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The importance of the remnant

Romans 11:5 (AMP)  So too then, at the present time there has come to be a remnant [a small believing minority] according to God’s gracious choice. 

For so long we have looked at the remnant as an us versus them discussion. The remnant have a duty and it is not to put mankind against each other. The remnant are called for reconciliation. The remnant is a word of hope.

We were talking in prayer about those that never returned to fellowship within the church after the stay at home order of covid-19. Then there are those who attend church that do not care completely for the entire body, just for those in their household. Then there are those that attend, receive and leave, never truly getting the fullness of what it means to belong to the body of Christ and truly loving each other. The remnant is not just a gathering, it has to do with the heart after God.

You can be in a state of apostasy and still attend church. Apostasy has to do with defiance. There are those within the walls of our churches that are in outright rebellion regarding following after the Word, instead they follow their emotions.

Isiah 55:8 (AMP) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

We can have thoughts and ways that do not line up with what the Word of God says. We have the ability to choose. God did not lie about that. He wants you to choose Him, but you do not have to. You can not choose His ways, but then you will have to deal with the results. You do not have to struggle, you can always choose to surrender. Here is where we get in a state of apostasy; we root into self and pride sets in. Pride brings with it offense, fear, anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, the thoughts of we are against you; of which none of that is true in Christ. We cannot be in this state and say we stand for unity in the body of Christ. We have now become double minded and easily confused by the enemy. Last week I wrote about the enemy’s goal is to wear us down (Daniel 7:25a), he does this by saying that Word does not apply today. He does not want us seeking the Word of God, nor His face.

King David sought the Lord in true repentance after he sinned with Bathsheba, and had her husband killed. Psalm 51 is a prayer of repentance, I often quote some of it during my prayer. Repentance is not a bad thing. It tells God that we want Him to do a work within us. Repentance is not about guilt or shame, if it were then it would not be of God. David had a heart after God, that means he desired to spend time with Him (and not just when He needed something). David knew where his strength came from. David knew where his joy came from. David knew God to be His source. That is the same God we can have a relationship with today.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (AMP) For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death.

This word salvation is not about just getting to heaven. This is talking about the fullness of God. King David had a true heart of repentance. King Saul did not, and it led to his destruction. King Saul in his apostasy, when he became disobedient to God’s ways, pride took root in him and it was his ultimate downfall. This is why it is so important for us to keep a heart check, not a heart defense. A heart defense will harden, but a heart check will keep it moldable.

Just last week I had a heart check and needed to apologize to someone that I spoke with. Even though what I said was correct, it still could have swayed them in their heart. So I repented before God and then asked for their forgiveness. My life is not about me, it is about Him receiving the glory. That is what it means to be a remnant. Let us look at Romans 11 some more.

Romans 11:16 (ESV) If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

God must be first in our lives. When Jesus stated we are to hate our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, etc. (Luke 14:26) He was not talking about us having enmity against them. He is saying no person should hold more value than God, that includes my own husband and children. This is what the remnant has to take hold of. The root of all that we are is found in the love of Christ. He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15).

What are you rooted in? The remnant sees God as their source. The remnant knows what it means to consecrate themselves to the Lord. The remnant knows without a shadow of a doubt all that Christ paid for in setting the captives free. The remnant knows that without grace we would not have known true faith. Faith in the One who gave it all.

1 Peter 2:4-5 (NASB) And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NASB) So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

I am not giving up on the apostate church, neither am I giving in to compromise. God is going to get the glory. That is why the remnant have stayed faithful. It is not about them, it is all about Him. I am not seeking blessings, I am seeking His face. We choose to treat others better than we have been treated ourselves. We choose to seek the best for each other. We are not a closed off country club, we are a living example of what it means to lay down your life for someone else. We are never to think so highly of ourselves that we become so spiritual minded that we become no earthly good. We have excused away the Great Commission. I stand here proclaiming His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as in heaven. Keep these verses before you, and pray for a to the Father to create in us a clean heart, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within us (Psalms 51:10).

Romans 6:8 (AMP) Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live [together] with Him

Galatians 2:20 (AMP) I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

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Mind on the Cross

Psalms 22:1 (NKJV) My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?

We are in what we like to call Holy Week. It is the week from which Jesus entered the city on a colt and ending with Him on the cross, but we all know that was not the end. During this week, Jesus would have fulfilled nearly thirty prophecies from the Old Testament. He fulfilled nearly twenty on just the day of His crucifixion. Over three hundred during His earthly ministry.

I am drawn to His final words on the cross. For as long as I can remember, I have been thinking that He was in anguish, and physically He was. How was His mind? I have just completed Job this week and starting to read in Psalms. I have a love hate relationship with Psalms. I had never been big into listening to other people whine. As I have grown in Christ and in His love, my compassion has grown. However, I do tend to stay away from negative people. Negativity can be contagious. I have my moments of complaining like others, but I am quicker to correct it than before.

There are two quotes from Psalms that Jesus spoke on the cross. One is above, and the other is from Psalms 31:5, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” One to some may be of anguish, the other of peace. What if He was always at peace? Even in His physical anguish, He was at peace. We have heard the adage, “while He was on the cross, you were on His mind.” Christ was not double minded.

James 1:8 (AMP)  being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

What if when Jesus quoted from Psalm 22, He was pointing to scripture for hope to His followers? Jesus often taught from Psalms, He quoted scripture all the time. So why this Psalm? Check out the last few verses:

Psalms 22:25-31 (AMP) My praise will be of You in the great assembly. I will pay my vows [made in the time of trouble] before those who [reverently] fear Him. The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who [diligently] seek Him and require Him [as their greatest need] will praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You, for the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s and He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust (the dead) will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive. Posterity will serve Him; They will tell of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished].

What we center our minds on will be the direction our lives go. I could go one of two ways while reading Psalms. I can allow my pity and anguish to overtake me, or I can read it in its entirety and get the heart of what the writers were saying. Our hope and our fullness is in our God. Who is my greatest need? Is it my husband? Is it my kids? Is it that I have friends? Is it that I have money? My greatest need is my Lord.

When Jesus had us on His mind, He did not give Himself an opportunity to focus on Himself. Christ was the perfect example of humility. He literally died to self that day, the agony of it all was worth it for us. For the glory of the Father. They will tell of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born (that was you and me), that He has done it and that it is finished.

So now when I read that part of scripture in Mattew 27:46, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud [agonized] voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” What He was going through physically was not what He was allowing Himself to feel mentally. He won the battle that day and let the enemy know it. He was not double minded. He was firm and secure. He was seeing it to completion.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (MSG) And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. That is what Jesus wielded that day on the cross. That is why we are to bind it on our minds. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation are our weapons. They were the same weapons Jesus used on the cross. God is strong, and He wants you strong. Reflect on the hope of it all this week. Jesus in our King and our Conqueror!

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Waste of 30 minutes?

Psalms 90:12 (AMP) So teach us to number our days, that we may cultivate and bring You a heart of wisdom.

Monday I spent a little too long at the house before heading to the gym. Usually that was not such a big deal but I have been wanting to catch Aldi when it opened to see if there were any half priced meat. I also had to fill up on gas before going anywhere because the tank was just about empty. So there I am contemplating on what to do. I could walk the track for thirty minutes to say I showed up. Then I had another thought, what could I do in the thirty minutes that would give my body the most impact? I started with a pre-workout drink, then I hit the weight room. I lifted weights that would target the zones that I decided to focus on (chest and triceps). I decided to finish it off on the track, but I was not going to just walk it this time. A girl my age and size we have to be cautious of injury, but that should not keep us from getting better. I jogged some of the track and gave it my all. In the thirty minutes I was at the gym that morning, I did not just show up, I was intentional with my time.

God planted a word within me at that moment. What if the body of Christ was intentional when they sought me in my Word? So many just read to check it off their daily to do list or to get their streaks (if you have YouVersion). I have been listening to Hearing God by John Bevere and the MessengerX team. Two scriptures came back to my remembrance. The first is found in Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:6 (AMP) But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.

He rewards those who earnestly and diligently seek Him. What is the point in our quiet time with God? What is the end result of our time in reading His Word? What is the motive in our prayer lives? We should be seeking Him. Not just seeking Him for our needs or for answers. We should be seeking to behold Him. God is omnipresent, but He also desires to be more than that in our lives. The second comes from Romans and this in from the Message Bible.

Romans 13:11-14 (MSG) But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

We can squander our time. You may say that you do not have time to read the word for thirty minutes. How much time do we have to scroll on our phones or other devices to look at videos? It is ridiculous how many notifications my phone will give just so that I pick it up and look at it. I have to be intentional during my time with God that I put it away from me. Can you encourage your spouse to take time? That is something my husband and I do for each other. If we see that each other is studying the Word, but we want to talk about something, we will wait. We will take care of something for each other so that there are no distractions. When I am off focus, I stop, pray, and begin again. How long would you go without food for your belly? That is what it should feel like when we miss time in His Word.

James 4:8 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. I have to draw first. As believers we do the chasing. Again, it is not to get something from God. Do not be double minded in this relationship. If our motive is to seek Him to get Him to move in our lives then we will be disappointed when things do not happen like we think they should. When we dive into His Word, when we start to imitate Him, the desires of our heart starts to change. You will begin to know a deeper level of love like never before. Joy will not be something you cannot wait for, you will be clothed in it. Peace will abound in your life, especially in the times of struggle. Your attitude with start to change. Thankfulness will be just dripping from your lips.

After my workout on Monday, I felt the effects of it as I was leaving the gym. I lasted until the next day when I went again. For transformation to happen, I have to be consistent with anything. Just like I make it a choice to go to the gym every morning. I make it a choice to spend time in His Word daily. I make it a choice to know the person of the Holy Spirit. The joy of reading His Word is what I look forward to. The time in my daily studies is far better than the effects of my daily workouts at the gym. Both are necessary. One is better.

Lord God, our Jehovah, our Banner, You are more precious than all the riches of the world. You are Holy. You are Mighty. Thank You for Your Son, the Redeemer. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, He is our Teacher and Friend. Thank You for Your Word. We repent for the times we have squandered away moments that we could have in seeking after You. Your heart and face are what we long for. Holy Spirit, help us to be mindful of Your need for us. Your Word says that if we draw near to You, then You will draw near to us. We want Your kingdom expansion in the hearts of others, so that means we need to be prepared to share our faith with others. How can we do that if we do not know You? We choose to know You more. Thank You for leading us out of temptations of making this life about just our needs. We surrender daily to You. Thank You for knowing what we need and filling us to the full. Your desire if for us to be complete in Your joy. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.