Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 20 April 2020

Your Good Name

“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.” (Ecclesiastes 7:1)

Today’s Morsel:  I once wanted to strike up a conversation with this guy, and to play a little humor on him.  And so I said to him, “Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?”  He said, “No! I don’t think so.”  I said, “Didn’t I see your picture on the Post office wall?” and we both started to laugh.  And glad for him I was just kidding.   It doesn’t take much to destroy your good name.  Get arrested by the police for wrongdoing, and your good name is destroyed.  Act foolish in public and in the presence of others, and your good name is destroyed.  Lie, cheat, or steal, and your good name is destroyed.  Solomon says that it is better to die with a good name than to live with a bad one.  It is better to be recognized as a child of God than a child of the devil.  

What are you doing to maintain your good name?  What are people saying about you?  If you take Jesus' name in vain, others will surely take yours, too.

Sing:  His Name is wonderful!  His Name is wonderful!  His Name is wonderful!  Jesus my Lord.  He is the Mighty King.  Master of everything.  His Name is wonderful! Jesus my Lord.

Thought For Today:  It’s better to die with a good name than to live with a bad one.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 18 April 2020

Adversity

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.”

(Proverbs 24:10)

Today’s Morsel:  We should never let adversity get us down, except down on our knees.  Scripture says, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)   I believe that this is why Paul also tells us, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9)  If we give way to discouragement and despair in the day of adversity, in times of trials or temptations, our strength is small.  We must learn to not grow weary. We have been given assurance that He will not leave us nor forsake us.  When we do have those times of hardships, difficulties, misfortunes, trials and temptations, we should work to be even more courageous; for if we lose our courage, our strength avails us nothing.

Sing: He gives strength to me, as I worship Him, as my heart is filled with praise.  Jesus breaks the bands, when I raise my hands, He gives glorious victory.

Thought For Today: The antidote for adversity is prayer (Parker)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 17 April 2020

Faith

“Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” (Isaiah 7:7-9)

Today’s Morsel:  Four times in scripture we read these words, “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).  What does it mean to live by faith?   "Because without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe Him."   (Hebrews 11:6), then we must take God at His word and live our lives according to it.  If we do not stand firm on our faith in God and His Word, we will not stand at all.  As without Him we can do nothing. Paul states that the number one reason that the children of Israel, who were brought out of Egypt, could not enter the Promised Land was because of their unbelief.  And he admonishes us, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief”  (Hebrews 3:12-19)  He continues by admonishing us, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” (Hebrews 2:1-3)  If we do not add to our faith, we will forget that we’ve had our sins purged and we’ll miss heaven every time.  

Sing: My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!  Now hear me while I pray; Take all my guilt away.  Oh, let me from this day be wholly Thine!

Thought For Today: If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 16 April 2020

Inheritance

“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” (Proverbs 13:22)

Today’s Morsel:  One of the things that I do when I’m reading the Bible and I come across those patriarchs like Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Ruth, Daniel, and the Apostle Paul is that I give God thanks for the inheritance they left us when it comes to Godly character and wisdom.  You know, we can leave our descendants lots of things, but if they do not talk about our character and wisdom, we haven’t really left them much of anything at all.  They say that the measure of a man’s character is not what he gets from his ancestors, but what he leaves his descendants.  “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, Moses said, (Emphasis added) that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.” (Deuteronomy 4:5-10)  The greatest inheritance we can leave our descendants is a love for the things of God.

Sing:  If that isn’t love the ocean is dry, there’s no stars in the sky, and the sparrow can’t fly!  If that isn’t love, then heaven’s a myth, there’s no feeling like this; is that isn’t love.

Thought For Today: “The greatest inheritance we can leave our descendants is a love for the things of God” (Parker)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 15 April 2020

A Good Conscience

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” (Acts 24:16)

Today’s Morsel:  There is nothing like having a clear conscience.  Some folks have troubled minds because they worry about everything, and they wonder why they have no rest.  Paul states, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6-7)  And Isaiah states, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)  The secret to maintaining a good conscience is to keep our minds on Jesus Christ.  Our conscience is God’s built-in warning system.  There are two ways we can test to see if it is working.  One is when it condemns us for wrongs, and the other is when it doesn’t.  We should be very happy when it does and we should be worried if it doesn’t.   Is your conscience working today?

Sing:  Peace of God, cover me, cover me, cover me.  Peace of God, cover me; through the Storm, cover me.

Thought For Today: Our conscience is God’s built-in warning system.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 14 April 2020

The Value of Love

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-8)

Today’s Morsel:  I think one of the missing lessons in the home is the discussion of the word ‘Love’ and it’s meaning.  I learned what it meant too late in life, but now I try my very best to value it and use it in the right way.  Love is more than just liking someone.  It is more than being attracted to someone.  Before we say, “I do,” I think it would be wise to really understand the meaning of love.  Paul says of love that it is patient, and it is kind; love does not envy; love doesn’t brag on itself, love is not prideful, and it does not behave itself rudely, love doesn’t seek to always have its way, love is not easily provoked, it doesn’t think evil; it doesn’t love sin and wrong, but love gets excited about the truth; love can endure all things, it believes in others, love has faith in others, and it can keep going under harsh circumstances and conditions.  Love never fails you or others.  John says that God is love (1 John 4:8).  The value we place on God will be the value that we place on each other.

Sing: I am so glad that Jesus loves me, Jesus love me, Jesus loves me.  I am so glad that Jesus loves me, Jesus loves even me.

Thought For Today: “The value we place on God, will be the value that we place on each other” (Parker)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 13 April 2020

Just Say No!

“But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” 

(Matthew 5:34-37)

Today’s Morsel:  One of the toughest things for some people to do is to say “No’.   In so many ways, many are afraid to say ‘No’ for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. Many are afraid to say, ‘No’ because they don’t want to be seen as being too hard.  Too often even in the church, we are afraid to say ‘No’ to those we are teaching Bible studies to or witnessing to even if we know they are wrong, because they say we are trying to get them saved.  Let me give you some advice.  You can’t save anyone.  If God doesn’t do it, you are going to cause yourself hardship and headaches.  Don’t allow people to misuse you, that isn't going to save them.   Jesus didn’t allow it and neither should you.  ‘No’ is one of the few words that can never be misunderstood.  Jesus said let your communication be ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ because what is more than that becomes evil.  Both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ are oaths.  If you tell someone ‘Yes’, then do it.  If you tell them ‘No’ then don’t do it.  Anything other than that makes you double-minded and you send the wrong message.

Sing:  This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.  This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. Won’t let Satan blow it out, Oh No! I’m gonna let it shine. Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Thought For Today: Don’t ever let your ‘No’ be confused. (Parker