AlwaysFragrance: Recent Episodes
Oluwatobi O.
AlwaysFragrance is an expository Bible teaching podcast that focuses on spreading the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere. Join us as we study and expound on the Bible; revealing Jesus and applying the truths therein.
Temptation does not come from God and He does not entice us to evil. Although He may test our faith, He does so without a solicitation to evil. By His very nature, God is UNABLE to either be tempted or to tempt with evil. James in his Epistle (James 1:12- 15)shows the great cause of sin. He accentuates that our unbridled desires have a greater hand in temptation than either the devil or his instruments, who cannot make us sin without our consent; as they sometimes tempt and do not prevail. In scriptures (Genesis 4:5-7), a temptation to evil is likened to a beast crouching at the door. Although he can not let itself in, our unbridled desires let it in. The temptation each one faces is orchestrated by the enemy of our souls; the tempter who lures all to do evil. To keep the door of our lives locked to the beast crouching at the door, we have to rule over it by keeping our desires under godly check and resist it immediately, ruthlessly and consistently.
Paul argued in 1 Timothy 5:6 that a life lived for mere pleasure and unnecessary ease is no life at all; it is a living death. Is he against pleasure and comfort? Of course not! He is against irresponsible and ungodly pleasure-seeking. Pleasure is irresponsible when it costs our family and the church, and ungodly when it cost us our conscience and soul! How then should a Christain enjoy the good things of life? This episode tries to answer this question.
John the Baptizer was a prophet with a novel message and man of good repute. This drew multitudes to him in the wilderness at the climax of his ministry. Soon he got himself arrested by the king and was on death roll. From the prison, he sent his disciples to confirm if Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus affirmed his messiahship and went on to affirm the authenticity of John the Baptizer's ministry and virtue. Indeed the people went out to see a man of virtue and character but even in his most vulnerable time, the message he has declared as God's prophet remain unchanged because the word of God is always consistent and true!
What is the significance of the burial of Jesus Christ according to scriptures and why was He buried the way He was? This question may not be a crucial question to us who live in the 21st century, particularly to those who live in the parts of the world where the dead are buried and not cremated. However, it is very significant that Jesus was buried because those who died by crucifixion in those days like Jesus did, were not typically given any decent form of burial rites at all. The victims of crucifixion were usually taken to what seemed to be like a dunghill that is always on fire; a setting which may have been used as a pictorial metaphor of the eternal lake of fire (Gehenna). The bodies of the crucified would be casually disposed on this foul, perpetually-burning dunghill of some sort filled with human bodies; half rotten, half burnt because it’s slowly burning. For our sacrificed Lord, the situation was different... more details in this podcast and in an article on http://alwaysfragrance.com/the-burial-of-christ/ To understand why growing up in Nazareth was a humiliation for Jesus, listen to this podcast- https://soundcloud.com/alwaysfragrance/the-good-outta-nazareth-matthew-219-23
In John 12:23, for what seemed like the very first time, Jesus said: "The hour has come, that the Son of Man should be glorified". Before this, he has told his mother and brothers otherwise on different occasions. In John's Gospel, we see Jesus as the saviour of the world and evidently, John wants us to understand that what happened in John 12 has ushered in the climax and Jesus sees it as evidence that His mission has climaxed and His time has now come. The fact that His hour had not yet come had delivered Him from violence before. Now that the hour has come, it was time for Jesus to make the ultimate sacrifice. This special episode x-rays the statement "Now my hour has come" and what it means for the believer and non-believer alike. Links to the articles mentioned in this episode: 1. http://alwaysfragrance.com/the-burial-of-christ/ 2. http://alwaysfragrance.com/hosanna-in-the-highest/ 3. http://alwaysfragrance.com/before-the-cross/
Both in his ministry and personality, John the Baptist was styled after the bold prophet Elijah. It wasn’t that John the Baptist decided on his own to make his lifestyle and public ministry like the predicted Elijah-like forerunner of Christ but as he faithfully lived his life and carried on with his ministry, he fulfilled the prophecies of Malachi (Malachi 4:5). He became the grand finale of the messianic prophets and a man whose fashion, diet, message and mien fulfil scriptures...
In this role as a forerunner, John’s purpose was to prepare hearts for the Messiah as well as to bring an awareness of sin among Israel so they could receive the salvation from sin offered by the Messianic King. Isaiah's prophecy about John the Baptist had the imagery of building up a great road for the arrival of a majestic king. The idea is to fill in the holes and knock down the hills that are in the way, a preparation that must actually take place in our hearts. Charles Spurgeon once said "Men’s hearts were like a wilderness, wherein there is no way; but as loyal subjects throw up roads for the approach of beloved princes, so were men to welcome the Lord, with their hearts made right and ready to receive him"
Herod's envy brewed into an unjustifiable rage as soon as he realized that the wise men have returned to their country via an alternative route. His reaction re-enacted a bitter experience that Isreal is yet to recover from, which Jeremiah the prophet had spoken of and predicted that an overwhelming consolation would follow. The Consolation is however here, but momentarily in Egypt!
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the little hometown of King David lived up to its name. Although Jesus' birth caught the attention of wise men in the east, He was born in the days of Herod. Herod was a great ruler, administrator, and loyalist of the Romans but his cruelty exceeded these all. What does Jesus' birth in the days of Herod mean? Find out in this study and sequels!
Emmanuel (which means 'God with us'), one of the many titles of Jesus refers to both His deity ('God') and His identification and nearness to man ('with us'). Although this 'Emmanuel prophecy' was given by prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus was actually born, the import of this name is most truly affirmed and acknowledged to be fully made good in Him. This reveals that scriptures culminate, climax, and are ultimately fulfilled in the person, purpose and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a study you will enjoy!
This is a study of the surprising (and unexpected, especially from Joseph's perspective) events around Jesus' birth and what necessitated it.
Jesus is the long-awaited Christ of Israel, but He won't fit into their myopic idea of a messiah because He is actually the saviour and deliverer of the whole world. To be called Christ is to be appointed and anointed, and to be called Christain is to share the same anointing and appointment!
No one really enjoys reading the long genealogies in the Bible; the 'begatitudes' are hardly spellbinding! However, the genealogy in Matthew Chapter one is quite different for a few reasons. One of which is that it contains the unusual presence of women (and not just women but unlikely women). Women were hardly included in eastern genealogies, and then Matthew didn't mention one but four unlikely ones- Tamar (a prostitute), Rahab (a non-Jewish prostitute), Ruth (a non-Jewish widow) and Bathsheba (Uriah's adulterous wife). This is a study you will enjoy!
The Gospel of Matthew may not have been the first of the four gospel accounts to be written, it sure has a befitting place as the first book of the New Testament portion of the Holy Bible. Matthew begins the New Testament portion of the Holy Bible with his own account of the birth, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, claiming He is the Christ! He then writes twenty-eight chapters proving his claim from the shreds of evidence that abound in historicity and prophecies.