Just What Is a Remnant Believer? You have heard of the word "remnant." Some people are called "remnant believers." There are "remnant churches." Perhaps you know of some or attend one. I often say that I do "radio for the remnant." The most frequent e-mail I get is from people who make up the “remnant”. But what is that? I write about this often and even do radio about it as I’m trying to understand the phenomenon. Here are a couple of e-mails. "Jan, I feel the remnant is getting smaller every day as the time approaches for the Lord's return. The world seems to be getting darker and more evil. I know I am not alone as a member of the Body of Christ but at times it is easy to feel isolated. No one gets it and no one wants to." “If I did not have access to you and a few others online, I would be so isolated! I try to talk to people about issues that are important, including end-times, and they look at me like I am an alien. A few of you help me celebrate my alien status. I feel like a lonely gold fish in a bowl. Prophecy is coming true right before our eyes. You and a few others are making a huge difference with all of us aliens in the world.” Based on a lot of interactions, including people at my annual conference, I have concluded this about "the remnant." It is made up of people longing for a solid church and a pulpit that will address issues of the day as well as the nearness of the Lord's return. The remnant wants a church that will not fear offending with the truth and that will confront apostasy. Remnant believers have offended friends and family simply by telling them the truth of our times or for sharing information that is relevant to our times. This will often bring on mocking and scoffing. At the least, it results in irritated indifference. This doesn't daunt a remnant believer and such a tragic response doesn't keep them quiet! Enthusiastic remnant believers will travel across town or across the country to attend events that present information about which the church is silent. Remnant believers often feel isolated and misunderstood even though they have the truth and the naysayers are clueless! This is what is so frustrating. Remnant believers want everyone to be tuned in and informed. They just want to spread around a wealth of information about which few are interested! Members of the remnant church see our times darkening but remain enthusiastic that this is but a herald of His coming -- not signs of doom and gloom. Yet they will be told they are spreading bad news. When a remnant believer finds someone who is a kindred spirit, it is like discovering a gold mine! Such believers often had a very solid church but in many cases, it went haywire. A little leaven came in and ruined the whole loaf. They then begin a long journey of searching for a new church which can take years. Very often these believers approached their church leadership to talk to them about these things but they are most often shut out or even considered to be troublemakers. Understand that the end-time church...is more interested in conforming than transforming. Many churches and leaders will focus on “your best life now.” The Bible suggests an end-time church will be small. In Luke 18:8, Jesus asks if He will find any of faith when He returns. Many will have fallen by the wayside. People who make quilts use a wide variety of mismatched remnants. Such professionals discard sections of fabric from garments that were no longer usable but they were then sewn into an unbelievably elegant quilt! The tossed aside remnant became an object of creativity and beauty! If you are a remnant believer, take heart and remember that you, too, are a creative and colorful quilt. Eternity may reveal that you broke through to more people than you thought. And remember that such mocking and scoffing are fulfilling end-time prophecies as well. Hang on and don't grow weary in your well doing! Bouncing from church to church is likely not the best idea. But sitting multiple times a week under bad theology, music with spiritually unhealthy lyrics, or leadership that is just dysfunctional, is also not an option. Cutting yourself off from fellowship is no better. Our assignment is to be "watchmen" (Ezekiel 33). We're to be sounding an alarm. Trouble is ahead. The nations of the world seem moved, as though by a hidden hand, into exactly the right positions on a global chess board. Amazing things are happening before our eyes. How can we be silent? So, remnant believers, let's not be silent. Go tell it on the mountains. The King is coming, perhaps today! So true! TR It is the gems in least supply making them rare and most precious! All more it is with living stones! TR Several years ago we planted a church with this concept. If you are a blood-bought believer and on fire for Jesus Christ, you're welcome here! It was interesting. The Church really thrived. However, I had the same response on a pastoral level to this work that Jan Markell is talking about for individuals. My denomination just about spat me out. It was awful - truly the most horrible thing I've been through. I never tried to stir the pot or force my beliefs on people, but people flocked to hear truth, because they were desperate. My heart just goes out to so many without churches that still love the Bible, prayer, the "old ways" that are still tried and true... it actually brings me to tears to think about people suffering, trying to find a church where they will be told the truth from Scripture. I went to a few different churches during my years long sabbatical from the pastorate (I'm pastoring again now). I felt a growing desperation during that period to hear truth preached fearlessly. Things like... The Bible is God's Word. Jesus is coming again... and we need to be ready. There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. We need to repent and be saved from this wicked generation. We can comfort one another with the notion that Jesus is coming again to receive us to Himself! Hallelujah!!!!! Seems that remnant believers have always struggled this way! This is why so many churches are dying on the vine! After 45 yrs I quit formal church for the lack of being fed! Sermonettes for Chritianettes! And mega church pastors were always taking doctrinal and teaching license while becoming money making models! While sad indeed, we must default to God's discerning Spirit! TR Thanks for sharing that Tenderreed. Though there are faithful churches/pastors, I agree that many times it is just difficult to find them! Like the sermonettes for Christianettes reference! I also no longer attend a physical church. I read and study my Bible nearly every day with several excellent commentaries and listen to many tried and true teachers on the web. Being a moderator here has me listening to so many different teachings. A wonderful gem I found here was Charlie Garrett and The Superior Word (Thank you, Loz!) and there are others I listen to regularly, including JD, Jack Hibbs as well as the endless reading of authors such as Daymond Duck, Jan Markell and so many others, so I feel I'm getting sound teaching. What I miss is the person to person gathering of believers. Ritan is as close as it gets for the most part. I am SO ready for Jesus' Millennial Kingdom! I really cannot wait to meet all of you in person. I still receive emails from the Baptist Church I left. The pastor just sent a new email informing us that “Kenny will make an appearance on Sunday morning.” The new assistant pastor does this Charley McCarthy act. He has a large puppet named Kenny and he does ventriloquism. The assistant pastor also performs magic and guesses what the kids are thinking. All of this is right before the main sermon from the pulpit. So we are all supposed to be excited about Kenny. Never mind Jesus. I give up on trying to find a church. I know I’ve told you all about this before. Today’s email just confirmed that I made the right decision to leave. The Scriptures and Jesus are so exciting, why would anyone want to see that garbage during the main service, or at any other time for that matter. Very disturbing.
by Jan Markell
June 8, 2021
