Way of the Warrior - Thought - 'Healing'

I have found specially in my own experience that those who live in Him are aware of Holy Spirit's tugging and Jesus's nudging as He guides and teaches us. We as co-reigner's still are in the pursuit of living lives in the mandate given to us for advancing a Kingdom in a fallen world. Though all authority, Kingship and Kingdom has been regained, Yeshua wants us to live in the pursuit of revelation  and romance till we await His return. Hence our longing....hence our desires...:)

As we journey though this life, warriors get wounded but He comes and address's those wounds, He not only address's, He heals and not only He heals He sets us up for victory and advancement to reveal His glory and make us grow in His intimacy. I am reminded in the last movie of the Lord of the Rings series where Frodo recalls to Sam that it has been four years since Weathertop where he was stabbed by a Morgul blade, but so much has passed since then but he still feels the wound. Some wounds are healed by time but some remain as a reminder of great victories. Jesus still has marks of the wounds in His resurrected body.  Wounds hence have a place in a warrior's growth and his heart learns that from time to time the Healer, Savior, Redeemer and Friend comes in and purposely will address those wounds so that our greatest victories are set in place for us to come and take over.

Jesus did this for Peter one of his closest disciples. Peter was one in the inner circle of Jesus's ministry. In the beginning of his ministry the story starts when Jesus meets him at his work place, where Peter after witnessing the miracle of the hundred fold catch knows that He is the Son of God. Peter is the one God boldly affirms His plan as the rock on which His church will be built. In spite of this mandate by the end of Jesus's ministry, the last man standing Peter denies the master three times. Devastating as it was, Jesus knew the one who had procalimed to Him thrice that he loved him deeply had betratyed him the same number of times. After resurrection, the dejected fishermen think the story/the ministry is over and go back to their lives so does Peter full of remorse and discouragement. After a lousy night of fishing, they are hailed by the ressurected savior who again tells them to cast the nets in the right place, again resulting in bursting abundance of fish catch. 

At breakfast, Jesus turns his love to Simon Peter "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter now is grieved, deeply hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17). Peter knew the Healer was at work, he knew Christ was reinstating him, completing him at a deeper level. Christ does not leave the wound unaddressed and if it is not, it will haunt Peter all his life. Jesus prepares Peter to be the leader he is to become, hearalder of the church and truly the Cepha. Yeshua heals and He brings healing and truth in the inner most parts and He does that while you drive down a road, or reminding you something from the past, or a incident, or words from a friend or parent that deeply wounded you. Anyway the object for Him is not to let you forget it but He address's it so we are healed and set us up for great victory.

Blessings & Shalom,

Sam Kurien

Joy Of The Lord

John Eledredge one of my favorite author's latest book is out and what a fantastic title for the Lord "Beautiful Outlaw". Though I haven't read it, I will still recommend it, as anything coming out from The Ransomed heart ministries stable is so fresh, rejuvenating and life giving as they strive to reflect Him. Anyway I started with this because I get John's newsletters, blurbs and promotions. In the inauguration of the book one of the terms John uses for describing Jesus is "His Playfulness" and many in the religious quarter may be aghast with this portrayal. I got an experience of His Playfulness in setting me up last week so stay with me on this. Last week as I drove to work the Lord spoke to me saying " I am giving you a gift of the "Joy of the Lord" and so use it (I thought I already have it, so why is He reminding me of this again). So I took it lightly or light heartedly and was on my way.

That day on my lunch break I went to the DMV's office for registration of my license plates for my new SUV.After the waiting ordeal ended I realized the front license plate needed a mount which apparently is a sold as an accessory. So after that I drove off to Advance Auto - a parts store bought the plate for back, they didn't have one for the front and engaged in the project of mounting the back plate. As I did, I kept the front plate on tailgate side and within moments the plate disappeared. While fiddling with the back plate I had put my keys in my pocket and started looking for the front plate. How in the world could the front plate disappear? I searched and searched. Frustration set in and  I knew somehow a spiritual attack was forming to be in place. Though I did realize this consciously but didn't use the morning gift the Lord had given me. Finally! I found the plate sitting in the groove hiding between the third row and storage space behind it. I took it out carefully and CAREFULLY examined the groove for anything else and saw NOTHING (Even used a flashlight). As soon as I found the front plate, I embarked on getting on with life, I had to be back at the office by 1:00 pm for a meeting, it was already 12:30. But now my key was missing from the bunch of keys in the key ring I carried and ...of course the only key that was missing was the SUV key. I cannot to date understand how a single key would come out of a solid key ring (which by the way is even difficult to get it out by hand). I frantically started searching, inside, outside, under the cover, over the hood..to no avail my frustration took the tarmac at 100 mph. But another interesting thing happened along with frustration fear set in, a fear of a presence that clearly was telling me you are under attack and I have got you.

I called my wife who in wisdom calmed and rebuked the spiritual attack and agreed to come down to pick me up. As soon as I was going to hang up I saw the single key right in the groove where I dug the license plate out. Again I have no idea why and how a single key would come out magically (it was not magic)  and lie in the same place. Those of us who know and believe in the supernatural realm know that because we are spiritual beings there is a struggle that goes on in the supernatural realms both from God and demonic side manifesting in the natural realm. Though my realization came in late, I did not use the Joy of the Lord to come out in praise to rebuke this spiritual attack. However finally as I drove off I knew it was time to praise God (a little late) but I eventually did so.

That evening at cell group we were listening to one of the Bethel Church evangelistic tools teaching  by Chris Overstreet. In my spirit I felt His playful tug saying - "I am going to set you up so that you learn deeply". In the teaching Chris talked about the primary core values or motivators that Bethel Church holds closely for Supernatural Evangelism. I summarize them here:

1. Love - Our motivation should be "love"
2. Honor - "People don't care how much you know but they do care about how much you care. Realizing that People are not projects and every individual needs and deserves honor irrespective of what their state or belief system is.
3. Presence Of the Lord - His presence teaches us how to move in the miraculous. Every time we turn our hearts affection to Jesus it ushers in the presence of the Lord.
4. Power of God - His presence brings His power and hence the signs and wonders are natural pointers towards God in revealing to Him deeply who He is. Raw power (His power) is basic to our ministry and the very fundamental of steps. Power of God allows for power encounters and God uses them to transform lives.
5. And Finally there it was I knew He was waiting to spring this on me "Joy of the Lord"...His presence and praise brings His Joy.

I knew it He was bringing this closer to home in His own playfulness (I never knew he could use something like this and be playful with you deep within) with the afternoon incident.When He says and gives it freely, we should jump on it, soak in it and be in it. At a deeper level He was teaching me that the Joy of the Lord equates to also the "beauty of the Lord". Moses in Psalm 90 sings "May the beauty of the Lord be upon us" , he is also essentially saying this brings the Joy of the Lord upon us".

I was realizing that when God gives something, Satan comes to steal it, destroy and if your starter finally lights up and realizes that you forgot what God said, Satan will guilt trip you even for that. Yeshua in His love and His playfulness is patient and teaches me that its a state of being and I cannot work for it or strive for it. He has done it, He gives it freely and I love it and I love Him deeply for this.

Shalom and Blessings,


Sam Kurien

"Bridegroom King" - I will set you as seal upon my heart

I recently heard a amazing exposition of the word from Mike Bickle on his talk on Revelation 17 and 19  where he beautifully explains the revelation of the Bridegroom King. He goes on to say those chapters in scripture relate to at least 150 chapters in the Bible which talk about the "The Day of the Lord".  The day when the Bridegroom King returns to Jerusalem to bring his judgement on the nations and kings of the earth. Both terrifying and amazing, both gruesomely bloody and at the same time joyously the beginning of a new era for earth.

Millions upon millions executed in judgement and at the same time breathtakingly the most glorious moment of the church as it beheld its eyes upon the Bridegroom King.  A day of reckoning where the history of earth changes in one day as the armies of all nations march towards Jerusalem to annihilate the King's city, they think they have got Jesus but instead are lured into the trap where the King of Kings as promised in Isaiah 63 treads them in the wine press and His white garments are drenched in Blood.

The passage in Isaiah 63 as we read starts of giving a picture of the single handed massacre the Lord gives. A final battle that does not even last a day because He fights in against the whole earth:
 

1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “ I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”; 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the wine press? 3 “ I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. 6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury

Zechariah 14 also gives us a glimpse of the "Day of the Lord". Through all this the Lord's remnant will go untouched so will the church who is intimately in love with Him. The chruch's glorious moment truly is in its state of being, rescued by her bridegroom King.  The Lord has been impressing deeply on me about the concept of "being" and its a hard one for me especially because I am always wanting to be in the state of "doing". The picture He has been giving me is that of Mary at His feet, who was overjoyed to be in the presence of the Lord. The next thing He tells me is paradoxically the state of "being" with Him also accomplishes a lot of doing. I may sound crazy here but, I think we as Christians are being called to this as His return dawns closer and and closer. And the only way for the bride to recognize Him from all the other impostors is to be in the state of "being", intimately knowing Him and ever desiring His return.

I am reminded of the beautiful words of Misty Edward's song "You won't relent until You have it all" which brings in full circle the idea expressed in the Song of Solomon.

You won't relent until You have it all My heart is Yours I'll set You as a seal upon my heart As a seal upon my arm For there is love that is as strong as death Jealousy demanding as the grave Many waters cannot quench this love Come be the fire inside of me Come be the flame upon my heart come be the fire inside of me Until You and I are one