Michael Harrison's e-devotion

NOTE: This is the end, last one, final and numero uno of the "Top 10 List of Scripture". These are verses that will change lives.) # 1 on the Top 10 List of Scripture John 3:17 & 1 John 3:16 (nlt) God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him…We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. THE END ... finally after two weeks we've come to the bottom of the barrel or the top of the heap. Whichever it may be, this verse (really two verses) are the most important in our countdown to the top verse in Scripture that will change lives. So important, I couldn't narrow it to just one verse. So, I believe that these two verses give us principles to live by, power to share, people to see and care for and real passion to do what God has called us to do. TOP SHELF...Jesus came to give life (look at John 10:10 as well). Some people think that Go...

(NOTE: This is almost the end of the "Top 10 List of Scripture". These are verses that will change lives, ours and others.) # 2 on the Top 10 List of scripture Philippians 2:9-11 (nlt) Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Make the main thing the main thing. It ain't easy, but it is over the top vital. This is one of those "we have to agree here" points that we will fuss and fight about if need be. Why? Because it is all about Jesus. Plain and simple. Jesus is the head of the church and the height of who we are and what we do. It is by Him that we get to heaven (see John 14:6 ) and where our strength and power come from (see Acts 4:10 ). Then, all we do is to be in His name and to His honor (see Ephesians 3:21 )....

# 3 on the Top 10 List of scripture Philippians 4:6-7 (nlt) Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Kneeling beside the bed one day, I began to understand more of the promises that God had given to me. In fact, the verse above is the first Bible promise I received after becoming a pastor. This was new revelation and exciting. I found that God was getting me ready for greater things and allowing me to experience more of Him. That's a huge deal! This is not a formula for a perfect life. These verses don't off the key to the absence of stress and pain. Yet they do open up communication between heaven and earth, between my fear and faith, between sleep and no sleep, between being tense or relaxed...and on the list could go. Worry is a ...

# 4 on the Top 10 List of scripture James 1:2-5 (nlt) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. Trouble. Patience. Wisdom. All things we need and have to deal with. For years I have added James 1:5 to the letters and notes I send to folks via snail mail or e-mail, and I guess you could call that my life verse. Real wisdom comes from God. Everything comes from God, and when we try to do things on our own, we are empty without anything that even looks like joy around us. The first three verses of this TOP 10 entry are ones I memorized as a teenager and have used for now more than 20 years to understand life and God. Trials and trouble ar...

(NOTE: This is week 2 of the " Top 10 List of Scripture " list. Verses that may just your change life or others.) # 5 on the Top 10 List of scripture Ephesians 3:20 (nlt) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. I remember the day that this verse became real to me, and then I back up and watch what God has done throughout my life and see that our God is big and awesome. He is able. You name it. No matter the size, the distance, how hard the task may seem, God is able to take care of it all. Do we really believe that? Far too many Christians have put God in the proverbial box saying he works this way but not that way. He can do anything. Water to wine at a wedding. A dead person living again. Death bed (or death cross) confession and salvation. We have to know that God is able. When we believe that and live that, our lives will take on new freedom and creativity. Think ...

# 6 on the Top 10 List of scripture Jeremiah 29:11 (nlt) "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord . "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Lets go on a trip. In just a few weeks, my family and some friends will enjoy some peaceful time on the beach. The wind blowing off the ocean...the gentle noise of the waves coming in...plenty of sun...and more. Just thinking about that trip gets us excited and keeps us pressing on toward it. This is an annual thing we love. Memories for the family and time together are important. This verse is a memory like that one. Yet, this one comes straight from God. He set it in motion. He carries is out. I am not in control and really have little to do with it. All I am in for is believing God. It's that simple. The trip we are on together is a journey of faith, if we let it be. Some people have chosen a crash pace and road of stress, pain, heartache and worries. Tha...

(NOTE: This is part of the "Top 10 List of Scripture" list. Verses that will change lives, ours and others.) # 7 on the Top 10 List of scripture 1 Thessalonians 3:8 (nlt) It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. I meet some pretty cool people every day. A guy walked in my office this morning, and as we were talking and looking at pictures from his recent bear hunting trip, we talked about making disciples. What is it? How does it work? Why do it? All good questions. In fact, as we talked more, we agreed that God has called Christians to reproduce ourselves spiritually by leading people to walk with Jesus. We are to do this with our kids, our friends and with other people we meet. This guy is the guru of outdoors man and even has his own TV program in that genre. This southern, Christian gentleman loves Jesus and loves everything about being outside. He asked me about my outdoor interest, and I told him of running marathons and shooting big ...

(NOTE: This E-Devotion is the continutation of the "Top 10 List of Scripture" list, verses Christians should know, share and hold on to with everything we are. Verses that will change lives, ours and others.) # 8 on the Top 10 List of scripture Psalm 139:17-18 (nlt) How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! That makes you stop and think. God is thinking about us! You and me. He cannot get enough of us. His love....it's real and endless. His gift to us...it's real and endless. Then, His thoughts...they are real and endless, too. In another Psalm David asks where he can get away from God. He talks about the deepest part of the ocean and the highest peak of a mountain, and in every one of those places, David admits that God is there. See Psalms 139:7-8 . Paul said at the end of Romans 8 that nothing can move us away from ...

(NOTE: In the two weeks I will share with you a "Top 10 List of Scripture". These are NOT my top 10 favorites but are 10 verses Christians should know, share and hold on to with everything we are. They will change lives, ours and others.) # 9 on the Top 10 List of scripture John 1:14 (nlt) --- So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son. God with us. Emmanuel or Immanuel. However you spell it, it still means, "God with us." If you go back to the first part of that chapter, you will see that God's design for the world and for us includes His word and His son. He never intended for us to be by ourselves, alone. God walked and talked with Adam in the Garden of Eve. God got Moses' attention at the burning bush. God stopped Abraham with an awesome promise. God shattered Paul's plans to kill more Christians on a road....

Years ago I shared an idea with a gentleman that has been a big hit. You know the guy, David Letterman , and the idea was his Top 10 List that has taken the nation by storm the last few years...Just kidding. It was not my idea, but I am not too good that I wouldn't steal the idea myself. So, here we go. In the next 10 days I will share with you a " Top 10 List of Scripture ". These are NOT my top 10 favorites, but what I do think is that these are 10 verses we, Christians, should know, share and hold on to with everything we are. They will change lives, ours and others. They will give us the truth of God and get us on the right track when we jump tracks. # 10 on the Top 10 List of scripture Hebrews 1:3 (nlt) The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven...