who is like God (some notes from the Michael Jackson Memorial Service)

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 me.

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 put off by the performance of the song "We Are the World" as symbols of many world religions were thrown up on the screen. It was not stated out loud, yet I couldn't stop thinking how this was a statement that all the world just needs love and that all religions are the same.

Maybe I am way off, but I need to speak up. We need to have a clear view of the path to heaven. You can only get there one way. It is through Jesus. Plain and simple.

No. I am not a "hell, fire and brimstone" kind of preacher. I believe that God has called me and The Community Fellowship to demonstrate the love of God to our community, and we do that by getting people's attention by serving them and meeting needs. As we are meeting their needs, we share about Jesus. But we have to share Jesus. He is the reason we do what we do, and He is the only way to heaven and to having any peace on earth.

Please don't take this as disrespect to Michael Jackson or his family. Nor am I saying that Michael Jackson was not a Christian. What I am saying is that we need to point people to the one who really matters. And that is Jesus.

Who is like God? We can be examples of God. We can point people to God. We will never be perfect, but we must be honest and know where we are going.

John 17:3 (nlt) --- And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

May you and I be honest about life and about the way to have life. May we be talked about in this way, he / she ... who is like God.

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

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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