Do you smell? How do you smell around people? Do they plug their noses? Do they say, wow, that person smells good. I know a lot about smells. I live in Haiti where there are piles of garbage in the street, and where you often go by an open sewer or burning trash. Yet, the Haitian people like to put on a lot of cologne and perfume which is a nice smell, but often chokes me up because it is so strong. The Bible talks about smells.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 - "But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? "
Are you a pleasing aroma? As believers we are to give off the scent of Christ. We do this by spreading the knowledge of him. We spread the knowledge of Him by our words and deeds. As we live as Christ would have us live, we will be a fragrant aroma. The people around us, family, friends, and co-workers should notice that we are different than many others in the world. Not different as in strange, but they should see the love of Christ in us and see our holy lives. Wherever we go and whoever we are with, we should have an impact on their lives. We are not out to please and coddle, but to make an impact. We should be drawing a reaction from those around us. Just as one would react to any strong smell. It could be a positive or negative reaction.
Paul says, to those who reject Christ, it will not be a pleasant aroma, but an aroma of death. They will not like our godly lives because it shows them their sin. They will not like the fruit of the Spirit because it reveals their bad fruit. Yet for those who do not reject Christ and are seeking Christ, it will be a pleasing aroma. It will be an aroma that will draw them nearer to Christ. It will be an aroma of encouragement and strength. It will be an aroma that will stimulate them to do good works in Christ.
Even though the reaction to our aroma may be positive or negative. We must always give off a pleasant aroma. If we are giving off an unpleasant aroma, those who reject Christ will feel right at home because they stink just like us. Yet, for those who are seeking Christ, they will not feel at ease around you because they can distinguish between what is good and bad.
Everyone gives off some kind of smell. When people react positively or negatively to your aroma, you need to take a good whiff of yourself and see why they are reacting in such a manner. It is not their reaction that is of the greatest importance. It is whether we smell like Christ or not.
Today, I tell you to go forth and knock the socks off of someone in a good way.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Last Hour
Today we will be looking at Matthew 20:1-15, I call the parable of the hours. Christ mentions four different time periods in the parable. The goal of the parable I believe is to show that Christ needs laborers for his vineyard. His vineyard would be the world. The objective of the work is to reap a harvest.
We see in the parable the owner of the vineyard goes looking for laborers in the 3rd hour which is 9 a.m. This could represent our city. He then goes looking for laborers in the 6th hour which is noon. This could be those who go to Samaria. He then went out the 9th hour which is 3 p.m. This could represent the Gentiles or the nations. He goes out again at the 11th hour which is 5 p.m. This represents the last days or the end times.
Darkness is coming. It is time to work overtime. (John 9:4) Each time the owner went out he saw people standing around doing nothing. This disturbed him because he had much work to do. Christ wants laborers not idlers. Christ changed their focus from idler to laborer. A few laborers in not enough. (Luke 10:2) Christ is hiring laborers for his work until the very end of the day.
Because we are in the eleventh hour, we need to work together. (Nehemiah 3) We need to remember we have a common enemy. Nehemiah experienced resistance. (Nehemiah 4) We can work together because we have a common story. (John 3:16) We have a common cause as well.
To accomplish God's work in the last days, it will take sacrifice. Yet, there are those who will try to keep us from the sacrifice needed. Peter with Jesus is a good example. (Mark 8:31-37) Another example is pharaoh with the people of Egypt. Pharaoh said don't go to far to sacrifice.
We see that the owner of the vineyard went out early to find workers. This shows us the urgency of the work. This shows that the owner was passionate about his work. We in the same way need to recognize the urgency of furthering the work of Christ's kingdom. We need to be passionate about this. Whatever we must do, we must do it with all our might as unto the Lord.
Finally, we see that each worker got the same wage. It doesn't matter when you began working in the vineyard. It doesn't matter how long you have been working in the vineyard. God will reward each worker as he sees fit. This is no concern of ours.
We see in the parable the owner of the vineyard goes looking for laborers in the 3rd hour which is 9 a.m. This could represent our city. He then goes looking for laborers in the 6th hour which is noon. This could be those who go to Samaria. He then went out the 9th hour which is 3 p.m. This could represent the Gentiles or the nations. He goes out again at the 11th hour which is 5 p.m. This represents the last days or the end times.
Darkness is coming. It is time to work overtime. (John 9:4) Each time the owner went out he saw people standing around doing nothing. This disturbed him because he had much work to do. Christ wants laborers not idlers. Christ changed their focus from idler to laborer. A few laborers in not enough. (Luke 10:2) Christ is hiring laborers for his work until the very end of the day.
Because we are in the eleventh hour, we need to work together. (Nehemiah 3) We need to remember we have a common enemy. Nehemiah experienced resistance. (Nehemiah 4) We can work together because we have a common story. (John 3:16) We have a common cause as well.
To accomplish God's work in the last days, it will take sacrifice. Yet, there are those who will try to keep us from the sacrifice needed. Peter with Jesus is a good example. (Mark 8:31-37) Another example is pharaoh with the people of Egypt. Pharaoh said don't go to far to sacrifice.
We see that the owner of the vineyard went out early to find workers. This shows us the urgency of the work. This shows that the owner was passionate about his work. We in the same way need to recognize the urgency of furthering the work of Christ's kingdom. We need to be passionate about this. Whatever we must do, we must do it with all our might as unto the Lord.
Finally, we see that each worker got the same wage. It doesn't matter when you began working in the vineyard. It doesn't matter how long you have been working in the vineyard. God will reward each worker as he sees fit. This is no concern of ours.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Benefits of Trials
II Corinthians 1:3-7 - " 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Christians are not exempt from trouble but God will comfort us in our troubles. He will bring us through the trouble. In this way when others go through the same kind of troubles we are able to comfort them and be a strength to them. Also, suffering produces in us endurance and strengthens those who are going through suffering as they see our patient endurance in suffering.
II Corinthians 1:8-11 - "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
When trials come he will deliver us. This will give us faith to believe that He will deliver us from other trials that may come our way. Also, when we are in trouble, it gives others opportunity to pray for our us and practice love and compassion. When God answers the prayers lifted up on our behalf, it strengthens the faith of those who prayed for. us.
God will sometimes put us under a trial that is beyond our ability to withstand so that we might rely on him totally. As we rely on Him we will endure and overcome. God has given us many promises and we can count on these promises.
There is nothing pleasant about a trial. Yet, trials produce spiritual growth in us and others.
Christians are not exempt from trouble but God will comfort us in our troubles. He will bring us through the trouble. In this way when others go through the same kind of troubles we are able to comfort them and be a strength to them. Also, suffering produces in us endurance and strengthens those who are going through suffering as they see our patient endurance in suffering.
II Corinthians 1:8-11 - "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
When trials come he will deliver us. This will give us faith to believe that He will deliver us from other trials that may come our way. Also, when we are in trouble, it gives others opportunity to pray for our us and practice love and compassion. When God answers the prayers lifted up on our behalf, it strengthens the faith of those who prayed for. us.
God will sometimes put us under a trial that is beyond our ability to withstand so that we might rely on him totally. As we rely on Him we will endure and overcome. God has given us many promises and we can count on these promises.
There is nothing pleasant about a trial. Yet, trials produce spiritual growth in us and others.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Jump Starting
How many of you have had to jump start a battery in your vehicle? You go out to go somewhere. You turn the key in you car and the engine groans but it will not start. Nothing is wrong with the motor, but it it is that little thing in the car called a battery which is discharged. This can happen even with us. We get up in the morning and we don't feel very motivated maybe even discouraged. We start out the day well, but at a certain point in the day we feel down, and oppressed. We check under our hood and everything seems to be in working order. Yet, there is something that has robbed us of our peace and joy. Then we discover our battery is dead, and we wonder why. What caused our battery to go dead. Usually we don't have an answer for this, but we look for some jumper cables to jump start it. If we can't find them, we are dead in the driveway or street.
In our lives we all face down times, times of discouragement, times of disillusionment, times of depression, and times where we lack the vibrancy we once had. There can be many causes for this and sometimes we can't put our finger on it, but there is a solution. We need someone to jump start our lives. We can say all I need is Jesus. All I need to do is get into God's Word and presence. These are important things, but sometimes we need someone to jump start us. We need someone to encourage us.
Pastor John Meadth at Port-au-Prince Fellowship in Haiti gave us six ways to encourage others.
1. See the real potential in people.
James saw the potential in Saul. (Acts 9:26-27)
2. Affirm the capability of others.
Moses did this with Joshua. (Deuteronomy 1:37-38; 3:28)
3. Point people to the opportunity in the problem.
James does this. (James 1:2-4)
4. Speak prophetically one to another. (I Corinthians 14:3)
5. Testify about what God has done or is doing. (Philippians 1:14)
Finally, we must be committed to the Christian community.
Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching"
In our lives we all face down times, times of discouragement, times of disillusionment, times of depression, and times where we lack the vibrancy we once had. There can be many causes for this and sometimes we can't put our finger on it, but there is a solution. We need someone to jump start our lives. We can say all I need is Jesus. All I need to do is get into God's Word and presence. These are important things, but sometimes we need someone to jump start us. We need someone to encourage us.
Pastor John Meadth at Port-au-Prince Fellowship in Haiti gave us six ways to encourage others.
1. See the real potential in people.
James saw the potential in Saul. (Acts 9:26-27)
2. Affirm the capability of others.
Moses did this with Joshua. (Deuteronomy 1:37-38; 3:28)
3. Point people to the opportunity in the problem.
James does this. (James 1:2-4)
4. Speak prophetically one to another. (I Corinthians 14:3)
5. Testify about what God has done or is doing. (Philippians 1:14)
Finally, we must be committed to the Christian community.
Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching"
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Moved to Compassion
Matthew 9:36-38 - " When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
How do you see the world around you? Are you attracted to it? Are you disgusted at it? Are you indifferent to it?
We are to have the attitude of Jesus who saw the non-believers as a harvest field. Who saw the world as harassed and helpless. When we have this attitude it should move us to compassion, and compassion should move us to action. We need to make every effort to save the lost and minister to the hurting in this world. We need to show the love of the Father.
We must guard ourselves from anger and hate. We must guard ourselves from a high and mighty attitude. We must guard ourselves from falling into the ways of the world. We must guard ourselves from indifference. The way to guard ourselves from these things is by keeping our eyes on Jesus and by guarding our hearts from hardness.
Let us weep even as Jesus weeps for the lost.
How do you see the world around you? Are you attracted to it? Are you disgusted at it? Are you indifferent to it?
We are to have the attitude of Jesus who saw the non-believers as a harvest field. Who saw the world as harassed and helpless. When we have this attitude it should move us to compassion, and compassion should move us to action. We need to make every effort to save the lost and minister to the hurting in this world. We need to show the love of the Father.
We must guard ourselves from anger and hate. We must guard ourselves from a high and mighty attitude. We must guard ourselves from falling into the ways of the world. We must guard ourselves from indifference. The way to guard ourselves from these things is by keeping our eyes on Jesus and by guarding our hearts from hardness.
Let us weep even as Jesus weeps for the lost.
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Extrodinary out of the Ordinary
2 Kings 5:11-14 - "But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy"
Sometimes our expectations of God are wrong. We often expect God to do things out of the ordinary when He is wanting to use something ordinary and make it extraordinary.
God is looking for willing servants to do whatever he may ask, even those things that may seem insignificant to us. Are you looking to do some great things for God? Then begin with the small things he asks you to do, and do them well. Sometimes it is the simple word or act that will make the greatest impact in others lives. Are you a great man as Naaman? Do you have a great work? Are you willing to do what God asks you to do, no matter how small or ordinary it may be?
God's ways are not our ways. His ways may seem ridiculous and even humiliating. Yet, we need to hear His voice and obey him.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy"
Sometimes our expectations of God are wrong. We often expect God to do things out of the ordinary when He is wanting to use something ordinary and make it extraordinary.
God is looking for willing servants to do whatever he may ask, even those things that may seem insignificant to us. Are you looking to do some great things for God? Then begin with the small things he asks you to do, and do them well. Sometimes it is the simple word or act that will make the greatest impact in others lives. Are you a great man as Naaman? Do you have a great work? Are you willing to do what God asks you to do, no matter how small or ordinary it may be?
God's ways are not our ways. His ways may seem ridiculous and even humiliating. Yet, we need to hear His voice and obey him.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Victory Over the Giants
he LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”
David was confident that he could defeat Goliath because of his past victories. He new where his victory came from. It was from the Lord, not his own strength. To be victorious, we need to tap into the power source.
I Samuel 16:13- "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah"
We need the Holy Spirit to come powerfully on us even as it did on David and on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 1:8) We need to be baptized in God's Spirit and walk in His anointing. Yet, David did not go into battle only under the anointing, but he went in equipped with five stones and his sling. Even though we are baptized in God's Spirit and walking in his anointing, we need to put on the full armor of God as we see in Ephesians 6:10-18.
Also, we must keep our mind set on God. We must not lose focus.
Hebrews 12:2 - "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
To be victorious we must take advantage of every opportunity God gives us. We must not shrink back, but need to lay hold of what Christ has for us.
Colossians 4:5 - " Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
Hebrews 10:39 - " But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved."
Finally, we must cut off the head. We must separate us from the things of this world that hinder us from serving Christ. It could be something we are looking at. It could be something we are doing. It could be someone who is of bad influence.
Romans 12:2 - " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
David was confident that he could defeat Goliath because of his past victories. He new where his victory came from. It was from the Lord, not his own strength. To be victorious, we need to tap into the power source.
I Samuel 16:13- "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah"
We need the Holy Spirit to come powerfully on us even as it did on David and on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 1:8) We need to be baptized in God's Spirit and walk in His anointing. Yet, David did not go into battle only under the anointing, but he went in equipped with five stones and his sling. Even though we are baptized in God's Spirit and walking in his anointing, we need to put on the full armor of God as we see in Ephesians 6:10-18.
Also, we must keep our mind set on God. We must not lose focus.
Hebrews 12:2 - "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
To be victorious we must take advantage of every opportunity God gives us. We must not shrink back, but need to lay hold of what Christ has for us.
Colossians 4:5 - " Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
Hebrews 10:39 - " But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved."
Finally, we must cut off the head. We must separate us from the things of this world that hinder us from serving Christ. It could be something we are looking at. It could be something we are doing. It could be someone who is of bad influence.
Romans 12:2 - " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
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