The aroma of Christ

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His Friday!  I ran across a bible verse the other day that caused me to stop and ponder…..I have read it lots of times before, but this time I paused and pondered for a minute….but it wasn’t until this morning on my drive to work that I really “got” it.  The verse, I Corinthians 2:15, “For we are to God the aroma of Christ……”  That’s where I stopped and pondered….hmm do I smell like Christ……silly thoughts like that went through my mind…What does Christ smell like???  That portion of the verse had been wallowing around in my mind ever since….. until this morning as I was driving to work…..I drove through a patch of skunk…..oh my gosh, the stench was so strong it burned my nose…the first thought that popped into my mind was….”Well that certainly is not the aroma of Christ”  Christ would smell sweet….my mind was whirling….the aroma of Christ….kind, loving, unselfish, forgiving, compassionate…..Wow, I couldn’t wait to get to get to my bible and read more….how can we be “to God, the aroma of Christ?”  We are so un Christ-like.  OK, so here’s the rest of the story….verse 14, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. “  Isn’t that the coolest way to think about knowing and loving Christ…..fragrant not stinky!  Sweet not pungent…..then 15 & 16 continue, “For we are to God the aroma of Christamong those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.”  Fresh roses or pungent skunk…..life or death……We are, according to God….the aroma of Christ…..carrying HIS love to others, verse 16 concludes by telling us, “And who is equal to such a task?”  Oh my…..how do we do that…..God has confidence in us!  He trusts us with the loving, compassionate, forgiving and life giving “aroma of Christ”  HIS only SON….The SON HE gave for us….to wash us clean….Hmmm, that’s always a nice fragrance fresh from the bath…..clean, inside and out……forgiven….by HIS grace and mercy….Our Father trusts us to do HIS work…to spread the“fragrance of life” from the mountain tops!  Father, it’s hard to comprehend that You trust us with this life-giving task….thank you.  Enable us to go and confidently tell so that others may know YOU and receive eternal life.  “Rise, Shine, Give God the Glory!”

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service.  I Timothy 12.

Now get out there and smell up the world!!!  Love you all!

Be safe this weekend.  God’s blessings to each of you.

Batter up!

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His Tuesday!  Ran across a bible verse this morning that hit a spot with me….with a special T ball team…..from Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and glory of the Lord rises upon you.”   Last night, after several cancellations, we had another T ball game!  I was excited as I climbed into the bleachers with Katy, mom and dad….the other team was already on the field practicing!  Didn’t take but a few moments to see that this team…was pretty darn good!  For starters they looked like giants compared to our little guys and they could throw and catch, I mean really throw and catch….wow….dad and I chuckled at the thought of what we were up against!  Our kids took their places in the field, excited, thrilled and just proud to be there!  Well, bam….one hit, then another, and another, 1, 2 ,3 points and going crazy…our kids were so happy to have balls to chase, places to throw them if it wasn’t the right place….they were giving it their all!!!  This went on for three innings!  We, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were screaming and hollering, disgusted with how out matched we were….but the kids…..the kids….they were shining….Giving it their best, they played the game with gusto, enthusiasm, determination…..Our little team shined, no crying, stomping, pouting, no giving up!  They shined while us adults….we were rather pathetic at times….who cares that the final score was 18-1…..God doesn’t care one bit!  As I read Is. 60:1 I couldn’t help but think that His light had risen on them, they shined with HIS love…..Oh my, if only we could rise and shine in our faith like those kids did playing ball….”Arise, Shine….you and me, let’s get up to bat for HIM….HIS Glory is rising upon us…..HE loves us….verse 2 continues, “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, BUT the LORD rises upon you and HIS glory appears over you.”  Don’t worry how big the other team is…..Remember we have the PERFECT COACH!!!  Our Father rises out of the darkness and shines HIS everlasting glory on us….HIS PERFECT all powerful LOVE….Unending FORGIVENESS, MERCY, GRACE….Father, thank you for shining YOUR Glory on us…..help us to rise and shine for YOU!  Rise, shine….give God the glory!

 

Though I have fallen, I will rise.  Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.  Micah 7:8.  Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To HIM be glory both now and forever!  2 Peter 3:18.  My soul is downcast within me.  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:20-23.  Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright I heart.  Psalm 97:11.

Love you all!

 

 

He Yearns for Our Touch

Good Morning Friends!  True and Tender is our God, Tuesday.  I had the most amazing week last week….a whole week in Fairbanks, AK with Hailey, Clark and my precious great grandson, Tucker!  Blessings overflowing from the minute I arrived until, I sadly left on Saturday…..sitting at the airport alone, I began reflecting on the special times during the week.  There were tons of laughs, too many happy smiles to even count, and the conversations, especially with 18 month old Tucker, were stimulating!  Oh so many precious memories, but the event that touched my heart most deeply was rocking Tucker to sleep….We would sit in the big rocker, snuggled in a blanket all cuddled up;  at first a bit restless, but he soon settled down, as we rocked I could feeling him relaxing in my arms, his breathing slowing, deep and then… just as I felt he was almost asleep, he reached up with his little hand and touched my face, his tiny fingers gently caressing me….my heart….oh my heart was bursting with love, the joy overwhelming….a brief touch…..precious….irreplaceable…..sitting alone in the airport, reflecting on that moment I could not hold back a smile…a smile building from the inside….glowing on the outside.  Pure joy from that little hand touching my face…..My thoughts turned to our Heavenly Father, as I sat there I began thanking Him for the joy of Tucker’s touch……Oh Father, I can only imagine how You must yearn for our touch….for us to reach up to You, touch You and receive Your endless mercy, grace……love.  Thank you Father for filling our lives with joys overflowing, precious memories, and love.  Help us to remember all that we have, every blessing is from You….thank you for Your tender caresses……

 

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have Him touch them.  When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Luke 18:15-16.  Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:7.  Let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  1 John 4:7-8.  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!  Matthew 7:11.  Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever.  Amen!  Revelation 7:12.

Love you all!

 

Kathie A. Johnson

He makes all things brand new: 2 Corinthians 5:17-8, 21

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  I was so excited yesterday at the prospect of finally getting to come to work on CR 1600….if you reach back, you might remember I shared when it closed quite some time ago.  More miles and time for me, so I was so glad when I found out Monday night that it was open (well sort of).  I headed out early yesterday because of the rain, but I was excited about being back on 1600!  My goodness, what a difference, the old road was so rough, bumpy, and full of potholes….the new road smooth, wider and no potholes!  Just amazing to me what they can do with good equipment and man power…..an old road, “brand new.”  As I drove along a thought came to me…..we too can be brand new…..no matter how rough and bumpy we become, no matter how many potholes or how deep they are….we can be “band new” again too!  Oh  friends, my heart warmed as I felt HIS arms around me…reassuring me that through the blood, the death, and resurrection of His ONLY SON, JESUS we can be ‘brand new,” washed clean, free from our sin and guilt….from the bumpy, narrow road that we sometimes travel…….There’s always, always HOPE for us and those we love through JESUS……smile with me, thank our Father for HIS unending grace and mercy, and never give up on yourself or a loved one no matter how deep the potholes….Go to HIM, Be Still, lean into HIS embrace, Listen….Trust……Believe……HE Makes all things NEW….BRAND NEW.   Thank you Father!  All honor and praise to YOU!

 

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life…..for sin shall not be your master because you are not under the law, but under grace…..For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  From Romans 6.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5: 17-18 & 21.  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.  Psalm 103:12.  It is by grace you have been save, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the girl of God.  Ephesians 2:8.  Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20.

Love you all!