DANISH BRIYANI HOUSE @ CHULIA STREET

Lunch at Danish Briyani House Chulia Street branch. We tried Chicken Seekh Kebab (RM25), 'Mutton Rara Gosht' (RM35), 'Garlin Naan (RM5) and Briyani (RM4 half portion)

The chicken seekh kebab is a bit dry for us but overall the taste and quality of the food is superb.  The mutton rara gosht is good and tasty while the garlic naan is very well done.

GATES OF PRAISE

Psalm 100:4–5

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

How important it is for each of us to know the way into God’s presence.  How do we enter in His gates?  How do we come into His courts?  There’s only one accepted way: We enter His gates with thanksgiving; we enter His courts with praise.  It’s as we come to God with thanksgiving and with praise that we have access.

In the book of Isaiah we are told that salvation is like a city with walls and gates, and that every one of the gates is named “Praise.”  In other words, there is no way into the presence of God, the place of salvation, except through the gate of praise. There’s no other way that we can have access to God.  It’s so important that we realize this.

Sometimes we are tempted to say, “But what do I have to thank God for, what do I have to praise Him for?”  The psalmist gives us three reasons.

The Lord is good.
His love endures forever.
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

There are three reasons why we should always praise and thank God.  And notice that none of those reasons ever changes with our situation or our circumstance.  No matter what the circumstance, those three reasons for praising and thanking God always hold good.

[Devotional by Derek Prince]

ISAIAH 61:1–2  "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn"

Isaiah said it was the year of the Lord’s favor.  Not next year.  Not five years.  Not in the Sweet By and By.  This is the year God will shift things in your favor.  He is lining it all up.  What you could not make happen on your own, God will cause you to accomplish.  It will be bigger than you thought.  It will happen quicker than you imagined, and it will be more rewarding than you ever dreamed possible.

One touch of God’s favor can get you to where you’re supposed to be.  The truth is, you are one shift from seeing a dream come to pass.  One shift from paying your house off.  One shift from seeing your health improve.  One shift from meeting the right person.

[Excerpt From Daily Readings from Break Out!: 365 Devotions to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life by Joel Osteen]

Richard Rivalee Nyonya Cuisine Restaurant

 
Have a good time at Richard Rivalee Restaurant.  The delectable food with a taste of history couple with good companies make the dinner very satisfying.

Like every laudable gem that is a must-visit in Penang, this restaurant is tucked amongst a row of heritage shophouses in the heart of George Town. The restaurant’s interior is tastefully decorated to evoke the traditions of the Chinese and Malay communities.  The familiar Straits-Chinese architecture – a unique meld of European, Chinese and Malay styles – can be seen in the floral-motif floor tiles, blackwood furniture, and wooden doors and panels with intricate carvings.

Choo's & Ewe's Families

JAWI HOUSE CAFE GALLERY

Jawi House was established by the Karim family of Punjabi-Jawi Peranakan ancestry, dating back six generations in George Town and four generations of women who created this incredible cuisine.  Jawi Peranakan cuisine is known by the Malays as 'food for feasting' and they assure you that dining at Jawi House takes you back centuries of magical culinary history, along the early spice routes when Malay women lovingly domesticated the spices and herbs brought home by their Persian, Arab, Indian and Punjabi husbands and created a culinary experience which is simply unforgettable.

 

Jawi Laksa

Briyani Beef

B

Your ways, O God, are holy

Your ways, O God, are holy.  What god is so great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.  With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. — Psalm 77:13–15

The psalmist is crying to God in his time of trouble.  We aren’t told what the nature of his trouble is, but we do see that he is so troubled that he refuses to be comforted and cannot speak.  Clearly, he is under great duress!
Acknowledging God’s perfect holiness, the psalmist asks if there is a god like our God (v. 13).  Not needing to answer that question, he begins to describe God as one who works wonders, who has made His might known among the peoples (v. 14).  For the balance of the chapter, then, he recounts what God has faithfully done in the past for His people.
Today, in our times of sadness and despair, in order to renew our hope in God, we would do well to look back at what God has done. Unlike the psalmist, we have the single greatest event in all of redemptive history that we can look back upon—the cross! God’s might was most manifest in the power of Jesus Christ and His atoning death and resurrection. Jesus completed the culminating work in all of redemptive history and we have been given the privilege of living in a time when we can look back on that has already been done.
Therefore, like the psalmist before us, may we look to what our wonder-working God has done through Christ in saving a people for His glory and for their joy. May our hope and confidence in God be like that of Abraham, whose faith grew strong as he was convinced that God was able to do what He had promised (Romans 4:21).
As you focus on His heart toward you and encounter His passionate affection for you, then you will become more equipped to overcome temptation.  Focus on four key elements of the gospel in your journey to understanding the fullness of God:
1. Who God is
2. What He has done
3. What you can receive
4. What you should do

We often place most of the emphasis on the last three: what God has done for us in Christ, the forgiveness and inheritance we receive as adopted children, and what we should do in our walk with God.  The foundational element—who God is—is often tragically absent in our messages.

THE GREAT NEED OF THIS HOUR IS TO MAKE KNOWN THE PERSONALITY OF GOD.

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure

2 Samuel 22:33 - It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.

2 Samuel 22 is a psalm of thanksgiving that King David composed after God delivered him from his enemies and established him as king over Israel.  It is very similar to Psalm 18.  The psalm celebrates God's faithfulness and power, and it reflects David's deep gratitude and awe for what God had done for him.  David sings jubilant praises who has delivered him from all his enemies, including King Saul.

David's trust and dependence on God are evident in this song.  David recognizes that without God, he would not have been able to achieve the victories he had experienced.  In verse 33, David declares that it was God who gave him the strength to overcome his enemies and establish his kingdom.  He acknowledges that he could not have achieved victory on his own and that it was only through God's help that he was able to succeed.

This verse is a powerful reminder that our strength and security come from God.  It is a call to trust in God's power and provision, and to recognize that apart from Him, we are powerless and vulnerable.  By acknowledging God's role in our lives and giving Him the glory, we can find strength and security in His love and care for us.  May we rely on Him completely and trust in His guidance as we journey through life.

Do not forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:18 - But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. [NIV]

Moses was speaking to the Israelites and preparing them to enter the promised land.  He reminds them of all what God has miraculously done in bringing them out of Egyptian slavery and during their wilderness wanderings over the last forty years.  Moses gave the people a warning to not forget God.  There will come a day when they have success and wealth, and they are supposed to remember God on that day.  They are not supposed to think that they have done it all on their own.

The Israelites who were once incapable of doing anything to sustain themselves would soon think that their own power and the strength of their hand and not the limitless power of the covenant keeping God had made them prosperous.  For this reason, Moses reminded the people that every gift comes from God.  He exhorted them to remember the Lord Almighty is the One who is giving the ability to make wealth.  Israel’s wealth (wisdom, power, imagination, material resources, skills, and strength) was a direct blessing from God.

God gives us the ability to be a success story for Him when, in all that we do, we do it for Him.  We need to continually remember and acknowledge that it is God who has given us the ability to create wealth and do everything that we have done and are doing.  And not forgetting that it is God who brought us where we are today and given us everything that we have today.  Let us remember the Lord our God today and always.

Treasure of Wisdom

Proverbs 3:13-15 - Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.  She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. [NIV]

The book of Proverbs serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking guidance and insight into living a wise, virtuous, and God-centered life.  The teachings found in Proverbs remain relevant not only in biblical times but also in contemporary society, rendering it a timeless source of wisdom and inspiration for people of all ages.  Proverbs 3 encourages us to trust in God, seek wisdom, and live in obedience to His ways.

In today's verses, King Solomon extols the value of wisdom and understanding, portraying them as highly desirable and invaluable qualities.  The pursuit of wisdom is far from passive; it represents an intentional choice to seek understanding, knowledge, and discernment. Metaphors such as silver, gold, and rubies are employed to illustrate the immense value of wisdom.  Just as silver, gold, and rubies are highly prized for their material wealth, wisdom is even more valuable.  It cannot be quantified in monetary terms, but its benefits far exceed material wealth.
The pursuit of wisdom serves as an acknowledgment that the deepest longings of our hearts cannot be satisfied by the world's offerings.  While we may chase after fame, pleasure, or material possessions, true contentment and fulfillment can solely be found in a heart that prioritizes wisdom above all else.  It serves as the key that unlocks the door to a life of purpose, meaning, and lasting joy.  May we treasure wisdom above all else, recognizing its eternal value and its capacity to lead us to a life that brings honor and glory to our Heavenly Father.

Appraising Your Life

Remember him — before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 (NIV)

IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE you took stock of where you are going, hasn’t it?  And how about an evaluation of the kids?  Or your marriage?  Or your own future?  You know what I mean: trimming off the fat of lazy thinking and taking a lean, hard look at your remaining years.

As I write, I’m now in my eighties.  If Christ doesn’t return (and I don’t die in the meantime), I figure I’ll keep going until I’m at least one hundred!  How old are you?  How many years lie between now and when you turn sixty-five or seventy years of age?  It’s about time you came to terms with your future, isn’t it?

If that doesn’t grab you, consider your family in the next decade.  Cynthia and I feel it was only last week when our home resembled a cross between Grand Central Station, the Indianapolis 500, and the San Diego Zoo!  That was long ago.  We now find ourselves with ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.  It’s amazing how quickly all that happened.  As the old newsreel used to say, “Time marches on.”

Consider Solomon’s wise counsel:

Remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken.  Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well.  For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
ECCLESIASTES 12:6-7

For what are you asking the Lord on behalf of your children and grandchildren?  I challenge you to stop long enough to make an honest appraisal of your life.  By the way, don’t just think about it . . . get alone and write down your thoughts, your dreams, your aspirations.  Refuse to let tonight’s television programs or some insignificant activity interrupt this necessary discipline.  If you put it off, you may lose the urgency you’re feeling right now.

{From Good Morning, Lord . . . Can We Talk? A Year of Scriptural Meditations by Charles Swindoll}