The Memorial Stones

Do you know the feeling when a certain verse keeps coming back to you? Reading the word, it doesn’t matter where you turn, this thing just lingers in your minds? I know this feeling and I love it! The excitement that God is maybe highlighting something and want’s to enlarge your understanding. I think the only way to find out is to go there and take time with God to ask Him.Reading the book of Joshua it felt like I had a lot of these moments. The book is so filled with great stories and insights. And it builds up my faith just to read the stories of God in the old days! How He worked through people and situations to form and keep a people for Himself is amazing! And this is so tight in with the verse that keeps coming back to me in Joshua 4, in my bible having the title: “The Memorial Stones.”

The context of this chapter is that God starts to lead His people into their promised land by the hand of His servant Joshua. The first step of their journey is to cross the river Jordan, and to show His power and commitment to them hey cut of the springs of the river so that it dried out before them! After the crossing of the people God gives a commentmend that might be just as important as the miracle itself:

And commending them, saying: ‘now take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and commend them saying: “take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, were the priest feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.

That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come saying: ‘what do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And these stones shall be a memorial to the children of Israel forever. (Joshua 4:6-7)

So often I read something in the word, and I just know that what I read is a mine worth digging in forever! It is just full with precious treasures. For me this is one of those.

And one of the treasures it builds in my heart is that I have a burning passion to place these kinds of memorial stones for my children! To live my life in such a way that through it God can create witnesses for the coming generation that will show that God is for them and with them. It is said a few verses later that: “These stones are there to this day” (Joshua 4:9). No, I don’t know or these stones are still standing there, but I do know that the spiritual memorial they stand for will remain forever! So no matter how you place your stones, make sure you do it, for they will remain as a witness of the only true God.

And the coming generation will need these stones more than we can imagine. Because as the one generation died, the other arose. And it is said that: “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the lord nor the work which he had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10)

Just like that! In one generation!

So I hope this blog encourages you to do all you can to live your life for God, that you might leave memorial stones for our children. 

Prophetic Word

Thanks Anne, for your devotional prayer over my life that builds me, encourages me, forms me and helps me!  

For who is God, except the LORD?
      And who is a rock, except our God?

God is my strength and power,

      And He makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
      And sets me on my high places.

He teaches my hands to make war,
      So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,

      Your gentleness has made me great.

You enlarged my path under me,

      So my feet did not slip.

2 Samuel 22:32

- Anne van 't Wout 

Braveheart

Brave heart has always been one of my favourite movies, and a few days ago I decided to watch it again. No, this blog is not a promotion for this movie, but after watching it I could not resist writing about some of the lessons I saw in it.

In the movie Mel Gibson plays the thru story of William Wallace. William is the son of four generations of patriots before him that all laid down their lives for freedoms sake. They refused to be enslaved by the ruthless kings of England that ruled over Scotland, their homeland. After loosing his father because of this, his uncle trained and equipped him to become a strong and wise man. Finishing his training and education he returned home to start a family and live in peace and freedom.

After trying to deny it he soon comes face to face with the force that moved the generations before him to lay down their lives so that their children and fellow countryman would not have to live under it.

Loosing the love of his life because of it, he turns his heart and is determined to end the fight of his fathers and gain freedom for himself and his country. Right from the start he knew that the only way to overcome this foreign enemy was to fight it in absolute union, being unwilling to compromise with the temptations of the enemy. By demonstration unseen courage he gained the favour and trust of many countryman, passing the burning fire fore freedom on to others.

Of course the enemy became mad as more and more started to join in oneness causing to become a real threat. As the real opposition came their way, William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) knew he needed the help of the nobles. Now, these nobles were known to be the rich, the talkers, the leaders and the fellow shippers with the enemy making all kinds of compromises for on gain. Although He knew this, William recognised their value and competence if they would only turn from compromise and joined as one. After many battles, William Wallace had to be the last of generations to lay down his life to gain freedom for all. His courage his passion let thousands to finish the fight. And although many of the nobles could not resist the temptation and fell, some turned and joined the ‘common’ in fight and became great leaders. And as they went as one, breakthrough finally came, causing freedom in every house of the land.

To bring this home, I believe we are also a generation called to join and finish the fight of our fathers, who prepared the way and already gained much ground. We ought to honour them for all they are and carry on were they left. We also stand against an enemy that tries to enslave us and steal our freedom. We have to realise that this enemy can only be overcome through the oneness of a body that is unwilling to compromise. I believe God is calling a generation of brave hearts who will go forth knowing their Identity in Him, and walk with heavenly courage. They will be known for their burning passion and call for freedom. And in this fight we cannot let unforgiveness blind us to the fact we need ‘the nobles’ of our time, and many of them will be great leaders in this fight. And walking under the open heaven of their Saviours kingdom, breakthrough for entire nations will be gained!

Anger

Yesterday I had this strange encounter with a boy who was maybe two or three years older than me. I was sitting next to my father in the car while he was driving, when this boy drove through red  almost bumping into us. This was no problem because he reacted on time and nothing happened. Then, as he came standing next to me in front of a traffic light I looked at him. I gave him a little not because I thought I knew him. For him, however, my look was not so friendly, and he started yelling at me and threatening he would ‘get out of his car’. I mean, he was really angry and really yelling crazy things at me. I was just amazed, starring at him asking myself, why are you so mad?

Thinking about this, I remembered so many times how ‘my look’ at someone almost got me into fights. I can think of countless times people threatened me because I looked at them a moment too long. This made me wonder, what is it that makes them so mad? Is all that anger all ready inside of them, because of failing of family, schools, systems and more? Is it because of lack of purpose and meaning in their life? Is it because they feel attacked or venerable when someone looks at them, and they feel this big need to protect their status, their ‘rights’? I think it can probably be either one of them, or maybe a bid of all. Whatever it is, their need to show their strength, protect their venerability, or maybe just their pent anger only takes a small look to come out.

Driving home I just felt sorry for this guy. All that anger must have had some kind of source.  Back home I read these verses in Ephesians:

…Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being separated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart. (4:17-18)

These words make me think about the best thing to pray for people. The problem is that they hardened their hearts, creating ignorance, separation from God, darkened understanding and so forth. Now, God is not into the changing of hearts when a person does not allows Him to. So more than asking God to change their hearts, a good prayer would be asking God to change and provide circumstances in such a way that they might soften their hearts, creating space for Him to change and renew it.

And then hopefully, because they soften their hearts, knowledge may come, causing their life to move toward God,  that their understanding might be lightened, making their mind fruitful for all good.

                                                                                     Enlightenment

                                             

God is able

Ephesians 5:13
..Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.

I’ve been meditating on this verse for a few days and I really love what it speaks to me. I read and hear a lot about the arising of the sons and daughters of God that is taking and going to take place on earth. And God is really releasing a lot of wisdom and revelation about this through His body. It feels like every book or message I receive is about this arising. It is all about the arising of the Joseph’s, the rising of the shining ones, the coming Elijah revolution, the arising Daniel company; About the coming of the bridegroom and the shining of His bride, and much more. And it amazes me how God shapes a time by releasing this revelation through so many people in different ways that all point to the same thing.

There are so many great and awesome promises written in the bible that are going to be fulfilled in the coming times, that it blows my mind thinking about it. And looking at them I can’t help myself wondering, how are you going to do all of this Lord? I mean, look at the world.. look at this generation.. look at the status of the church.. How can this be shifted to all of this? I mean, imagine seeing nations coming to Christ, seeing every sector of society showing His splendor, seeing His sons and daughters shining like stars showing the world its true  desire, seeing Jerusalem being a praise in the world.. How is this ever going to take place?      

By awakening, arising and light! Because God is a amazing God! His wisdom surpasses all our imagination. He is a God of generations, and He knows exactly when and how He is going to fulfill the times. And looking at my own life, I often wonder how I can receive so many of these messages. But then I understand that God is the director, the creator and He has spiritually wired my generation for this move of His spirit. They only have to be awakened and arise from the dead, and Christ will give them light. And looking at all my friends and all the students in the classrooms and youth around me, I feel that they are a able, that God had made them according to this time. They only don’t know, they are asleep and have to awake. They have to arise from the dead situations the prince of this earth has brought in their life, and be filled with the light Christ will give them as they more and more fall in love with Him.  

And the light will guide them out of their situation, and the wires of their purpose and calling will suddenly connect to their sores and start to produce, causing all Gods promises and prophesies to fulfill.

And as I write this my spirit and thought get so excited and filled with aw, and I know books can be written about this. I just want say with this, I believe in my God, that He is able to do all He said and I believe that this and the coming generation will be shifted in its calling.

 So as God and the body of Christ shake the earth, more and more people and nations will WAKE UP, arise from the dead, and start to shine with light Jesus will give them!

For as the soil makes the sprout come up
   and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness
   and praise spring up before all nations.

thankful

Thanks be to God for another save and smooth journey home from Sweden. It have been two great and vibrant weeks that left me with this impression: building. Both in the natural and in the spiritual. And coming home I just feel so blessed, so thankful that I can be a witness, a part of and a student during the journey and building of Rob and Prisca. You just keep amazing me with your love, your vision, your kindness and wisdom, and I just want to let you know that it forms me, directs me and blesses me ever since I knew you. Thanks once again for the wonderful time and privilege of being with you! And I rejoice in the fact that much more will come in the future! God bless you!

Happiness

What a time it has been since I have written my last blog. The resit of my internship cost me so much energy and focus that I couldn’t find the time to sit and write in peace. I had a goal and set my complete focus on it, and fortunately with success. During this time I felt so blessed with the phenomenal weather of the past weeks. It gave me and millions of others a great time and energy boost, sometimes much needed. After my first internship eastern came and brought some much appreciated free days. The sun was at his best and family and friends made it a great time. Then I shifted to a new internship at a secondary school. The first week went very fast and had some rare moments in it. One of them was a stunt of the pupils that graduate this year, as they turned the school upside down into a major disco and preformed a very Dutch bollonese, trying to break the national record (without succeeding). It was a good way of ending the season both for them as for all the others that have a one week vacation.

The last week before going to Sweden is always a strange week for me, as my soul burns with excitement but my spirit leads in a controlled mode of waiting. This mixture causes my focuses to be a little out of balance sometime, resulting in the lack of power and motivation to perform at the best of my abilities. I am just grateful that God leads and forms me through all these things, being patient with me as I walk the way. He always gives me so much peace through which me spirit keeps in control over feelings, reminding me that His burden is easy, His yoke light and He will never give too much to carry and supplies all that is needed to walk the way. 

Today I read these beautiful words in 1 Kings about the splendor and wisdom of Solomon.

 ¹ Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. ² She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. ³ So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. ⁴ And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, ⁵ the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. ⁶ Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. ⁷ However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. ⁸ Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! ⁹ Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

I find this an amazing story! And how amazing it must have been! It shows again the exceeding blessings that Wisdom brings. But in the story one sentence really captured my attention, as queen Sheba talks about the men and servants of Solomon: ⁸ Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

It took me, and captured my heart as I thought about the joy we have as servants of Christ Jesus, being given the right to stand before Him and hear His wisdom. Truly this is a thing to be happy about! And there is much more to say about this, but I just wanted to share the thought, and hopefully it gives you the same excitement and joy as it gave me!

Reason

I have been struggling for a few weeks with my blog and my writings. I just kept asking myself the question: why? Or better said, I kept asking God the question: why? What greater goal is there in my writing? Is there any use in you Lord? Because if there isn’t any, I really don’t want to continue.

My prayer is that my life and my efforts will be in direct relation with Jesus, just as He lived in direct relation with His father, as it is written in John 5:19:  I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

There is so much hunger inside of me to study the word of God and to find Wisdom and understanding. But I don’t want any of these things to be and function outside of my relation with Jesus, for what use would there be in them. I mean, the bible is full of people who did not had big trainings, bible studies and things like that, but still brought forth the kingdom of God in big proportion. Why? All because of their relation with God, who is and gives all knowledge and wisdom. They had a open and willing heart, they searched to hear and where obedient to the voice. What more is there in life than this? And, knowing that there is a long way in front of me, this is my longing, to live in this way, just as Jesus lived with His Father, not being able or willing to do anything rather than what I see or hear Him doing.

So, to bring this back to my writing. I remember myself as being someone that always had a answer, always wanted to say something back. Becoming a lover of Christ this was one of the first things Jesus helped me deal with. But still pride is always something I have to watch my back for. And I don’t want my blog to be a place where I can show the things I know. The blog started out of my longing to let flow some of the things I fill myself up with, to  speak the things that are in my mind and to share that what God is telling and teaching me. But my deepest longing is to bring the things I know and all that I gather back to Him who gives meaning to them, so that one day, on His time and for His purpose they can be used.

Keeping the blogging thing low for a while and reflecting on these thoughts, Jesus life went through my mind, and this verse came up: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52.

People almost always focus only on three years of the life of Jesus, forgetting or neglecting that He was thirty years out of the picture, increasing in wisdom and stature in the sight of men and that of God. I wondered how many times Jesus most have struggled in Himself with the fact that He knew and was the answer to all the pain and suffering around Him, all the sicknesses, curses and fights, but did not react because He waited on His father’s timing. I mean, what a commitment and loyalty!

Thinking about this helped me to find peace with my blog and my writing, and I pray that God will give me the grace to grow and increase in wisdom and stature until the time He wants to use me and all I have gained. So until that time I just keep on searching, reading and writing, praying that God will keep pride form my sight, so that all my longings to share and to teach may die, and one day be raised by Him to bring forth according to His grace.



Shake

But now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”²⁷ Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.

shake me out of spiritual dollmess

Shake of prayerlesness

Shake the mountains of resistance

Shake people free from satans hold

Shake limitations of

Shake of hinderness for God filles marriage

- Pride

- Wrong thinking

- Wrong reacting

Shake of strongholds of my mind

Shake of unbelief for healing
Shake of financial resistance
Shake the gates of hell

City Bible church - Frank Damazio

Prophecy

My son, you are  A Runner. You are a Person who wants to get the job done. You are the type of Person that wants to be focused, you don’t want to be a distracter.

This is The Time, This is The Hour.

The Lord  Says, I am bringing changes in your heart. There are areas of struggle in your life, where you say: God I want to Break Through, I want to overcome. You say I hate this I hate that. The Lord says I shall empower you, I shall give you Strength. Press in, Don’t give Up. Hold on the promises of God. There is a certain skill God has given you. A certain direction of career you are taking. God is going to help you to exalt in that. God is going to use you in this area. There is such a great hunger in your heart to study the word of God. And that’s why you shall be equipped with the word of God. And more, grow strong in God’s word. You shall excel into it. And the word shall form you, so you can do the things you could not do before. Don’t give up says the Lord.

two years ago

Wisdom

I, Wisdom call aloud outside, I raise My voice in the open squares

I cry out in the chief concourses,  at the opening of the Gates in the city.

If you incline your heart to it you will understand the fear of the lord and find the knowledge of God.

Who listens to Me will dwell safely and will be secure, without fear of evil.

I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence and find out knowledge and understanding.

Counsel is Mine, and sound wisdom, I am understanding, I have strength.

Happy is the man who finds Me, And the man who gains understanding;

Riches and honour are with Me, and My fruit is better than gold

I traverse the way of righteousness, That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,

that I may fill their treasuries. For My proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with Wisdom.
Length of days is in My right hand, And in My left hand riches and honor.
My ways are ways of pleasantness, And all My paths are peace.
I am a tree of life to those who take hold of Me,
And happy are all who retain Me.

I am life to your soul and grace to your neck.

And blessed are those who keep my ways.

The LORD by Wisdom founded the earth;

I have been established from everlasting,

From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman
And I was daily His delight,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

Wisdom is the principal thing,

SO GET WISDOM!

proverbs 1-9

My Prayer

Worship

¹¹ “ On that day I will raise up  The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages;  I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;  ¹² That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says the LORD who does this thing. ¹³ “ Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,  “ When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;  The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. ¹⁴ I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.  ¹⁵ I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,”   Says the LORD your God.

Amos 9:11-15

Peace

Matthew 10: 34-39 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’^{[e] 37} He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

This verse came to my mind as I was watching a movie about the crusades in Jerusalem fighting against the Muslims. One of the knights in the movie had a wish ‘that one day the Muslims and Christians shall live hand in hand next to each other’. As great as this wish sounds, it reminded me of the words of Jesus about peace, saying ‘Do not thing I came to bring peace, but the sword..’ What a strange words for Jesus to speak, and I remember them disturbing my mind the first time I read them.

It says that Jesus did not come to bring peace on earth. To bring peace, yes, but not here on earth, because until the day Jesus comes back there will be a war between God and satan over the souls of people and nations. And as much as I would love this wish of peace to occur I know there will never come a time that Muslims, Buddhists Christians, an any other religion will live hand in hand next to each other, because this is not Gods purpose. His will is that everyone will be saved, so every path that leades to death will not be one He lives in peace with. Because more than a feeling, peace is a person, and if we want to enter this peace there is only one door. And this has nothing to do with God not loving unbelievers or those who worship falls gods, in contrarily, He loves them too much to let them live a life that misses the beauty and fullness of what He intended it for.

And this does not mean we cannot be friends with one another, but God does gives us a warning that we should Not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. So more than a issue of friendship, it is about a yoke, about being unequal joined together. Because the yoke of our Lord is easy, and His burden is light, but that of a falls god is a heavy yoke of slavery and emptiness. Walking together would mean there cannot be harmony and it will lead not one, but two people of the road.

Christ and Belial just have no similarity with each other,

 "For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols". (2 Cointhians 6:14)

So as friendship might be there in the natural, in the spiritual there are two kingdoms apart from one another. One is operating out of hate, purposed to steal and destroy, the other is operating out of love, purposed to save and give life. That’s why it is so important to look at others through the redemptive eyes of Jesus, filled with love knowing we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,^[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

And then the verse continues saying we are not worthy of Christ if we love anyone, even our parents, sons and daughters more than we love Him. And as much as the words in the verses can sound negative, they actually are very positive. God wants us to taste the fullness of life, remove every limitation that holds it back and get us in line with His purpose for life. The prize He paid for this was high, and what He has to bring is of unknown value. He is simply saying that anyone who goes easy with this, loving less more, is just not worth it. Because when we really want to live without any compromise, we will face choices we have to make. And if we choose a path of less, a path that not honour God’s gift even if it means losing friendships and relatives, we are not worthy of the high price God paid for us. I mean, would you offer up your sons life for someone, if you knew this person would afterwards chose death anyway, for any reason? Would you count this person worthy?

There will be moments we have to take up our cross and decide to live for Jesus, and nothing less.  It is about understanding that He is all in all, the purpose of life and life itself. He is the truth, the way and the life. So if we want to live life our own way, making our own decisions neglecting Jesus, we neglect the one who gives life and we will lose it. But when we chose to lose our live for His sake, acknowledging there is nothing in life outside of Him, He will give us Life in its fullness. The more we separate ourselves for Him from our flesh and the ways of this world, the more space there will be in us for the fullness of life to live in us.

For you^[b] are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

      “ I will dwell in them
      And walk among them.
      I will be their God,
      And they shall be My people.”^[c]

 ¹⁷ Therefore

      “ Come out from among them
      And be separate, says the Lord.
      Do not touch what is unclean,
      And I will receive you.”^{[d]
       18} “ I will be a Father to you,
      And you shall be My sons and daughters,
      Says the LORD Almighty.”^[e]

 2 Corinthians 6: 16-18

 

Manasse Elias

By Anne Elisabeth

My Fragrance

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. ¹⁵ For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

What a beautiful thing that we can be the fragrance of Christ to the people around us! Because just as fragrances exist and influence the natural, they also do in the spiritual realm. And what a powerful thing that we can change and have impact to the atmosphere around us just by the fragrance we carry with us.

Imagine yourself sitting inside a room and someone with a terrible smelling perfume comes in and sits himself next to you. You would smell it, feel it through your body, react on it and if possible you would even find another place to sit. On the other side, someone with a very pleasant and good smelling perfume would not disturb you. Investigation has even proved that some ones smell has a powerful impact on the way people are attracted to others. In this case, as it is in the natural it is also in the spiritual. If we carry the fragrance of Christ with us we will impact our atmosphere. Every evil spirit and demon will smell it, tremble of it and will hurry to find another place to be. People would feel that something good is nearby, something pleasant and even attractive to be around.

Carrying this fragrance is all about being cleansed and purified by Jesus through the Holy Spirit. This is a cleansing that starts from the inside out and will revolve in the refining of the way we think, we speak, we act, we look and what we put our interest in. As this progres proceeds we will be able to spread more and more of His fragrance.

Thoughts.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

I just love this verse as it is so powerful and radical that David longs that all the meditations of his heart, his entire thought life, will be acceptable in the sight of God. To accomplish this we have to train ourselves in bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, because out of the heart without God proceed evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19) It is a process of dying of ourselves and completely surrendering and yielding to the leading of the Holy spirit. This purifying of our heart will take time, discernment, obedience and repentance as we draw near to God. We need to endure our own dying and let Gods spirit correct and renew us. But in time our thought life will be more and more under the control of the Holy Spirit, as He teaches us the will of our Lord and to meditate on whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy.

Words.

What we speak is so significant and powerful. Our words will always have impact on the atmosphere around us, for Death and life are in the power of the tongue! (proverbs 18:21) What a power God has given us, and what a great responsibility we have to control our thong. For as small as it is it will control the course of our life because it shifts and moves things around as they are spoken. And as they fill the airwaves of the natural and spiritual realm, they can be like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Works.

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^[d] works, and I will show you my faith by my^[e] works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?^{[f] 21} Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^[g] And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. ²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? ²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

What more is there to say about this? And if you ask yourself this question: How can a young man cleanse his way? The answer is also given: By taking heed according to Your word.

Appearance.

You might wonder, what has my appearance to do with this? But this is the first thing people see when they look at you. And when we study scripture we will find that God speaks and reveals through pictures,  images and different kinds of clothing’s. Pictures can prophesy about the God of the light and on the other side about the god of this earth. Our Gods nature is creativity, He created heaven and earth in all of its splendor. God loves to bring forth His creative character  through His children and fulfill our longing for fresh and good styles. And through the creativity that is inside of us we are able to show Gods character in all kinds of styles and new looks.  But when we walk around with pictures of sculls, pain, death or all kind of evil words on our clothes we showcase the way of the satan and walk in the way of darkness. This is the same for clothes that draw a sexual attention. For the character of what you use to draw attention will be the same then the character you attract. Rather Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— ⁴ rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God

Input.

(Matthew 6:23) “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness”

This is a important question we need to ask ourselves: are the things that I am seeing shining light or bringing darkness into my heart, spirit and soul? Because if we long for this fragrance of Christ, which is a spiritual fragrance, we need to guard our eyes so that no filth can enter in. The verse is very clear that the eye is the lamb of the body, so whatever it sees shines inside. We have to take the task to protect our eyes, and by that our body, serieus to be a holy, pure and accepteble sacrefice unto God. For this to acure we need to keep in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. And then, as we work the ground of our body and let it be filled with good fertilizer as our eye captures light, we will be able to diffuse His fragrance more and more.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ²