Banquet With The King: Your Relationship with God

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I am humbled and honored to be considered Your friend. Help me to guide other family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and associates to learning more about You so that they will also obey You and become Your friends.

…and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. James 2:23

Meditate. Consider friendships and relationships.

God has a lot on His plate now…with the war in Israel—but He still hears our prayers and we can count on Him not to abandon us. He promised to never leave or forsake us. That is a true friend—one who will not turn His back on us when there is trouble. Jesus laid down, sacrificed, His life for us…and as He ascended to Heaven He also promised to come back and take us to live with Him in His Father’s Heavenly home. That’s a great promise we can rely on day by day as we wait for His return.

Abraham was a friend of God…the first of many. Jesus said… You are My friends if you do what I command you. John 15:14. He also said…He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son (by obeying the commandments) will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36. In our Sunday Worship service we often used to sing a song “I am a friend of God” and a friend of mine really took offense at that. She felt that God is too powerful and needs to be exalted, not brought down to the human level of “friend.” She didn’t sing that song. I am honored to be considered a “friend” of God. Who am I that God is thinking of me? I am His child—so are you, if you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, as your Savior, and if you have asked for forgiveness.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…. John 1:12.

Being a friend of Jesus’ is an honor. Do you consider yourself a friend of God?

Prayer builds our relationship with God.
You don't have to go to the Wailing Wall to pray.
Jerusalem, Israel

Pray where you are!

If you are a friend of God’s, what are you doing to build that friendship relationship? Are you getting to know Him better every day? Are you allowing Him access to your deepest thoughts and living to please Him? Consider your own example of friendship with God as you encourage others, especially your children and grandchildren to become a friend of God.

Verse of Salvation ~ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:8-11 NLT

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

With this cooler fall weather, it is soup time! A dear friend just said she had made some cabbage hamburger soup—her traditional first soup of the season. It’s a good diet soup to eat any time of the day, even for a snack if you are snacking! Enjoy!

Cabbage Beef Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion chopped

1 lb tender beef steak, cut into 1-inch pieces or 1 lb cooked ground beef

1 stalk celery chopped

2 large carrots peeled and diced

1 small green cabbage chopped into bite-sized pieces

4 cloves garlic minced or grated

6 cups beef stock or broth

3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus more to serve

2 teaspoons each dried thyme and dried rosemary (or dried basil and oregano)

2 teaspoons each onion and garlic powder

Salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-heat, add the beef and sear on all sides until browned all over (they don't need to be cooked through). Then add the onions and cook until transparent (about 3-4 minutes).

2. Add the celery and carrots to the pan, mixing through the flavors in the pot. Cook while mixing occasionally for about 3-4 minutes, then add the cabbage and cook for a further 5 minutes until beginning to soften; add in the garlic, and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute), mixing all ingredients through.

3. Add the stock (or broth), parsley, dried herbs, and onion and garlic powder; mixing well. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and cover, with a lid.

4. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the cabbage and carrots are soft. Season with salt and pepper, and add more extra dried herbs, if desired.

5. Serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Note this is a tomato free recipe. If you can tolerate tomatoes in your diet, feel free to add a can of stewed tomatoes and/or tomato sauce. Cabbage Soup can be refrigerated once cooled in air tight containers for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Adapted from Cabbage Soup with Beef - Cafe Delites.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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Banquet With The King

Friday, October 13, 2023

Your Relationship with God

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