Michael Harrison's e-devotion

This will be the last devotion I share until the week of July 8th as I will be on a mission trip in Cuba.  Please pray for this team and the impact we pray for as we serve with some Fellowship of Christian Athlete leaders. The last several weeks has been full of mission opportunities and trips.   Several weeks about Kasim, Larry and myself were part of the Men on a Mission team working on a church in North Carolina.  That trip went well, but it didn’t go as expected due to some issues with building codes.  God still worked much. Last week we hosted at our new campus a mission team from 8 churches from the Spartanburg, South Carolina area.  This was their second trip to our area, and it was a blessing.  They accomplished more than we thought possible.  It all hit even more on the last night of the trip when there were 7 baptisms at a block party.  We are praying for even more impact and grateful for what God has done. This week I will be in Cuba with a group from our

Romans 15:32  NLT Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an   encouragement to each   other. This has been a great week.  We have a mission team in town that is their second trip.  Some of them have been here several times.  What a blessing! In this short and to the point devotion I want to share how encouraging it is to be able to share our heart and work with others.  It is great to build relationships with like-minded people. First, these people love Jesus.  Their purpose for being in town and being part of church is to share their faith with others and to serve. Second, I love to hear the stories people share.  This week has several take a ways from conversations.  Pastor friends shared about life and ministry.  One has vast experience with apartment complexes, and our talks have been awesome.  Others simple been insightful and encouraging.   Third and finally, to see the work these folks have accomplish

Psalm 17:1  NLT O   Lord , hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for   help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it   comes   from honest lips. We all have something in common.  Whether we are rich are poor we will come to the place where we will need help. Some people have a huge support system or people who are part of their lives.  Others have a very small group of people they are connected to.  Again, the same thing is true about these people.  We will come to a time we need help. Cry out to God. He will help.  This is an inside and outside truth. Psalm 121:2  NLT My   help   comes   from the   Lord , who made heaven and earth! Hold tight to God’s truth.  He is our help.  God will give what is inside of us, the help we need.  The people or resources we need at a certain time also come from God. Recognize the source.  Thank God for it.  Trust God with it. Hebrews 13:6  NLT So we can say with confidence, “The   Lord   is my   helper, so I will have

Take it the bank.  Truth wins out.  It always happens that way … even on mission trips, but we have to learn a bit on the way. In the last several weeks I have learned more about being flexible.  Do you remember this old saying, “blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken”? That is not one of the verses from Matthew 5, but it is truth that we can learn from.    Especially when it comes to following God we need to learn to wait or be patient. Being flexible is a big deal and will change how we deal with life and the situations that life throws our way. Here are some thoughts from today’s reading in Proverbs that add to being flexible and trusting God. Proverbs 18:4  NLT Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. Proverbs 18:10  NLT The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe. Proverbs 18:12  NLT Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor. Proverbs 1

Years ago I remember spending some time with some incredible pastors that I greatly admire.  In the conversations of questions, facts, Scripture and much more there was one thing shared that has stuck with me. One pastor mentioned that he often asks people to pray for him.  That is not out of the ordinary, but what he shared seemed to be from a deep love of God and conviction about living with integrity. He asked that people pray that he would stay “close and clean”.  I like that. The truth about staying close is the reality that we have to enjoy the presence of God and stay there.  Pray that I will do the same.  Pray for yourself.  To enjoy the presence of God is not something we can only do on Sunday.  This is something that will keep us transformed and strong.   The truth about clean is a bit tougher but very needed.  Clean meant that we stay away from the things that stain or even remove our faith.  To pray that we will be clean literally means that we will see