Covered in His Oil & Fragrance by John Belt
http://www.identitynetwork.net/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&view=post&articleid=98098&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
By John Belt
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How important it is for us to be covered with the oil of His Presence, the fragrance of the incense of prayer. Our choices and the things we engage in determine the fragrance that we carry. God wants us to be saturated with His oil. Depending on the type of fragrance that our lives carry we will attract certain things. What do you want to attract. There are some things that only attract flies. We want our lives to be attractive to God, to the Holy Spirit. There are things that can grieve and drive away the Holy Spirit, then there are things that welcome His Presence. We should take time to really discover those things that draw Him to be with us. Many would like to think that it is just default for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us because it is true that we are "the temple of the Holy Spirit." The truth is that we need to make Him feel at home, not taking for granted that if we do anything we please He will just "get over it." To the degree we surrender our hearts in devotion, to the same degree He makes us His abode. If Jesus comes to the temple of our hearts and finds it filled with idolatry and abomination He may need to turn the tables over to get our hearts turned around.
We need to take time everyday finding out what is pleasing to the Lord. Instead of seeing what we can get away with, let's see how close we can live to His heart.
Filled with the Oil of His Presence
There are a few foundational things we can do to live a life that is filled with the Oil of His Presence:
- A life of worship, prayer and thanksgiving is always attractive to the Spirit. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "You cannot give thanks and complain at the same time." A thankful heart is like pure gold to the Lord. True worship begins with a heart filled with thanks to God. This also fuels a heart to engage with a spirit of prayer
- What comes out of our mouths is a big deal. The Book of James talks about how our tongue is the rudder of the ship of our lives directing its path. If we want to head the right direction and keep God close we need to get what comes out of our mouths in order.
- Our meditation will make a huge difference in just how engaged the Holy Spirit is in our lives. Just as the pure in heart shall see God, so those who have pure meditation will discover the Holy Spirit's Presence in their midst. What goes in comes out. Make sure you are sowing seeds of life in your heart so that you have something to give.
- Seeking to serve the Lord with a self-less devotion, rather than self-seeking is totally attractive to God. Realize that everything you do is "spiritual." Some will sacrifice with things that look spiritual but miss the thing they really should be doing. One right choice can avert a multitude of prayers. By our wrong choices we create need for prayer. Obedience is better than sacrifice. You can do a multitude of things and neglect the one thing God has told you to do. That will wear you out quite quickly.
As we immerse ourselves in a Christ-life that draws heaven's favor we will find ourselves in a place of "shalom" with God living from the heart completely satisfied with Him.
The Lord help us to live such lives that draw Him closer to us, that we would desire to be close to us with intimate fellowship.
John Belt
http://www.identitynetwork.net/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=Seek--Serve-by-John-Belt-&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
You must be ready and alert — spiritually awake, to know what God is doing. Only through a heart connected to God in worship and prayer will your lamp be burning. Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning. Luke 12:35 In this passage, it is important to embrace "being girded" as it means being ready to serve. As we read on, we see Jesus says that "the Master" responds as He will "gird Himself to serve" those who are found doing these things. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=Finding-the-Waters-of-Refreshing-for-Our-Lives-by-John-Belt-&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Have you ever felt like your soul just needed a good washing? How many times I've felt that way. If you've ever felt this way, don't think it is unusual. We are in this world but not of it. Sometimes there are things that, if we are not discerning, we open the door to. It pays to seek the Lord at all times and ask the question… Why am I not experiencing God's presence right now? When you know it is His will for you to live in that place and also know that Jesus is your greatest example — as He lived in the absolute reality of God's presence continually.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=Seek--Serve-by-John-Belt-&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
You must be ready and alert — spiritually awake, to know what God is doing. Only through a heart connected to God in worship and prayer will your lamp be burning. Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning. Luke 12:35 In this passage, it is important to embrace "being girded" as it means being ready to serve. As we read on, we see Jesus says that "the Master" responds as He will "gird Himself to serve" those who are found doing these things.