Malankara World Journal
Malankara World Journal

Volume 2 No. 52 February 3, 2012
Kohne Sunday - Departed Clergy

If the Journal is not displayed properly, please click on the link below (or copy and paste) to read from web

http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Newsletter/MWNews_52.htm
Archives: http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Newsletter/Default.htm
Melchizedek and Abraham
Melchizedek and Abraham
Table of Contents
If you are not receiving your own copy of Malankara World, please add your name to our subscription list. It is free. click here.

1. Editor's Note

2. Bible Readings for This Sunday (Feb 5)

3. Sermons for This Sunday (Feb 5)
This Sunday's Gospel readings are from the Olivet Discourse,
the most important single passage of prophecy in all the Bible. The Olivet Discourse is found in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13 and Luke 21. We have provided over 20 sermons, commentaries, Gospel analyses etc. to study this gem in depth...

4. Inspiration for Today
We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal...

5. Featured This Week: God's Love vs. Wrath
It is good and useful to consider the relationship of God's love to his wrath. Are they equal characteristics or is one greater than the other? How can God both love and hate?...

6. Book Excerpt: With Christ In the School of Prayer - Lesson 22: The Word and Prayer
The vital connection between the word and prayer is one of the simplest and earliest lessons of the Christian life. As that newly-converted heathen put it: I pray—I speak to my father; I read—my Father speaks to me....

7. The Sin of Prayerlessness
We must never forget that prayer is not only for petition, but also for protection and for preparation. Prayer not only gives us what we want; it prepares us for and protects us from what we don't want...

8. Blessed are the Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Mt 5: 5
I used to have a strong dislike for the word "meek." It brings me back a decade to a defining moment during my sophomore year of high school...

9. What is Repentance?
The word repentance in our Savior's teaching is used to emphasize turning from sin unto righteousness. All through the gospels, repentance is the central theme of Christ's whole ministry. This is not something we might talk about once and then forget....

10. What It Really Means to Repent
In his famous book, I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that many of the problems in the church today lie in the misconception "that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior." ...

11. Health: How Can Pregnant Women Avoid Dangerous Everyday Chemicals? by Doris Rapp, M.D.
Pregnant women are trying to be healthier. Many take all the right steps to promote the birth of a healthy baby, including eating right, taking vitamins and eliminating alcohol and nicotine from their lives. Unfortunately, all those efforts may be for naught if they are still being exposed to unseen chemicals in their daily lives. Dr. Doris Rapp, an experienced physician and expert on all the hidden household and environmental hazards, wants women to know about the many insidious and dangerous threats to their unborn babies...

12. Recipe: Kerala Fish Thoren by Mrs. K.M. Mathew
One of the classic recipes from Kerala.

13. It Is Not Too Late to Make Good on those Resolutions!
Physician and healer Amnon Goldstein, who has earned an international reputation for his practice of both Western and Eastern medicines, says it's time to slow down and re-evaluate...

14. Seven Characteristics of Shallow Leadership
Growing in our leadership abilities, knowledge and relationships should be a goal for every leader. Many leaders settle for status quo leadership rather than stretching themselves as leaders....

15. Humor: Denominations
A Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new dog. Ever mindful of the congregation, they knew the dog must also be a Baptist. They visited kennel after kennel and explained their needs. Finally, they found a kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted...

16. About Malankara World

Editor's Note
We are in the period between Nineveh Lent (3-day Lent) and the Great Lent (begins on February 20 this year). The first Sunday after the Nineveh lent is dedicated to the departed clergy or church fathers (Kohne). Next Sunday is dedicated to the memory of all departed (Aneede). The third Sunday is Kothne Sunday or Pethurtha of the Great Lent.
This Sunday in Church
Bible Readings for This Sunday (Feb 5)
Sermons for This Sunday (Feb 5)
This Sunday's Gospel Reading, according to the Lectionary, is from Matthew 24:42-51. The morning Gospel reading is from Matthew 25:13-30. These passages are part of what is commonly described as the Olivet Discourse.

The Olivet Discourse, delivered shortly before Jesus' crucifixion, is the most important single passage of prophecy in all the Bible. It is significant because it came from Jesus Himself immediately after He was rejected by His own people and because it provides the master outline of end-time events. The Olivet Discourse is found in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13 and Luke 21. The name Olivet Discourse comes from the fact that Jesus gave the discourse to his disciples in the Mount of Olives.

The Olivet discourse can be broadly divided into 3 segments. Our gospel reading is from the segment 3 - or the last segment. It consist mainly of 3 parables along with an exhortation to be ready for the second coming always because no one knows the exact date and time when Jesus is coming. It is generally accepted that Jesus is referring to the Church era in this parable; the time between his annunciation and the second coming. The servants denote the apostles and other leaders of the church. Jesus essentially reinforces his teaching of servant leadership exhorting them to serve the body of church till his second coming. He talks about a good servant and a bad servant.

It is also clear from today's gospel that the time of mercy ends at the second coming of Christ. If the believers are not prepared and ready when he comes, they will not inherit the kingdom of God. The message is for the faithful to be ready and serve.

With over 20 sermons, commentaries and Gospel analyses, you can study this topic in depth in Malankara World. We recommend that you do read and reflect on these. It is a very important part of the bible that is relevant to our times. The sermon resources are at:

http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Library/Sermons/Sermon-of-the-week_departed-clergy.htm

This Week's Features

Inspiration for Today
We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Here have we no continuing city. -- Ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. -- There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened. -- God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. -- Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

II COR. 4:18. Heb. 13:14. -Heb. 10:34. Luke 12:32. I Pet. 1:6. Job 3:17. II Cor. 5:4. -Rev. 21:4. Rom. 8:18. II Cor. 4:17.

Featured This Week: God's Love vs. Wrath
It is good and useful to consider the relationship of God's love to his wrath. Are they equal characteristics or is one greater than the other? How can God both love and hate? In his book, "Don't Stop Believing", Michael Wittmer, professor of systematic and historical theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
looked at the question concerning the cross and whether, as some have suggested, a traditional Christian understanding of the cross is tantamount to cosmic child abuse.

Wittmer explains how we can (and must) reconcile God's wrath with his love. "Scripture says that God is love and that he has wrath. This means that love lies deeper than wrath in the character of God. Love is his essential perfection, without which he would not be who he is. Wrath is love's response to sin. It is God's voluntary gag reflex at anything that destroys his good creation. God is against sin because he is for us, and he will vent his fury on everything that damages us."

Love is at God's very core. First John 4:8 says, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." Through all of eternity, God has been love; he has existed in a state of love of Father to Son, Son to Spirit, Spirit to Father. There has never been a time that God has not been expressing love; nor will there ever be. But God's wrath is far different. God has not always been wrathful. He has not always had to express anger. His anger is a reaction to a lack of love—a lack of love for him or a lack of love to others. Wrath is a response to sin. Thus wrath did not exist until sin existed. And as sin came to be, God had to respond to it in a way befitting his holy character. God's response to sin is wrath. How could it be otherwise? Sin is cosmic treason against the Creator of the universe. He must respond.

At the cross, God's love met God's wrath. Wittmer says, "Jesus endured God's wrath when he bore the curse of sin, but he also experienced God's love, for the cross was a necessary step in crowning Jesus as Redeemer and Ruler of the world, the Lord whose exalted name forces every knee to the ground. Similarly, though we receive unmerited grace from Jesus' passion, our old self of sin must die in order to rise to his new life of love." And so wrath is closely tied to love. If God did not love, God would not be wrathful. It is because of his love that God has to feel and express his wrath. We cannot neatly separate the two. "Every act of God flows from his love, even—and especially—those that demonstrate his wrath."

Is he a God of love or of wrath? God expresses both love and wrath, but where wrath is demonstrated, love is personified. God is love.

Source: Excerpted from 'Gods Gag Reflex' by Tim Challies

Book: 'With Christ In the School of Prayer' by Andrew Murray

Lesson 22: The Word and Prayer
[Editor's Note: Here is this week's lesson from the book, 'With Christ in the School of Prayer' by Andrew Murray. This book is a very important reference book on intercessional prayer, something Orthodox Church believes in greatly. Murray skillfully describes the role of the Holy Spirit within the church and exhorts Christians to use the blessings God has given us. This book is a guide to living a life as a temple of the Holy Spirit. If you have missed the earlier lessons, please read them in Malankara World.]

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you." - John 15:7.

The vital connection between the word and prayer is one of the simplest and earliest lessons of the Christian life. As that newly-converted heathen put it: I pray—I speak to my father; I read—my Father speaks to me.

Before prayer, it is God's word that prepares me for it by revealing what the Father has bid me ask. In prayer, it is God's word strengthens me by giving my faith its warrant and its plea. And after prayer, it is God's word that brings me the answer when I have prayed, for in it the Spirit gives me to hear the Father's voice. Prayer is not monologue but dialogue; God's voice in response to mine in its most essential part.

Listening to God's voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine. 'Incline thine ear, and hear;' 'Give ear to me;' Hearken to my voice;' are words which God speaks to man as well as man to God. His hearkening will depend on ours; the entrance His words find with me, will be the measure of the power of my words with Him. What God's words are to me, is the test of what He Himself is to me, and so of the uprightness of my desire after Him in prayer.

It is this connection between His word and our prayer that Jesus points to when He says, 'If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.' The deep importance of this truth becomes clear if we notice the other expression of which this one has taken the place. More than once Jesus had said, “Abide in me and I in you.' His abiding in us was the complement and the crown of our abiding in Him. But here, instead of 'Ye in me and I in you,' He says, 'Ye in me and my words in you.' His words abiding are the equivalent of Himself abiding.

What a view is here opened up to us of the place the words of God in Christ are to have in our spiritual life, and especially in our prayer. In a man's words he reveals himself. In his promises he gives himself away, he binds himself to the one who receives his promise. In his commands he sets forth his will, seeks to make himself master of him whose obedience he claims, to guide and use him as if he were part of himself. It is through our words that spirit holds fellowship with spirit, that the spirit of one man passes over and transfers itself into another. It is through the words of a man, heard and accepted, and held fast and obeyed, that he can impart himself to another. But all this in a very relative and limited sense.

But when God, the infinite Being, in whom everything is life and power, spirit and truth, in the very deepest meaning of the words,—when God speaks forth Himself in His words, He does indeed give HIMSELF, His Love and His Life, His Will and His Power, to those who receive these words, in a reality passing comprehension. In every promise He puts Himself in our power to lay hold of and possess; in every command He puts Himself in our power for us to share with Him His Will, His Holiness, His Perfection. In God's Word God gives us HIMSELF; His Word is nothing less than the Eternal Son, Christ Jesus. And so all Christ's words are God's words, full of a Divine quickening life and power. 'The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.' Continue reading in Malankara World.
http://www.Malankaraworld.com/Library/Prayers/Murray/Murray_22.htm

Previous Lessons (Archive)
http://www.Malankaraworld.com/Library/Prayers/Murray/Default.htm

The Sin of Prayerlessness

by Greg Laurie

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

We must never forget that prayer is not only for petition, but also for protection and for preparation. Prayer not only gives us what we want; it prepares us for and protects us from what we don't want.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was in anguish as He contemplated the horrors of the cross. All He wanted the disciples to do was to be present and praying. Being God, He knew what was ahead. He knew every detail. And so He prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39).

All Jesus asked for was some companionship. He didn't need a sermon; He needed some friends. But His friends were sleeping. And this was a direct result of the sin of self-confidence.

The same can be true of us. We pray when we think we need to pray. When a crisis hits, when we get bad news from the doctor, when we are laid off, when we are having problems with our marriage or problems with our children, what do we do? We pray. And that is good. It's what we should do.

But what about when things are going well? When the bills are paid, when the job is looking good, when there is no bad news from any front, do you pray then? Is it because you think you don't need to? Is it because of self-confidence?

Failure to pray actually can be a sin. Sin isn't just breaking a commandment, though it includes that. There is also the sin of omission. James 4:17 tells us, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

Copyright ©2012 by Harvest Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

Blessed are the Meek

by Sarah Phillips

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Mt 5: 5 (NIV)

I used to have a strong dislike for the word "meek." It brings me back a decade to a defining moment during my sophomore year of high school.

I was a shy teenager who had stepped outside of her comfort zone by enrolling in several theater classes, including a class on "behind the scenes" theater productions. This should have been the easiest of all the courses for my sensitive nature. But my instructor, while delegating roles for the Spring production of Peter Pan, proved me wrong when she voiced her choice of stage manager like this:

"I've chosen Melissa because I need someone with a strong personality - someone who isn't meek, like Sarah."

Of course, I only drove her point home when I didn't stick up for myself. I spent years after that scene developing assertiveness, determined to prove that Sarah Jennings was not meek. Like this teacher, I associated meekness with weakness and both were traits that needed to be eradicated if I was going to get anywhere in life.

At least that's what I thought until I found that dreaded word jumping off the pages of scripture at me in the Gospel of Matthew. There it was, one of the first things Jesus says in his famous Sermon on the Mount.

Our deacon offered some thoughts on this verse that helped put things in perspective for me. He shared that it's in the Sermon on the Mount where we see Jesus begin to expand on His true purpose - and to the disappointment of many, He was not going to be an earthly king bestowing power and prestige on His people, not just yet. Instead, God's plan for mankind included an interior transformation of souls for the sake of an eternal kingdom. To properly prepare us for this kingdom, God rejected earthly methods of acquiring power in favor of the healing that comes with merciful love.

It is God's mercy that changes our hearts from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. It's Christ's humility, His lowliness, that beckons us into a relationship with Him. And ultimately, it was Christ's willingness to give up earthly glory that opened the door for us to share in His eternal glory.

Now, as much as I would like earthly power, He asks us to "learn from him." As our souls find rest in God, He can continue His redemptive work through us as we display these same "weaker" virtues to the world.

This isn't to say God lacks power or that Christians should throw out virtues like courage. I think sometimes cultivating traits like meekness and humility are trickier than learning boldness because we can easily tip the scales too far and become passive. It's a difficult balance, but a necessary one if we want to reflect Christ to a hurting world.

Further Reading:

Psalm 37: 11
Ephesians 4: 2
James 4: 10

Source: Crosswalk.com Devotional; Sarah Phillips is Crosswalk.com Family Editor

What is Repentance?

by Ralph Bouma

"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." LUK 24:47.

The word repentance in our Saviour's teaching is used to emphasize turning from sin unto righteousness. All through the gospels, repentance is the central theme of Christ's whole ministry. This is not something we might talk about once and then forget.

True repentance includes an overwhelming sense of sorrow over sin, while legal repentance only wants a pardon to escape the consequences of sin. However, sorrow over the consequences of sin alone is not gospel repentance.

Judas, for example, felt remorse, but had no gospel repentance. He was not sorry for his sin, but only for the consequences. MAT 27:3 tells us, "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders." He changed his mind and decided he no longer wanted the thirty pieces of silver because he realized he had sold the Lord too cheaply, but there was no sorrow over having sold the Lord of Life and Glory. He never went to the Lord Jesus Christ to beg for a pardon for his sin. He was only concerned over the consequences of his sin.

The rich young ruler went away sorrowful, but had no gospel repentance. In MAT 19:22 we read, "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." He was sorry for the consequences: sell all that you have and give it to the poor, for he could not part with his great riches.

Godly sorrow, which is remorse over having sinned against the goodness and love of God, works repentance. We see what constitutes true repentance in 2CO 7:10; "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

Godliness is fulfilling the first table of the law: loving God with your heart, soul, and mind. Godly sorrow is sorrow over anything that has come against that. We are not sorry that we got caught or for the consequences of sin, but are anguished over having offended such a good, giving God. When we see what Christ has done to redeem us from sin, then we are sorry for the sins we have committed against such a loving God. That is godly sorrow.

Of the words in the Greek gospels that describe the process of repentance, metamellomai (met-am-el'-lom-ahee) emphasizes regret or sorrow over a past evil course of life. (Every time we see the word repent in the Bible, it does not necessarily come from the same Greek word.)

The Lord Jesus told the Pharisees a parable about a man who asked his son to labor in his vineyard. MAT 21:29-32 says, "He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." Repentance is turning from our evil ways and doing the will of the Father. It is remorse accompanied by a readjustment of our ways to change our course of life.

So many people think "into the kingdom of God" means they will enter heaven ahead of the Pharisees, but Jesus was not talking about that. Entering "into the kingdom of God" means to serve the Lord, to walk according to His will under His kingship, and to do what He says. The harlots and the publicans will walk in Jesus' footsteps and do the will of the Father before the Pharisees, because they repented. The Pharisees said they would, but they do not turn to do the will of God, which is religion without repentance.

Another Greek word, which is translated repented is metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o), which expresses an afterthought, or a reversal of the entire mental attitude. That is another step in the process of repentance. Not only did the son change his attitude as an afterthought and decide to do what he had refused to do, but he also reversed his entire mental attitude. It is a change of mind and a change of will. There is a desire to do that which was repulsive before. Serving the Lord to a person who does not love Him is a duty, but to a person who has been quickened by the grace of God and brought into the church, doing His will is his chief delight. Repentance involves a complete change of person. Amen.

Heavy is my tribulation,
Sore my punishment has been;
Broken by Thine indignation,
I am troubled by my sin.

With my burden of transgression
Heavy laden, over-borne,
Humbled low I make confession,
For my folly now I mourn.

Weak and wounded, I implore Thee;
Lord, to me Thy mercy show;
All my prayer is now before Thee,
All my trouble Thou dost know.

Lord, my God, do not forsake me,
Let me know that Thou art near,
Under Thy protection take me,
As my Saviour now appear.

From Psalm 38: The Psalter, 1912

What It Really Means to Repent

by Dr. Jack Graham

"Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out…" - Acts 3:19

In his famous book, I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that many of the problems in the church today lie in the misconception "that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior."

Now, that change in behavior, which the Bible calls repentance is not something that you change yourself. Instead, repentance is the act of God changing you from the inside out. So, when Jesus said, "…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5), He meant that repentance is a key indicator of salvation.

Many people in church today may say, "Oh, I joined the church. I walked down an aisle. I was baptized!" But unless you repent by saying, "God, I'm sorry for my sin," you'll never truly experience what it means to receive the grace of God in your life.

So today, if you've never truly repented, pray and tell God that you want to turn from sin. Let Him know that He is preeminent in your life and that you want to follow Him instead of the ways of the world. When you do that, you'll not only have a clear conscience, but you'll be sure you can experience eternal life with Him!

ONE OF THE KEY ASPECTS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS REPENTANCE. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T YET, TELL GOD TODAY THAT YOU WANT TO TURN FROM SIN AND LIVE FOR HIM!

Source: Power Point

Health Tip: How Can Pregnant Women Avoid Dangerous Everyday Chemicals?

by Doris Rapp, M.D.

Pregnant women are trying to be healthier. Many take all the right steps to promote the birth of a healthy baby, including eating right, taking vitamins and eliminating alcohol and nicotine from their lives.

Unfortunately, all those efforts may be for naught if they are still being exposed to unseen chemicals in their daily lives. Dr. Doris Rapp, an experienced physician and expert on all the hidden household and environmental hazards, wants women to know about the many insidious and dangerous threats to their unborn babies. The harmful exposures can cause serious harm and damaging birth defects to babies in the womb, and they are right under our noses.

"One of the most dangerous groups of chemicals to pregnant women is known as PCBs," said Rapp, author of 32 Tips That Could Save Your Life (www.dorisrappmd.com). "PCB stands for polychlorinated biphenyls, and they are commonly used in industrial pesticides. While they may not be in your house, they may exist in your office, your water or your food, especially if you live near the Great Lakes or consume seafood caught there. These chemicals pass through the placenta into the unborn, and some exposures have been known to cause devastating birth defects. These chemicals have also been found in the breast milk of women."

According to Rapp, some of the dangers of these pesticides include, but are not limited to:

• Lower birth weight
• Smaller head size and developmental delays
• Movement, mental, and behavioral problems
• Increased or decreased activity levels
• Slowed thought processing and "less bright" appearance
• Lower reaction times
• Compromised nervous systems

"Moreover, a group of pesticides known as organophosphates also poses a high risk for pregnant women," Rapp added.

"These include Bisphenol-A and phthalates," she said. "They are derived from World War II nerve agents and are highly toxic. Even at low levels, organophosphates can be toxic to the developing brain, and studies show that they can affect brain and reproductive development in unborn animals. While most pesticides categorized as organophosphates have been banned for household use, they are still permitted for commercial use, including in fumigation for mosquitoes. Malathion, a common toxic organophosphate, is still allowed for use as an industrial and household insecticide. In the US, approximately 15 million pounds of Malathion are used each year by the government, as well as by businesses and homeowners."

Her advice for women is to do all they can to avoid contact with these chemicals, starting before conception.

"Stay as far away as possible from pesticide-treated areas," Rapp said. "Do not eat pesticide-laden food or any fish from the Great Lakes. Try to eat only organic foods. Further, if your job requires you to be in contact with any chemicals or pesticides, insist that other tasks be given to you for the duration of your pregnancy. Half the battle is knowing these dangers exist, but the other half is being informed and conscientious enough to be able to avoid contact with these dangerous and toxic agents."

About Doris Rapp, M.D.

Dr. Rapp is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric allergy and environmental medicine. She was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the State University of New York at Buffalo until she moved in January 1996 to Phoenix. She practiced traditional allergy for 18 years and then, in 1975, began incorporating the principles of environmental medicine into her pediatric allergy practice. She is a certified specialist in environmental medicine. She has published numerous medical articles, authored chapters in medical texts and written many informative and "how-to" books and booklets about allergy for the public. She has also produced numerous educational videos and audiotapes for the public, educators and physicians.

Read more health tips in Malankara World Health Section

Cafe - Recipe: Kerala Fish Thoren

by Mrs. K. M. Mathew

Ingredients

1. 2 cups fish cleaned and cooked with a little turmeric, salt and fish tamarind
    (Remove bones, shred and break into small fragments)
2. 1/4 cup stock in which the fish is cooked.
3. 1 green chilli
    3 garlic cloves
    1 small piece ginger
    ½ cup grated coconut
4. ¼ cup oil
5. ½ tsp. mustard seeds
    2 tsp. rice
6. 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots/onions
    2 red chillies cut into two
    A few curry braves,
    Salt to taste

Serves 6

Directions

Grind together chilli, garlic, ginger and grated coconut to a coarse paste.

Sprinkle the shredded fish with the stock and keep it on the fire. When it boils, make a well in the center of the pan or chatty, put the ground masala in the well and cover it with the fish. Close the lid.

When it steams, stir it with the handle of a ladle. Be careful not to mash the fish. Remove.

Fry mustard and rice in hot oil. Then sauté the shallot/onion till it is light brown in color. Add red chilli & and curry leaves. When it is well seasoned, stir in the prepared fish. Add salt to taste. When all the water is absorbed and the curry becomes dry, remove from fire. Serve hot.

Note

Vinegar can be substituted for fish tamarind, Prawns, lobsters and mussels also can be prepared in the same, way.

More Recipes/ Cooking Tips at Malankara World Cafe

It Is Not Too Late to Make Good on those Resolutions!

Let Your Spirituality Be Your Guide, Says Noted Doctor

The new year is already well under way. Job deadlines – or job searching – has begun anew, and the stresses of bills, kids in school again, and the sometimes endless treadmill of daily life can make us forget those New Year's resolutions we made not so very long ago.

Physician and healer Amnon Goldstein, who has earned an international reputation for his practice of both Western and Eastern medicines, says it's time to slow down and re-evaluate.

"You've heard it said before and you know it in your heart, but it's the external pressures that leave us feeling stressed, depressed, disappointed and overwhelmed," says Goldstein. "Add to that the lingering economic troubles, families in flux and all of us working harder just to maintain our standard of living and it's easy to forget the most person to take care of first is – you."

Those resolutions to exercise more, eat healthier foods, meditate or otherwise tend to spiritual needs, they should be priorities, Goldstein says. They will ensure you're stronger, happier, and better able to manage the external pressures, maybe even with a smile.

Quiet contemplation and a focus on spiritual growth – no matter one's religion or beliefs – will lead to a clearer vision of how to accomplish the goals set for this year, Goldstein advises.

"Spirituality is no longer linked only to religion," says Goldstein, the author of the recently released book Screwed: The Path of a Healer (www.iuniverse.com), a title that reflects the twisting nature of his global journeys as a healer and his own experiences with depression, divorce and illness.

"More and more people understand that they must nurture both body and spirit, which is why they make the sorts of resolutions they do. No matter how difficult your life, it will become easier and more joyful if you keep to those goals."

Israeli-born Goldstein has practiced medicine around the world using conventional Western, traditional Eastern and less-familiar spiritual and mystical methods. In Screwed, he chronicles the path to wellness, understanding and enlightenment, a journey that takes the traveler to unexpected places.

Goldstein has known the horrors of war, witnessed the birth of new nations and experienced the mysterious healing powers of unconventional medicine. As a physician he has explored unconventional approaches to age-old physical and mental health challenges, embracing an over-arching philosophy that a life well-lived is not one which follows a straight or uncomplicated path.

Goldstein advocates proper nutrition as the basis for good health (no overeating, no dairy, no sugar), and exercise and meditation as the foundation of healthy living.

"We can live healthier and more fulfilled lives by looking inward," Goldstein says. "Most of us will find that we have everything we need to celebrate the holidays in one form or another - either a healthy family, a warm home or some aspect of our lives that brings meaning. Expectation of perfection at this time of the year is toxic to our minds and spirits. Every healing is self-healing, but we need to take the time in the midst of our busy lives to take care of ourselves."

About Amnon Goldstein, M.D.

Amnon Goldstein is a physician with more than 40 years of experience in conventional Western medicine and holistic and Eastern medicine. He has specialized in trauma care, vascular surgery and hypnosis, and has done in-depth study into the evolution of HIV and cancer research and treatments.

Seven Characteristics of Shallow Leadership

by Ron Edmonson

Growing in our leadership abilities, knowledge and relationships should be a goal for every leader. Many leaders settle for status quo leadership rather than stretching themselves as leaders. They remain oblivious to the real health of their leadership and the organization. I call it shallow leadership. Perhaps you've seen this before in leadership. Here are seven characteristics of shallow leadership:

  • Thinking your idea will be everyone's idea...
  • Believing your way is the only way...
  • Assuming you already know the answer...
  • Pretending to care when really you don't...
  • Giving the response that makes you most popular...
  • Refusing to learn something new...
  • Ignoring the warning signs of an unhealthy environment...

Humor: Denominations

A Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new dog. Ever mindful of the congregation, they knew the dog must also be a Baptist. They visited kennel after kennel and explained their needs. Finally, they found a kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted.

The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor and his wife. "Fetch the Bible," he commanded.

The dog bounded to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the owner.

"Now find Psalm 23," he commanded.

The dog dropped the Bible to the floor, and showing marvelous dexterity with his paws, leafed through and finding the correct passage, pointed to it with his paw.

The pastor and his wife were very impressed and purchased the dog.

That evening, a group of church members came to visit. The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses. The visitors were very impressed.

One man asked, "Can he do regular dog tricks, too?"

"I haven't tried yet," the pastor replied.

He pointed his finger at the dog. "HEEL!" (Heal) the pastor commanded. The dog immediately jumped on a chair, placed one paw on the pastor's forehead and began to howl.

The pastor looked at his wife in shock and said, "Good Lord! He's Pentecostal!"

Source: Preaching Daily

About Malankara World
With over 6000 articles and hundreds of links to outside resources covering all aspects of Syriac Orthodoxy that are of interest to Family, Malankara World is the premier source for information for Malankara Diaspora. In addition to articles on spirituality, faith, sacraments, sermons, devotionals, etc., Malankara World also has many general interest articles, health tips, Food and Cooking, Virtual Travel, and Family Specific articles. Please visit Malankara World by clicking here or cut and paste the link on your browser: http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Library/default.htm

Malankara World Journal Subscription

If you are not receiving Malankara World Journal directly, you may sign up to receive it via email free of cost. Please click here: http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Library/Register/news_regn.asp

You can contact us via email at mail@malankaraworld.com

Malankara World Journal Archives

Previous Issues of Malankara World Journal can be read from the archives here.

You can contact us via email at mail@malankaraworld.com

Thank you for your help and support.

Malankara World Team

Malankara World Journal is published by MalankaraWorld.com http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/
Copyright © 2011-2019 Malankara World. All Rights Reserved.