Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 15

Everybody Ought To Know

“That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Psalms 83:18)

Today’s Morsel: One of the first things that every born-again believe ought to know is who Jesus Christ was. Isaiah informs us: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Matthew highlights this passage in his gospel by stating: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:18-25)  “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace..” (Isaiah 9:6 Jesus said that the truth shall make you free.   Freedom starts with an understanding of truth. If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and He is, and no man can come to the Father except by him, and He states that He is the Father (John 14:9), and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of truth (John 15:26), and in Him was the life (John 1:4), then I ask - who do you say that He is? As Brother G.T Haywood, along with 150 other minister were kicked out of the Assemblies of God for their stance for the Oneness of God said, “everybody ought to know who Jesus is.” Again, truth shall make you free.

Sing: Everybody ought to know, everybody ought to know, everybody ought to know, who Jesus is. Everybody ought to know, everybody ought to know, everybody ought to know, who Jesus is. He’s the lily of the valley, He’s the bright and morning star, He’s the fairest of ten thousand, everybody ought to know.

Thought For Today: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 14

Change Your Heart

“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

Today’s Morsel: Moses, in his explanation to the children of Israel, is informing them what is required of them to serve the Lord.  He tells them, and these instructions are for us a well: 1. To fear the LORD thy God, 2. To walk in all his ways, 3.To love him, 4. To serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, 5. To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes. That seems pretty simple to me. When the man asked the prophet Micah, what was required for him to come and appear before the Lord, he is told: “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 6:8) Both Moses and Micah call for us to change our heart and the way that we think if we are intending to make heaven our home and to stand before our Lord our Savior. This stuff isn’t hard. The problem is that most people don’t have a passion for the things of God and the things they want. If you don’t have passion, change your heart and see doesn’t your body follow. Your heart (mind) is what controls everything else in the body. Get your heart under control and your body will follow!

Sing: Change my heart O, God, make it ever true; change my heart O, God may I be like You. You are the potter, I am the clay, mold me and make me, this is what I pray. Change my heart O, God, make it ever true; change my heart O, God may I be like You.

Thought for Today: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...” (Proverbs 23:7)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 13

Praise Him Anyway

“Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.” (Psalms 50:23)

Today’s Morsel: What is stopping your praise to God? What is hindering and impeding you from getting up early in the morning, or at church, and praising the Lord. The Bible states: “Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised.” (Psalms 113:1-3)When your bills are due and the money is low, praise Him anyway. When your children backslide and cause confusion, praise Him anyway. When your job lays you off, praise Him anyway. When your flight is delayed and you are going to miss your next flight, and even the flight after, praise Him anyway. When you don’t get promoted, praise Him anyway. When the doctor tells you that you have cancer, and your body is wracking in pain, praise Him anyway. When someone gets in your favorite seat at church, praise Him anyway. Why am I calling for so much praise you may ask? Because it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely for the upright. So, get your praise on and don’t sweat the small stuff. 

Sing: Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me, whoso offereth praise glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God.

Thought For Today: “Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.” (Psalms 111:1)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 12

The Same Place

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy.” (Leviticus 6:24-25)

Today’s Morsel: The Lord told Moses that in the same place that the priest killed the sin offering they were to kill the burnt offering as it is most holy. The burnt offering was a voluntary act of worship symbolizing complete surrender, devotion, and commitment to God, and the sin offering was for unintentional human sins. These instructions given to Moses were so he could pass them down to Aaron and his sons who were the priest for doing the sacrifices. God want them to understand His requirements for worship and true sacrifice. By treating the sacrifices the same, as Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, it would show the rituals serious nature of sin and the precise way God required atonement. By stating that it was most holy would emphasize to them that an offering for sin was very important and must not be taken lightly. Paul would show us how important our sacrifice was to God when he wrote: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) The writer of Hebrews tells us, “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:10-15) Jesus was our sacrificial Lamb for both our sin and burnt offering. Jesus as our sacrificial Lamb, dies in the same place, without the camp. Calvary! When we repent of our sins at the altar of repentance, we are all dying in the same place. And we are now pledging to submit ourselves in commitment and devotion to Him now forever. Being holy as He is holy!

Sing: He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; Surely, He has borne all our sorrows, and by His stripes we are healed.

Thought For Today: “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 11

I’m Not Going If You Aren’t

“And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” (Exodus 33:12-15)

Today’s Morsel: Moses seem to have a very good relationship with God. Scripture says “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend…” (Exodus 33:11) When  I was called by God to carry this precious gospel to the nation of Mongolia, I asked God, like Moses, who was going with me? God said that my wife was going with me. I knew that God was going with me, even though He told me that my wife was going with me. Moses told God that if He was not going with them, then don’t carry them up either. Those are words of faith and confidence from Moses. Moses knew that He would need God and that he wanted assurance that God was going with them. There is nothing wrong with stepping out on faith and going before to a place, but cockiness and pride can get you into a whole lot of trouble. Especially if God has not called you to a work or a place. Moses had a calling of God, and he had God’s word that He would not forsake him, nor leave him, and that He would go with Him. Even though Moses wanted to know who God was sending with him, he wanted God to know that it doesn’t matter who else He’s sending with him, if He wasn’t going, he wasn’t going either. Boldness on Moses part and wisdom on his part as well. Boldness, because he wanted God to know that He needed him; and wisdom to show that he had already learned what happens without God in one’s life. As pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. 

Sing: Lead me, Lord, I will follow, lead me, Lord, I will go; You have called me, I will answer, lead me, Lord, I will go. 

Thought For Today: “Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.” (Psalms 27:9)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 10

The Day God Took Care of My Enemy

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Today’s Morsel: Throughout Scripture, we oftentimes see that Israel did not have to fight their enemies because God fought for them. God told Gideon that He would go with him into battle against the Midianites. He told Josuah that He would be with him, as He was with Moses, when he came into the promise land. Every battle that Joshua fought, from Jericho until the children of Israel were given land, God was with them. He even told David how to plan a victory to conquer his enemy. He told Jehoshaphat that the battle was not his, but His. And the writer of Hebrews informed us: “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” (Hebrews 11:32-34) All because God was fighting for them. And when the children of Israel were afraid because they saw the Egyptians coming behind them, Moses told them not to fear, but to standstill, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. He told them to take a good look at their enemies as this would be the last time that they would see them. Do you remember the day that God took care of your enemies? It was the day that you became born again. That was the day that God got rid of your enemies for you. Now there is nothing nor anyone you should fear or dread. God will fight your battles for you. Just call upon Him in the time of trouble and He will hear you and deliver you. 

Sing: God is fighting for us, pushing back the darkness, lighting up the kingdom, that shall not be shaken, in the name of Jesus, the enemy is defeated, and you shout it out, shout it out.

Thought For Today: “Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.” (Isaiah 41:11)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 9

Is There Anything Too Hard For The Lord?

“Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.” (Genesis 18:11-15)

Today’s Morsel: Throughout scriptures, we sometimes see folks who take matters into their own hands because they don’t think that God has the power nor the ability to do what He says. When Abraham and Sarah are told that they will have a son in their old age, they both laughed. But God doesn’t laugh with them. God asks them if there is anything too hard for Him to do? Abraham and Sarah are listening and thinking from a natural standpoint and not a spiritual one. When God says that something is going to happen, buckle your seat beat as it will come to pass. He is not a man that He should lie. The writer of Hebrews informs us that God swears by Himself because He doesn’t lie. Mary and Martha were under the idea that there was nothing that could be done for their brother Lazarus, as he had died. Yet Jesus tells them that their brother shall live again. But when Martha confesses that she knows that He will rise and living against in the resurrection in the last day, Jesus tells her that He is the resurrection. What, I believe, He was saying to Martha is, do you think there is something that I can’t do? Do you think that this is too hard for me? When Jesus tells them to roll away the stone from the grave, Martha is befuddled. And when her brother walks out of that grave, she knew that there was nothing too hard for God. Listen, God can take care of your situation if you’d simply believe Him and let Him. The name Isaac means laughter. God always gets the last laugh and the last say. But you can have the last rejoicing for His goodness.

Sing: Nothing is too difficult for Thee, nothing is too difficult for Thee, great and mighty God in counsel, mighty in-deeds, nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, nothing is too difficult for Thee.

 Thought For Today: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)