November 28

Day 259: Faithful Remnant

It's windy outside. With lots of rain predicted over the next 24 hours. NOAA calls this weather pattern an "atmospheric river."

Cute. Living in Southeast Alaska, we get the sense we live at the convergence of several rivers like that. For this seems to happen more often than not. We are not unaccustomed to rain of near Biblical proportions.

Ironically, I'm currently reading about Noah in Genesis; he the builder then inhabitant of the ark. God was quite done with the sinfulness of mankind. And mankind's sin had affected all of creation.

So God says to Noah, "I will preserve you and your family." Noah was also directed to take two of every kind of creature with them into the boat. Go inside, and wait it out.

God brought multiple atmospheric rivers to bear. The "fountains of the earth erupted, and the windows of heaven opened" with torrents of rain. Drowned the whole place, and everything on it.

No survivors. Well, except those God chose to save within the boat, in what appears to us a do-over, but to God all part of the plan.

A faithful remnant. God always seems to reserve and preserve for Himself a remnant - a piece separated from the whole, saved for a special purpose. When all is dark, the remnant is the light that never quite goes out.

The very despairing prophet Elijah was told by God that he was not the only faithful one left. God had, in fact, "reserved for Himself" a remnant of 7,000 others.

When it seemed everyone stopped following Jesus after a sermon on eating His body and drinking His blood, Jesus asked His disciples, "You too?" They did not leave like the others had. Jesus had the "words of life." And they would respond as the faithful remnant.

The Church (big "C") of Jesus Christ is the faithful remnant. We are not called out of the world. At least yet. But we are called to be different from the world.

The Church will be preserved, until such a day when God destroys what we see, and then places us with Him in a new heavens and new earth. That is the ultimate hope of any true Christian. Our preservation translated into eternal life, worshipping and serving the King of kings and Lord of lords.

So today, on a very stormy Saturday, while Deb and I continue our Christmas decorating (while watching mindless college football games) I will also look outside. See the wet.

And thank my Lord and my God that He has included you and me together with His faithful remnant.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau