God's Pure Love for You

Looking for some healthy desserts to make with those fresh & tasty apples that are still around? Look no further!

Here are my own recipes for Apple Crumble, Apple Pie, and Fried Apples that use honey and a touch of molasses, instead of unhealthy, refined sugar. The results are unbelievably delicious, and if you’re like me, you’ll like them more than the sugar-based recipes. The red and golden delicious apples really make for a good flavor combination in these!

APPLE CRUMBLE

8 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (red & golden delicious)

1/3 cup unbleached flour, 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups uncooked oatmeal

2/3 cup honey with 1 tsp. molasses

1 T. chopped dates or 1/4 cup raisins mixed into apples

1/4 tsp. salt (or just a dash if preferred)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup canola oil

1. Place apples (& raisins if using) in a greased 9″ x 13″ glass pan.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a food processor (to save time).

3. Add oil, honey, and molasses. Combine in food processor.

4. Crumble over the apples.

5. Sprinkle the dates over the top (if using).

6. Bake at 375°F. for 30 minutes or until bubbly and apples are soft.  Enjoy!

Yield: 10 servings

APPLE PIE

“FOOL-PROOF PIE CRUST” (10-INCH)

Blend in a food processor:

2 cups flour, 3/4 cup vegetable shortening, and a dash salt until crumbly. Add 1 egg, 4 Tbls. cold water, and 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice. Combine in food processor until mixture forms dough. Add more flour, if needed, to make of rolling consistency.

Roll half of dough on floured wax paper, turning once. Lift wax paper from kitchen counter. Fold in half. Place into 10″ glass pie pan, removing wax paper. Seal and flute edge of dough with a fork or make a decorative, scalloped edging.

APPLE PIE FILLING

8 cups thinly sliced, peeled, red and golden, delicious apples

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup unbleached flour

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

A Dash salt

3 Tbls. Olivio spread (butter substitute)

1. Heat oven to 425°.

2. Combine the honey, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Mix into apples in a large bowl.

4. Pour into the pastry-lined pie pan. Dot with Olivio.

5. Roll out top crust onto wax paper, cutting slits in it to allow steam to escape. Place over pie. Remove wax paper. Seal and flute edge with a fork or into a scalloped edge as desired.

6. Cover edge with 2-3″ strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning; remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking.

7. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and juice starts to bubble through slits in crust.

FRIED APPLES

4 Red and/or Golden Delicious Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1 Tbsp. butter or Olivio

1 Tbsp. honey, or as desired

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

1. Heat frying pan. Melt butter or Olivio over medium heat.

2. Add apple slices to pan. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Fry with cover on pan, stirring occasionally.

3. Drizzle honey on apples in pan. Heat and stir until honey is melted nicely. Do not allow honey to burn.

4. Serve warm with a glass of milk or soymilk. This will taste great for breakfast or as a healthy, but amazing dessert!

Today, I thought about the extra clothes I don’t wear anymore and really need to give away. The Holy Spirit and I agreed, “Don’t worry,  God will bless you if you give them away.”

God continued to speak to me as a children’s radio story convicted me of not sharing with the needy in other countries more. It showed the stark comparison of how poor other people are in far-away lands and how rich we are in America, yet unaware of it. Travelling to a third-world country would humble and embarrass us for all that we have. Let’s take a hard look at what we have, what little most of the world has, and what we could give away!

First John 2:6, posted on our white board, caught my eye, reminding me that Jesus gave freely to the poor by healing, preaching, and dying for them: “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

I half-trusted God to say more to my stubborn heart, if He really was speaking! I got out my Bible and currently-used study guide. The whole lesson was all about the same subject, the rich and the poor!

James 1:9-11 said, “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.” *

My possessions won’t matter after I die. I need to make a difference here by helping the poor and giving away what I don’t need. My life will fade away, if I just “go about my business” and enjoy my riches, not sharing my things and the Good News of Jesus with the materially poor and spiritually lost.

Deuteronomy 15:11 stresses the importance of giving to the poor: “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed toward your brother and toward the poor and needy in your land.” Proverbs 17:5 agrees: “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;* whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.”  Prov. 19:17 says, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,* and He will reward him for what he has done.”  Prov. 31:8-9 – “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” I believe those who cannot speak for themselves include the unborn!

Luke 12:15-21 tells the parable of the rich man who built a bigger barn to store all his crops and goods, so he could “eat, drink, and be merry.” God required his life from him that night, because he stored up treasure for himself and was not rich toward God. Let’s make sure that we’re not guilty of this too!

Finally, God spoke to me in Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I believe that the “poor in spirit” are those who are spiritually and physically dependent on God for all they own. They are not proud, self-sufficient hoarders, but are thankful and are open-handed to the poor and needy, just as Jesus is (with nail-scarred hands) to us. May you and I be poor in spirit!

*Underlining in Bible verses added for emphasis.

Starting at Romans 3:23, Scripture verses link together as a Gospel Chain to use  as an evangelism tool:

Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 10:9,10 – “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

Acts 3:19 – “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;”

John 1:12 – “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,”

Revelation 3:20 - “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 - “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you  believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

2 Corinthians 5:17,18 – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

2 Corinthians 4:3,6 - “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Ephesians 2:1-10 – “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, make us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

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Prayerfully share the Gospel Chain, and thus share Jesus Christ with someone. Under the Lord’s guidance and power, present these verses directly out of the Bible as you talk to family and friends. If you choose to, highlight each of these passages in your Bible, and note the next reference alongside each passage, leading you through the entire chain, starting at Romans 3:23. Only share with a person the amount that he/she is receptive to as the Holy Spirit leads.

Or, if you are still seeking how to become saved, simply confess to God that you are a sinner.  (Everyone is born one.) Tell Jesus that you believe that He is God the Son who died on the cross for your sins. Invite Him into your heart (your life) to wash away your sins. Verbally accept Him as  your  resurrected Lord (Master of your life) and Savior. Then thank  Him for being your Eternal Life!! You will never be the same again, if you do this in faith that He supplies!! Halleluiah! Then go get baptized as a public testimony of your new life in Christ! Please tell me about it too! (Hint: You will not be able to keep quiet!) :D

Love,

Jo

All of life and relationships are a chain. The strongest link should be our union with Christ. All other links will be affected by the strength of my link to Christ!

Next, the strongest link must be my marriage. Christ is the “bonding glue” or “strength of the metal”  that holds the marriage together. If union with Christ is weak, the bonds of marriage will be weak. If it is strong, the marriage will be strong. This bond is made solid as the believer yields completely to Christ, through prayer, Bible study, and his walk with Christ.

Our children and family are the next links. Each link will affect the chain a certain way, if the chain is complete and strong, or weak and unconnected. If one link is ignored or weakened enough, the chain or family will be broken.

The more the power and love of Christ holds the husband and wife link together, the more that power will flow out to the temporarily smaller links. The other links or children will grow to be as strong or as weak as the link between the husband and wife, except by the grace and mercy of God.

Grandchildren are also more links in the chain!

After Christ, all of the links eventually become of equal importance as individual links and in holding the chain together.

As each link yields to the power flowing through the chain, or to Christ, through prayer and submission to Him and His Word, the chain will become unbreakable and will shine forth as pure gold to the world, inviting outsiders to join the chain that is bonded together in Christ!

Even so, there are instances, in 2 Kings, of the godlessness of a father not being seen in the grand-son. One big example is in 2 Kings 21 -23:30. God, in His mercy produced a godly king named Josiah after Manasseh, his grand-father, reigned as king over Judah. Manasseh had committed “wickedly more than all the Amorites did who were before him, and …also made Judah sin with his idols.” – 2 Kings 21:11. 2 Kings 21:9 also says, “…Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.” Manasseh’s son, Amon, reigned only 2 years, did evil in the sight of the Lord as Manasseh had done, and was killed in his own house by his servants! – 2 Kings 21:19-26.

But then Josiah showed up to “save the day”. Josiah began reigning as king at eight years old! He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left. He had the Temple of the LORD repaired, humbled himself before the Lord when the neglected Book of the Law was found, and made a covenant with God to obey God with all his heart and soul.The people of Judah also entered into this covenant. After this, Josiah reformed the nation to serve God. He destroyed all the idols, their altars, the idolatrous priests, and anything associated with idol worship, and he restored observance of the Passover.

There was no king before or after him who turned to the LORD as much as he did, as told in 2 Kings 23:25. So if you come from a bad, broken chain or dysfunctional family, there is still great hope for you, if you turn to the LORD! You can then influence for good the generations to come from you!

Please read my next post, “THE GOSPEL CHAIN”, to see how all of Scripture is a chain and tool for evangelism!

Is your faith in Christ weakening? Are you so busy that you “forget” to pray, and you and life aren’t changing or growing?

These questions stem from my own experience, my own “in-progress” prayer life. God taught me this after 4 am, when my husband got up to go to work. It’s a very important message!

Prayer is where every believer starts a journey with Christ. God opens your eyes and gives you faith to pray the prayer of repentance when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior! You begin a relationship with God there! Your prayer life after that will make you grow in Him, and your relationship with Him is the most important you’ll ever have.

“…Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17.  We believe after hearing/reading His word (Bible). Once saved, we mature through more reading of His word and prayer. No relationship will grow without two-way communication. Listen to God speak  in His Book, but also hear Him when you pray!

“In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – Romans 8:26-27. God’s indwelling Holy Spirit speaks to us, prompts us to pray, and supplies the words to say. He enables us to pray according to His will and actually prays for us as we pray.

Jesus, our Great High Priest, intercedes for us with the Father. Romans 8:34 - “…Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes us us.”

Who is this Spirit that helps us? Jesus said to His disciples, “   John 14:16-18: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” John 14:23 – “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.’” In 14:18, Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” So God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) lives in every Christ-follower!

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” - 1 John 5:14,15. Your faith will grow with joy as you pray, giving God your requests. His answers will strengthen your faith!! As you keep an open door of fellowship to God through prayer, He (Christ) will come in and dine with you. – Revelation 3:20. Do you hear Him knocking? Open your heart; enjoy Him, and talk to Him in prayer as you armor-up with the Sword of the Spirit, the (spoken) word of God. – Ephesians 6:17

James 4:2 – “You do not have because you do not ask.” Seek Him in prayer; confess your sins, worship Him, and ask! He will guide your walk. Your faith in Him will grow like it’s supposed to, and you’ll have “joy unspeakable and full of glory”, as He increases and you decrease! – 1 Peter 1:8, John 3:30