Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 31 May 2022

 Exalting God

“Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.” (Psalms 99:9)

 

Today’s Morsel: The psalmist calls our remembrance to those who worshipped God before us as an example. He states: “Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.” (Psalms 99:5-6) It’s one thing to praise God, it is another to worship Him. Praise is thanking God for what He has done for you, while worship is acknowledging Him for who He is. This is one of the reasons why it is of utmost importance that when we come to church we know who Jesus Christ is. God manifested in flesh (Matthew 1:21, John 1:1,14, 1 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 2:8-9, 1 John 5:20). Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:22-24) Do you know the One you worship?  Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.  

Sing: Come, now is the time to worship, come, now is the time to give your heart.  Come, just as you are to worship, come, now is the time to give your life. One day every tongue shall confess You are God, one day every knee shall bow, still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly seek you now.  Come, now is the time to worship, come, now is the time to give your heart.

 

Thought For Today: “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 30 May 2022

 Memorial Day

“And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.” (Exodus 28:12)

 

Today’s Morsel: Memorial Day is an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. It is for those who died while in active military service. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Today, throughout our nation, we will honor all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our nation. It is not to honor Veterans or those still serving.  Many Americans will observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in parades. This day must never be forgotten. Especially for a free nation like America.  As President Calvin Coolidge stated, “The Nation that forgets its defenders, will itself be forgotten.” “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?” (Deuteronomy 4:7-8) This saying Moses proposed to Israel. But today, I propose it to America. Don’t ever forget that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice that we might be free.

 

Sing: Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left its stain, He washed it white as snow.

 

Thought For Today: Don’t ever forget Jesus died that you might live.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 28 May 2022

What Is Sin?

 

“All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.” (1 John 5:17)

 

Today’s Morsel: Because God is holy and righteous, all violations of holiness and righteousness fall under the category of sin.  So we can conclude that if we are not right, then we are sinning or are called a sinner. Scripture tells us that sin is of the devil. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning…”(1 John 3:8) And we know that sin cannot enter heaven because God is righteous and holy. John again informs us, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 John 3:10) Therefore, if we desire to reside and be with Christ and be called His sons and daughters, then we must do everything in our power to do what is right, live holy, and avoid things which are wrong.  Be holy, because He is holy.  

 

Sing: I came to Jesus weary, worn and sad, He took my sins away, He took my sins away.  And now on Him, I roll my every care, He took my sins away.

He took my sins away, He took my sins away, and He keeps me singing every day.  I’m so glad He took my sins away, He took my sins away.

 

Thought For Today: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 27 May 2022

 Dig Your Well Before You Get Thirsty

 

“And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.” (2 Kings 3:16-17)

 

Today’s Morsel: One of the most important commodities of life is that of water. They say that our human bodies are made up of at least 80 percent water and that we should drink at least eight, eight-ounce glasses of water daily to prevent dehydration and weight loss. In olden times, and even here in America, one of the first things people sought was to locate water and dig a well before they made a place to reside. Everyone seems to know when they are thirsty and need water. Jesus  told the woman at the well in John chapter 4, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14) You must dig a well before you get thirsty. The Lord told Jehoshaphat that there was going to be a famine and that he should fill the valley with ditches so there would be water for them. The Lord even told Amos, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:11) Are you digging in His word and putting it in your heart? A famine is coming. So get yourself ready before it does. Dig deep.

 

Sing: Drinking at the springs of living water, Happy now am I, my soul they satisfy. Drinking at the springs of living water, O’ wonderful and bountiful supply.

Thought For Today: Dig a little deeper in the storehouse of the Lord.

 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 26 May 2022

 Finding Your Purpose

 

“At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” (Acts 26:13-18)

 

Today’s Morsel: Some folks will spend their entire life never knowing for what purpose they were born. What does God desire to do through your life? What purpose does He have for you? Many folks are bored, filled with stress, discouraged, disheartened, disappointed, frustrated, angry, and with low self-esteem, all because they don’t know what their purpose in life is. People are sitting in jobs and even in the church bored out of their minds because they don’t know their purpose.  Paul related to King Agrippa that God had appeared to him to show him his purpose.  Which was to make him a minister and a witness both to the Jews and the gentile, and to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins. What a wonderful purpose. Maybe this is the reason why Paul thought himself happy. He now knew his purpose in life. For twenty-eight years, I thought my purpose was to be a professional soldier for the U.S. Military. But now, I know what my real purpose in life is. And that is to know Him and to make Him known. What’s your purpose?

 

Sing: Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall.  When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so; when I am sad, He makes me glad, He’s my friend.

 

Thought For Today: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 25 May 2022

Living Out God's Word

“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
(Psalms 119:97-105)

 

Today’s Morsel: One of the things that many folks find troubling is trying to live out God’s word in their lives. I hear some people say that it’s hard trying to do what God’s word says, while others just do it. The problem I see is that many folks try to live out God’s word in their lives without wisdom, knowledge, discretion, instruction, and understanding. Hiding God’s word in our life will allow us to live out what God desires us to do. According to Micah, God has already shown us what we must do. “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) If we don’t know what God requires of us, we can try to do things that He doesn’t require and it can make life hard. So read your word and He will show you what is required.

 

Sing:  Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  When I feel afraid, think I've lost my way, still You're there right beside me.   

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. 

Thought For Today: “Thou art my portion, O LORD:  I have said that I would keep thy words.” (Psalms 119:57)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 24 May 2022

 Bearing Our Cross

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

 

Today’s Morsel: Many folks say that they are Christians, but few are willing to take up their cross daily and follow Jesus.  Jesus informs us, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)  Is this the reason many are called but few are chosen? Is it because folks will not take up their cross daily and follow Christ? A couple of years ago, I wrote a book entitled ‘The True Cross Bearers’. Many think that to be a cross-bearer, you must die on the cross like Jesus. No, we don’t have to do that. We just need to die to ourselves and follow His example and allow His Spirit to lead and guide us.  We must be moved with compassion, resist all evil, obey His word, submit to Him, and serve as He did. If you want to hear Him say, “Well done thy good and faithful servant’, then you must take up your cross daily and follow Him. There is no other way.   

 

Sing: Where He leads me, I will follow; where He leads me, I will follow. Where He leads me, I will follow, follow, follow, Him.  

 

Thought For Today: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

 

For a copy of, The True Cross Bearer and other books by Rufus Parker visit. 

https//rufusparkerministries.square.site/

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 23 May 2022

 You Don’t Get To Choose For God

 “And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.” (2 Kings 5:8-12)

 

Today’s Morsel: One of the things that we see throughout scripture is, that we do not get to choose for God. We see this with the selection of King David to replace King Saul. As God told Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Joshua to replace Moses, and Matthias to replace Judas (see Acts 1:21-26) I often wonder if the reason some churches have trouble with their leadership is that man is doing the selecting.  They are not seeking God for whom He desires to lead His people. As the Lord told Jeremiah, “ And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15) Some parents even try to choose mates for their children, and we see the end state. Should we not leave that to God too?  Naaman thought that he could just dip in any water that he wanted to and be healed. But he soon realized that he didn’t get to choose for God. Elisha didn’t care if he dipped in the Jordan or not. He left that choice up to Naaman. But he wasn’t changing what God’s word instructed him to tell Naaman to do. We must get in the habit of seeking God for what He desires of us and whom He desires to lead us. As His ways and thoughts are not ours.  We will only have fulfillment in our life when we learn to follow Him.

 

Sing: Jesus, Jesus, You know what's best for me.  So lead on, Jesus, I’ll go wherever You lead.

 

Thought For Today: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 21 May 2022

 The Least

“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:7-9)

 

Today’s Morsel: When we look at the life of the apostle Paul, Paul was considered a very educated man. Paul had studied and knew the Jewish law and was steadfast to it. But after his conversion, Paul saw himself as the least of the apostles of Christ. We don’t read a lot about the other apostles' education that were chosen by Christ, but Paul tells us about his, and yet he felt small when it came to Christ and being called to share the gospel. You see, not until you are willing to humble yourself before Christ are you able to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ. Therefore, I believe when Jesus said that except a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, it abideth alone, but if it dies it brings forth fruit. He was giving us an example of humility. Because not until you are willing to accept being a servant can you grow up to be a king.

 

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: “No one can grow if he does not accept his smallness” (Pope Francis)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 20 May 2022

 Think For Yourself

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

 

Today’s Morsel: I have come to understand that a lot of people who suffer, are depressed, and filled with anxiety, are those who will not think for themselves. They want someone else to tell them what to do. I’m not saying that you should not seek counsel and advice, but when are you going to start to think for yourself? Joshua told the children of Israel; I’m not going to choose for you if you are going to serve God or not. This is a decision that each of you is going to have to make on your own. But just so that you know, my family and I are going to serve the Lord (My wording). Some people read the same Bible as others do, see what it says, and yet will walk away from the truth because they want someone else to decide for them. You must work out your own salvation. Someone else cannot make that decision for you. If you start thinking for yourself, you just might have a little more joy in your life each day.

 

Sing: For me, for me, there's a mansion there for me; in glory land so bright and fair, where the victor's crown, I soon shall wear.  Come, and go with me, for I won’t be back you see.  If anybody's going to be happy over there it’s me, me, me, me.

 

Thought For Today: Healing begins with how you think.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 19 May 2022

 Deeply Rooted

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

 

Today’s Morsel: How deep are your roots in Christ? Are you troubled when things go awry in your life? Do you get upset at people easily? Do you have a lack of compassion for those who left the church and are now suffering because of their decision? If so, then your roots may not be deep enough. A heart of compassion shows that your roots are deep in Christ. The suffering of others pulls at the very core of your heart as it did Jesus. When we as believers have our roots deeply established in Christ, trials, troubles, and what others do, don’t move us. We remain the same. Just like Jesus, we are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Paul told the church at Ephesus that he was praying for them, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith; that they, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19) Your love toward others reveals your root system.  Are you rooted in love?

 

Sing: Deeper, deeper blessed Holy Spirit, take me deeper still.  Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus, and His perfect will.

O’ deeper yet, I pray, and higher every day, and wiser blessed Lord, in Thy precious holy word.

 

Thought For Today: “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” (Luke 8:13)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 18 May 2022

 Education

 “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
 (1 Timothy 4:13-16)

 

Today’s Morsel: Somewhere our education system has failed. When I went to school, education was not about making a living, it was about making a person. From 1^st grade to 8^th grade, we began our school day with devotion, prayer, singing, and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Those first 8 years taught us manners, health, morals, respect for ourselves and others, integrity, reading, writing, and arithmetic. It wasn’t until high school that we learned how to start a career and how to make a living. But not before the basic needs in life were enforced. Paul told Timothy to study the word of God because it would make him a godly person. Peter told the church that they should give "all diligence, and add to your faith virtue...” (2 Peter 1:5-11) Why? Because virtue is no more than morality, honesty, integrity, and goodness. Because if a person does not have it they are going to fall.  Jesus, Peter said, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).  God is holy, righteous, and true, therefore we must be as He is.  “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” Paul said (Ephesians 6:4)

 

Sing: Deeper, deeper, in the blessed Holy Spirit, Take me deeper still.  Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus and his perfect will.

O’ deeper yet I pray, and higher every day, and wiser blessed Lord in Thy precious holy word.

Thought For Today: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)