We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Many Christians in many evangelical churches these days are confessionally challenged in that they are either cynical, critical, or altogether skeptical of all things confessional — confessional documents, confessional churches, and confessional Christians. We might hear confessionally challenged Christians say things, such as “My only creed is Christ” or “I don’t need theology, just give me Jesus” or “Confessions divide, Christ unites.” Such Christians are actually under the impression that their churches don’t have confessions, when in truth every church has a confession, though it may not be written down and though it may constantly change according to the whims and fancies of the pastor. They have been somehow deceived into thinking that all of the various historic Reformed confessions only serve to divide the church of its unity and disarm the Bible of its authority. Nothing could be further from the truth, for what is so amazing about Reformed confessions in general is not how different they are from one another but how similar they are — how they each use biblical language in affirming the faith once delivered to the saints.

Burk Parsons

Praying over the Word...has the effect of shaping our minds and hearts, so that we desire what the Word encourages us to desire, and not just what we desire by nature. That is why the prayers of Bible-saturated people sound so differently. Most people, before their prayers are soaked in Scripture, simply bring their natural desires to God, In other words, they pray the way an unbeliever would pray who is convinced that God might give him what he wants: health, a better job, safe journeys, a prosperous portfolio, successful children, plenty of food, a happy marriage, a car that works, a comfortable retirement, etc. None of these is evil. They're just natural. You don't have to be born again to want any of these. Desiring them - even from God - is no evidence of saving faith. So if these are all you pray for, there is a deep problem. Your desires have not yet been changed to put the glory of Christ at the center.

John Piper

We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Hide ‘n’ Seek Coffee Cake

January 28, 2023

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Eggs, Dairy, Grains	California	Breads, Cakes, Quick	1	8" cake

INGREDIENTS

1/2	c	Shortening
1/2	c	Sugar
1/2	t	Vanilla
1		Egg
1 1/2	c	All-purpose flour
1/2	t	Salt
1 1/2	t	Baking powder
1/2	c	Milk
1/2	c	California dried figs
		chopped fine
1/4	c	Chopped walnuts
1/2	c	Brown sugar
1/4	c	Butter, melted
1	T	Cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

BATTER: Cream shortening, add sugar and vanilla and cream thoroughly.
Add beaten egg and mix thoroughly.  Sift dry ingredients, and add
alternately with milk.  Spread half the batter in greased 8-inch cake
pan. Cover with fig filling and add remaining batter.  BAke 45  minutes
at 350 F.  FILLING: Rinse figs with hot water, then chop fine.  Blend
with  remaining ingredients for coffee-cake filling.  Source: 48 Family
Favorites with California Figs Reprinted with the  permission of The
California Fig Advisory Board Electronic format  courtesy of Karen
Mintzias  File
ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/califfig.zip

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