Thursday, July 5, 2007

God's ways are higher than our ways!

One of the reasons that prayer is so vitally important in the life of the believer is that it affords him the opportunity to inquire of God concerning His will and His ways. The ways of God are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are deeper than our thoughts. It's imperative that every Christian spend time seeking God's leadership. It's not enough to understand the principles found in God's Word. We must also learn to be led by His Spirit in every situation.

Joshua:


Joshua understood this truth, and it became the centerpiece of his leadership. An incredible statement is made about Joshua's military strategy, "Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. 'Go, look over the land,' he said, 'especially Jericho.' So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there" (JOSHUA: 2 : 1 NIV).


Moses:

Moses certainly didn't do things that way. Moses sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan, but Joshua only chose two. Why? Perhaps Joshua remembered that ten of the twelve that Moses sent were men of fear rather than men of faith. He knew that two men of faith could accomplish much more than ten men of doubt. But there was a greater reason that only two were chosen - the Providence of God.

God doesn't change. He remains the same in His character and eternal attributes. But His ways and methods continually change. That's one of the greatest lessons that any Christian leader must learn. God knows everything. He knows every circumstance of our lives. Consequently, He knows the exact strategy that is needed for our leadership. With Moses, one strategy was needed. But for Joshua, another strategy was essential. God led Moses to choose twelve spies, but He led Joshua to pick only two.

If Joshua would have tried to simply do what Moses had done, it would have been disaster. But Joshua found God's plan for that particular moment and it worked. At first sight, it may have looked like a catastrophe in the making. But God's ways are higher than our ways. God had a plan that was far beyond anything Joshua could have ever imagined.

If I had been the leader of the children of Israel, I would have probably told those spies, "Look fellows, this is a dangerous mission. There's all kinds of potential perils that you're going to face. Stay focused. What ever you do, stay away from any prostitute's house!"

But God's ways are higher than our ways! He led them to a most unlikely place to stay - the home of Rahab, the harlot (JOSHUA: 2 :1). It would have been difficult for twelve men to stay there, but it was perfect for two. It would have been spiritual suicide for only one person to stay in the Harlot's house, but there was safety in twos. God's ways are good and perfect.

Rahab protected and hid the spies. They were able to witness to her of the greatness of their God. She embraced the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. She turned from her idolatry and trusted in the One, True, and Living God to save her and her family. The FAITH of the Israeli spies combined with the faith of the Canaanite harlot resulted in God's protection of the children of Israel and the family of Rahab.

God's ways are certainly higher than our ways. If we are to be all that God wants us to be, then we must do what the Scriptures teach, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (proverb: 3: 5,6 NIV).

Monday, July 2, 2007

Chicken masala recipe (semi gravy)


Step 1:

You will need

  • 2 pound chicken
  • 3 medium onions
  • 2 medium tomatoes/ 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 3Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 green chillies
  • 2 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • some salt
  • 1 cup (100gm) chicken masala powder or (½ tsp turmeric powder, 3 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 2 Tbsp cumin powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder)
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ bunch of coriander leaves for garnish
Step 2:

Chop
Peel and finely chop 3 onions, then 2 tomatoes.Finally, cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with a little salt and also put to one side.
Then chop 2 green chillies.

HANDY HINT
Use a scissor to cut chillies or dip your fingers in oil before you do this to stop the chilli juices from stinging your fingers.
Step 3:

Start frying
Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Add the 3 chopped onions and 2 green chillies to the pan, and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn light golden brown. Stir frequently to stop the onions burning.
Step 4:

Ginger and garlic

Now add 2 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste. Stir well for a couple of minutes.

Step 5:

Spices
Add 1 cup of chicken masala powder or (½ tsp turmeric powder, 3 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 2 Tbsp cumin powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder) and fry for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.
Step 6:

Tomatoes
Add the finely chopped tomatoes fry for 2 minutes.
Step 7:

Cook the chicken

Add the chicken cubes and mix well into the masala. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the chicken is cooked and tender. Stir in some salt. Check this by piercing the chicken with a sharp knife - if it goes straight through and comes out clean, it is done.
When using pressure cooker just wait for 5 whistles and turn the heat off. After few minutes open the lid and cook the chicken till it becomes semi gravy.
Step 9:

Garnish
Finely chop the coriander and save a couple of good leaves to garnish. Now stir in the coriander to finish the dish.
Step 10:

Serve

Lay the corriander leaves onto the curry and serve

Hint:

For a weaker curry flavour, add 1 cup of water or 1 small tin of coconut milk or 1 medium sized carton of yoghurt. Mix well and simmer for another 5 minutes. This will reduce the spiciness and give some curry too. Enjoy with rice, chapathi or with ur favourite dish....

Spicy and simple fish curry Recipe


Step 1:

You will need

  • 20 oz king fish
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2 medium tomatoes/ 4Tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 green chillies
  • 2 Tbsp garlic paste
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • some salt
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp coriander powder
  • 2 Tbsp cumin powder
  • 3 cup of water
  • ½ bunch of coriander leaves for garnish
Step 2:

Chop
Peel and finely chop 2 onions, then 2 tomatoes.
Then chop 2 green chillies.

HANDY HINT
Use a scissor to cut chillies or dip your fingers in oil before you do this to stop the chilli juices from stinging your fingers.
Step 3:

Start frying
Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Add the 2 chopped onions and 2 green chillies to the pan, and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn light golden brown. Stir frequently to stop the onions burning.
Step 4:

Ginger and garlic

Now add 2 tbsp of garlic paste. Stir well for a couple of minutes.

Step 5:

Spices
Add
½ a tsp of turmeric powder,
2 tsp of red chilli powder,
½ a tsp of coriander powder,
and fry for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.
Step 6:

Tomatoes

Add the finely chopped tomatoes followed by 1 tbsp of cumin powder fry for 2 minutes.

Step 7:

Add water and tamarind paste

Add 3 cups of water and the tamarind paste. Allow it to boil for 2 minutes.

Step 8:

Add the king fish
Turn the heat to medium high and add the king fish. Then stir in some salt.Then put the lid on and bring the heat down. Leave for about 10 minutes or until the fishes are cooked. check occasionally. When they are ready, turn the heat off.
Step 9:

Serve

Lay the corriander leaves onto the curry and serve.



:- Prepare the curry overnight and eat it in the morning. It tastes amazing this way.