Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Fragrance of Knowing Him - Part 1

Hello everyone,


I am well aware of the growing sense of urgency emerging in the church concerning us living in the last of the last days here on earth. It’s as though there’s a great expectation for the church to step into a new and greater level of glory in Jesus - where we know how to press in and experience a deeper walk of intimacy with Him.  

We are called to an inseparable connection with the Lord, where we are completely and continuously being transformed into His image from the inside out  - becoming one with His heart, having our minds in complete unity with His thoughts and declaring His truth in love and authority everywhere we are, and everywhere we go!

We are living in a time where the church is coming into complete submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ so we can rise up in His authority to stand our ground in faith, push the enemy back, and usher in the Glory of God as this world has never seen.  

To stand completely submitted to Jesus, like this, requires everything of ourselves. A complete surrender of our wills to Jesus, where we become inseparably connected to Him in heart, thought, and everything we do.

The only way we can achieve this is through a daily dying to ourselves as we surrender to Him.  This means there cannot be one selfish motive or agenda lurking in our hearts and minds.  No secret self-pride pushing and manipulating its way behind our words or actions.

Only those with clean hands and a pure heart will be able to move as one with Him in the times that we are stepping into.  Psalms 24:4-6 says, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. 

He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of] Jacob. [pause, and think of that]!”

The Bible identifies the generation who deliberately seeks the Lord face to face, as their necessity, as having clean hands and a pure heart, enabling them to carry His agenda as their own.  

Why is this so important? I believe one reason to be so intimately and intricately connected to Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, is so we can carry the fragrance of knowing Him.    

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,...”

I know in times past we have focused on the first part of this scripture as a sure hope and encouragement - engraving the truth that we will always triumph in Christ Jesus in our hearts.  

Of course this is a wonderful promise of never ending victory for everyone who continues to live in Christ Jesus!  Today, I want to place emphasis on the verses that immediately follow after this great promise!

Verse 15 and 16 say, “For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: 

To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]...

Did you know that you can instinctively recognise if someone has been in the Presence of the Lord?  There is a strong, undeniable sense of His unconditional love, tenderness, confidence and beautiful humility that lingers on that person.  

But this isn’t something only sensed by those who are believers.  This fragrance of knowing God is recognisable and very evident to those who are not saved, but are open to the Gospel, and those who are closed to it too.

We’ve heard many testimonies of people who after having a personal encounter with God, carried the Presence of the Lord on them without even realising the effect it would have on perfect strangers. People could sense the Presence of the Lord on them, became convicted of their sins, and as a result - surrendered their lives to Jesus on the spot.  

There was one incident where a man, after attending a revival meeting, walked into a store and without mentioning a word, the man serving him behind the counter, burst into tears and knew he had to surrender his life to the Lord. 

The Bible says there is a distinct spiritual fragrance that comes on us, and is carried by us when we push into the presence of the Lord, seek Him in His Word, and encounter Him.  

The fragrance of the knowledge of God we carry is discernible and becomes evident to those who are being saved.  Meaning their hearts are open to the Gospel since the Holy Spirit is already at work in them.  

For them, the fragrance of knowing God is an aroma drawing them into receiving His saving grace.  It’s like that final tug on their hearts that’s needed for them to openly surrender and fully commit their lives to Him.

Then, there are those who’s hearts are closed to the Gospel, for whatever reason, and the fragrance of knowing God that is evident on us, is a strong sense of doom.   They know unless they repent, they are going to a Godless eternity.  

Either way, this fragrance of knowing God is very real, and the Bible calls it an actual ministry.  One that we must qualify for.  

In next week’s letter, I’m going to share from God’s Word, how it says we can qualify to operate in this ministry of carrying the fragrance of the knowledge of God.

Until then, choose to diligently push into the presence of the Lord, seek Him in His Word, and encounter Him.  

Seek His face as your necessity, and allow His Holy Spirit, and His Word to do a transforming work in you.  A work where you begin each day confident that you have clean hands and a pure heart before Him - ready to step into a glorious partnership with Him.

All my love,


Jenny

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