Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Power trip . Maybe I have your attention with the time of this e-devotion, but I am not talking about the power trip that you might be thinking about.  That would be when a person has lots of authority and throws it around. What I am sharing today is a trip.  A trip through a few books of the Bible with some powerful verses that speak to my life.  There you go on a different but cool power trip.  It is a lot of verses.  Just read.  See what sticks out to you.  Here we go. Genesis 15:5  NLT   Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” Exodus 3:2-5  NLT   There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it....

  One of the most powerful people I know is the person who knows who they are because of what God has done in their life.   Power often comes from the person who has the position of authority.  Power can come for the person who has the most treasure or money.  Power can be from the person who has the greatest influence.   Yet the greatest and longest lasting power if truly from the person whose life has been changed by God, and this person is convinced the goodness of God as well as the promises that God gave.   Check this passage out and notice how God connects us to real power. Romans 8:15-18  NASB   For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffe...

  Proverbs 24:5-6  NLT The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.  So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.   It really is that simple. It is not always the strongest people who win the game.  Most often it is the wisest people who are strong in more ways than the physical.   When God gets a hold of our hearts and minds, there is the imparting of wisdom in our lives.  I talked about the book of Proverbs offering a virtual buffet of truth laced with wisdom, and it all comes from God.   Don’t head in to the battle, or for that matter in to any part life at all, without getting advise and loading up on the pure wisdom of God.  He will guide you to new heights and to fresh victories.  With this endless wisdom and Spirit drawn strength we will be able to go places we have never gone before.   What is the battle or...

  Let’s finish strong.  We have been talking about faith, what it means and how it works in our lives.  Hebrews 11 has been the place where we have camped and learned the most. But as the week comes to an end I move through some other verses about faith.  Some of these are common or known.  Some are not.  But each brings us light for the journey.  They strengthen our walk with God which is all based on our faith in Him along. My desire is for our faith to go deeper than ever before and to challenge others to do the same. Proverbs 3:5  NLT   Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Faith is completely in God and not in ourselves. Jeremiah 3:12  NLT   Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says: “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. Faith brings us close to God and His mercy.  Being faithl...

  A few weeks ago we celebrated Easter.  The tomb is empty and the cross was real.  Did it make a difference? My sweet wife had a medical test last week, and it turned out well.  Did it make a difference? A friend sent a gift to be used on my upcoming trip to Cuba and the leadership retreat that I will lead.  Did it make a difference? I was recently reading late one evening, and I noticed that our TV was showing pictures we had saved.  There was a picture I took of my parents before they passed away.  Did it make a difference? In a conversation with a ministry friend a verse came to mind.  We talked about it in detail.  Did it make a difference? After a busy and good weekend at the speedway I was home Monday afternoon when Julie got home from work.  She gave me a big and long hug.  Did it make a difference? During that busy weekend I got a text from a friend out west.  He said he was praying for our team serving at the speedway...

Who do you worship? Who is your rock? That ought to be the same person because the one we worship should bring things in to our lives that only the one with great authority can bring.   Strength.  Peace.  Guidance.  Learning.  Stability.  Insight.  Self-control.  Grace.  Purpose.   That is just a few.  They are real, or at least they are some of the things that the one I worship brings in to my life.  Maybe you have found that to be true as well. With the message I shared Sunday at The Community Fellowship I looked at the word rock in the Bible.  There are several different meanings.  Everything from what is used to stone a person to something that is strong to a person that is revered. Here are some verses that stick out in my mind. 1 Samuel 2:2  NASB There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. Matthew 21:42  NASB Jesus said to them, “Did you ...

  Isaiah 53:6  NASB All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all To fall on Him. Have you found yourself in a place where you are lost, struggling or just without direction?  Yeah.  We have all been there. Several times in Jesus’ story we find Him looking at people through the eyes of God, His eyes, knowing the huge need of people.  He sees their heart and pain.  He knows our need of compassion. It is God that fills that need.  He takes our struggling and turns it in faith.  I so need that.  Bet you do as well. Romans 12:2  NASB And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. To make sure you are walking the right way (see yesterday’s devotion) and to know your heart and mind are strong, live a transformed life.  In you...

  I want to share with you a couple thoughts that have been on my mind a good bit.  They are deep and not very much fun.  Yet these might be enlightening and helpful to most who are seeking God. Doubt leads to deeper faith. Faith is not strong until it has been tested. James 1:2-4  NLT Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. All of us will go through tough times, and those times will help our faith gain strength and we will gain understanding.  Don’t let doubt or testing keep you from going further with Jesus. I heard one preacher say that there are three different kinds of people who doubt… those who doubted in the past, those who doubt in the present and those who are going to doubt....