Michael Harrison's e-devotion

1 John 4:8   NLT But anyone who does not love does not know God , for God is love . We stand at the threshold of new possibilities and of great opportunities as the New Year begins in a few hours.   2014 will offer each of us challenges, some heart attack and much love as we pursue the dreams that God had embedded into our hearts.   For that I am very excited. But what takes my attention the most are some things that have not changed and will not change.   God loves me.   God loves you.   Nothing can change those two facts.   The verse above points clearly to the implications of God’s love on our lives.   If we love, we know God.   If we have trouble loving, our understanding and knowing God must be messed up.   The calendar changes tomorrow.   The opportunities change and present themselves in living color, but our God does not change.   I am thankful for the fact that I will understand more about God and His love for people than I have ever grasped before.

Can you believe that 2014 is almost here?  It is amazing to look back over the past twelve months at all God has done at and through The Community Fellowship.  Thank you for the part you have played to make this a reality. Please join Pastor Michael, church leaders and many from The Community in a  PRAYER WALK  on New Years Day, January 1st, at 3:30pm at our new campus.  That is a change in time from our normal 5:50 prayer walk that takes place each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Please pass this invitation on to others in our community that know about the work we are doing to serve those in our community.  Our new campus is located at 700 Commerce Court in Martinsville.  We will walk around the campus 7 (yes that is 7 like the children of Israel did around Jericho) beginning at 3:30 Wednesday afternoon.  Our prayer is asking God to give us the resources to move into this campus and to be able to impact more people as we  demonstrate the love of God to our community  and beyond.

I am amazed at the prospects ahead of us.   Look at the evidence of what happens when a person sells out to Jesus.   God blesses the people who whole-heartedly give all to do what He asks and to go where He calls them to go.   The evidence is found in the Bible as well as in the testimony of the people we have known through the years. Joshua 1:7   NLT Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turn ing either to the right or to the left . Then you will be successful in everything you do. You’ve heard it before, as I have, that our best days are ahead of us.   Stop relying on the past to be our place of celebration or even to hold our best when the best is far different.   I confess that what often keeps us from the best is us.   It’s a fact.   We have held ourselves and others back, and I am dead set against that happening any more.   Do you hear me?   My heart says we have ground ahead of us that must

The best leaders that I have met through my years of life and ministry have been those who are in the middle of what is going on.   I’ve met some who try to lead from the proverbial side-lines and others from their plush office.   In no way am I trying to cut down leaders, but this is my experience. It is when I am with those I am trying to lead that I can be most effective.   Followers and co-workers need to hear from their leaders.   They need to feel the heartbeat of the leader and even get a glimpse of the passion that drives that particular leader. Unless that leader is in the middle of the people it is very hard to lead.   I’d like to spend few minutes sharing some insights from Philippians 3.   But before those insights I acknowledge that there are times when you cannot be in the middle of where the people are.   We have to have time alone with God.   Stay tied to and in the Word of God.   Be quiet in the presence of God listening and following.   Remind and even

Ephesians 1:3   NLT All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Psalm 46:10   NLT “Be still , and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” There are many times in life where you just have to say “wow” and acknowledge the presence and goodness of God.   I have called this “in awe moments” in the past when God was working and changing lives.   Those are times that I long for and each leaves me changed and strengthened to move forward. The past twelve months have offered many of those times, and I would like to take you back through several of them.   Realize that not all of them were positive.   In fact some brought huge amounts of stress, tears and struggle, yet in those times there was great God given growth in my life.   I must remember, and I remind you, that God will punish and correct the

Isaiah 25:1   NLT O Lord, I will honor and praise your name , for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. I begin today by telling each of you “Merry Christmas” from our church leaders and from our family.   We really are blessed.   Christmas is a time when we celebrate Jesus.   We take time out of the busy lives we live to spend extra time with family and those we care about the most.   Family and friends are important. All around us are the signs of the Christmas season, and it is true that the reason for Christmas is also the payment of our sin and the person who loves us the most.   Jesus is the reason and the forgiver of our sin.   Notice the lights and all the decorations.   Most people won’t tell you this, but each piece is a celebration of Jesus.   It ought to be a reminder to celebrate.   It should influence the way we deal with the people we encounter. Christmas is all about Christ.   I wa

Our church had our Christmas service yesterday and in the service celebrated Advent by talking through the points of HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE.   I’d like to share with you a piece of each.   Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit”. In the Christian season of Advent, we prepare for the “advent” of Christ at Christmas. This morning, we continue to light the advent candles as we move towards Christmas and the birth of Christ, Holy God made flesh. Hope Often times, when the whole world seems to be against us, hope can appear to be really dim. It is at these times that we often feel helpless and depressed. Yet, we forget that even IF the whole world is against us (which often isn’t the case), God is still there for us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us, and will always be there for us no matter how bad we may have messed up.   We always have God given hope. Ephesians 4:4   NLT For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to