Definition: Remnant – that which remains, or is set apart. A distinct part of a larger whole.
In these last days, I believe God is still doing a work that will impact the world. I believe He is calling out a Holy Remnant Church, dedicated to Jesus Christ and focused on doing His work during these last days. I believe God is raising up a church that is committed to Him and His cause who are a holy remnant, a group of people who are steadfast and sure of their God.
The Remnant Church I’m speaking of has no relationship to replacement theology, nor to the Adventist remnant theology, nor to the theology of the modern day Judaizers who claim to be Christians yet require adherence to Old Testament Jewish laws. The Remnant Church is at the core of the True Church… the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ set apart from the apostate churches that dominate the world today.
Today, many are witnessing, and are becoming a part of an interesting phenomenon, where folks are leaving the structure and security of “traditional” organized churches, denominations and memberships, to follow hard after God. This extraordinary migration is little understood by establishment Christianity.
Perhaps the Lord Jesus Christ is calling His Remnant Church to Himself at the end of this age to worship and teach in simplicity and doctrinal purity. Perhaps the desire to be obedient to the Word and to understand Bible Prophecy and to fulfill the great commission and the great commandment has birthed an early church understanding of what it truly means to follow Christ. Perhaps God is preparing a people to stand and hold forth truth in a world where people and “churches” are consumed with materialism, prosperity, self centered pursuits and desires, and tolerance for those things that are unbiblical. Perhaps a time of final testing for the true church and Israel is upon us, a time for the Remnant Church to “Stand” for Christ. Whatever the ultimate reason, folks are coming out, and almost immediately they understand the need to adapt to this new and extraordinary environment where the Sufficiency of Christ is taught, that Christ alone is indeed all they need.
Today, the mainstream churches have turned away from the gospel and are full of wickedness; they have embraced the world and humanistic ideals. In what were the houses of God, there is no power or spiritual authority, and in fact, there is no presence of the Lord at all. But I believe there is a remnant of people, a Remnant Church, comprised of those who are diligently seeking to understand the scriptures, all of God’s Word.
The Remnant Church is that part of the Body of Jesus Christ that knows they are sons of God, and that are hearing from and following the leading of His Holy Spirit. Within the Remnant Church there is coming a deeper intimacy with Christ, and while fewer may be called to the Remnant Church, Grace yet abounds in the lives of those who hunger after God’s Word and in this day especially, for His Prophetic teaching. The Remnant Church will diligently study the Word as did the Berean’s, and walk in full authority of the Word as Jesus requires of us. We must realize all things are possible through Him and we have nothing to offer the world other than Christ.
The Remnant Church works in total humility and subjection to the Word of God so that God receives all the glory. Only as we grow in the Holy Spirit, will the love of God be manifest for all to see. Men will no longer see us, but see the Spirit of God’s power manifest in our lives, in His Remnant Church. I believe the Remnant Church is made up of a small proportion of God’s people at the end of time that is clinging to the unadulterated Gospel, Faith and Doctrines of the early Christian Church. The Remnant Church is comprised of people who have not allowed pagan ideas, humanistic ideas, other religions or idols to have been introduced into their beliefs or worship as it has in many mainstream churches.
The Remnant Church will stand on the Word of God alone. This Remnant Church is made up of people who are shutting out the things of this world and turning to the things of God. They are hearing the Word of God, listening to the Holy Spirit, understanding Bible Prophecy, and understanding the need to tell the rest of the world that judgment is about to fall on their wicked godless world.
The Remnant Church has a model in our Lord Jesus; we are to be a people that will die to self to bring life to others. Death to self for Gods purpose is what will glorify Him. To be a part of the Remnant Church is to travel a lonely road, and few will be prepared to make the journey.
The Remnant Church will look like the original Church of Acts where faith was still pure and people followed Christ no matter what the cost, where a handful of believers through faith in Christ turned the world upside down, where following the teachings of the Holy Spirit caused the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach the known world. The Remnant Church will look like the early church in Acts in that it will be made up of believers willing to sacrifice everything for the cause of Christ, and will support each other as family. Persecution will definitely follow the rise of the Remnant Church just as it did the early church. Paul wrote of this to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” And again to the church at Philippi in Philippians 1:29 “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.”
Those that are satisfied with denominational churches and the seeker friendly and prosperity gospel emanating from the comfortable social club churches will certainly not understand nor agree with the teaching of the Remnant Church for it is the message of the narrow way, of Christ as the only way (John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”) it is Jesus plus Nothing; but the Remnant Church must expect persecution from these and be prepared to preach the Gospel of repentance as the apostles Paul and John did to warn of the coming Messiah.
I believe the message of the Remnant Church will astonish many, because it is not the prominent or well known message of today, but is the message of the New Testament church, the message the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of the Messiah who came and is coming again. It is a message to this generation to repent of the wickedness of their self absorbed lives, to turn away from the things which have become idols in their lives. It is a message to understand the demonic influences in this present generation, to understand that Satan is the god of this world and that their only hope is in Jesus Christ, Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, very God. It is a message that tells of a personal relationship with the Christ who paid the sin debt of all men at Calvary, a personal relationship which establishes eternal life in the presence of God, a personal relationship which allows one to understand the written word of God, and a personal relationship which causes us to understand that Jesus is coming soon for His bride… His Church.
We are now living in the times of which the apostle Paul warned Timothy, those latter times wherein the mainstream churches are doing exactly what Paul warned they would do. Even some churches, who believe they are following Christ, yet have become modern day Judaizers. 1Timothy 4:1-5 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
The Scripture tells us, that the last days, are “perilous times” for the people of God, and are marked by the ungodly living of some of those who call themselves Christians. 2 Tim. 3:1-5 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
The mainstream and denominational churches, the seeker friendly, emergent, and prosperity churches are far from what God envisioned them to be. Entire denominations and religious movements today operate without the Holy Spirit. They are spiritually bankrupt without the presence of Jesus, showing no evidence of spiritual gifts or fruit. They practice a form of godliness devoid of power or conviction which gives no hope of eternal salvation. They are comfortable with the world and are more social and political than spiritual. They appease sin, teach spiritual tolerance and diversity, and deny the authority of the Bible, while casting away all teaching about repentance, heaven, hell, and judgment. They have abandoned Biblical Prophecy for modern relevancy and Replacement Theology believing all prophecy is already fulfilled or that it is all allegory or at very worst that God has abandoned His covenant relationship and promises to His chosen people Israel. By making any or all of these unbiblical claims they prove their own ignorance of scripture and prophetic truth. They prove the very prophecy they deny.
Their ignorance is confirmed and prophesied in the writings of the prophet Daniel. First he is told to “shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:”. Daniel 12:4 and then He is told “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand”. Daniel 12:9-10
I believe the Holy Spirit is revealing these things today to men and women of spiritual discernment who are diligently studying God’s Word. Our Savior, Jesus Christ promised this to His followers as recorded in John 16:12-14 “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you”. The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ who is opening the eyes of prophetic understanding in these last days.
The apostle Paul wrote of this very thing in 1 Corinthians. While the “natural man” or unsaved man finds the scripture foolishness, the Spirit filled man understands prophecy because having the Holy Spirit he has the “mind of Christ”. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ”. 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
In 2 Timothy the Holy Spirit has given further instruction for those who would be faithful to Him in the midst of the corruption of those who profess to know Christ yet deny His Word and its teaching. The true Christian is to separate himself from those who dishonor the holy name of the Lord, to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15 and we are told to “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Tim. 2: 21, 22
This is the call to the Remnant Church, to rightly divide the Word, follow righteousness, to stand for Christ.
1 Corinthians 16:13&14 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.”
Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Philippians 1:27-29 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” Philippians 3:18-4:1 “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.”
2 Thessalonians 2:15 “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”
I believe that even now the Lord is preparing His Remnant Church, an army of believers after His own heart, a church that has turned away from the deadness and sin of the modern church. I believe we are called to be a part of this Remnant Church, and I believe we are being called out for these last days, and I believe this church can be on fire for the Lord, and it can rock the very foundations of hell. No power on earth will be able to ignore the Spiritual authority of this Remnant Church, and Satan will not be able to stand against it! AMEN!
Even So Come!