Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Claim promises that the Bible gives us about our great and gracious God.  There are so many promises in the Bible, but here are a few that remind me of faith, the strength of our God and how we can stay strong as a follower of Jesus. Read on.  Take note of what is important to you…   Psalm 27:1 NASB The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?   How do you deal with fear? Daniel 10:19 NASB He said, “O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”   Be strong because of real strength. Acts 3:19 NASB Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of ...

  God is everywhere and at all times.  That is really hard to understand.  It is even hard for us to remember.   That is a problem of our faith when we don’t recognize and enjoy the presence of God.   The enemy tells us we are alone.  Even deeper in trouble when we live without help and hopeless, yet that could not be further from the truth that God gives us.   The people of God were set to inherit the Promised Land, but they struggled to understand the presence of God.  They needed to know that God was with them.  Often they acted like God was no where around.   The presence of God saves us from heartache and gives us direction for every day and every situation.  To believe what God says, to practice His presence daily, helps our days turn out much different.  Realize God is with us today just like He was in the past.     John 14:16-28  NASB I will ask the Father, an...

  This Sunday is one of those dates that stands our.  It is 3:16.  That is March 16th.  It reminds us of that verse guys at the ballgame that paint it on their chest.  This verse is on bulletin boards and other places.  The verse is John 3:16. I will be preaching this Sunday from Romans 6 based on the truth that God gave us in John 3:16.  His love is amazing.  His promise is for all who come to know Him. Let’s take a small trip through the Bible.  Call it a 3:16 journey. Proverbs 3:16  NLT   She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She is not a person.  Maybe this is the fountain from which wisdom comes from or the place where God gives us His gifts. Daniel 3:16  NLT   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.  Those men where challenged and expected to bow down to the king, yet they would not turn from God....

  There is the problem that hits our faith when we don’t understand the presence of God.  The enemy tells us we are alone, and we are way off of our journey with God, without help and helpless.  Yet that could not be further from the truth that God gives us.   There is a reason for everything.  The reason for the wilderness was the Promised Land.  The people of God were set to inherit the greatest piece of land on the earth.  They needed to know that God was with them and for them.  Often they acted like God was no where around.   The presence of God is the most powerful truth a believe can hold.  His presence will save us from heartache.  To believe what God says and to practice His presence will help our lives turn out much different.    God is with us today like He was in the past.  The Holy Spirit has arrived and is involved in our lives.   We have the Spirit of God, the presence...

  John 10:10-11  NLT   The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.  We began a new series at The Community Fellowship Sunday about sheep and shepherds.  My prayer is that over the next several weeks is that we will learn how we have a great shepherd as well as how we can help shepherd others. The verse I shared above is a double punch.  Well, may be it should be called something else.  That first part is our verse at church, but that verse is tied to one of the greatest promises God has given us.  Listen up and apply this truth to what very well might change you or others. Our enemy is hard at work to destroy God’s work in our lives, and if the enemy cannot destroy God’s work, he will do all he can to distract us.  Distracted sheep is something we deal with all the time.  His way is to ste...

  This week we are looking at prophecies and promises from the Old Testament of the coming Messiah.  Today I share with you my favorite and maybe the most common or most well known.  It is ripe with meaning and pointing to what Jesus did for us. It also gives us a great picture of Jesus’ place from the Father.  Read on and note the things about Jesus that stand out to you. Isaiah 52:13-15  NLT   See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw him.   His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. 15 And he will startle many nations.  Kings will stand speechless in his presence.  For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about. Keep reading. Isaiah 53:1-12  NLT   Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew u...

  We finish out the week as we have been talking about the fact that struggles are real with some insight on how to get through struggles.  Struggles are real, and each of us have faced them. Deuteronomy 20:4  NLT   For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’ Did you get that?  Victory belongs to God.  He will fight for us and promises to be with us no matter what. 2 Corinthians 10:5  NLT   We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. That is one of my favorite verses about dealing with things that are out of my control.  It reminds me that the person of God holds the truth about my life and sees me through whatever might comes my way.  I do not have to let my mind run wild through the things that seem to tear away my hope and confidence.  What God says is true.  Hold...