Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Do not be afraid, for the Lord our God will be with you! I am praying that whatever may come your way, you would know… and feel the height and depth and width and never ending love of God! May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you!  May the Lord place His presence upon you and give you peace! … Those three things are on a card that sits on my desk, right in front of my computer.  I received this card at the Raceway Ministries conference this past January, and it has been a reminder of so much.  I am grateful.   God intends and plans things in our lives.  He actually plans the things of our lives, and it is good for us to trust God.  That is why I need, and you need, reminders like this card so often. Earlier this week I was reading my daily Scripture and came across the prayer that is on the card.  It reminded me of His presence, His goodness and so much more.  May we lean...

  Christmas Fear Yes.  You read that right.  It is not about Christmas cheer but fear.  Too many people have lots of this. Fears comes in the times where we are out of control, are unsure of some things or maybe even fear people.  It could be a million things that we fear. What fear does is magnify where we have not let faith and trust in God fully take our hearts and lives.  No, christians will never fear, but we should fear less.  Why is that? 2 Timothy 1:7  NLT   For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.   Isaiah 41:10  NLT   Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. There are a couple things that God has gifted us with.  No, they are not Christmas gifts, but they are gifts that the best Christmas gift has given us.  Jesus r...

  Do ever feel alone or struggle with anxiety?  Have you battled or dealt with depression?    How do you deal with times like that?  Turn to God.  Don’t stop listening to Him.  Connect to what matters and what fulls your heart and your soul.  Stay close to the people that feed you with encouragement and courage.   Here are some verses that share His greatness, connectedness and strength.  They come with promises from God.   Psalm 56:3  NLT But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.   Psalm 62:6  NLT He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.   Proverbs 3:24  NLT You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.   Isaiah 58:11  NLT The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.   2 Timothy 1:7  NLT For God ha...

  God is up to so many things around us.  Are you seeing Him work?  Keep watching and listening.  His plan really is amazing. We have a mission team in town working with us.  Please pray for this team, our new campus, back2school and all the impact this team will have. I continue sharing in this week’s e-devotion from Psalm 23.  We have talked about God being our shepherd and pursuing us with His incredible love.  Further, we talked about how God guides and leads us.  Today’s verse is one that we hear often, especially in the darkest of times.  The hard fact of death brings us a reminder that God has a plan, God is with us and our need is for Him one and over.  That is why we need the reminder that verse 4 gives us whether it is here are when the dark day comes our way. Psalm 23:4  NLT   Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and com...

  Fear has all kinds of things that the word and concept brings to mind, but I want to turn our thoughts to the bookends, the polar opposites if you will.  Most people say there is an unhealthy and healthy kind of fear.  I agree. But today I remind you that God tells us to conquer our unhealthy fear and feed our healthy fear.  Here are a couple thoughts on that… 1 John 4:18  NLT  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. Proverbs 1:7  NLT   Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. The first fear keeps us from leaving home or trying new things or from even seeing anything positive.  The second fear helps us see God for who He is and to grasp life as an adventure and gift from God. Kick out the first fear.  Kick in and hold on to the second fear. Fear of...

This is not a halloween post.  Well, maybe.  No, it is not.  But take it as God leads. 2 Timothy 1:7  NLT   For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So many of life’s issues keep us from being clear minded and confidence.  Why do we allow people, things and situations to cloud what we know about God?  It is true, but that should not be the case. What scares you? Fear has no place in the life of the person who follows Jesus.  Jesus is with us.  Jesus is our God, guide and guard.  He gives us wisdom and the possibility of abundant life. Did you get that?  Abundant life is a possibility, yet we allow the things of life to get in the way of having what God promises us.  From His is strength and life and the ability to live well and in abundance.  Don’t miss those things. Halloween often resembles the things of the devil and this world.  But have you ever tried to str...

  In keeping with our last conversation of praying the Psalms, I share this… Psalms 8:1-2  NLT   O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!  Your glory is higher than the heavens. 2  You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. Do you ever get just a little choked up when you see God do something? Do you ever just think WOW when you see something God created? Tell Him.  Let God know what you think, how you feel, where your mind is, and that you are in awe of Him.  Those “awe moments” are the ones that print a memory in our minds and even on our hearts.  Cherish those moments almost like a picture taken that you keep going back to for years. God is able.  God is good.  God is creator and keeper of all.  God is love, and we expect Him to respond in love, to give because of His love and to care for those we care about because of His goodness. That is a lot abo...