The Remnant

October 11, 2020

Remnant = a small remaining quantity of something. 

The enemy specializes in getting us to focus on what we don’t have or what we should have. God specializes in working miracles of what remains in our lives. 

“Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” 

Matthew 15:21-28 

· Every time Jesus does something it’s a setup and intentional. 

· All we need is a Remnant to rise up in our family, our city, and our nation. 

· We can’t be discouraged of all that is occurring around us. God can use YOU, He doesn’t need the majority. 

· Vs. 27 – the dogs eat of the remnant, the scraps, the leftovers. 

· The leftover is still bread. The crumbs are still part of the bread, and God blesses the crumbs from the bread. 

· The crumbs offer as much power as the full loaf when God places His blessing on it. 

· The daughter was made well by the remains. 

· Just because it’s left-overs doesn’t mean God is not in it. 

· The path to God is narrow and few follow it. 

· It’s God’s blessing on your life that secures you, not the crowd! 

· God does not see as man sees. Those overlooked are seen by God. 

· Psalms 123:1-6

· Setbacks set up the remnant for comebacks! Look at what you have remaining. God always uses what remains. 

· Even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed, it still has potential. 

· You can take a seed and do the right thing with it and God can multiply it. 

· Seed never loses its potential. 

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 10:5-6

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” 

Luke 15:1-7 

· Jesus will not be satisfied until the lost sheep is brought home. 

· Never discount your value to The Father. 

· Don’t ever think there is not enough left in your life for God to save you. 

· What we have does not add value to our life. God doesn’t want us for the things we have. 

· Be careful not to compare and compete with others, 

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” 

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 

· God will use people that are weak to confound the mighty. 

· God can do anything in your life that you are not willing to take credit for. 

· Don’t believe the naysayers. 

“And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.” 

Genesis 48:8-22 

· All intentional – first born blessing comes through the right hand. 

· God is always showing us that just because it looks like it’s going a certain way, He never shows favoritism. 

· God sees all things and aligns you to receive His blessing. 

· The double portion blessing falls on all who are faithful to the Word. 

· Just because you’re under someone’s shadow doesn’t mean that God doesn’t know you exist.

September 28, 2020

Remnant = what is left over, what remains. 

“And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled.” 

Mark 6:35-42 

· So many times we focus on what we don’t have or what we have lost in our past. 

· The enemy got Eve to look at what she didn’t have and that led to the first sin. 

· The one thing Eve could not have, she wanted. 

· The enemy has not changed his tactics from the beginning of time until today. He wants us to focus on what we don’t have and what we have lost so that we can’t see what God has for us. 

· All God needs is a Remnant. 

· God will never ask you to be faithful over what you don’t have. 

· What do you have? Write it down and let God use it. 

· Miracles are worked through the Remnant! 

· There is a pattern of God saying, “show me what you have.” 

· Psalms 126:5-6 – bringing His harvest with Him. 

· God will take what remains and make change. 

· God will always use the Remnant in our lives. 

· When you hear the Word of God, it’s beneficial no matter your age. 

“And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.”

Mark 6:44 

· The miracle in feeding the 5,000 is not just the bread and fish, but the use of the little boy who wasn’t even counted in the 5,000! Only men were counted, not the women and children. God will use people who are not even counted. 

· Reference story: Samuel anointing David. 

· God looks on the heart and not the outward appearance of man/woman. 

· God takes weak things to make strong things. 

· I Samuel 9:21. 

· We can all be discounted to greatness. 

· Focusing on what you don’t have will cause you to get discouraged. 

“And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.” 

Mark 6:39 

· God always causes His sheep to sit in green pastures. 

· Psalms 23. 

· To get to the mountain top, you have to go through the valley. 

“And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.” 

Mark 6:40 

· When we experience loss, God brings order to our lives. 

· We need order in our lives to bring out the best in what remains. 

· The valley causes chaos, order brings the mountain top experience. 

“And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.” 

Mark 6:41 

· If we are ever going to be successful, we must be thankful for what we have now. 

· Give thanks for where you are and the places you have left behind. 

· If you will be thankful for the not enough, God will bring you into a season of more than enough! 

· God will use other people to bless and enrich your life. 

“And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.” 

Mark 6:42-43 

· Jesus started with the Remnant and after feeding everyone, He still had a Remnant. 

· Jesus chasing the boy was intentional. God never does anything that isn’t intentional. 

· We serve a God that is a God of more than enough. 

· Ephesians 3:20. 

· He doesn’t just want our head above water, He wants us walking ON the water. 

· God gave them more than what they needed. 

“And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.” 

Mark 6:45-46 

· Jesus sent the twelve disciples away and then He went to pray. 

· Jesus was numb from ministry. 

· There is a burden in a blessing. 

· Restoration needs to occur after a big victory. 

“And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.” 

Mark 6:47-48 

· He told them to go to the other side. 

· The storm told them they could not get to where Jesus said they were to go. 

· Jesus at no point lost track of them. 

· Jesus would have passed by them until they called to Him for help. 

· Hebrews 11:1 – Jesus can’t bless you without faith. 

· God will always position Himself to bless you but He is waiting on you to activate your faith. 

· Sometimes as believers we just want God to do it because He knows, but it takes FAITH to activate His protection and blessing. 

· Wind, darkness, and a storm stood between them but it never stopped God to get to them. 

· Everything that had the disciples afraid was under Jesus’ feet – He was walking on the waves. 

“But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:” 

Mark 6:49 

· Sometimes God will show up in ways we didn’t even see coming. He doesn’t always show up in a way that you easily recognize. 

· They called out to Jesus based on His Word. 

“For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” 

Mark 6:50 

· Just hearing the Word comforts everything. 

“And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” 

Mark 6:51-52 

· God knew when they were going to face hard times. 

· Because the disciples forgot the miracles of the past day, they didn’t have the faith to face the trials of today. 

· In the boat was a Remnant of what God was able to do. 

· The testimony of your life is about what you have come through. What has the Lord done in your life and you still have the remains? 

· We must pull from the leftovers and the Remnant. 

· When you apply the Word, your faith begins to apply miracles. 

· The miracle is still in what remains. 

· We are what is left for Him to do the work through!

September 23, 2020

Remnant = what is left over, what remains. 

In a society where we are trained there is strength in numbers, that is not the case with the Kingdom. 

God has always used the remnant to do a great thing. 

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Matthew 7:13-14 

• I’d rather be numbered with the few and find life than be numbered with the great and find death. 
• We live in a world that values the many, verses the few. 
• Our flesh seeks out popularity and acceptance.
• God always uses what remains to do amazing things.
• The value of life does not rest in the “all”. 
• With God nothing is proportional !
• All God needs is a remnant to do supernatural things !
• With the mindset of us trying to qualify ourselves, we fall short.

“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”

Luke 10:1-3

• God does not give us assignments based on our proportion and ability. 
• You can allow the size of the harvest to keep you from laboring/reaping it.
• If you had all the wisdom, you wouldn’t need God!
• He has already equipped and empowered you for your assignment.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31 

• Quit trying to compare what you have and don’t have. 
• Luke 4:17
• His anointing is greater than anything that comes against us.
• The Story of Nazareth
• John 6 / Mark 6
• God always direct our attention to what we do have and not what we don’t have. 
• Elijah – sent to the women/all she had
• God doesn’t need the barrel full, He just needs the remains. 
• Man sinned because they focused on what they didn’t have. 
• Psalm 126
• You can’t make a decision on what you don’t have, but on what you do have. 

Feeding the 5,000

• God used the fish and loaves from the boy who wasn’t included in the 5,000. Only the men were numbered, not the women and children.
• Will we be the only one that remains?
• The disciples were more focused on what they didn’t have.
• God is looking for those that have not even been counted!

Story of David

• David was the 8th son of Jesse.
• When Samuel came to visit Jesse’s son, to anoint them king, David was left in the fields. He wasn’t counted or included in the line up for Samuel to chose from.
• David was the left over; the youngest of the sons to Jesse.
• God is always looking for the Remnant!

There is a call on the Remnant and we must answer the call. 

Quit counting and comparing yourself to others. 

Jesus said to go after the least of these. 

“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 17:14-21