How Awesome Is this Place!

At my workplace, our Tech department is going through the book of Isaiah as early morning devotions. Many a times our reading of scriptures follow interesting discussions of biblical lands, peoples and how it relates to us today in our current world and lives. Two days back we had an discussion of Edom and how God chose Jacob over Esau. My thoughts went back to my visit in Shanghai to an international church we had visited for Sunday fellowship. The worship team at this church was completely led by African blacks all professors and resident doctors in that part of the world. (Interesting isn't it..people of God worshipping him in different and far away lands) In the call for prayer I still remember one of these Doctor guys prayed over me and interestingly asked me to read Genesis 28 Jacob's vision of the ladder and told me my life is like that of Jacob and its important for you. That's it. I have meditated on the passage many a times of how it relates to my life.

We as human beings are creatures of awe and wonder. At the same time, we are fearful of what we experience as wondrous, but cannot understand. There are times in our lives when God intervenes and gives us hope and a vision of our life. There are some of us who wake up like Jacob did and acknowledge with fear and awe the awesomeness of His presence and there are some of us who may sleep off on Holy Ground. The edge between fear and awe is razor thin; fear and awe are two sides of the same balance beam. We are at once fearful, because of the extent of our vulnerability, and at the same time awed at the mysterious experience of the holy that fills our world. As the book of Genesis describes Jacob upon awakening from his dream exclaimed:

“Mah nora hamakom hazeh, ein zeh ki im beit Elohim v’zeh shaar hashamayim,”“ “Shaken, he said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven’” (Genesis 28:17). Jacob'’s theophany might also be translated: “He feared/was awestruck [by the power of his experience] and said, ‘What an awesome/fearful God this is. This is none other than the dwelling place of God, and this is the gateway to understanding that which is in the heavens.”

What shall we do today then? Lay asleep on Holy Ground when God comes and wakes us or shall we say like Jacob How Awesome Is this place this is none other than the house of God.

Blessings

SK

Vision from the Lord

One of my friends and a fellow brother in Christ shared with us a vision God was showing him about Hannah's life. I was really suprised as I had met Steve only once and he revealed these fascinating details through the word he gave us from the Lord.

We surely don't know what the future is for Hannah, but would appreciate our friends and family to pray into the life of Hannah that she will go out and fulfill the Lord's purpose's for her life and give pleasure to our Father's heart. So here is what he wrote.....

As Gary had mentioned @ the men's meeting that night a few weeks ago, you were new to fatherhood / you had a newborn daughter... a vision began to unfold before me with the sight of a young lady walking along a road outside of a city [at that time it was in a distant land, but may also be domestically(America].

This young lady was remarkably beautiful but simply appointed so as not to attract the wrong attention. She was different; there was a measure of strength that far exceeded the humility that enveloped her. Greater still was the anointing that continually rested upon and emanated [sent forth; as from a source] from her feet! Sam and Sarah - She was spectacularly aglow! Angels surrounded this one; this daughter of The Most High God - El Elyon!

She was one who spent time at His feet learning of his ways from her mother, her father, her grandmother, and grandfather, and from her own personal relationship developed from an early age. She's a communicator in the natural and spiritual realm. That relationship of early and humble beginnings created a connection [for her] that would not terminate...much like Jacob's ladder; whereby the angels came and went [on a constant/regular basis].

In her time of communication/dialogue, she learned of the need that a location (city) had or would have. She was one sent to speak to the need. She was to call for life where life was needed [as it always is] and she was to call forth an end to that which was not of her Father's house.

Her mission is a difficult, but necessary role. She is one who knows when to go [ in the right season ] and have in her possession the right tools for use in breaking up hard, fallow ground. Further, she will also learn of fertilization [prayer], dispensing seed [sending forth words of life]; seeds that are hardy/drought resistant, and the indentification/marking out of sites most appropriate for wells [churches] that spring forth into rivers [of life]!

Hannah will need prayer cover [Sam, Sarah]. She will need to know who to meet with in a city or even outlying area. These will be the ones in whom she'll resultantly place some measure of natural trust in [for support during her walk/mission].

I also sense within her a dichotomy - two parts - in that Hannah will almost always extend herself as very relational, but she may also be very internal at times [a balanced independence];omfortable with her Christ [Jesus] and who she is created to be within Him...a powerhouse/a wellspring of life.

In Him she will live, move, and have her being.

Best Regards,
Steven

Thankfulness

O Lord My heart is full of thankfulness today,
My eyes overflow with tears for your mighty works in my life,
I behold in wonder,
What am I?
Who am I?
That your love wraps and satisfies the innermost desires of your servant.

Drawing and weaving us in your love is an ageold art you excel at;
Protecting your beloved from strifes and troubles known and unknown,
We cried once, your heard us twice as is your custom to turn your loving gaze,
On those who call upon your name
We asked and you gave us as true to your nature.

O Holy One can we ever thank you enough,
Even If we do, devise a way, our thankfulnes will be unending...
Praise's to your name.
We will sing unceasingly because your are worthy, worthy
Almighty and Awesome in word and deeds.

SK

The Covenant God

Recently this prespective hit me...stay on for a while...as I retell it to you.

In the Old covenant times there were no written agreements when contracts were formed between men, most of the times it was verbal and done with witness's around. So for e.g when Joe bought land from Zach they cut an animal and poured the blood over the land and walked through it symbolizing that this covenant was unto death. Now keep this in mind as you follow this.

God made a covenant with Abraham. The old covenant was a bunch of rules and regulations in order that a person may live holy before a Holy God. Keeping all the rules and doing everything according to the letter of the law was difficult and in order to change the covenant and save us God choose to die by sending His only son Jesus on the cross. When Jesus died He gave us a testament. A testament is the will of the person which we have inhertied. So as I see this.. it's under the new testament we have rights, privileges and Grace because what Jesus left us as an inheritance. Isn't that wonderful?

When God looked upon the failing man in the Old Covenant He saw failure of men and when He see's us He thinks we are amazing because of what Jesus did on that cross.

Our God is an awesome God.

Have a Blessed Day!

Our Joy

This is what I wrote in our family newsletter when Hannah Joy Kurien was born on February 12, 2006.

It seems like yesterday you were in mommy’s tummy and I can’t believe you are here in our hands. You are a treasure we hold with fearful hearts...it is a wonder that God could trust you to us with for a time. You are our joy and watching you is a pure delight. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 11:5 “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” But this we know that what our God has done in our lives bringing you to us is marvelous in our eyes. We can’t stop thanking and praising our Lord Jesus. We named you ‘Hannah’ because Yehovah is gracious to us. Our Prayers are that you be like Hannah and Mary those great women in the Bible who always set their eyes and heart on the Holy One of Israel.

 “Yivarechicha Adonai V’yishmirecha, Ya-Ayr Adonai panav Aylecha v’yichunecha; Yee saw Adonai panav Aylecha v’ya-saym l’cha shalom.” meaning: May the Lord Bless you and keep you, The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you His peace.

Back to BlogWorld

Back to the blogging world after a long exile of 8 months. Boy! things have happend so much that it has been hard to get to the writing part on a regular basis..just small things ..not..big big life changing events...Moving more than half way across the world to America...Fatherhood...new Job...new city ...new beginning's...guess the list can go on forever. Now that everything is falling into a routine I hope I can get back to posting and blogging more.

All of you out there have a grace filled day.

Blessings,