COME AS A CHILD LESSON 140 - THE FIRST PART OF TEN WAYS TO A GOOD LIFE

THE FIRST PART OF TEN WAYS TO A GOOD LIFE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

So we find Moses still on the top of the mountain listening carefully to God.   

God has begun to explain to Moses about the ten ways that all of His people can have a better life.  God wishes for Moses to teach these ten ways to the people.  

These ten ways are the very basic steps to having a happy and joyful life full of love and health and order.  They applied back in the days of Moses; they apply now.  Jesus did not come to destroy the law; but to fulfill it!  

Jesus Christ kept every single law as He walked the earth.  That is what qualified Him to be The Perfect Lamb of God.  We are to follow Jesus and to immitate Him as best we can.  His grace is always sufficient when we fail; but we are to focus on trying not to break the laws of God; they are in our own best interest.  They were a gift from God that day as He spoke from the smoke and the lightning on the Holy Mountain.

These are the words that God uses as He begins to speak:

“I AM the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Based on the way God begins to communicate here, do you think it is important for Moses and the people to know WHO God is and to recognize what all He has done for them so far?  

Yes!  I think that is very important!  

God had found them in their misery and toil.  He had rescued them from a life of bondage.  He had brought them out of a pagan land and a pagan culture and was bringing them back to a place of freedom, a place where they would be able to worship God as The One True God again.   He wanted to give them a GOOD life!

If you determine to worship God with all of your heart you must know that one thing is very important to God; and it is included in that first statement that God makes to Moses after God clearly states His soverign identity.  

That one important thing is: “YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.”

The God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt IS the ONLY, ONE AND TRUE GOD that exists.  He makes this clear to the people right away.  They are not to worship the gods of the Egyptians any more.  They have seen how God has destroyed all evidence of these mythical, pagan gods being real, and that the God of the Israelites is the ONLY God that truly has power over the earth.  

God proved this evidence with the plagues.  

God proved this evidence with the parting of the sea.  

God proved this evidence with the water from the rock.  

God proved this evidence with the Manna from Heaven.  

God proved this with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire that they followed through the dessert.  

There is NO EXCUSE for the worship of other Gods.  

Just because we do not have a statue of Baal in our home does not mean that we are free of idols in our lives!

Have you ever taken a close examination of your own daily life to see if there is any evidence of pagan worship?   You might be very surprised at the way the world rubs off on you before you even notice what is happening.  Here are a few questions to study and consider:

Even your thinking process can be full of idols.  Are you taking every thought captive in order to obey the Word of God and His way of life?  

What is your "self-talk" like?  Does it match God's word?  If not; you are telling yourself lies and setting up false idols inside your head.

Is your mind free of the world's systems and human ideas and imaginations that do not match the ways of God?

Are you controlled by the media, your neighbor's ways, the public school system's ways, your parent's ideas, your friend's suggestions and actions?  

Do you find yourself living in doubt and denial of the power of God over your life?

Is your pride more important to you than the ways of a loving God?

Put out an all points bulliten for the idols in your life; even those that only lurk in your thoughts!  Identify them and take them captive.  

"High places" or places of pagan worship do not belong in the life of the Bride of Christ.  Get a perspective of God's places and live there.  

Is there somewhere that you are going that puts you in spiritual jeapordy?  

Is there something that you are doing that needs to come under control?  

If you have a shrine or an altar that does not belong to God, destroy it immediately and receive the freedom from the bondage of sin that will come to you from your loving Father.

   

In speaking to Moses on the mountain, God went on to explain this a little further.  Since HE was the ONLY God that truly exists; he explains: 

“YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELVES AN IMAGE IN THE FORM OF ANYTHING IN HEAVEN ABOVE OR ON THE EARTH BENEATH, OR IN THE WATERS BELOW.  YOU SHALL NOT BOW DOWN TO THEM OR WORSHIP THEM; FOR I, THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM A JEALOUS GOD, PUNISHING THE CHILDREN FOR THE SIN OF THE PARENTS TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THOSE WHO HATE ME, BUT SHOWING LOVE TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.”

There seems to be serious consequences for those who break the first of these ten ways to have a good life.  God says He will punish the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him; but God will show love to a thousand generations of those who love Him.

I think God used such stern words to help the people grasp the importance of the matter.  He is telling them things that will benefit them in their lives and God wants them to know how best to live a full and happy life.  If they do not listen to Him and heed God’s words; the laws that God set into motion as Creator of the Universe will take effect and work against them and their children and grandchildren.   God wishes for ALL generations to be taught His ways and for ALL generations to follow them.  This is much to the advantage of the people. 

Putting God first and above all other things has become a way of life that we relate to following the First Commandment of God.  

Surely, after living in misery for so long in a foreign land as slaves the people of Israel had seen what NOT putting God first was like.  Why would they ever want to go back to that way of life that they had miraculously escaped?  Why would they ever bow before a pagan god or make a pagan image to worship after seeing how powerless the pagan gods were before The One and Only True God?

This little talk with Moses on the top of the mountain is simply God’s way of helping them to ALWAYS remember. 

In Matthew 22:37 – 38 Jesus called this first commandment of God the “greatest” commandment.  We will hear God summing this up later to the people of Israel by stating:  “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your strength.”  (Deut. 6:5). 

Do you get the idea that God wants us to remember that He loves us and we are to love Him back?  It is all about love, God’s love for us and our love for God.  

Love is the spiritual intent of the law.  The time on Mount Siniai with God was considered to be the wedding between Israel and God.  

In order to take wedding vows; total love and devotion is required of both parties.  The people have already promised and sent Moses to tell God that they will do as He has said.  God is merely stating the conditions of the relationship and vowing to keep His part and expecting the same from the people that He is taking as a bride under the covenant of marriage; a covenant that should never be broken or annulled.   

The goal of the people from this point forward will be to seek God and His righteousness above all other things.  As a bride is true to only her husband, so should the people be true to only worshipping The One True God of Heaven and Earth.  There are to be no other lovers!  They should never bow before anyone or anything else in worship.  God is a jealous God!  Their focus is to be on God and God alone; never leaning toward their own understanding but trusting in His every word and listening and obeying His every command. 

The right response to God will carry reverence and deep respect for His almighty power and majesty.  It is a fear that comes from deep love, a type of fear that is respectful and in awe; not a fear that leaves one in panic or trembling.  It is a healthy fear; one that is in our best interest and one that keeps our lives in check and on the right path.  When we obey God and put Him first in our lives because of this healthy fear; we begin to grow more and more in love.  Sooner or later the love replaces the fear and peace and contentment come from the knowledge of knowing that God has our best interest in mind and is always looking out for us by showing us the best ways to live. 

It seems that God’s main objective in teaching us this is to keep sin far away from our lives.  Anytime that we put anything before God in our living; sin creeps in to destroy us and rob us of our joy.  

False religion and false gods are a sin.  

Self worship is a sin.  

God must always have first place in our hearts for us to be truly happy.  We need to continually be seeking to see things from God’s perspective.  Our own view of the world can get skewed and twisted if we aren’t very careful to be putting God first. 

This commandment to love God above all else was the wedding vow of Isreal, and thus the wedding vow of God’s people forever.  It should never be considered a burden but always be considered a delight.  When you truly love God with all of your heart and put Him first in your life you receive a gift of tremendous joy in your heart. 

The love of God has rescued us from a heavy bondage.   Whether it is from the bondage of physical slavery like these Israelites experienced or the bondage of sin; the results are the same.  God’s love has saved us and we are to respond by loving Him and serving Him forever.  

Knowing and following The One True God sets us free from bondage and gives us an abundant life. 

The first commandment is God’s wedding vow to us.  

It is a heavenly gift that is priceless beyond compare.  

Let us love God and always honor this first best way to live!

PEN ART - LEAVING

(I wrote this poem several years back when I thought we were going to have to sell our home.  Fortunately, by yet another miracle of God in my life, things got better and it did not happen; but God did let me capture the moment and the truth of the whole emotional experience here in words.)

LEAVING

(Writing and photography by:  Sheila Gail Landgraf)

"I'm leaving,"
I speak to a house than cannot even speak back to me.
Somewhere deep in my heart I imagine hearing answering words,
Could it just be my imagination?
"I have served you and loved you for so long!"
"Yes."
It is all that I can answer back, for no mere words are sufficient.
Fourteen years I have laid my head on your pillows,
Watched how the sunlight slanted from your windows,
Sought my refuge here at the end of the day,
Saw the rainbows that formed from the sunlight on the kitchen walls around seven a.m. each morning.
I fed my family in your rooms,
Heard the sound of children's laughter from your halls,
Warmed myself in front of your fires,
Baked cookies after school and helped kids with homework here,
Prayed with only you for company.
I cleaned you,
Painted you,
Dressed you up in new clothes.
I kept renewing you as you grew older.
But alas, you cannot do the same for me;
You are just a house,
With walls that cannot speak.
You do not have a soul,
Or do you?
You are helpless to help me,
But I sense your compassion as I softly take the last deep breath before I leave you.
You must know my breaking heart,
And you must feel the pain I feel from leaving you behind.
The place that I have always known as home
Has been abruptly ripped away from me.
I'm so sorry that I could not save you this time,
Like so many times before.
There was nothing I could do.
I shall not return except in the dreams of night,
And through memories that will be sure to fade over time,
No matter how hard I hold on to them.
I thought I would grow old here,
But it isn't to be.
May your new faces love you as much as I have.
May I somehow find your peace and joy in the next place,
Where ever they let me go.
Finally the words come that I've been searching for;
Just two little words,
"Thank you."
Then four more,
"I will miss you."
I gently close the door on fourteen happy years and walk away.
The azaleas on the stoop wave goodbye.
The redbird in the front yard plumb tree chirps his farewell.
The fig tree stands silent and green as I leave my heart in a trail of little pieces down the road.

SEASONS - A PRAYER FOR RAIN

(Writing and photography by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

This is the song the ancient people of God sang as they processed with the priests from the pool of Siloam through the Water Gate and to the Temple for the water pouring ceremony at The Feast of Tabernacles each year:

Psalms 118

¹Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

  His faithful love endures forever.

²Let all Israel repeat:

  "His faithful love endures forever."

³Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat:

  "His faithful love endures forever."

⁴Let all who fear the LORD repeat:

 "His faithful love endures forever."

⁵In my distress I prayed to the LORD,

  and the LORD answered me and set me free.

⁶The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear.

  What can mere people do to me?

⁷Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me.

  I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the LORD

  than to trust in people.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the LORD

  than to trust in princes.

¹⁰Though hostile nations surrounded me,

  I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD.

¹¹Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,

  but I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD.

¹²They swarmed around me like bees;

  they blazed against me like a crackling fire.

  But I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD.

¹³My enemies did their best to kill me,

  but the LORD rescued me.

¹⁴The LORD is my strength and my song;

  he has given me victory.

¹⁵Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.

  The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!

¹⁶The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph.

  The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!

¹⁷I will not die; instead, I will live

  to tell what the LORD has done.

¹⁸The LORD has punished me severely,

  but he did not let me die.

¹⁹Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,

  and I will go in and thank the LORD.

²⁰These gates lead to the presence of the LORD,

  and the godly enter there.

²¹I thank you for answering my prayer

  and giving me victory!

²²The stone that the builders rejected

  has now become the cornerstone.

²³This is the LORD's doing,

  and it is wonderful to see.

²⁴This is the day the LORD has made.

  We will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵Please, LORD, please save us.

  Please, LORD, please give us success.

²⁶Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD.

  We bless you from the house of the LORD.

²⁷The LORD is God, shining upon us.

  Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I will praise you!

  You are my God, and I will exalt you!

²⁹Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

  His faithful love endures forever.

There is a water-pouring ceremony at The Feast of Tabernacles!

In ancient times it was the service to ask for rain on the crops in the days to come while thanking God for the provision He has already given.   
We not only need physical rain to survive our life in this world, we need the rain that falls called the Rauch Ha Kodesh, The Holy Spirit.  
This is the Living Water that Jesus Christ has to offer to us.
This is how our spirits are refreshed each year as our bodies are physically refreshed with water.  
It is the Spirit of God who causes us to imitate Jesus in his death and resurrection.  
The Spirit of God is as refreshing as rising from the grave to a new and restored life in The Kingdom of God.  This is the Spirit that causes us to grow in grace and it is the Spirit of God that allows us to experience Emmanuel; 
God with us.  

FOOD ART AND FAMILY FUN - BAKING BREAD

(From the recipe collection of Sheila Gail Landgraf)

If you read my article titled COME AS A CHILD - THE THREE TRAITS OF SARAH, you might have a desire to start baking bread; especially the Hebraic bread known as Challah.  This is the bread recommended for the Sabbath and special occassions during the Hebraic year. 

Here is the best recipe I've found for making Challah.  It is not my recipe; it comes from a wonderful cookbook called "Cookng For The King."  It has great tips for pondering the mysteries of God as you bake your bread.  When you see the word "Hashem" that is the Jewish way of saying "The Name Of God."  The Jewish people are very careful about how they say God's name, they do not want to misuse it or misquote it, so they say "Hashem" which means "the name of God" and they visualize the proper way they write it when they say Hashem.  

Emuna is the ability to see God's presence in all you do with unwaivering faith.  It is a gift that is enhanced with study and meditation and prayer.  It is a faith not based on reason, but it goes deeper when reason confirms it.  This was one of Sarah's (wife of Abraham) greatest personality traits.

Torah is the first five books of your Bible. 

Mitzvos are actions that we take to keep God's Commandments in our lives.

K'lal Yisrael simply means "all the people of Israel."  Many Christians today have come to think of this meaning "All of God's People."

Neshama simply means "spirit."


Happy baking!


BAKING BREAD:

1 and 1/2 cups sugar 
4 tablespoons yeast 
5 pounds flour
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons Kosher salt (3T in Israel) 
1 egg, beaten

Water is compared to Torah.
May our home be a warm environment, conducive for Torah growth.
Think of the sweetness that having faith and trust in Hashem brings.
May we have emuna that Hashem is constantly at our side.

Yeast is the fuel for the bread's growth. 
May our desire to come close to Hashem by doing his will
fuel our growth.

Flour gives substance to bread in the same way Torah and mitzvos give substance to our lives.

Oil was used to anoint the king into serving as leader of the Jewish people. As you pour, say the name of each family member and think of their noble qualities.  May they use them well to serve Hashem and k'lal Yisrael.

Salt keeps the yeast growth in check, preventing the dough from over inflation and collapse.

We remove a bit of salt to remind us that, while we must give rebuke to help our loved ones grow properly, may we have the wisdom to withhold our full force.

Torah and mitzvos, like water and flour, require work to become fully integrated. As you mix and knead, the dough changes from loose to raggy, then smooth and substantive. Now is an opportune time to think of those in need of our prayers and ask Hashem to bless them with health, children, success, a suitable match and peace.

Our neshama, like the dough, flourishes in a place of warmth and stillness. Just as the bowl is covered, our growth is not always visible. Oiling the bowl reduces friction and helps the dough to rise. May we help our loved ones by giving them warmth and understanding.


G-d, King of the Universe Who has sanctified us and commanded us to separate challah.


This challah recipe makes eight 1 pound loaves.  Wrap well to freeze for up to 1 month

The Challah Recipe ~from Cooking for The King

5 cups warm water 

1. Pour the warm water into a very large mixing bowl.

2. Stir in the sugar. 

3. Sprinkle yeast over the water and stir once. Cover the bowl with a large towel. Allow to stand about 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy. 

4. Add the flour to the bowl. 

5. Pour in the oil a little at a time.

6. Measure salt. Remove and discard a small pinch of salt. Add the remainder to the flour mixture. 

7. Either in the bowl or on a clean flat surface, knead the dough until very smooth, adding small amounts of flour if the dough becomes sticky and oil if the mixture is dry. 

8. Oil the sides of the bowl, roll the dough in the oiled bowl until it is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap. Place covered bowl in a draft free place, a closed oven is good, to rise for an hour or until doubled in bulk. 

9. When the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover, punch gently in the center with your fist, the dough will deflate. Take challah.

Taking Challah: 

If your dough contains 5 pounds of flour and the majority of the liquid in your recipe is water, you will safely be able to separate challah with a blessing. Before taking challah say:

“Baruch a-tah A-do-nai E-lo-hay-nu Melech ha-olam, ah-sher kid-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav, v’tzi-va-nu l’haf-rish challah.”

Blessed are You, Lord our God,
King of The Universe 
Who hath commanded us to take the Challah

Remove an egg-sized piece of dough and say

“Ha-ri-zeh challah” (This is challah)

In Temple times, the separated portion, the challah, was given to the Kohain . The Kohanim were deeply involved in their service in the Temple, and were therefore unable to fully provide for their families. Hashem commanded us to give His portion, challah, among other gifts, to the Kohanim. This ensured their sustenance as they performed their holy work on our behalf.

Today, the Temple remains central to our identity as a people. Observing the mitzvah of hafrashat challah, then and now, establishes a bond between the people and the Kohanim. We immortalize this interdependence when we remove this piece of challah dough, burn it and dispose it in an honorable way.

We, like the Kohanim, depend on Hashem for physical sustenance in order to perform our mission in life

By taking challah, we recognize that the source of our sustenance and strength is from the King of the Universe, our loving Father.

Whether you use the ingredients in this challah recipe, bake from one of your own or patronize your local bakery, we recognize that everything we have is from the open, loving, merciful hand of Hashem.

10. Shape dough into eight loaves. You can also make other breads with a challah recipe. Place shaped breads on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or in pans coated with baking spray. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30 minutes to one hour, until almost doubled. After rising, brush with beaten egg and bake 25-35 minutes until golden. Remove loaves from pans to cool on a wire rack.

active time: 45 minutes ~ total time: 3 hours 

So that is the recipe from "Baking For The King."  All across the land women of God (Jewish and some Christians) are baking Challah before Sabbath - you may or may not realize this.  As they bake they are reminded of God's blessings to their families.  They are praying for their families as they bake.  They are remembering that a portion of everything given to them by God should be shared with others, especially those who are ministering to God in his Holy Temple.  Women all across the world - baking the Challah - are reminded, like Sarah baking in her tent, that all substance for a good life comes from God and emminate out to His people.  They are bringing the Glory of God into their homes.  

All material prosperity has the potential to be elevated.  Sarah did this as she baked the bread for her family in her tent.  We can find proper expression for all work by using it for a Godly purpose and offering thanks to God as we participate.

THE SUKKAH STORY PART THREE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

THE SUKKAH OF MOSES

Now you have heard the stories of Abraham’s sukkah which might have been the very first one.  You have heard the story of the sukkah that sheltered The Christ Child; the most important one.  But now I must tell you of the sukkah of Moses; the one which God proclaimed we should always remember at our feasts and festivals.

I’m sure you have heard of the child Moses who was the baby hiding in the

bulrushes of the river.  He was found by an Egyptian princess and grew up Egyptian, though later he found out he was actually a Hebrew.  The Hebrews were slaves of the Egyptians at the time and God used Moses in a mighty way to lead God’s people out of the bondage of slavery and to The Promised Land, the land that Abraham had been promised so many years before Moses was born.

Moses was born after Abraham and before Christ.  Moses lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt into the wilderness where they lived in temporary shelters, similar to our sukkahs.  They also had a temporary shelter for God Himself!  They called it a Mishkan (Tabernacle).  A cloud of glory hovered over God’s Mishkan by day and a pillar of fire hovered over God’s Mishkan by night. 

When the cloud moved during the daytime, the people took down their temporary dwellings, packed them up, and moved with the cloud of God. Once there, when the cloud stopped moving, they rebuilt their temporary dwellings which were more like tents and made all the doors of their tents face God’s Mishkan. 

When the pillar of fire moved at night, the people took down their temporary dwellings, packed them up and moved with the pillar of fire from God.  When the piller of fire stopped moving, the people rebuilt their temporary dwellings which looked a lot like tents, and they made all the doors of their tents face God’s Mishkan.

Moses was given directions from God on how to decorate and arrange the Mishkan they built for God’s temporary dwelling among the people.  All of God’s people brought their gifts and talents and participated in the decorating of the Mishkan where they would go to dwell with God. 

We remember Moses and his leadership in the wilderness during Sukkot.  

We think of the freedom that Moses helped God to give to the people.  

We think of the holy worship that went on between Moses and God and how that was shared with the people traveling through the wilderness.  

They would worship in the Mishkan, God’s temporary dwelling.  We build our sukkahs in order to remember how God provided all that was needed for the People of God in the wilderness.  

We give thanks, just as they did for the blessings that God has given to us over the last year of our life. 

Just as Moses led the People of God to decorate the Mishkan (God’s temporary dwelling) in the wilderness, we too will decorate our sukkahs. 

What will you do to give beauty that honors God to our sukkah?  

What decoration will you make, or what special thing can you bring inside? 

 Moses brought his leadership.  
Miriam brought her dancing.  
Aaron spoke eloquently to the people; that was his gift.  

Perhaps someone has a poem or a craft or a picture to hang on the walls of our sukkah?  

Perhaps someone has a special song to sing or a special story to tell?  

Even a tiny little baby can bring a cry or a smile!

Everyone has some way to decorate the Sukkah with their presence.

We must bring God our best as we worship God in beauty and holiness inside the sukkah!

Like the people of God we travel to our feast not knowing what will transpire when we get there.  We are totally dependent on God for our blessings.  We go to the feast because God commanded us to go.  We take glad hearts and happy hands with us to the Feast of Tabernacles! 

Sometimes, like the people who went with Moses when God said “Go,” we go with no money in our pockets and no food in our suitcases, but God provides what we need.  

God gave the people in the wilderness with Moses manna to eat!  Bread from Heaven!  

God gave them pure water to drink right from a special rock that moved along with them.  Our Rock is Jesus!  He moves right along with us.  He will provide festival food and drink for us too. 

 Sometimes God uses other people to bring his blessings through to us at our feast.  The love and companionship they bring is their decoration!

Sometimes people use their talent for cooking to bring festive foods into the sukkah.  The food they bring is their decoration! 

There are a million beautiful ways to decorate the sukkah and make it beautiful; either physically, spiritually or mentally. 

So, What will you bring?

As we enjoy the gifts of the sukkah and invite God to come and live within our sukkahs with us, we will be thinking and remembering all the stories and in our hearts we will KNOW that: 

Just as the stars keep shining and the waves of the sea keep brushing the sand on the shore, God’s blessings will pour out to us by the acts of the people who love Him. 

Just as the pillar of cloud brought glory to God, the people celebrating Sukkot will bring glory to God.  

Just as the cloud hovered over the covering of the Mishkan of God, the glory of God will hover in the beautiful clouds that float over our sukkahs as we feast before God and give our thanks for the blessings of the year gone by. 

Above all things we know that God is leading us to a very special place, just as He led the people of Moses to the promised land.  We will enjoy the earthly journeys in our sukkahs and be thankful that:

GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES!