Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Welcome to Valentine’s Day.  Don’t expect some of that sappy, romantic sharing that some might share, or I might have shared in the past.  But what you will get today is just a little look at what God says love is all about. Here we go.  Just three different things to help us know real, lasting and incredible love. 1 John 4:18-19  NLT   Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first. The beginning of love is with the one who loves us most.  Perfect love that have changed us and will continue to change us.   1 Corinthians 13:4-7  NLT   Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but r...

This is Valentine’s Day week, and it is a great time to learn more about how to love the special people in your life.  Remember all the while that God loves you. 1 John 4:9-10  NLT   God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Knowing that truth helps us love others.  Loving is easier to do when we know that God loves us no matter what. 1 Thessalonians 3:12  NLT   And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. I want to give us some personal application of how to love those who are closest to us.  We need to learn how to love others the best way possible.  It is an act of love to be able to love well. Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a book titled The 5 Love Languages...

  It is Valentine’s week.  That means those of us with spouses or significant others should be spending a little extra time showing our love for the one who loves us.  It is Biblical to do that.  Right? A love letter is a good way to do that.  When Julie and I were dating, I wrote her several love letters and even a bunch of poems.  And just for the record, you will never ever get to read those poems (they were from the heart and not from any good form of poetry.   But what those letters and poems did do was express my love for Julie.  I don’t think she could question that, but I need to keep on writing and telling her that I still do and even more now do love her. God has done that for us.  That is why I call today’s e-devotion a love letter.  Earlier this week I read the passage below.  It is a love letter from God to you and to me.  Read on and note the truth from God.  But even more it is a love letter from Him. Read o...

  Love is one of the most important parts of our faith.  It is also one of the most important parts of our lives and families.   When it comes to this day, Valentine’s Day, love becomes something that is just about relationships, couples and romance.  While those things are important, real love goes far beyond what is between couples. Love comes from God.  Jesus is the best example of love.  Love is what we share with the world around us as we want to introduce them to Christ. No matter the application love is vital.  And in our marriages and relationships love is something we want to be pure and strong.  Listen in to what a portion of 1 Corinthians 13 has to say.   Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Do...

This is the 30th time I have had the blessing of Julie being my Valentine.  In fact is was just before Valentine’s Day in 1993 that Julie said yes to being my wife.  No our marriage isn’t perfect.  Neither of us is the perfect partner, but we love each other and are so blessed by God with the gift of each other.   She is so much more than I share, but today I want to give you just a little glimpse in to who this special lady is to our kids, to the world and to me!  My Valentine, Julie, is a gift from God! Proverbs 31:10  NASB   An excellent wife, who can find her? For her worth is far above jewels. She is worth more than any Jewels.  She is worthy of more!  To me she is a precious jewel! Song of Solomon 6:9  NASB   But my dove, my perfect one, is unique… My valentine is unique.  There are no others to me as special and made fore me as my Jesus.  She literally is unique! Ephesians 5:33  NLT    So again I say,...

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and I shared a message at church yesterday about how we can help our marriages and relationships stronger and lasting.  I believe that God gives us so much encouragement to be people who love others and are committed to the people we love. In this message from Ephesians 5 we talked about the essentials of living a life of submission to each other, a life of sacrifice and that we are to choose each other.  I will get to a couple of those later this week in the e-devotions. Today I accept the challenge to love as Jesus loves.  The reason why we love and the way we are to love was defined by God! 1 John 4:19  NLT   We love each other because he loved us first. It is easier to love when we know that we are loved. We were created in His image and living out the character and example God gave us we literally become an image bearer of God because we do what He does. A person who loves well will think and do for his or her spouse.  Serv...

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  NLT Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Happy Valentine’s Day to you! My valentine is Julie Harrison.  This is our 29th celebration of this holiday together.  That amazes me because it seems like it was not that long ago that we began this journey today.  Nope.  28 years of marriage.  Numerous homes and cars and stuff.  3 children and now a grand child.  This sweet lady has my heart, more than just my valentine. You know, love is something that few of us really unstained because as humans and especially those who are flawed we mess it up.  We make love about us or about what we can get out of it...

Yesterday was a very special day.  It was Valentine’s Day.  It is a day we celebrate love and what real love is all about. But it is also a day that is very hard for many people.  Those who are alone or who have lost a loved one have a hard time.  Those who have gone through a difficult relationship have a hard time with thinking about those they once cared for.  Yet this a day of celebration. What I think needs to be lifted high and almost printed on a banner for many to see.  That is the real meaning of love.  Not about the short lasting and ignorance of selfish love.  It is deeper because it doesn’t come with conditions and last a long, long time.   Spend some time, yes the day after Valentine’s Day, examining the characteristics of godly love.  This is the God kind of love. He loved us first.  1 John 4:19 His love doesn’t end.  Psalm 136 He knows us and we know Him.  1 John 4:8 This love is different from what most of ...

John 13:35  NLT Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. Today is Valentine’s day, and there are many things that go along with this day.    As a husband it is my day to spread a little extra love to my wife.    As a father it is also my place, with my wife, to love on our kids.    We often show this with gifts or a special meal, but it is really about connecting with people we care about. Today’s post is more personal than most.    I am blessed to have had some excellent examples of love in my life.    The love I am talking about is what looks past my shortcomings and brings out the best in me. I see that love in my wife.    I know that is the way God loves me as well.    I experience this kind of unconditional love when I have the opportunity to serve others.    Often that serving is when we do for others when they cannot do anything in return...