Hope For America
We should preach, teach, and live the gospel of the Lord Jesus as the only way of salvation available to a fallen race. He is the hope for America.
Paul was careful to not boast in his position and education. He wanted to only boast in the salvation of Christ that he gained in an encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus. He vowed to turn the world upside down with preaching and teaching of the gospel. Paul gathered men and traveled town to town with the sole purpose to preach Christ’s gospel.
The hope for America is in being a sweet savor for our friends and neighbors. Paul, despite being beaten, left for dead, shipwrecks, and great persecution, determined to be a sweet savor and give thanks to God who he said always caused him to triumph.
2 Corinthians 2:12-15
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. 14 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.
Matthew 5:13
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Anointing oils were made of 5 ingredients that were crushed and pounded into a sweet savor. Receiving the sweet savor of God involves a crushing and a sanctification. Sin must be crushed and pounded to remove the stench of it. We can never make a difference and display a hope for America until we freshen and sweeten our savor by getting into the presence of God and letting His anointing pour over us and into our lives. Then that sweet savor and anointing must be shared with all we can reach. The Lord Jesus depends upon the witness of his people. The intention of God’s purposeful plan is that the sweet savor of the spices make salvation pleasant and desirable.
Sweet things always draw flies. We can’t allow a moment of foolishness to be like dead flies in the ointment. Our reputation should please God. We can’t allow the devil to distract us from what we know as a child of God, an overcomer, the head and not the tail, the winner, the victor by the authority of Jesus Christ.
Ecclesiastes 10:1-2
Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
But a fool’s heart at his left.
The people of God should gather and lift praises and a sweet savor to Him.
Exodus 5:1
Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”
Pub 8/21/22