Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 30 July 2022

A New Heart

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

 

Today’s Morsel: One of the things that the new birth should have brought you was a new way of thinking and acting. Our old hard and stony heart should now be a heart of flesh. It should now be soft and ready to receive the word of God so that we may grow and be like Christ and His word. When God gives us a new heart, our outlook on life should be changed by the way we live, act, and conduct ourselves. We should now be walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10). And now we should be doing exactly what He asks us to do. “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:15-17) The Holy Ghost is our witness that we have received our new heart.

 

Sing: I’ve been changed, I am newborn now, all my life has been rearranged.  What a difference it made when the Lord came to stay, in my heart, O’ yes, I’ve been changed.

Thought For Today: “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” (Psalms 57:7)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 29 July 2022

 God’s Words Are True

 “Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”

(Lamentations 3:37-41)

 

Today’s Morsel: One of the things about God is all the words that proceed out of His mouth are true. Peter wrote: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:21-22) Every word of God is pure. They have been tried and tested and have been proven time and time again that they are true, and they will not return void but shall accomplish what He desires. The same way that James says that you cannot get salt water and sweet water from the same fountain, you can not get truth and lies out of God. All His words are true.

 

Sing: It’s real, it’s real, I know it’s real, the Bible is the word of God and it’s real, it’s real, it’s real.  It’s real, it’s real, I know it’s real, this word of God we study is real, it’s real, it's real. (Parker)

 

Thought For Today: Out of the mouth of the Most-High proceed not evil and good.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 28 July 2022

 The True God

“But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” (Jeremiah 10:10)

 

Today’s Morsel: For some, they are confused when it comes to who Jesus was. Some place Jesus as the second person in the Godhead. While some place Him as a part of the trinity, others place him as Son of man, while others place Him as the Son of God, and other as God. But Jesus said, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24) The only one that can forgive sins is God. Remember that. Paul informed Timothy that it is a mystery and that mysteries must be solved: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16) He (Paul) told the church at Corinth: “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge.” (1 Corinthians 8:6-7) Notice all things cannot be of God and all things by Jesus unless they are the same one.  Jesus answers this for us: I and my Father are one (John 10:30) Isaiah wrote: “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. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.” (Isaiah 43:10-12); Are you His witnesses? Jeremiah wrote: “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king.  Again, Jesus said: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.” (John 13:13) And the apostle John informs us: “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)  But whom do you say that I am? Jesus asked (Matthew 16:15) It means nothing if you do not know Him for yourself.

 

Sing: The Mighty God is Jesus, the Prince of Peace is He, the Everlasting Father, the King Eternally, the Wonderful in Wisdom, by whom as things were made, the fullness of the Godhead in Jesus is displayed.

It’s all in Him, it’s all in Him, the fullness of the Godhead is all in Him; it’s all in Him.  It’s all in Him, the Mighty God is Jesus and it’s all in Him.

 

Thought For Today “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” (Romans 3:3-4):

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 27 July 2022

 When Death Opens Your Eyes

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.” (Isaiah 6:1-13)

Today’s Morsel: How do you feel when you leave a funeral? Have you changed? Do thoughts run through your mind of needing to get things right with Jesus? What points did you take away from the deceased that you were not aware of? What good and bad points did you walk away with? Were your eyes open to things that you didn’t know? Isaiah said that in the year that king Uzziah died he also saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. This king's death opened his eyes and he even received his call into the ministry. Funerals are not only supposed to change you, but they are also causes for preaching the gospel to a lost and dying world.

 

Sing: I saw the light, I saw the light, no more in darkness, no more in the night.  Now I am happy, no sorrow in sight; praise the Lord I saw the light.

 

Thought For Today: “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 26 July 2022

 Mutual Love

“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” (Song of Solomon 2:1-4)

 

Today’s Morsel: This love poem written by Solomon stresses the importance of God’s love for His sons and daughters or His church. Paul echoed this sentiment when he wrote: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) Lilies among thorns, and apple trees among the trees of the woods is an analogy of being out of place. Sometimes God’s people may find themselves in some of the harshest conditions and must grow and represent Him there. It does not change God’s love for you. He knows where you are and you are still His beloved.

 

Sing: He knew me, and yet He loved me, He whose glory made the heaven shine.  I’m so unworthy of such mercy, yet when He was on the cross, I was on His mind.

 

Thought For Today: “Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” (John 1:48)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 25 July 2022

 Sin Is Unprofitable

“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 8:10-13)

 

Today’s Morsel: I don’t know about you but for me, it is easy to get angry and upset with some folks when I see laws being passed that destroy our way of life and morals, and individuals don’t know who they are, and the demonstrators in the streets not knowing for what reasons they are demonstrating, and many are being accused of being racist when they are not.  Suicide is on the uprise, schools have lost their meaning of being educational institutions, and appointed judges can’t define words, and homes and families are falling apart.  When I see all this, the more I realize just how valuable Jesus’ statement was from the cross when He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” We must pray for these that their hearts will be changed as these are signs of hardness of heart.  Solomon said, 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.”  I know the end state based on the word of God. Sin is unprofitable. So stay away from sin and from all its ways.

 

Sing: Though my friends turn me down and the world on me frowns, let me walk in the gospel light.  Till I reach heaven shores where I’m tempted no more, let me walk in the gospel light.

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: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 23 July 2022

 True or False

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 16:25)

 

Today’s Morsel: One of the things about true and false examinations is that you must be sure of your answer. One word added or a word missing can cause you to answer incorrectly. The same holds true to our salvation. It’s a true or false test. If you do not search the scriptures for yourself and you just obey what someone else tells you without you knowing personally what the scripture says, you could miss heaven and end up in hell.  Jesus said: “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) There are not many ways to heaven, and we are not all God’s children. Some belong to the devil (Roman 8:9, 1 John 3:10). There is only one way to heaven and the Bible states that plainly. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) It’s not being a part of a denomination that's going to get you there. It will be your obedience to the truth of God’s word. Listen closely, all roads do not lead to Rome nor does every church lead you to heaven.

 

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 one weep no more.  He will heal the brokenhearted, open wide the prison door.  He is able to deliver evermore.

 

Thought For Today: “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.” (Acts 2:38-39)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 22 July 2022

 When God Has You Covered

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”

(Psalms 91:1-16)

 

Today’s Morsel: Psalms 91 is probably one of my favorite Psalms. Every scripture basically shows us God’s protective hand over us. And when it seems like God must be somewhere else, He gives His angels charge over us to keep us in all His ways. How do you feel knowing that heaven watches over you? This shouldn’t surprise you. It should encourage you to know that God has your best interest at heart. When Jesus said that He won’t leave you nor forsake you, He meant it.

 

Sing: I am covered, covered, covered by His Blood.  I’m walking faith, I’m living in love.  I am covered, covered, covered by His Blood, Jesus has rescued me.

 

Thought For Today: “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)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 21 July 2022

 When That Which You Were Afraid Of Happens To 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: They say that when bad things happen to others that we should not laugh, but that we should take notice as those same things could happen to us. The Bible says of Job, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” (Job 1:1) By all accounts, Job practiced righteous living and yet bad things came against him. He said, 'For the thing which I greatly feared will come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.' When I was in the military, I delivered many death notifications to my soldiers. And with each one, I would ask myself, what will it be like when someone delivers one to me. And so, I prepared myself against that day.  And one day, the Red Cross called, but because I had prepared against that day and settled it in my heart, I was not soon shaken. Are you staying ready for the soon coming of the Lord? Are you prepared for the unexpected? “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-9). Get it settled in your heart.  Be prepared for what is to come.  

 

Sing: I’m going to a city, there will be no more night.  I’m going to the city where Jesus is the light.  The trumpets gonna sound and I’ll be called away, I’m going to a city someday.

 

Thought For Today: “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:43-44)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 20 July 2022

 Sleepless Nights

 “On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.” (Esther 6:1-3)

 

Today’s Morsel: Have you ever been awakened in the wee hours of the night because of a dream that prevented you from being able to sleep? What did you do? Did you just rollover and try to get back to sleep or did you get up and seek God for what the dream was about? Sometimes those dreams may be God’s way of getting our attention. Haman desired to destroy all the Jew from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces in the days of King Ahasuerus.  But anytime Satan has an intention against God’s people, God will cause an intervention on behalf of them. Haman was on his way to request permission from the king to hang Mordecai when the tables were turned against him and he found himself having to escort Mordecai through the city streets giving him honor, which led to his own demise. Let me encourage you today. The next sleepless night that you have may have nothing to do with what you ate before bed. It may be God trying to get your attention to thwart Satan’s plans.  

 

Sing: When He calls me, I will answer.  When He calls me, I will hear.   When He calls me, I will answer; I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.

I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.  I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening, I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.

 

Thought For Today: Wake-up Oh sleeper!