Hello everybody!
I hope you all have had a wonderful week. This week I’ve been dealing with spiritual battles that are testing my faith. When you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you can be assured that you will be attacked and that you will be an obstacle for the enemy. When you live for Christ and do what He says to do, you are going against what the enemy wants, and you are essentially ruining his plans. Making the devil mad is a good thing, but just like when you make the opposing side in battle mad, you will get attacked even more than you would living in peace with them. We cannot possibly, in this day and age, live peaceably with Satan! Jesus is returning soon, and we are to live peaceably with our God, and to stand up against the opposing devil. We need to stand up tall and proclaim Jesus Christ from the rooftops no matter how many times arrows get thrown at you to get you off. We must stand on the rooftops and declare the truth for those who seek it, and to destroy the kingdom of he who lives in deceit and lies. God’s kingdom needs to be advanced, and we are too close to seeing Him face to face to be overcome by the little things of this world! Have you ever been a remainder? What I mean by that is, have you ever participated in a game, stood in line for a piece of dessert, or maybe been split up into groups of people being a remainder? Maybe you were the odd one out, one without a full piece of pie, or you were in your own group of one? I sure have! Being a remainder is not always fun. Remainders are not fun in math problems either. When you divide two numbers and they do not fit evenly into another, you end up with a remainder. Those small little numbers make your problems a whole lot harder, and they can be even more difficult when they are divided into a decimal number. Remainders do not fit in. We have been taught since we were little that remainders are lonely, left over pieces of something that does not fit in perfectly. But, what are God’s thoughts on remainders? The Bible says in Jeremiah 23:3 “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.” God has a chosen remainder, and a chosen remnant that He has called to be like Him. The word remainder in God’s eyes is not always the way we define it. The definition of remainder in the dictionary is a part, number, or quantity that is left over. Now this definition is true in the sense that a remainder is something that is left over, however, a left-over amount of something is not always bad. God has chosen a small amount, a group left over to be His, and to be called His own. God is ready to breathe through and to speak to His remnant group that He calls His own. There are many beliefs, cultures, religions, movements, organizations, assemblies, and congregations. We can look at all these different groups as the mass number. Then there are God’s sheep. His chosen people, His royal priesthood, and His followers. If you look at the large mass of people on this earth, you will find that the total number of every belief that exists, and every movement that is promoted is a very large number. Then, if you subtract those who only believe in Jesus, and those who base their beliefs solely on Him, suddenly that number is way smaller. Jesus said that those who love Him will love us, and those who hate Him will also hate us. We are to be one with Jesus, not one with the world. This world goes in a whirlwind, constantly changing their doctrines and their beliefs and constantly pressuring you to change with them. But you do not have to sit and listen to the world! It is always your choice, but you do not have to be a slave to it. What do I mean by having a choice? Well, when persecution comes, are you going to give up? When the fires purge you and burn you, are you going to fear and fall? When the arrows come your way to get you off the rooftops will you obey them, or will you stand for Jesus no matter the cost? We have a choice! So, we know that there are many different beliefs and paths in this world, and we know that inside of that handful of beliefs there is an even smaller percentage. Those who follow Jesus. The Word says in 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.” So, we already know that the way of salvation and truth is much smaller than the way of the world. There is only one answer to salvation, and that way is Jesus! The Bible also says in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Here we see that the way and the gate of the destruction is wide. We also see that the gate that leads to life (Jesus) is narrow, and that only few will find it. That leads us to our next definition. Remnant: A small remaining quantity of something. A remnant is not huge, it is not well known, it is not famous, or liked even by many. It is not large, it is not a party, and it is not anything of innumerable amount. The remnant is small, and it is a remaining quantity of something. As my pastor has said several times, “Beware when Christianity become popular.” The reason I take this sentence to heart so much is because so many people think that the large numbers and the fame and the popularity is what God is looking for, when really, as He warns us in His Word, the way to truth is a small gate, and a small path. Many will miss it, and many will fall into destruction. When Christianity becomes a way of fame and a way of prosperity instead of truth, we must be careful! The devil’s tactic is to get our focus off that really matters and onto the things that will fade away. Christianity involves the dying to self, the standing in the fire, spiritual warfare, and living a life for Christ instead of ourselves. Living a life for God means persecution by the world. Are you are loved by those who live in darkness? Is so, are you really shining your light for JESUS? Are we too afraid of persecution and what others think of us to be set apart and to please Him? Children of God, are you living the easy life in the large numbers worrying about this world and about who will like you, or are you living separated from his world knowing that it will cost you? You will be ridiculed even in Christianity. You will be told to be silent for telling the truth. God’s Word is not popular, and neither is Jesus. When He came to this earth He was humbled, and He was obedient to His Father. He did not care to please the world or even the high priests in the churches who spoke lies from the temple. The large numbers are not what God is after. The large numbers are what Satan is after. He wants to deceive as many as possible. God is after those who are humble and those who seek Him in the silent and in the waiting. The fire may be hot, but we must know who is with us in it, and we must never let go of Him. What we suffer is far worth what we are to gain in heaven with Jesus. You do not go unseen, when you stand for God and when you stand alone for Him even when none go with you, God sees you. The path to Him is narrow, but it is worth it. God’s bride are the few people who choose the hard way of truth no matter what. The remnant is the small group that puts Jesus before them and the world behind them. They put their trust in Jesus and know that just like a Shepherd tends to his sheep, that God will take care of them. You are not living overlooked by God. He sees even the smallest sparrow that falls. He helps them, and He takes care of them. How much more will He care for you? Why are we afraid to stir up Satan’s plans? Are we afraid that we will be hated? We will be. Are we afraid that we will be rejected? We will be. Are we afraid to offend the world? Because we will. Instead of being afraid of these things, let’s accept them and stand in the rain with our hands lifted high saying: “I have chosen you, Jesus! I am not turning back! The way of the world may be easy, but I will take the hard way for you. I want to give you glory, and I want to see your kingdom flourish. I want you God, and you alone. This world can have everything, but I will stand alone so I can have you!” One more thing… Instead of telling you what you should not be afraid of, I will instead tell you why you shouldn’t even be afraid. God of the heavens and of the earth, He who sits on the throne, the King of Kings…wonderful people, HE IS WITH US! What is greater than having the King of Kings and the Messiah on our side? He has us in the fire, in the rain, in the sun, and in the pastures of green grass! He’s holding your hand. Isaiah 41:10- “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed ; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 43:2- “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Love, Hannah K.
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AuthorHello, I'm Hannah and I'm so glad you're here! I'm a twenty-year-old Jesus-loving writer, National Bible Bee Alumna, and homeschool graduate. Jesus redeemed me, and now I give my life, and this blog, to serve Him. Hebrews 3:13 reminds us to encourage each other daily, lest we be hardened by sin. I hope that reading each blog entry that I post you will be encouraged and challenged to become more like Christ daily. |