Climbing.....with Jesus

FAITH:

Matthew 14:23
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

There were times that Jesus separated himself from the multitudes — and there are times when we need to separate ourselves from our lives and ministry, and spend some time with our Lord.

I love how Jesus climbed a mountain. It made me think of an interesting analogy. Picture the shape of a mountain. It starts out wide at the bottom — the higher we climb, the narrower it becomes — and the more we must stay close to the center. As we go even higher yet, there’s less room to move to the left or the right — and there’s less and less ground that can be compromised — the more focused we need to be and the less we can afford to be distracted. The higher we go, the less room we have to fool around!

Whatever you may be dealing with, you may just need to separate yourself and climb up to spend time with the Lord — get centered on Him and focused on what He’s calling you to.

God wants us to learn to climb to the top and focus all of our lives on His will! Let’s take out some time this weekend to try it!

FRIENDS:

Father, help us to see what is important, what is eternal., and what is lasting. Let us make decisions based on our eternal life and not on temporary things. Help us to put into practice the timeless truths found in your Word and most of all, thank you for loving us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE CHALLENGE

7. JOHN 8:48-59; 2 PETER 3:10-18; JOB 7; EZEKIEL 20-21
8. JOHN 9:1-12; 1 JOHN 1:1-4; JOB 8; EZEKIEL 22-23
9. JOHN 9:13-25; 1 JOHN 1:5-10; JOB 9:1-20; EZEKIEL 24-26

~ 1 JOHN ~
Tolerance. A prized virtue today. The ability to be understanding of those with whom you differ is a sign of sophistication. Jesus, too, was a champion of tolerance.

--Tolerant of the disciples when they doubted.
--Tolerant of the crowds when they misunderstood.
--Tolerant of us when we fall.

But there is one area where Jesus was intolerant. There was one area where he was unindulgent and dogmatic. Were he to share his opinion today, he would be accused of being narrow, biased, one-sided, even bigoted.

But as far as he was concerned, when it comes to salvation, there aren't several roads . . .there is only one road. There aren't several ways . . . there is only one way . . . there aren't several paths . . . there is only one path. And that path is Jesus himself.

That is why it is so hard for people to believe in Jesus. It's much easier to consider him one of several options rather than the option. But such a philosophy is no option. Jesus closed that door. Jesus positioned himself as the peerless Savior of the world. In defining who he is, Jesus is bold and unapologetic.

His disciple John was equally firm.

First John was written to dispel doubts about Jesus. False teachers had entered the church, denying the incarnation of Christ. John steps up to the bench and makes his defense. John knew him, walked with him. lived with him. He saw him heal. He heard his words. John had been to the empty tomb and he knew . . . Jesus is not one of many options. He is the only option or nothing at all.

There are times to be tolerant. And there are times to take a stand for truth. In this letter, John takes a stand.

FOOD:

15-Minute Chicken Fried Rice

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots
7 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice, cold
1/4 cup soy sauce, or to taste
5 green onions, chopped

Cut chicken into small cubes and place in a bowl. Season generously with salt, pepper and onion powder. Add oyster sauce and stir well to coat chicken. Heat butter and oil in large skillet or wok over high heat. Add garlic and chicken. Stir constantly and cook until chicken Is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beaten eggs to the meat. Cook
for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly until eggs are scrambled. Add frozen peas and carrots and stir to incorporate. Add cold rice and soy sauce. Stir-fry rice mixture until light golden brown. Stir in chopped green onions just before serving. Serves: 6 to 8.

Pork Fried Rice for Two
1/8 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup, plus 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
6 ounces boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups broccoli florets
1 celery rib with leaves, sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups cold cooked brown rice
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Combine brown sugar, 1/8 cup of soy sauce and five-spice powder in a bowl. Stir in cubed pork, cover and allow to marinate for several hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator. In a large nonstick skillet, stir-fry pork over high heat for 3 minutes or until brown. Remove and keep warm. Stir-fry fennel seed in 3/4 teaspoon oil for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli, celery, carrot and onions. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until crisp but tender. Remove and keep warm.
Stir-fry the rice in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce, pepper, garlic powder and hoisin sauce. Return pork and vegetables to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently until heated through.
Serves: 2.

FUN:

~New Look On Grand Dad~

I have always had a beard.

One day, I decided to shave it off. I came into the room where my 3 year old granddaughter Tiffany was and asked her, "Notice anything different?"

To which she replied, "No," with a puzzled look on her face.

I then said to her, "My beard's gone."

Now the puzzled look disappeared and the innocent eyes appeared when she said "I didn't take it!"