A Ministry of Christian Chefs International (CCI)

Saturday, December 1, 2012

December 2012



There is a book out there called, “Christmas is not your birthday,” by Mike Slaughter. It is nice to get presents, but how many would feel comfortable going to a friend’s party to receive presents while the friend sat there empty handed.

What would Jesus like to get? He already owns everything, so there is no point buying him things. He owns us too, so we cannot really give ourselves. There is really only one thing we can do: we can give to those who are the least among us.


When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'  He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt 25:31-46 NIV)


If you cannot find enough people to give to in your neighborhood, there are many reputable organizations that help those in need.

Children International
www.children.org

World Vision
www.worldvision.org

Food For the Poor
www.foodforthepoor.org

Habitat for Humanity
www.habitat.org

Outreach International
http://outreach-international.org/shop/

Giving to those who have so little is like becoming a savior to them, many times in very literal ways. A chicken can give more than just eggs - it can give life. A goat can give milk - and an education.

Now that Jesus has received the presents he really wanted, lets all get together and enjoy Christmas with a real feast, for food is something that Jesus always enjoyed sharing with everyone!

From all of us to all of you a very merry Christmas!


Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

Thursday, November 1, 2012

November 2012

"My sisters got me a panini maker....
I was having trouble making sandwiches and you saved me!
You want to make a panini?
Get a frying pan. Put the bread on there. Put stuff on bread. 

Wait five minutes. Turn it over. Wait five minutes. 
Then punch it with your fist. Here's your panini!"
- John Pinette, Still Hungry (2011)




When you cook all day, cooking is usually the last thing you want to do when you come home, yet, people still need to eat. Besides paninis, a sandwich is a great way to make something tasty that doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. After all, although you may be tired of cooking, who gets tired of eating? Try one of the recipes below for a quick and tasty treat, and then just enjoy your time away from the kitchen!


Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary



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Shrimp Sandwich
 

2 dl/1 cup salad shrimp 

0,5 dl / ¼ cup Mayonnaise 

1,5 dl/ ¾ cup crème fraiche 

Fresh Dill 

0,5 tsp salt 

0,5 tsp black pepper

¼ Cucumber


Chop the dill, and cut the shrimp and cucumber into small pieces.
Combine crème fraiche and mayonnaise in a bowl.
Add dill, shrimp, cucumber, salt and blackpepper and mix gently.
Spread on a baguette and enjoy!



Croissant with Brie

4 croissants
160 g Brie Cheese
100 g Spinach
1 Garlic clove
Oil

Heat up the grill, or oven
Chop the garlic
Sautee spinach with oil and garlic about 1-2 minutes at medium heat.
Cut the croissants in half. Place the spinach and the sliced brie inside the croissant
Cook until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.




Portabello with Mozzarella and Aioli


4 slices of Sourdough bread
4 leafs of Lettuce
2 Tomatoes
4 Portabello mushrooms
Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic
250 g / 0,5 lbs Mozzarella
1 Red Onion

Aioli

1 Lemon
2 Egg yolks
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 dl / 1 cup Oil
Garlic



Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F
Cut the stem off the Portobello mushroom and put on a pan upside down. Slice the garlic, and sprinkle it over the mushroom with salt and pepper, and oil. Cook in the over about 15 minutes.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl, add crushed garlic, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Stir in the oil slowly until the mixture becomes thick. Add salt and pepper.

Toast the bread in the oven. Add sliced mozzarella on the mushrooms. Place in over for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted some.


Slice tomatoes and red onion. Spread aioli on the toasted bread. Add lettuce, tomatoes and more aioli. Add the mushroom, garnish with red onions and a sprinkle of olive oil.



Monday, October 1, 2012

October 2012

“Not eating when there is no food is not fasting, it’s starving. Fasting is done only when there is food, and we voluntarily abstain from food.” - Daniel Lima, Jump In NW


Fasting is something that most of us would like to never have to think about, yet it is something God calls us to do. But fasting is more than just abstaining from food; fasting is also about abstaining from all forms of selfishness.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke? 
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Isa 58:6-7 NIV

When we seek justice more than pleasure, righteousness more than a meal, we are truly the disciples of our Master.

Susanna Krizo
Editor
Board of Directors, CCI
Secretary

 
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The Soul of an Apprentice


The Story of God's Faithfulness

One thing that I love and appreciate about God's character is His faithfulness. And though I praise God for showing Himself faithful to me over and over again, today I would like to zoom out and look at the big picture of God's faithfulness through out all time and give praise to Him for His faithfulness on the grand scale! From Genesis to Revelation, we can see His faithfulness by the working out of His purposes and promises with His people.

Follow along with me as I highlight some key events through out the Bible. Can you see the thread of God's faithfulness in carrying out His plan weaved all throughout the story?

After God had created the all things, He begins in Genesis 1:28 by commanding mankind to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth". God's desire was to fill the earth with a people for Himself, a worldwide worshiping community. Things were all good in the garden until mankind disobeys God and sin enters into the picture. Not long after that in Genesis 11, mankind begins constructing a tower and saying "let us build this tower so that we will NOT be scattered over the face of the earth" (Gen 11:1-4). They were defiant of the very command given by God initially to spread out and fill the earth. So God intervenes on the building of the Tower of Babel, confusing their languages and causing them to scatter all over the earth (Gen11:7-8, Acts 17:26). This is where diversity comes into the picture! But God still desired to have His own worshiping community among the earth. Now that the people were scattered, God initiates a plan to re-gather worshipers from each of these languages and people groups.

How is God going to reach all of these nations? Israel! He sets aside the nation of Israel that would go and be his missionary nation.

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the people on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3

What is the 'blessing' of Abraham? It is salvation through faith in Christ! But also God has a larger context for what He is going to do for the world through Abraham and his family. He would bless Abraham and his family so that he would in-turn go and bless all the nations of the world. This was command was for all the descendants of Abraham, including Isaac to whom God repeats the command in Genesis 26:4, "...through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed". And to Jacob God says in Genesis 28:14 "All people on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." Jesus would come through the people of Israel as the object of blessing for all nations and the family was the means.

What does this mean for you and me? The New Testament speaks of us as spiritual descendants of Abraham, fellow members of this family through whom all nations would be blessed.

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29 (see also Eph. 2:11-19, Rom 9:8)

As His people and His church, heirs according to the promise, we have a part to play in the mission of God that His people have always had through out time. We have a part to play in the story of God's faithfulness in carrying out His plan for the world!

The thread of God's faithfulness continues through out the rest of the Old Testament as we can see God's design for Israel to be a light to the nations. Story after story we can see God making His own name great and building up a reputation for Himself among the nations through His interactions with Israel. Here are a few examples: The Ten Commandments served purpose in God's grand plan. God's said "Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations" (Deuteronomy 4:5-6). Gods reputation spreads to the nations after parting the Red Sea and Jordan. This is the reason Rahab feared God (Joshua 2:9-10). God gave Solomon great wisdom so that "Men of all nations came to listen" (1 Kings 4:34). You can see a powerful impact on Gentile nations that other stories have such as Shardrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:29) or Daniel surviving the lion's den in Daniel 6.

This same thread carries on into the New Testament as well. Christ comes and models God's heart for all the nations of the world in stories like his interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42) and healing various Gentiles like the demon-possessed man from the Decapolis and telling him to reach his own people with the good news of God's mercy and goodness (Mark 5:1-20, 7:24-30). Luke 4:44-43 tells of a time that Jesus left a city that had many needs saying, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also, because that is why I was sent." Many other story display the ambition of Jesus' heart and ministry to make the Kingdom of God known where it had not yet been known. We can see this same heartbeat in the Apostle Paul as well through out the book of Acts and the Epistles as he and his missionary band struggle to raise up churches all over the world. He says in Romans 15:20, "And so I make it my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ is not yet known, so that I wouldn't build on any other man's foundation."
How amazing that we have written accounts of God's faithfulness to His people and His plan in the past. Now we know that He is indeed faithful in keeping His promises and carrying out His great plan of redeeming a worshiping people for Himself among the world. So what's next? What has God promised for our future?

Revelation records a scene recorded by John that has great meaning in light of God's promise to Abraham, this thread of God's faithfulness and plan through out the Old and New Testaments.

"And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and by your blood you purchased for God members of every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth." Revelations 5:9

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Revelation 7:9,10


As we can connect what is happening in Revelation with what God started in Genesis 1 and 12. God will be faithful to finish what He has promised. Matthew 24:14 says, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come." God is a faithful God with a mission, and from cover to cover the story is a story of His faithfulness in carrying out His great mission.

There is incredible news for us! This same God full of power and goodness and faithfulness wants and plans to use you and I as He finishes the final chapters!

Here is my challenge for you now: What is one thing you want to do this week in response to what you have learned about God's faithfulness in carrying out His plan of redemption?

Until all hear,
Brittany Hasenkamp


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From the Burner

- Life lessons from Christian chefs

The devil cannot just walk right up to you and rob you of your health, peace or family. He cannot just come into your life to enforce disease and destruction. If the devil can do that, then he does not have to walk about "seeking whom he may devour". He only has to walk straight up to anyone he wants to devour and devour him! But since the Bible says that he goes about seeking whom he may devour, the truth then is that there are people whom he cannot devour. You see, the devil goes about like a roaring lion trying to stir up fear in people with his roars. But the people who are not devourable are those who refuse to be intimidated by his roars because they know that the true Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5), has already come and rendered powerless him who had the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14, NASB) They know that the devil cannot just do anything to them because the Lion of Judah resides in them, and that He is greater than the devil who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) My friend, the Lion of Judah is in you. He has given you rights, privileges, authority and power. He redeemed you with His blood. Therefore, everything about you and your life is redeemed by His blood. So if you are fearful about losing your job, cover your job with the blood of Jesus. If you are worried about your children's safety in these days of terrorist attacks, plead the blood of Jesus over them. If you have received a bad report from the doctor, speak the blood over yourself. Whatever you have covered with the blood of Jesus, God declares, "Protected! Redeemed!" And the devil flees when he sees the blood. And when he flees, he takes with him sicknesses, diseases, pains, sufferings, destruction and loss. Once the devil knows that you know who you are in Christ and what you have in Him, his days of intimidating you are over, and you are numbered among the undevourable! Thought For The Day Everything about you and your life is redeemed by Jesus' blood.

Debbie Rommeney Lowe
Mercy Chefs