Labor Day in the Kingdom of Heaven

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Matthew 13:33

Have you ever made yeast or sourdough bread?
It takes some effort but the results are absolutely scrumptious. 

To make the bread it takes either yeast or sourdough starter. Just a small amount is added to several cups of flour. The starter or yeast is the leavening agent.  It is small organisms that live and grow on carbohydrates. When it is mixed with the flour and water the organisms begin to consume the carbs and multiply giving off CO2 in the process causing the dough to rise. I know, it sounds like a food channel explanation but it is important to the understanding of the parable.

The Kingdom of heaven is explained by Jesus in John 18:36 as a spiritual kingdom, one in which His servants did not take up physical arms against the enemy but rather participate in spiritual warfare. Christ's servants are a small group in this world but like leaven in the flour, we are a conquering army when we stand up in word and deed for Christ's kingdom.

Daniel 2:31-45 tells us Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar was the golden head. The kingdoms became less important in value or effect as they followed Nebuchadnezzar. Next were the Medes and Persians, then the Greeks, followed by the Romans who were in power at the time of Jesus. 

Finally, in the dream, a small stone was cut without hands and smote the toes of the image breaking them in pieces. The stone became a great mountain filling the whole earth. That stone is Jesus and His kingdom that to this day continues to expand and grow filling the whole earth with the gospel. 

As Christians, what is our vision of the Kingdom of Heaven? Matthew 13:44 says we are a treasure that Jesus gave up all to have as His own. He left heaven and gave His life on a cross. Are we not to live as treasures bought with a price? 

We must be the ones to keep the stone rolling, the leaven expanding, the kingdom growing. We must be of one heart and one mind to fill the whole earth with the gospel of the Lord.

Hey Kids:

Have you ever helped mom or grandma make a loaf of bread? Fall is the perfect time to give it a try. The smell of warm bread baking wafting on the cool air is mouth-watering. 

It takes time just like it takes time and effort to expand Christ's kingdom but the results are well worth the effort. 

Here's a recipe that may get you started.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-homemade-bread/

If like me, you prefer a whole grain recipe just google whole-grain yeast breads. You're likely to find a whole basket of recipes.

Apples Make a Church

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41 KJV

 Here in the Carolinas, the apples are in, so apple butter is in the making. It's really quite simple when you have the right tools. I use a crank apple peeler. I can crank out a 1/2 bushel of apples in about an hour. Try hand peeling that many and see how long it takes. And I have a large turkey roaster that holds my apples. It will cook a 1/2 bushel of apples into apple butter while I sleep. The next day, all I need to do is put it in the jars. The apple peeler will take out the core, peel the apple and slice it into rings all at the same time. I use a large variety of apples so the mixture brings out the best apple flavors. Winesaps and Cameos are my favorites. I also added Mutsu, Golden Delicious, Fuji, and maybe a Gala or two. Add a little apple pie spice and sugar, a few splashes of apple cider and the apples have a new purpose, the makings of great homemade apple butter.

I was thinking about how we tell the kids about the salvation transformation with pumpkins, taking out the yucky stuff and putting the light inside to shine through the smiling face. That put me to thinking about apple butter and the church. Apples have a core with the seeds. The seeds contain a cyanide compound. It won't hurt us to eat the seeds. A person would have to eat a tremendous amount to cause harm but our mothers told us apple seeds were poison. We take out the core before we make apple butter.

We have a core that has to be removed before we can become a Christian. That core will kill us if left inside. You know I'm talking about our sinful heart. We have to allow Jesus to cleanse us of our sins if we want to be saved. That's the first step in becoming part of a church. Just as a rotten apple would spoil the whole batch so an unsaved person will spoil the witness of the whole church.

The appearance of an apple has to change before it becomes apple butter. The peel has to be removed. To leave it on would add a tough consistency to the butter.  It has to become soft, sweetened and spiced to have the right smell and taste. It needs to be cooked on low for several hours to get the tenderness and consistency needed to create great butter.

What do you think we might need to be a great church? With salvation, our tough exterior will come off. We become the tender-hearted, loving person that desires to be like Jesus. We become part of a church where we can become that sweet odor of God to the world. Our lives are spiced with the truth of God's word. We are warmed to the things of God. We mix with others who may be of other races and cultures to create a wonderful mix that is able to reach out to a lost world, telling them, once, we too were lost but now we're saved. Once, we too were tough guys who didn't need help. Once, our attitudes stunk, but with Jesus, we have a new life and a new attitude and a new purpose.

Apple butter is the best a mix of apples can be. Just put it on a little homemade bread and see how delectable it is. Apple butter on a foundation of homemade bread, that's another analogy in the making. Got it? The church on our foundation, Jesus Christ the Bread of Life.

Be the church sitting strong on our Foundation, Jesus Christ, to a lost world who is searching for truth and purpose.

Blessings.

Gail

Hey Kids

Apple butter can be as easy as pie. If mom has an apple peeler ask if you can help crank. 

Wash and peel about 12 apples.

If you don't have an apple peeler, have an adult peel the apples. 

Slice the apples into small pieces with a plastic picnic knife. 

Place the apples in a crock pot.

Add about 1 cup of apple cider, juice or water.

Add 2 cups of sugar (optional)

Stir in 2 1/2 tsp of apple pie spice.

Place the lid on the crock pot and turn on low overnight. Stir once in a while, especially in the morning until the apples have cooked down to the consistency you desire.

Sterilize 4-6 jelly glasses (1/2 pint jars)

Spoon apple butter into glasses.

Bring to a boil in a water bath and boil 5 minutes.

If you don't have a water bath, place several table knives in the bottom of a large pot. Place the jars on top of the knives so they don't touch the bottom of the pot. Cover with water and boil the same way as with a water bath.

Watch the Bread

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Matthew 13:33

Making bread is one of my favorite kitchen activities. When we make bread we have to bloom the yeast, mix and knead, rise and roll, finally we cook and eat. Making yeast bread is time consuming. It also gives the baker a work out without a gym fee!

I think watching the yeast raise the dough is the most fascinating part. Less than a tablespoon of little dry critters grows a quart of flour into almost a gallon of bread dough. Making bread can be tricky if the water isn't the right temperature. Hot water kills the yeast and it will not raise the dough. Cold water also prevents rising. It won't wake up the critters. The temperature of the water has to be just a little warmer than body temperature. The dough also has to be kept in a warm place to rise. 

That is just what Jesus was explaining to those listening to Him the day he told them of the woman who put yeast in three measures of flour. It's fascinating watching as God uses a few disciples, then and now, to make a difference in the world. If we are so religious we become legalistic we kill the gospel message and no one listens. If we are cold, worldly Christians, the world doesn't see we are different. We have to be consistently burning so others see a real difference in our lives. Our lives have to be that warm, happy place where we can grow in Christ. We have to show others how to grow in Christ as well. 

Making bread is hard work. Kneading the dough takes time and energy. So does working the gospel into the world. We have to work at being a consistent, insistent Christian. We can't let political correctness cool down the gospel. 

Raising the dough takes time. We have to wait for the dough to reach the right rise or the loaf will be less than satisfactory. So spreading the gospel takes time, patience, a never give up attitude. It won't happen overnight.    

When the bread comes out of the oven, ahhh, the wonderful aroma and taste. Oh, when a soul is saved, what a sweet aroma the prayer of salvation sends up to the Father. As the saying goes, "All the world looks bright since I got right." 

Our consistent witness in the world will change us, our families, our churches, our communities, our country, and our world. What a wonderful promise of peaceful satisfaction a loaf of bread brings. 

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

You can watch the yeast change and grow the flour as well as present an unusual loaf of great tasting bread for your table. There are many opportunities to use this bread as a witnessing tool as friends and family enjoy the bread together.

Making bread is a lot like playing with play dough. 

After mixing the recipe, kneading is folding, pushing, folding, and pushing over and over to make sure the gluten is stretchy. That's not exactly a good technical, scientific explanation, but the dough will look and feel stretchy. 

After the dough rises to double it's original size, punch it down and cut the dough in half.

Play dough time again. Roll each half into a loooong snake  of about 36 inches. 

Braid the two dough snakes and connect them into a circle. 

You might want to try tucking cored apples into the dough with a few spices. Don't cut the core all the way through so the juice doesn't ruin the bread. 
If you'd just like loaves of bread, shape the two halves into loaves and place in oiled loaf pans. 

Check bread recipes online for accurate ingredients and how long to bake at what temp. 

Or you might just ask your grandma. 

Rise Up, Church

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Matthew 13:33

Our church ladies, we named ourselves Mentoring Moms, met today for a bread making class, devotion, and fellowship. Making bread is one of my favorite kitchen activities. The two ladies conducting the meeting today helped us make crescent rolls. This is a yeast bread. We were shown how to bloom the yeast, mix and knead, rise and roll, finally we cooked and ate. Making yeast bread is time consuming. It also gives the baker a work out without a gym fee!

I think watching the yeast raise the dough is the most fascinating part. Less than a tablespoon of little dry critters grows a quart of flour into almost a gallon of bread dough. Making bread can be tricky if the water isn't the right temperature. Hot water kills the yeast and it will not raise the dough. Cold water also prevents rising. It won't wake up the critters. The temperature of the water has to be just a little warmer than body temperature. The dough also has to be kept in a warm place to rise. 

That is just what Jesus was explaining to those listening to Him the day he told them of the woman who put yeast in three measures of flour. It's fascinating watching as God uses a few disciples, then and now, to make a difference in the world. If we are so religious we become legalistic we kill the gospel message and no one listens. If we are cold, worldly Christians, the world doesn't see we are different. We have to be consistently burning so others see a real difference in our lives. Our lives have to be that warm, happy place where we can grow in Christ. We have to show others how to grow in Christ as well. 

Making bread is hard work. Kneading the dough takes time and energy. So does working the gospel into the world. We have to work at being a consistent, insistent Christian. We can't let political correctness cool down the gospel. 

Raising the dough takes time. We have to wait for the dough to reach the right rise or the loaf will be less than satisfactory. So spreading the gospel takes time, patience, a never give up attitude. It won't happen overnight.    

When the bread comes out of the oven, ahhh, the wonderful aroma and taste. Oh, when a soul is saved, what a sweet aroma the prayer of salvation sends up to the Father. As the saying goes, "All the world looks bright since I got right." 

Our consistent witness in the world will change us, our families, our churches, our communities, our country, and our world. What a wonderful promise of peaceful satisfaction a loaf of bread brings. 

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Easter is only a few weeks away. This would be a great opportunity to make Braided Easter Egg Bread. You can watch the yeast change and grow the flour as well as present an unusual loaf of great tasting bread on your Easter table. There are many opportunities to use this bread as a witnessing tool as friends and family talk about the reason for Easter.

Making bread is a lot like playing with play dough. 

After mixing the recipe, kneading is folding, pushing, folding, and pushing over and over to make sure the gluten is stretchy. That's not exactly a good technical, scientific explanation, but the dough will look and feel stretchy. 

After the dough rises to double it's original size, punch it down and cut the dough in half.

Play dough time again. Roll each half into a loooong snake  of about 36 inches. 

Braid the two dough snakes and connect them into a circle. 

Now take RAW eggs and tuck them in the braids around the loaf.

Then bake the loaf according to your recipe directions. 

The raw eggs will now be cooked and taste very much like the boiled Easter eggs you have every year. 

My Easter Egg Chickens have begun to lay blue eggs. I think I might make a loaf with those eggs tucked in among the braids. Happy Easter.