Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  An original is worth more than a duplicate or a substitute.   Take for example a painting by a famous a famous artist.  Today there are countless ways for the original to be copied.  Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between the two. Another example is a book.  The first and rare edition is worth more than a much later edition of the very same book. There are many examples we can point toward, but the best is our Savior. For two centuries people have been coming up to some kind of substitute, hundreds if not thousands of them. But Jesus is the original.  He is the sent one and sent for our good, our salvation.  No one can take His place for several reasons. Acts 4:12  NLT There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” 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. John 17:3  NLT And this is the way...

  Following God is one of the most incredible things in the world.  It is an experience like few others that leaves you changed, in awe and even looking at what might be next. One example of the presence of God and following Him is how Moses followed and led God’s people.  Read the next few verses and see that example.  Also notice what God might bring out in your mind. Exodus 40:34-38  NLT Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 35 Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 36 Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37 But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. 38 The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of...

Take a few minutes to look at a word.  You can choose any word that would like, but I choose the word “worthy”.  That is because of what it means. Something that has worth is important.  It has value.  It might have worth based on what it is or based upon what others think about it. Take some time to visit this word with me. Psalm 18:3  NLT I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. First, our God is worthy.  He is more valuable than anything else. Proverbs 12:4  NLT A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones. Second, a great wife, or spouse, is a gift, a valuable gift, to us. Matthew 10:11  NLT “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. Third, finding someone who serves you or serves with you is of huge value is worthy. Ephesians 4:1  NLT Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg yo...

Sunday I challenged our church family to raise their expectations and the expectations of others.  That is not an easy task but much needed so we can be stronger and help others see their value. Too often nominal Christianity has become the normal.  God has called us to lead more, to love stronger and to live distinctively different lives before a watching world.  Yet how is that possible if … we live in fear, live unforgiven or unrepentant, live disconnected or live without purpose? We are called by God.  First to salvation and then to live for Him.  Get this and don’t miss it.  God called us to Himself and then God called us to live with Him and for Him to impact a world in desperate need of Him.  Does that make sense?  If it does, we have to be GETTING HONEST. GETTING HONEST is not one of the easiest things we do, but it is something we so need.  In fact our church is built on seven core values.  They are: Community, Relevance, Accept...

  Being bold is something that happens when you are settled and confident.  It is not something that is gifted to those who have it all together.  Boldness is an attribute of a person who has understanding and holds tight to it.  Be confident in who you are and in what God has done for you.   Proverbs 28:1  HCSB The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.   The bold stand firm when everyone else is running away.  The bold think of others rather than just about themselves.  People who are bold make a statement about living with passion rather than living with fear.   Jesus loved people that others didn’t want to love or who didn’t think they deserved love.   Real love is unconditional, not lost with time or age.  Real love is based on facts, not on feelings.  That is why this passage, the love chapter becomes so real for those who know God an...

Let’s end the weak on a strong note.  What I mean is there are times we need reminders.  That would be like yesterday’s devotion about seeking God.  Today we take it a step further and talk about what we trust in. Trusting in ourselves will mess us up. Trusting in others will often leave us missing things. Trusting in stuff won’t get us far enough. So plainly put, trusting anything other than God is just wrong. What happens when we choose to trust God?  What happens is our faith is strengthened.  What happens in our lives are beginning to take shape.  What happens is our future is set.  What happens is God begins, or more likely, continues to work in ways he alone can. Proverbs 3:5-6  NASB Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He will make your paths straight. Trusting God alone gives us guidance that we desperately need. Trust in ourselves leaves us wanted and ...

  Seeking nothing has become common place.  It is one of those things that people just do.   Get up.  Do your thing.  Go home.  Then do it all again.  That is a sad existence. That is why seeking the right thing is always right and so very much needed.  Seek your purpose.  Seek to serve others which will help you find your purpose.  Seek to live a life that matters and that makes a difference. That is why we have to seek. Isaiah 55:6  NASB Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Matthew 6:33  NASB But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. 1 Chronicles 16:11  NASB Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually. Seek God. Seek the Kingdom of God. Seek the strength only God gives. Life is hard.  What we seek matters.  Self or savior?  Pride or humility?  Surviving or thriving?  Getting by or living with purpo...

There is power in prayer.  We know that or at least we have shared that understanding.  I believe it is time for those of us who follow Christ to reconsider our commitments to prayer. Prayer connects us to God. Situations in life allow us to connect others to God through prayer. What we believe about God determines the power of our prayers. How we respond to situations is impacted by our commitment to pray. Ephesians 3:14-19  NLT When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the lov...

  Hey!  Let’s go in a little different direction for this day’s devotion.  There are lots of things that catch our attention.  Some of them stick with us for years. But how do these impact our lives, our thinking and even our relationships?  Here are a few that have stuck with me.  Read and see how many you remember or how they might have stuck with you. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney “Life Moves Pretty Fast. If You Don’t Stop And Look Around Once In A While, You Could Miss It.” - from the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." - Babe Ruth "The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well." - John D. Rockefeller Jr. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot ...

  Yesterday I began a new series at The Community Fellowship called “Getting Honest”, and we talked about believing lies or the truth.  We must understand that who we follow dictates the character in us and in who we follow. Understand that the premise of lies or the foundation of lies is from the enemy.  It is his character to lie and to pervert our lives. John 8:44  NASB You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. He is the father of lies and is the original liar.  He is opposed to the truth.  Now truth to Jesus. John 14:6  NASB Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. He is truth.  He is life.  His character is the opposite of lies and...

There are many things in a name, but our culture and time cherish names less than ever.  I believe it is important to understand the power of the name of Jesus. One worship song stands out for me when it comes to His name.  These words are powerful and true.   What a Beautiful Name By Hillsong What a wonderful Name it is What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a wonderful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus Death could not hold You The veil tore before You You silenced the boast of sin and grave The heavens are roaring The praise of Your glory For You are raised to life again You have no rival You have no equal Now and forever, God You reign Yours is the kingdom Yours is the glory Yours is the Name above all names… The lyrics of this song stick out to me because they point to who our savior is and the power He holds.  It is strong and true, God given and humanity changing, mind altering and heart...

Romans 12:10  NLT Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. There are many people who have made a difference in my life through the last 50 years.  Some were teachers.  Some were pastors.  Some were neighbors.  Some were family.  Some just happened to come across my path. As the verse I began with says we should delight in honoring others.  I choose to honor people who have made a difference in my life. Yesterday I heard a respected share about his ministry, the church he planted and how God worked mightily through the church.  It hit me that one of the pastors at the church was present when I realized I was called to ministry.  I haven’t talked to that pastoring 35 years.   It was amazing to share with this pastor and to reconnect with the other pastor.  I was able to say “thank you” and share how his words, work and encouragement has shaped my life for three and a half decades. We should hono...

Time well spent… That is a phrase I have heard many times.  It speaks to the things that mean a lot to us or become memories that stick with us for a long time. There are many things that come to mind that have been “time well spent”, and most of those include people that are very important to me.  Some of them are moments where God showed up in my life, both in places with lots of people and some when I was alone. It is important that we cherish important moments.  Take them in.  Write about them.  Don’t lose the important times.  Don’t stop making more of those times. Philippians 2:14-18  NLT Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was no...

Romans 16:25  NLT Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. That is one of those verses that you can tell comes at the end.  It is kind of like a signature or something that gives a great closing.  But don’t miss the punch. The explosion of dynamite leaves something behind.  It is destruction or what was meant to be hit and changed by it.  Maybe that is what God is doing when He brings truth and reality to our lives. Maybe it was a song. Maybe it was a Bible verse. Maybe it was a text message or a card that came in the mail. There were used to make you stop and think or support something that might be in need of reinforcing.  It might even be the answer to the question that has left you second guessing for some time. The verse above does those things.  It does more.  May we learn from the fac...

  Because of Jesus we have…. Galatians 2:20  NASB I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me Let’s shout.  I am changed.  I am different.  I am forgiven.  I am new because of Jesus.  Now, how about you?  Are you new? Grace makes all the difference.  There are many topics in the Bible that we don't even get close to examining in all it’s glory.  The GRACE of God is magnanimous to say the least, and this Grace makes a difference as the one thing that we need, the one thing we can reply on, the one thing we can share and give away. What is so amazing about grace? As we get closer to God the sweeter and more complex His grace gets.  The further we are from God the more confusing His grace gets, and it even gets a little clouded.  Or in churchy terms it is veiled where ...

I like to make people smile.  No, not because I am funny looking or tell great jokes (one of those is true).  But I like to give people a reason to smile and enjoy life. But how do you know if someone is smiling when they are wearing a mask? This is not a political statement or an indictment during the pandemic about mask wearing.  I just miss seeing people’s faces, smiles and the like.  You know what I mean?  Life just has gotten difficult. Read people.  Look at their eyes and the outline of their face.  You can most of the time tell when they are smiling or not.  Yet the big deal is not showing a little teeth or the edges of your mouth turning upward.  The big deal is joy.   Enjoy life.  Look at the bright side.  Smell the roses.  Just remember there are thorns and storms and struggles all around.  There are still plenty of reasons to smile even when things around us are tough. Proverbs 16:15  NLT When the king...

Soak it in as much as you can.  God is speaking, guiding us and filling our lives with what lasts. That is why I challenge you to take another look at Scripture.  Some of the things that we learn will change our lives.  These are not things that make up a check list.  These are realities of a person that lives by faith, connected to God and looking for where God is working. Before us is a passage of Scripture that grabs my heart.  It has depths of truth that I need on a daily basis.  It sounds awesome.  Get past the sound.  It is good, and this is from the God who loves us. Read.  Take it all in. Psalm 34:1-10  NLT I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak his praises. 2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. 3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. 4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears. 5...