Morningside Devotionals

Shock - like burning your hand- ever done that? If you haven't don't do this just to find out, but I've done the really "stupid" electrical burner thing- didn't know it was on, it wasn't glowing, BUT, it was HOT! But the burn wasn't the worst part, get ready- cause I'm gonna share with you, it was the smell- that got to my senses, all the way down to my tum tum... SO- Shock- set in. Shock is weird- your mind goes to a place where there is peace, and, the pain, you know it's there, but it just isn't as big a deal- your body is defending you against dying from your heart exploding if I understand the medical need of shock? NOW- what in the world can that have to do with the wonderful birth of our Savior! Just this- some folks unfortunately have a bad idea about God - they believe that when man fell, it was a shock to God. Hmm- isn't that odd? How would that be- since we clearly know from the Bible that God clearly overwhelmingly thre...

Could be good news, couldn't it? On the other hand, when you see that kind of title, what is your first thought? That it's gonna be a bummer? So what did you think when you saw that title? Now for the really interesting part of this conversation, you see; part of what we are about is helping others. Are you about helping others? It doesn't hurt, do you think, to be about helping others? So, since you have that going in your mind, look back at the title now, has your perception changed? Perception, it does at times, come from somewhere else, at least, that's a take on the subject of perception; because folks do think the darnedest things, don't they? Now let's take it one step further, if you've read this far, you now realize that this is getting heavy into the spiritual; fast- that many times when you are reading this devotional, God has been sort of, "in my face," about something- and, well- there is no other way to say this- this devotional...

Yes I will pay attention, look and listen and be alert, because it might be that while the still small voice is talking to me; maybe, if I'm not, I won't hear Him? But it's probably more likely and more often, by far, that God Himself chooses to communicate to me through the speech and actions of others, and if my mind isn't alert to that, will I note it? How is it that so much evil happens? How is it that men and women who shouldn't be successful because they are evil, nonetheless are successful? How is it that our leaders lose courage and lose morale and ethical reality? How is it that our nations are going down instead of up? Could it be that we aren't paying attention and it's happening right in the midst of our living? Mar 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. "drd's" Blog Ooh Visit Our Twitter Group 1000 plus strong and...

In America this time of year we get wrapped up in a nationalized celebration called Thanksgiving. To our readers who aren't in America we want to say, "wish you were here." We mean it, my wish is that every person who lives in an oppressive nation, could come and live in America, but my question is, would they really live? Do we really live? My heart tells me there is a big difference between living and existing. One of the things that I read in the Bible so much is a truth about uplifting, about sharing not what a person is, for example, a fisherman in a small village; but rather, what that person can be, a man known in history for his faith, his love, his devotion and his character. Now do you think Peter really lived? I think he did. It's been my pleasure of late to read a book by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins "John's Story - The Last Eyewitness" although in some places, historically, it was a little different than the history I'd heard,...

Have you ever been on the downside of the up holiday event? What I mean by that is, have you ever experienced something that was tough and harsh, as in not having enough, or, a person you love passing over; harsh, during a holiday? When that happens what you go through is the experience of being thankful when you aren't real sure what your being thankful for. Usually you will hear this person say something like, "well, I'm alive, I can be thankful for that." Or they will memorialize their loved one or deep friend by admitting "wish I would've told them how much I loved them, when they were here, but I know where they are is better." Yes we cling to that don't we, that where they are is better. Truth is, we, almost to a person, and basically no matter how we approach it religiously, believe that the next step in our existence is better. For us who love Jesus, we know love is where we are going, and love is, who we are going to be with. Being thankf...

Look, the series story about how the Holy Spirit interacts with folks, is on day five; I've prayed about it, and in fact, the Holy Spirit communicated to me to "Halt," not a word I use often, the series until after Thanksgiving. It's just too intense in what is coming, and day's five through 28 aren't going to get better, well, until, possibly the end- don't want to give it away. So that's it, we're going back to what we do best which is thankful encouragement. And believe you me, it is needed, isn't it? So for this week, each day, which won't hurt our international readers at all, let's pick something we can feel thankful for? Today, my heart is full, in my life, there is love, and that love was the light of the world, I don't need any other love, but am so thankful that there is other love in my life. The arms of God reach out to touch my heart in the service of the Body of Christ and I know through such earthly vessels that ...

You wonder, "could it be, could that be the still small voice?" It suggests you go outside? Last night was chilling, not just because it was black, and not just because it was hard to find your way to the bathroom, until about 2 A.M. when whatever it was that had hold of you, let go. Last night was chilling because the sounds of the city aren't there. The still is shrill, it eats into you, and it alone creates a sort of fear you haven't known. "Look, this is spooky enough without any weirdness, are you, or aren't you, the still small voice?" Now you know it, you are cracking up, and then you hear it, "You can relax, it is me, I am the still small voice, I am also very loud, when I have to be. Go outside." The persistent nature of the request leads you down the stairs to the front door, it's daylight you see, through the glass, which you are thankful for, without the electricity, night is night indeed! You're hesitating, "wha...

You felt from the very first when you nearly died, and now, as the sickness has turned worse, when you wish you could, now you really wish that you knew what was going on; but the T.V. has been snowy since yesterday afternoon, no channels coming in. If it could be worse, you have heard shooting, yelling and screaming, and, your cell phone is not ringing through to your sister. You think; "of all times for her to decide to not have her cell on, this isn't one of them." You realize your mad state isn't going to turn her phone on, and you actually consider going next door to find out what is happening, if Mrs. Dawes would say anything to you, she hasn't spoken to you in months. But as the thought about her enters your head, your body wants to do something else worse, and you tear for the bathroom at top speed as you have been all day. You feel stupid praying while your doing what your doing, but it seems to help. Fear has started to get hold of you, in many ways...

Because the sickness that you heard about from the subway massacre has spread, people are sure that it was terrorists, they just aren't sure who it was; and they don't care. Your particular problem is that you've been praying about it, and the answer you keep hearing is, "this isn't your problem, but get ready." Each time you hear this, your response inside is to admit that He is right, but the cost? You don't know what to say, haven't known what to say for a while now. Your belief is solid you've heard Holy Spirit line you out, and you've never felt so close to God; but in a much deeper recess of your soul, you also know that you aren't feeling well; and you aren't ready, and your neighbors for sure, aren't ready, and what does ready mean anyhow? "What is He asking of me?" You ask yourself, while not wanting to admit what you know, you should be asking, Holy Spirit to tell you what to do, but this is all so new to yo...

The day is like any other day, you think, because the sun is up the mist is on the landscape, and you see that it is a warming morning, and you are happy. Like all people you enjoy being comfortable, and you don't enjoy being in misery. As you get off the subway, you are thinking about nothing much at all, except how pleasant it is that the Wycliffe's invited you over for Saturday evening, and even though that is a week away, you realize it's going to go bye quickly. Even though you are a Christian you notice a really pretty girl in front of you, she's wearing a miniskirt, and her hips are swaying in an enticing way, and you remand yourself, knowing it's a sin to look twice, and certainly a lustful thought to think about her in that way. Your slightly ashamed that you haven't taken your eyes off her, so that you see her throw a silver container in the trash can. As she hurries now, you lose sight of her, but you hear a "whump" and then you feel th...

You are running down the street, you're yelling- "Somebody, anybody, help - the store, it's on fire, it's gonna spread, help(!), help!" As you run you are expecting to see doors fly open and people run out, to help, but they aren't, you run a bit further, panicked, you see Mrs. Gimble through her plate glass window, she's watching her large screen T.V., obviously she doesn't hear you, but she does see you and waves, smiling- if you had time, you'd stop, but my gosh, surely she sees how panicked you are? You run a bit further because you see Mr. Billings in his yard, the older man, works at the bank you think although you're not dead certain on that, it's hard to get to know neighbors, isn't it? You wish in some part of you, that you'd bothered a bit more, to get to know your neighbors,you run up to him, "Man didn't you hear me..." He looks at you with his hose watering, and says - "what were you yellin' abo...

Sounds stupid, who are you, really? To ask such a question of the one who was present and in the creation, probably seems ridiculous, but please stop for a moment and realize, you aren't so certain yourself of that question. Not saying that to make you doubt yourself in any way, far from it, rather, that question is the question that comes out of your mouth when you are overpowered with a force which you can't make sense out of. One day I was running down the football field, the next instant, faces were staring down at me in shock asking "hey, are you OK?" and my mind was numbed so I asked, "who are you?" Seconds later as they helped me up, it began to occur to me, who they were. OK you get it, when the Holy Spirit actually turns His power loose in you- which for many Christian's sadly, has never happened- believe me, if it has happened to you, speaking in tongues will be the least of your problems, you will suddenly and without being able to back u...

Real fun is hard to describe, like a really good Hot Dog with really good mustard and a really fresh bun, outside at a ball game. Real fun, like watching your child take their first step, speak their first word, and then wondering "why did I want them to..." Real fun, it has a component that is flesh, and, blood, human; the created of God. We are different, and, we are not; spirit. In the instance of this sinner, we are definitely not Holy Spirit, which literally actually means, a spirit which is set apart, within the realm of spirit, it is without match, Holy, uniquely separate. So now you have some questions forming, because flesh and blood are good for questions when it comes to holiness. So here is one that we usually don't give much thought to, is there perhaps a deeper resonating meaning to the term, the body of Christ? Are we the moving flesh which Jesus Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit inhabits, enmasse'? Jhn 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit...

Your house has never had a disagreement between you and the other two folks who stay there- you've never disagreed, about anything; in fact, they seem to know what you are thinking, before you say it or do it? They seem to know what you want and need before you do? As you continue to live together, as you have always done, and as you will always do, this relationship stays in this same mode, you three are absolutely inseparable, but you are, by nature, different. Friends are like that, and friends over time can turn into loved ones- love so deep that when you are apart it just isn't good. Love so deep that when they hurt you moan, when they get into difficulty, you feel the tears of sorrow well up in your soul. Friends so deep that you would do anything to preserve them, go any distance, endure any hurt- go to any length of any task just to see them happy. Welcome to the world of human, it is a mirror of God and the Holy Spirit and Jesus. We do not, we cannot, ever fully ...

If you live the Holy Spirit guided life then you don't listen to those who try to intimidate you with their non Holy Spirit led lives. It can become a daunting task because Jesus desires to have you follow Him and Him alone. As we look at the life of Christ, and our lives, we see the difference most clearly between the person who wants to follow Jesus and the person who can't seem to hear Him clearly. Holy Spirit led people hear Him more often than others, and they learn to interpret forgiving and loving in His voice under His terms. How about you today, can you forgive and love under His terms? In this world there are those who cannot. Today let's pray we don't become like them! When we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, it is the voice of love- when we love one another, we emulate that voice. Jhn 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: drd's" Blog Ooh Visit Our Twitter Group 1000 plus strong and growing! Visit our Facebook effo...

Why do we demand things from our hearts based on our heads? Let's make a separation here that history has eliminated from your thinking, and you shouldn't let it. Heart and head, in our modern world we have come to understand that heart as a muscle, the head as the center of emotions, without a tie in between the two- YET- why is it that when a person becomes upset, their blood pressure will rise? Heart pumps faster, and the release of Adrenalin makes physiological changes to the person- that's the way it is, we see that; and yet, we want to believe as modern smart folks, that they aren't tied together. It's absolute hogwash, they are. Your heart and your head aren't separate, they, as you, are one organism. Take that in, your emotions are very much a part of your overall health. Now as the question about why the word "fearfully" is in this passage: Psa 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [ and ] wonderfully made : marvellous...

Let's start off with the most mind boggling, most out there interpretation you have ever heard, guaranteed, on the other, hand; it might just be; good. The usual track on the Holy Spirit takes a person back to the Hebraic legends- back to the time of creation. We usually refer to the Holy Bible, the Book called Genesis, and the passage which describes the Holy Spirit as "moving" over the waters (Gen 1:2) the actual Hebrew there is shown in this image: How is this description made different by belief, versus reality? Myriad ways- much of the language of Hebrew has the culture and the knowledge of the culture tied into it. All that I'm suggesting to you is that we make this language and this understanding become something that it might not be, because we have tons of historical beliefs and cultural pressures behind it. Instead, here's a really fresh idea - just read it as it is- just take this unique and wonderful spirit at face value- quit trying to make thi...

Being memorable, instead of, remembering; one is exceptional, one is, normal. Which do you want to be? When people look back on their time with you, will they be, glad; sad or mad? You'd probably like to think it would be glad, that strikes many as the ideal; yet those same people live their lives, as if though what they do has no impact; and that's just not so! Hopefully you see that as you go through your experience here, that what you do with your life, where others are concerned, will matter. If your heart is full of love, if you feel that your day to day life is filled with so much love that it overflows, then we know you have been with Jesus, He is the only way such can be. 1Cr 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. drd's" Blog Ooh Visit Our Twitter Group 1000 plus strong and growing! Visit our Facebook effort, it will mak...

Peace and war, somehow they just don't seem to go together, do they? See what you think? Jhn 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. That makes me feel peace, doesn't it you? Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. Sounds like war words to me? So how do you reconcile those two statements? One about peace, one about war; both times God in the flesh, Jesus, is saying them. So can they, both of them, be realized in a life? Can you have peace, right in the midst of war? drd's" Blog Ooh Visit Our Twitter Group 1000 plus strong and growing! Visit our Facebook effort, it will make ya smile! Visit our MySpace effort, it will make you glad you did! Visit our YouTube- it is truly, going to be AWESOME- 3DEEP is coming! Soon! Visit the Greatest Online Store there is! No Auctions needed here!

Deflecting isn't well understood in the American culture, for those of you who take this in on other continents, you may be in a more mature culture than America, and so deflecting is a process of your life which you understand as not answering what you haven't been asked. In America we have this unusually open style of communication where we believe that we ought to let our brains roll out of our mouths, and let happen what will happen, we aren't very closed mouthed, which is interesting, but puts us at a cultural disadvantage when carrying on a conversation with,say, someone from Germany where conversational skill is very subtle and very agenda heavy. An American when talking to a French person is often guilty of seeing their body language incorrectly, the French are very animated when they converse (generally speaking). So deflecting isn't our style, but it is, in our minds, that's right- you do think, very often, as a matter of fact, that you wished you hadn...

Why do you suppose God had the people meet him on a mountain? Have you ever considered that of all the places that Jesus could have transfigured Himself, He chose a mountain? What is it about mountains? Singularly, they are - up. That is a fact about them that it is impossible to get away from- they are, up. When a person moves from the hateful basis for life of the world, which believes in what it can see, hear, feel or touch (Eros love, physical love) into the sacrificial sort of love, (Agapeo', Godlike love), they often move through brotherly or Phileo (American's get the word Philadelphia the city of brotherly love from this) love to get to the higher form of love. The mountaintop kind of love, the sort of love where you would do anything, go anywhere, become anything, move through anything, face any challenge, lose fear at any level- just to have the knowing that the one toward whom you felt this love, knew it. Sacrificial love doesn't think of itself, it consid...

The strangest thing that ever happened to me was when my life was turned upside down feelings wise- raised as an only child, my viewpoint about what mattered, and who mattered, was terribly self centered. So much of my thinking wasn't about the other person or their problems, or even, what they were about; as my focus was intensely centered on the lonely survivor, this is not unusual for children without brothers and sisters. But here is what happened - real love, the kind where you can't stop it, it just is, it exists, it exists above all else, and sometimes in spite of all else, happened. What was unusual is that the person who my feelings were so powerfully about, didn't give it a second thought- I was way down the priority list to them. This was new and different, and a lesson, to be sure; for the heart that is centered in it's own existence, usually doesn't learn to feel toward others, yet here I was, crying over their situation! In the midst of which, my ...