Michael Harrison's e-devotion

A friend asked for prayer.  As he shared his request, the other friend began to pray. When he concluded the prayer concluded, he humbly stated, “Please stay on the wall.” He understood the effectiveness of the Christian who tirelessly commits himself to sharing the Gospel of Christ. In that same token, he knew all too well the intense desire of the enemy to deter the Christian from staying on the wall through various means (e.g. discouragement, weariness, etc.). He knew that for people to be reached, including himself, Christians must stay on the wall, instead of climbing down and walking away from a God-called mission. Nehemiah was the man, and the people of Jerusalem needed the wall and city rebuilt.  God called Nehemiah to do just that. Years prior, an urgent need touched the heart of Nehemiah. God used the hardship to move Nehemiah not only to pray, but to action as well. Nehemiah 1:1-4  NLT  “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in...

  The title of our current series is reBuilding and a walk through the book of Nehemiah, and I would like to remind us of who we are and who our God is.  Nehemiah shows up to rebuild Jerusalem the city.  Not just the walls and gates but the people and the population.  He rebuilds its infrastructure as everything lays in ruins, yet God has a plan. When we think it is all over, God still has a plan.  When our lives or our families have ended up in devastation, God still has a plan.  When we see people hurting and no possibility for the future, God still has a plan, and that plan includes you and me. In the middle of our struggle or the storm where do we find God?  The truth is, God has found us.  He finds us all the time.  He never has given up on His people.  Jerusalem is yet another example of God’s unending, enduring and excellent love that we have so much to learn from.   In the middle of the story (several chapters of Nehemiah) w...

  I am really enjoying the study of Nehemiah in our series called “reBuilding” as yesterday we talked about the time to work on the wall and deal with the people who were against them. Let’s start the week with the understanding of what is our responsibility.  If we lived in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah, what would be required of us?  It is pretty simple First is to answer the question of what is in front of you?  Take a hard look at what you look at what is in and be honest about what you you find.  It is easier to focus somewhere else or someone else.  It is easier to see their problems and mistakes rather than dealing with our own.  It is tough to deal with your own issue or problems.   Second our work is to encourage the people around us.  Who is next to you or who is your neighbor?  You should know them and note your relationship with them all the while knowing that you are to be an example and encouragement to each person arou...

I am currently preaching through the book of Nehemiah and a series titled “reBuilding”.  We are talking about how Nehemiah led the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the city in recored time, and we are spending some time talking about how we must rebuild due to the trauma and trouble that Covid has brought our way. Last Sunday was from Nehemiah chapter 2 about his love for God and the people as he walked out his compassion and God’s call on his life.  Nehemiah was an incredible guy. One of the reasons that he was a blessing and incredible and able to do what he did was a simple thing.  Watch or listen to these two verses that call out that reason. Nehemiah 2:8  NLT And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on ...

Standing on an elevated platform 400 feet in length with a metal roof overhead I took in what I saw, what I heard and what was deep in my mind and heart.  I stood there for what seemed like hours, but it was really a small bit of time. I moved to the opposite side of the property.  This time standing on a brick and mortar platform I gazed across a couple parking areas and a large field.  The sites and sounds seemed to be far out in the country, yet those sounds gave way to a big truck gearing down on a near by road or an ambulance with sirens blaring heading off to help someone in need. In both places I remember the prayers and dreams of others.  I remember the pain of the people who have crossed my path over the last few years.  They all resonate in my heart. In either location it became evident to me that what God had in store for our church and the people I work with is bigger and stronger than anything we’ve seen to this point.  ...