Pure Fragrant Worship

Many people go out of their way to do things that Jesus has already done. Recently, there was a large gathering of Indigenous people from all over the world that had come to Big Bear, California to bring their prayers and rituals on the mountain. There is a traditional ritual within Native American/Indigenous religious practices called smudging. It is their practice of cleansing, healing, etc., where they will burn sage, cedar and other herbs. As it smokes, they take their hand and bring in the smoke toward their faces to "smudge" themselves. It is their belief that the fragrant smoke has medicinal cleansing powers.

As I did a quick internet search to be sure I was describing this ritual correctly, there were so many results that popped up - from witchcraft to wiccan and new age; all burning something, believing in the power of this ritual to cleanse the air of negativity and bring positivity. My heart breaks as I write this because I can only think of Father’s heart in Malachi.

Malachi 1:11

For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations. In every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.

I cannot help but think of Abba’s heart as He is speaking this, essentially declaring that there will be a day when incense that is pure will be offered to the name of Almighty God, the One, True and Living God. This is a declaration for today and how it is so applicable to the day and age we are living in. As I was asking God about why He reminded me of the smudging ceremonies, He reminded me that He is the originator of incense fire and the offering of sweet-smelling smoke arising before His presence. You see dear ones, everything has its beginning and its ending in God. There is nothing without Him, nor will there be anything to come without Him. He is All in All. Malachi 1:11 will be the fulfillment of pure, unspoiled worship that will go before His nostrils as a fragrance that is pure, pleasing and accepted from the nations. 

Exodus 34-35

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet and fragrant spices—stacte, onycha, and galbanum, sweet and fragrant spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal amount of each— and make incense with it, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure and sacred.

We should all be familiar with the specifications of the incense that was used in temple worship. If you are not familiar with it you may read about it in Exodus 30. This holy mix of spices was not to be used for anything but for the prayers and sacrifices in the temple. We now, in the New Covenant, enter into worship and offer sweet aromas from our lives to God because of Jesus who tore down the veil to make His holy presence accessible to us. 

The Lord brought to remembrance a conversation I had with a teenage girl who was leading worship at the church I was attending. I remember the theme of music coming up. I had been wrestling for a few weeks with God about dancing. Now, each of us has things that the Lord has talked to us about, surrendering for the sake of purifying our worship. It was never about being religious or legalistic; it has Always been about LOVE. With a name like Jealous, how can we expect that anything less than our full devotion and surrender would be acceptable to Him?  I was in this place. I grew up in a legalistic religious system of rules and it produced the fear of man in me. The do’s and don’ts of my life were about sin being discovered, not about living in freedom from sin because of what He had done for me. 

1 Corinthians 1:30

But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God [revealing His plan of salvation], and righteousness [making us acceptable to God], and sanctification [making us holy and setting us apart for God], and redemption [providing our ransom from the penalty for sin].

Many of you have read enough of my blogs to know that my process of sanctification was how my foundation was reformed and how God was building me into His Holy habitation. My blogs are always, only, about what God has shown me and how it could possibly be applied to a season you may be in your life. In the time of this conversation with this 14-year-old worship leader, she challenged me about the music that I was listening to and asked how worshippers could listen to worldly music and lead worship. I was convicted because God had been asking me to give up dancing. I didn’t grow up dancing and it wasn’t like I was going to the clubs or anything but I loved to dance at weddings and quinceañeras! Growing up Pentecostal, there was always dancing in church, but we did not grow up dancing to “worldly” music at parties, so it wasn’t until I was in my 20's that I started to frequent some locations to dance to Spanish rock and cumbias (a very specific genre of music that I really loved to dance to).

The Lord used this young girl to snap me out of it! LOL! The message was basically, “I don’t want a mixture in your fragrant offering to me.” Please don’t misinterpret the message because this isn’t about salvation, but it is about sin in regard to how God was asking me to obey Him in my worship to Him. When we talk about sin, one can look at the eating of meat made from idols; it is sin and so the Bible says don’t eat it in front of someone who is weak or might be offended by the freedom another may have to eat this meat freely. For my life, God was calling me a prophetic intercessor, which oftentimes means God will use various aspects of my life, worship and experiences as directions, messages to those around me or that my prayers and worship are to declare and decree a thing and it will be. The LORD was asking to be the LORD over all aspects of my life. He was purifying my worship, my praise, my prayer and my fragrance before Him. I don’t know about you, but I want to be a pleasing and fragrant aroma before Christ. I don’t know theologically if we can be a stench as believers, but I think areas of unrepentant sin and disobedience could be pretty stinky. I think a mixture such as the love of the world and the things of the world probably stinks up pretty badly too. 

Ephesians 5:2

And walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

I want my Creator, my LORD to take a big ole’ breath of my life so it will be a pleasing fragrance to Him. So, of course after a few months, slowly cutting down on the dancing (there was an insane number of weddings and quinceañeras to tempt me!) LOL, but I was able to consecrate my alabaster vessel as a purified vessel. Of course, the sanctification process continued, but this battle was won and I surrendered. I have also seen fragrant and sweet worship in many nations. I believe just like He did with me, consecration and purification is happening in His Bride and the nations are awakening to His beauty and what He declared in Malachi 1:11 is happening. Pure worship and offerings to the King of Kings and LORD of Lords.  

Reflection:

Are there areas that God has asked you to purify by turning away from a certain deed or belief? Are there places of unrepentant sin or disobedience that you want to confess to God knowing that those areas of sin have not been pleasing to Him? Have you been living under condemnation because the enemy has been lying to you that you can’t conquer that sin or struggle in your life that God has been sanctifying in you? I remind the enemy and my soul, that He who began a good work in me is faithful to complete that good work. You can borrow that verse and walk freely in LOVE and grow in His grace and holiness, not out of obligation but because of LOVE.  

Activation:

Prepare communion, some grape juice and bread. Pick your favorite perfume or scent. Put on some soaking music and let Abba breathe you in as you commune with Father, Son and Holy Spirit taking sweet communion with the beautiful Godhead. Offer yourself in this sweet moment as a living fragrant sacrifice to Him. 

Let's Pray:

God, I want to be a pleasing aroma in Your presence always. Holy Spirit please help me to surrender those areas in my life that I need to surrender. Use my life as the aroma of Christ to everyone I meet so that the nations may join together in sweet and fragrant worship to the King.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.