Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 September 18

“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

Today’s Morsel:  In olden times, the tower was one of the highest places in the city.  It was sat so that the watchman could not only see who was coming to give the warning to have the gate open, but it also provided the sentinel with protection.  When they told Jesus about the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, he asks them a question.  He said, “Those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Solomon said, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).  What if Jesus fell on you?  Would you be saved or lost?  Would you be crushed, or would you survive?  Jesus again says, “Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder” (Luke 20:18).  Why don’t you fall upon Him now while you have the chance to be saved?  

Sing:  Anointing fall on me.  Anointing fall on me.  Let the power of the Holy Ghost fall on me, anointing fall on me.

Thought For Today:  A broken and a contrite heart, He will not despise.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 September 17

“Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2).

Today’s Morsel:  In 1960, Joseph Jones wrote a song entitled, “YouTalk Too Much.”  Some of the lyrics say, “You talk too much, you worry me to death,
you talk too much, you even worry my pet. You just talk, talk too much. You talk about people that you don't know, you talk about people wherever you go.  You just talk, talk too much.”  Solomon said that we should not be rash with our mouth when we go to the house of God, and that we should let our words be few. I can remember in the Methodist Church, the old folks use to say that if you hum the devil don’t know what you are talking about, but if you speak it, he knows every word you say and how to attack you.  Sometimes, the best advice is to just keep silent and let God work as He knows all things. Solomon said, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding”  (Proverbs 17:28).  Let's practice being wise.  

Sing:  When He calls me, I will answer.  When He calls me, I will hear?  When He calls me, I will answer, I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.

I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening for my name. I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.

Thought For Today:  Your words determine who's working crew you are on (Parker)!

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 September 15

“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore” (Isaiah 38:1-3).

Today’s Morsel:  One thing about King Hezekiah that I notice was that he seemed to know how to pray and to get ahold of God.  Hezekiah seemed to have a relationship with God and prayer must be the catalyst for every believer.  It must be the substance that holds them firm and sure in God’s ability to do what His word says.  That old saying, “Seven days without prayer will make one weak” is true.  Prayer strengthens us.  Paul said that we should pray without ceasing and in everything to give thanks.  If we will maintain an attitude of gratitude, we will always have a heart for prayer.

Sing:  Whisper a prayer in the morning, whisper a prayer at noon.  Whisper a prayer in the evening, and keep your heart intone.

Thought For Today:  “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29).

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 September 14

“And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria” (2 Kings 6:17-19).

Today’s Morsel:  Have you ever been angry at someone else that you didn’t really know because you believed what someone else told you about them?  Well, it happens quite often.  We may say that we don’t, but we humans usually draw our likes of people based on what we hear about them. Most people hate elected officials because of what they hear about them.  For example, a few weeks ago, a young lady knocked on my door handed me a flyer for an upcoming election.  I asked her to tell me why I should vote for the individual?  And she began to tell me all the negative things about the person who was currently in office.  I said to her, "Have you ever met him?"  She replied no she hadn't.   I asked her then how did she know all these evil things she was saying about him?  Then I proceeded to ask her, "Tell me what your candidate stands for?"  And with a somewhat saddened countenance, she said, "I don’t know."  I said to her, "So, you want me to vote for someone that you don’t know anything about, but, yet the other person is evil?"  I told her that this is not the way you should go about this.  If she were going to be involved then she should have some knowledge of the person she was campaigning for, and not just take what she hears others say as truth.  She thanked me and left.  When the men came looking for Elisha and God blinded them, He told them that that was not the way.  Our anger of others because of what we hear could put us in the wrong way.  Solomon said, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).  Be certain of the truth, do not draw your conclusions based on what you hear, know the truth for yourself.  

Sing:  It shall be light in the evening time; The path to glory you will sure find through the waterway; it is the light today.  Baptized in Jesus’ name.  Young and old, repent of all your sin, then the Holy Ghost will enter in.  The evening time had come; Tis a fact that God and Christ are one.

Thought For Today:  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 September 13

“But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:9-20).

Today’s Morsel:  Are you feeling hopeless?  Why do people seem to lose hope?  I have often heard people when they lose a loved one, a home, or vehicle say, "I don’t know what I’m going to do."  Why are they shaken in their hope? Paul told the church at Thessalonica, “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).  He wrote in Hebrews 6 that we have an anchor of hope for the soul, Jesus Christ.  The anchor is designed to hold the ship in place, and Jesus who is our anchor will hold us.  

Sing:  It’s the old ship of Zion, it’s the hope for the lost and the dying.  It’s the soul-saving station, it's the tower of salvation.  Well, it’s the church triumphant, O Lord and it’s built by the hand of the Lord.  

I’m talking about the church in the Book of Revelation, it’s built on the Rock, it’s got a firm foundation; it’s been through the flood and it’s been through the fire, but one of these days the church is gonna move up a little higher.  It’s the church triumphant, O’ Lord, and it’s built by the hand of the Lord.

Thought For Today:  “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 September 12

“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”

 (Psalms 34:11-14).

Today’s Morsel:  I once heard a comedian say, “You don’t get old being no fool.”  David, who is attributed to this psalm, asked the following question: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? I’m sure like most, we would all desire to see such things. And then David tells us what we must do.  He said, “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”  In order to enjoy life and see good, we must avoid speaking sly and cunning words, we must avoid evil, and do good as well as seek after peace.

Sing: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Thought For Today:  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21).

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 September 11

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:14-19).

Today’s Morsel:  Of the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation, the church of the Laodice seemed to think that they had need of nothing; like some folks who think that they don’t need Jesus or the church until it is too late.  They think that they can make it on their own.  They think that their job and career will get them to where they want to be in life.  But they fail to realize that all good things do come to an end.  Solomon said that where there is no counsel the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors, there is safety (Proverbs 11:14).  Jesus’ counsel to this church was to realize their error and to not think that they were in a perfect state because they were not.  Rather to buy from Him the things that would last.  How about us, are we investing in what will last or in the temporary things of this world?

Sing:  Room for Jesus, King of glory! Hasten now, His word obey.  Swing the heart’s door widely open; Bid Him enter while you may.

Thought For Today:  There is safety in counsel.