Michael Harrison's e-devotion

“Heaven is a wonderful place.  Filled with glory and grace.  I wanna see my Savior’s face cause Heaven is a wonderful place.  I WANNA GO THERE…” That was a chorus I remember at day camp when I was a kid.  We learned all kinds of fun stuff but also consumed some superior theological truths.  Heaven is a real place, and I want to go there one day.  God makes that a possibility. Today is my grandmother’s funeral, but the fact is, as my son reminded us today, the body in the casket is grandma Bobbie’s earth suit.  She is in heaven enjoying the promises of God. Here is part of an article about heavenly thinking that I believe will help us deal with how we think about and prepare for heaven: Heavenly Mindedness by Randy Alcorn Jonathan Edwards said, “It becomes us to spend this life only as a journey toward heaven … to which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we labor for or set our hearts on anything else, but that which is

John 14:6 (NLT) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. Some people will say that I am narrow-minded.  And I would agree, but Jesus was too.  Some people say that God wouldn’t send people to Hell.  And I would agree, yet God created Heaven and Hell.  It is at that point that God provided our salvation, the way to Heaven. I write today as I am preparing for my grandmother’s funeral.  Bobbie Louise Heaton was a precious saint.  She lived 88 years on earth, and grandma Bobbie has now moved to a home she will live for much, much longer.  That is also by the grace of God.  That promise is by God’s grace based only on what Jesus has done. Salvation is offered as a free gift to all anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Jesus by His own blood obtained our eternal redemption. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration (bringing a person to life), justification (the act of forgivi

Bobbie Heaton, 1924 - 2012 Psalm 116:15 (NASB) Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His godly ones. This is not a subject that I often sidestep, and as a pastor I have had the honor to being with many families in one of the most difficult times in life.  When a loved one dies is not an easy or pleasant time, but it is important that we understand it from God’s perspective. Monday was not the easiest of days.  The call came to our office at church that a friend of ours that we have been helping passed away sometime early Monday.  Larry has battled addiction and difficult situations for many years, and his death was a shock to all of us.  Yet I remember a couple months ago having a great conversation with Larry about his faith.  He not only believed in God, but his faith was solid.  Larry is in heaven because of the promises of God.  His addiction and even battle with depression was too much to handle.  I do ask that you pray for Larry’s fami

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.   Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. There are several thoughts that I’d like to start this week with.  So many things are going through my mind, but I remember that what God has done in the past continues to guide and provide for my future.  That’s what I want to ask us to claim as truth in this devotion. We started a new series at church yesterday that is going to be awesome as we become consumed with God’s truth that will penetrate our lives and our hearts.  That means we allow what God has done prepare us for the days ahead.  It is not easy, but this is right and will change our lives.  What God says ought to overtake everything else. Our s

I’ve heard people talk about faith like it is a myth and illogical.  I’ve also listened to stories of people talking about faith as they have experienced miracles and God has strengthened their lives time and time again. Our faith has substance as we apply the things God teaches us in the Bible.  Do we really believe what the Bible has to say about faith?  If we believe and apply this truth, things will be different in our lives.  Faith is what separates believers from non-believers, separates the weak from the strong, separates those whose lives will count long after they are gone and those whose lives end when they are in the grave.  Faith takes us further than we will ever know. Honestly, do we believe what God says? Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Ephesians 2:8 (NLT) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit