Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 16 Jan 2023

 Water Baptism

“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:” (Romans 6:3-5) 

Today’s Morsel: Do you remember the day and the place that you were baptized? I will never forget that day and place. September 2, 1985, Wiesbaden, Germany, at The LightHouse. And boy did the light come on. The grip that Satan had on my life was immediately removed when I was buried in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins. The water chilled my body but not my soul. I felt clean. Delivered. Made free. No longer bound to drugs and alcohol. Immediately free. I felt a love that nothing else could compare to. I felt joy and peace like never before. And I saw everyone as needing what I had just experienced. I wanted to tell my friends, family, and coworkers, what God had done for me in my life. And now, I knew that this was the answer to what the world needed. A renewing and baptism of water and the Holy Ghost the same as Jesus had told Nicodemus (see John 3:3-5). All my past sins were now under the blood of Jesus. And I arose and began to walk in the newness of life just like the Bible said. Have you been baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins as the apostle Peter commanded? “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) Friend, if you have never been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, listen to what the Eunuch said to Phillip. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:35-39)  Notice that they went down in the water, and that they came up out of the water. And that Eunuch went on his way rejoicing. I can agree. Sprinkling isn’t being buried.  We must go down in the water.  We must be buried with Christ.

 

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

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Feb 14

 Worker Shortage

“And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.” (Matthew 20:3-8)

Today’s Morsel: Just about everywhere I go, I see signs saying “Hiring". There seems to be a shortage of employees for the jobs and work that is available. Why do people not want to work? Do they think that others will provide for them? Do they think that living is free? Do they think that the government is responsible for their livelihood? Have my people no knowledge, saith the Lord. Paul told the church at Thessalonica: “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) It’s even becoming hard for the church to find labors for the vineyard. Scripture says that God sought for a man to stand in the gap and to mend the hedges that He would not destroy the land. But He found no one willing. Therefore, He poured out his indignation upon them. Now is not the time to be idle. Jesus is still hiring laborers for the field.  As the old saying goes, the pay here may not be much, but the retirement plan is out of this world. It’s time to get to working in His fields.

Sing: My house if full, but My fields are empty, who will go and work for Me today? It seems My children want to stay around My table; but no one wants to work in My fields, no one wants to work in My fields. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 14

 Hearing Loss

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:1-7)

Today’s Morsel: Lately, I hear a lot of folks stating that they are losing their hearing. I even get ads in the mail offering me discounts on hearing aids. I know that I have some hearing loss, but I don’t think that I’m at the point of needing hearing aids yet. I think that a lot of hearing loss in the church is due to the excessive loud volumes. Loudness doesn’t mean that music and the message sounds better, nor does it mean that it needs to be loud because people can’t hear. Jesus says to all seven churches in the book of Revelation, “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.” Do you hear what Jesus is saying to you or are your ears dull? Are you able to discern between His voice and Satan? The Lord informed the Prophet Jeremiah to speak to the people and for them to ask where the old path and good way was and to walk therein and that then they would find rest unto their soul. But the people said that they would not walk therein. He told the Prophet Isaiah to speak to the people, and that with stammering lips and another tongue would He speak to his people, that this was the rest which would cause the weary to rest, and that it was the refreshing, but they would not hear. God wants us to hear what He is saying to His church through His Word and His ministers. But if we are not listening and obeying, and if we cannot hear, then the devil wins every time.

Sing: Hold the Fort for I am coming Jesus whispers still; raise the banner back toward heaven, by Thy Grace we will.

  

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 13

 Vision

“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: I will often ask children and young adults who are in college what they want to be when they grow up. It’s amazing to me that most of them have no clue as to what they may want to become. They look at me as if to say, what is the punchline or are you serious? I find myself telling them that if they don’t decide now, they are going to find themselves like the hamster in the cage going round and round confused and without hope. Scripture says that without vision people perish. Vision is the art of seeing things that are invisible, says Jonathan Swift. The apostle Paul informs us: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) What things are you missing because you don’t have vision? The children of Israel couldn’t see how they would be able to get across the Red Sea. All they saw was a large body of water before them because they were looking at what was then present. They did not have the vision to see the pathway that God would make in the midst of the sea. Gehazi could only see the enemy soldiers which were around them because he, too, was looking at what was present. He, like others, could not see the heavenly host that was round about them, because he didn’t have vision. But once Elisha prayed for God to open his eyes he could see. What about you? Do you have a vision of heaven? Paul states: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19) If we only have hope in Christ for this life, we are going to be some of the most miserable people in the world. We must have a vision and see beyond this life. We must see the next life with Christ, or we will quickly lose hope in this life and perish.

 

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

 

 

 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 12

 Leadership

“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.” (2 Samuel 23:1-5)

Today’s Morsel: Are you the next leader that your church is looking for? Are you the one that God desires to take His church to the next level? Are you the one that will stand in the gap and mend the hedges? Are you the one that will go down in history as the greatest revivalist that ever lived? What will your BIO someday read? In today’s world, and even in the church, few desire to become leaders. People seem to be afraid of authority and of seeking responsibility. Many say that they don’t like confrontation, while others say that they don’t pay me enough for that job. When did leadership become about money? When did leadership become about who you offend? When did leadership become about… (you fill in the blank). Dolly Parton states: “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.” Leadership is the art of influencing men and women in such a way as to gain their loyalty, confidence, and willing obedience to accomplish a mission. Just think what a great leader Joseph must have been. Scripture said that Moses was the meekest and humblest man on the earth. And look at the leadership of the Apostle Paul. The writer of Hebrews states: “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”(Hebrews 11:32-34)  When you review the history of the great men and women who are identified as being good or great leaders, you will find that they each had an understanding and relationship with God. Jesus said: For without me you can do nothing. Are you ready to lead?

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

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 11

 Get Out of The Box

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

 

Today’s Morsel: When I was a kid, one of my favorite toys was the Jack-in-the-Box. You’d turn that handle, the music would begin to play, and at the end of the song Jack would pop out. We need to start spreading the gospel so that folks can get out of the box. Too many folks are still in the box. Some of them have no clue what is going on around them. Many of them have lost hope and don’t know who to turn to. Even people, even in the church, are still in the box. They attend church for one hour on Sunday morning, sing 2 or 3 songs, hear a 15-minute sermonette, they’ve never shared their faith with anyone, many of them have never read through their Bible, and they wonder why they are hopeless and feeling depressed and despondent. It’s because they are still in the box. Jesus said that He came to give us life and that more abundantly. We are supposed to be excited about this life we now live. We aren’t supposed to be trapped. If you are reading this manna, it’s time for you to go get Jack and Jill out of their box. The mission hasn’t changed. As Paul told Timothy: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26) Who will you help get out of the box this week and be made free?

 

Sing: Let’s talk about Jesus, the King of Kings is He, the Lord of All Supreme throughout eternity.  The Great I am the way, the Truth, the Life, The Door, let’s talk about Jesus more and more. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 10

 Sparks

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Today’s Morsel: Each of us have a spark of hope and life inside of us, and our highest endeavor ought to be to set that spark off in others. Paul said that we ought to comfort ourselves together and edify one another. He told the church at Philippi: “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:1-5) We must be concerned about others and be willing to assist in helping them become edified and exalted.  The Holy Ghost inside of us should aid us in setting a spark of hope and excitement in others and get the fire burning in their lives. We should set the tempo for worship, prayer, church attendance, and giving. Our conduct, actions, and love for God, His word, and things of God, should ignite a fire in others and cause them to have the same eagerness and zeal in themselves for the things of God. Don’t let the fire go out in the altar!

 

Sing: It only takes a spark to get the fire going, and soon look around you will see it start to glowing.  That’s how it is with God’s love, once you experience it, it’s fresh like spring, you’ll want to sing, you’ll want to pass it on.