Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Feb 1

 Love

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8 )

 

Today’s Morsel:  One of the biggest fallacies in life about love is, few understand its real purpose and meaning. Love is often seen and viewed from the flesh and not through the Spirit. Most people do not associate love with God and His word, they associate it with a person or thing. They say, I love him, or I love her, or I love them, or I love it. But do we understand what love is?  Yes, we are called to love one another, and so we most associate it with the physical and not just the spiritual.  Yet love must always flow from truth. If my love for you is not through the eyes of God, which is truth, then it is going to be through the eyes of my flesh. And that may work for a moment, but after a while that is going to get old and fade away.  But if I love you according to God and His word, it is going to last forever.  As He is love. 

Sing: He knew me, yet He loved me, He who's glory makes the heavens shine.  I’m so unworthy, of such mercy, yet when He was on the cross, I was on His mind.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 31

 Have Salt in Yourself

“For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the sale have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.   (Mark 9:49-50)

 

Today’s Morsel: Nothing changes salt. Salt changes everything else. This is one of the reasons why we must have salt in ourselves. We must not allow anything to change us from following Christ and His Word. Things and others will try to change us, but we must have enough salt in us to change them to the right and holy way. We need to have true salvation according to Acts 2:38 in our lives or others will change us. We must be overflowing with the anointing of Christ, or the enemy and others may cause us to go in the wrong direction that is not His. We must be controlled by God’s agape love, or we will think that love is found in things and others and not in Christ which can destroy us. And we must know the truth, love the truth, understand the truth, and believe the truth, or we will be led astray with every wind of doctrine that comes our way. Salt is good, Jesus said. But if the salt has lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace one with another. Don’t lose your saltness. You want to be able to pour out when it rains!

 

Sing: I’ve got Jesus on the inside working on the outside, oh, what a change in my life. I’ve got Jesus on the inside working on the outside, oh, what a change in my life. I’ve got Jesus on the inside working on the outside, oh, what a change in my life, oh what a change in my life. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 30

 Wake Up

“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” (Joel 3:9-10)

Today’s Morsel: If ever there has been a time to awaken out of sleep it is now.  Satan knows that his time is limited and that he must do everything that he can in his power to destroy the faith of saints. Many people have already fallen into his trap and walked away. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, many who said that they were born-again have yet to return to the church. Many, like Demas, have returned to the world. Some churches have yet to re-open their doors again due to disinterested saints. Many churches have no children in Sunday school. The elderly can’t seem to find the energy to make it back. Youth have lost interest and laborers are few.  Divorce in the church is becoming as high as in the world. Churches are allowing smoke machines and strobe lights to enhance the effects and looks of speakers and actors on platforms. Altar areas resemble dance floors in the discotheques of the ’70s and ’80s. It’s time to wake up. “How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.” (Jeremiah 4:21-22 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee…(Hosea 4:6). The church must wake up. If not, we are going to be destroyed. Paul asked the church at Galatia: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3) Have you bewitched yourself into thinking that church and living holy and righteous isn’t real? Don’t let it be said of you that we have met the enemy and it is us!

 

Sing: I come to the Garden alone while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other, has ever known.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 28

 Until He Sent His Word!

“Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.” (Psalms 105:16-20)

 

Today’s Morsel:  We may not often fully understand what is going on in our lives until God sends His word to us. As He told Isaiah: “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11) God will bring you out.  Joseph had a dream, and he went through many things in his life before his dream came to fruition. Scripture said that they hurt his feet with fetters and laid him in irons, until the time that God’s word came. And the king let him go and elevated him to second in command behind him. Jacob suffered at the hand of his uncle Laban until God sent His word. The children of Israel were in bondage for over 400 years, and then God sent His word. He told Moses, "Go, and tell Pharaoh to let my people go." You may be feeling as though you are trapped and see no way out of your situation or where you are. Hang in there, God’s word is on the way and it will make you free. 

 

Sing: Hold to God’s unchanging hand, hold to God's unchanging hand.  Build your hopes on things eternal.  Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 27

 The Whole Duty of Man

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

 

Today’s Morsel: As a Senior Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) in the army, I quickly learned that I had many duties. And every one of them was important to life sustainability for me and my family, as well as to those of my soldiers and their families. When we understand our duty and do it, it makes life so much easier for everyone. Solomon said that the whole duty of man was to fear God and to keep His commandments. To fear God is to respect Him, to serve Him, and to know Him. Micah states that we must do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before Him. To keep His commandments is to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We must be controlled by the laws of love. This is the whole duty of man. It’s not only a lifesaving measure for you and your family, but also for others. Are you performing your duty?

Sing: Worthy! Lord, You are worthy, Precious! You’re precious to me.  Lord, I give all to Thee. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 26

 Witnesses

“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)

 

Today’s Morsel: What do you tell others about Jesus when they ask you questions or start a conversation about religion?  Do you walk away and not say anything, or do you share what the scripture says and your belief? One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in John chapter 9 after Jesus opens the eyes of the blind man. He immediately became a great witness for Christ. The religious leaders tried their very best to get him to denounce Jesus. But the more they ridicule and deride him, the more he spoke about Him. They said unto the man: “Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, what did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:24-33) We are only commanded to tell who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us. Whether others believe it or not is up to them.  That is what witnessing is.  

Sing: Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere.  Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.  

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 Jan 25

 The Beauty of Holiness

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalms 29:2)

Today’s Morsel: Some folks and churches teach and scoff at the idea of outward adornment as important to beauty and holiness reflecting God. Many churches teach just to come as you are. Wear what you want. I agree that our worship and serving God is a matter of the heart. But what makes that worship beautiful? Is it not how we appear before God to worship Him? First, we must have a clear understanding of what holiness is. Why did God have Moses make Aaron's holy garments for to serve in the office of the high priest? Because he was to reflect Jesus, the Great High Priest.  Moses was also told, “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” (Exodus 28:36) Holiness is being like God. “But as he which hath called you is holy, (Peter said) so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (behavior) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) Don’t ever allow anyone to tell you that it does not matter what you wear or look like when it comes to being a representative of Christ. Your appearance and clothing do make a difference. Remember John said, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15-16) Always remember “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7) Holiness is beautiful, inward and outward.  

 

Sing: The windows of heaven are open, God’s power is falling tonight, it’s joy, joy, joy in my heart since Jesus made everything right. I gave him my old, tattered garments, He gave me a robe of pure white; I’m feasting on manna from heaven and that’s why I’m happy tonight.