We Love God!

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

The same Greek word can be translated “temptation” and “test.” They are a world apart and context determines which translation to use. Satan is the one who tempts us to sin. God is the one who tests us to righteousness. Satan wants to destroy us. He wants to weaken our faith. He wants us to spiritually fail. On the other hand, our Lord is forever testing us. His goal though tests, often in the form of trials, is to make us spiritually stronger, refine our character and increase our faith. Part of the test at times is overcoming the temptation. It is the Lord in His sovereignty who sends test. “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Mt. 4:1). However, it is during these tests that Satan finds His greatest opportunity to tempt us. So when the heat in life is turned up, will we trust God and walk by faith in His commandments or will we listen to the “father of lies” and sin? The prayer here is that the Lord will help us pursue righteous actions as we emerge from the test spiritually victorious.

Randy Smith

The evil in our desires often lies not in what we want but in the fact that we want it too much. Natural affections (for any good thing) become inordinate, ruling cravings. We are meant to be ruled by godly passions and desires. Natural desires for good things are meant to exist subordinate to our desire to please the Giver of gifts. Grasping that the evil lies in the ruling status of the desire, not the object, is frequently a turning point in self-understanding, in seeing the need for Christ’s mercies, and in changing.

David Powlison

We Love God!

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

Apple Crescents

January 22, 2023

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Dairy, Eggs		Desserts	12	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1	tb	Yeast
1/2	c	Milk, body temperature
1/2	c	Butter
1/8	c	Maple syrup
1		Egg
1	ts	Lemon rind
2	c	Whole wheat pastry flour
1	c	Diced green apples
1/3	c	Dates, diced
1/4	c	Butter

INSTRUCTIONS

CRESCENT
FILLING
Dissolve yeast in warm milk; set aside.  Melt together butter and maple
syrup; let cool; add egg, lemon rind, flour, and yeast mixture. Mix
together until you have a dough. Refrigerate overnight. Roll dough into 9"
circles, one for each 4 rolls; cut each circle into 4 pie-shaped wedges.
Cut together apples, dates and butter.  Spread fruit mixture over dough
wedges.  Roll up each crescent, beginning at the wide end. Place on unoiled
cookie sheets, turning ends to form crescent shape; let rise to double in
size, about 2 1/2 hours. Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes until golden
brown.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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