Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Just over one week away is the back2school outreach.  We will serve over 1,500 students.  Please join me and others in praying for the impact of this outreach.  Today we will also share the school supply items we are still in need of (be watching for that announcement). This week we have been learning to pray based on the Lord’s Prayer.  This special prayer came to Scripture when one of Jesus’ disciples asked for him to teach them how to pray.  This prayer guides us how we pray as well reminds us of the importance of prayer. Matthew 6:9-13  NASB   “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Focus on verse 12 today.  One of the biggest issues in life a...

It is Friday of Holy where we find ourselves in the capital of world, or at least at Jesus’ time.  Jerusalem was buzzing with people watching the happenings.  Some called this Good Friday, but it seems anything but good. Just five days before coming in to town on a donkey was Jesus, the prince of peace and the king of kings.  Yet Jesus was the one who shook up the religious and political leaders.  They had already been searching for ways to remove Him. Here is their chance.  The scene was set for what God set up and planned for our abundance, for the salvation of the world.  Listen for a few minutes to the final moments of Jesus’ death. Matthew 27:35-56  NLT   After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38...

  I continue to be serving in Cuba with the FCA team.  Tomorrow, Thursday, May 12th I will be headed home.  I am grateful for all God has done on this trip.  Please pray for my travels and the FCA team here in Cuba.   Last Sunday I shared a message with our church from Psalm 130.  I would like to ask you to do a few things with this chapter. Read Psalm 130 and use it as some what of a prayer guide.  Declare the truth you read in it through your prayer. Note the things that God teaches you in these few verses.  They continue to encourage me. Here is the passage.  After I will give you a couple application points that I am working on… Psalm 130 NLT   From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. 2  Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. 3  Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4  But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. 5  I am counting on the L...

We continue our series based upon hymns of the faith, and yesterday we sang and shared from “Amazing Grace”.  Full on, totally honest, many agree that when we get a good glimpse of God’s grace we are more and more touched, excited and overwhelmed by how God gives us this incredible gift. Grace is a gift.  Grace is what God does to forgive our sin and bring us close to and in right standing with God.  No one but God could do this. Micah 7:18  NASB Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He wants to have mercy on us.  His desire and longing since the beginning of time has been to bring His people closer to Him, but the problem of sin keeps people away from God.  That is why there is such a need for grace, amazing grace. What does real grace look like, how does it act, what does it mean?  Powerful questions wrapped u...

  It is Easter week.  Many call it holy week as we find ourselves in the middle of the most important week of Jesus’ life. You know, it really is the most important week of our lives, Spiritually speaking.  How do we see God through the paradigm of Easter?  Is it possible to follow Christ without understanding or believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? We find ourselves in the middle of the week, Wednesday to be exact.  Most likely this day was one of rest and preparation for Jesus and those closest to Him.  He has been praised.  He knows what is coming.  His death is only a few days away. Sitting on His shoulders and firmly planted in the heart of Jesus is the purpose God gave His one and only son.  There is more to the story than the words He taught with.  There is more to the story than the need of humanity for forgiveness and life. We began the week as the Christ, celebrated and revered.  We will end the week w...

  Our church family went last night to see the movie “My Brother’s Crossing”.  It was an incredible event and also great to have many of our people in the same room and being so blessed. You’ve got to see this movie.  It is playing in two places in our town.  Also playing in Roanoke and Westlake.  Have heard it is playing in about 100 places around the nation including Texas, South Carolina, Illinois and many more.  Look for it at your local theater, and if it is not there, ask for it.  Learn more by going to https://mybrotherscrossing.org .  You can also go to the IMDB website. We first learned of this story when we met JT Clark.  I shared much of this last week in devotions.  He has not shared at our church several times.  The message of forgiveness and love is one that never gets old. Why is that?  It is because we all need forgiveness and love.  We have the opportunity to get it from God, and God calls each of us to sh...

  Today is the release of the movie “My Brother’s Crossing” that I have been speaking about, and I want to point you back to the first time I shared about it and JT Clark.   It is a story of forgiveness and being the walking and living Jesus before those who need Him.  Get the book and read it.  “In the Blink of an Eye” by JT and Terri Lee Clark.  See the movie playing in many places.  “My Brother’s Crossing” will impact many lives.  And do notice that there a couple scenes where people in our community are a part, including myself.  What a humbling and sweet experience. Below is the post I shared in October 2015.  God is using this story, and it is only getting bigger.  This really is God’s story.  Pray for those who hear it!  Read on… Ephesians 4:32   NLT Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Earlier this week there was a story in our local news...

Welcome to another edition of the e-devotion, and this day I ask that you spend some time with mewling through five verses from Mark 4.  Powerful verses.  Some of this has to sink in but may take a while. Read through this passage.  Maybe grab your Bible and highlight what stands our to you.  It might be more than eye opening. Mark 4:21-25  NLT Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. 22 For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. 23 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” 24 Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. 25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are n...

Ephesians 4:32  NLT Instead, be   kind   to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving   one   another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. This is not a political post but my heart and thoughts about the shootings this past weekend and beyond. Hatred is rampant in the world and in our lives.  We see examples of it all around via the news and even in personal relationships.  Honestly, it saddens me a great deal. It is always right to love people.  It is always wring to hate people.  Jesus showed us this truth by the way He dealt with people while He was hanging on the cross.  His words evoked the best and even the forgiveness epitomizes unconditional love. The violence of killing people and hate crimes and all that is seen around it is senseless.  I don’t believe this is a gun problem.  I totally believe it is a heart problem.  We need to understand love...

I began reading my friend JT Clark’s new book last night.  It is an amazing biography and story of forgiveness and a life well lived.  Since first meeting JT and learning about the journey God has Him on I have been leaning in to listen and to watch what God does through JT, his wife Terri Lee and now their ministry “My Brother’s Crossing”. Boiling down to the heart of the story is the need for forgiveness.  Some of us have a hard time giving forgiveness and often receiving forgiveness. If we following what God says, we will understand just how much we are forgiven.  If we do what God leads us to do, we will forgive even when forgiveness isn’t understandable. Colossians 3:13  NLT Make allowance for each other’s faults, and   forgive   anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must   forgive others. Ephesians 4:32  NLT Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted,...