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Oud - "The Scent of Heaven" - July 13, 2016

Posted by Merton J. Hershberger on July 15, 2016 at 13:12
Jasim was hosting his friends from the neighborhood in his majlis (sitting room) at home.  They were all welcomed with coffee and dates followed by something special. It was the Oud passed on to every guest. The scent of the Oud filled the majlis. "It's wonderful. Where did you get this from?" asked Saoud.  "I bet it's Cambodian. Truly, the scent of heaven. I wish the scent could remain forever." said Ahmed.  "Yes, Cambodian indeed. I got this on my recent trip there. It's called the Kina, a very rare and expensive form of Oud." said Jassim.
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Oud forms an integral part of Arabian hospitality and culture. It has been traditionally called the "Scent of Heaven".  As demand surges in the Gulf for its use, its cost has also increased manifold. The price of the best quality Oud is at par with the rate of gold in the market. However, supply has been diminishing due to the scarce availability of the Agar wood tree that produces the Oud in the wild, making it rare and expensive.
 
To truly savor the scent of Oud, the wooden chips of the Agar wood tree have to be burned. It is only when the wood is completely burned that the true fragrance of the Oud is released. How sad!  We pay so much for it. 
 
We wish that the smell of Oud can remain forever, but over time, even the scent of heaven can die out. No scent of this world can last. We can only truly be satisfied with a scent that is indeed sent from heaven, that which is not produced from nature.  Is there such a heavenly scent?  Yes!  The best thing about this scent is that although it is heavenly and expensive, it is free for all us who choose to use it.  
 
Two thousand and sixteen years ago, a Man came to offer us this eternal fragrance. He offered to make us pure and clean with the real scent of heaven.  Just like how the wooden chips of an Agar wood tree are burned to get the scent, the Lord Jesus Christ was burned completely on the cross through his crucifixion to pay the penalty of our sins which were laid upon him.  His death became a sweet smelling aroma to God. Today, we can experience the scent of that lasting Oud by faith in Him. All the scents of this world will only give us an external fragrance. But if we savor this heavenly scent, we will be filled to radiate the fragrance of Christ's scent to those around us. (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)
 
Please pray that the Arabs of the AP will experience the true, living, and eternal Oud - Jesus Christ himself!
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THIRTY ONE DAYS OF PRAYER AND THE WORD:JANUARY 1-31, 2015 THEME: "ABIDE"

Posted by Bernie Lutchman on January 13, 2015 at 6:51

DAY THIRTEEN

VERSE:

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world....John 16:33

 PRAYER:

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Father, oh Most Merciful and Compassionate God, Your children in far away lands are united in one thing - their love for Christ. This Love compels them to stand strong as their persecutors in the lands of the pagan religions of the Middle East, Asia, the Far East and the atheist countries of socialism oppress them. Lord our spiritual hearts and minds grieve for our brothers and sisters who are in constant tribulation and trials, sometimes by literal fire, but You are removing the dross now even as we pray.

 Lord, even as they cry out in their pain and suffering, even as they plead for mercy and some human decency from the hoards of hell, let loose for over 1400 years now by those who follow moon gods, 300 millions non-existent idol "gods" or no god, You constantly hear their cries around Your Throne. You hear them because their pleadings and prayers have come before You rising as bowls of incense, as our High Priest Jesus intercedes for them and us.

 We pray for Your saints persecuted in Nigeria as their schools and villages are burned down, and the world stays silent in the face of this evil. We pray for Christians in the old Bible lands of Nineveh (Mosul), Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and others in between the land of the Levant, that You deal with those who abuse Your people, in Your own way, in Your own time. We pray for those in the lands of India where You sent the Apostle Thomas and the millions there are told to convert to the hinduism and its idolatry or else. We pray for our brethren in China, whose millions now outnumber the godless and evil communist party in power there for over 60 years. 

 May their tears become like a river of life to those of us in the west who pray for them who pray for their courage and boldness to hold up in the face of this rampaging evil. Lord, on behalf of these tribulation saints, we claim Your promise and Your exhortation, Lord Jesus that You have not only overcome the world, the god of this world, the systems of this world and the persecutors of this world who are unknowingly storing up wrath for themselves, but You give freely to those who seek favor, courage, mercy, love, hope, conviction and faith. We pray this day for all of that, from the Throne of Grace to those being constantly refined in the fire and for those of us, who have it within our power to pray and help, and yet stay silent or worse. We pray and ask and bow down before Your Throne, in Jesus' Strong and Mighty Name, amen.

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