Are you Jesus?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples at the airport. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding. ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,....

'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?'
She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?'

Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our Destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.

Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

NOWADAYS, TOO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE NO LONGER FISHERS OF MEN AND WOMEN BUT KEEPERS OF THE AQUARIUM.

Something to ponder about.

Contributor - Anonymous

Merry Christmas! 2010

Merry Christmas! and Good Cheers! to you all.

Since we are now into the Christmas season, we should be thankful for both the trials and blessings of the year. Enjoy the holiday periods and rest as best you can, between Christmas and the New Year because 2011 is going to be an exciting one.

Christmas is a time when we remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the reason he was born into the world. Christmas is also a time when we focus and fellowship more with our family and friends, and we pray that you have a good, fun-filled and safe celebration.

So have a Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year!

Here is our prayer for you for this Christmas season and for the New Year. May you have more and more of God's special favour and wonderful peace.

Blessings
Margaret + Simon

It's such a blessing just to know
that since your life began,
The Lord's been guiding
all your steps
according to His plan -
And be assured that,
day by day,
He'll give you all you need
to prosper and be happy
as His plans
for you succeed.

Let your faith and your joy
and your trust in the Lord
touch your heart and your life
day by day,
Remember His promise
to be there beside you
and guide you
each step of the way....

Rejoice!
with hope in your soul,
for His grace
has made everything new,
And know that you're kept
in the warmest of prayer
for His blessings
to shine down on you

Words of Emily Matthews

Melbourne - Heide Museum of Modern Art

Have you ever drive along a road or freeway and notice one of those tourist signs that says something about a place to see or visit, and you always wonder what its about or say to yourself that you'll do that one, one of these days ....and that day has yet to come.

Well Heide Museum of Modern Art, commonly known as Heide, was one such place. Finally decided one weekend to take the plunge and go explore the place, and we were plesantly surprised.

It is a contemporary art museum located in Bulleen, east of Melbourne. It is a small museum on a large ground; 16 acres of buildings, gardens and sculpture park presenting a dramatic combination of indoor and outdoor spaces, on which you can explore and depending on the day, you might just prefer the outdoor than the indoor.

There is a small admission fee for any exhibitions that may be happening at the day. There are also conducted tours of the place but the grounds; gardens and sculpture park are FREE.

If you fancy a bite or two with a latte or a pot of tea, there is Cafe Vue at Heide. For those who like shopping there is always the Heide Store.

This is a place to wild away a couple of hours or a whole day with friends or families. Good place to have a picnic at the park, plenty of space for the children to run around among the sculptures while the rest of the family could stroll along a path and admire/contemplate the sculptures.

There’s much to explore. One of the attractions of the site is the original home of art patrons John and Sunday Reed, the heritage-listed, Victorian farmhouse, Heide I. There is the iconic McGlashan and Everist designed modernist building Heide II, the recently redeveloped Heide III building featuring the Central Galleries, Albert and Barbara Tucker Gallery, Kerry Gardner and Andrew Myer Project Gallery.

Heide also boasts several iconic art pieces of Australia's best-known modernist painters, such as; Albert Tucker, Laurence Hope, Joy Hester and Sidney Nolan. Heide house the Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly series.

The above are photos of some of the outdoor artwork, sculptures, gardens and buildings you can see. Some of the photos above, with a special thank you from me, are contributed from Sarah, Margaret's niece who is also a keen photographer.

Click on this link to Wikipedia for more on Heide Museum of Modern Art; early history, buildings, access, collection and gallery.

Why Did Jesus Fold The Napkin?

John 20:6-7 (NLT)
6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

John 20:1-10 (NLT)
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the line wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. After the table was furnished perfectly the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because....... the folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

He is Coming Back!

Contributor - Anonymous

Now, is this not awesome? Even a small detail like this folding of the napkin (John 20:7) that is mentioned in the Bible has its significance. It goes to show that no small detail in the Bible are in-significant. If the Holy Spirit sees fit to mention it in the Bible, it is worth contemplating its significance.

The following passage makes reference to Jesus return

Luke 12:35-38 - Be Ready for the Lord Coming
Matthew 24 - Jesus Foretells the Future

However, no one knows when this will happen and this is stated by Jesus Himself, but He did give an indication of what the world would be like at the time of His return.

Matthew 24:36-37 (NLT)
36 "However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
37 "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day.

So until His return, a word of encouragement.

1 Corinthians 1:7-9 (NLT)
7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8 He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
9 God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Kuala Lumpur Highlights - Fish Spa

While window shopping at Mid Valley, we came across this interesting store. Outside the store there is a huge aquarium tank with lots of small fish in it.

The store is actually a Fish Spa, where you are allowed to put your feet into the aquarium tank and the fish gets to eat the dead skin cells of your feet. I heard of such a place from friends who last visited Kuala Lumpur and did not think much of it, till I saw this store.

I was told that it is really fun, a different form of feet massaging. So I decided to give it a go. Margaret wasn't game for the fish spa, so she settled for an actual feet massage.

The place consists of a few sections with pools of different sized fish (small, medium and large). First of all I had to wash my feet. Mustn't pollute the waters and the fish like their meals clean.

Then I was told to sit at the first pool, facing the window, where the small sized fish are. Initially it was very ticklish but surprisingly quite relaxing once I allow myself to relax and accept the fact that these fishes are literally eating me, alive.

Of course when you do see lots of the fish surrounding your feet, you know then how dirty you feet really is. Later on, I moved to the medium size fish. They feel much better, nibbling on my feet and not ticklish anymore. The larger size fish nibbles are harder and at time felt more like bites rather than nibbles.

Once in a while, passerby and window shopper do stop to have a look at the fish feeding, prompting a few remarks.

Now what do this sign really mean?

Reviews and background on Fish Spa
Kenko Reflexology and Fish Spa, Mid Valley
Wikipedia on Fish Spa - Doctor Fish
Garra Rufa vs Chin Chin Comparison

Kuala Lumpur Highlights - Roti Chanai

Every time I do go back to Kuala Lumpur, my brother always brings me to this Mamak store behind the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) building at Petaling Jaya, off Jalan Gasing at Jalan 5/35, towards the Methodist School.

I find this place serves one of the best Indian meals in town; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its the breakfast we go for, every time because it serves one of my favourite street food.

Roti Canai is a type of flatbread found in Malaysia and often sold in Mamak stalls. There is even a page dedicated to it in Wikipedia.

Roti Canai is commonly served for breakfast. But as far as I am concerned, one can be have it any time of the day. It is usually served with a simple dhal curry. It can be served with any kind of curries besides dhal and it has also been known to be served with raw sugar, for children who have yet to know the pleasures of curry.

Today, roti canai has many derivatives like roti telur, roti tisu, roti planta, etc. ...prepared to your liking. Dosa is another flat bread variant.

I find it more authentic when served with a banana leaf and best eaten with your hands, washing it all down with teh-tarik, a hot tea beverage made from black tea and condensed milk.

Did a quick Google of the word "Roti Canai" for the recipe and found that there are just as many ways to prepare it as there are to eat it. Well, the following are some of the links for the recipes:

Malaysianfood.net - Roti Canai
Asianonlinerecipes.com - Roti Canai Recipe
Rasamalaysia.com - Roti Paratha
Poh's Kitchen - Roti Chanai
Foodbuzz.com - Malaysian-curry-chicken-and-roti-canai

The following is a short video clip of how the roti canai is prepared.

Confidence In Prayer

Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

It is not often that I receive an email from a friend on the subject of prayer. This one however, got my attention for recent happenings in my life shows the importance of hearing from the Lord.  It also reminded me of Ephesians 6:10-20 (NLT) - "The Whole Armour of God". Most who are familiar with this passage of scripture will easily recall the six pieces of the armour a soldier puts on.

14 Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared [or For shoes, put on the readiness to preach the good News of peace with God].
16 In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

There is a seventh piece to the whole armour of God. However, the seventh piece of the armour is often not recognised as a piece of the armour as it is not something a soldier wears. It is Pray.

18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

Pray is the line of communication the soldier has with his Commander, so as to be at a place where his general need him to be, to do what needs to be done, to be effective and to know where and how to support his fellow soldiers (all Christians) at the front-line.

Without pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, is liken to the soldier not hearing from his Commander. He is then left to act (or not act) on his own accord and runs the risk of acting in a manner that goes against the master plan of his Commander at the battlefield, which can and most likely will, cost lives.

The following is a daily devotional that was passed to me by a friend, which I thought is worth placing here for your good reading.


Confidence in Prayer

Too often Christians try to handle their situations without asking the Lord for direction or help. Perhaps they think the situation is not big enough to bother God. Or maybe they think because they are responsible for causing the mess in the first place, they should be responsible for fixing it. That, however, is not true. The Lord wants to help us, no matter how small or who is responsible for causing it. He delights in meeting our need!

Wouldn’t it be better to spend time with the Lord before each day’s responsibilities and demands begin to pull on us? Through our fellowship with the One Who has a plan for our lives, and knows what we should do in every situation, we prepare ourselves for His direction throughout the day.

Each day, usually early in the morning, Jesus spent time in communion with His Heavenly Father. Not only did He listen for direction and instruction but He claimed to be unable to do anything without it.

"I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord—but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me” (John 5:30, AMP).

Jesus didn’t make His own decisions; He acted only after receiving instructions to act! That’s why He always experienced the right results—100% of the time. Now that’s success!

If we want to experience success in our daily lives, then we must make decisions only after we hear God’s direction. We can’t look to our own plans; instead, we must ask the Lord to show us His plan, and then we can be sure of success.

Some Christians don’t ask the Lord for direction because they don’t have the confidence in either what they pray or their ability to hear. However, 1 John 5:14-15 assures us how to have confidence in prayer.

“And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: we are sure that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we positively know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know with settled and absolute knowledge that we have granted us as our present possessions the requests made of Him” (AMP).

What’s important is that we ask according to God’s will. I’ve known people who hear specific instructions from God, but before long they begin to add to God’s instructions. I often wonder if they feel that what God told them doesn’t sound spectacular enough.

Our lives become hard when we do things God does not initiate. But what He initiates, He supplies the strength, grace, and power to accomplish.

Dennis Burke Ministries
Daily Devotional - Sat 11th Sept 2010.