Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 7

Laboring For The Rest

“Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:7-11)

Today’s Morsel: Throughout America today, many will be off work for what we call Labor Day. Labor Day is a day sat aside to honor contributions of American workers, recognizing the labor movement, and celebrate the social and economic achievements of laborers. 

Paul informs us that we are laboring together with Christ, and that there is a day of rest which is set aside for us who labor and work in His vineyard. The same way that we honor those who have labored to make things better for others throughout America, we should also celebrate those who labor in the vineyard of Christ, to make things and life better for others. Why are you laboring in Christ’s vineyard? Are you looking and working to gain more? Or are you laboring to enter that rest? Don’t labor to be rich - “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.” (Proverbs 23:4) labor to enter that rest that He has gone to prepare for us. “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.” (Hebrews 6:10-12)

Sing: Jesus use me, O’ Lord don’t refuse me, for surely there’s a work that I can do. And even though its humble, Lord, help my will to crumble; Though the cost be great, I’ll work for You.

Thought For Today: “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 6

The Day Abraham’s Faith Was Tested

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” (Genesis 22:1-14)

 

Today’s Morsel: Have you ever had your faith tested? When Albert Einstein was seen as a failure after the light bulb didn’t work at  1,000 tries, he stated, “I have not failed. I’ve just found a thousand ways it doesn’t work.”  There will come a time in your life that your faith will be tested, or you will never know if it is going to work when you need it. Jesus placed His disciples in a boat to go to the other side; their faith was put to the test by a storm. When they began to fear, Jesus chides them for not having any faith. Abraham was tested by God telling him to offer his son Isacc. Abraham, we see, doesn’t waver. His faith had been tested before, and he knew that God would come through for him. And He will come through for you. James tells us that it is the trying of our faith that worketh patience. When your faith is tested, don’t fret nor fear, just see it as God proving you to see if it’s going to work for you when you may need it the most.

Sing: Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails, so you might as well get thee behind me Satan, you cannot prevail; because Jesus never fails.

Thought For Today: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 5

Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy

“Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” (Job 4:8)

Today’s Morsel: One of the things that is sure in life is that you reap what you sow. Solomon, the wisest man to ever lived, stated: “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8-13) Solomon highlights for us that the wicked and every sinner isn’t getting away just because their sentence is not speedily executed, he lets us know that it shall not be well or good for the wicked and sinner when their judgement comes. If we reap good for doing good and evil and wickedness for doing evil, I don’t think we need to be a rocket scientist to figure this stuff out. Job lets us know that we reap what we sow. Or should I say that we reap what we do. So, don’t be your own worst enemy. Be careful and aware of what you are sowing, it will come back around to you.  

Sing: I thought that number one, would surely be me, I thought I could be, whatever I wanted to be; I thought that I could build on life’s sinking sand, but I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.

Lord, I can’t even walk, without You holding my hand, the mountains too high, and the valleys too wide. Down on my knees, that’s where I learn to stand; And I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.

Thought For Today: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 4

Are You Enjoying Life?

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:39-40)

Today’s Morsel: Bottom line up front, if Jesus is not the highest priority in your life, the likelihood of you enjoying life and living a productive life, is going to be very smallest. You may find some enjoyment and laughter here and there, as with some things, because most people do. But enjoyable life and having it more abundant will be sporadic. Let me share with you why. Jesus has already told us in His Word: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) We can’t do anything without Him. So, if we are missing the source from which life comes from, then we will not have it. Jesus also tells us: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Jesus shared these teachings with us so that we could experience His personal overflowing inner joy through a loving relationship with Him, rather than relying on temporary worldly circumstances. When you study the Word of God, you soon discover that true, complete life, joy, and happiness, come from Jesus and by living closely connected to Him. It doesn’t come from money, success, or material things. Jesus links His joy, life, and peace, with keeping His commandments and abiding in His love. “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10) If you want to have life and an enjoyable life, then you must stick close to Him the One who gives us life. 

Sing: I found a new way of living, I found a new life divine, I have the Fruit of the Spirit, I am abiding, abiding in the vine.

Abiding in the vine, abiding in the vine, love, joy, peace, strength, He has made them mine; I have prosperity, power and victory, abiding, abiding, in the vine.

Thought For Today: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 3

There Is Nobody Like Jesus

“And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41)

Today’s Morsel: There were many in Jesus’ day upon the earth that questioned as to who He was when they saw the miracles, heard His teachings, and His rebuke of the Pharisee’s Sadducee’s and Scribe’s which He did. Many of them questioned as to who He was when they saw that He was not afraid of what people thought of Him, or His willingness to go against the status quo. Even His disciples, whom He had chosen, had doubt in their minds about Him. Philip and Thomas, after being with Him for three years, did not recognize Him as the Father (John 14:7-10); And the disciples even questioned who He was after He commanded the wind and waves to be still. They asked, what manner of man is this. The men on the road to Emmus didn’t recognize Him. But He was the one whom Paul said, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:15-17) Jesus was more than a man. Paul said, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2:9-10) Let me encourage you today, you will never recognize Jesus by human eyes. You can only recognize Him by eyes of faith.

Sing: He’s Jehovah God, the coming King of glory; He’s the true Nissi, the Lord of grace and favor, He is Jesus Christ, Redeemer Friend and Savior, He’s the great, He’s the great I AM!

He’s the great I Am, the everlasting Father, He’s the Prince of Peace, the great eternal Wonder, Holy Counselor, and Zion righteous Governor, He’s the great, He’s the great I Am.

Thought For Today: “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” (Isaiah 43:10-11)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 2

Are You Ready To Cross Over?

“And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.” (Joshua 3:3-4)

Today’s Morsel: When I was in the army as an infantry soldier, part of our training was to be ready at a certain time to cross the line of departure. In other words, there was a set time and a line that we must cross so that you did not get killed by friendly fire. One of the things we learned was that once we departed a site, our enemies would soon come in and seek to obtain any information or intelligence that they could find that they may be able to use against us. And so, we would preprogram artillery fire on that site for a set time after our departure. And if we did not get off that location at the appropriate time, we could suffer the consequences. 

The children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and now it was time for them to cross over to the other side. Joshua had told them that they had not passed that way before and so they should keep their eyes on the Ark. He gave them a set time that they must be ready to go. No delays. Our final home is heaven. And we know that there is going to come a day that we must cross over. So the question is, are you ready? Scripture says that the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas as he brought them out from the jail, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.  And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” (Acts 16:30-33). When Peter had preached to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost, according to Acts 2,: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:37-41) In both accounts, the question is asked what they shall do, or what must I do to be saved? We see that according to scripture the first act is for one to believe on Jesus Christ, as neither is there salvation in any other (Acts 4:12). Next, we must repent of our sins (Matthew 4:17). Third, we must be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38, 10:48). And fourth, we must be filled with God’s Spirit (Romans 8:9). Are you ready to cross over to the other side where you will live with Jesus forever and ever?“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” (Romans 13:11)

Sing: The captain of the vessel, he’s calling get onboard, the destinations heaven, upon those crystal shores, there we’ll see our blessed Savior, and our loved ones who have gone before, and we will sing and shout for eternity, thank God we’re going home.

I’m going home with Jesus, in the twinkling of an eye, I’ve made my reservation for my mansion in the sky. I may not know the moment, and I may not know the day, but I know that I’ll be leaving, when He calls His church away.

Thought For Today: “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 September 1

How Do You Handle Unexpected Bad News That Affects You?

“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” (Job 3:25-26)

Today’s Morsel: If you have been in the church, or around the church for any amount of time, I am sure that you have heard of the story of Job and what trials that he endured. We read in chapters 1 & 2 of Job, that Job lost all his material possessions, his children, servants, and even his own health in what seems like minutes. Job seems to be doing okay with the news until his friends show up and begin to accuse him of sin.  One of the things you will find in life is that none of us know what type of news the next moment may bring our way. Some people leave home to go to work and never return. Some children go off to school and never return. Some folks go to their doctor what they think is a routine appointment, and they are told that they have terminal cancer and only have a few months or so to live. So, how should we handle such news when it affects us? Scripture tells us: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10). The Lord tells us not to fear as He will help us. God will come along beside us and direct us through such ordeals and hardships. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “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;” (Hebrews 6:17-19) Jesus will never leave us, nor will he ever forsake us. We must keep our focus upon Him so that our ship will not sink.

Sing: Who is this who for our sorrow offers comfort and relief, bringing sunshine to the dark and shadowed life; Saying softly cease repining lift thou soul above its grief, let the peace pass understanding still the strife.

It is Jesus, Jesus, sad ones weep no more. He will heal the brokenhearted, open wide the prison doors, He is able to deliver evermore.

Thought For Today: Stay connected to the anchor or the wind will blow you out to sea.