A Sweet Savour is in the Air

I've been reading a blog lately where the author is seeking to point out some serious inconsistencies with the behaviour of a certain denominational body which would declare loudly that it was insistent upon being Biblical. I have long personal experience with the parallel body in this country, and find it rather incongruous that either body should profess adherence to Biblical principles and behave as they do.

One thing is becoming abundantly clear, even apart from the miserable testimony embedded in the comments made to the author of that blog: Neither that individual brand name, or any other denominational group of human beings have the mind of God for today, no matter how "churchy" they claim or appear to be.

It has been my privilege, over many years, to know some who showd every evidence that they were extraordinary disciples of Christ, who, believing that the brand name "church" to which they belonged was open to the mind of God, had risked everything, earthly security, reputation, and relationships. They guarded and prayed for the denomination, only to see it changing into an organisation of men who were more concerned for their own religious political agenda and preferences.

Some of those dear saints, now shake their heads and wonder what they have been doing because they can see that the denominational brand, which they identified with, has become a picture of Old Testament Israel. What may have had a glimmer of the light of truth in it, a sense of heart beating with life, has now become a rigid institutional structure growing out of fleshly minds. A strange thing, a creature which secretes a fast-setting rock-hard protective substance around itself, and calls itself "church" exists, but is not even aware that it is now so rigidly human that it does not represent the mind of God, and, indeed, cannot!

I don't know in what shape or form it will happen, but, I do know something new is happening. Sadly, as has always been the case historically, the fleshly mind is again declaring its sovereignty, within orthodox evangelicalism as well as movements outside of it. Without doubt many are being deceived into following new gurus and self styled leaders, who lead new movements which claim to be the genuine article and have God's hand upon them.

Most of the movements will follow the same course as they have always done and quietly die, some will, because of their leaders fanciful ideas, noisily flop about like a fish out of water, exhibiting much activity, but going no where.

Amongst it all, a new reformation is taking place, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Wise followers of Christ will patiently watch and pray, and not be deceived if, as we observe present events, we read the mind of God as revealed in Jesus Christ and the Apostles doctrine, which leads away from the institutionalized worldliness of paganized, ritualistic religion and into a new and fresh life energized by the truth which can only be found by those who truly are disciples of Christ, rather than members of an organization with religious leanings.