From the Life-Study of Job - Have You Ever Asked God Why?

     Have you ever asked yourself what's really going on in the book of Job?  Is it just about a man who loses almost everything and a God who seems a bit detached and uncaring when calamities strike?  On the surface, the book of Job may look like that. This book may cause you to  question God's motives with His people. And you're on the right track if you do!  Keep reading, and you'll find out what God was really up to with Job. 

     I'm on my sixth time reading through the Life-Study of Job, and it is one of my very favorites!  Here's the reason--if you don't understand what God is doing when heart-rending situations hit you, it could cause catastrophic damage to your Christian life. 

     I know what I'm talking about here, and if you're not careful you become like one of Job's friends thinking maybe God's angry with you, or maybe you didn't do something you were supposed to  do and God is punishing you for it. I've been there, I've done that, and sometimes I still fall back into that thought pattern!  And the Life-Study of Job has been like a life-line to me, and that's why I've read it so many times. 

    If you remotely know what I'm talking about here, and you've gotten stuck asking God why, you have to read this Life-Study--it will encourage you so much!!!  Whenever I read these opening chapters, I'm in awe at what Witness Lee saw in this book.  The following excerpts come from pages 7, 10-11, 34-35:

The subject of the book of Job is the purpose of God's dealing with His holy one. Ethically speaking Job was very good....Only God knew that Job had a need, that he was short of God.  Because of His loving concern for Job, God held a council in the heavens to talk about Job....The book of Job shows us that God, through Satan as an ugly tool, was tearing Job down by two ways: stripping and consuming....God's stripping and consuming were exercised over Job to tear Job down that God might have a base and a way to rebuild Job with God Himself that He might become a God-man (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Job. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993).

So although God does bait Satan to take a closer look at Job, it's not because God is playing with him like a pawn. Job was so humanly perfect and upright, but it didn't have anything to do with God. 

And God couldn't let that situation persist because all men were created to contain and express God. It has helped me so much to see that God touches our lives because we are SHORT of His expression.  And it is because of His love that He does touch us.  He can't leave us like that. 

     God lovingly arranges environments and situations that may or may not devastate us just like He did with Job.  And when we're screaming why and unloading all our angst, God is accomplishing His stripping and consuming work.  Have you seen it in your own life?  I know I have. Through all these talks with God, He gets the crack that He was after so He can seep more of His divine life into us.  Over and over things happen and sometimes just like with Job they come one after another.  But this Life-Study has helped me to see we have to  compare the book of Job with what the New Testament says so we know where God is going with everything. 

      In Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 we get a window of what God is doing in our lives--He's conforming us to the image of His Son!!!  This is important because God has to fulfill His initial purpose in creating man that He stated in Genesis 1:26.  God needs to get a people who express Him and represent Him on this earth. Not always easy or pretty because God is working with people who have been wrecked by the fall.  But because He's God, He knows how to accomplish His purpose! 

Here's a song that has ministered to my heart many times when I've been in situations asking God Why.  It's called There are Times (click on the song title) and it's on a CD put out by New York City Young People.

    And far from being detached from our lives, God is actually lovingly overseeing everything that comes into our lives, and He's working like Romans 8:28 says everything together for our ultimate good and that good in God's eyes is that we express His Son! 

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

From the Life-Study of Job - Have you Ever Asked God Why?
From the Life-Study of Job - What Was God's Intention With Job?

Jeremy's Original BBQ Rub For Thighs

According to my son Jeremy, thighs are really great for grilling because they're a lot more tender than breast meat and don't dry out so much. When he and his family were visiting us in April he told me  that he was going to make his special chicken BBQ.  He loves to cook, and he usually just shakes stuff into a bowl.  So while he was at it, I had to pick his brain to get an idea about what was going into this amazing thigh BBQ rub he was bragging so much about! 

When the chicken came off the grill, my husband told me I had to try some of it because it was so good.  As soon as my lips touched that chicken I could hardly believe he had come up with this.  My husband was like quit your job and start a restaurant-- they were that good!

 

The Best BBQ Rub - for 4 Thighs

1.   In a small dish blend together the following ingredients:
(1)  1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
(2)  1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard
(3)  1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (we were out so he had to mince some fresh)
(4)  1 teaspoon of thyme
(5)  1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper
(6)  1/2 teaspoon of Herb de Provence from Trader Joe's  or my son suggested since I couldn't find it in my store of making a blend of  marjoram, savory, rosemary, basil, sage, and lavender and using a bit of that.

2.  Prepare chicken:  I usually trim the fat off chicken.  Rinse off and put in a bowl;  then put about 1/4 cup of olive oil on them.  My son says he likes to do that to help the rub stick to the chicken. Place chicken thighs in a ziploc bag  and add the rub, so you can shake it around and massage it into the thighs.  Let sit in the fridge for as long as you can.

3.   Let the chicken sit for at least  25-30 minutes.

4.    Get the grill going about 400-450 degrees. 

5.    Grilling chicken:  Put the chicken on the grill and flip it after  5 minutes.  Then flip it and cook for 4 minutes.  Keep flipping and cooking for 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature is between 180-185 degrees. When the thighs are almost cooked, mix up about 2 teaspoon of honey and 2 teaspoon of agave in a small ramekin and  brush a light coating onto the chicken.  Cook on each side the last 4-5 minutes.  This will give the chicken a nice glaze.

Note: On August 9, 2018 I made recipe for some friends and they loved it!

 List of other chicken recipes on this blog:

Asian:
Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken  (From my friend Rose)
Gluten Free Soy Sauce Chicken   (Modified from Internet search)
Tasty Gluten Free Filipino Chicken Adobo  (Modified from Internet search)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Make Your Own G.F. Teriyaki Bowls  (From me!)

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
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's family)
Make Your Own Chicken Burrito Bowls (From a collection of my recipes)

American Favorites:
Amazing BBQ Chicken    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Oven Fried Chicken   (From my sister-in-law)
Fantastic Gluten Free Chicken Kabobs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Great for Summer BBQ - Lemon Rosemary Chicken Legs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Curried Mushroom & Apple Chicken  (From my church cookbook Come & Dine)
The Best Homemade Chicken BBQ Sauce  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
A Gluten Free Twist on Tarragon Chicken - (From my  church Come & Dine cookbook)
Saucy Chicken 
Chicken & Mushrooms in Wine Sauce   -( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Our Family's Fall Favorite - Chicken & Zucchini Casserole with Gluten Free Biscuit Topping - -( From my church Come & Dine 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 cookbook)
Country Style BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Summery Lemon Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Chicken Casseroles
Chicken Divan  - (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)
Chicken Pot Pie - (A combination of 3 different recipes!)
Savory Chicken Mornay - (A classic chicken broccoli casserole from my Come & Dine cookbook)

What's Really Happening in the Story of Esther?

     Hatred, an evil plot, and a gallows all come together to weave a tale of intrigue in the book of Esther. It may be hard to believe with all those sinister elements that this is a story in the Bible. But it actually did happen during the time of the Jews' captivity in Babylon. 

 I learned by reading the Life-Study of Esther that although we can't see God right now, He was definitely on His throne ruling over everything happening, just as He is now. 

    And the book of Esther shows us this includes the good, the bad, and the ugly.  This is important because when bad things happen to God's people, sometimes it can shake our faith. That's why I liked this explanation Witness Lee gives on page 1 of the Life-Study of Esther about God being hidden in the book of Esther:

During the years of captivity God was hiding, and He is still hiding. Even today, in the church age, God is hiding Himself.  Both for the children of Israel and for us today, it seems that there is no God in the universe. We need to realize that God is living and real, but He is hiding. He is a God who hides Himself (Isa. 45:15)....While the people of Israel were in dispersion and captivity, God was taking care of them in a hidden way, and at the right time He came in openly to save them....Eventually God used the Medo-Persian Empire to overthrow the Babylonian Empire....From this we see that the hiding God did many things for Israel in a secret way (Lee, Witness. Life-study of Esther.  Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1995 Print).

      You can really see the hiding God when you see His sovereignty in how King Ahasuerus chose Esther out of all the women in his kingdom to be the new queen. Before Esther had been chosen, Mordecai told her not to tell anyone that she was a Jew. For some reason when Haman was promoted above all the other princes in the kingdom, he despised Mordecai because he was the only one who wouldn't bow down when he walked by.


My youngest grandson enjoying the beach

   
    This rankled Haman, and he devised an evil plot to get rid of all the Jews in the kingdom.  Mordecai hears of this plot and relays to Esther that she needs to plead with the king for the lives of her people. The long and short of this story is that Esther gains favor with the king and at the second banquet for the king and Haman she exposes Haman's wicked intentions. 

    Ironically the gallows that Haman built for Mordecai become his own punishment.  Over and over in the book of Esther you can see God's footprints hiding in so many situations to preserve and protect His people. Only God knew that eventually He would raise up Cyrus another Gentile king to release the Jewish captives so they could return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. 

     Maybe in your story right now it seems like God is hiding.  You pray and He doesn't seem to answer.  This word about the hiding God has touched me for many years. The story of Esther encourages me to trust in the God who is always working out His will behind the scenes.  And some day just like in this story, we will  be able to see like the Jewish captives that God was there all along. 

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of these books and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts from the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther:

From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles - How did Watchman Nee & Witness Lee Take a Stand For the Truth?
From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles - Why Did God Make Man in His Image?
From the Life-Study of Ezra - How God Used a Gentile King to Fulfill His Purpose
From the Life-Study of Ezra - Why Did Ezra Return to Jerusalem?
How Did God Use Nehemiah's Aggressiveness in Nehemiah 2:20?
Why Did Nehemiah Charge Ezra to Read the Bible to the People in Nehemiah 8:1-8?

You Can Make This Yourself Sweet 'N Sour Meatballs

My daughter-in-law's family cookbook has three recipes for sweet n' sour meatballs.  They must  really like them because that seemed like a lot to me. ,It was hard for me to figure out which one to try.  I started with one that was more like a gravy.  It just didn't taste quite right; it.needed ketchup.

. I don't do this too many times but I thought I'll just put 3/4 of a cup of ketchup in it since one of the recipe had 1 cup and another for 1 1/2.  When I tasted it, it was just right.  So good with just enough zip. 

 

 

 

 

Sweet N’ Sour Meatballs  - for 4-6

 

1.      Prepare vegetables:

      (1)  Chop 2 tablespoons of onion
      (2)  Chop 1 tablespoon of parsley

(3)  1/2 of a red bell pepper into slices  (for sauce)
(4)  1/2 of a sweet white onion in slices (for sauce)

 

2.  Make meatballs – Put all ingredients into a medium sized bowl:

(1)    1 pound ground beef and stir in 1 beaten egg

(2)    Then add onion,  parsley, and ½ coats of oats.

(3)    Stir in 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, ½ teaspoon of curry powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

(4)    Form into meatballs and put on a baking sheet.

(5)    Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until brown. Put meatballs in a covered serving dish until the sauce is ready. 

 3. Make sweet n’ sour sauce – Put in a small saucepan

(1)    ¼ cup of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoon of potato/tapioca starch

(2)    Then stir in 3/4 cup of ketchup,  ¼ cup of lemon juice and 4 tablespoon of gluten free tamari and the juice from a 20 oz. can of pineapple bits.  Then add red bell pepper slices and sweet onion.

(3)    Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.  Taste and make any adjustments.  

(4)    Add the pineapple, and pour over the meatballs.

 4.  Serve over rice.

Why Did Nehemiah Charge Ezra to Read God's Law to the People in Nehemiah 8:1-8?

     Reading the Bible changes us.  If you don't think so, try it for six months or a year. I'm sure you'll find out that something happens to us when God's word becomes the compass for our living.   And for sure God knows this, and that's probably why He put it in Nehemiah's heart to have Ezra read the law of Moses to all of God's people (Neh. 8:1-8). 

     In chapter 3 of the Life-Study of Ezra and Nehemiah Witness Lee uses the term reconstitution to help his readers understand what God was doing during the time within the hearts of His people.  God knew that because they had been in Babylonian captivity for 70 years, they spontaneously had a Babylonian constitution.  I saw why this mattered when I read this statement on page 18:  

 "The constitution of a person provides the foundation for the constitution of a nation."

     In order for God to regain His testimony on the earth again, God's people had to be reconstituted with the word of God.  I highlighted a lot of parts of this chapter because Witness Lee shares so much about why we need to read the Bible.  I found these excerpts on pages 17-18 very helpful and inspiring: 
 

God's word reconstitutes us.  We all have our own kind of disposition and habitual behavior, but God is able to reconstitute us through His word.  This is why we need to read the Bible.  God's word gradually changes our mind and our way of thinking.  The word of God is one with the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). When the word of God works within us, the Spirit, through the word, spontaneously dispenses God's nature with God's element into our being. We may not even be aware that such a dispensing is taking place within us. By this way we are reconstituted.....In order for God's people to be His testimony, they had to be reconstituted with the word of God. Under Ezra and Nehemiah the returned people of Israel were collectively constituted by and with God through His word to be a nation as God's testimony (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Nehemiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1995, Print). 

I hope this encourages you to continue reading the Bible no matter what you're going through. It's changing who we are from the inside out.

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of these books and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts from the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther:

From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles - How did Watchman Nee & Witness Lee Take a Stand For the Truth?
From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles - Why Did God Make Man in His Image?
From the Life-Study of Ezra - How God Used a Gentile King to Fulfill His Purpose
From the Life-Study of Ezra - Why Did Ezra Return to Jerusalem?
How Did God Use Nehemiah's Aggressiveness in Nehemiah 2:20?
Why Did Nehemiah Charge Ezra to Read the Bible to the People in Nehemiah 8:1-8?
What's Really Happening in the Story of Esther?

Summery Lemon Chicken

A few weeks ago I needed a simple chicken recipe.  So I thumbed through my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook and saw this recipe for lemon chicken.  It looked simple enough, and that's what I needed after a long day.    

I used lemons I had picked from my dad's tree and had squeezed (pardon the pun) into every spare space in my suitcase.  I don't know if it was my dad's organic lemons or this recipe, but it was so tasty!   I'm definitely going to make it again.

Summery Lemon Chicken - Serves 4 to 6

1.  Prepare chicken:  
(1)   Rinse and trim the fat off 4 chicken breasts (I used thighs). 
(2)   Then put them into an 8 x 8 greased baking pan.
(3)   Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.

2. Melt 1 cube of butter (I usually half the fat) and pour it over the chicken.

3. Thinly slice 1 lemon and place them over the tops of the chicken. 

4.  Bake the chicken at 350 for 40-45 minutes. 

 List of other chicken recipes on this blog:

Asian:
Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken  (From my friend Rose)
Gluten Free Soy Sauce Chicken   (Modified from Internet search)
Tasty Gluten Free Filipino Chicken Adobo  (Modified from Internet search)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Make Your Own G.F. Teriyaki Bowls  (Something I came up with combining some 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
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's family)
Make Your Own Chicken Burrito Bowls (From a collection of my recipes)

American Favorites:
Amazing BBQ Chicken    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Oven Fried Chicken   (From my sister-in-law)
Fantastic Gluten Free Chicken Kabobs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Great for Summer BBQ - Lemon Rosemary Chicken Legs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Curried Mushroom & Apple Chicken  (From my church cookbook Come & Dine)
The Best Homemade Chicken BBQ Sauce  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
A Gluten Free Twist on Tarragon Chicken - From my  church Come & Dine cookbook
Saucy Chicken 
Chicken & Mushrooms in Wine Sauce   -( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Our Family's Fall Favorite - Chicken & Zucchini Casserole with Gluten Free Biscuit Topping - -( From my church Come & Dine 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 cookbook)
Country Style BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Chicken Casseroles
Chicken Divan  - From my Come & Dine Cookbook
Chicken Pot Pie - A combination of 3 different recipes!
Savory Chicken Mornay - From my  church Come & Dine cookbook

How Did God Use Nehemiah's Aggressiveness in Nehemiah 2:20?

     Although the temple was rebuilt and God's people were hearing God's word, the walls and gates around Jerusalem were still not repaired.  This is where the book of Nehemiah comes in.  He was a cupbearer to the king. When he heard about the situation at Jerusalem, it both shocked and saddened him.  One day the king noticed it and asked him what was going on.  Nehemiah took this opportunity to ask the king to send him back to Jerusalem to build the walls so his city would not be in peril and shame.

 

My ornamental cherry tree

     In  Nehemiah 2:17-20 it talks about how the neighboring Ammonites and Moabites were not too happy with this turn of events.  These people harassed the Israelites continually by slandering them and instigating false witnesses to give an evil report (Neh. 2:10; 3:7-8; 6:1-14) of what was going on in Jerusalem. 

     Why was this such a big deal to Israelites anyway? I've learned from my reading the Life-Study of Nehemiah that the city of Jerusalem with its wall represents the kingdom of God which protects the house of God and allows God to carry out His interests on the earth.  So it mattered a lot that the wall got rebuilt! 

     In chapter one and two Witness Lee points out how over and over we see Nehemiah's aggressiveness in this book. He didn't let things happen, he made them happen: You can see that in this verse: The God of heaven Himself will make us prosper; therefore we His servants will rise up and build. Nehemiah 2:20

On page 12 of chapter 2 Witness Lee talks about how Nehemiah had a bold and strong character and had the virtue of aggressiveness:

 

"All who have been used by God through history have been aggressive persons.  For example, both Paul and Martin Luther were very aggressive.  Brother Nee also, even though he was a gentleman, was very aggressive.  Nehemiah surely was an aggressive person....He had a burden to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. His aggressiveness was very much used by God....In our reading of the book of Nehemiah, we need to pay attention to Nehemiah's aggressiveness.  Although he was  a common man, a servant of the king, he was aggressive to volunteer himself to God and to his burden concerning the building up  of the city.  He was also aggressive in making his requests known to the king.  When the king asked him about his sad face, he spoke to the king in a bold, aggressive way about his burden for the city of Jerusalem" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra & Nehemiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry. 1995, Print). 
 

     You can also see Nehemiah's aggressiveness in the way he worked on the wall.  He and other Israelites were stationed on the wall 24/7 until the wall was built.Some of them even held a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. At the end of chapter two Witness Lee closes by saying that it's important to see that because Nehemiah was an aggressive person who trusted and loved God, the holy land, the holy temple, and Jerusalem he even became the representative of God on earth.

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of these books and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts from the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther:

From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles - How did Watchman Nee & Witness Lee Take a Stand For the Truth?

From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Chronicles - Why Did God Make Man in His Image?
From the Life-Study of Ezra - How God Used a Gentile King to Fulfill His Purpose?
From the Life-Study of Ezra - Why Did Ezra Return to Jerusalem?
How Did God Use Nehemiah's Aggressiveness in Nehemiah 2:20?
Why Did Nehemiah Charge Ezra to Read the Bible to the People in Nehemiah 8:1-8?
What's Really Happening in the Story of Esther?