Jesus showed
us the ultimate example of submission when He said…not My will, but Yours be done. And then He submitted to the Roman
and Temple authorities, was crucified and died. Died for our sins. Died to
fulfill the Father’s plan. If we are to be like Jesus, do we have to die?
No...but rather live—for Jesus. And He
summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes
to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Mark
8:34 We are so self centered in our
society that it is challenging to our lifestyle to “deny” ourselves. To give up
our own wants and desire to focus on what God would have us do. What does God
want us to do? This is a question that continually seems to come up. It is pretty simple—too simple for some
people to grasp.
Jesus said… If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15.
By this we know that we have come
to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come
to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth
is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly
been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides
in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:3-6
That’s simple
enough…keep the big Ten (see Exodus 20:2-17). That may seem simple, but
everyone has problems with it because when it comes to breaking those rules, to
think it is to do the same as to do it. We are blessed because even if we don’t
keep them, we can ask for forgiveness for our mistakes, our sins, and enter
once again into God’s graces—into His righteousness. Do that and live—by His
Will—not our own.
Training Tip – Review the Ten Commandments once again with your
family. Have they memorized them? If not, work on memorizing them at a level
that they can handle—making them simpler for the pre-schoolers, although you
might be amazed at what they can memorize. They are like little sponges at this
point in their lives. Challenge them.
Lord Jesus, may not our will, but the Father’s will
be done in our lives. Help us to obey Your commandments.
Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table
Once again
I’m featuring pizza—my family favorite. This summer we tried it cooked on the
BBQ grill outside. It had a crunchy crispy crust and just a bit of a smoky
flavor. There are still plenty of summer days left to barbeque your own
pizza outside. The pizza shown in the photo has pesto sauce, chicken, spinach, artichoke hearts, goat cheese and fresh tomatoes from our garden. Yum!
Pizza on the BBQ Grill – adapted from Anne Burrell’s Grilled Pizza in the June Food Network magazine.
Pizza crust dough
2 pkgs active
dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm
water (not hot)
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp olive
oil
Fresh herbs, snipped,
optional (about 2 Tbsp)
Add the sugar
and yeast to the water in a small bowl or large cup. Stir and let sit for about 15 minutes. It will get
bubbly and foamy.
Combine the
flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and the water mixture. If you
want, now is the time to add fresh herbs to the dough. Stir with a fork and
then mix with your hands. Knead until smooth—just a couple of minutes. Cover
the dough in the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until
double. You may just be able to set the bowl outside in a sunny spot—which is
much warmer than an air-conditioned home. Otherwise put it in the oven with a
bowl of hot water. When the dough has risen, divide it into 10-12 balls and
then roll out the balls into personal sized pizzas (6-8 inches round) using a
rolling pin. This can be done ahead of time—just place them on waxed paper,
cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.
A few
minutes before you want to eat, heat the grill to medium high heat--about
450-500 degrees—and then turn all the burners down to low. Grease the grill
with an oiled paper towel, using tongs. Place the pizza crust directly on the
grill for about two minutes until lightly browned, turn and grill the other
side until lightly browned. Transfer to a cookie sheet. Then top with toppings
and grill again until the cheese is melted.
Suggested
toppings:
Sauce:
olive oil, pesto, ranch sauce, red tomato sauce, salsa, barbecue sauce
Meat:
diced cooked chicken, Italian sausage, ground beef, pepperoni, turkey, Canadian
bacon, bacon, pulled pork, ham, prosciutto
Vegetables/fruit/herbs: artichoke hearts, spinach, arugula, basil, mushrooms,
onions, roasted garlic, pineapple, pickles, roasted peppers, black olives,
fresh tomatoes, roasted tomatoes
Cheeses:
fresh mozzarella, smoked Gouda or smoked mozzarella, fresh grated parmesan,
cheddar, ricotta, goat cheese.
Enjoy!
All
scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise
noted.
© 2013 by Mickey
M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
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