FOOD ART AND FAMILY FUN - EASY THANKSGIVING MENU AND GROCERY LIST

GETTING READY FOR THANKSGIVING

EASY THANKSGIVING MENU

(Writting and photography by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

THANKSGIVING MENU

Party Bread
Seven Layer Salad
Orange Congealed Salad
Turkey and Dressing
Warm Cranberries
Deviled Eggs
Sweet Potato Casserole
Squash Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Pecan Cobbler
White Chocolate Cheesecake

Any turkey can put this menu together.  Simply go buy the groceries on the list provided below, read the recipes and get started cooking your feast!  Have a little glass of wine, turn on some music and make it a party as you prepare for your guests!

RECIPES

PARTY BREAD

Ingredients: 

1 Round loaf sourdough bread (1 pound)

1 pound Monterrey Jack Cheese

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup chopped green onions

1/8 cup poppy seeds (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut bread width-wise into 1-in. slices to within 1/2 in. of bottom of loaf. Repeat cuts in opposite direction. Cut cheese into 1/4-in. slices; cut slices into small pieces. Place cheese inside cuts of bread.    In a small bowl, mix butter, green onions and poppy seeds; drizzle over bread. Wrap all in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Unwrap; bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted. One loaf feeds 8 people.  If you have a crowd you might want to double or triple this.   

SEVEN LAYER SALAD

Ingredients:

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce

4 cups chopped tomatoes

4 cups chopped cucumber

1 (16 ounce) pkg. frozen baby peas, thawed

1/2 cup sliced green onion

2 cups radishes

2 cups sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

6 slices bacon cooked crisp and crumbled

Instructions:

 In a large clear trifle dish layer lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber.  In a medium bowl combine peas and green onion, and layer on top of cucumber.  Layer radishes over pea mixture.   In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt, stirring until smooth. Spread evenly over radish layer, sealing edges. Top with shredded cheese and bacon. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving cold.

ORANGE  CONGEALED  SALAD

Ingredients:

1     (6-ounce) package orange flavored gelatin

1     (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup

2 cups buttermilk

1     (8-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed

¼ cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Combine gelatin and pineapple with syrup in a large saucepan and bring to a boil; stirring to prevent sticking. Cool slightly and stir in buttermilk. Fold in whipped topping and pecans. Pour into mold (spray the mold lightly with vegetable spray)  Un-mold when completely congealed right before serving.  Fill center with whipped cream and garnish with fresh orange slice and a sprig of mint

WARM CRANBERRIES

 Ingredients:

 12 oz bag fresh cranberries

¾ cup orange juice

 ⅔ cup brown sugar

 ⅓ cup white sugar

Optional: 2 oz gold rum

Instructions:

 Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced – stirring occasionally. You will hear the cranberries popping – don’t worry, that’s what you want them to do.  Remove from heat and serve. Cranberry sauce can be made ahead and brought to room temperature or slightly heated before serving.

DEVILED EGGS

Ingredients:

10 boiled eggs 

4 oz. cream cheese

3 tbsp. sour cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 tbsp. onion, minced

1 tsp. fresh dill, minced (or more, to taste)

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. milk 

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Your eggs will peel easier if you wait for the water to boil and lower them into the pan with a soup ladle.  Boil them for 10 minutes and the peeling will come right off.  Use a sharp knife and slice each boiled egg in half.  Use a teaspoon to carefully scoop out the hard yolk, and place the yolks in a small mixing bowl.  Put the white halves onto your deviled egg platter.  To your yolks, add the cream cheese, sour cream and all other ingredients. Use your hand mixer to beat them. Using a mixer makes the stuffing creamy -and it's a lot easier on your arms than smoothing out the yolks and ingredients using a wooden spoon.  Add salt and pepper to taste. (The mustard and Tabasco add a bit of bite, so add only a little salt at first, taste, then add more if necessary. It's easier putting salt in than it is taking it out.)  Add the milk in, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Pipe your yokes back into the egg halves using a plastic bag with the corner cut out for the tip.  Garnish however you like.

PERFECT  TURKEY

Ingredients:

1-18 lb Whole Turkey (Neck and Giblets Removed)

1 Cup Kosher Salt

½ Cup Butter, melted

2 Large Onions, (peeled and chopped)

4 Carrots, peeled and chopped

4 stalks Celery, chopped

 2 sprigs fresh Thyme

 1 Bay Leaf

1 cup Dry White Wine

 Instructions:

Remember to thaw your turkey several days ahead in the refrigerator.  It takes about one day to every four pounds of turkey to thaw.  Rub the completely thawed turkey, inside and out with the kosher salt.  Place the bird in a large stock pot and cover with cold water.  Place in refrigerator and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours or overnight.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Thoroughly rinse the turkey and discard the brine mixture.  Remove the neck and giblets.  Brush the turkey with ½ the melted butter.  Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan.  Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, ½ the carrots, ½ the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf.  Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.  Roast uncovered 3 ½ to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).  Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter.  Continue cooking.  Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

TURKEY GRAVY

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups turkey or chicken stock

Poultry seasoning or dried ground sage (to taste)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

2 Boiled eggs (optional)

2 cups shredded turkey or chicken (optional)

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and sprinkle in the flour.  Let bubble for 30 seconds then whisk in stock until smooth.  Bring to a simmer than add seasonings.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes until thick.  You may wish to add chopped eggs and/or shredded turkey bits to this when done (optional).

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING

(Yields: 12-14 servings)

Ingredients For the dressing:

2 onions

3 stalks celery

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1/2 tsp. salt

Egg Bread (recipe follows)

1 can cream of chicken soup

 32 oz. chicken broth or stock

 2 tsp. salt

 1 tsp. black pepper

 3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

 3 eggs

 Additional bread crumbs, saltine crackers, leftover biscuits or stale bread

Ingredients For the egg bread:

  2 cups finely ground white cornmeal, sifted

  2 tsp. baking powder

  1 tsp. salt

  3 eggs

  2 cups buttermilk

  3 tbsp. cooking oil

Instructions:

The egg bread should be room temperature, so it’s easiest to make it the day before making the dressing.  Make the egg bread: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift together the cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add buttermilk and eggs, alternately.    Pour the cooking oil into an iron skillet and place it into the hot oven. Let the batter rest while the skillet and oil are heating (about 5 minutes). Quickly pour the batter into the hot skillet and return immediately to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 
Instructions for making the dressing:

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Chop the onions and celery.  Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onions and celery cooking slowly until tender but without browning at all. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp. salt while cooking.   Meanwhile, crumble the egg bread into a large baking dish. Add the soup and broth and mix well using a potato masher to break up the egg bread to a fine texture.  Add the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Taste and adjust for more salt or spices if needed.  Lightly beat the eggs and add to the dressing mixture. Your mixture should be fairly “soupy.” If you think it’s too thin, you can add some additional bread, crackers, etc. to thicken it. Be sure to crumble them well and incorporate them into the mixture. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dressing is golden brown on top and cooked throughout.

SWEET POTATO BAKE

 Ingredients:

3 cups peeled, cooked, and mashed sweet potatoes or yams

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk

Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1/3 all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Mix together all ingredients except for toppings and cream.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, but not soupy.  Add in cream.  Pour all into a prepared dish.  Mix topping ingredients together and set aside until baking is done.   Bake 25 to 30 minutes, sprinkle toppings over casserole while still hot.

SQUASH CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked summer Squash

½ stick Butter

1 T Sugar

½ cup Mayonnaise

½ cup chopped Onion

½ cup chopped Green Pepper

1 Egg

½ cup grated Cheddar Cheese

½ cup Pimento

1 can sliced Water Chestnuts

Fresh Bread Crumbs

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and pour into a prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 Cup Milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Dash ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut green beans 

1-1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions 

Instructions:

Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup of the  French’s French Fried Onions together and pour into a 1-1/2 quart casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture well.  Sprinkle top with the remaining French’s French Fried Onions.  Bake for five minutes more or until the fried onions on top are golden brown.

PECAN COBBLER

Ingredients:

1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

2-1/2 cups light corn syrup

2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

4-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

6 eggs, slightly beaten

3  cups coarsely chopped pecans

Butter-flavored cooking spray

2 cups pecan halves

Vanilla ice cream, if desired

Instructions:

Heat oven to 425°F.   Grease 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with shortening or cooking spray. Remove 1 pie crust from pouch; unroll on work surface. Roll into 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Place crust in dish; trim edges to fit.  In large bowl, stir corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with wire whisk. Stir in chopped pecans. Spoon half of filling into crust-lined dish. Remove second pie crust from pouch; unroll on work surface. Roll into 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Place crust over filling; trim edges to fit. Spray crust with butter-flavor cooking spray.  Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until browned.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Carefully spoon remaining filling over baked pastry; arrange pecan halves on top in decorative fashion. Bake 30 minutes longer or until set. Cool 20 minutes on cooling rack. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

Ingredients for CRUST:

2 cups crushed graham crackers

1 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup clarified butter, melted

2 tablespoons caramel topping

Ingredients for FILLING:

 1 pound white chocolate, chopped

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

4 eggs, beaten

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for TOPPING:

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 pint fresh blueberries

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions:  

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Make the crust: In a food processor or with a hand held mixer, blend together the graham cracker crumbs, almonds and sugar until the almonds are ground fine. Pour in the melted butter and caramel while processing, until mixture is combined. Press the mixture onto the bottom, and half way up the side of a 10 inch springform pan.  Make the filling: In a metal bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the white chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in the flour and the vanilla and blend in the melted white chocolate slowly, beating until the filling is well combined. Pour filling into crust. Bake in the middle of preheated oven for 1 hour. Then turn off the heat, and crack the oven door an inch, letting the cheesecake cool in the oven to room temperature. The secret to keeping your cheesecake from cracking on top is to do this and let it sit for several hours before moving. Cover loosely and refrigerate overnight before removing from pan.  Make the topping: In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in water and blueberries. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press through a fine sieve. Stir in lemon juice and allow to cool.  Store in a glass jar until you pour over top of cheesecake.

GROCERY LIST FOR ABOVE RECIPES

BREADS

1 Round loaf sourdough bread (1 pound)

DAIRY PRODUCTS

1 pound Monterrey Jack Cheese

1 pound shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2-4 pkgs. Butter

Sour Cream (2)

½ Gallon Buttermilk

2-8 oz. containers of Cool Whip Topping

Orange Juice

Eggs – 3 dozen

Cream Cheese (8 oz pkgs.) (8)

1 Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Half And Half

Milk

Pillsbury Frozen Pie Crust (1 box)

PRODUCE

Green onions (2 bunches)

White Onions (1 large bag)

Romaine lettuce

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Radishes

Fresh Cranberries

Bag of Carrots

Bag of Celery

Sweet Potatoes

1 lb. Squash

4 Green Peppers

Blueberries

FROZEN GOODS

1 package frozen baby peas

1 large package of cut green beans

CONDIMENTS/SAUCES/JARS

Mayonnaise

Lemon juice

Dijon Mustard

Tabasco sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Dry White Wine (1 bottle)

2 jars pimentos

Soy Sauce

1 jar caramel topping

CANNED GOODS

8 ounce can crushed pineapple

3 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

3-32 oz. chicken broth/stock

2 cans sliced water chestnuts

3 cans cream of mushroom soup

BOXED DRY GOODS

6 ounce pkg. orange flavored gelatin

1 box Graham Crackers

BAKING GOODS

1 lb. White Chocolate

Chopped Pecans

Coarsely Chopped Pecans (for cobbler topping)

Pecan halves

Chopped Walnuts

Slivered Almonds

2 boxes brown sugar

1 large sack white sugar

Finely ground white cornmeal

Baking Powder

Cooking Oil

Vanilla Extract

All Purpose Flour

Bread Crumbs

French’s French Fried Onions

Light Corn Syrup

Butter flavored cooking spray

Cornstarch

SPICES

Salt

Sage

Fresh Dill

Kosher Salt

Fresh Thyme

Bay Leaf

Poultry Seasonings

Ground Cinnamon

Ground Nutmeg

MEATS

Bacon (2 PKS)

1 Large Turkey

Things to Ponder:

If you are on a tight budget, skip one of the deserts and one of the salads. Consider using Turkey Breast instead of cooking the whole turkey. If you have waited to late to thaw a turkey, buy a few hens and cook them and incorporate your chicken into your dressing (or on top of it.)  No one will ever be the wiser!   That will cut down the grocery bill quite a bit.  You could also use regular rolls instead of the Party Bread and save that way too.  Whether you use all the menu items or not; everything will be wonderful and taste good, especially if you have made your table festive and made your home say "welcome in."  Fresh flowers and candlelight go a long way here when added on top of a clean and orderly home.  

Now that your planning is cut down quite a bit, you have more time to reflect on all the things you are thankful for this year!  I'm sure they will cross your mind and come to you as you are preparing this delicious meal for your family and friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

PIECES OF THE PUZZLE - THE REFLECTION OF CHRIST IN NEHEMIAH (PART FOUR)

A HOPEFUL CRY FOR THE NEXT NEHEMIAH

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf) 

 The people of Nehemiah's day were in transition.  

They probably thought the great days of God with their nation had passed, and that all of God's great deeds had already been done.  They had lost any sense of mission, any sense of calling, any sense of challenge.  As a result, they almost missed their chance to see God act powerfully among them.  They almost missed the chance to experience His reclaiming them as His beloved people all over again.

Isn't that much as our world is today?  

Where are the Nehemiahs of today?  

Are you a Nehemiah?  It is time to come forth!

The church must begin to call all people with the spirit of Nehemiah forth and put them in charge of the task of restoring the Kingdom of God to the earth.  

 Thank God for Nehemiah pointing the way to Christ, and thank God if you can find a modern Nehemiah hiding in the culture where we currently live.  We are in desperate need of such people!  I pray that each and every one of them will receive their calling and come forth.

The Church has walls and gates to rebuild!  

In an amazing period of just 52 days - under constant threat of attack - the walls of Jerusalem were raised.  It was a great miracle.  We need another such miracle for the walls around our church congregations today.  

Time is drawing short.  

The Bride must be ready.  We must begin to rebuild.  

Our leaders, much like Nehemiah, must take a deep breath and begin their tasks.  Who will come and dedicate their lives to help finish this great work?

In congregations across the land you can hear the people of the churches groaning! They groan and they moan.  

They sit and wait for things to change. 

That certainly was not the case with Nehemiah.  Nehemiah was willing to DO something. 

He makes the journey to Jerusalem himself, after convincing the king that he should be allowed to go.  He brings with him supplies and leadership. Nehemiah had a clear vision from God.  He KNEW the walls were torn down and needed rebuilding. He REALIZED there were no gates of protection. 

The people themselves needed to be rebuilt.  He set about to change things. 

The walls became the metaphor for the broken people. 

Nehemiah was not just mending a wall - he was mending a nation.  The nation of Israel was God’s tool for speaking to the world.  Their voices must be heard.  The Church is God’s voice today for speaking to the world.  These voices must increase and become louder!

The silence must end.  

The entertaining and babysitting must stop.  

The real work must begin.  

We need stronger walls and gates!  We need brave and courageous people! 

We need to love one another and get along with one another and seek God's face together.

 We need to be willing to listen to what God tells us collectively, as a nation.

With Nehemiah's Godly leadership, the people of God once again became great.  This happened because they were willing to work together under God's leadership to accomplish a common goal.  

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

The unity of our faith must be restored.  

All of God’s people must work together.

 In Nehemiah’s time everyone pitched in to do the work.  That is; everyone but those who opposed the work that God had led Nehemiah to do.  There will always be opposition.  There were those who did everything they could to stop the rebuilding of the walls and gates of the city.  

Opposition to the church is rampant in our culture today.  We can expect it, but our God is greater than the opposition!  

God is calling out to all the new Nehemiahs!  Nehemiahs are to be over-comers.  Nehemiahs are to be builders.   

This is not the time to stop - this is the time to go to work!

The Godly people of that day in which Nehemiah lived handled much adversity and opposition to obtain the restoration of their city.  

God only promised us that the Kingdom will be good.  He never said it would be either easy or safe. We must hold on to our hope.  We must be minding the gaps and defending our brothers!  We must keep moving forward and looking up as Nehemiah did.  

With Christ as our hope, the people of God are always moving forward, always seeking God’s Face and always helping and allowing His will to prevail in the earth. 

Because of Nehemiah's godly leadership and the people's godly spirit of unity, a broken, disorganized, discouraged bunch of individuals who were alienated from God and from one another transitioned into a strong, well-organized, deeply committed and proud community.  They were rededicated to God, recommitted to each other, and when this happened they began to be respected by their enemies.

God's people haven’t changed much through time.  They still face similar dilemmas, and they still ask the same hard questions.  They consistently have their periods of doubt and faith.  But true men and women of God keep looking toward a river whose streams shall make glad The City of God.  Like the few good men in the days of Nehemiah, they look to the future with the hope of a restored Kingdom, where God is in the midst, and they shall not be moved. 

May our hearts join in with Nehemiah’s once more; and may the sound of Non Nobis Domine – “Not to us Lord, not to us but to Your Name give glory” ring across the churches in the land.  

The time has come!  

Let us arise and build!

PEN ART - THE REFLECTIONS OF CHRIST IN NEHEMIAH - PART THREE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 In Nehemiah's day, the beginning of all the building started in a spot that was deemed the most important place in the wall.  The place was known as the wall around the Sheep Gate.  This gate, The Sheep Gate, represents Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 

This is the gate mentioned in John 5:2; the gate beside the pool of Bethesda.  It is the gate beside the pool with five porches, which could easily stand for five types of ministry. 

This is the gate where the sheep were washed and brought into the temple for sacrifice.  The first step to building up the walls in the body of Christ is salvation.  Salvation is obtained here at The Sheep Gate.  This is where salvation begins by opening the door where The Good Shepherd stands waiting on His sheep.   Here we are washed of our sins, just like the sheep in Nehemiah's day.   Jesus hears us, invites us, receives us and takes us and washes us clean. 

 The priest who offered up the sacrifices were required to live in this area.  They had to live next to The Sheep Gate.  They were there to minister to the people who came seeking salvation.   One priest was designated as the High Priest.

 

 In the days of  Nehemiah the High Priest's name was Eliashib. 

 "El" means "God." 

"Yashib" means "to go back." 

Reading backwards as the Hebrews do - we can hear a message even in the name of the high priest who worked at The Sheep Gate.  The message says "go back to God" - or REPENT.

So it is recorded by Nehemiah that the wall around the Sheep Gate was built by one whose names meant "repent." 

 This gate is the perfect Old Testament picture of the New Testament sacrifice of The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. 

This gate shows us the cross.

Here at The Sheep Gate we are lead to think immediately of the prophet Isaiah's great words about Jesus; "as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth."  (Isa. 53:7).  

 At the Sheep Gate of our lives there is a principle of death at work.  It is the death of the natural self.  It is the way we come to our own cross.  We are called to obey Christ, to follow Him and to walk with Him.  That means that some of our desires, some of our natural longings must be put to death.  Our old self must die and be buried under the water of The Sheep Gate.  That is the principle of the cross.  This is the example that Jesus gave for us as He too died and was buried.  He rose on the third day!

This Sheep Gate in our lives is a gate that must be kept in repair if we want to grow into a strong Christian.  We must die to ourselves and rise to live in Christ.  It is the gate where we leave behind the old man and put on the new man.  Like the sheep in the days of Nehemiah when they came to the pool, we go down in the water with our old sinful lives, dirty and unclean and we come out of the pool clean and made new.

 A gate is an opening.  The cross symbolized by this Sheep Gate, is an opening to God.  A beginning.  A beginning is an entrance to something completely new.  God makes all things new!

 On each side of the Sheep gate in the Holy City of Jerusalem the walls lead to two towers, one tower in each direction. 

The first tower is named "Meah."  "Meah" means "Hundred." 

The second tower is called The Tower of Hananeel - which means - "God is gracious and merciful."  "Hanan" means "gracious and merciful."  "El" means "God." 

Reading backwards as the Hebrews do, we have a message revealed in the walls around the Sheep Gate:  "God is gracious and merciful."

 Reading the gate and the wall by the meanings of the names of the places in the wall we come to see an Old Testament message with a New Testament meaning:  "The walls of Salvation built by one named "repentance" stands between two tall towers that say "God is gracious and merciful to hundreds."

 In the Old Testament, in the story of Nehemiah, there is a gate of sacrifice in the middle of a wall of salvation called The Sheep Gate that opens the way to God for mankind. 

This is beautiful picture that God has painted and hid within the walls of The Holy City for those with eyes to see. 

It is just like a thousand other Old Testament pictures of Christ that brings us hope. 

It is a reason to hold on to our belief in God and to cling to our faith in all circumstances; even when we appear to be as broken down as Nehemiah's walls.

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 141 - RESPECTING THE NAME OF GOD

RESPECTING THE NAME OF GOD

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

So we are still up on the mountain with Moses and God is still explaining the ten best ways for people to live.  

Moses has already heard two very important commandments; “You shall have no other gods before Me ” and “You shall not build an idol or worship a graven image.”  God seems to be reminding Moses that He should be the ONE taking center stage in His people's lives, and that He should be the most important thing about our daily lives.  

God has miraculously brought the people out of a pagan culture and into a place where they can now follow Him with their whole hearts!  He is making it plain to them that everyone should always honor and revere Him as The One and Only God of Heaven and Earth.  Included in that act of worship (did you know that cheerfully obeying commandments can be considered a form of worship?)  would be the act of  honoring God’s Holy Name.  His name is sacred and very special.  It is the name above all names which is to be given all honor and glory and praise. 

If you stop and think about it you will realize that God could not have received His Holy name from anyone else but Himself.  He did not have parents to pick out his name as you and I did.  He chose it.  He chose His name with intention and finality.  He chose His name to be higher than any other name ever uttered under the heavens.  As a matter of fact, His name is so sacred that the ancient people would not even pronounce it out loud or write it down!  They were so afraid of saying it or writing it wrong!  So they chose to use a substitute that meant "for the name of God" in place of  the real name of God when they spoke and wrote.  They thought the only One worthy enough to pronounce God’s name out loud was God Himself.  Mere, human and unclean lips should not utter such a holy name! 

Strange as it sounds, we do the same thing in another way.  We say "God" for the name of God, which is given as the tetragrammation YHWH in Hebrew and frequently pronounced as Jehovah and Yahweh and written in most English editions of the Bible as "the Lord"  owing to the Jewish tradition of reading it as Adonai ("My Lord" ) out of respect. 

Moses, being more in tuned to the times than we are today, must have had a much deeper understanding of this concept when God began to explain that His Holy Name should never be taken in vain.  God had spoken His name to Moses at the burning bush.  Moses had been told to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground.  

Ancient Jewish legend has even taught that at the time God proclaimed “Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain”; the entire universe trembled!  The witnesses from below when Moses was on the mountain with God saw thunder and lightning and felt the earth quake.   The “trembling of the earth” would represent the powerfulness of this commandment and the reverent way that we should always be approaching the name of God.  It would emphasize the importance of such a time.  This statement given to Moses commanding the people to respect the name of God could possibly be interpreted to mean:  “Do not exploit my name!”

Just what does that mean anyway?  

What are people typically doing  today that exploits the name of God?
     

Different people and cultures seem to interpret this meaning in different ways. It is a topic that often comes up, even in social media discussions.  People participating in on-line discussions have a common expression that they often use called “OMG.”  It is out there like so many other popular acronyms used by our high-tech culture.  This particular acronym is tossed around a lot, and it is very offensive to many Christians because they perceive it to be taking the name of God in vain.  (Unless you are extremely southern like me and think the letters stand for “Oh my goodness!” ) 

Even if you think this little acronym means something else and DOES NOT take God’s name in vain; it is probably best not to offend people by using it.  It might be a good and righteous practise not to use this acronym simply out of respect for God and others.  This is just one small example of how this wide-ranged topic of respecting the Name of God can be interpreted.  There are a vast number of concepts to be considered when we think about the subject and how we can best respect the Holy Name of God. 

Perhaps God has even bigger concerns here than our occasional slip of the tongue (or the fingers if you are typing text.)    It might be wise to dig a bit deeper into this territory and consider that our words tend to always reveal the truth about who we are.  God makes sure to state that we should love Him with our whole heart just BEFORE He begins to give us the commandment not to take His name in vain.  If we ARE  loving God with our whole heart; we are more likely to be proclaiming good and worthy things concerning His name and most likely we will not be intentionally throwing His Holy Name into places where it does not belong. 

Have you ever noticed how the most serious moments of our lives are usually clothed in the form of vows that we take in the name of God?  

For instance, when a couple marries they are said to be “given in matrimony under the name of God.”  Therefore; in a case where a person breaks their marriage vows, they could be considered to be taking the name of God in vain.  Most people never stop to consider this aspect of that situation.  It is bad enough that a person is in a sin; doing something very wrong, but adding taking God’s Name in vain to the equation gives it even more weight on the wrong side of the scales of justice. 

When a person goes to court to testify they are asked to put their hand on the Holy Bible and swear using the words “so help me God.”  This is to insure that they are telling the whole and honest truth.  To swear a lie would be to take the name of God in vain.   Usually a sin is a sin; is a sin, but in this case the sin grows!  Not only have you told a lie, you have misrepresented your honesty before God with your lie.   

Our high officials also take an oath in front of God to protect the citizens of our country.  This is to hold them accountable to the highest power that is in existence.  If they are not honest and not accountable to the people; they dishonor the name of God with their service. 

An oath taken under the name of God is a very serious thing!

The scriptures make it very plain that God does not condone perjury!  He will not take deliberate deceptions made in His name lightly. 

We are reminded in the holy scriptures to let our “yes” mean “yes” and our “no” mean “no.”  In other words; say what you mean and make sure it is true!  When we lie, as children of God (even when we are not under oath); we take His name in vain because He has written His name across our hearts and sealed us as His children.  We are to represent His ways through how we live out our lives.  God NEVER lies and He doesn’t want His name associated with lies that we tell either.  When you are a Christian the act of misrepresenting God is surely a sin; and it could be considered to be taking God’s name in vain.  Most people never give a thought to this.  How many little white lies have you told today?  Please don’t ask me to answer the same question!  We all are subconsciously guilty from time to time. 

 

Even though curse words are probably the shallow water in the whole over all flood of this deep, deep problem in our society; they too are to be considered.  We must guard against using curse words in our language because we are representatives of the One True God who lives within us.  

James 1:26 says:  “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”  Don’t let your mouth defile your witness as a child of God; that would be taking the name of God in vain and it would totally destroy any goodness of the testimony of your daily life.  It is good to let everything that comes out of our mouths be pleasing and acceptable before God.

Another common way we encounter the misuse of the name of God is when people twist the meaning of scriptures and use them to their own advantage in order to get their own way instead of conforming their lives and ways to the true meaning that God intended.  Using God’s power to get your own way is truly a sin.  This too would be a form of taking God's name in vain. 

   

The up-side of keeping this third commandment of God is the fact that it keeps truth in our lives.  Truth always leads to true justice and freedom.  This is what God wanted for the Israelites as He brought them out of a pagan culture and led them toward the land of promise.  We would all do well to take such a spiritual journey in our own lives.  Coming out of pagan ways brings us to the place of living inside God’s promises. 

We must continually be aware of the fact that to lie in the name of God is blasphemy.   We have so many good scriptures that can be used to bring us through these stormy waters whenever we are feeling unsure of what we want to say.  The three scriptures below are very useful to memorize and remember concerning our speech and actions as God’s representatives on this earth:

1.  Proverbs 10:32:  The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

2.  Colossians 3:8:  But now you must put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

3.  Ephesians 4:29:  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

These scriptures are very helpful; and focusing on the full meaning of this commandment is crucial to fully understanding their full meaning.  If all one needed to do to keep the third commandment was to avoid certain socially unacceptable words, it would be the easiest of all the commandments to keep.  This isn’t the case!  The meaning goes much further than that. 

It is possible that God could have been saying:  “Don’t speak for me; let me do my own speaking!”  

Have you ever been around someone who constantly states that “God told me to do this” and “God told me to do that” and then you come to realize that they are simply justifying reasons for their own desires and using the name of God to make you agree to it; or to make what they are doing wrong or selfishly or in greed sound holy?  This happens all the time.  

The ancients used to do this with the names of their pagan gods.  They would say “Baal is going to send good weather” or “Zeus is going to get revenge on my enemies!”  God did not want his people using His name in such a casual and common way, as if they could decide what God would be thinking for the day!  The pagans made the name of their false gods seem common and ordinary.  The One True God wishes for His holy name to be used in relation to the extraordinary.  It should always proclaim the sacredness and holiness of Who He is.

And so we come to the end of the giving of the first three best ways to live.  They all portray how man should be relating to God.  God gave a very good explanation to Moses of how He wished to be treated by those whom He has chosen to love.  He desires to be revered, respected and honored.  He wants first place in our lives and our hearts.  This would be the groom's part of repeating the wedding vows of the covenant, and God is clearly stating his desire for the sacred relationship of the marriage covenant with Israel.   

We all must be careful to obey these first three commandments that draw us closer to God, especially the one discussed here today that states we are to treat the name of God with great respect and holiness.