During a Roman triumphal procession, the Roman general would enter along with his men and chariots displaying all his treasures he had collected along with people he had captured as prisoners. During the procession, they would burn incense. To all the Romans, it was the sweet smell of victory. But to the captured, it smelled of captivity and death.
This gives you a little background of when Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2: 14-16- 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. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.
We, who believe in Christ, are to be a fragrance to all those we come into contact. One of the cornerstones of the church that I am a member is what they call “Missional Living”. It means we are to go out in the world and proclaim the gospel in the way we live and interact with the world. On the flipside, to those who have completely turned away from God, we are, unfortunately, a stench.
I was reminded of one my of my spiritual heroes. His name is Bob Curtis. Bob was 80 years old when he took his first mission trip. As a goal that year, he was commited to lead 80 people to Christ. He surpassed that. My wife met him for the first time on a trip to India in 1999 and Bob was 89 years old. He kept up with everyone.
I met Bob the next year and soon I wanted to hang out with him all the time. He was just a joy to be around. And he was not shy about talking about God to anyone. One time he was in the hospital to put a stint in his heart. A pastor friend and I went to visit him after the surgery. He couldn’t wait to get out. He said that there were too many people out there to tell about Jesus. When we told him to tell the doctors and nurses that came in, he said, “They already know, ‘cuz I told them.”
During the last couple weeks of Bob’s life, Stephanie and I went to visit him in a nursing home. His health was failing and we knew it was not going to be long, before he went to be with the Lord. When we got to his room, Bob was asleep. But while in his sleep, Bob was preaching the Gospel. I stood at the foot of his bed and wept. That is how I want to go out. My last words to be about the things that really matter, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I knew Bob was special, but it seems all the people at that nursing home also knew he was someone very different. As you know, they don’t always treat their patients with the dignity they deserve. They did with Bob Curtis. They all called him Mr. Bob. A few days before he passed away in his sleep, a couple of employees knelt by his bed and asked him to pray a prayer of blessing on their lives.
I remember receiving the news Bob was gone. I went into my office and cried. They were tears of gratitude. I was thankful the Lord had allowed me to know Bob Curtis for 4 years and I was going to miss him in my life.
Bob Curtis was a fragrance; a sweet aroma. I want my life to reflect the fragrance of Jesus Christ. How about you? What do you want to smell like; The Savior or the stench of the world?
Blessings!
This gives you a little background of when Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2: 14-16- 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. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.
We, who believe in Christ, are to be a fragrance to all those we come into contact. One of the cornerstones of the church that I am a member is what they call “Missional Living”. It means we are to go out in the world and proclaim the gospel in the way we live and interact with the world. On the flipside, to those who have completely turned away from God, we are, unfortunately, a stench.
I was reminded of one my of my spiritual heroes. His name is Bob Curtis. Bob was 80 years old when he took his first mission trip. As a goal that year, he was commited to lead 80 people to Christ. He surpassed that. My wife met him for the first time on a trip to India in 1999 and Bob was 89 years old. He kept up with everyone.
I met Bob the next year and soon I wanted to hang out with him all the time. He was just a joy to be around. And he was not shy about talking about God to anyone. One time he was in the hospital to put a stint in his heart. A pastor friend and I went to visit him after the surgery. He couldn’t wait to get out. He said that there were too many people out there to tell about Jesus. When we told him to tell the doctors and nurses that came in, he said, “They already know, ‘cuz I told them.”
During the last couple weeks of Bob’s life, Stephanie and I went to visit him in a nursing home. His health was failing and we knew it was not going to be long, before he went to be with the Lord. When we got to his room, Bob was asleep. But while in his sleep, Bob was preaching the Gospel. I stood at the foot of his bed and wept. That is how I want to go out. My last words to be about the things that really matter, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I knew Bob was special, but it seems all the people at that nursing home also knew he was someone very different. As you know, they don’t always treat their patients with the dignity they deserve. They did with Bob Curtis. They all called him Mr. Bob. A few days before he passed away in his sleep, a couple of employees knelt by his bed and asked him to pray a prayer of blessing on their lives.
I remember receiving the news Bob was gone. I went into my office and cried. They were tears of gratitude. I was thankful the Lord had allowed me to know Bob Curtis for 4 years and I was going to miss him in my life.
Bob Curtis was a fragrance; a sweet aroma. I want my life to reflect the fragrance of Jesus Christ. How about you? What do you want to smell like; The Savior or the stench of the world?
Blessings!
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