Morningside Devotionals

Oh gosh, don't you just hate the sweaty hot summertime? Heat so intense that you bust out a sweat going from the car to the house? Maybe it was such a hot time "in the old town tonight,"                 when a young lad, shocked at the accusations, against his favorite baseball hero asked with a cry in his voice- "say it ain' so Joe?" It's not dry heat here in the South of the U.S., so to my readers in the Greek Isles, China and Russia, folks you are better off there, than we are, here, in terms of heat. One time on a mission in New Orleans I was fussin' about the heat going into the worship service and Chris who was handling the reception desk said, "Ah Bray (Cajun accent a bit) ain nothin compared to Hell..." He was smilin' when he said it...thank God - or else I might've wondered... So you can tell I'm no fan of heat time- but it's here, and what I mean is, this blog may draw ...

Ever see a dog just relaxing in the shade, just, laying out relaxed and at ease, not bothered by anything, and find yourself saying to yourself, "its a dogs life?" We can relax far beyond any dog in the shade, we are held in the shade of the mightiest wings ever- and we are held in hands that never grow weak. Even a relaxed dog can awaken riled up, though, when someone or something that doesn't belong in the yard, enters. You've probably seen that, or been greeted by such a pup?  It's not fun is it?  We have a call to be ready alert at all times because we are aligned with the Master of all Masters, the one who makes all the towers over which we are Watchmen and guards. Guard your heart carefully that your inner peace doesn't get invaded by a presence which doesn't belong there.  That way you will feel a sense of peace without interruption. It might be a dogs life, and they might have it made, mine certainly does, and I wouldn...

It is a way of saying that you don't understand something, that it's confusing to you, or isn't clear, and so, you just don't know.  Ever find yourself in a situation which seems like it ought to go one way, yet goes another?  Ever face a foe that you aren't exactly sure how they are the enemy, they just present themselves as an enemy, they aren't clear cut about it, they are strangely and mysteriously cloaked about how they do what they do? That enemy leaves you feeling like you want to fight but aren't sure where the fight is at, dogged if you know? When this happens what do you do?  May I be so bold as to suggest that you bring the enemy out, and that when you go back and read the incident in the desert, you  now have eyes which see that Jesus, far from being invaded upon, had waited for 40 days to bring his true enemy out. Would you also indulge me the saying that enough is enough- there are and should be limits to what you allow...

It was the simplest command possible, in the worst movie (my opinion) ever made, Don Johnson, from Miami Vice fame, took a starring role in a movie called, "A Boy and His Dog," which was based in an after nuclear attack world, and his dog could read his thoughts (think that was it...).  So Don just called his companion, dog. Companion, dog, they do fit together don't they? When you think of an animal that is loyal to it's master, dog is one that might pop into your head?  Is it possible that one of the reasons that we believe this is that we have seen it so many times? The famous scary book author Dean Koontz, wrote a book about his dog, "A Big Little Life," and it's an amazing book.  The Koontz's support and got their dog, from the dog's who are trained to work with blind people, and also assist people with disabilities- these dogs, the Koontz's dog was a Labrador, are known for being especially well trained and...

"Gone to the dogs," another saying that we don't know the origin of but the suspicion is that dogs of the Germanic Europe weren't liked by the Roman invading armies, and so, they were kept outside the camps and when someone went outside the camp; you know, to do what they needed to do, the saying was they'd "gone to the dogs." It has come to mean something negative in our culture, when it shouldn't, my dogs behave far better than many of my so called Christian friends. You may have had a similar experience, which is unfortunate, have to admit it's rare, but there are too many times when my dogs seem to get the whole thing about loving, but Christian's?  Well you get the point. Right now Mopsey, who came to us as an abused dog, she weighed in then at skin and bones twenty pounds, most of her fur had been kicked or torn off, she looked like she had the mange- and so Debbie took her to the vet, and $150.00 later we found ou...

You're right, I'm not sure either, is it dog gone it, or, doggonit?  All that we can be sure of, is, we aren't sure of where it comes from- but we do know- what doggonit means. Alright, here is what it breaks down into- dog, yes, that's my basic friend to observe, gone, which is a state of not being where someone expects you ought to be, and it; meaning as Bill Clinton so aptly asked, "it depends upon what you mean by, it?" One of my closest associates has a wonderful dog, he is like me, getting older, and losing his hearing- and while it's sad; we've quickly got on the train of telling her, "we just have to be more careful with him, he will still have a marvelous and long life."  Which is true- about him, and about me- so my close associate is maybe listening- we sure hope so, because, for a dog this one has the amazing ability to bring other dogs into his act.  Ever know somebody like that- they get you into the s...

You and I and God all share a common hope, we hope; for a better world.  Given the end of the story, that is absolutely true; what we honestly waste our time here doing, is anticipating such; for just as we do not know the next heartbeat, we absolutely cannot tell, with certainty what that next moment will bring. Even though we believe we can read what John wrote about, when Jesus revealed the end to him, can we? Some diners at a cafe were enjoying lunch, they'd made their choices, probably some of the them were a bit anxious about the spaghetti, or, the fish they'd chosen. Maybe they were ready to get through the main course to get to that wonderful chocolate pudding; when the car broke through the glass- and they died.  Not how you'd like to spend the next bite on life, but who would ever think such could happen?  We call them accidents, but that may be a euphemism for, we don't know what to say, but we know what we can't say; that accidents don...

"Oh God, we know not what the future holds, but we know You hold that future, and because of Jesus, we know that Your love is real, we have seen that love which You have chosen to show to us, through Him.  We thank You God for that fact of the sacrifice, for the Word and for the insight of the Holy Spirit which tells us that Word became flesh and dwelt among us, today God we choose to trust You, and to trust that You are love." -Amen  Read this morning where the head of British Petroleum says that he is devastated by the oil spill.   What would have been the reaction if he would have said, "we knew the company men were instructed to keep drilling even if there was risk that might be rash?" Or if he had said, "well the U.S. Congress and Senate have been investigating our procedures for two years and so far they've not said we need to add those expensive upgrades." What would have been the reaction, oh, let me tell you, about the same as it was before ...

One of my favorite movies isn't one most fundamentalist would own up to loving, because it's central character is a homosexual in Savannah Georgia, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," is a brilliant movie that catches the flavor, the ambiance of that great southern city and it's people.  In that movie is one of my favorite scenes, John Cusack, the lead actor is getting ready for bed, he turns on his recorder and plays the sounds of New York where he is from, he can't sleep without the noise.  We live in noise and we get used to it.  Noise, on the other hand, also changes our experience, one of my close associates insists that they have really deep feelings for me, nice to believe that, but what if they've merely become accustomed to my being like John Cusack was to noise?  I wonder if in some cases, we who claim the cross, haven't fallen into the same trap?

Karen Armstrong in "The Case for God," makes a very strong analysis that most people are unaware of, simply put, only 7% of Muslim's interviewed in a recent Gallup Poll said they believe the 9/11 terrorist attacks were justified. Think about that, 93% of Muslim's believe the terrorists were wrong and horrific, only 7% believed otherwise, and yet, we totally and without much thought condemn Islam?  How many Christian's, it ought to be asked, would think that a Holy War were justified today, by Christian's against enemies who did not believe in Jehovah God?  Where does the spirit of war come from? Maybe we should first ask, is there even such a thing as, the spirit of war? Well, let me ask you this, suppose that there were specific and dynamic proofs of such, and, would you be willing to take part in finding them out, even if it cost you?   John Eldredge, popular author of such works as "Wild at Heart," and other works, about th...

Cities are often built on top of the rubble of older cities as they are pushed down and turned into platforms to be built upon.  They claim such for Chicago, which built on top of old Chicago after the fire, and Seattle also has a reputation for having a subterranean support system that is in itself an old city, New York has such- now those cities down there exist as remnants of a past that we can't reach- they are dangerous to explore, and every so often you will hear about someone who got injured while attempting to explore them.  But a mouse, a little creature, it can do down there and go as deep as it would like, with little threat from the surroundings, they aren't likely to cave in because of the mouse's carbon footprint.  Small things can have amazing depth, and so it is in our lives as well, we have past's which have been for the most part, buried and built upon; if we go back there to explore, they can, in some instances, cause danger, even cave-ins and ruin!...

Here is a safe bet, anybody with any brains who actually believes Hell is a real place, has no interest in going there.  Safe bet because if they have brains enough to be rational, they can't like the idea of eternal dark and pain which are together in one place.  The truth is, however, that most folks don't believe it to be real.  Here's why- we are the age of technology, we have arrived here from science, to a large extent we are (most particularly in the United States) believers in what we can do with our time and our money. We are fiercely independent people, and we don't like authority when it is not extremely proper or necessary (defined as a police officer giving traffic directions to a funeral procession, proper and necessary)- all that being put together, we trust, but that trust isn't in God, it's in our own innate ability to solve problems.  We believe that we through our own personal strength, solve the problems that we face, and we also...

It's pretty funny, we know what love is, you really don't have to explain it to people, they aren't stupid; they know.  Bet me they don't?  Lately I've heard a rash of sermons which wanna explain to me what the Greek's thought love was, and how they defined it, and how that's what the writers of the New Testament meant, by certain words, when they used them?  Not sure such is the case for us today- you see, I know, instantly, where a person is at with me emotionally- we connect- or we don't- and if we don't, and if there is a chance that we might, then that person gets what is less than what someone that I love gets.  Now while your busily thinking, "and this has what to do with Jesus..." let me just help you out a bit, look at how Jesus reacts to those who walked every day with him, and look at how He reacted to those who were in the crowd- and then also, consider those who actively sought to kill Him?  He knew, didn...

We know that we are made stronger by the struggle, we see this in our lives, we hear it in the oft quoted "that which does not kill me makes me stronger."  Of course the fun thing is to ask who the source of that quote is?  The same person said this " Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself." So we have a matter for you to ...research...and what's the first place you go?  If you said "Google," then you will understand my next statement - this technology is so much more powerful than you and I are willing to let into our heads...you see, last night, you probably slept, it doesn't, last night you got tired, it didn't, you might catch a cold, it uses "Anti-Virus," software and gets you to pay for it...and the real kicker here...it thinks.  Let's prove that...type into the Google search engine...fireI (capitalize the i)...see what it says...on mine it came back and asked "did you mean fire."  Trut...

Getting close to God, for you, how does that happen; do you pause and mention to God that you are enjoying this day, or do you bring up God's name after something bad happens?  Do you spend time considering God during the day, much at all?  These aren't questions designed to get you hot under the collar at the beginning of the day, but if they are, guess what's going on?  We have a theory, some of the folks who follow Jesus and myself that we are moving further and further away from God, and that it seems is taking place in a natural seeming way.  Our contention is that it isn't natural but driven- and that one of the largest driving forces for such in the world is media.  Here is something else to consider, would God love you more today if you did a few more things that He'd like you to do?  Being honest, we'd almost like to believe such possible, but the truth is God loves us.  Interesting fact about God, He loves us, in fact God is love.