Gluten Free & God Seeking: 2019

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Major Truths in the Minor Prophets - Taking a Closer Look at Hosea

God asked Hosea to do something seemingly preposterous. He told this Old Testament prophet to marry the harlot Gomer. By now you may be thinking really?! But He did as God instructed, and in the Life-Study of Hosea Witness Lee explains on page 13 why.

"The prophet Hosea took Gomer, a wife of harlotries (1:2-9). This symbolizes that God took Israel as His wife--one who gave herself to harlotries and who departed from Jehovah. God told Hosea to do what He himself had done, and Hosea did it" (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Hosea. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994, Print).

I learned that Gomer had three children, and their names symbolize different aspects of God's judgment against Israel. But even at such a low point in Israel's history, you can see in this verse in Hosea that God doesn't fully let go of His people:

In the place where it will be said to them, you are not My people, it will be said to them, You are the sons of the living God. Hosea 1:10b

The book of Hosea is touching to me because it shows us that no matter how far we may fall away from God, His love will reach us there. Here we see God's loving heart and how relentless He is to pursue us and bring us back to Himself.

As 2019 is coming to a close today, and another new year and decade is about to begin, my prayer is that all of God's people would know more the depth of God's loving heart. And that means that no matter what this next year brings, you will know that God's heart towards you is always good, and that everything that God allows was designed with the purpose of bringing you closer to Him.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Overcomers in Babylon - What We Learn About Prayer in Daniel 10

In Daniel 9 we see that the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies are real. Prior to that God had given Daniel a dream about four beasts in chapter 8 that left him deeply perplexed. The Bible tells us that Daniel prayed for 21 days to try to figure it out (10:2).

    It probably surprised Daniel when an angel appeared to him and told him that at the outset of his prayer, he'd already been heard, but a heavenly battle was taking place with an evil angel, whom he calls the prince over Persia:

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days; but now Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, I remained there alone with the kings of Persia.....And now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia; so I go forth, and the prince of Javan is now about to come.    Daniel 10:13, 20B

    In chapter 15 of the Life-Study of Daniel Witness Lee says that this scene shows that Satan has assigned evil angels over different countries. These evil princes battle against God's angels to prevent God's will from reaching the earth. He also say here that this scene shows God's people that there's always a spiritual scene behind the physical one. This is mentioned on pages 91-92 of the Life-Study of Daniel:

"What we see outwardly is the physical world, but behind the physical world is the spiritual. In the spiritual world Christ is the preeminent One. Therefore, in chapter ten He is mentioned first (vv.4-9)....After this vision of Christ, an angelic messenger came to tell Daniel about the things behind the physical world. He told Daniel that he himself was fighting against the prince of the kingdom of Persia, a rebellious evil spirit. Then Daniel was told that there was another evil spirit, the prince of Greece (Javan). There was also the archangel Michael who was a prince fighting for Israel. At least four spirits are covered here....Apparently, all of these struggles [mentioned in the dream of the beasts in Daniel 8] are merely the activities of human governments represented by the great human image in Daniel 2. Actually, God was behind the physical world managing the entire situation. This is what we need to see as we consider chapter ten of Daniel and the vision of Israel's destiny in chapter eleven (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Daniel. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, Print 1991).

After reading this sometimes I've realized that an answer to prayer is probably somewhere in the space of "21 days" and God's answer is stuck because of this spiritual battle. This word has encouraged my husband and I to keep praying and not be discouraged if the answer doesn't come in a week or two. We've had situations in our family where we have prayed for over a decade before the answer came.

I read in a book that our prayers can be likened to items put on a scale, and you have to keep praying until the scales are tipped. God has a lot of concerns on this earth that need our prayer. This chapter showed me again that our prayer always connects us to the spiritual battle that's always going on behind the scene.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:

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

How Can the Son in Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6 Be the Mighty God?
Seeing Christ as the Great Light in Isaiah 9:2
Why is Christ Called the Cornerstone in Isaiah 28:26?
Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Crucifixion Foretold - Part 1

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

Monday, December 9, 2019

Make Your Own Toasted Seaweed Snacks

A few weeks ago a Korean believer who has been boarding with us made some toasted seaweed for an afternoon snack for my grandkids. Most of my grandkids love toasted seaweed, and so she didn't have to bribe anyone.

And the smell was incredible! I was surprised how quickly she prepared them. She told me she learned how to make these from her older sister. While she was working, I was taking these pictures. I could hardly get a bite. They were gone within minutes, and she had to make another batch!

1. Take out nori and brush both sides with toasted sesame oil. Then sprinkle with salt.

2. Heat a stainless pan to almost high heat, and place nori on it and let it toast for about 5 seconds and then flip it. Flip it back and forth one more time.

3. Then stack the toasted nori on a plate. They don't stick to each other and cool quickly.

4. Take about 4 pieces in your hand and cut the seaweed into squares.

Other Korean Recipes on this blog:

Bibimbap
Korean BBQ Chicken
Jap-Chae
Bulgogi Rice Bowl

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Overcomers in Babylon - Lessons From Daniel & The Lion's Den in Daniel 6

The book of Daniel is full of intrigue with stories that hold children in suspense. In Daniel 6 he writes about the time when some evil politicians had it in for him. They talked the king into passing an edict that for 30 days no one could make a petition to anyone but the king (6:7).

Behind this seemingly innocent request was their sinister plot to catch Daniel whom they knew prayed to God every day. No doubt this was instigated by their hatred and envy towards Daniel.

Try to envision this--Some guys in robes hiding behind a palm tree watching Daniel's window ready to pounce. If this account wasn't recorded in the Bible, you'd be going huh, did this really happen in ancient Babylon because it sounds more like something that belongs in a novel.

The signing of this decree doesn't phase Daniel in the least, and we see this in Daniel 6:10:

Now when Daniel came to know that the writing had been signed, he went to his house (in his upper room he had windows open toward Jerusalem) and three times daily he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God, because he had always done so previously.

Now picture these evil rulers storming into the palace with the news that Daniel had broken the law and the king better follow the law and throw him into the lion's den or else. For sure King Darius was greatly saddened to hear this and tried to get Daniel out of it. But these rulers would hear nothing of it and held the king to their law that could not be revoked.

   And it's evident here like it is in countless stories in Scripture that God isn't the God of prevention. Daniel did get thrown into a lion's den. God doesn't zap the lions so they disappear or change them into kittens, He just shuts their mouths. Wow, God really knew how to one up these evil rulers!! And as the story goes, when Daniel is joyfully released, they get their just dessert.

    But there's a spiritual lesson here. Satan is always trying to shut down or at least shorten our prayer time. You can read about that in chapter 8 of the Life-Study of Daniel.

     As I was writing this post, I was reminded of The Prayer Ministry of the Church written by Watchman Nee. In one of the chapters he likens these lions to Satan's attack on his people, and he encourages God's people to pray that the "lion's mouths" would be shut. And when we pray like that, t will happen just like it did in Daniel's day.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

Overcomers in Babylon - Why Didn't Daniel Eat the King's Meat in Daniel 1?

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Jer D.'s Special Rub For Roast Chicken

The smell of a chicken roasting in the oven makes my house smell amazing! Last week I needed to roast a chicken for a bridal shower lunch so I tried out this recipe that my son-in-law gave me for one of his home-made rubs.

I didn't have any fresh spices so I used ones I'd dried from my garden. Also I didn't have any savory so I used parsley. I also threw in some lemon juice because he's done that before, and I saw it on another roasted chicken recipe.

I tried out this gadget for roasting chicken on the BBQ for my oven. All I had to do was set it on a cookie sheet in my oven, and it did the trick! This chicken came out succulent and delicious.

1. Prepare chicken:
(1) Rinse a 3 pound chicken with cold water. Don't remove the skin.
(2) Pat dry. Then brush the skin with olive oil.

2. Prepare herb rub - In a bowl put:
(1) 1/2 of a squeezed lemon.
(2) Then chop 2 T fresh rosemary, 1 T fresh sage, and 1 T fresh savory.
(3) Stir in 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.

3. Rub half of herbs underneath the skin and then on the outside..

4. Roast Chicken:
(1) Roast at 375 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it reaches 185 degrees and juices run clear.
(2) Half way through baste with the remaining herbs mixed with 2-3 T of olive oil.
(3) Then put foil on top and let rest for 5 minutes before carving.

List of other chicken recipes on this blog:

Asian:
Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken (From my friend Rose)
The Real Deal GF Teriyaki Chicken (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Make Your Own G.F. Teriyaki Bowls  (From a collection of my recipes)

Italian & Greek:
Chicken Souvlaki (Marinade for chicken from my son-in-law)
Gluten Free Chicken Cacciatore With Peppers & Mushrooms  (Modified from my mother-in-law)
Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
My Son-in-Law's Own Recipe for Greek Chicken (Another Jer D. recipe)
Delicious Chicken Florentine Lasagna (From my church cookbook)

Mexican:
Pollo Guisado (Mexican Braised Chicken)  (From a church friend in Phoenix)
Belizean Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Belizean Coleslaw  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Make Your Own Chicken Burrito Bowls (From a collection of my recipes)
Jer D.'s Mexican Lime Chicken (From my son-in-law)

American Favorites:
The Best Gluten Free Oven Fried Chicken (From my sister-in-law)
Curried Mushroom & Apple Chicken (From my church cookbook Come & Dine)
A Gluten Free Twist on Tarragon Chicken (From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Chicken & Mushrooms in Wine Sauce  ( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Summery Lemon Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Pulled Chicken Sliders (Modified recipe from my daughter)

BBQ:
The Best Homemade Chicken BBQ Sauce (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Amazing BBQ Chicken   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Blackberry BBQ Chicken - A Tasty Sauce You'll Have to Try! (Off a package of blackberries)
Ray's BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Country Style BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Great for Summer BBQ - Lemon Rosemary Chicken Legs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Fantastic Gluten Free Chicken Kabobs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Jeremy's Original BBQ Rub For Thighs (My son's very own concoction)

Chicken Casseroles
Chicken Divan - (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)
Chicken Pot Pie - (A combination of 3 different recipes!)
Our Family's Fall Favorite - Chicken & Zucchini Casserole with Gluten Free Biscuit Topping - -( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Savory Chicken Mornay - (A classic chicken broccoli casserole from my Come & Dine cookbook)

Overcomers in Babylon - Why Didn't Daniel & His Friends Eat the King's Meat in Daniel 1?

Why did it matter that Daniel and his companions not eat off the palace menu? They realized long before dieticians coined the phrase you are what you eat that it mattered what they ate. As I was thinking about this, I saw that we're all consumers on all 3 levels--physically, psychologically, and spiritually. What we read and view becomes a diet of sorts and impacts us whether we realize it or not.

These four young Hebrew men understood that if they ate meat offered to idols, it would link them to idols. I was enlightened by what I read on pages 9-10 of chapter 2 of the Life-Study of Daniel:

"Nebuchadnezzar's devilish temptation was first to seduce Daniel and his three companions, the four brilliant young descendants of God's defeated elect, to be defiled in partaking of his unclean food, food offered to idols....For Daniel and his companions to eat that food would have been to take in the defilement, to take in the idols, and thus to become one with Satan. If they would have done this, God would have been finished and would have had nothing on earth for Himself and His interest. Then Satan could have boasted and said, 'God, You have been completely defeated. You have nothing on earth to represent You and to be one with You.'...But Daniel and his companions were for God....I am concerned that you may be eating the choice food provided for you by today's Nebuchadnezzar. If we are careless in our eating, in our shopping, in where we go, and in what we do, we may take in something related to idols, something demonic. We are what we eat. If we eat godly food--that is, if we eat God-food, God as our food--we will be one with God" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Daniel. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1991, Print).

         I saw that it was a big deal what Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azaraiah did.  God's purpose was hanging in the balance. Would they eat the meat without any reservation and cause God's defeat or would they reject that meat and take a stand? It touched me when I read that these four were God's overcomers in Babylon and through them God preserved His worship and testimony on earth!

     And that's exactly what God needs us do today. I really like these two songs about being an overcomer put out a few years ago by the New York City Young People--Choose To be a Living Overcomer  and God Needs the Overcomers.

Other posts on the Major Prophets:
Life-Study of Isaiah:

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

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Move Over Green Bean Casserole! This Thanksgiving Try Grandma's Country Green Beans

I've loved green beans all my life. Even before I lived for a year on my grandparent's 110 acre farm in Pennsylvania. They're always delicious. And this awesome green bean recipe comes from my dear mother-in-law. Over the years she's made this recipe for special occasions, probably because they simmer for about 2 hours.

Last fall when we were spending the night with her, she served these green beans with one of her stellar dinners. This time I asked her to tell me how she does it. When I made these a few weeks ago, I didn't have any bacon on hand, and they still came out fantastic tasting. Since I got diagnosed with celiac, I have to come up with runner ups for that famous green bean casserole I used to make every Thanksgiving. This time, I'm making Grandma's green beans!

Grandma's Country Green Beans

1. Prepare green beans:

(1) Rinse and snap 1 pound of green beans.

(2) Cut the beans 2 or 3 times lengthwise.

(3) Dice half of an onion.

(4) Cut 2 pieces of bacon into small pieces.

2. Put beans in a pot with water to cover and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the onion and bacon pieces. Bring beans to a boil, and then simmer for 2 hours.

List of Side Dishes & Vegetables on this Blog:

Grandma's Scalloped Potatoes
Savory Roasted Root Vegetables
Grandma's Country Style Harvard Beets

Looking at the Spiritual Meaning in Ezekiel's Visions - Why Does A River Flow Out of God's House in Ezekiel 47?

A sump failure is a homeowner’s nightmare. I know because it happened to us. Two years ago we had record rainfall, almost like Noah’s ark revisited with the days of rain almost hitting the 40 day marker. With the rising water table, a lot of people had sump failure.

For us two of our three sumps failed. Most of our basement had between a quarter to half inch of water, and we and some friends spent hours shop vacing it out. You can imagine the mess. Then we had to rent a humidifier to remove moisture out of the walls so mold wouldn’t start growing, which is another Northwest nightmare.

That’s my backdrop for the vision in Ezekiel 47:1-12 where the prophet sees a river flowing out of the threshold on the east side of the temple (Ezek. 43:2). Unlike us, God likes water in His house. In chapter 26 Witness Lee says that the east side is the direction of God’s glory—think about the sunrise! After doing the study on God's glory the last two weeks, I see this a bit differently now. In this chapter it said when we care for God’s glory, it causes the flow of water to increase.

In this vision we see again the man of bronze measuring, but this time it's the flow of water. At first, it was just a trickle, and at the next measurement of 1000 cubits, the water was at the ankles. The man measures the water four times, and at each 1000 cubit increment, it goes higher until all you can do is swim in it. This river didn’t just happen, certain things caused it, and I found this explanation insightful on page 302 of chapter 26 of the Life-Study of Ezekiel.

Several crucial factors brought in the flow of the river. The first was the building up and the completion of the house. Following this, the people began to have their living according to the house. Their daily life and all their conduct began to be according to the form, fashion, pattern, statutes, and laws of the

house (43:10-11). Next, the serving ones, the priests were serving the Lord in a proper way. Finally, there were all the offerings…There were yearly offerings, monthly offerings, daily offerings, and all the solemn feasts. We need to realize that the experience of all these matters brought in the flow of the river. When the Lord saw all these things, He must have been very happy. He had a house--the place of His throne, a place for the soles of His feet, a place where He could dwell for His rest and satisfaction [43:7]. He saw the house with its forms and statutes, and He saw the priests and the offerings. Therefore, He sent the flowing of the river, and the river began to flow out of the house (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Ezekiel. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1998, Print).

What I got from this chapter is everything in the church hinges on the building. And he mentions later in this chapter for us to experience this flow, we ourselves need to be measured. I learned that the man of bronze symbolizes the Lord's judging of our motives, goals, and desires so He could possess us for His house. And that the four

measurements signify the number of the creature (think about 4 living creatures). These four measurings show us that we are in a continual process of being taken over by the Lord. Doesn't that give you another view of your Christian life?
Other posts on the Major Prophets:

Life-Study of Isaiah:

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

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

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