What's That Smell?

Benson & Stone

After raising two daughters and no sons, I am constantly amazed by our two grandsons and how different it is having boys as opposed to having girls. This is Spring Break week for us, so a couple of days ago, Garry picked up both boys and took them to the park while I cleaned my office. Let me give a bit of background here: Lacie (our oldest) and her husband Brandon have one child, Benson, who is five, and Carlie (our youngest) and her husband Preston have one child, Stone, who is almost two. Both girls live near us, so we are fortunate in that we get to see the grands often.

After spending a couple of hours at the park, Garry, aka "Pa," brought both boys  home for some "Nana" time. I didn't have to rely on my ears to know when they entered the house; I only had to catch a whiff of their smell! The very distinct odor of smelly, dirty boys wafted through the living area and into my office. I looked at their dirty faces, hands, feet, and clothes then at Garry and said, "There's nothing quite like that boy smell!"

Now our girls were not afraid to get dirty. They played outside when they were little, played sports, and showed pigs and goats. None of that smells good, but neither does it smell like boys! There's just a real difference.

Did you know that as a believer and receiver of Christ, we are to have a distinct odor? I know that sounds sort of far-fetched, but it is part of our Holy Calling that I've written about before.(Click on "Holy" in the labels to read previous posts on the subject.)

As a side note, let me say that when the Holy Spirit keeps taking me back to the same scripture and concepts, I know He is trying to get something important through my thick skull. I've been pondering this "Holy Calling" idea since September, if not before! I understand that it's more for my own benefit than anyone who may read what I write...So please bear with me as He and I work this out!

• He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace... 2 Tim. 1:8-12

In previous posts I have written about what it means to have this holy calling on a believer's life. A believer in Christ is to be different from the world; we should stand out, stand apart from the leanings of what the world says is right and normal. That's not always easy or comfortable.

In Called to Be Different, Part 2, I wrote that a Christian should not look like, sound like, act like, or think like the secular world. Today I am adding that a Christian should not smell like the secular world either.

The scripture refers to a believer's body as a vessel and a temple.

• If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special vessel for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 NLT
• Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

How many of us try to comprehend what this means? Each individual believer is a New Testament version of the Holy of Holies!

 In Old Testament times, the children of Israel worshiped in the Tabernacle. It was a huge tent that moved with the nomadic Israelites wherever they went. In the Tabernacle was the Holy of Holies - the sacred room where the Ark of the Covenant was kept and where, once a year, the High Priest would go in to atone for their sins and hear from God. It was so sacred that the High Priest would tie a rope around his ankle so that if something were to happen to him while in there, he could be pulled out - for no one else could enter that place. 

When Christ gave up His life on the cross, the curtain separating the Holy of Holies was literally torn in two. His death and resurrection gave us complete, personal access to the most Holy God! Furthermore, when we accept Him as Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us. Thus, we become an individual temple of the Holy Spirit. We don't become God, but we contain God's Spirit. That's a WOW!

As His vessel, we are to let off the sweet fragrance of Jesus - metaphorically - just as they burned sweet incense in the Old Testament temple.

Remember that verse from 2 Timothy says we are called according to His purpose. Part of that purpose is explained in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15:

• But thank God!...Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God...

We are to be offered up to Him to use in this world to bring others to know Him. We do that, in part, by being different.

Just as my sweet grandsons sometimes have that distinct "boy" smell, we are to have the distinct aroma of Christ about us. When we engage in conversation, there should be something that sets us apart from the world; as we go, there should be something different in our actions. We must be mindful that we are a vessel carrying the very Spirit of the living God.

So, as you go - to your family life, to your workplace, to the marketplace - what is it that people smell? Do they smell the nastiness of the world or the sweet fragrance of Jesus?

Confronting Our Enemy...

In my current Bible study, we are discussing confronting our enemy - Satan. I thought this post, originally posted on March 23, 2011, was appropriate as a reminder of how important it is to be properly equipped to wage war against him.


Do you remember the days of playing those childhood games like “Hide ‘n Seek”? My memories of that game are not all that good. I had two problems when I was on the “hide” side of that game.  As a child who wore a leg brace, I was not very fast – so by the time whoever was “it” counted to 10, I usually had not gotten very far. “It” could also track me to my hiding place by listening to the squeaks of the ankle joint of my brace! I always felt like raccoon that was being treed. It's not a good feeling to be someone's prey!

In the spiritual realm, I am also being stalked because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

·         Be of sober spirit; be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.  1 Peter 5:8

In that passage, Peter is speaking to believers. So, that someone is me and you – if you are a believer in Jesus Christ! I don’t like the idea of being hunted. I don’t like the idea that someone is actively seeking to destroy me. So what are we to do?  

Paul was very specific in his instructions about fighting the devil in Ephesians 6.  We are to suit up for battle because we are at war with Satan. He is seeking to destroy each of us, to steal our joy and abundant life, to oppress us so that we do not share the news of Jesus with those we encounter. He wants us to be paralyzed, unhappy, and ineffective as a child of God.

·         Put on the full armor of God so you will stand firm against the schemes of the devil… Eph. 6:11

Most of the armor the soldier of that time wore was defensive in nature. The only offensive weapon mentioned is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Just as we saw with Jesus when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, the scripture defeats Satan. He has to flee when God’s Word is spoken. So it makes sense to me to pray that armor of God on everyday to be protected from his attacks. We should pray it on ourselves and on others we care about – especially when they are in the midst of battle and may not be strong enough to pray it on themselves.

The Word of God is powerful – even more so when prayed in the name of Jesus! When fighting your own battles or helping to equip someone else, pray on the armor:

Father, let _____________ be strong in You, and in the strength of Your might. Put on her the full armor of God that she may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Lord, hold her tight with the belt of Truth. You are the Truth; help _______ to hold fast to you and not be afraid. Dress her with the breastplate of righteousness – search her heart, protect her heart, and fill her heart with right motives and emotions. Place on her the shoes of the gospel of peace. Where ever she goes, let her go in the spirit of peace and let her be ready to share Your salvation with those she meets. Place in her hands the shield of faith that it might deflect the flaming missiles of the evil one. Through her faith, let her carry out her purpose and claim the victory that You have already won. And Father, put on _________the helmet of salvation. Remind her who she belongs to and not let her listen to the whispers of Satan. Protect her mind from falsehoods and self-defeating thoughts. Transform her mind into the mind of Christ as she goes about her daily life. Finally, Father, let her carry the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Bring to her mind the verses that she needs for comfort, courage, and battle against Satan. Let her remember Your word that she can claim as she faces the temptations of Satan. Your word says that You have given Your angels charge concerning her, to guard and protect her in all her ways. Thank You for building a hedge of protection around her. Finally, I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that You are able to guard what I have entrusted to You until that day when you return. I entrust _______________ to You.
Eph. 6:10-20; Ps. 91:11; 2 Tim. 1:12

As believers, we can choose to pray or be prey...

You Are Adequate!!!

I cannot begin to count or chronicle the times in my life when I have felt inadequate. Overall, I am a confident person - I think. However, when I look back at various stages and experiences in my life, I remember that nagging feeling of inadequacy. Not being good enough. Not being smart enough. Not being pretty enough. Then, as I got older, thoughts turned to: I can't be a good mother; I am not smart enough to be a teacher; I'm not...I can't...


You get the idea - because you've probably been right there with me in some of those vulnerable times.


Spiritually speaking, our enemy is smart - he knows right where to pounce to make me feel like I can't do something, or that I am a failure, or that I am not good enough. So think with me for a minute about this issue of adequacy and let's see what God's Word says.


Okay, do NOT quit reading after my first statement or you will leave feeling beat up. 


1) You may be inadequate in some areas! I am inadequate in some - we all are. If we weren't, why would we need a Savior? But I can promise you this, based on scripture, that whatever He calls you to do or wherever He calls you to go, you will be adequate because He is more than enough!


Remember Moses? His feelings of inadequacy and inferiority are described in Exodus 3 and 4. God called Moses to return to Egypt to bring God's people out of slavery and into the Promised Land - a pretty scary and daunting task.

• But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" Ex. 3:11
• Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say?" Ex. 4:1
• Then Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in times past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." Ex. 4:10

God continually reassured Moses that He would go with him, and He showed him evidence of His mighty power. But Moses continued to wiggle and doubt until Ex. 4:14 says, "Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses..."

It's not like Moses didn't know the power and awesomeness of God. He had just met Him at the burning bush for pete's sake! As the story continued, Moses did go to Pharaoh, but he took along his brother Aaron to do the talking. God did use Moses, but I wonder what blessings he missed because he was not totally submissive to God. 

But, friend, we are so like Moses, listening to the enemy whisper those lines of inadequacy and insecurity in our ears. 

2) You are adequate - if Jesus is your Lord and Savior - for whatever He calls you to do and wherever He calls you to go. I am adequate! WOW! If He has called you to further your education, you are adequate; if He has called you to be a parent, you are adequate; if He has called you to a particular job or profession, you are adequate; if He has called you to minister to your neighbor, you are adequate. 

Here's what I've learned (not that I am perfect at living it out!): I am adequate because He is more than adequate, more than enough! My adequacy is in Him.

• Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God who also made us adequate... 2 Cor. 3:4-6
• But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption... 1 Cor. 1:30

We are  told in 2 Tim. 1:9 that He has saved us and called us with a holy calling - not because  of anything we have done or can do, but because He has a purpose for us and gives us the grace to fulfill that purpose through Jesus Christ.

You see, He's not going to give us a job to do and not equip us to do it; He's not going to put us somewhere and not give us what we need to live there. That's not His character - not who He is.

So, friend, we all have times when we don't feel adequate for the task before us. But that's just what it is - a feeling. The facts rest in Jesus, and because He is my Savior, He is all the adequacy I need. 

• Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

The Anatomy of the Heart

A few years ago, I experienced some weird dizziness and vision episodes. I quickly got in to see my Ophthalmologist because a good friend of mine had experienced a detached retina, which made me hyper-sensitive when a vision problem arose. Upon examination, the doctor proclaimed my eyes to be fine but did order an echocardiogram of my heart just to make sure there were no clots or blockage that might have caused the episode.

Later, as I watched the technician perform an ultrasound of my heart and the surrounding valves and arteries, I was fascinated by the anatomy and workings of the heart! I could see in the images on the screen, the blood pumping through the valves by the contracting of the heart muscle. It was one of those moments when I was totally awe-struck by the power, intelligence, and creativity of our Creator! (By-the-way, my test was fine, and my symptoms ended up being associated with migraine headaches.)

Just as wondrous as the physical heart, is the other "heart" we all have, the spiritual heart. Everyone has a spiritual heart even if they are not "religious," for we are all made in His image - and He is a spiritual being. This is the metaphorical heart that we think of as the seat of our emotions, thoughts, and our soul. This one will not show up on some fancy medical test, but it's health is paramount to our well-being and, more importantly, to our eternity.

Who or what has captured your heart? That question has only two possible answers - the world or the Lord. It's that simple! Obviously, when faced with those two choices, most of us would want to answer, "The Lord!" Indeed, that is His desire.

• For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. 2 Chron. 16:9 (NAS)

That verse contains a great truth that should bolster us and give us hope. If our hearts are completely His, He will strongly support us! He will undergird us; He will be our stronghold in times of trials and stress; He will be our rock. Who doesn't need that kind of support?

And just like the physical heart that is continually pumping life-giving blood throughout the body, the spiritual heart is continually circulating the very essence of who we are as individuals to ourselves and to those around us.

So, whoever or whatever has captured your heart is what is being circulated. Ouch! I just stepped on my toes! Oh, we can disguise what our heart looks like, talks like - even smells like - for a time. But eventually, our true self seeps out. And eventhough we can camoflague what's really going on in our heart for a while, God knows.

• As for you...know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 1 Chron. 28:9 (NAS)

Scripture tells us in several places what the heart looks like if it is living for the world or if it is living for God. It's good to do a self-examination of your heart - first, to see who it belongs to, and then a re-examination ever so often because the world will slowly creep into your heart like plaque, and before you know it, you are not living like your hearts belong to Him.

Use these passages to perform a spiritual sonogram of your heart:

• But the words you speak come from the heart - that's what defiles you. From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander... Matt. 15:18-19 (NLT)
• Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing.... Gal. 5:19-21 (NAS)
• Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowances for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts...always be thankful... Col. 3:12-15 (NLT)

So when the technician reads your test to see what and how things are circulating, what will the results be? Will she see your heart filled with the corosion of the world? Or will she see clear arteries stamped with God's approval?

That is a question that each one needs to ask ourself as we reflect on the anatomy of our own heart. Hopefully, we will see the attributes of God flowing steadily through us and out into the world around us. If not, we need futher treatment.

When Life Looks Bleak

I'm embarking on a study of Paul and his heart for God. As I was studying, I read through his and Silas' experience of being jailed for speaking about Jesus in Philippi. This is a post from last February about that experience.

How does life look to you right now? Is everything going your way and all is right with the world? Or are you at one of those junctions in life where things are not progressing the way you had hoped and dreamed? It is so much easier to smile and praise the Lord during our happy times than in our down times. Sometimes, we may even begin to wonder where God is and if He has abandoned us. No doubt, the most difficult step in our walk of faith is to trust Him when life is a bummer. It brings out the age-old question, "Why does a 'good' God let such bad things happen to good and or innocent people?"

That was the question discussed on the air-waves for weeks after the attacks of 9/11, and again, after the Tsunami hit Indonesia, and again, after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Why would God allow such destruction? Obviously, I am not a scholar or a theologian (not a surprise if you've been reading my blog), but I can share what I've learned through personal experience and time with the Lord.

To begin with, I had to accept the fact that God is God - omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and I am NOT. Therefore, I will never fully understand the mind of God and His ways until I am fully in His presence on the other side of this life. That usually doesn't set too well with the human mind that is inquisitive and strives for reason. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 - Our walk with Christ is a walk of faith. That has to be nailed down in order to move forward in that relationship.

With that said, God DOES allow bad things to happen to good people. However, His Word assures us that "Everything will work together for good, to them who love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 - We saw that with the stoning death of Stephen in the book of Acts. That horrible death was the pivotal event that caused the newly-birthed Church to be ravaged by the likes of legalistic Jews like Saul. That persecution caused the Christians to scatter in all directions away from Jerusalem. It was the beginning of the fulfillment of the Great Commission - taking the gospel to "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth." God used the murder of Stephen to spread the Good News to the rest of the earth - that was the "good" that came from his death.

God will use everything to work His purpose in this world. When life throws us a curve, we need to seek His will and purpose and not give in to the human nature of anger, bitterness, hatred, or even the desire for revenge. I know upfront that I won't be able to accomplish that on my own. My nature is so "human!" I must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit - God's power in me - to look for His purpose and His desired reaction. Sometimes, He wants us to do something immediately. He told the Jerusalem Christians to go - to leave Jerusalem for safety reasons, but, ultimately, to spread the Gospel.

Later in Acts, He told Paul and Silas to stay - in their prison cell - to spread the Gospel. Paul and Silas found themselves in the city of Philippi on their second missionary journey (Acts 16:12-40). Philippi was in a Roman colony on the continent of Europe, and they continued to spread the Gospel westward. While there, they stirred up a commotion among the citizens when Paul cast out an evil spirit from a girl who had been following them and yelling at them for several days. The problem was with this slave girl's master. Once the evil spirit was gone, she could no longer make him money with her fortune-telling. Paul and Silas were eventually brought before the magistrate, who had them beaten, shackled, and thrown into prison. Their relationship with the Lord allowed them to be joyful - even in the midst of a deadly situation. By midnight, they were praying and singing hymns of praise - and the other prisoners were listening to them while the jailer had fallen asleep.

How could they be so full of joy after and during such an event? They were beaten with clubs and then their feet fastened into stocks. I can't really imagine how difficult it would be to endure such an attack. All through the book of Acts, we've seen how important prayer had become to those early believers. And in this dire situation, Paul and Silas once again turned to prayer. That is how their human nature of bitterness and desire for revenge did not overtake them. Their spiritual nature of peace and joy in whatever circumstances they found themselves in did take over. So much so, that they started singing - right there in the prison cell! The heavens reacted to their praise with a huge earthquake that shook the very foundation of the prison house - even causing the cell doors to open and their shackles to unfasten!

Here is where they had to really listen to the Holy Spirit and not their own. My spirit would have looked at those open doors and loose shackles, and said, "Run for your life!" But when the jailer did go in, ready to kill himself for letting the prisoners escape, there they were - all of the prisoners - not just Paul and Silas! Don't you know the jailer looked at those guys with astonishment? In fact, verse 29 says with trembling and fear he fell down before Paul and Silas and asked what he had to do to be saved! They told him, he responded, and he met Jesus! As far as we know, he was the first Roman soldier on European soil to become a believer and follower of Christ!

God used the difficult situation with Stephen. The Spirit told those Jerusalem Christians to go, which they did, and the gospel was spread throughout the region. God used the difficult situation with Paul and Silas. The Spirit told them to stay, which they did, and the gospel was spread to Europe. No situation we may find ourselves in is for naught in God's purposes. He will take whatever comes our way - good or not - and use it for His good - IF we allow Him access to our hearts.

If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. Life will throw you a curve - probably several. You, all of us, will endure some type of suffering in this life. How will we react? Whenever I suffer, whether it's a little or a lot, I don't want it to be wasted suffering! I want to be spiritually able to release it to Him and let it be used for His purposes. I want to hear Him say, "Stay," or "Go". I want those times to be markers on my walk of faith that represent something good that He has done. What about you?