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Whether it looks like it or not!!!

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (Amplified Bible)

14 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,

15 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:

16 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]. And who is qualified (fit and sufficient) for these things? [Who is able for such a ministry? We?]

17 For we are not, like so many, [like hucksters making a trade of] peddling God's Word [shortchanging and adulterating the divine message]; but like [men] of sincerity and the purest motive, as [commissioned and sent] by God, we speak [His message] in Christ (the Messiah), in the [very] sight and presence of God.

There’s another portion of scripture that talks about the Lord making an ‘open show’ of us, His victory, so much so that it humbles the demons. There’s also another portion that talks about the Lord leading us in a long procession through this land.

I was feeling very harassed at work, with people constantly trying to get me into trouble. Me …. Who gets up every morning determining to show Christ’s love to every single person. Even my best friend, who though catholic, really doesn’t have an intimate relationship with Jesus, would comment about how in the 20 yrs of being at the insurance company we both worked at, she’d never seen anything like it.

I was hurting, badly. Trying to figure out why there were a few people who hated me so very much that they would work extremely hard to try to get me in some kind of trouble! When thanks to a banner at our church, that only had the portion of scripture “But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] …” The Lord told me to look up this passage. This He showed me, was why I was having so many people actually gunning for me and running to my supervisor to get me into trouble (who also shook his head at all of this too, saying he’d never seen anything like it either!)

As we walk through this life, we are giving off the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ!! To those that are perishing, they smell doom … and some of them, hate us for it. Those that are being saved smell the refreshing sweet smell of life, the living aroma of Jesus! And they are drawn to us immediately.

How many times have people told you that they knew you were a Christian before you even opened up your mouth? That’s because they could smell Jesus! His fragrance wafting everywhere as you go about your day.
Our church supported evangelists from Africa, and one of them, Moses Foyah (from the town of Foyah, and the county of Foyah – he would introduce himself as ‘Moses Foyah from Foyah, from Foyah biggrin ) He would explain it this way, “we smell good to one another!” I love that. Sometimes, in the midst of the trials and tribulations that we go through on this earth, we can ‘smell’ a fellow believer and we rush to them, like running to an oasis in the midst of a burning hot, dry desert. And then we are refreshed by the cool, sweet water of the Holy Spirit. We go our way, perhaps not getting their name, perhaps never seeing them again, but knowing that one day with our Jesus, we will see them again, will recognize each other, and recall the time that with delight, we had refreshed one other.

May the fragrance of the living, breathing, Jesus Christ within us, always go forth, swirling around us like a cool, sweet perfume, bringing His presence to each and every person that we interact with. Expect some of them not to like it. As the Lord once told me, “You are salt …. And salt is an irritant” You know, I really got a bit irritated myself with that, wanting like most other people, a nice calm life down here. But in reality, we are just strangers sojourning in a strange land. Which will be the subject of my next sermon.

I love you all!! Go forth to serve the Lord Jesus Christ!! Not forgetting that: we speak [His message] in Christ (the Messiah), in the [very] sight and presence of God. In His very sight and presence!! Don't know about you, but that fills me with the desire to do my very best!!!

*hugs*

Gini

To be honest...I don't think people do that with me...either one (whether stench or perfume)...And I agree. I think I definitely need to get more involved with ministry.

God bless you, Gini. Praise Jesus for this sermon.

I've had a friend tell me, "Do you think that guys always bother you because you're pretty! Well you're not that pretty! They're seeing Jesus in you, they just don't know it's Him!"

... rofl ...

We were talking about why people won't leave us alone but man, was that a bashing. xD

Amen! You rock, Asha!

mrgreen .... Yay!!

Hey, who was supposed to do the sermon for today??