Tag: Incense

Posted in Christian Service, Praise, Word of God

Is God in to Aromatherapy?

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Is God in to Aromatherapy?

A recent personal quest of my own to learn more about oils from a biblical perspective brought me to one of the first mentions in scripture in the book of Exodus Chapter 25. It was actually the third mention of oil, but the other mentions were of Jacob pouring the oil on a stone

Exodus 25:6 (KJV) says  Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

The oil was apart of an instruction from God for a free will offering towards various things for the worship and service of God. Acceptable things that were to be used in offerings. Since the dessert of Arabia could not furnish the oils, it is assumed that the oils were with them when they left Egypt, and would have been treasured substances. I thought about the treasured substances in my own life. Not oils… at least not yet. For I only have a few; but what is treasured in my life is the gift of the Holy Spirit. What a privilege and treasure to have within me the very presence of God.

Moses traveled upon  the mount of Sinai alone, leaving the people of God below to watch the cloud surround the mountain. Moses alone for forty days and forty nights as the people watched. Praise God we live in a different time. I’m not much of an observer, I am for certain a participator. I have always wanted to be right in the thick of anything going on and to set idle in the balcony of life while others are participants is very difficult on me. I’m not sure why I was born so nosey, but I was. 

I found it interesting that when it came to God’s request for the oils, there were (as so often in scripture) a three fold purpose. “Light, Anointing and Sweet Incense.”

Glory to God for the Oil in the Lamp

When I think of “lamp oil.” I think of a kerosene lamp of modern day. Probably nothing compared to the ancient lanterns. But they served the purpose of light. I’ve only experienced the pitch black of night a few times, where there was no source of light coming from anything and it’s not something I would be comfortable with for long. It makes e appreciate the lamps that surround me in my home that I can turn on even during the day and make more light!  But nothing is comparable to the Light of Jesus Christ in my life. 

Jesus says in John 12:46

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

God never intends His children to live in darkness. Even if it’s dark. The fear that I used to feel in the darkness (which I still necessarily don’t like) isn’t what it was. While I have human emotions and fears, they are subsided by the Spirit of Light that lives within me. I am never alone, even in dark times.  Glory to God for the oil!

Glory to God for the Oil of Anointing

I’m learning more and more about my little box of oils that I received in the mail. One of the first things I did was downloaded to Kindle, three books on Oils of the Bible. I dove in head first to learn why they were so important and are they still? And why do I have a pharmacy in my kitchen? Don’t panic… I’m still going to use my pharmacy until the doc tells me not to, but what are the medicinal purposes of the oil and what are the spiritual?

One of the first oils I used medicinally was Tea Tree Oil. This may be TMI (too much info) for you, but my pinky toe and the one next to it were itching terribly one evening. So I looked up in the oils a treatment for skin issues. Low and behold it called for the use of tea tree oil to be rubbed on the affected area. This itch had been an issue for sometime and I’d used other store  treatments for dry feet, etc to no avail. But I slid off my cow girl boots (which may be part of the issue,) and took a smidge, and I mean just a smidge of the tea tree oil and put on my foot. The itch stopped immediately. I kept waiting for it to come back. It did not.  Who knew!? Is it gone for ever? I doubt it, I have multiple pair of pointed toe boots that I adore; but it’s been a week and no itch. I’ve had a couple of other successful treatments with oil on other pains as they would do it in Pain Clinics, and I’m slowly but surely beginning to believe that there’s something to the oil! I’d imagine that after 40 years in the hot sand, a few of the Israelites likely had itchy feet, but that was not God’s purpose for the oil in the sanctuary. 

Oil was used for the anointing of Aaron and his sons in their service to God and the vessels in the tabernacle. Oil was a sacrificial offering likely because of it’s rarity, cost and individual purposes. If oil was important to God, should it not be important to God’s people? I’m not putting more emphasis on oil than needs to be. I’m adding no emphasis toward salvation or brownie points with God because someone uses oil. But the fact that oils had purpose hasn’t changed. 

I understand why God did aromatherapy. I’m kiddding…. But when Paul told the Philippians in Philippians 4:18 KJV

[18] But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

This was said in allusion to the sacrifices under the former dispensation, in which God smelled a sweet savour, Genesis 8:21, in reference to which, as the sacrifice of Christ is said to be of a sweet smelling savour, Ephesians 5:2, and as the spiritual sacrifices of the saints, as praises and prayers, are called odours, Revelation 5:8, and are said to be acceptable unto God, 1 Peter 2:5; so acts of beneficence are called sacrifices, with which he is well pleased, Hebrews 13:16.

I believe God does His own version of aromatherapy when the Saints of God are offering sacrifices of praise and service to the Kingdom. By the same token I believe that he also instilled within us a joy from certain type scents. Not everyone likes the same. I don’t generally care for fruity scents, but I love earthy scents. I’m not a fan of hardly any flora scents, but lavender is growing on me from my little Box of goodies. 

This study has been good for me today, it brought joy to my soul and I’ll continue my study of the various oils of the bible. I pray you enjoyed it as well. Blessings!!!! From the Jesus Chick. 

Posted in Bible Journaling, Life Inspiration

Hippies, incense and Jesus

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Hippies, incense and Jesus

Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;

Jeremiah 18:15hippy

I could not help but digress to the image of the psychedelic incense burning hippy of the days of my youth when I read that scripture. Born in the 60’s, I was born smack dab into the middle of a love fest. Although my parents weren’t hippies, but they did love me. If anything they were anti-hippies. They were the God fearing, church going, straight as an arrow family of the 50’s who refused to come into the new age. Praise God!

That era did however have a profound effect on me, even though I was a tiny tot and early elementary kid at the height of it. The ideological principles were carried right into the 70’s and with the 1980’s we embraced all things new and shiny with the attitude, “I love it, therefore I should have it, right or wrong.”

But in the day of Jeremiah, they weren’t incense burning hippies. They were idol worshipping backsliders who had turned their back on God’s ways and thought they’d found a new and better path. Hmmmm… perhaps it wasn’t so different than the 60’s. Preachers of the 60’s were called Jesus freaks and Jeremiah was indicted by the Jews because he preached truth. Nobody wanted to hear the truth or the consequences of it in Jeremiah’s day and Truth or Consequences was a hit show hosted by Bob Barker in the 60’s. That’s kind of a silly similarity but the results aren’t funny at all. What we have is a nation

Scroll into the new millennia and tell me how we’re better off? We’re not, but I’m not Jeremiah the weeping prophet. The good news is Jesus is coming soon! I’m not praying my nation’s demise or wishing God would reign judgment down upon it. That will come on its own. What I’m praying for is for the churches of America get back to the foundational truth of the Word of God and stop wavering into the “feel good nonsense” that sends people to Hell. And no, I don’t think all hippies are going to Hell. The hippies may be more in touch with God than the white shirt suited preacher that points his finger at the world in condemnation rather than showing them the love of Jesus. But regardless of whether you are a hippie, Jesus freak, preacher or average Joe or Jill, the truth is Jesus is the way, truth and life and nobody is getting into Heaven without understanding that. (Paraphrased from John 14:6)

I’m thankful that I grew up with parents who were very close to the Ozzie and Harriet show of the 50’s. Traditional stay at home mom and working dad with honest Christian values. Now, my mom did go to work after we were grown, my dad became very stylish in his later years, but they never strayed from the old path of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their children strayed, but returned and gave evidence that if you train a child up in the way he should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)