Gluten Free & God Seeking

Monday, April 29, 2019

Why is Christ Called the Cornerstone in Isaiah 28:16?

I learned way back in the Life-Study of Genesis that there’s a line concerning God's building that runs throughout the entire Bible. So I wasn’t too surprised when I read about the cornerstone of God's building in chapter 43 of the Life-Study of Isaiah. I googled cornerstone a few weeks ago when the believers I fellowship with were doing a study on Christ as the cornerstone of God’s spiritual building. I found out that it’s the first stone set in the construction of a stone foundation, and it’s important because all the stones are set in reference to it. I kept this in mind as I checked out different verses.

I was in California with my family on spring break.

That week I looked up and wrote out a lot of the verses mentioned in this Life-Study, and this is what I found out. The first time the word cornerstone is mentioned is in Psalm 118:22-23: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is from Jehovah; it is wonderful in our sight." When I read this, I wondered if any of the Jews understood the spiritual significance of this passage.

The next time it’s mentioned again is in Isaiah 28:16, and again the reader might wonder if this is just referring to an actual stone they used in building their temple. "... Indeed I lay in Zion as a foundation a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a foundation firmly established; He who believes will not hasten away."

In Matthew 21:42 the Lord takes the liberty to apply the cornerstone mentioned in the Old Testament to Himself. But it’s not clear until you read Ephesians why this is so important; so hang in there with me: "Jesus said to them, have you never read in the Scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected this has become the head of the corner…."

When Peter was preaching the gospel to the Jews in Acts 4, he also quotes from these Old Testament passages on the cornerstone: "This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved."

From the Life-Study of Acts I was touched to see that God’s salvation is for His building! This is a huge revelation that Peter gave in this gospel message. But as I was reading this, I realized that you have to keep in mind that Peter’s a Jew speaking to Jews in Jerusalem. The gospel hadn't spread to the Gentile world yet. It's like God was getting their hearts prepared for a big shift.

The Lord really gave the Apostle Paul insight into the significance of the cornerstone in Ephesians 2:18-20—here’s a part of that: "For through Him we both [Jew and Gentile] have access in one Spirit unto the Father being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone." Earlier in this chapter Paul mentions that on the cross the Lord made one new man of two people—the Jews and the Gentiles.

Here for the first time it is evident that Christ is the cornerstone who JOINS these two very different peoples into one Body. And the Lord is doing the same thing today with all the members of His Body, He is the cornerstone joining us to one another so He can have a spiritual house that expresses Him! I like Witness Lee's explanation on page 304-305 in chapter 43 of the cornerstone:

The New Testament tells us based upon Psalm 188:22-24, that Christ is the chief cornerstone (Rom. 9:33; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11-12; Eph. 2:20). According to the New Testament, Christ as the cornerstone joins together the two walls, one of the Jewish believers and the other of the Gentile believers. Because Christ took the lead to join together the Jews and the Gentiles, He is the first cornerstone. Even today we are not only held by Him as our foundation stone but also joined together by Him as our cornerstone. I am joined to you, and you are joined to me. We are joined together by Christ. Without Him, we are separate and detached....Very few Christians know that Jesus Christ, their Savior is the cornerstone. Our Savior, Jesus saves us into God's building and joins us to God's building (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994, Print).

The last time cornerstone is mentioned is in 1 Peter 2:6-7 and now as an older believer Peter is encouraging the believers about Christ building up the believers into a spiritual house: For it is contained in Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious….The stone which the builders rejected this has become the head of the corner. This thread on the cornerstone weaves throughout Scripture, and it’s impressive that it’s quoted in different ways six times!! That must mean it's pretty important. This reminds me of Matthew 16:16 when the Lord said, "I will build My church…." And one important way He makes that happen is by being the cornerstone!!! Only He can join so many diverse people and backgrounds together into His dwelling place!!

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

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Look Ma No Butter! GF Chocolate Chip Ranger Cookies

I felt adventurous this week and decided to try out some new recipes from my church cookbooks that I haven't tried before. I set out 2 cubes of butter to get to room temperature so I could make some cookies and coffee cake. Then as I was thumbing through my book, I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that's made with oil!

I've never made a cookie with oil and so I thought let's try it! I was a bit skeptical as I creamed olive oil with the sugars, but I wanted to know if I could make chocolate chip cookies with oil that tasted just as good as butter!

The original recipe from my church cookbook calls for 2 cups of rice crispies, and I've never found any that are made gluten free so I left them out. When I added the chocolate chips, I found it was difficult to keep them in the dough, so I pressed most of them on the top.

I put four on a pan and put them in the oven for 8 minutes, and I held my breath so to speak while they were baking just hoping that they would hold together and taste okay. I was definitely surprised when I took my first bite to find out that they tasted exactly the same as their all butter counterpart! When my 7th grade granddaughter stopped in, I let her be my non-gluten free guinea pig, and she said they were good. She's pretty picky, and so I took that as a huge compliment.

Ranger Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Prepare dry ingredients - In a medium-sized mixing bowl put: 2 cups of gluten free flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

2. Prepare oil & sugar mixture - In a large mixing bowl put:

(1) Cream 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of organic white sugar, and 1 cup of cooking oil (I used olive oil).
(2) Beat in 2 eggs

3. Combine ingredients:
(1) To the oil and sugar mix slowly add the dry ingredients and mix well.
(2) Stir in 2 cups of oatmeal, and if you can find them 2 cups or gluten free rice crispies. (I didn't have any, so these were made with just the oatmeal, and then came out great!)
(3) Finally stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.

4. Form into balls and press down. I found as I was forming these balls I had difficulty keeping the chocolate chips in them. I ended up pressing 4 or 5 onto the tops.

5. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. I didn't cook these as high as the recipe suggests but brought the temperature up  to just 365 and baked them for 8 minutes and then let them sit on the pan a few minutes to finish. Makes 27 medium-sized cookies.

Other Gluten Free Cookies on This Blog:

Cookies:
The Ultimate Gluten Free Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Mom's Go To For Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Recipe for Snickerdoodles   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Rocky Road Brownies   (From a church friend)
Mark's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies - Made Gluten Free! (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Judi's Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin & Coconut Cookies (From a church friend)
Marie's Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies (Also Great Gluten Free!)   (My friend Marie's recipe)
GF Nordy Bars (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Bebe's Gluten Free Whoopie Pies (From my friend Debbie)
Gluten Free Coconut Chocolate Chip Macaroons - (Recipe on Baker's bag of coconut)
Dale's Gingersnaps Made Gluten Free (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Chewy Gluten Free Molasses Cookies (From my daughter-in-law's Family Reunion Cookbook)
Those Famous Neiman Marcus Cookies Made Gluten Free   (From my daughter-in-law)
Janah's Oatmeal Cookies with a GF Spin (My daughter's recipe)
Homemade Gluten Free Butter Cookies (From My Heritage School Cookbook)
An Old Fashioned Favorite Made GF - Hermit Cookies- Hermit Cookies (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
A New Twist on Holiday Peppermint Cookies (You can make them Gluten Free) - (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Who Wouldn't Love a Cookie that Tastes Like a Brownie? GF Cocoa White Chocolate Chip Cookies - (From my daughter-in-laws family reunion cookbook)

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Seeing Christ as the Great Light in Isaiah 9:2

From our walk on the first day of Spring

Have you ever wondered why the first thing God said in Genesis was "Let there be light?" I found the answer in chapter 37 of the Life-Study of Isaiah. Listen to this concise, Einstein sounding sentence—“In the entire universe, light is the key to life.” I also read in this chapter that if the sun didn’t shine for just 3 weeks many things would die. I know I feel more energetic when it’s sunny. One time I did a Google search on the benefits of sunlight, and I was impressed.

Anyway back to where I was going with all of this. Light in the Bible and in most literature usually symbolizes God or some noble characteristic of God. And anything dark or sinister usually symbolizes something evil. And because of the fall there’s now something called spiritual darkness. That’s no doubt because Satan God's enemy is the prince of darkness. Keep this in mind when you read Isaiah 9:2 which says: ”… The people who walked in the darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death light has shined.”

God showed Isaiah hundreds of years before God's incarnation that Christ would come as that light. This is echoed again in Matthew 4:16 "The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light: and those sitting in the region and shadow of death, to them light has risen."

And John clearly tells us in his gospel that Jesus is the true light: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:4-5)" In the book of Colossians Paul tells us that when we're saved we're transferred out of the authority of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). I enjoyed reading Witness Lee’s testimony on page 255 about how he experienced Christ’s shining into him when he got saved:

Our salvation was a shining of Christ as the great light upon us. When He shined upon us, we were saved….By His shining, darkness is gone. When darkness is gone, everything negative is gone. Before I was saved as a teenager, my mother had a difficult time dealing with me, but when I was nineteen years old, Christ shined upon me. My love for the things of the world was gone. My mother wondered what had happened to me. Even though many outward negative things were dealt with, many inward negative things remained within me. This is why we need more shining. The inner shining is Christ’s saving” (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994 Print).

He brings out in this chapter when people's hearts are enlightened, they open up to receive the Lord. This puts a prayer in my heart that the Lord would shine into the hearts of all the people around us!

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Classic Kid Food - GF Pigs in a Blanket

Back in the day I used to love pigs in a blanket. One of my daughters likes to wrap hot dogs in those premade canisters of dough. All I could do was savor that smell. A few days ago when I was thumbing through my daughter-in-law's family cookbook, I found the recipe to make pigs in a blanket from scratch. Yesterday I tried them out to go along with some chicken soup.

The recipe in her cook book was a bit vague like it was written in some family code--I didn't know how much flour to add when it just said "flour to make soft dough," but yet it had 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of butter! So I had to look up a few gluten free recipes to find out what was missing! I worked backwards from the 4 tsp. of baking powder it called for to figure out how much flour the recipe needed. I decided to halve that recipe, because to be honest I was a bit nervous on how they were going to come out. One of the recipes I checked added an egg, and so I threw one in just to make sure the dough was moist enough.

Drum roll, please. We were all going wow when we dipped them into our ketchup-mustard dipping sauce and took our first bites! I'm definitely going to make these for our grandkids. They will be great with their all time favorite mac and cheese.

GF Pigs in a Blanket

1. Mix together dry ingredients - In a medium-sized bowl put:

(1) 1/4 cups of white rice flour, 3/4 cup of tapioca starch, and 1/4 cup of garbanzo flour.
(2) Stir in 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt (One site added 1 tsp of sugar--I'll leave that one to you).

2. Cut in 1/4 cup of butter into the flour.

3. Then add 1/2 cup of milk. Stir in and if needed add 2+T of milk until it's at the right consistency.
Gluten Free Baking suggested added 1 egg to this dough.

4. Cut 4-6 hot dogs in half.

5. Take a small ball of dough and pat it out until it's big enough to roll around the hot dog.

6. Put on a parchment lined pan and bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Classic Gluten Free Kid Food

Judi's Gluten Free Crazy Crust Pizza
Fantastic Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese
Kadie's Splendiferous Spaghetti
Patty's Yummy Tater Tot Casserole
Move Over McDonald's - How to Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets!
I Can Make It From Scratch - Gluten Free Chicken Sliders

Sunday, March 3, 2019

How Can the Son in Isaiah 7:14 & Isaiah 9:6 Be the Mighty God?

Two of the greatest prophesies concerning Christ are in the book of Isaiah. That's how chapter 35 starts in the Life-Study of Isaiah. And of course, that got my attention. In this chapter Witness Lee talks about Isaiah 7:14 which says: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and will bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14.

The other great prophecy is Isaiah 9:6. For a child is born to us,/ A Son is given to us;/ And the government/ Is upon His shoulder;/ And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,/ Mighty God,/ Eternal Father,/ Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

     As I read this chapter and thought about it, I realized that Isaiah 7:14 unfolds one of the most profound truths in the Bible. The other in Isaiah 9:6 further unveils that the Son of God IS the eternal Father.  Both of these verses present truths that have baffled many throughout history.

    I am thankful for the clear presentation of these truths to God's people in Witness Lee's exposition of the Bible in his Life-Studies that run from Genesis to Revelation! ! And you can even read them online, but I like hard copies so I can write in the margins.

     I really liked the simple and easy to understand way that brother Lee used to talk about the miracle of not only in the Lord's actual birth but the fact that He was a child with two natures!! Read these excerpts slowly so you don't miss anything. This is from page 240 and 241 of chapter 35:

The child born of a human virgin is Immanuel, God with man (Isa. 7:14, 9:6a). He was a human child born of a human virgin, yet He was also the very God. Isaiah was written about 700 years before Christ's incarnation, yet it speaks of a child born who would be the very God. This child was a "God-man child," a child of a dual nature, the divine nature and human nature....Before HIs birth, there had never been such a human being, a man mingled with God (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry. 1994, Print).

      It touches me whenever I hear how God became incarnated so He could do two huge things--become our Savior to save us from sin and to reconcile us back to God. Without human blood Jesus couldn't have died in our place, but without being divine, He couldn't have satisfied all of God's righteous requirements to bring us back to Him.

   The offerings in the Old Testament type show us the lamb had to be spotless and without blemish, and as a man without sin, Jesus became like John the Baptist declared "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Doesn't this completely astound you?!

    But all of this amazement doesn't stop here.  Have you ever thought that when you opened your heart and received the Lord as your Savior, you received the Lord's divine life and nature? This makes you also a person with a dual nature; now you're a human being with God's life. In his writings Witness Lee has made this profound truth absolutely clear. I hope you can take the time and read this Life-Study.

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:

Friday, March 1, 2019

Jer D's Fabulouso Greek Grilled Lamb Chops

This week when I was at the store, I saw that some Australian lamb chops were on special, so I picked up a 3-pack that was just shy of a pound. I knew my son-in-law with his expertise in Italian and Greek cooking would know exactly how to cook them. We don't eat lamb that often, and for the price I wanted them to come out right! They had just done up a bag of Greek chicken and offered to help me with the lamb chops. Of course, I keyed their directions onto my phone.

I made some baked potatoes and a salad to go with them. When my husband and I took our first bites, we were like wow, this is amazingly delicious! The meat was so tender and bursting with flavor. Years ago we bought lamb at a Greek deli, and it tasted just like that! Yummy.

Greek Grilled Lamb Chops

1. Prepare lamb chops: Rinse and pat the lamb chops dry. Then put them into a Ziploc bag.

2. Prepare marinade:
(1) Squeeze 1/4 of a lemon into the bag and 2 T of extra virgin olive oil.
(2) Add seasonings: Then add 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. dried parsley, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.

3. Massage the marinade into the lamb chops for a few minutes. Then let the bag sit out on the counter for 1 hour. When you can, go back and give it a few more massages and turn the bag upside down.

4. Get your grill going:
(1) Turn your grill on high about 450.
(2) Sear the lamb chops.
(3) Jer told us to grill the first side of the lamb chop for 7 minutes
(4) Then turn the grill down to medium-high and flip it over to do the other side for about 4 minutes.
(5) You can always carve off a slice and see how it looks inside and tastes. Ours was perfect.

BBQ Recipes on this Blog:

American Chicken BBQ

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 cookbook)
Country Style BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Great for Summer BBQ - Lemon Rosemary Chicken Legs (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Jeremy's Original BBQ Rub For Thighs (My son's very own concoction!)
The Best Homemade Chicken BBQ Sauce (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Fantastic Gluten Free Chicken Kabobs (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Greek

Chicken Souvlaki (Marinade for chicken from my son-in-law)
My Son-in-Law's Own Recipe for Greek Chicken

Fish

Our Best Gluten Free Recipes for Grilling Salmon - (Family & church cookbook recipes)

Thursday, February 21, 2019

What Does the Imagery in Song of Songs Portray?

It's evident that the Song of Songs is a love story. The imagery and romantic expressions are beautiful. Without the help of the Life-Study of Song of Songs, I never would have seen that this story also portrays God's deep love for man. God had to lay aside His splendor to become a man to win our affections. In the same way, King Solomon had to lay aside his grandeur to court the country girl in this story.

In the first chapter of the Life-Study of Song of Songs Witness Lee states that this book leads us through the progressive experience of an individual believer's loving fellowship with Christ. Then in the second chapter he says that the lover's journey of transformation begins with her being attracted and drawn by Solomon's love. What I see here is what brings us on in our spiritual journey always seems to be the Lord's love.

How the seeker's journey parallels our own spiritual transformation is brought out on page 9 of chapter 2:

In 1:2-4a we see that the lover of Christ yearned for Christ, sought Him, and was attracted by His love and drawn by Him in His sweetness to run after Him.....In Song of Songs 1:4b-8 the Beloved answered His lover's yearning and seeking and brought her into the inner chamber (her spirit) to have intimate fellowship. That fellowship led the lover of Christ to enter into the church life, signified by the flock (v. 8; John 10:16). After the lovers of Christ enter into the church life, they begin to be transformed by the Holy Spirit....The church life is a very important means used by the Holy Spirit to transform us....The lover of Christ is transformed by the remaking of the Spirit (S.S. 1;9-16a; 2:1-3a)....This Spirit is actually God Himself doing the work of transformation by remaking us (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Song of Songs. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1995, Print).

    I saw while reading this that the Spirit is also bringing me through all the stages portrayed in this book. In the beginning Solomon's lover is likened to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots (1:9) so naturally strong, and then after that she's a lily with dove's eyes (1:15). She's a lily trusting God like the Lord brings out in Matthew, and she has a single heart because dove's can only look at one thing at a time.

     A few other striking landmarks of her transformation occur later in chapter 3 when Solomon calls her a palanquin, a means to carry her Beloved. Wherever we go, we bring the Lord to people. Then in chapter 4 he calls her an enclosed garden that grows precious spices only for His satisfaction. I like to garden, and so I can easily understand the imagery here. We're the Lord's garden, and He delights to prune and cultivate our hearts so that He can grow within us.

     But the seeker's transformation isn't done. After further transformation Solomon likens his beloved to his palace at Tirzah and Jerusalem (6:4a). This makes me think about how the Lord likens the believers to His spiritual habitation. After this she becomes an army with banners (6:4b). This reminds me of how the church is also considered as the warrior in Ephesians 6.

After this long journey Solomon calls his lover Shulamite in 6:13. Witness Lee brings out in this Life-Study that Shulamite is the feminine form of Solomon, and it means that after all the stages of her transformation, she is now his duplication. Wow! That's exactly the picture revealed in Revelation where the believers are now revealed as the bride of the Christ!! I hope you can take the time to read these Life-Studies on line.

Posts on the Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Songs

How Do You Read the Book of Proverbs?
Why Did God Put Eternity in Man's Heart in Ecclesiastes 3:11?

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