Individualism,
selfishness and comfort is hindering the Remnant of
God’s people
This is an excellent
word from brother Mark Case from His blog.
It will be a suffering and hardship to the flesh of many to gather together as
God’s remnant and people but we must do this in love for Christ and His body. It
is easier to go along with the flow of American life, luxury and comforts. Oh
saints let us go outside the gate not in words but in actual use of our time as
we live to share the Gospel all the time and gather with other
believers.
—-
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” (Isaiah 29:13-15)
After many years of mingling with and observing the scattered remnant among those who profess Christianity, I realize that I have been making a wrong assumption.
I assumed that the remnant would actually draw nigh to God in the same way that they draw nigh to His message – but that is not so. It is true that many of the remnant draw nigh to the message of the Lord at critical moments, but it is not truethat a notable percentage of the remnant are drawing nigh to the Lord. They want to be informed, but not transformed. There is a great difference.
As long as there is the tiniest shred of anything to hang onto for comfort and security, the vast majority of even the remnant are not willing to take definitive steps toward transformation into the fullness of Christ’s image. It is too costly and requires too much living faith – faith they have never had. A small percentage of them will draw near to the edge of transformation, but only a tiny handful of that small percentage will actually choose to take definitive steps toward transformation.
The prospects of real change among the remnant toward spiritual maturity looked promising beginning with the scare of the financial crisis that started back in 2008, but for the most part they came out into daylight just long enough to learn what God was saying about the matter for the benefit of knowing how they might protect their assets. Of course, many who came out were not part of the remnant at all, but the majority claimed to be. Well, after holding out for a few years until the immediate financial scare seemed to fade away, they went right back into their darkened corners where they felt comfortable and secure before the scare.
After proclaiming God’s message with much spiritual insight and with an undeniable anointing of the Holy Spirit, and seeing little more than lip service in response, we realized that only a spook for disaster was not enough to drive anyone to real transformation. The dollar must fail altogether for that – and even then there will be some who can continue to survive on their own, and will. Oh, how the spirit of individualism and independence does still reign.
Finally, after it has become clear that the umbilical cord of Americanism is about to be cut from Christians too (which news, by the way, has really brought an unprecedented number of believers out of the woodwork), still we do not see anything more than lip service. (We are sure that some, like us, are doing all they know to do, and that some steps into greater transformation are just not yet readily visible.)
Notwithstanding, I am convinced today just as I was a dozen years ago that “Christianity – American style” will reign even among the remnant as long as that remnant has the slightest thread to hang onto. Oh, well. The welcome mat into “Christianity- American style” lives on…and on…and on… even among the vast majority that call themselves the remnant.
“The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it…” Isaiah 1:5b
—-
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” (Isaiah 29:13-15)
After many years of mingling with and observing the scattered remnant among those who profess Christianity, I realize that I have been making a wrong assumption.
I assumed that the remnant would actually draw nigh to God in the same way that they draw nigh to His message – but that is not so. It is true that many of the remnant draw nigh to the message of the Lord at critical moments, but it is not truethat a notable percentage of the remnant are drawing nigh to the Lord. They want to be informed, but not transformed. There is a great difference.
As long as there is the tiniest shred of anything to hang onto for comfort and security, the vast majority of even the remnant are not willing to take definitive steps toward transformation into the fullness of Christ’s image. It is too costly and requires too much living faith – faith they have never had. A small percentage of them will draw near to the edge of transformation, but only a tiny handful of that small percentage will actually choose to take definitive steps toward transformation.
The prospects of real change among the remnant toward spiritual maturity looked promising beginning with the scare of the financial crisis that started back in 2008, but for the most part they came out into daylight just long enough to learn what God was saying about the matter for the benefit of knowing how they might protect their assets. Of course, many who came out were not part of the remnant at all, but the majority claimed to be. Well, after holding out for a few years until the immediate financial scare seemed to fade away, they went right back into their darkened corners where they felt comfortable and secure before the scare.
After proclaiming God’s message with much spiritual insight and with an undeniable anointing of the Holy Spirit, and seeing little more than lip service in response, we realized that only a spook for disaster was not enough to drive anyone to real transformation. The dollar must fail altogether for that – and even then there will be some who can continue to survive on their own, and will. Oh, how the spirit of individualism and independence does still reign.
Finally, after it has become clear that the umbilical cord of Americanism is about to be cut from Christians too (which news, by the way, has really brought an unprecedented number of believers out of the woodwork), still we do not see anything more than lip service. (We are sure that some, like us, are doing all they know to do, and that some steps into greater transformation are just not yet readily visible.)
Notwithstanding, I am convinced today just as I was a dozen years ago that “Christianity – American style” will reign even among the remnant as long as that remnant has the slightest thread to hang onto. Oh, well. The welcome mat into “Christianity- American style” lives on…and on…and on… even among the vast majority that call themselves the remnant.
“The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it…” Isaiah 1:5b
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