We Smell Good

2 Cor. 2:15  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

Everyone likes to be told that they smell good.  The smell of a perfume or fragrance is meant to attract us.  But, in some cases, it can have the complete opposite effect.  Something meant to attract can actually repel or be offensive.  The same fragrance can produce entirely different results.

The Gospel is like that.  The message of truth we bring to people, like a fragrance, will be attractive to some while others will find it offensive.  In either case, however, it is still the truth.

Paul writes that God uses us to saturate and attract the world with the fragrant, sweet-smelling message of our Savior Jesus Christ.  The end result will produce literally (eternal) life or death to those who hear it.  Some will find it attractive and receive it while others will find it offensive and reject it.  It is so very important, therefore, that what we say be spoken in sincerity (v. 17), never for our own personal gain, but rather only with the purest of motives or intentions.  In a manner that is well-pleasing to God.  Always being mindful of the life-changing potential of our message.  We are not responsible for the results, God is.  We only need to willingly allow Him to work through us.  When we do, I think that we smell good!

Sock Monkey Snippet:  We are the fragrance of Christ.

Follow Me

Mt. 16:24  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

For most of us, networking on the Internet has become a part of our everyday life.  And in this social environment, we are invited by other to "follow me".  Making the choice to accept such an invitation usually involves little more than the click of a button.  The commitment to become a follower (disciple) is painlessly easy.

Jesus invites anyone to become His follower but it is important for us all to understand exactly what He says is required.  This is a free will choice that we make.  We can either accept His invitation or refuse it.

First, we must deny ourselves.  Other Bible translations say give up all (BBE) and forget about yourself (CEV).  This certainly goes against our human nature.  To be self-emptying instead of self -seeking.  To put the will of God before our own.  And yet Christ's life was exactly so.  He emptied Himself (Phil. 2:7, 8).  In doing so, He not only set an example for us but also purchased our redemption.  We must totally surrender to God's will, putting it before our own.  Faced with death by crucifixion, Jesus prayed, "not what I will, but what You will."

Second, we must take up our cross.  There will be sufferings and afflictions that will surely come our way and we should expect and endure them.  No matter how painful.  Jesus said (Mt. 10:38) if we are not willing to take up our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him.  Taking up our cross is far from being a painlessly easy process.  It wasn't easy for Jesus either.

Being a follower (disciple) of Jesus is an everyday, life long commitment.  Nothing that can be effortlessly accomplished by the click of a button or any other one-time event.  It requires surrendering to His will and suffering for His glory.  Sheep follow their Shepherd.  Servants follow their Master.  Soldiers follow their Captain.

The next time you click the "follow me button online, ask yourself, "Am I following Him?"


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Surrender to His will and suffer for His glory.

Stopped or Strengthened

Mk. 2:4  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

With a fully loaded Jeep, we headed to the lake on Saturday intending to make a day of it.  After stopping for gas, ice and fishing bait, we were on our way only to be rudely interrupted by a dummy light on the dashboard signaling that the Jeep had overheated.  An obstacle had just been put in our way.

We have two choices when we are faced with obstacles.  We can either let them stop us or we can press on, break through and let them strengthen us.

Four men (v. 3), having heard of Jesus being at a house in Capernaum, carried a fifth paralytic man to Him believing for his healing.  When they arrived at the house, they could not get near Jesus because of the crowd.  An obstacle had been put in their way.  They could have given up and gone home but chose instead to do whatever it took to get to Jesus.  The four men climbed to the roof, broke through it and lowered the paralytic.  I wonder what the crowd thought and saw.  I know what Jesus saw.  He saw their faith (v. 5), resolve and determination.

To make a long story short, the paralytic man was completely healed by having not only his physical infirmity removed (vs. 11, 12) but by having his sins forgiven (v. 5) as well.  The faith of the four men and surely the paralytic man, refusing to be stopped by an obstacle was unquestionably strengthened.

Faith finds favor.  Resolve reaps reward.  Determination decides destination.

In case your wondering, after we unloaded and reloaded our gear into a different vehicle, with determination we continued on to a wonderful day at the lake enjoying family and friends.  Admittedly, at one point, we almost stopped, gave up and went home.  I'm glad, however, that we broke through the obstacle, being strengthened by it, and reached our destination.

Now, if your interested in buying a Jeep...


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Obstacles will either stop us or strengthen us.

The Value of Jesus

Isa. 53:3  He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

The world did not consider Him as having any value.  There was nothing special about Him.  No beauty in His outward appearance (Isa. 53:2) that drew us to Him.  He wasn't worthy of our affection.  Carnal hearts, judging only by appearance, did not nor will they ever esteem Him.  Worth only thirty pieces of silver (Mt. 27:9, 10), the price of a lowly servant or slave.  That's it.  In fact, we even desired a murderer (Acts 3:14) instead of Him.

Consider Mary, a self-acknowledged sinner, entering the room where Jesus dined with others.  She broke her alabaster box of fragrant oil, undoubtedly the best she had, most likely everything she had, and poured it out on Jesus.  Her tears washed His feet.  Her hair, that is to say her glory (1 Cor. 11:15), served as a common towel to dry them.  See her selfless and sacrificial worship.  Why?  Because she understood the value of Jesus.

The value of Jesus to any of us lies in how we see or esteem ourselves.  Do we, like the world, still see nothing special about Him?  Not even being worthy of our fellowship, turning our faces away from Him. Pridefully contented with and in our own flawed existence.    Or do we, like Mary, acknowledge our sin (Rom. 3:23) and see the remarkable beauty and worth of our Savior?

From us, He deserves our alabaster boxes of selfless and sacrificial worship and praise.  Nothing less than everything.  That's the value of Jesus!

Sock Monkey Snippet:  Jesus is worth nothing less than everything.

Our Shining Faces

2 Cor. 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, we are told (Exod. 34:30) that his face shone.  It literally shot out rays (horns) of light like the sun.  The Israelites realized that Moses had been in communion with God Himself.  Moses was being transformed into God's image just by being in His presence and his very countenance displayed God's glory.

After Moses spoke to the people, he veiled his face.  The glory of God visible on him may have been more than they could bear.  The Bible says the people were afraid, in awe perhaps being convicted by their own sin, making the veil necessary.  Or maybe he veiled his face concealing the decreasing brightness of it since we are not told it was of constant intensity.  The fading light was foreshadowing the old covenant of the law passing away (2 Cor. 3:13).

The veil created separation and it concealed.

Nevertheless, when we turn to the Lord, in repentance and faith, the veil is taken away (2 Cor. 3:14, 16).  Jesus Christ has taken away the veil of separation between God and us that our sin necessitated and that the law, the Ten Commandments, confirmed.  He took away the veil, revealing a new and everlasting covenant of mercy and grace.

Now having restored communion with God, we are being transformed, transfigured (2 Cor. 3:18) into His image, just as Moses was.  The glory of God, increasing in brightness, is being displayed (unveiled) in us for all to see our shining faces.  Let our light shine before men (Mt. 5:16)!

Sock Monkey Snippet:  Jesus took away the veil.

Free Indeed

Jn. 8:36  Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Until the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary, we were not free.  We were dead in our sin and due it's wages, death (Rom. 6:23).  Destined to be eternally separated from God.  We were held captive, bound in slavery to our sin.

Then His death and resurrection changed everything.  It provided a freedom, a (the only) Way (Jn14:6), for us we could by no other means have obtained.  Our old, sinful man (Rom.6:6, 7) was crucified with Christ freeing us from bondage to sin.  Jesus made (set) us free.  God's gift of an eternal life to be spent with Him was (and is) provided through His Son.

As we celebrate our nation's freedom today on the Fourth of July, let's also remember the ultimate freedom from sin and death that was made available to us through the precious blood of Jesus.  We are free indeed!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Jesus made us free.

In All This

Job 1:22  In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job had it all.  He was healthy, wealthy and blessed with a large family.  The Bible says that (v.3) he was the greatest of all the people of the East.  He had every reason to worship and have faith in God because his life couldn't have been better.

Then, except for his own life, he lost absolutely everything.  Hundreds even thousands of animals.  Gone.  Ten children.  Gone.  Perfect health.  Gone.  Imagine having everything and then suddenly having nothing.  Job went from being the richest to being the poorest.  Few of us will ever experience such tragedy and devastation in our lives.

If anyone had reason to lose hope, waver in faith and question God, it would have been Job.  Yet we're told simply, almost nonchalantly, that in all this Job didn't sin nor did he question God's wisdom (charge Him with wrong).

In all this, Job maintained his integrity not wanting to be found by God to be a hypocrite (27:8).  The Hebrew word for hypocrite (chaneph) literally means soiled by sin.  Job was determined that his actions were going to be governed by his faith and not by his feelings.  That his faith was going to be proven genuine and sincere, in other words, without deceit (Jn. 1:47) or hypocrisy.  Not soiled by sin.  The Greek word for hypocrite (hupokrites) means behind a mask as if acting.  Job's faith was not just acting when times were good.  It was proven authentic when times were not.

In all this, Job didn't question God's wisdom.  He patiently endured, being content (Ph. 4:11) in whatever situation or circumstance he found himself.  Having a contented mind not prone to impatience.  Knowing that God was and is right in all His ways.

In all this, Job worshipped (v.20) and blessed (v.21) God.  It is interesting to read that the very first thing Satan took from Job, even before his children, was his livestock.  He tried to destroy Job's ability to worship by taking away his sacrificial animals.  But Job still worshipped.

We are all faced with trials, tests and afflictions in life.  At times, as in Job's life, they can be almost unbearable.  Yet, in all this, if we remain steadfast in faith, contented in mind and determined in worship, God will surely bless us just like he blessed Job (42:12).

Sock Monkey Snippet:  Remain steadfast in faith, contented in mind and determined in worship.