Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  1 John 3:17  NLT   If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? It has been 9 months.  Hurricane Helene hit with devastation, and one of the places it did the most damage was in the western part of North Carolina. Early this week I was part of the Men on a Mission annual trip to serve others.  This is a great group of men from several different states that gathers the week of Memorial Day to build or rebuild churches.  Some times it is to rebuild homes or other buildings. These men are so awesome, and it is an honor to serve with these great guys who encourage me big time.  8 men from our church are a part.  We worked with skilled workers with so much talent.  I am proud to be part of this, but it really is a time to see needs and do what we can to serve others. The area we worked is Chimney Rock, North Carolina which is next to Lake Lure, the pla...

  Who are they?  I mean who are the people that make your life and work more meaningful.  I finish out this week with telling you about a few people that make my life better.   This isn’t about pointing out specific people, but I am pointing out the places and tasks where specific people fill.  Things would not work as good as they do without these people. The Servant. Romans 12:7  NLT   If your gift is serving others, serve them well… There are so many of these people in my life.  From the ladies that spend time at church several days a week, to the people who fix meals and serve others, to those who donate items and others.  We all can serve others.  And we should. The Friend. Proverbs 27:17  NLT   As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. I have a few of these, but there are a couple that have dug in.  They show up often and make life better and me stronger.  We all need friends and need to be a friend....

  Sometimes you have to move to the simple.  We make things complicated, difficult or even chaotic.  That is not because we want to, but because life can often just get hard. We continue our Wednesday study in the Gospel of John, and last evening we studied only 4 verses.  Typically it is a lot more than that. The basic or the simple might be the place we need to run to more often.  We need to shut down all the lights, the sounds and the extra stuff so we can focus what is at the foundation of it all. Let me explain. John 3:16-17  NLT   “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. Those verses, especially verse 16, is most likely the first first many people memorized or even ever heard from the Bible.  It packs the entirety of what God has done for us i...

  Just some simple thoughts today on victory.  This is one of those subjects that God tells us some things about that is very important.  Hold on to what God says! Proverbs 21:31  NLT   The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. That promise says that we can prepare for victory, and we should.  But it is God’s way and dealing that leads us to the actual victory.   There is something about a team or person that is preparing for victory or battle or an important game.  There is intention and desire.  There is hard work and a journey ahead.  1 Corinthians 15:57  NLT   But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not only spiritual victory but victory in so many other areas when we see how God created us.  Let what Jesus did for you go far past just our salvation. Romans 8:37  NLT   No, despite all these things, overwhelming victor...

  There is a problem when we stop listening.  Some people can’t hear as they may have a health problem keeping them from being able to hear everything or maybe just certain sounds.   My sweet wife tells me that I have “selective hearing” where I hear only what I want to hear.  That is also a problem.  I should to be listening all the time, but we often teach ourselves who and what to listen to.   Think about listening to God.  If we are honest, many of us have at some point stopped listening to God.  He speaks all the time and for our good.  Yet in the middle of sin or stress and struggle we have stopped listening.    Listen up.  God is always speaking.  Hearing what God says will change us and our situations.  Listen in as we can trust what God says.  His plan for us is perfect.   Acts 3:22  NLT Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.  Lis...

  There are many things that are important to remember as a Christian.  One of of those things is to know that you are a child of God.  And because of that being true there are many untrue things that will hinder our lives. 2 Timothy 1:7,9  NLT   For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline… For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. Fear has got to be replaced with power.  This power is not to dominate others but to give you and me an understanding of who God is.   He is love.  He guides us in to truth.  He saved us and reminds us that being his is by grace and a gift from God.  It is all because of Jesus. That is why I give you this one simple truth as we begin a new week.  You are a child of God.  As I shared in the serm...

  We continue our series in the book Romans at our church.  This week we take our second dive in to chapter, but before moving any further forward, I want to remind you of what we talked about last Sunday in the first 11 verses.   This is good stuff.  It is truth that we need to hold on to with all that we believe.  Read the first few verses of this chapter… Romans 8:1-2  NLT   So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Yes, I have already shared this verses earlier in the week, but I cannot get over this truth.  Condemnation has been removed.  It is gone because God did for me what I could not do for myself.  The gift of Jesus took all my issue and struggle and gave me new life. Now, move on to a couple more verses that also are important for us to hold on. Romans 8:5-6  NLT ...

  It is important to know the culture situation of the people around you, but often it is not always easy to understand.  We can often overlook things or even ignore facts that are obvious.   I just returned last week from Cuba, and this truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.  Yet it is the people that are the most beautiful part.  Understanding the setting is much different than where I live is important.   James 1:5  NLT If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.   We need God’s help to understand the things around us and even to understand ourselves.  He knows all because He is the creator as well as the keeper of life and the giver of purpose.  I really want to see people through His eyes.   Cuba is a very different culture from where I live.  It is a country of great poverty and one that works in far different ways than we are used to. ...