A Heart For Jesus

“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “We are the aroma of Christ to God”, I just want to reflect on this thought for a moment.  An aroma, per a dictionary definition is, “a distinctive, pervasive, and usually pleasant or savory smell”, or “a distinctive quality or atmosphere.” What is a pleasing aroma for you? For me, I love the smell of freshly mown grass (my allergies tell something different 🙂), the smell of coffee in the morning or bacon! When Danny and I were in Glacier National Park, I couldn’t get enough of the sweet smelling perfume in the air from all the wild flowers! And then there’s Gardenias, is there anything more wonderful than the smell of Gardenias? The dictionary definition also says, a “usually pleasant” smell, so what about those things that don’t smell so nice? For instance, the Corpse Flower, I’ve never smelled one, but I read where it smells like rotting fl...

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.” Psalms‬ ‭40:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‭ We are blessed when we trust in the Lord. But what does it mean to be “blessed”? I like this definition from Got Questions, “ Blessed  speaks of our inner state of well-being, the prosperity of our souls in Christ. Blessedness comes from unhindered fellowship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus. To be blessed is to experience the full impact of God’s presence in our lives now and for all eternity.”  For us to be blessed, our    trust must be in the Lord. So I ask myself, who or what am I placing my trust in? In the Old Testament, the Lord warned against worshiping idols. Putting our trust or hope in anything or anyone other than Him. We are to love Him with our whole heart. I’ve also noticed, especially in the Old Testament, Sometimes the word Lord is all caps, sometimes just the “L”, and sometimes not at all! So I did a li...

“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I like the thought of being a co-worker in God’s service. But it does makes me think, what kind of co-worker am I? Even though I am retired, I think I can still ask myself, do I faithfully serve Him every day? Am I doing the work He has called me to do, wholeheartedly or begrudgingly? Are there times when I find it easier to go along with the crowd in order to avoid conflict or do I stand for what is right no matter how hard it may be?  In Colossians 3:23, it says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Even when I’m just doing the dishes? Yes! Sometimes I think the attitude we have towards any particular task is what helps. Charles Stanley’s Life Principle #4 teaches us that the awareness of God’s presence, energizes us for our work. We can ask God to help us to do our best no matter what we are doing. We can practice thankfulness or gratitude ...

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬ ‭ “I am a saint”, I’m not so sure about that, my halo is a bit crooked, but… Paul was writing to the people of Ephesus, people who were believers, who were faithfully following Jesus. But he didn’t call them Christians, he called them Saints.  So what does it mean to be a “saint”? One definition says, “In it’s most basic sense, a saint is a “holy one”, someone who is set apart for God’s special purposes””. So then, we, as followers of Jesus, are to be “set apart”. We are to be different from the world around us. In Romans 12:2, Paul instructs us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” ‭‭Peter also reminds us,    in 1 Peter 1:15-16, “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in ...

  “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Be still”, reminds me of when I was little, my mom setting me in a chair and saying, “sit still, don’t move, until we’re ready to go”!  But what does it mean to “Be still” before the Lord? Why is it so hard to be still? To be quiet? To wait! Seems like every time I sit down to be with the Lord, every possible conversation or scenario starts going through my mind! Or I start thinking about all the things I need to get done! How do I learn to quiet my mind; to “be still”?… Isaiah 64:4 says, ‭“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” ‭‭Waiting is hard. No one likes to wait, we have become an “l want it now” generation. And yet we wait. We wait in doctors offices; We wait in traffic and in lines at the grocery store. Life is filled with ...

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 What does it mean to be established? I found this definition, “established means to make firm or stable; to cause to grow and multiply; to confirm, make fast, strengthen”. It is God who makes us stand firm in Christ. He anoints us, He sets His seal of ownership upon us, He puts His Spirit in our hearts! This is something that is so overwhelming to me at times, that God takes the initiative. He makes the first move so to speak, He pursues us! Look at Philippians 2:13 for example, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” His Spirit within us, helps us to do what is pleasing to God! Or Ezekiel 36:26-27, where it is God who says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will ...

  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ "We are his workmanship", just want to reflect on that thought for a moment. In Genesis, it does say that we have been created in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26-27). I read a book once by Tony Evans called, "Called for a Purpose”. I love how he compares the sculptor Michelangelo to God’s creating us. "The great Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo once said", “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” Isn't that awesome! And God sees us the same way! He sees what we can and will become! But it takes "chiseling" away the things that keep us from becoming a...