Kota Kinabalu Highlights

KOTA KINABALU, the capital city of Sabah is our (me and wife) first stop, after 10 hours in the air via MAS, into our Malaysia holiday this year. It is the start of our holiday to see our respective families and friends after five years and to do some meaningful shopping given the strong Aussie dollar.

Sabah, is situated on the island of Borneo, for those who don't already know. It shares the island of Borneo with Sarawak, Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan and is the second largest state in Malaysia, one of the thirteen states which make up Malaysia.

Sabah has the world’s largest flower - the Rafflesia and is said to have the worst smell that could come out of a flower ...not that I have personally smelled it. Sabah also boast to have the highest mountain in South East Asia - Mount Kinabalu and one of the world’s top dive sites - Sipadan Island. None of these will I get to smell, see or do on this trip, as the Rafflesia is in the jungles, Mount Kinabalu is covered by clouds and Sipadan is another day flight, drive and boat to get to.

The flower on the left is the hibiscus flower, the national flower of Malaysia. The orang utan on the right is one of the endearing personalities of Sabah.

Kota Kinabalu, KK for short, climate is generally hot and sunny all year round, at 32C. It is also humid and often the days are such that you may find yourself taking two or three showers a day. Thank God for air-conditioners. And when it rains, I mean really rains, it pours. That would explain much of the lush green trees and bush out in the jungle and the brownish water that flow from the waterfall which nevertheless is enjoyed by the local children.

While Sabah holds many potentially exciting adventures, with all it diversity in plants and animals, amazing places to see inland and off shore, the unique cultures and people, this trip will primarily be in and around KK. Still there is much to see and do in KK, like the waterfront and the islands just outside KK with its beautiful beaches. Friendly people to meet and capture in photos. I even got two extra dognuts for taking a photo of the women-folk at their store. There is of course the food, glorious food, the street food, the cuisines and deserts (kuih) that awakens long lost memories of smells and taste.

Hmmmm ....this trip will definitely add another centimetre or two to my waistline. Oh well, it is my holiday afterall.

One memorable moment during my time at KK, is watching the sun set over the horizon, seeing this from the peak of one of the many hills overlooking the city. Then after a hearty meal, it is an early night to bed with the air-conditioner and/or fan on, to dream about the hot sandy beaches, only to wake up bright and early, for a morning dip at the pool.

Now, isn't that living LIFE!

A Mansion and A Motorbike - Part 1 - Seek

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This photo was taken on a Christian Mission trip in 2009, while visiting a Vietnamese village just across the Thai-Cambodian border. The team was ministering to the villagers God's word in the form of the story of the "Lost Sheep", in a contemporary way.

At the end of the story, the story was explained in relation to God’s love, how much God loves the people and His desire to find and save his lost people. This man "challenged" the team with a question. If you ever wonder if the Gospel is heard in a mission trip, this is an example that shows that the good news is heard.

This is the question the man asked:

"If God loves me, why doesn’t he give me a mansion and a motor-bike?"

I was not satisfied with the Thai pastor's reply then, that Jesus right now is building him a mansion in heaven (John 14:1-3). While the answer is true, it would also mean, when I heard it, that this poor man will have to go to heaven to receive his reward. But Christianity to me has to also be about the present ....in the now time.

It was some time later that the Holy Spirit spoke on this.

"Isn’t this question, very much what many of you also ask of God?"

I thought about it for awhile and while reflecting on my own prayer life I found that to be quite true. The theme for many of our prays to God goes something like this ……If God so loves me, give me that promotion, let me win the lottery, go to that school or university, afford that holiday, get me through this day, etc. We basically worry about our everyday life, about how our needs or wants can be met.

To this end, the Holy Spirit directed me to Matthew 6:25-34 but specifically, v33 and v25 in that order.

v33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

v25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

The words spoke to me that as we put our priorities right and set our perspective of life to one of seeking God, it inevitabley leads us to His Kingdom and His righteneousness and in so doing, all that we need, want and desire, will come with it natuarally, without worrying about it.

2 Peter 1:2(NLT)
2 May God bless you with his special favor [grace] and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Jesus our Lord, better and better.

Learning to lean on Him, trusting Him.

Knowing Him - The Master Key

John 14:26 (NLT)
But when the Father sends the Counsellor as my representative--and by the Counsellor I mean the Holy Spirit--he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.

If the Holy Spirit is such an important person in the life's of a Christian, then the question below is one asked by many Christians (...and by non-Christians alike).

If the Holy Spirit is in me, why then do I not see God's favours and the power of the Holy Spirit manifest in my life (or in the life of a Christian)?

The answer to this question may well be found in 2 Peter 1:2-11 - Growing in the Knowledge of God, specifically 2 Peter 1:2-4(NLT)

2 May God bless you with his special favor [grace] and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Jesus our Lord, better and better.
3 As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!
4 And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.

In order to unlock God's favour and the divine power of the Holy Spirit in your lives, the key is an increased knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. Afterall, the Holy Spirit was given to us all, to teach and remind us of everything that Jesus himself has told us (John 14:26).

Of course, for the Holy Spirit to remind you and me, suggest that there was something about God or Jesus already within us, to remind us about. This we do have when we first accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. But as the knowledge of God and Jesus increases, there is more for the Holy Spirit to work with, for us.

With this increase in the knowledge of who God and Jesus is, for me, comes a growing intimacy in my relationship with God, for I now know Him better. That is the master-key. Not the knowledge of God and Jesus, in itself, but the intimacy that comes with the increasing knowledge of who God and Jesus our Lord, is.

An analogy to this, is you standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, looking down into this big majestic hole in the ground, and saying ....I've seen it and know what the Grand Canyon looks like. How majestic it looks.

However, do you know the Grand Canyon, USA? To really know the Grand Canyon, you will have to ride a donkey down to the bottom of the canyon, canoe down its rivers and rapids, sleep under the open night sky, see the animals and plant or the people who lives in the canyon and calls it home. Until then, you have only seen the Grand Canyon but not know the Grand Canyon.

You could substitue the Grand Canyon with the Ayers Rock, Australia. I've been told that there is more to it, than just a big rock in the middle of nowhere. One of these days, I'll make a trip to visit it.

It is the same with your knowledge and relationship of God and Jesus. When you do come to know God, a revelation of who He is, you will also find His grace and peace.


But why Jesus? Hebrew 1:3 (NLT) tells us that .....

3 The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven.

I believe that as you know Jesus more and more, you will begin to see Jesus in you more and more and with that, share in His divine nature. Grace and peace is very much a reflection of God's nature as is His power.

I also believe that as you come to know Jesus in a new manner, the power of the Holy Spirit will flow in that area of your lives too. So endeavour to know Jesus as your:

• Saviour - (Luke 2:11, 1 Peter 2:24)
• Baptiser of the Holy Spirit - (Matthew 3:11)
• Defender - (Isaiah 51:22, Proverb 22:23)
• Healer - (1 Peter 2:24)
• Wonderful Counsellor - (Isaiah 9:6)
• Prince of Peace - (Isaiah 9:6, John 14:27)
• Law Giver and Judge - (James 4:12)
• Advocate - (Hebrew 9:24)
• Resurrection and the life - (John 11:25)

The list above is not the complete list. This you will come to realise as you pursue him. Neither is the above to say that it is the sequence or order of knowing Him. Jesus will meet you where your needs are. For some will know Him as the Healer before knowing Him as the Saviour. For some it is enough just to know that God loves him or her, with such faith that the power of the Holy Spirit flows or manifest in them or through them.

Knowledge of God and Jesus is gained not only from the Word but from the Holy Spirit revelation or conviction of who God and Jesus is. For many, this is how they came to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

Therefore, as important as it may be to read the Word of God from the Holy Bible, for the life of a Christian to grow, it is not the only way to an increased knowledge of God and Jesus .....but is essential in ensuring that the basis/foundation of our knowledge of who God is, is based on His written Word. Reading the Holy Bible (at least to me) is also the quickest way to knowing Him, the Master Key.

GOD Most Want To Give, Gift

Luke 11:13 (NLT)
13If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

Luke 11:1-13 is where the Lord teaches the disciples how to pray. It is where the Lord's Prayer is found. It is also where the A.S.K. principle is; Ask, Seek and Knock. Ask whatever you want, in His name and our Lord will answer and provide, in His loving ways in response to your prayers. But of all the things that you may ask, do you know what our Heavenly Father desire most to give you?

13 ......, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

The Holy Spirit! Have you ever wondered why? If not, consider then these verses. You may have already heard and read these verses, but when put together, it gives a perspective that I found very encouraging, empowered, that I am not alone and a certain sense of revelation and insight into how he chooses to work in my life ....in our lives.

The Person, Holy Spirit

John 14:16-17 (NLT)
16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.
17He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

John 14:26 (NLT)
26But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative--and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit--he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.

The Holy Spirit is also known as the Comforter, Helper and Teacher.

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22 (NLT)
22But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.

In fact, Galatians 5:16-26 is about Living by the Spirits Power, is worth your reading. The transformation in our lives through the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Notice that the verse say "fruit" and not "fruits". All of the above attributes are segments of the one fruit and they come to you in one package. You get it all!

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:11 (NLT)
11He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (NLT)
8To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge.
9The Spirit gives special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick.
10He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages (tongues), and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
11It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

1 Corinthians 12:27-28 (NLT)
28Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who can get others to work together,
those who speak in unknown languages.

It is through these gifts that the power of the Holy Spirit flows.
So what then is the importance of the Holy Spirit to you?

Galatians 6:8 (NLT)
8Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

John 10:10 (NLT)
10The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

Your lives will then be the living stones (1 Peter 2:5) of His church, the light of the world (Matt 5:11), an imitator of God (Ephesian 5:1), a chosen people, a kingdom of priests, so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Sovereign Hill Highlights - Red Coat Soldiers

Not much has be said or promoted about the soldiers at Sovereign Hill, except for their marching to a drum-beat and firing their guns, or more precisely, their muskets. No bullets, of course ...but the officer did ask me to move away from its line of fire. Man! When those guns goes off, my ears were ringing. Wish they warn us about it. Lots of noise and smoke, but it was an impressive show.

After the show, there were photo opportunities with the soldiers and they were favourites of the children, especially the girls; something about men in uniforms.

The British troops in such uniforms were deployed in aid of the Victorian Government, along with the police, against the gold miners at the Eureka Stockade, on the Ballarat goldfields, on 4 December 1854. The night show, "Blood on the Southern Cross" is the dramatic re-enactment of the story of the 1854 Eureka Uprising.

During the colonial period, the troops other functions include constructing fortifications, attending fires and executions and assisting the police in keeping the peace. They provided guards for wrecks, goldfields, colonial treasuries, quarantine stations, government houses and the opening and closing of legislatures and mounted escorts for gold in transit. Betwen 1854 and 1858, almost 80,000kg of gold was escorted out of Ballarat.

Soldiers Marching

Soldiers Firing Their Guns

Sovereign Hill Highlights - GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!

Sitting among the fascinated audience, I listened to a blacksmith humourous explanation of the complex procedures needed to extract gold from crushed quartz rock.

In a crucible "cooking" at 1200 degrees Celsius, the gold slowly becomes molten. For safety reasons, he wore a thick protective apron, elbow length gloves, sturdy boots and goggles. Picking up the crucible with a long-handled pincer, he poured the molten gold liquid, a stream of thick golden honey, into a mould.

It solidified within a couple of minutes and out comes a gold bar. But just in case any of us considered a quick grab to the door, he ran a metal rod across the gold bar surface and flames shot upwards. It is hot stuffs. He immersed the gold bar in a trough of water, where it sizzles and steamed. When all the fuss is finished, he picked it up and held it up for us to admire.

Had the chance to hold it in my hand and it is a heavy piece of gold. At today's price, that single gold bar is worth a lot. I mean a lot.

Well, after that demostration I just had to go out there and try panning for some gold. Looks like I am not alone at this.

Gold! Gold! Gold! Found nothing but certainly caught the gold fever. Still, all is not lost. If you can't "catch" one, buy one .....to tell about as the one you found. You know what I mean.

Gold nuggets, gold jewellery and gold souvenir items can be purchased at a number of shops at Sovereign Hill. Try the Waterloo Store, Rees & Benjamin's jewellery shop and the Gold Smelting Works. The Sovereign Hill Gift Shop (located in the main car park) and the Entrance Shop also carry gold items. And there is also the Gold Museum Shop (opposite Sovereign Hill) for gold nuggets, fine gold jewellery and giftware.

Molten Golden Honey





Hot Gold Bar Cooling Process

Sovereign Hill Highlights - The Township

Sovereign Hill, is an outdoor museum, a tourist attraction that I finally, after 20+ years in Australia, came to visit.  Its quite an interesting place to spend the day.  It allows us to literally step back in time, to view and experience Australia's exciting goldrush days.

Sovereign Hill, is set on a former goldmining site. It recreates the first ten years of Ballarat after the discovery of gold in 1851 when thousands of fortune-hunters rushed to the Australian goldfields in search of riches.  They come from all over the world, including China.

It is an award winning outdoor museum that recreates in fascinating detail, the hustle and bustle of life in the 1850s of a typical gold mining town. There are much to see and do here.

web-site: http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/

There are working shops, hotels, schools, a theatre, crafts, a wheelwright, a candlemaker, a confectioner and steam-driven machinery. You can see how gold is smelted into a gold ingot, venture underground on a fully-guided gold mine tour or catch a horse-drawn coach and tour the Township.

The shops along the Main Street are based on those known to have existed during the 1850s. Most are open for business, selling the types of goods that were required on the goldfields .....such as pots and pans, shovels, picks.

There is even a shop that sells lollies for those who have a sweet tooth. Today, you can watch Sovereign Hill's famous boiled lollies being made right before your eyes. The lollies are made and sold at Charles Spencer's Confectionery Shop in Main Street and at the Sovereign Hill Gift Shop.

You will also find on the Main Street costumed ladies and gents who are happy to entertain with the latest gossip or a tale of life in the township. They are also happy to pose with you for a photo .....or what they call a "pictorial image of thyself".

Many of the costumed staff are volunteers, who comes in for a day or two, to act out some of the behaviours and prejudices of the 1850s. There is also a section of the township, devoted to the early Chinese fortune-hunters, many of whom choose to stay on and settle in or around Ballarat.

There is also the excitement of the Red Hill Gully Diggings where you can pan for "REAL GOLD".

Yes, there are many who seek their fortune here, even today, but very few if any, actually finds it.

One can only hope that one is one of the exceptionally few. Do I have to repeat that?

To pass the time in the township, there is always the theatre, the hotel and the pub. There is also the bowling alley, with a cold beer in your hand while waiting your turn at the bowling ball.

Right photo shows a lady in costume working at the candle factory. There are no electricity at the time, at least, I do not think so. It is also a popular create your own candle sticks tourists spot. You pay for the privileage.

At night, it is said that Sovereign Hill presents a spectacular, multi-million dollar sound and light show, called the "Blood on the Southern Cross". It is the dramatic re-enament of the story of the 1854 Eureka Uprising. Sadly, we could not stay to see that show. Oh well, maybe next time.