Fragrance of Christ
Being transformed into the image of Christ is a process that will only happen in the intimacy of the secret place. You do not wake up one day and suddenly you are transformed. It starts the moment you accept Christ to be your Lord and Saviour, and only when your starting to walk your journey on the narrow road. In order to become Christ-like, means that you have to take on a new nature. Instead of sudden transformation, you will be pruned, tested and tried, moulded by The Potter's hands and put into the fire. This is the growing process that people try to avoid, but those who truly love the King, will lay down their lives and allow Him to transform them from Glory to Glory in His presence.
Seven years ago, while in deep worship at a Spirit School we attended, I asked the Lord to reveal the realms of my own heart to me. At that moment, it was not about the promise or the future, to me, but rather the reality of how my Father saw me. At this stage I have been walking the journey with God for three years, holding on to promises I did not understand, discovering the true meaning of love only to know that the Mystery of Christ is locked up in the depths of His endless love, mercy and grace that is being poured out over us as we step into the footsteps of Yeshua, stepping into the Father's heart, the secret place where all are revealed. I believe as I am writing this today, I have only started to experience the love the King has for us. Every time I think I have discovered the Secrets and mystery of Christ and His love, my Father surprises me by showing me that it is only the beginning. As He submerges me into His indescribable, endless love, my heart keeps on yearning for more. It was in this place that I found myself, in front of the King of Kings, knowing that I had to be transformed so I can lay down my life as He laid down His life for me. My heart was aching as I was crying for the One who created me to show me the condition of my heart. I was unaware of the other people around me. I was even unaware of my husband lying prostrated before the feet of The Lover of our souls surrendering his life for the first time.
At once I found myself present in a great hallway. This hallway was large and wide, and the floor covered with light grey marble. I could see my own reflection in it. I stepped onto a deep ruby red carpet that was stretched out before me for as far as my eyes could see. The carpet was warm and soft, touching the souls of my feet. The hallway was bordered by enormous smooth, golden columns that reached up to a pearl-covered ceiling. On each side of the hallway there were many wooden doors. The doors were huge and looking very old. Every door had different carvings on it and names I could not understand. Although the doors looked old you could see that a lot of love and attention went into the making the doors. They were well taken care of. As my feet stepped down from the warm carpet and onto the cold marble, a stillness swept through the hallway. I stood in front of one of the large wooden doors and I realised that there was no key hole in the door and, spite of that, I was still able to access the rooms. I pushed the door open with all my strength and it made a squeaky sound as if the hinges were rusty. A brilliant white light shined in the middle of the room. It was so bright that I had to close my eyes for a second so that I could adjust to the light. The room was full off crystal shelves, shining brightly in the light. On each shelf was different sizes of perfume bottles. As I moved closer, I could see that each bottle was different. It looked like I was in a perfume shop somewhere in the Middle East or maybe in a very expensive shop in Paris. One bottle was very tiny, and It looked like it was made from a diamond. The liquid inside looked like liquid gold. It was extremely delicate but, yet I knew that, if this bottle fell to the ground it would not break. The bottle next to it was larger in size and looked like it was made of glass, decorated with hand-painted roses in types of pink and red. One by one I picked up every bottle and studied its beauty and uniqueness, such as I've never seen before. I was curious what was in the next room, so I went out without closing the door leaving the white light behind me. I pushed open the next door right across from this room, to find the same bright light welcoming me. This whole room was full of golden shelves. The light was reflecting on the shelves and it gave out a warm light that was inviting. On each shelf was different sizes off perfume bottles. Not one bottle looked the same. One bottle was made out of a green gemstone. The gemstone looked like it mined from the earth and used in its original shape, as it was not polished or changed. It looked like a heavy stone, but, even so, filled to the rim with liquid. The bottle next to it look like the top part of it was made from ruby and the bottom part was made from sapphire stone and somehow these two stones merged without leaving a seam. There were countless bottles in this room just like the previous room. The one trying to be more beautiful than other. My curiosity quickly got the best of me and I went to another wooden door, wondering what beautiful treasure might lie on the other side. This door was heavier than the previous one. I leaned into push the door open, but it would only open slightly. I leaned in again trying harder to open the door and as the door opened very slowly, the same bright light touched my face. I gazed into the room and found that it was full of shelves, but I could not recognize the material the shelves were made from. The light was dancing off them, making the room even brighter than the previous. Once again, all the shelves were filled with many different and unique perfume bottles. I marvelled at how many kinds of bottles there was and not one being repeated. One bottle looks like it was made from a pearl that was so big that it filled my whole hand. I could see the liquid inside of this pinkish pearl looked like it was silver and only filled the bottle half way.
In an instant, the light that shined in the middle of the room transformed into Yeshua. I felt to my knees. Yeshua was dressed in the marvellous light holding out His right hand to me. I heard a voice asking me: "Do you know where you are?" I shook my head as I was bowing down. "These are chambers of your heart My beloved. Every room is a chamber inside of your heart. You have given Me access to these chambers so that I can reveal to you what is hidden. You prayed like David did and asked Me to reveal the secrets of your heart to you. You see these bottles of perfume that you have admired so much, they are the fragrances that you give to the world."
Suddenly the whole room was filled with an unpleasant odour. I tried to cover my nose, but it was to no use. My eyes started to tear up as this odour grew more intense. I held my breath and asked: "What is this smell?"
Yeshua answered me with a lot of compassion in His voice: "This is bitterness that you smell. Each of these bottles contains bitterness and unforgiveness. This is what you smell like in the spirit and to those you are close to."
I quickly got up on my feet and ran out the room. I open the doors of the rooms that was closed, only to see endless bottles, with the same stench following me wherever I went. Room after room it was the same. Beautiful perfume bottles, each one uniquely crafted made of precious stones, gemstones and unique materials filled with the stench of bitterness. Even the hallway offered no escape from this horrible smell. I tried to do close the doors, but they would not move. The Light exposed the condition of my heart. I fell to my knees when I realised that Yeshua was following me into every room. There was countless of rooms I have not even opened. As tears ran down my face and fell on the cold marble floor, I could hear how my own heart was breaking. "Help me Jesus! This is not how I want to live. I have no fragrance of Christ in me, but the fragrance off death that follows me."
Yeshua took my hand and helped me to my feet. His light was so bright that I had to close my eyes for fear of blindness had gripped my whole being. Little did I know that now for the first time I could see. I was not blind anymore. He opened my eyes with His Truth as His Light exposed the hidden things in my heart. He embraced me with so much love that my fear turned into the Fear of the Lord. His eyes touched mine and He said: "I AM going to change your name, for your name carries the bitterness. Marika, My beloved, I AM going to give you knew life. I AM placing an 'H' into your name. As I changed Abraham and Sara's name, so that their names may hold their future and destiny, so I AM changing your name and your future so that it may hold your destiny. You will no longer be called Marika the ‘’bitter one’’, but Marikha the one who will bring 'new life’, for I have breathed new life into your nostrils."
I could not stop crying as I came out of the vision. Everybody in the room was lying prostrated before the King of Glory. The atmosphere was tangible with the presence of the Lord. I could not sleep that night, but only wept. This was the first time in my life that I realised just how bitter my life was. The smell of bitterness left a nasty taste in my mouth. Holy Spirit took my hand daily, revealing each perfume bottle to me. I had to go into a lot of repentance. Daily I went to the trading floor, trading the bitterness for a different fruit. I went into seasons of pruning and then into seasons of intense fire. Only that which was pure could stand before my Father. Sometimes it felt as if I could not breathe, but Yeshua breathed new life into my lungs every time. It felt like life was worth living, because I was not hiding anymore. Little by little the rooms were cleansed and in this process the Lord open my eyes, not just to see the chambers of my own heart, but also the condition of others heart as I considered their eyes.
Soon after my vision the Lord gave me the following Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:15-17
"For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the latter one an aroma from death to death [a fatal, offensive odour], but to the other an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is adequate and sufficiently qualified for these things? We are not like many, [acting like merchants] peddling God’s word [short-changing and adulterating God’s message]; but from pure [uncompromised] motives, as [commissioned and sent] from God, we speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God."
It took me years to understand what the Lord was trying to say to me about the fragrance of Christ. A couple of months ago I went back to the Lord asking Him to take me back to that great hallway. I was constantly praying that the Lord would reveal my heart, and He never failed to do so. I wanted to see the chambers again. As the Lord took me to that same hallway with the Ruby red warm carpet, the cold marble floor and the ceiling so high and beautifully made from pearls, it looked like they were almost dancing in the sky. I started to cry because I was unsure of what I would find. This time the Light Himself held my hand and peace flooded the whole hallway. This time the big wooden doors were not closed. I could easily go into every room. Still every room was filled with shelves, and hundreds of perfume bottles even more beautiful than the previous ones. As I stepped into the first room a smell of roses followed me. I smiled, for this time the Light was all around me. I entered the rooms, one by one, and they were filled with the most beautiful perfume bottles. In every room I found a different floral fragrance following me. In every room my Beloved was a different Light of the most beautiful colour. There were a few wooden doors that was still closed. The one door had a name on it that read 'fear'. I instantly knew that is door still needs to be opened so that the Light can expose all my hidden fears. As I walked on, the doors that was closed to me, had names engraved into them that I could read. I knew that in time that every door would be opened, for the day will come that I will be transparent before my King and my fellow brothers and sisters.
What is this beautiful fragrance of Christ? It can only be called: love. Last year I had one prayer that constantly went up before my Father. I prayed that we would have a hugging ministry. I prayed that the love of Christ and the Father would flood directly from the throne through us and to those we have the opportunity to share with, by distributing hugs. I cannot think of any greater gift that I have received as great as the unconditional love of our Father and Saviour, for love even covers a multitude of sin. This is this robe of love that my King is dressed in and He comes and clothes us with His garments. From love flows mercy and grace and an endless river of Life. Yeshua gives us hope that serves as the anchor of our souls, but it is love that binds us together.
The greatest compliment that you will ever receive is that you wear a fragrance of Christ; that you are the fragrance of Christ. There is a world that is dying out there, and it is only the love of Christ that will bring them into the Light and back to life. You do not always have to preach to people, but you will always make a difference by loving them. It is when you come without judgement, but only by loving them that the Light can expose the hidden truth in their own hearts.
It is with this commission that the Lord is sending Yeshua Followers Ministry to Malawi in 2018, to go and love those who are spiritually dying and bring hope so that they may receive Christ as their Lord and Saviour and to discover the many hidden treasures inside of people so that they can be used for the Body of Christ to give Glory and Honour to the King of Kings. I want to invite you to take our hands as we are on this journey. Once again, we will be taking your seed on our journey as we did when we went to Cape Town and Mozambique. This will be the first time that we as Yeshua Followers Ministry will be going into Africa, obeying the voice of the Lord that said go out and bring nations unto me, make disciples of Nations. We believe that there will be a Great Harvest unto the King. I know that this would not be possible, if we did not have the heart of the King roaring inside of us.
Who will go out and bring the reward of My suffering unto My Father?
And we said: “Here we are Lord, please send us.”
Shama Shalom
Marikha and family
