Morning Manna by Rufus Parker: Morning Manna by Rufus Parker

Friday, July 1, 2016

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2016 July 1

I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.

(1 Corinthians 16:15-16).

Today’s Morsel: The person addicted to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco can’t seem to get enough. They will spend everything that they have to get that next fix, high, or drag. We refer to them as being hooked. And we say, that if God doesn’t deliver them, there’s really no hope for them to be set free. Solomon said that there are four things that are never satisfied. The grave, the barren womb, dry ground, and fire (Proverbs 30:15-16, my wording). I wonder what would happen if every Christian would addict themselves to the ministry as the house of Stephanas did? Wouldn’t it be great if every Christian just couldn’t seem to get enough of Jesus and the work that He’s called them to? Paul, like Stephanas' house, had addicted himself to the ministry. He told the church “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). He also told them, “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:13-14). We should not try to stop those who have addicted themselves to the work of the Lord. If they want to go to the mission’s field, let them go. If they want to witness for the Lord, let them witness. If they want to clean the church, let them clean. Give them clear instructions as Paul did Timothy and Titus and let them go. As General George Patton said, “Never tell a man how to do things. Tell them what needs to be done and let them surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Sing: Set a fire down in my soul, that I can’t contain that I can’t control, I want more of You God, I want more of You God.

Thought For Today: Shouldn’t every Christian be addicted to the things of God? (Parker)

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About Morning Manna

And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat (Exodus 16:10-15).

“Morning Manna” is a short daily devotion which began in 2002, with just a short note of encouragement to a friend who was facing difficulties at the time. Through their response, I was encouraged to begin a daily devotion via email and send it to people who asked to be put on the distribution list. It is now reaching around the globe. Its birth came about during Morning Prayer. The Lord revealed to me that I should forward my friend a word of encouragement, since it is through patience and comfort of the scripture that we find hope. Thus, I forwarded him the words the Lord had given to me for him, and he forwarded it on to someone else who was having difficulties in their life as well, and thus the original list began.

The goal of “Morning Manna” is to provide people with a quick, thought provoking Word from the Lord, as well as provide encouragement from His Word that can help them through the day and during unexpected trails and circumstances in their daily lives.

Several years ago, Jesus moved on my heart to start writing daily devotions; thus began “Morning Manna”. Today, many people are receiving these daily devotions and many of these people are forwarding it on to their family and friends. It is my hope to encourage even more through posting the devotions to this blog-page.

I pray that you, too, will enjoy reading the manna from this site.