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A SWEET SMELING SAVOR Evangelist Esther Thornton, Oregon God is a good God and He is so faithful! And, we want our lives to be as a sweet
smelling savour unto Him because He is worthy! Our President, George Bush has received much opposition for
his handling of the war. One of Sedam Hussain’s top generals wrote a book stating that Sedam Hussain had 97 air-places
loaded with all kinds of biological and other types of weapons already to be launched
towards Israel. This general was asleep in his room in the control bunker
where Sedam was. He got up just minutes before a
missile from the U.S. struck the bunker right where he had been laying. When this happened, Sedam pulled a
pistol out and shot another one of his generals in the head. He pointed the
gun at the one who had been sleeping and had just come into the room just
minutes before. He said, “I would have shot you but you are a Christian and
would not lie to me.” This happened 3 days before these 97 airplanes were to go to
attack Israel. The top general who wrote the book on this said that the
weapons of mass destruction that Sedam had were
moved from Iraq to Syria. God has given us our Christian President to protect the U.S.
in answer to the prayers of intercessors, and through him, God is also
protecting His chosen people of Israel. We want to be as a sweet smelling
savor unto God; unto others; and unto the world. I. Christ gave Himself as a sweet smelling savor: Ephes. 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. II. We are a sweet smelling savour
toward God, first of all: Philip. 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full…. an odour
of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Our prayers arise before His throne as a sweet smelling savour: Rev. 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and
golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers
of saints. III. We are a sweet smelling savour
toward all men: 2 Cor. 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour
of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. (Believers get better from gospel; unbelievers get worse when
they reject it.). Philip. 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full…. an odour
of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. (Genuine preachers who would not offer an offensive smell). A Jewish Prophet, David Lee, gave me a word that in our
ministry people would literally smell the fragrance of Jesus, and it has
happened! But, the odour of a sweet smell should
come forth from our spirits at all times in that we are exalting Jesus
through our lives). III. We must receive the “Macedonian Call” to be as sweet savours to the world: Acts 16:9-10 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man
of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
[10] And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured
to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to
preach the gospel unto them. (becoming a sweet smelling savour to the world as led by the Holy Spirit). IV. Ten ways to stop up the fragrance of God from flowing from
our lives: 1. Lack of time spent with God 2. Exalting ourselves 3. Competition 4. Seducing Spirits 5. Gossip 6. Not allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our lives with His
priorities 7. Lack of knowledge 8. Lack of wisdom 9. Selfish ambition 10. Lack of godly direction and wasting time V. We must dig again the wells for His glory to come forth: Genesis 26:18 And Isaac digged again the wells of
water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham
his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham:
and he called their names after the names by which his father had called
them. 1. Draw close to God and spend time with Him James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 2. Be filled daily with the Spirit of God Ephes. 5:18 …. be filled with the Spirit; 3. Walk in love and unity with all men: Ephes. 4:1-3 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye
walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, [2] With all lowliness
and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; [3]
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. Crucify your flesh and determine that you will finish your
course with joy Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear
unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry,
which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace
of God. SUMMARY: We are to be as “sweet smelling savours”
to a world in need. In regard to evangelism: In Henry Gruver’s book, “Cross+wise”, he says: “We have only enough time left for
one clean sweep around the globe….Then we must move on….. Rom. 9:28 - “For He will finish the work, and cut it short in
righteousness, because a short work will the Lord
make upon the earth.” In regard to “hurting people“: Joyce Meyer shares an account
of her father’s abuse of her sexually and in other ways. He was a massive
controller. Thus, at an early age, she felt dirty but came to know Christ at
age 9. She then felt clean but lacked peace and joy. Her secret to finding
peace and joy was that she spent years immersed in the Word of God. Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy
law: and nothing shall offend them. We cannot be sweet smelling savours
within ourselves - it must come from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Then,
and then only, can we become more than conquerors in our lives: Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him that loved us. “Triumph” in the Greek is “thriambeuo”
and means “to make an acclamatory procession, to conquer, to give victory. We
triumph because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross. A “sweet savour” can only come
through victory in our lives and through triumph. ____________________ “Sedam’s Secrets”
by Georges Sada “Cross+Wise” - A
Prayer Walker’s Handbook - by Henry Gruver Jimmy Swaggart
Bible Commentary “Beauty for Ashes” by Joyce Meyer |
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