Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 June 18

Do You Know How To Fight?

“A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.” (Psalms 144:1-2)

Today’s Morsel: If you ever wonder what and who made David a great warrior, it was God. David said it was God which taught his hands to war, and his fingers to fight. Scripture also tells us that, “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” (Exodus 15:3) What better person to teach you how to fight and be successful than God Himself. Through His word, God will enlighten you and show you how to defeat your enemies. Many Christians are being defeated and losing the battle against Satan and his demonic forces because they don’t know how to fight. Paul states, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) If you as a Christian soldier, do not practice justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, the enemy will defeat you every time. If you do not know how to pray, apply the scriptures that you read and study to your life, and operate in submission, the enemy will defeat you. If you do not know how to work as a team, know your duty as a good Christian soldier, and how to practice good ethical behavior, the enemy will defeat you. If you do not know how to live godly, holy, clean, and lift-up your fellow man, the enemy will defeat you. When Absolom wanted to go after his father, David, and to take the kingdom from him, he is warned,  “For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.” (2 Samuel 17:8-10) He said your father and the men with him are men of war, and they know how to fight. So you had better be very careful. Because if you do not know how to fight your father and his men will kill you. What about you? Do you know how to fight? As Paul told Timothy, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:4)

Sing: I’m a soldier, in God’s army, and I’m fighting, I’m claiming victory. I will not give up, I will not turn around, I’m a soldier marching heaven bound.

Thought For Today: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 June 17

Purpose To Speak Life Into Others

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4)

Today’s Morsel: I have been trying my very best to watch what I say, how I say things, and when I should just keep quiet. We know that according to scripture that, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21)What I say can either kill someone else, to include myself, or give each of us life. The Bible also inform us that, “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23) If you will notice, God wants us to use our mouth to give life, encouragement, build-up, and edify others. Not to tear them down nor destroy their lives. Solomon says that a wholesome tongue is a tree of life. When speech is wise, comforting, and truthful, it can bring healing and peace. It can also restore, revitalize, and give nourishment to a starving soul, and elevate others to believe in themselves, and in God’s ability to do great things through them. As Christians, we must always keep the ‘Golden Rule’ at the forefront of our thoughts and speech. In other words, the way that you want others to speak to you, that is how you should speak to others.  

Sing: Thanks, Thanks, I give You thanks, for all You’ve all done, I am so blessed, my soul has found rest, O’ Lord, I give You thanks.

Thought For Today: “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” (Mark 7:15)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 June 16

Justice Applies To You Too

“Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:6-8)

Today’s Morsel: I am not being judgmental, but I am afraid that there are going to be many people shocked on the day of Resurrection when Jesus returns. If people are now afraid of dying, what are they going to do when they must stand before Christ to give an account of the things done in this life whether good or bad? What about those who have not practiced justices? Scripture informs us, “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” (2 Samuel 23:1-3) David states that God says that leaders must rule with equality and reverence, rather than personal gain. David’s words are a blueprint for godly leadership, emphasizing that true authority requires justice and a recognition that leaders are subject to God. Leaders must be righteous, upright, fair, and equitable. They must not be impartial.  And neither must we. They must always be ruling in the fear of God. When the man asked the prophet Micah what he must do to appear before God, he is told that God had already shown him. And that is, to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly before God. If you are going to lead, lead right or sin will surely find you out. As James says, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” (James 2:8-9)

Sing: To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, on earth I long to be like Him. All through life’s journey, from earth to glory, I only ask to be like Him.

Thought For Today: “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 June 15

Prayer

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:7-15)

Today’s Morsel: I believe that a Christian ought to have certain habits in their life. And one of those is that of prayer. Prayer isn’t about how loud you can shout or making a spectacle of yourself. Prayer is a relationship between you and God. It’s you getting alone with Him and making your petitions known, and you interceding for others. David seems not only to be a great warrior, but also a great leader of soldiers and a great witness for the nation of Israel and others. David was a man of prayer. Maybe Daniel understood through David’s example of prayer that God grants great victories. Maybe Jesus’ example of how to pray in teaching His disciples, was a pattern taken from David’s prayers, since David often spoken much of praise, adoration, worship, and intercession to God and about God in his psalms.  Prayer ought to be those still quiet moments where you can hear that still small voice speaking to you. It should be a time of true love and respect for the One whom you love and appreciate for all that He’s done for you. Jesus said that when you pray not to use vain repetition. Vain repetition refers to babbling, stammering, or uttering useless, empty phrases without sincerity or any heart with it. This verse does not forbid persistence or repeating the same request in prayer but rather prohibits treating prayer like a magical formula or a way to impress God with a multiplicity of words. Jesus states in verse 8, that God already knows what people need before they ask, making excessive pleading unnecessary. That is why I believe it’s key when we sit down and talk with God in more of a relational setting, than babbling words of no effect. As James says, the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much.

Sing: I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears, but Jesus is a friend who watches day and night, I go to him in prayer, He knows my every care, and just a little talk with Jesus makes it right. (Chorus)

(Chorus)Now let us have a little talk with Jesus, let us, tell Him about our troubles, He will, hear our faintest cry, and He will answer by and by; now when  you feel a little prayer wheel turning, you’ll know a little fire is burn, you’ll find a little talk with Jesus will make it right.

Thought For Today: “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” (1 Chronicles 4:10)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 June 13

Those Caissons Go Rolling Along

“Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains. The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred. And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.” (2 Chronicles 26:11-15)

Today’s Morsel: Tomorrow, we will celebrate the U.S. Army’s Birthday. The U.S. Army was founded on June 14, 1775. 251 years ago. About a year before America became a nation. The Caissons Go Rolling Along, is the U.S. Army theme song. It was written by Lt. Edmund Gruber in 1908. It refers to the horse-drawn wagons (Caissons) carrying artillery ammunition. The phrase, “rolling along” signifies the constant, unstoppable forward movement of Field Artillery and the entire Army. It also symbolizes progress, endurance, and momentum, serving as a metaphor for the Army’s unstoppable force and determination. For 251 years, the U.S. Army has proven itself to be unstoppable by any foe. They have shown what men and women can do who have a determination and zeal to win. Like David’s mighty men, the U.S. Army has proven that it, too, can take those who are discontent, indebt, and distressed, and turn them into a mighty force to be reckoned with. We thank God for all our men and women in uniform who are, and those who have gone before, that willing sacrifice themselves so that this great nation may be free. As Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Our awesome Army does this daily.  

Sing: Then it’s hi, hi, hey, the Army’s on its way, count off the cadence loud and strong. For where e’er you go, you will always know that the Army goes rolling along. 

Thought For Today: Happy Birthday Army! Hooah!

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 June 12

Walking As Children of The Light

“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:6-10)

Today’s Morsel: When I was in the Army, in the infantry, it was usually hard to see where you were going or the person in front of you during movement at night in the dark. And so one of the things we did was sew illumines tape on the back of our helmet bands, which represented cat eye, making it easier for us to see the person in front of us, and this allowed us to see where we are going. This proved beneficial and helped us to navigate more efficiently and reduce noise at night which could give away our location. 

Paul informs us that we were sometimes in darkness, but now that we are born again, we are light in the Lord and should walk as children of light. John said, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5); “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) If we follow the example that Jesus has left for us in His Word, we will walk as lights. As there is no darkness in Him at all.

Sing: Let me walk in the light, in the great gospel light, let me walk in the gospel light. Till my journey is over and I travel no more, let me walk in the gospel light.

Thought For Today: “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” (1 John 2:9)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 June 11

Getting Rid of Fear

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

Today’s Morsel: What is it about fear that backs folks into a corner? Causes them to have anxiety? Become afraid of dying? Afraid to living alone? Afraid of failure? Being fearful of others? Fear is just False Evidence Appearing Real. Paul informed Timothy: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) So we can see that fear comes from Satan. John lets us know that fear torments us because we have not become perfect, or made complete, in God’s love. In other word, we have not settled it yet in our minds and hearts, that Jesus Christ is all that we need, and that He will protect us from all hurt and danger, and that He will provide everything that we have need of. Fear will keep tormenting you until you get things settled in your mind that you are no longer going to let it. The only fear you ought to have in your life is a fear and reverence for the things of God.

Sing: I’ve got Jesus on the inside, working on the outside, O, what a change in my life. I’ve got Jesus on the inside, working on the outside, O’ what a change in my life.  I’ve got Jesus on the inside, working on the outside, O, what a change in my life. O, what a change in my life.

Thought For Today: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)