What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?

    In Psalm 73 the psalmist is considering why the wicked seem to prosper and the godly suffer.  That looks a bit backwards, doesn't it?  But many times that's how it goes. And I'm sure the psalmist wasn't the only one who asked this question because I know I have!  The more he thought about a situation, the more it perplexed him, and it almost stumbled his faith.  

For I was envious of the arrogant,/When I saw the prosperity of the wicked./....When I considered this in order to understand it,/ It was a troublesome task in my sight,/ Until I went into the sanctuary of God;/ Then I perceived their end. Psalm 73:3, 16-17
 

    It's a good thing that the psalmist didn't let his confusion and maybe even bitterness keep him from going to God's sanctuary. In chapter 30 Witness Lee states that for us New Testament believers God's sanctuary is not only our spirit where He lives but also the church, God's house. Witness Lee explains that when the psalmist finally got to the sanctuary, he had a whole different view of what was happening.  

     More than the psalmist seeing that God does eventually even out the score, he realized that God was really his heart's unique goal. That is really touching. The end of this psalm is so beautiful.   My heart is encouraged by this part on page 355 in chapter 30 of the Life-Study of Psalms:

"Whom do I have in heaven but  you?/ And besides You there is nothing I desire on earth" (v. 25). This verse reveals that God's pure seeker would have God as his only possession in heaven and his unique desire on earth. God was the psalmist's unique goal. The psalmist did not care for anything except God and gaining Him.... Psalm 73 ends with these words: "My flesh and my heart fails,/But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever" (v. 26)  Here we have the answer to the psalmist's question. The one who does not care for God may gain many things and seem to prosper. However, the one who cares for God will be restricted by God and even stripped by God of many things. As we will see in the upcoming Life-Study of Job, this is what happened to Job" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

     You may have to read those last lines a few times like I did.  It may be hard to wrap your head around this fact that God allows heart-rending losses to occur so that we can really know and experience the grace of Christ. I've found out that it can be a bumpy journey sometimes, even scary and painful at times.  Even when I feel like a wreck  I know I just need to get one-on-one with God or get with another believer and pray.  During those times I just want to hear God speak to me!  So make the decision ahead of time that no matter what happens to you, you're going to keep talking to God and getting together His people!

Here's a beautiful song based on Psalm 73 it's called There are Times. 

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Psalms on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of Psalms and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.


Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?
Why Did the Psalmist Delight in God's Law in Psalm 119?

Harvest Apple tarts

I'm running out of ideas for apples.  I saw these apple tarts in a grocery store, and it gave me an idea. So a few weeks ago one of my granddaughters and I made them!  I've never made this before, so it was a lot of fun to do this together! 

 

These tars are a combination of two different recipes from my church cookbook.  The one in the store had a few craisins, and it gave it a colorful touch.  I realized as I was making these that tarts are a nice way to cut half the carbs and fat because they don't need a top crust. Each single pie crust makes 6.  These tarts were so good with ice cream!

 

 

 Mini Harvest Apple Tarts - Made Gluten Free

 For 6-8

 1.  Prepare apples:

(1)  Dice 4 cups of apples. 

(2)  Mix with about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1  tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch, and 1-2 tsp. of vanilla (I got this from a website).
(3)  Optional: You can add a few tablespoons of craisins to this mixture.
(4)  Note:   I put this on the stove for about 10 minutes to partially cook it. Stir continuously so it doesn't stick.

 

 2.  Prepare tart crust - In a medium-sized bowl put:
(1)  1 1/4 cups of gluten free flour- I used 1/4 cup each of brown rice flour, sorghum, tapioca, coconut, and fava flours. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt.
(2)  Cut 1/2 cup of butter into the flour until it resembles peas.
(3)  Add 2+ T of ice cold water and use a fork to combine. I needed to use 4 T of water.
(4)  Form into a ball and roll out into a circle.  Then use a 3 1/2"  bowl to cut out the tart shells.

3. Prepare tarts:
(1)  Put tart shells onto a baking sheet or parchment paper.
(2)  Add enough pie filling to go about 1/2 to 1" of the edges--about 2-3 tablespoons. Then fold up the edges slightly, leaving the center of the tart open. 
(3)  You can brush this with a beaten egg if you like to do that.

4.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden.

 Crisps & Pies:
Lena's Rhubarb Crunch (A crisp with a gluten free top and bottom crust!) (My daughter-in-law's mother. She's an amazing cook, which I think most of us moms become after a few years!)
Delicious Gluten Free Apple Crisp    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Ginger's Outrageous Apple Pie    (From a church friend)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie
My Grandmother's Favorite Banana Cream Pie  (A recipe from my grandmother)
Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares   (From my friend Judi's granny)
Simple & Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie   (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Judi's No Fail Gluten Free Pie Crust    (From my friend Judi)

Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45

     Seeing that there's a divine romance in the Bible has changed the way I understand it.  It's like there's a thread running through all the 66 books, sometimes it's hidden and sometimes it's obvious.  In the Life-Study on Psalm 45 Witness Lee said it's the highest and greatest of all the psalms because it shows God's intention to gain His believers as His bride. Underneath Psalm 45 is the psalmist's note that it's a Maschil, a song of love. In a footnote on this verse from my Recovery Version of the Bible it says the Hebrew word here is feminine indicating that the love here is between a male and a female.

 

   So as I read this outstanding exposition on this psalm, I saw that all the beautiful imagery here portrays what Witness Lee called the divine romance between God and His people. There's a lot of parts to this psalm and lots of details were brought up in the Life-Study, but what touched me the most was his speaking about the importance of our having a loving relationship with the Lord on pages 250-251 in chapter 21:

 

"Our love for the Lord Jesus should be a love full of affection....According to Psalm 45, we all need to have a pure life with an affectionate love for the Lord.  John Nelson Darby, who lived to be 84 and never married, had such a love full of affection.  One night in his old age, he was staying alone in a hotel, and at bedtime he said, 'Lord, I still love You.' When I read this, I was deeply touched, desiring to have an affectionate love for the Lord Jesus.  Now I can testify that, as an elderly person, I love Him much more than I did when I was young. Recently I had a time of intimate, affectionate prayer to the Lord regarding a certain matter, and in my prayer, I told Him, 'Lord Jesus, I love You.' As I was praying, I fell in love with the Lord Jesus once again"  (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

This word about John Nelson Darby has always touched me.  I appreciate how Brother Lee's writings draw me to seek and love the Lord more.

 

Let us rejoice and exult and let us give the glory to Him

 for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

 and His wife has made herself ready.  Revelation 19:7 

Other Posts on Men/Women From Church History:

G. H. Pember - Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway?
On George Mueller  - From the Life-Study of Philippians - What's the Theme of the Bible?   
On Martin Luther, Johann Guttenberg, Moravian Brethren,Watchman Nee -  Why Did God Abolish the Ordinances in Ephesians 2:15?
On Watchman Nee & Witness Lee -  What is the Mystery of Christ in Ephesians 5:32?  
On M.E. Barber  - What Does God's Salvation in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Accomplish in New Believers?
On John Newton - God's Love in 1 John 4 Seen in the Life of John Newton
On the Apostle John  - Touching Account From Church History on the Apostle John




Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?

-41

Sensational Souvlaki Salad aka Another Way to Eat a Gyro!

 A lot of people are trying to reduce carbs.  I'm always thinking of gluten free recipes.  This summer I took my son-in-law's yummy souvlaki recipe to another level. 

 I did have some pitas available for people who wanted them. So many amazing flavors come together in this Greek salad!  

                      

 Souvlaki Salad

1.  Prepare chicken souvlaki:
(1)  Rinse chicken and put into a plastic Ziploc bag.
(2)  Prepare marinade: This is my son-in-law's marinade: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. 
(3)  Grill or cook in 2 T of oil in a cast iron skillet.
(4)  Put in a serving dish.

3.  Meanwhile prepare vegetables - Put in a compartmentalized serving tray:
(1)  Chop up 1 red pepper.
(2)  Slice 3-4 or green onions.
(3)  Chop up 2-3 tomatoes.
(4)  Chop up 1 cucumber,
(5)  Feta cheese

4.  Prepare lettuce and put in a serving bowl.

5.  Make some tzatziki sauce: 
(1)  Toss 1/2 cup of grated cucumber with 1 tsp of salt and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
(2)  Ina small bowl put 1 cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 T lemon juice, 1/2 T rice vinegar, 1 tsp. dried dill (or 1 T fresh) and 1 tsp. olive oil.
(3)  Mince 1 clove of garlic.
(4)  Squeeze all the juice out of the cucumber, then stir it into the yogurt mixture.  Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt an 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
(5)  Put in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Let everyone assemble their salads.

Why is God's House Important in Psalm 25-41?

    The history of the Jews is centered on both the tabernacle and the temple. Back in the book of Genesis God spoke individually to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and several others. But after bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt in during the exodus, God gave Moses instructions on building a tabernacle so that He could finally dwell among  His people and speak to them.

When I read the Life-Study of Exodus, I learned that the tabernacle was like a tent that didn't look like much on the outside with its red porpoise skin and other layers, but inside were wooden boards overlaid with gold and beautifully embroidered curtains. You can see here again that God's not about the outward appearance of things but the inward content.

    
   For the 40 years of their wilderness journey all the children of Israel's living, service, and worship were centered around this tabernacle.  When they entered into the land of Canaan, the Israelites set up the tabernacle first in Gilgal and then in Shiloh.  But something happened when David became king.  

   When King David had his palace built, his heart was troubled that God still dwelt in a house made of curtains (see 2 Samuel 7). He wanted to make God a permanent dwelling place. God let him know that his son Solomon would actually build this temple; so David spent many years gathering and preparing all the necessary materials.  In chapter 12 of the Life-Study of Psalms and on page 151 I really liked Witness Lee 's explanation of why the tabernacle and temple were so important to God: 

"We have to realize that God is located!  On the one hand, He is not a wandering God, but on the other hand, He is omnipresent, He is everywhere. Thus, He is the universal God, yet the universal God today is located! The house in which we live has an address, which indicates that we are located. People can write us letters if they know our street address and the city in which we live....In Psalms 25-41 we can see the location of God. This location is also mentioned in the foregoing psalms. The universal God is located in His house, His dwelling place" (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

     And all of this reminded me of what I learned from the Life-Study of Ephesians that all the believers are  being built together into a spiritual dwelling place (Ephesians 2:22).  Many of the psalms on God's house touch my heart, especially the one below that expresses David's earnest desire and love of spending time with God in His house.
     

One thing I have asked from Jehovah;

That do I seek:

 To dwell in the house of Jehovah

All the days of my life,

To behold the loveliness of Jehovah,

And to inquire in His temple.   Psalm 27:4

  
  You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Psalms on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of Psalms and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.


Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?
Why Did the Psalmist Delight in God's Law in Psalm 119?

My Grandma's Pennsylvania Apple Bread

For me fall means crisp, sunny days, golden, red, and orange leaves, and  apples.  I have gotten bags of apples from my neighbors that I made into applesauce, apple crisps, and apple cake.  I still have lots of apples in my fridge, and so a few weeks ago I decided to make my grandmother's apple bread. I remember my grandma's huge crab apple tree that  stood near the lane of my grandmother's house.  When we helped her pick apples, she made delicious applesauce, pies, and apple butter. I've tried to follow a lot of her fall traditions.  I'm sure you'll like it!

My Grandma's Pennsylvania Apple Bread

1.  Bowl #1:  Cream together 1/2 cup of coconut oil or butter (I used 1/2 cup of olive oil and it came out great!) with 1 cup of sugar (I always reduce sugar a bit).

2.  Bowl #2:  Put 4 T of sour milk or buttermilk into a small dish and mix with 1 teaspoon of soda.

3. Bowl #3:  Beat 2 eggs and then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

4.  Bowl #4: In a bowl put 2/3 cup each of rice flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca flour and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

5.  Bowl #5:  Dice 2 cups of apples.

6.  Take the contents of bowl #2 the sour milk/buttermilk and add it to Bowl #1 the sugar mixture. Then mix in the contents of bowl #3 the eggs and vanilla.

7.  Stir in the contents of bowl #4 the flour mixture until combined and then fold in the diced apples in bowl #5 and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.

8.  Put into a greased loaf pan. 

9.  Optional topping:  2 T of rice flour, 2 T of brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 T of melted butter.

10.  Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes (I always check 5 minutes early) or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Breads & Coffee Cakes: Gluten free & Low-fat Banana Bread    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Celebrate Fall With Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread  (A friend's recipe)
Delicious Gluten Free Zucchini Bread (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Favorite Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bread  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From a former neighbor)
Here's a Zucchini Bread with a Hawaiian Twist! Gluten Free Pineapple Zucchini Bread (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Dot's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread   (From my father's friend)

Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2

   Who would have thought that Psalm 23 reveals 5 stages of the Lord's shepherding?  I know I didn't see it. In this post I'm continuing looking at these stages.  It amazed me to read that all these stages are both progressive and continual. Someone asked on the last post for some more elaboration, and so I am putting first Witness Lee's overview  of these stages on page 139 of chapter 11 of the Life-Study of Psalms:



my grandkids at a nearby park

This psalm also tells us that Christ's shepherding of us is in five stages. The first stage is of the pastures and the waters of rest (v. 2)....The second stage is the stage of the paths of righteousness (v. 3). The paths of righteousness indicate our walk. After we enjoy Christ, are filled up with Christ, and are nourished by Christ, we walk on the paths of righteousness. The third stage is the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4). The valley, the shadow, and death are not pleasant. Christ's shepherding leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. The fourth stage is the battlefield (v. 5), where we are fighting against the adversaries. At the battlefield a table, a feast, is spread for us. Finally, the last stage is to dwell in the house of God all the days of our life (v. 6)" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

      The 4th stage may sound a bit strange. After knowing the Lord in the valley, it  all of a sudden says God spreads a table before us in the presence of our enemies. When I read this, it made me think about Ephesians 6 and how the Lord equips the Body with the heavenly armor to stand against His enemy. 

    When we're at this stage, the Lord begins to show us that every day we're in a spiritual warfare, and  the Lord shepherds us to fight the battle with Him. I've realized that every day this battle starts as soon as my alarm clock goes off! 

      I was really touched with the 5th stage of the Lord's shepherding that brings us to dwell in His house. In Psalm 23:6  David proclaims "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  The New Testament tells us that all the believers make up God's house.

  I didn't see before that God's shepherding has a destination and it's God's dwelling place.  Wow!  To think that all of this is pictured in Psalm 23!! That's why I like to read these Life-Studies on the Bible.





 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Psalms on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of Psalms and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website. 

Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?
Why Did the Psalmist Delight in God's Law in Psalm 119