Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 24 April 2019

How To Stand

“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” (2 Corinthians 1:24)

Today’s Morsel:  Our enemy's main goal is to stop you from serving God.  He will do everything in his power to prevent you from standing for truth, holiness, and righteousness. Every day there seems to be a new scheme or attack to cause us to fall.  So how do we stand against such attacks?  Paul said that we put on the whole armor of God. (Ephesian 6:10-18)  We must keep our focus on Jesus no matter what happens or comes against us. We have a promise from Him that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We must remain faithful to our calling and not allow anything to deter us from our Lord and our destination.

Sing: Standing on the promises of Christ my King, through eternal ages let His praises ring.  Glory in the highest I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God.

Standing! Standing! Standing on the promises of Christ my Savior.  Standing! Standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.

Thought For Today:  By faith ye stand.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 23 April 2019

Correction

“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” (Proverbs 23:13-14)

Today’s Morsel:  One of the missing elements in parenting today in many homes is how to discipline children.  I always like to say that the Bible is a training manual for the home.  If we fail to read it and study it, we will not know what to do when there is a crisis or situations with our children that need fixing.  Solomon said that we should not withhold correction from the child and that we should, “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”  (Proverbs 19:18)   This is a hard precept for a parent. Nothing affects the heart of a parent so much as when a child cries and sheds tears.  But it is better that the child may be caused to cry when the correction may be healthy to his soul, than that the parent should cry afterward when the child is grown up, and his evil habits are sealed for life.  Children are being sent to jail and prison because parents failed to read and study the training manual on how to correct them.  If you fail to correct your children and hold them to a higher standard when they are young, rest assured that when they become teenagers and young adults there will be a high price to pay. And that price is often rebellion and disrespect toward you and authority and even promiscuity and wayward behavior.  Take the time to read the manual and correct them according to God's word.    

Sing:  Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world.

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  

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 22 Apr 2019

Your Name

“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)

Today’s Morsel:  What comes to your mind when you hear of certain people’s names?  We either determine a person's good or evil by their name.  Even children associate bullies by their name.  Our name says a lot about who we are.  King Solomon admonishes, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1)  “Because character will support a man in many circumstances; and there are many rich men that have no name: but the word of the man of character will go farther than all their riches.”( Adam Clark Commentary)  Protect the integrity of your name, it carries great value in what people think of you.  

Sing:  Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!  There’s just something about that name. Master! Savoir! Jesus! Like the fragrance after the rain.  Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Let all heaven and earth proclaim.  Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away, but there is something about that name.

Thought For Today:  “Don’t let your good be evil spoken of.”

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 20 April 2019

Life Out of Death

  

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:1-7)

Today’s Morsel:  The Gospel of Christ has confounded many people.  Many have limited knowledge and understanding of its purpose.  The gospel; which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; was for one purpose, to save us.  We were all born into sin and shapen in iniquity.  Therefore, we were dead in our trespasses and sins, Paul said (Ephesians 2:1)  But God quickeneth us by the Spirit of Jesus Christ.  Jesus said that He came to give us life and that more abundant. For us to have that life, we must be born again of the water and the spirit. (John 3:3-5)  Paul asked, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”   You must bury the old you in the waters of baptism if you desire life out of death.

Sing: I’m so glad that I’ve been buried in the name of the Lord, in the name of the Lord, in the name of the Lord.  I’m so glad that I’ve been buried in the name of the Lord, since the name of the Lord has been revealed.

Thought For Today: “Baptism doth now save us.” 1 Peter 3:21 (Simon Peter)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 19 April 2019

No Greater Love

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my 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. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:9-13)

Today’s Morsel:  Life is the most valuable object we possess; and when a man is willing to lay that down for his friends or his country, it shows the utmost extent of that love.  This love for friends has been rarely witnessed.  Paul wrote to the church at Rome, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8)  Most people are not going to die for you.  But Calvary speaks of one who did.  You will not find any greater love than what Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary.  “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:14-16)  His actions on that hill are what made that day and every day thereafter good.  Because God was willing to sacrifice His Son, so that you and I could live.  Greater love we will never find nor experience.  

 Sing: I am so glad that Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me. I am so glad that Jesus loves me, Jesus loves even me!

Thought For Today: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 18 April 2019

The Man of Sorrow

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3)

Today’s Morsel:  When we look at the life of Jesus, we must ask ourselves how is it that one man, Jesus Christ, could be so hated by so many for wanting to do good, who came to help others be good and do good, and be successful in life; how could He be so hated? Even today, we see that His ways and those who are associated with His ways are despised and rejected.  Isaiah said that “He is despised and rejected of men."  He is still rejected by the Jews, by some religions, by many of the rich, by many of those who call themselves great and learned, by many politicians and actors, and by masses of people of every grade, age, rank, and walk of life.  He stood on the outskirts of Jerusalem saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Luke 13:34-35)  He was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief.  He knows everything we face and go through in our life.  So, today, if you hear his voice harden not your heart.  Don't be one of those that reject Him.  

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

Thought For Today: To reject Christ is to reject life.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 17 April 2019

Medical Corps 

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:13-16)

Today’s Morsel:  The symbol for the military Medical Corps is a serpent wrapped around a pole.  This symbol was chosen by God when the children of Israel sinned and were destroyed by serpents.  Scripture says,” And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” (Numbers 21:6-9)  Jesus told Nicodemus that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, He too would be lifted up.  When the children of Israel were bitten by serpents for their sins, they could live.  When we are bitten by that old serpent, Satan, who tricks us and causes us to sin, we too can look to Jesus and live. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17)  Greater is He that is in us!

Sing: The blood, that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary, it’s the blood that gives me my strength from day to day, it will never lose its power.  

For it reaches, to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley, it’s the blood, that gives me strength, from day to day, it will never lose its power.

Thought For Today: The Cross still makes a difference