Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Speaking the truth in love us always requires VISION from us.  This is why people ask what is different in us.  We see things different.  We see past people's faults to their possibilities.  We see past situations to salvation and even heaven.   Matthew 15:18 (NASB) --- But the things that proceed   out   of the   mouth   come from the   heart , and those defile the man.   When you are looking to the future, do you see that the best is always yet to come?  Are we thinking how we can influence someone for        heaven --- literally living for it and not for the present?  We die and the people around us die without real vision.   Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) --- Where there is no   vision , the   people   perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.   The more we understand and seek God, the more we will see people the way God sees them.  But that requires that we have God kind of vision and sight.  The present doesn't allow us to see everything.  It is essential ...

You need to meet Charlie is you haven't already.  A friend wrote  THIS POST , and as a leader I see the validity in how we must be leading others to be who God made them to be.  By the way, people with passion are all around us.  Why aren't we giving them the opportunity to use that passion for God?  Read on! Charlie Bucket: Candidate Of The Century written by Patrick A. Berry For those of you that have that spark in your heart for the EXTRAordinary, you may know Charlie Bucket. He is the young boy that was the centerpiece of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory story. If you remember, Willy Wonka was determined to find the young person that had the heart [passion] to gift the entire Chocolate Factory too. Wonka was not looking for the smarts to run it because he could train the young person about chocolate this and chocolate that. Instead, he wanted Charlie Bucket, a young person who had the character, integrity, and heart to nurture the organization and take care of...

Great conversations are not taught and they are often tough.  No one is good at confrontation.  In fact the number one reason for divorce is a lack of communication.  It is tough to speak the truth in love in some situations.   How do we deal with difficult times and people around us and dealing proactively with conflict?  Love always takes courage.  Love is not always easy.    1 Corinthians 13:6b (NASB) --- (LOVE) rejoices in the truth   Love is awesome.  But do we really understand love and what it is to love someone else?  It isn't easy.  Love doesn't get excited about the wrong things.  It lifts the right situations and the right actions.    Ephesians 4:15 (NLT) --- Instead, we will   speak   the   truth   in   love , growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.   Notice what happens when you speak the truth in love.  Growth happens.  Like a baby who grows.  You want them to begin speaking.  But when t...

Verses from PROVERBS 28 that touch me 1  A wicked person flees when no one is chasing him,but righteous people are as bold as lions. 13  Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper. Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion. 26  Whoever trusts his own heart is a fool. Whoever walks in wisdom will survive. 27  Whoever gives to the poor lacks nothing. Whoever ignores the poor receives many curses. Have you noticed that when we deal with our sin that God and life bring us compassion and the ability to move on but when we don't deal with our sin that we set ourselves up for failure.  2 things that come from us seeking God: Confess our sin ... help those in need. 

As for our Proverbs LEADERSHIP challenge reading for today, Proverbs 27, here are some verses that have continued to hit me hard! 1  Do not brag about tomorrow,because you do not know what another day may bring. 2  Praise should come from another person and not from your own mouth, from a stranger and not from your own lips. 5  Open criticism is better than unexpressed love. 6  Wounds made by a friend are intended to help, but an enemy's kisses are too much to bear. 17  As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another. 19  As a face is reflected in water, so a person is reflected by his heart 21  The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, but a person is tested by the praise given to him. 23  Be fully aware of the condition of your flock, and pay close attention to your herds. Good stuff.  Keep reading.

Proverbs 25 ... some more to let sink into our hearts and heads.  Applying these will make a difference in our homes, our work and our lives.  Great stuff!!! 11  Like golden apples in silver settings, so is a word spoken at the right time. 12  Like a gold ring and a fine gold ornament, so is constructive criticism to the ear of one who listens. 13  Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day, so is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him: He refreshes his masters. 19  Like a broken tooth and a lame foot, so is confidence in an unfaithful person in a time of crisis. 21  If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink. 22  In this way you will make him feel guilty and ashamed, and the Lord will reward you. 25  Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from far away. 28  Like a city broken into and left without a wall, so is a person who lacks self-control. Father, help us to watch our words and use them to buil...

1 Corinthians 9:23  (NASB) ---  I do all things for the  sake  of the  gospel , so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. For some time I have been touched by a song I want to share the lyrics with you today.  Before I share the song, remember that God called each of to share His good news, the truth that changes lives.  It is all about Jesus. I listened this pastor weekend to Jim Hamilton from the Dakotas talk about the fact that sharing our faith ought to be a natural conversation.  He  talked about people getting saved at the Sturgis Biker events.  It was awesome. What are we doing to speak louder than before.  Here is the song from Jeremy Camp: Hear now this declaration From out across the nations We need to wake up and understand Many hurting hearts are crying But our voices seem to be dying Can you see the battle raging on? We are the light to reach this world We are the salt preserving these souls Let's show them the love that we've receive...

Proverbs 23 : 18  (GWT) --- There is indeed a future, and your hope will never be cut off. What does the future look like for you?  Is it bright or it is dark?  Is it full of possibilities or is it full of troubles?  It is a place you are excited about or it is a place you are dreading? Those answers can be real intense and tell me a lot about your life.  God just said in that verse Proverbs that you have a future.  God will not cut off your hope.  Yet I meet people every day that have no hope.  Their hope is gone, cut off and has washed away.  That is why it is time for the church, the people of God, to put hope where people can reach it.  Did you hear that?  Hope is unreachable for some people, but we have hope and help at our finger tips. I remember Dino Rizzo talking about the issue of offering people help and serving them by putting hope on the shelf where they can reach it.  People need hope.  Are you giving the people around you any hope?  If not, you are livin...

Proverbs 22:4 (GWT) ---   On the heels of humility (the fear of the Lord) are riches and honor and life. "With great power comes great responsibility."  That quote comes from one of the Spiderman movies, and I have not let that thought leave me.  God has used it to remind me of the influence I have in the lives of people around me.  The truth is great power comes from great humility.  Then there are great open doors to influence more people. Then I ran across this blog post from Ben Arment: It's impossible to help someone through  mere inquiry . It's a  nice gesture ... makes us  look good ... lets us  off the hook . But the truth is, we know what could really help others. We're fully aware of  the action . We just don't want to do it. We think influence is expendable, limited in supply; and we don't want to waste it on the wrong opportunity. So we hoard it. We might need it for ourselves, after all. As leaders with a...

PROVERBS 22 is today's reading.  Here are some verses for today: 1  A good name is more desirable than great wealth.Respect is better than silver or gold. 2  The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all. 3  Sensible people foresee trouble and hide from it, but gullible people go ahead and suffer the consequence. 4  On the heels of humility (the fear of the Lord) are riches and honor and life. 6  Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it. 7  A rich person rules poor people, and a borrower is a slave to a lender. 9  Whoever is generous will be blessed because he has shared his food with the poor. 17  Open your ears, and hear the words of wise people, and set your mind on the knowledge I give you. 22-23  Do not rob the poor because they are poor or trample on the rights of an oppressed person at the city gate, because the Lord will plead their case and will take the lives of those who...

Falling in love is something everyone needs to experience.   That uushy, gushy feeling.   Goo goo eyes and playing footsey.   Those first things are so awesome.   Do you remember them?       One of the things that we need to remember too is falling love with Jesus.   Some of you have not had that experience.   For me this has been an ongoing process that has highs and lows.   Sometimes I feel closer.   But so often God shows up.   What is it like to be in love with God and to be loved, knowing you are loved by Him?   Awesome doesn't even touch it.       When we come to know God, our vision and perspective grows.   The more time we spend with God the greater our love grows.   That love is a two way street, but it begins and sticks with His love being constant.   Nothing changes His love.   Our love has to grow.   John 3:30 (NLT) --- He must become   greater   and   greater , and I must become   less   and   less.   That time with God and your loving God makes...

Proverbs 19 ... this has been a very busy and tough weekend.  But I have seen God do some good things.  Here are a few leftovers from today's Proverbs: 8  A person who gains sense loves himself. One who guards understanding finds something good. 11  A person with good sense is patient, and it is to his credit that he overlooks an offense. 17  Whoever has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his good deed. 18  Discipline your son while there is still hope. Do not be the one responsible for his death. 21  Many plans are in the human heart, but the advice of the Lord will endure. 23  The fear of the Lord leads to life, and such a person will rest easy without suffering harm. 27  If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge. In several conversations in the last 48 hours I have heard some of my reading come back to me.  The words of God have prepared me for conversations.  Prepared me to speak.  Prepared me to...

Head on over to our CHURCH BLOG ( http://thecommunityfellowship.wordpress.com / ) for great pictures form last weekend's Outdoor Baptism & Worship. The band ---  the band @ Outdoor Worship, Sept 09 The kids ---  the kids @ our Outdoor Worship, Sept 09 More ---  more OUTDOOR BAPTISM & WORSHIP pictures The baptism --- Outdoor baptism & worship … Sept 13, 2009

At times I feel ... S - T - R - E - T - C - H - E - D ... I'm sure you feel that too.  It may come cause you are so busy or because of things outside your control.  What I know is that those are the times we need to get perspective from God.  Almost more than any other time, we need to see when we are getting stretched and do something about it. Psalm 121:1 -2 (NASB)  I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;From where shall my help come?  2  My help comes from the LORD,Who made heaven and earth. Hebrews 12:2  (NASB) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the  joy  set  before   Him  endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Psalm 46:10  (NKJV) Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! John 6:35  (NLT)  Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Who...

One of the things I have heard for years goes something like this ... until you admit you have a problem, you can't get help.  Do you believe that?  Oh, so true it is.  God placed in life with lots of choices and with responsibility.  I'm sure if you are any thing like me that you wish that some of the consequences and issues we have had to deal with would just go away.  But they won't.  We have to get real. Yet once we get real about our issues, God opens the door for real possibilities.  Did you hear that?  God wants to give you healing.  He wants to help with relationships.  He wants to get through the financial struggles.  He wants to give us hope when there seems to be little to no hope around. But it all begins with being real.  Get honest.  Tell God and tell others where you are hurting, where you come up short and where you need help. I have been talking about the fact that God made us for relationships.  I shared earlier this week that God intends...

2 Timothy 2:2  (NASB) ---  The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Leading is not easy.  Yet I have to stop and think about the time I spend and the people I spend it with.  Here is why: Matthew 7:6  (NASB) ---  Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. My point is that we have to use what we have in the best way we can.  We have to build the people around us and not misuse our time or any other resource we have.  This is easiest seen for me in the people that I counsel.  When someone is unwilling to change but wants to continue counseling, that is the time to cut it off.  It is a waste of our time when people are unwilling to change. The same is true with the people we lead.  We can constantly pour what we have into people who will do nothing with w...

God made us with a need to connect with other people.   We corrupt relationships and connections by loving stuff more than loving people.   We miss the best by loving anything other than God.   How do we connect with people?   How do we keep ourselves from connecting with people?   What happens when you and I don't have or don't show love?   We are empty.   Relationships are empty.   1 Corinthians 13:1-4a (NASB) ---   If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.   If I have the gift of   prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.   And if I give all my possessions to feed   the poor,   and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind   …   God intends for us to connect with Him and to connect with people.   God made us for ...