Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

...for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? -- Joel 2:11ff Few people realise how important and wonderful Bible prophecy can be. Its invaluable benefits include: 1.     Insight into the character of God; 2.     A preview into the future; 3.     An alarm clock to wake up the spiritual sleepers and sober up the drunkards (I Thessalonians 5:6);  4.     Incentive for holy living; 5.     Incentive for evangelism; 6.     Prospers those who heed its timeless message (II Chronicles 20:20 KJV); 7.     The brightest light on this planet until Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, comes again (II Peter 1:19). Above all, Bible prophecy is a much-needed ‘early warning service.’ Early warnings save lives and souls. One of the key themes in Bible prophecy is ‘The Day of the Lord.’ A simple description is the ‘Day of the Lord’ i...

It’s name recognition is universal and, until recently, so was its appeal. Who can resist a family dinner with roast turkey, bread dressing, Christmas pudding, and all the trimmings? Or going into the living room, a warm fire roaring, hot chocolate topped with marshmallows in the mug, while gleeful children unwrap presents found under the Christmas tree? Or listening to the public singing of Christmas carols, with those time-honoured verses are still able to stir the soul? Yes, Christmas still evokes much enthusiasm throughout the world, and not just in the West. Asia goes crazy over Christmas, including places like Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. Even in ‘laid-back’ Australia, where a few even refer to it as ‘Chrissie,’ Christmas is still a very popular day off for the big meal, the family gathering, and, if possible, a splash at the beach while throwing ‘another shrimp on the barbie.’ In his best-selling book, A Christmas Carol  (1843), ...

COOKING CORNER:  One of the great highlights of the holiday season is the roast dinner on Christmas Day. While a variety of meats are used, turkey and chicken are among the most popular. If you would like the juiciest and most flavourful bird you ever had, be prepared to take a few extra steps. BRINE THE BIRD This process is similar to marinading. It involves cold salted water. The benefits is that it makes the meat more tender, juicy, and reduces cooking time. It is worth the time and effort. Here is a simple recipe: 1.       Container: Use any container large enough, provided it is not aluminium. Even a large plastic bag in a bucket (or on its own) will do, provided it is tied up during brining. 2.       Ingredients: Put 6 litres of water in a container. Then, in a separate jug, add 1 litre of boiling water and dissolve 200 grams coarse salt and 200 grams sugar. To this mix you can add quartered lemons or o...

The news is rolling on with nauseating, disconcerting regularity. Major terrorist attacks have occurred in Ankara, Beirut, and possibly the Russian plane crash in Sinai. But it doesn’t stop there. Paris was hit in a major way for the second time in 2015 - on black Friday night 13 November where 130 were killed. Then on 2 December 2015 San Bernardino, where Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik, conducted a mass shooting at the Inland Regional Centre, San Bernardino County Department of Public Health training event, killing 14 and injuring 21. No longer is terrorism limited to the Middle East and Third World. Instead, it has become a global phenomena, able to strike anywhere, at any time. Even far away Australia is under threat and has colour-coded terrorist levels. This leads to a very pertinent question: Is there anywhere in our world that is safe anymore? In the natural, the answer is ‘No.’ Terrorism is a very portable, often low budget, act of violent p...

It was the worst possible nightmare. After having spent time in the warm, friendly, scenic, and ultra-affordable Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el Sheikh, 221 Russians and 3 Ukrainians were en route back to St. Petersburg on Kogalymavia Flight 9268 . Twenty-minutes after take-off, American satellites picked up a bright flash from the plane. Contact was lost and then Flight 9268 crashed to the ground, killing all on board. Though it is still too early to determine the actual cause of the crash, UK, Russia and others are convinced it was a bomb planted in the hold. Russia stopped flights to Egypt and Britain repatriated its nationals without their hold luggage. Sharm el Sheikh is an amazing resort on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. It is where the Gulf of Aqaba meets the Red Sea. The weather is usually warm, the sea waters are enticingly blue, the coral and diving opportunities are limitless, and you can get 5 star facilities and service for 1 star prices. I could imag...