Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 August 8

 “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

Todays Morsel:  I think that if more people understood how sin worked they would leave it alone.  James tells us that sin begins with lust; and that lust brings forth sin and sin bring forth death (James 1:14-15).  That’s how sin works.  Satan places things in front of us that causes us to lust as most people do not lust for spiritual things but for worldliness.  We must remember this is Satan’s domain. Isaiah tells us that the reason that God isn’t coming through to our request is because of sin.  If we are truly men and women of God, then we should know what goes against God’s word and avoid it.  One of the most efficient ways to identify sin is to ask yourself, does the thing that I want cause me to lust for more and does it cause me to be prideful?  If the answer is yes, it’s worldly, sinful, and should be avoided.  Always check yourself for sin daily.

Sing:  Jesus hold my hand; Lord I need Thee every hour. Through this pilgrim land, protect me by Thy saving power.  Hear my feeble plea, oh Lord look down on me.  When I kneel in pray I know I’ll meet You there.  Blessed Jesus hold my hand.

Thought For Today: Check yourself for sin daily. (Parker)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 August 7

“And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:18-19).

Today’s Morsel:  After Jesus cast out the demons that were in the man of Gad, who had his living in the tombs, he wanted to go with Jesus.  But Jesus told him to go home and tell his friends what He had done for him.  Jesus wanted him to be a witness of God's grace and goodness to others that he knew.  When Jesus save us, we must become witnesses of what He’s done for us and not hide it (Isaiah 43:10-12). We must be witnesses especially to those whom we say are our friends.  Think about all the people you hung out with in the world and on the job that you called a friend before you were saved.  How many of them now know what God has done for you?  If they were truly your friends and co-workers, they shouldn’t be offended if you tell them about what Jesus has done for you.

Sing: Go tell it on the mountain, over the hill and everywhere.  Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.

Thought For Today: Those closest to us should be the best targets for telling about Jesus.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 August 6

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10)

Today’s Morsel:  It bothers me when I hear people say that they have taken prayer out of school, and they can’t pray in places like we used to.  Really?  Who’s inside of them?  Did not Jesus say that He would be with us and be as close as the mention of His name?  If He’s close, and He is, then why would I need to scream?  The story of the priest and publican who went to the temple to pray, which is told by Jesus (Luke 18:10-13), was to let us know that it’s not how loud we pray, but what we are praying for and our attitude that gets His attention.  Even Jesus Himself always went to a solitary place and prayed. Again, He said, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:5-6).  Daniel did not make a scene when the king signed the decree not to pray, he just prayed as he had before.  If you think that you can’t pray wherever you are, the devil has you right where he wants you.

Sing:  Whisper a prayer in the morning.  Whisper a prayer at noon.  Whisper a prayer in the evening so keep your heart in tone.

Thought For Today:  God knows your heart.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 August 4

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Today’s Morsel:  One of the reasons that I believe some many folks are having such depressive and stressful lives is that they keep trying to be someone else instead of themselves.  Most people fail to realize that God has made us the way that He wants us to be, and that He is making all things beautiful in our lives in His time.  The world makes billions of dollars each year on cosmetic products because they get people to think that they do not look good enough.  Folks spend billions of dollars on weight loss programs because they try to fit a certain shape or size.  And they spend billions on gadgets trying to be like others.  Why do they do such things?  Paul said that if we compare ourselves to others we are not wise (my wording).  Every born-again believer must be able to look themselves in the mirror and learn to be content with who they are, who God has made them be, and not try to emulate others.  We must all realize that we are special in God’s eyes and not allow the world to tell us that we are not special.  Beauty is only skin deep, but character reflects the God that made us.

Sing:  Something beautiful, something good.  All my confusion Jesus understood.  All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife.  But He made something beautiful out of my life.

Thought For Today:  Beauty is only skin deep.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 August 3

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Today’s Morsel:  If you have ever noticed, whether it is Birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, Anniversary gifts, Appreciation Day gifts, or Graduation gifts, people are not satisfied with what they receive.  They make comments such as, “What am I going to do with that?”  “Didn’t they realize that they gave me that last year?”  “I can’t believe that they gave me the same gift that they gave them.” “That’s not what I wanted for Christmas.”  People are just not satisfied.  Paul tells us to be thankful in everything and to give thanks (Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).  He said that God usually turns people over to a reprobate mind that aren’t thankful.  One of the reasons that many are not satisfied and do not understand is there are no good or perfect gifts here on earth.  Everything here is temporal.  Not until folks receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is that good and perfect gift, and understand its purpose and proper use, will they will ever be satisfied.

Sing:  Holy Spirit You are welcome here, come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.  Your glory God is what our hearts long for, to be overcome by your presence Lord.

Thought For Today:  The perfect gift is from God. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 August 2

“Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season”

 (Psalms 104:20-27).

Today’s Morsel:  One of the things that I truly love about God is that He always comes through for His people.  Scripture says that He knows the things that we have need of before we ever ask of Him (Matthews 6:8). The psalmist states that God gives everything their meat in due season.  The idea here is that God is always everything that we need.  We find in Him everything we need.  Isaiah asked why do we spend money for that which is not beard (Isaiah 55:1-3)?  He told Elijah, 'I have prepared a widow woman of Zarephath to sustain thee' (1 Kings 17).  After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples decided to go fishing again. Yet when they did, they caught nothing.  They were seeking their own meat.  The next morning, Jesus was standing on the shore cooking fish and bread.  He told His disciples to come and dine (John 21).  When we understand that Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35), there is no need for us to worry.  His flesh is meat, and His blood is drink indeed (John 6:55).  When we understand that He is referring to Himself, the Word, we understand that He is our meat in due season.  He is all we need.

Sing: ‘Come and dine,' the Master calleth, 'Come and dine.’  You may feast at Jesus table all the time.  He who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine, to the hungry calleth now ‘Come and dine’.

Thought For Today:  “Jesus is meat in due season” (Parker)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 August 1

“O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth” 

(Psalms 96:9-13).

Today’s Morsel:  One of the things about God’s word is that it gives us warnings.  But sad to say, most people do not heed the warnings given, even some in the church. The psalmist states that the Lord comes to judge the earth, the world, and the people.  He states that God will judge the world with righteousness and the people with truth. What the psalmist is saying is that God will have one standard for everyone.  That standard is His word.  If our lives are built on His word, then we will have nothing to fear or to worry about.  We will stand the test.  But if you are cumbered about with a lot of fear in your lives now, chances are we are not rooted and grounded in truth (the word) and living right.  Therefore, everyone who says that they are born again should be looking for and hastening for the soon coming of His day.

Sing:  I’m going to a city where there will be no more night; I’m going to a city where Jesus is the light.  The trumpet's going to sound, and I’ll be called away.  I’m going to a city someday.

Thought For Today:  The word is His standard for entrance into heaven.