The aroma of Christ

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. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. II Corinthians 2: 14 – 16

The wonderful thing about a pleasing aroma is that though you cannot see it, you can smell it which is such a wonderful thing. Aroma here of course is speaking about being an influence or witness for Christ because we bring the pleasing aroma or presence of Christ wherever we go. We may not be able to see our influence but it is there affecting those we come into contact with.

I am always amazed when people start talking to me about my being a Christian when I have not said a word to them about my faith. Have you walked into a crowded room and known immediately that some other people are Christians? It is the aroma of Christ that they carry. However if people can smell Jesus on us how we behave will be a powerful testimony or a real turn off. Non Christians can smell hypocrisy as well as the aroma of Christ so we must be careful that our testimony is truthful and real.

There is the story of a pastor who regularly travelled on a bus and one day the driver gave him too much change. The pastor pointed this out and returned the extra money to which the bus driver said, ‘I knew you were a pastor and I wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. Now I know you are honest I’m coming to your church on Sunday’. Joyce Meyer also talks about going to a restaurant with a party of friends and getting awful service from a young waitress culminating in her spilling something in Joyce Meyer’s lap. Full of nervous anxiety, the waitress apologised which Joyce graciously accepted and she explained that she was new in the job and knew who Joyce was and therefore was very nervous about serving her which was why the service was so bad. Joyce said she was very glad she had not been impatient or rude and demanding as that would have been a terrible witness.

People often know we are Christians because we carry the aroma of Christ in us so it is important we behave with the highest levels of integrity and honesty in the workplace, school, supermarket, home, restaurant wherever. Let the fragrance of Christ in us be a pleasing aroma to everyone around us so we bring the life of Christ wherever we go.

The joy of the Lord

For the joy of the Lord is your strength Nehemiah 8:10

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit which should, like all fruit, grow.  Joy of the Lord which I think means joy being one of God’s children and doing his will should also grow as we get to know him better.

However unfortunately, so many Christians are anything but joyful. Too many seem dour as if serving God is more akin to slavery than sonship. You remember the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son who said to the Father,  ‘All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders’ Luke 15: 29. He had no joy in anything and especially in the return of the younger brother.  He was bitter and resentful. 

Many are talking about the Father heart of God at this time because this is a great truth that needs to be restored to the church. None of us has any idea of how much our Father really loves us but as we start to get a revelation of his amazing, unconditional love, something starts to melt inside us. That desire to perform, to strive, to please God by our own efforts gives way to relaxing in the arms of a loving Father who wants to bathe us in his love and acceptance. Doing gives way to being – being a son or daughter of the living God.
When Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi having been wrongly accused and beaten, they didn’t lie there feeling sorry for themselves. They were praying and singing hymns and everyone in the prison was listening to them. There was an earthquake and all the prison doors came open but instead of escaping, Paul led the jailer and his family to the Lord. The joy of the Lord, praising God in adverse circumstances led to salvation.

No matter what our circumstances, God is always worthy of praise. Praise and thanksgiving take us into God’s courts and presence and joy in the midst of our circumstances washes over us. The world is desperate to know some joy and to know the love of God shown through the lives of believers who despite their circumstances have the joy of the Lord. This is not a phoney superficial joy that is masking the reality of our lives but a joy that comes from knowing a Father God who loves us and is strengthening us in our circumstances.

Non believers need a testimony that is real and is not about what good Christians we are, or what a good church we go to but what an amazing loving God we have, who knows and loves them as well. It is the love of God that draws and wins people and it is the joy of the Lord in our hearts that strengthens and encourages us.  It is a powerful witness to those searching for something that the world cannot give. When you start to show and tell people that God loves them born from your own experience, something inside of them starts to melt as well.  They see a joy and a love that is compelling.

If you are feeling miserable, unworthy, unloved then start praising God and thanking him for who he is. His love and acceptance is healing and his joy will come and strengthen you in the midst of your circumstances.

Healing the sick

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Matthew 4: 23

Recently I have become very aware of the number of people who need prayer for healing and what is more the increase in the testimony of people being healed. Whenever Jesus taught he also healed the sick including those suffering pain, paralysed or having seizures. He drove out demons, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and healed the lame so they could walk. This is the Kingdom coming to earth. Jesus brought the Kingdom of heaven here and in this the kingdom there is no sickness, pain, disease or demons and their horrible ways.

It is this same Kingdom that Jesus wants us to proclaim. He wants us to bring his Kingdom to people regardless of whether they are believers or not. Jesus made no distinction and neither must we. In fact it is a powerful witness to non believers when people are healed in their midst.  People get saved when the miraculous happens near them.

Despite my perceptions, I am certain that there are not more people who are sick than before but our awareness of them and our desire to pray for them with faith expecting people to be healed is I am sure increasing. The church is getting hold of the need to really pray for the sick and the testimonies are increasing. For instance, today someone one told me of a young man suffering from cancer who is doing so much better than he should and doctors are amazed. A lady I know is having a small operation today and I said I would pray for her. She was surprised but very pleased.

John Wimber said. ‘I do not know why some people are healed and others not. All I know is that if I pray for the sick, some will be healed. If I don’t pray for the sick, nobody is healed.’ Let’s keep on praying for those who are sick whether we know them or not. We may be asked to pray for a stranger but our prayers are just as important as family and friends.

I believe God wants to increase the level of faith for healing in the church and he is training us through many different circumstances to persevere in prayer until more and more people are healed. Let us not give up but instead pray till we see the kingdom coming in increasing measure in our midst.