Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 December 30

At The Cross

 

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)

 

Today’s Morsel: Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus proclaimed, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.” (John 12:32-33) We must never forget the cross. Not only must it be preached, but it must be carried by us daily. Paul said for some folks the preaching and talking about the cross is foolish. But for those of us who are saved it is the power of God. If it had not been for Calvary, none of us would be saved. But now as Jesus told Nicodemus, “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.” (John 3:14-15) The cross still has the power to deliver and to save. As the serpent on the pole was a symbol for Israel of their salvation and deliverance if bitten by a serpent, Jesus on the cross serves the same purpose. Only Jesus is no long hanging there. He was buried and He rose again.

 

Sing: At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away; it was there by faith I received by sight and now I am happy all the day!

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 December 29

The Church Triumphant

 

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-19)

 

Today’s Morsel: I often like to tell people that they have nothing to worry about as Christians if they stay faithful to God and do His will, because the system is rigged. If you, like me, have read the back of the book, you know that we win. So all we need to do is follow the instructions given to us and we will be victorious just like Jesus said. He told His disciples, and those same instructions are for us as His disciples, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art (enter Your name), and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Sir, ma’am, you are a part of the church triumphant, so hang in there!

 

Sing: It’s the old ship of Zion, it’s the hope for the lost and the dying, it’s a soul saving station, it’s the tower of salvation. 

Well, it’s the church triumphant, O’ Lord, and it’s built by the hand of the Lord. I’m talking about the church in the book of Revelation. It’s built on the Rock it’s got a firm foundation; It’s been through the flood, it’s been through the fire; and one these days, the church is gonna move up a little higher. It’s the church triumphant, O’ Lord, and it’s built by the hand of the Lord. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 28 December 2023

Cleanse Me

 

“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalms 51:1-2)

 

Today’s Morsel: Desiring to be cleansed ought to be the desire of every one of us. Sin is a deceptive thing when it comes to salvation. Many people think that they are clean just because they go to church on Sunday, pray, read their Bibles, and give offering. But as David prayed, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” (Psalms 51:6) If the truth will make us free, then we need that truth in the place that will make us free. Inward is where the thoughts begin. It is inward that must be cleansed. Jesus said, “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” (Mark 7:15)We need a cleansing filter to capture the filth that we have allowed to enter. Battles are won from within. Again, David prayed, “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalms 19:12-14) Do you need cleansing? Then why not pray as Simon Peter when Jesus told him that if He did not wash him, he had no part with Him. “Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” (John 13:9)

 

Sing: Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me.  Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 December 27

The Sunshine In The Shadow

 

“O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” (Psalms 42:6-8)

 

Today’s Morsel: Living for Jesus isn’t always going to be a bed of roses. Some days you are going to have to walk through the valley of the shadows of death. Sometimes, you are going to have to face some hardships, and some pain. Plus, you are going to have to deal with storms and rain. If you live in the north, you are going to have to deal with the snow. As we used to say in the army, “It doesn’t rain in the army, it rains on the army.” David probably felt as though living for God wasn’t worth being hunted and chased across a battlefield. And besides, he didn’t ask to be king, he was chosen by God to be king. But I believe that David understood that greatness is birthed out of fear, determination, and commitment. David had learned that the art of war required stamina and loyalty. In Psalms 42, David found himself questioning himself about his trust and commitment to God. You see, when you are battle fatigued, you start having crazy thoughts. But David focusses his thought back on God and he was able to overcome those feelings of hurt, confusion, and loneliness. Let me encourage you. The higher you are willing to go in your praise when you are feeling despondent, the more you will be able to see that the sun is still shining in your darkest hour.  Jesus is always with you, even in the darkest storm.

 

Sing: When my life is burdened with sorrow, and it seems all help is gone, Jesus whispers, “Do not falter; I will leave thee not alone.” Then somehow, amidst my trials, how it is I cannot see; still, I hear a voice from heaven, gently saying “Follow Me.”

 

There is sunshine in the shadow; there is sunshine in the rain; there is sunshine in our sorrow, when our hearts are filled with pain; There is sunshine when we’re burdened; there is sunshine when we pray; there is sunshine, Heavenly sunshine, blessed sunshine all the way. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 December 26

Go Tell It On The Mountain

 

“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. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” (Mark 16:15-20)

 

Today’s Morsel: Now that we have celebrated the birth of our Savior, and many have come and worshipped Him, it is the time to go and reveal who He truly was. The gospel must now be proclaimed to the whole world. You can take down the trees, decorations, and ornaments, but you cannot hide the gospel under a bushel. Now as never before, you must not allow those who have received some light to have that light go dim. Scripture says, “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 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 8:26-39) You must now seek for those who have been exposed to The Light, as Philip did with this Eunuch, who had been to Jerusalem to worship and was now returning home without knowing the truth. Once the gospel was explained to him, he received sight, was baptized in Jesus’ name, and knew The One who he had come to worship.

 

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 December 25

Joy To The World

 

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” (Luke 2:8-20)

 

Today’s Morsel: Scripture says at the birth of Jesus that there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. And that there was singing and joy in the heavens. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. The proclamation of good news was heralded.  Once the shepherds heard them and were given the good news, they went to see this newborn Savior of the world. And after they had seen Him, they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. That was over two thousand years ago, and men are still receiving and rejoicing for the good news that is being told to them about Jesus. What about you? Are you still as excited as when it was first told to you?

 

Sing: Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven nature sing, and heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

 

Merry Christmas!

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 December 23

Sir, We Would See Jesus

 

“The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.” (John 12:19-23)

 

Today’s Morsel: One of the best times that I believe to bring clarity and understanding to the heart of man as to who Jesus was is during the month of December. Many people see the nativities, hear the Christmas Carols, see the trees and decorations, attend Christmas plays at their children’s schools and churches, but many of them leave thinking that it is just another play because there was no explanation. People want to know, but many are afraid to ask. This is why Peter said that you must be ready to give an answer of the hope that is in you. Are you aware that people depart this world every day having never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ? How will we answer for that?  Scripture says, “And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.”  When people come to see Jesus, they need to leave knowing who He is.  Be ready to give an answer of the hope that is in you.   

 

Sing: He’s Jehovah God, the coming King of glory, He’s the true Nissi, the Lord of grace and favor. He is Jesus Christ, Redeemer, Friend, and Savior. He’s the great, He’s the great I Am.

He is the great I Am, the Everlasting Father. He’s the Prince of Peace, the Eternal Wonder, Holy Counselor and Zion’s Righteous Governor. He’s the Great, He’s the Great I Am.