  Yet most of the time those blessings miss us because we are not ready, or we are focused on the wrong thing, or because we are just not where God wants us.  What have you missed today or in the past few weeks? Philippians 2:13  (nlt) ---  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the pow...

This past week I again had the honor of guest blog writing for Ben Stroup and his Do More Ministry blog.  Read this week's post Winning with what We Have by clicking HERE .  It is always an honor to share what Jesu has done in our lives. Follow Ben's thoughts on Twitter HERE .

Click on the link below for some of the happenings during our mission trip to Burnsville, West Virginia. Lots of pictures are included. And it's not over yet. http://twubs.com/communitymission09

Frank Viola has presented us with some real food for thought.  Well over a year ago I sunk much time into Francis Chan's book Crazy Love , and it almost wrecked my heart and also began some new paths for ministry and life.  God continues to use the understanding of His love for me and my love for Him. In From Eternity to Here  Viola offers us a different and unique look at our God and the church.  He addresses "the forgotten woman: the bride of Christ", "an eternal quest: the house of God" and "a new species: the body of Christ and the family of God".  The way that each is looked at will make you look at God and your understanding of Him different. Viola is a gifted story teller who has in this book traced truth from Genesis to Revelation with deep conviction and passion that will renew a person's life and relationship with God in all aspects of life. Loving God is a huge deal.  If you are on the journey to love God with all you are and all yo...

Abraham Lincoln said ...

There is something beating in my heart that I have to share.  I was beginning today's e-devotion yesterday when I needed to stop and think.  Re-evaluate most of my thoughts and even my vision.  Bear with me for a few minutes. We've just started a Men's Bible study here at church.  So far 4 of us have shown up (others are invited...let me know if you'd like to join us).  Here is part of what I memorized this week for our time together. John 15:13   (nlt) --- There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Sometimes those acts of love hurt.  They often cost us a lot and take huge amounts of energy.  Yet the outcome is freedom for yourself and others.  Think about it.  Loving the way that Jesus loved us cost Him His life, but it gained for us eternal life.  What are we willing to give so that others will see and know and come to God? As a church leader, one of the things that gets me and makes me almost scream with jo...

Please pray for BURNSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA as our mission team will descend on the town this coming Sunday.   We will be working with Cornerstone Baptist Chapel and Pastor Rodney. The church they are currently using is an old church building that was most recently used as a storage facility and a doctor's office. It is in great need. Our biggest role and most exciting is ministering to children. Not only will we hold a backyard Bible club type event for 3 days, but we will be closing with giving shoes to hopefully 100+ kids. 42 people from The Community Fellowship have committed to be part of the team. Pray for them. Pray for the provision we need. Pray for open doors. But most of all pray that people will be impacted for Jesus. Here is some information about the area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnsville,_West_Virginia MAP of Burnsville, WV It is an honor to work with Appalachian Regional Ministry to see lives touched by our big God. Psalm 2:8  ---  Ask of...

So glad to have my wife and one of the kids back home with me.  It has been a long 10 days without them.  The other two little ones will be home right after our mission trip to West Virginia (which is next week).  One of the things I notice about myself when I'm alone for an extended period of time is that I have to focus.  When I don't stay focused, I get little to nothing done.  Have you found that to be true? The biggest piece that keeps me focused is Scripture.  Hearing from God is a must.  It is not something extra that you add to your "to do list".  It is not something that is a suggestion.  Reading the Bible is like eating.  You got to have it. Let me give you just a little peek into  Ephesians 1:15   (nlt) --- Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere, Proverbs 16:2   (nlt) --- People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Acts 11:24 ...

"The best exercise is to reach  down and lift someone up." -- Zig Ziglar One of my favorite blogs is INVISIBLE PEOPLE written by a guy named Mark (he also blogs HERE ). This next week he will head out on a roadtrip to increase awareness of homelessness in the United States.  Mark knows well about this not only because he is meeting needs and ministering to people where he lives in Los Angeles but because he has been there too. Have you noticed, as I have, the increasing numbers of people in need?  Much of this is related to the economy in our nation.  There are also many other reasons for this.  Fact is, the church, you and I, have an obligation and a responsibility to do something about it.  Do you agree? 1 John 3:17 (nlt) --- If someone has enough money to live well and sees a   brother   or sister in   need   but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in that person? The Community Fellowship continues to seek the Lord and to be part of ...

Mark 4:19  (nlt) ---  but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the  lure  of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. Jesus was telling the store about the seed and the soils in the passage I quoted from above.  He talked about several of the soils and how they accepted the seed.  Some of the seeds fell on the road, some on rocky soil, some fell on the soil that had thorns and some of the seed fell on the good soil. Think of this kind of like a garden.  What is the best soil to plant it?  It is the kind that has everything it needs to grow: the kind with light, water, minerals and such as that.  We've all seen ground that looks like it is just grown over with weeds where a garden may have been some time ago.  We've also seen the places where there is a garden with awesome growth and good stuff coming up. In the verses around the one above Jesus makes the point of asking us some thing like this: what ...

One of the things that has kept me going and helped me hear from and follow God is reading Proverbs each day.  I miss days from time to time, but in this reading I see and hear from God.  It was at the urging of Johnny Hunt that I began this journey.  Here is some of today's reading: Proverbs 9 (gwt) 6  Stop being gullible and live. Start traveling the road to understanding. 9  Give advice to a wise person, and he will become even wiser. Teach a righteous person, and he will learn more. 10  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11  You will live longer because of me, and years will be added to your life. Those are strong words that if lived by will make a huge difference in our lives and in those around us.  Stop and read back through them.  What are you hearing God say?  There is no reason to continue living the way you are living.  Get understanding.  G...

This will not be a popular devotion, but it something that I need to share.  Hang with me to the end.  If you need to write me a nasty e-mail after that, so be it ... Exodus 15:11  (nlt) ---  Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? Isaiah 46:9  (nlt) ---  Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like m e. I sat and watched a portion of the memorial service for Michael Jackson yesterday.  It was a moving.  Jackson was a creative genius who brought lots of joy to people through the years.  Thousands upon thousands of people have great respect for this man who is now called "the king of pop".  But Michael Jackson is not Jesus. No one said he was.  But many people spoke about him at the memorial service and in the news.  Few talked about fate, faith and heaven.  Yet very few seemed to speak about the way to heaven.  In fact I was a bit p...