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Vegetable Pancakes: Carrot, Corn, and Zucchini

Vegetable Pancakes: Carrot, Corn, & Zucchini
We discovered this dish years ago and have not looked back. It is so popular that people are helping themselves to the pancakes fresh from the fry-pan before they even makes it to the dining table. A good way of getting your vegetables for the day!
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
1/2 cup grated cheese
90 grams butter
3 eggs
90g butter, melted and cool
1 cup flour
2 carrots, peeled, grated
2 zucchini, grated
150 grams corn (thawed or canned)
1/4 cup continental parsley, chopped
2/3 cup parmesan cheese.
1.   Stir milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter & eggs together in a large jug.
2.   Place flour in a bowl with a well in the middle. Stir into the flour the milk mixture until it is barely combined.
3.   After grating the zucchini, squeeze out excess liquid. Add it, plus the carrot, corn, parsley and parmesan cheese, to the flour/milk mixture. Stir until combined (don’t over stir). Salt and pepper to taste.
4.   Lightly grease the frying pan. Heat until it is of medium temperature. Add to the hot pan 1/4 cup of batter. Spread mixture with the spatula. Cook until golden, using about 3 minutes on each side. Repeat until the batter is used up. Dry on paper towels.
5.   Enjoy, topped with plain Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream.
Makes 12 pancakes.

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

DIVISION & DECLINE: WHY STUDY II KINGS

Now all theses things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come — I Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)
It is not a happy story and there is plenty of heartbreak, yet the Book of II Kings is an important part of God’s Word. For in it, we learn the legacy and the lunacy of turning away from the LORD: division, decline, decadence, depravity, and dispersion. II Kings was written is for our benefit, so that we learn from the successes and failures of the people of God.
II Kings is the narrative of the Israelite nation divided into two competing kingdoms: Judah in the south and Israel in the north. Neither of them were faithful to the LORD and the result of such unfaithfulness is the challenge of invasion, conquest, and exile. Yet in the midst of the backsliding and inevitable judgment, there is the scarlet cord of redemption. Though Judah was chastened and exiled, by God’s grace, it returned from exile. Those who returned became known to the world as ‘Jews.’ We also get a front row seat to the stunning and spectacular prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha. When the night is darkest, the stars shine brightest.
II Kings begins with Ahaziah, son of Ahab, King of Israel, facing a rebellion from his vassal state of Moab and falling through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria. He sent his servants to inquire of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if he would recover from his injury. The angel of God sent Elijah the prophet to rebuke Ahaziah, asking rhetorically ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Because of this affront, Ahaziah would die from his injuries … and he did. His story was a mini-version of the faithlessness we find in the rest of the book.
From this point, II Kings switches from the kingdom of Judah, to the kingdom of Israel, then back. While there were some bright stars in Judah, like Hezekiah and Josiah, for the most part the kings of Judah and of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. The results were frighteningly predictable: eventual yet furious divine judgment. It is like being an eye-witness to a car crash in slow motion. At the end, in Chapter 25, Jehoiachin king of Judah is released from captivity and treated with respect. He represented in proxy the grace that would to extended to his nation under the Persians.
HEBREW NAME
Melechim Beth or II Kings,
AUTHOR
Either the prophet Jeremiah or someone who lived the same time as him.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
Christ resembles the ministry of Elisha: grace, hope, peace, and a double-portion of God’s spirit. Elisha did double the recorded miracles that Elijah did.
THEME OF II KINGS
Two backslidden kingdoms colliding towards captivity, with a hint of mercy at the end.
KEY VERSES
For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; 23Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day — II Kings 17:22-23 (KJV)
And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there — II Kings 23:27 (KJV)
SUMMARY
David’s kingdom was divided into Judah and Israel because his son king Solomon had turned from the LORD. His successors did not learn the lesson, either. Both kingdoms continue to backslide. Judah had only 8 good kings out of 20. Israel had no good kings out of 19.
In the face of this apostasy, God graciously sent his prophets to the divided kingdom. To Israel came the prophetic ministries of Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Hosea. To Judah cam Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk.
Yet despite their sterling ministries, and the noble efforts of Judean kings Hezekiah and Josiah, none of their efforts averted judgment on Israel or Judah. In 722 BC, the Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom and deported the population to the far reaches of the realm. In their place heathen people were settled in Samaria, of which some evolved into the Samaritans of Jesus’ day. Judah was captured by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. This led to the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple.
Mercifully, while some of the best and brightest of Judah were deported to Babylon (including Daniel and his three friends) some of the poorest of the people were left in the land. Unlike the Assyrians, the Babylonians did not transplant foreigners into Judah. Years later under Medo-Persian king Cyrus the Great, the Jews were allowed to return home and a minority did.
Even though Josiah’s reformation was not enough to appease God’s righteous wrath, thank God for the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and ent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins — I John 4:10 (cf Romans 3:25; I John 2:2). What Josiah was unable to do, Jesus does completely, saving us from the wrath to come (I Thessalonians 1:10).
DISTINCTIVES
While both kingdoms did evil, Israel was by far more unstable than Judah. It had heathen shrines with golden calves at Bethel and Dan, established by their first king Jeroboam. Not one of their kings had the courage and conviction to repudiate this reproach on the nation. Furthermore, it had 3 capitals: Shechem, Tirzah, and Samaria. It also had 9 dynasties, all but one created by killing the previous king.
Judah had only one capital: Jerusalem. One dynasty: David’s. One sanctuary: Solomon’s temple. And because of the promise to David of the everlasting dynasty, known as the Davidic Covenant (II Samuel 7; I Chronicles 17), God gave him an heir and Son in Jesus, and a stake in Jerusalem.
Despite the backsliding and well-deserved judgment, God continues to delight in mercy. Two incidents shine out:
1.      Joash: Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, mother of the slain Judean king Ahaziah, usurps the throne in Judah. Her goal was destroy the royal seed of the House of David, which happened to be her own grandchildren. Yet grandson Joash escaped the murderous rampage of his grandmother. Under the guidance of the righteous priest Jehoiada, they managed to coronate Josh as king, age 7, and his barbarous grandmother was slain.
2.      Hezekiah: The Assyrian army had rampaged through the Judean kingdom in 701 BC and was poised to devour Jerusalem as a python to the egg. This was 21 years after the same army conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deported the inhabitants to Assyria. Hezekiah was king and the His only recourse was God. Thanks to his intercession and the prophetic guidance of Isaiah, God struck the Assyrian army and they withdrew. Jerusalem was saved. This was a fulfilment of God’s promise to David, that he would have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there – I Kings 11:36.
OUTLINE OF II KINGS
I.          The Divided Kingdom (1:1-17:41)
A.  Reign of Ahaziah in Israel 1:1-18
B.  Reign of Jehoram in Israel (2:1-8:15)
During this period, Elijah is translated to heaven. Elisha does multiple miracles: giving the widow oil; predicting and raising up the Shumanmite’s son, healing the deadly pottage, multiplying of loaves, healing of Naaman the Syrian leper, causing the ax-head to float.
C.  Reign of Jehoram in Judah (8:16-24)
D.  Reign of Ahaziah in Judah (8:25-9:29)
Here is the battle against Syria. Jehu is anointed king and he executes fierce                      judgment against king Joram, his mother Jezebel and the house of Ahab.
E.  Reign of Jehu in Israel (9:30-10:36)
F.  Reign of Queen Athaliah in Judah (11:1-16)
G.  Reign of Joash in Judah (11:17-12:21)
H.  Reign of Jehoahaz in Israel (13:1-9)
I.    Reign of Jehoash in Israel 13:10-15)
Elisha dies, a dead man whose corpse touches his bones is raised to life, Israel                 finally gains   victory over Syria.
J.  Reign of Amaziah in Judah (14:1-22)
K.  Reign of Jeroboam II in Israel (14:23-29)
L.  Reign of Azariah in Judah (15:1-7)
M.  Reign of Zechariah in Israel (15:8-12)
N.  Reign of Shallum in Israel (15:13-15)
O.  Reign of Menahem in Israel (15:16-22)
P.  Reign of Pekahiah in Israel (15:23-26)
Q.  Reign of Pekah in Israel (15:27-31)
R.  Reign of Jotham in Judah (15:32-38)
S.  Reign of Ahaz in Judah (16:1-20)
T.  Reign of Hoshea in Israel (17:1-41)
Samaria is captured, Northern Kingdom destroyed, population deported, and foreign transplants settle in their place.
II.  Surviving Kingdom of Judah (18:1-25:30)
A.      Reign of Hezekiah (18:1-20:21)
Assyria unsuccessfully invades Jerusalem, Hezekiah is healed, Babylonian captivity      of Judah is predicted. Hezekiah builds his famous tunnel from the Gihon Spring to     the Pool of Siloam – it is still a tourist site to this day.
B.  Reign of Manasseh (21:1-18)
C.  Reign of Amon (21:19-26)
D.  Reign of Josiah (22:1-23:30)
Josiah is the last righteous king of Judah. He renews the covenant, repairs the                   temple, discovers the Book of the Law (Deuteronomy), repents for Judah, brings                reforms, conducts a Passover.
E.  Reign of Jehoahaz in Judah (23:31-34)
F.  Reign of Jehoiakim (23:35-24:7)
G.  Reign of Jehoiachin (24:8-16)
H.  Reign of Zedekiah (24:17-25:21)
I.  Governorship of Gedaliah (25:22-26)

J.  Release of Jehoiachin in Babylon (25:27-30)
Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

7 PILLARS TO UNDERSTANDING THE FUTURE: PILLAR 3 -We Have Power Over the Enemy

And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do— I Chronicles 12:32
One of the wisest and noblest goals you can have in life is to help yourself, your family, and others to become ‘future-ready.’ Teachers, financial planners, pastors, and parents all have a role to play in this.
The resources are out there but sadly many are simply not ready; indeed, they are in danger of ‘sleepwalking into the future.’ The risk of falling into the ditch becomes all the greater. With so many challenges in our world today, being ‘future-ready’ becomes a necessity, not a luxury, in order to survive and succeed in the days ahead.
So far, we have learned two pillars to understanding the future. Number One is to understand that Bible prophecy is the key. If there is anything to has been given by God to help us be future-ready, this it it. Bible prophecy is God’s early warning service. Number Two tells us to understand that we live in a spiritual world and the enemy, challenges, and solution are equally spiritual. Therefore, investing in your spiritual life becomes the highest priority of all.
The third pillar to understanding the future is this:  We have power of the enemy. Yet, before we exercise such power, we need to know who the enemy is.

Many of us would like to think that we are nice people with no enemies at all. That may be the case, some of the time. Yet the truth is we all have an enemy: in fact, it is the same enemy. This enemy is powerful, vicious, menacing formidable, and deadly. The enemy continues to cause much damage throughout the world. Jesus describes this enemy in John 10:10: He steals, kills, and destroys. Who is this enemy? Revelation 12:9 calls him by four things: 1) The Great Dragon; 2) The Old Serpent; 3) Satan and; 4) Devil.
Ephesians 6:12 describes the nature of the opposition very well.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Two very important points need to be made here. Your real enemies are not people. People are made in the image of God and even the most despicable and vile among them are still people for whom Christ died to save. So quit treating people like an enemy, even if they seem to be and oppose the things you endorse.
Second, we have no choice but to engage in the real enemy – the spiritual one. Fortunately, thanks to the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and demon powers, we can share in His victory, too. When you understand the power and victory Christ gives, you never need to be defeated and frightened again.
Tools in the Toolbox:
1.       Mighty weapons: Just as military superpowers have the latest and most advanced weaponry, so the Church of Christ has been well-equipped to engage and defeat the forces of darkness. II Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
This passage is telling us that our spiritual weaponry is even more powerful than military hardware. Furthermore, we learn that it defeats the enemy ‘in the mind,’ ‘casting down imaginations’ and bringing ‘every thought to the obedience of Christ.’
A soldier was captured by enemy troops and kept as a prisoner of war for six years. Though he looked thin, anaemic and phlegmatic – a physical pushover – the soldier actually endured and survived captivity. The reason: he had a tough, sound mind. With the weapons God gives, we can also prevail For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind — II Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
You have been given spiritual weapons – therefore use them. However, what are they?
2. The whole armour of God: Ephesians is a remarkable epistle. It tells us of our rich, glorious, and heavenly inheritance in Christ. No rebukes, corrections, judgments, just celestial blessing. Then, at the very end of the epistle, almost like a postscript, the apostle Paul tells us to ‘put on the whole armour of God.’ At first, such advice seems out of place among the lofty principles espoused earlier. Yet, the ‘armour of God exhortation’ is logical and consistent: after all, since we are seated in heavenly places (2:6), remember that the spiritual activity is fuller and more concentration up there than it is down here.
Our spiritual weaponry includes (6:14-17):
1.            Belt of truth around the waist;
2.            Breastplate of righteousness over the chest;
3.            Gospel of peace on the feet;
4.            The shield of faith quenches the fiery darts of the wicked;
5.            Helmet of salvation protects the mind;
6.            Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (the only offensive weapon).
Christ’s two-fold exhortation to ‘watch’ and ‘pray’ (Matthew 26:41) is reiterated here in Ephesians 6:18. ‘Pray always’ with all kinds of prayers in the Spirit; and ‘watch’ with perseverance and supplication for all saints. Victory over the enemy entails watching and praying, especially ‘prayer in the Spirit’ (Jude 20).
3. Resist the devil: Like a weight trainer has to lift the heavy barbells in order to gain strength, so at some point we will have to face and defeat the enemy in order to stand strong. This may sound daunting but it is very simple: Christ defeated the enemy, so can you. Christ is with you always, so you have nothing to fear. The victory has been procured, therefore stand in it.
The Book of James is the ‘Proverbs of the New Testament,’ teaches us to be wise and also how to practically apply our faith. James gives us a simple blueprint for defeating Satan.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Note the simple progression:
A.          Humility (4:6): God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. It will be by God’s grace you win the victory and it comes by humility. This Godly character quality does not mean you put yourself down; instead you merely acknowledge your need and desire for God. Proud people live independently from everything and everyone, including God. The humble do not.
B.          Submit to God (4:7): When you submit to God, you are ‘in Him’ and He is ‘in you.’ Therefore, the upcoming conflict is a partnership with Almighty God, where He is the senior and you are the junior partner.
C.          Resist the devil (4:7): Don’t fear, don’t negotiate, don’t submit – say ‘No’ and keep standing, no matter what. The most amazing thing happens. The big bad devil, rather than terrorise you with his evil, is instead ‘terrorised’ by your steadfastness. He doesn’t merely walk away; he flees!
Essentially, our victory over the evil one is procured through fervent prayer (Ephesians 6:18) and standing on God’s Word (6:17?).
Rather than being dispossessed and disenfranchised, ‘future-ready’ people are spiritually empowered and take control of their lives by exercising power of the (real) enemy. Put these Biblical principles into practice and you will no longer be on sinking sand but well established ‘on the rock’ (Matthew 7:24-25).