A Remnant

(Matt 24)

God has always preserved for Himself a remnant.  After the fall, Adam and Eve could have experienced physical death immediately.  They did not.  God provided animal skins to cover their nakedness, to cover their shame.  While it is not plainly written words, I think that communication with the Lord continued in some measure.  I think this because God had conversation with Cain before he murdered Abel.  The Lord saw it coming and sought to turn Cain from the sin that was crouching at the door.

Following, we know that men began to call on the name of the Lord.  Enoch walked with God and others had experience of the Lord.  Methuselah and he are in the family of Noah.  We know how Noah and His family were the remnant of their day, of the entire human race.  What a sad and sobering time.  We have been hearing more lately of the words of Jesus regarding Noah, when asked by the disciples concerning the end of this age.  Jesus had just spoken about the temple, the physical one, and that not one stone would be left on another.  In response to that statement of Jesus, He is asked, “When?”  His response is a significant and His often referenced discourse follows.

Jesus said it would be as it was in the days of Noah.  How much has been said on this!  Life was continuing as always but Noah was walking with, and listening to the Living God.  Noah was knowing Him as Father, as director, as keeper.  He and his family would be preserved as he built a vessel that would preserve them and the animals that the Lord brought to them.  So it will be at the end of the age.  As I have written before, Paul writes to the Thessalonians of those who will be alive and remain at His return.  The Matthew 24 discourse includes the disciples’ question, “What will be the sign (the indicator) of your coming?” They were aware of His return.  The Lord will have a remnant alive and waiting, looking to heaven, for the bridegroom to appear.

These are the ones who love Him, who love His presence, who love His appearing more than anything else.  Anna and Simeon are representative of the Lord’s remnant.  In Elijah’s day, the Lord told him that He had kept for Himself 7000 who had not submitted to Baal.  Today the Lord has His remnant who are not yielding to the god of this age.  He is refining a nation of kings and priests for Himself.  This is the bride of Christ, His true body, with the eyes of a dove, returning His gaze.  She allows the fire in His eyes to do it’s work in searching her inner parts.  He tests our motives and refines them so that all that we do and say reflects Himself.  If we say He abides in us, we ought to walk as he walked.  So were Enoch and Noah.  More than they so is Christ in His people conforming our image and our walk to His.

I recently heard the testimony of a wonderful, matured man of God who had a powerful, Spirit-driven experience.  In the 1980’s, the Lord used this man and a team of mature intercessors to release apostolic anointing that had been bound by strong religious spirits.  If we consider the accelerated maturing of many true disciples since that period, we can recognize the increase of the release of the Lord’s authority in the earth.  We stress this is the authority that belongs to Christ, and that He commissions.  It is dangerous for us to move in presumption.  Yet when He sends, men and women move in great authority and the kingdom of God advances.  I find myself praying for all believers to have boldness to speak as we ought to speak.  This was Paul’s own request and we honor him as a true bond-servant of Christ.  He is making us an apostolic people, not in name but in truth.  It is a dangerous practice to take the name apostle to ourselves.  Let us see ourselves rather as humble servants, like Christ Jesus, simply desiring to do the will of Father in heaven.  Such are those who are His remnant.