Being the fragrance of Christ

This kind of goes along with the the thread about givng to beggars (the poor) and also the thread that Dezcall(Paul)was posting some things on about not focusing on preaching. The Lord has really been laying this on my heart lately, about Him loving others through us. About us being Jesus to people in our everyday lives. The thought also came to me the other day that giving to the poor and needy is not always giving to what we see as "poor"- but poor in spirit. There are many people in our day to day lives who are very needy. Who are hungry (for spiritual food and love). Not only can we be helping the "least of these" out on the streets, but also in our work places and neighborhoods and families. Here is a prayer that explains it well:~Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragranceeverywhere we go.Flood our souls with your spirit and life.Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterlythat our lives may only be a radiance of yours.Shine through us and be so in usthat every soul we come in contact withmay feel your presence in our soul.Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,so to shine as to be light to others.The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.None of it will be ours.It will be you shining on others through us.Let us thus praise you in the way you love bestby shining on those around us.Let us preach you without preaching,not by words, but by our example;by the catching force -the sympathetic influence of what we do,the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.Amen. (M.T.)and I am getting more confirmation from my daughter(14) as she writes this: (edit-now 17 yrs)~"Look around what do we see?We see people eating at their tables...a buffet like no other.We see people buying one thing after another...like shopping is some kind of god.Addiction of everything is around.Where's the addiction for the Lord?All we want is more, more of everything on this earth.If we look overseas,We see people on their kneesPersecution is in their lives yet they find joy in HimLook at us!Can we not be ashamed?Where is our love?Where is our passion?May God bless those people, for they will be rewardedMay we bless you Lord,How I long for you, and I long for these people to see you...face to faceconvicted.I pray that one day I help bless those people overseaswhile my light here, shines brighter still as wellThank you Lord. I love you."-----------I look at my daughter's life and example and she doesn't even try. She doesn't preach or push or argue with people about Christ. She just radiates Him. People are drawn to her because of her light. Oh, Jesus, may I just simply be your light and love. May people be drawn to that light like a moth drawn to a flame. And may I be ready to talk You and be You when they do come.In His perfect love, Chanin

***The Spirit intercedes for us in our hearts, while Christ intercedes for us in heaven***Prayer is only real prayer when inspired by Him and His Spirit. He has mastered but little of prayer who knows but little of the Spirit-groaning which cannot be uttered. No matter how great our petition, His promise is always "exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think." In heaven Christ lives to pray. His whole communion with His Father is prayer: an asking and receiving of the fullness of the Spirit for His people. God delights in nothing so much as in prayer. Will we not learn to believe that the highest blessings of heaven will be unfolded to us as we pray more? If prayer were powerless, it would be easy. It is easy to faint in prayer because we are not always convinced of the reality of its power. Prayer too often becomes a last resort instead of a first resource.***If prayer is anything it is everything***"It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which is in you" (Matt. 10.20). *** Supplications grinded out in the mortar and pestle of the heart then poured out on the "Altar of Incense" as a sweet fragrance to the Most High God. Side by Side the Christian and the Holy Spirit "Lift" the prayer up through the "weight of glory", to the lamb who offers it to Him who sits on the throne ***

I read a devotional once by Oswald Chambers that truly comforted me. As we are transformed more and more into the image of Jesus Christ we become His light. We become so full of Christ that we are filled with living waters. Those living waters pours out of us into the lives of others. People are actually blessed because of those living waters. I see how Joseph was a blessing to everyone. The ability to see God's hand in everything is the most precious gift that He has ever given me, the ability to take part in another person's conformity or at least to see it at work. All I can say is it brings me to my knees in praise to Him.

I had to think of what Leonard Ravenhill said in the "Revival Hymn":"Have we no righteousness that reflects on their corruption?"As Greg already said...Its interesting to note that the fragrance of Christ for some will be something that repels them because they loved the darkness more than light"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life" (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)We may reflect Him in everything! In our work, at school, in our families, when we are with friends, when we're driving our cars. Whether we speak or be silent we may be the fragrance of our Lord!And how deeply does this world need such people!!! May we, through the love of Christ, become more like Him. May we humble ourselves and may we learn to give up all that we are, all that we have and all that we might become. "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..."(Philippians 3:8) Greetings in Him,Paul

~Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragranceeverywhere we go.Flood our souls with your spirit and life.Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterlythat our lives may only be a radiance of yours.Shine through us and be so in usthat every soul we come in contact withmay feel your presence in our soul.Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,so to shine as to be light to others.The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.None of it will be ours.It will be you shining on others through us.Let us thus praise you in the way you love bestby shining on those around us.Let us preach you without preaching,not by words, but by our example;by the catching force -the sympathetic influence of what we do,the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.Amen. (M.T.)Yes, Lord let it be all of you and none of us, as your words says, let your light shine so bright, not the sun, and not the moon, but your glorious light. Lord let your light shine upon those who are held in captivity, that are filled with so many questions as to why - Lord the youth that are admitted in hospitals Let you light shine - Lord the youth that are sellig drugs let your light shine - the youth that are going the opposite way let your light shine, and the parents that are at the verge of a break down let your light SHINE! In Jesus Mighty Name.