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Showing posts from May, 2016

TRIUMPH OF TRUMP

It is official: Donald Trump has passed the 1,237 delegate threshold. He will be the Republican Party candidate for President of the United States. What an amazing feat for a man who never held political office. His rise is utterly remarkable, unpredictable, and unprecedented. Weeks out from the Republican Party National Convention, he knocked out 17 other Republican candidates, including well-known and experienced politicians. Trump has received more votes in a Republican presidential primary season than any other candidate in history. Let’s face it: this is the most unusual US Presidential election in our lifetime. Well-known, experienced politicians have been sidelined while populists are taking centre stage. The experts are dumbfounded as a volatile electorate endorses candidates who would have been dismissed as improbable only a few years before. The two main populist candidates are Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. On the far left Socialist Bernie Sanders,

Is It A Good Time to Visit the Holy Land?

With so much happening in the Middle East today, and with Europe on the alert, is it really a good time to take a Bible land tour to Israel? Many Bible-believing Christians are very keen to make the visit, but they have two major concerns: 1.     Is it affordable? 2.     Is it safe? First, I cannot stress enough that your decision to ‘go or not to go’ should not be based on the nightly news. Under no circumstance should a Christian believer make decisions based on fear! Now or ever. The Bible is full of exhortations to ‘fear not.’ Nowhere does it imply we should fear anything, any time. The only fear we should have is the ‘fear of the LORD.’ When you exercise Godly fear, it cancels out all other fears! Your decision to visit the holy land should be based on two things: 1.     Prayer and the leading of the LORD; and 2.     Sufficient, accurate information. Why visit the Holy Land? There are two consistent and compelling reasons

FINDING A SPOUSE: Part 2

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the LORD -- Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV) In Part 01, we looked at some of the factors that cause people to ‘get it wrong’ while in search of Mr. or Miss Right. These factors included: 1.       A corrupt, sex-saturated culture; 2.       Worship of false gods, which is far more prevalent than one realises, including materialism, statism (an overarching role for the government), and selfism; 3.       Opportunism; 4.       Narcissism: people can put on a prolonged act before the real person is exposed. 5.       The scourge of pornography. Latest count is that 46% of Americans view porn during the week. It also has a devastating effect on male virility. 6.       No fear of God; 7.       Ignoring wise counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says it all: ‘Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.’ In Part 02, we will look at ‘how to get it right.’ Please note that t

Campaign 2016: What Should We Make of Donald Trump?

The 2016 US Presidential campaign is in full swing and it has been anything but dull. The front-runners are totally unconventional. One is a woman and the other a businessman who has never held a political office. Constantly, people are asking me: what do you think of Donald Trump? Good question and for the longest time, I did not have an answer. Having watched American politics all my life, never have I seen a campaign like this one. Yet, as one committed to helping people become ‘future-ready,’ it is important to address the issue: What should we make of Donald Trump? Background: Donald Trump, a businessman and TV personality, was born on June 14, 1946, which means he will be 70 years old at the time of the November 2016 election. Ronald Reagan was 69 when he was elected and inaugurated as President. Trump Candidacy: The day after his 69th birthday, he announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for the office of United States President. His slogan:

Laksa 101: Creamy Chicken Laksa

Anyone who travels to SE Asia will, sooner or later, encounter laksa. It is basically a spicy curry soup, often swimming with seafood. Having never grown up with curries or chillies or seafood, I initially was resistant to laksa. Yet, because of my annual visits to Malaysia, I eventually had to capitulate and give it a try. Penang, which is a celebrated food centre in Asia, was where I had Penang Laksa with mackerel. Getting and keeping the big fat noodles on my spoon was a major challenge. Then, I experienced the Sarawak Laksa while visiting Kuching. Laksa was becoming more and more mainstream for me. One of the redemptive values of laksa is that it is a great and tasty way to introduce vegetables into the diet. So, when I discovered a ‘veggie-rich’ laksa recipe, I introduced it to my wife. Like me, she had little experience with curries, chillies and seafood. Her initial approval encouraged me to press on. The following recipe is: Laksa 101 - A Recipe for Beginners &