Michael Harrison's e-devotion

One of the most respected and feared men in Biblical history is the Apostle Paul.   Before he met Jesus on the road to Emmaus his name was Saul, and his passion was to stop the spread of the people of “the way” (that is what the followers of Jesus were called).   He thought the best way to stop them was to kill them. If the history books are correct, Paul was the one holding Stephen’s coat when he was stoned to death for telling people about Jesus.   Yet when things changed for Paul, they really changed. The apostles even had a hard time accepted Paul when they were asked to spend time with him.   They protested and asked if this was the dude who was killing their friends for following Christ.   The answer was yes, but something had happened in Paul’s life.   He was a changed man that was given a second chance from God. In fact the majority of the Bible’s New Testament is attributed to Paul as it’s author.   His passion was changed from...

The most powerful thing for the follower of Jesus is simply Jesus.   Him in our lives changes how we thing about ourselves and how we deal with others.   Turn that around and understand why we often treat others so poorly.   If we don’t believe and apply what God says about us, we will believe wrong things about the people we are around. Below is a passage of Scripture that speaks directly to how we judge or how we accept others.   Read slowly through these verses and note the ways we are to treat the people we come in contact with. Matthew 7:1-12   NLT Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.   2  For you will be treated as you treat others.   The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.   3  “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?   4  How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,...

Several years ago I was introduced the works of Richard J. Foster . His best known book is likely The Celebration of Discipline that I had to read in seminary. The best way to describe Foster, from my point of view, is that he presses the Christian into simply living focused on God. Tough reading. Challenging thoughts, but always something to chew on that leads me into a more intimate walk with God and desire for God. Here is part of Foster's "Perspective" newsletter from October 2005 called Growing Edges. Be blessed as you read... Jesus: The Word Made Flesh But there is more. Not only is there the Word of God written (Scripture) and the Word of God living (the debar Yahweh) there is also the Word of God incarnate, Jesus Christ. This is of enormous importance for our day. People need a living Savior that speaks life into us here and now. John, in his Gospel, makes a conscious parallel to the creation narrative of Genesis when he declares, "In the beginning was ...