CAN YOU SMELL IT?
The precious Name of Jesus (Song of Solomon 1:3) is like a costly fragrant perfume poured out so that the priceless fragrance is coming to me and then that lovely aroma through me to cause others to love Him. A line from an old chorus: - - “His Name is like an ointment poured forth - a fragrance rare of wonderful worth.”
Why is that fragrance so rare in these days? When a group of Christians meet together, is the room filled with fragrance as the Name of Jesus is exalted and honoured as we exult in His wonderful works done through the power of His glorious Name? Each one of us should determine to take that fragrance with us wherever we go. I think we should be so redolent with the fragrance, beauty, mystery of Jesus that wherever we are the atmosphere is sweetened. I asked the Holy Spirit to give me some words that will give us a deep holy sense of glory-filled loving intimacy as we meditate on and speak of Jesus. This is what He said to me - - “When your words fail, your mind becomes numb and you long for, yearn for something far beyond explainable and you don’t care what it costs you. Then your heart will be transformed into a jewel-studded throne for Jesus, Who is the only One worthy of such passionate devotion. Every love-filled intention of your heart and mind will be always and only to please the Lord Jesus Christ. Only desiring to exalt Him and stay in His shadow.”
(C.S. Lewis) “Let it be well said and often said that there are many divisions in Christendom but by the mercy of God’s heart, there is vast ground for agreement.” If on our own or if we gather together around our risen Lord and Jesus is acknowledged and honoured in His rightful place of overall supremacy, every thought toward fellow-Christians will be knitted together out of love and will create a tapestry which pictures Jesus because we are all baptized (Romans 6:3, Ephesians 4:5) into one Body. The Body of Christ, His Church. The perfume of His wonderful Name transforms every strand of our tapestry into the pure gold of love.
If our tapestry displays anything other than Jesus, then we are not confessing but denying Him. The way we think of and speak to each other is critical.
Jesus told us (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8) that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit indwells us. This is not power so that we can dominate but a capacity to receive, which we never had in ourselves. We are not to be devoted to becoming effective, but to be devoted to Jesus and He will make us effective. We probably will not realize how the living water through us is blessing others. Divine power is released through self-giving. If we seek God’s will, God’s way and God’s timing, we will constantly be assured of God’s provision, protection and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke of (John 14:26) the Holy Spirit as our Helper. This does not mean that He is merely our Assistant, it means that when He is in control, He works within us and enables us to do what we could never do apart from Him. Never underestimate the Holy Spirit and forget that He is a full and equal part of the Godhead. He is fully God.
If I am fully surrendered to the Lord Jesus so that He is being Himself in me, there is nothing absolutely nothing that can make me irritable, rude, impatient or unkind. We are privileged to be adorned with the costly perfume. How could anyone of us be so foolish as to foul up the heavenly aroma with the rotting stench of the flesh?
Jesus told us (Matthew 4:19) that he would make us fishers of men. Recently the Lord planned two fishing trips for me. He made it necessary for me to go to the hospital twice in less than 2 weeks. He didn’t send me without the necessary equipment - - a rod and reel, a line and live bait, which are my obedience, the power of the Holy Spirit and the living Word of God. During my hospital stays I found a couple of excellent spots to cast my line for a possible strike.
The second law of thermodynamics for all matter is: - order to disorder, - good to bad, - healthy to decay, - life to death, etc. But the second law of Divine dynamics is exactly the opposite: - disorder to order, - bad to good, - sinful to righteous, - lost to redeemed, - death to life and always more to follow. Everything minus Jesus equals nothing. Nothing plus Jesus equals everything.
God’s alarm clocks are still sounding all over the world with an offer of mercy to the unsaved, a warning of coming judgment to the rebels and an urgent wake up call to His church. How much longer will the clocks keep ringing? We know it won’t be forever because we heard God say (Genesis 6:3) My Spirit will not always strive with man.