Today, our study will be on a title that I believe is very crucial for this time. We will be considering HOW TO PRESERVE A REMNANT FOR GOD. And we will be understanding certain things through this study by the help of God. Who are these remnants? And how do we preserve them? And why should we preserve them? Ultimately, knowing the will of God concerning this subject matter.

Let’s go to Matthew 6:10 and Habakkuk 2:14 which will be a foundation to all we will be studying.

Matthew 6: 10 says “Your kingdom come, your will be done on the earth as it is in heaven.”

This was the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray: Your kingdom come, your will be done on the earth as it is in heaven.

So, there is a will of God in heaven and He wants that will done and established on the earth and we, man that He has created are meant to agree with him and enforce this will on the earth. The question we must continually ask ourselves is, what is the will of God on the earth par time and how can we align ourselves to bring it to establishment, to fulfillment?

 

Habakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.”

I will give us a background to that scripture. Reading from verse 1 to 13 of this Habbakuk 2, you will realize a lot of evils that was being done in the land and woe was being declared on all the evil doers. It talked about bloodshed, greed, extortion of people and the likes. All manner of evils and the bible said woe to the evil doers. Then in verse 14, it was declared, For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea. It might seem to take time but surely, ultimately, the earth will be filled because in the midst of the evils, this is God’s ultimate intention, plan, will and purpose. We can liken it to all that goes on in our world today. So surely, the earth will definitely be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God because that knowledge will choke the darkness in the land.  Glory talks about brightness and light and so darkness will have to flee. The Amplified version of this verse says: But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord

 

Let’s read also Habakkuk 2 verse 2-3. The bible says, Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

These verses were before verse 14. My vision, my counsel will come to pass, just wait. What is the vision?  That the glory of God will fill the earth. The bible says, that he may run that reads it. That he may go to work to see to the establishment of this will. That he may run, running talks about being in a hurry, to hasten  to accomplish something or go somewhere. That should be our attitude to the will of God being established on the earth.

 

So, from all we have said, how will we ensure that God’s vision, God’s counsel be established on the earth? By preserving a remnant for Him. By partnering with him to see that a remnant is being preserved.  And this study will show us how this preservation can be done.

The title is how to preserve a remnant for God, to the end that the earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of God. When something or a place is filled, it means there is no space. It’s filled.

 

NOW WHAT DOES THESE REMNANTS MEAN? WHO ARE THE REMNANTS?

A Remnant is a small portion remaining of a larger thing or group. A small minority of people who will remain faithful to God and so be saved. People that have not been corrupted by the world, separated, holy, sanctified.  Those are the remnants we will be preserving.

Usually, we will note that in scriptures, when God wants to deliver a people or shake the world so to say, He would call out a man or a few individuals, separate them from the rest of the crowd or world so as to accomplish his work on the earth. The ultimate goal is that the glory of God will fill the earth as the waters covers the sea. His kingdom will come and his will be done on the earth as it is in heaven.

There are numerous examples we can see from scriptures.

Noah and his family; God preserved a remnant for himself there. He wanted to rid the world of the evil and wickedness. He wanted to start a new thing, a new work, a new move, a new breed. So, he separated Noah and his family  

Daniel and his friends; Shedrack, Meshack and Abednego in captivity in a strange land. Precisely, the land of Babylon, away from home. But from every indication, they were separated from the rest unto God, for God. And it was evident in their life and dealings in that strange land.

What about Abraham? God called him out, separated him from his father’s house. God wanted to birth a new nation, a nation he could call his own, that was his will, and vision.

Jesus; He was one man at first then, then He called 12 men for a start and then the whole world is continually being reached with God’s word through these ones. Thinking about it, there are millions and billions of people on the earth but he selected 12 at first, meaning that though they were a very small number, really minute number, compared to billions of people in the world, they had the capacity to change the world. So, God sees beyond the few and perhaps weak. Through the right guidance, the Apostles, changed and are still changing the world.

Once God calls people out, he sees a remnant He is preserving for himself.  We can say, though there is perverseness, wickedness of the world, God always seeks to preserve a remnant for himself, have people separated unto him and for him.

For the purpose and focus of this study, there is a remnant God wants us to preserve, that is our children!

 

We know that this world is sustained by continuous births of children that go on daily. In fact, when the number of births in a place or society is higher, and death rate is low, the population increases. The world is sustained by children literary. But the world can’t be run by children.

So, though the birth of children helps in the sustenance of the world, children will grow, they won’t remain children forever and they will run the world. The bible advises that when it comes to taking in the word of God, we shouldn’t remain children but become adults so we can take the solid food of the word. But the truth remains, that if our seeds, that means our children become corrupted, our trees, our fruits, our adults will be destroyed. The bible says, if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? So, there is a need to preserve our children as remnants for God.

The world is sustained by children, that means by the birth of children. But the world is not run by children.

 

WHY DO WE NEED TO PRESERVE THIS REMNANTS, OUR CHILDREN FOR GOD?

The bible says, the glory of God will fill the earth as waters cover the sea, how?  By the remnants, the separated ones, the preserved ones, our children that will take over the running of the world.  And you know that it’s a continuous process, life is a continuous cycle of birth, growth and death. So, this preservation is generational, continuous.

If we as adults are here today and serving God without looking back to the world, it is because we have been separated for this good work of God but we won’t be here forever so there’s a need to preserve our seed, our children. We don’t want to look back and notice that our seeds have been corrupted by the world so instead of the world which is already dark getting light, darkness prevails the more.

Not too long ago, I stumbled on a Facebook post of someone, he said a people that didn’t believe in the existence of the Almighty God at all released a song- saying we are coming for your children.  To many people in the world who would care less, they might read and pass, it means nothing. But as Christians, I believe we need to tighten our belts and carefully consider it. Not out of fear but more of a wakeup call to more than ever partner with God in the establishment of his will on the earth through our seeds, our children. The bible says that they may run that readeth it. It’s for us to hasten, to hurry up to establish God’s will. Not to be slack.

The devil is out to corrupt our seed. Our children are getting endangered daily, even as much as we might try to shield them, there is war against the remnants that God wants to preserve. And that’s why we are God’s representatives on the earth to do this job of God’s will being done and established on the earth and that is, the glory and knowledge of God filling the earth as the waters cover the sea. In our preaching, teaching, walking, talking, acting, that’s the central goal. That remnants be preserved for God.

The enemy might have given up on your case and say Jesus I know, Paul I know, I know this man, I know this woman but has the names of our children been registered so the devil knows that they are remnants preserved and separated unto God? Perhaps we are doing some things, giving our all to propagate the gospel but if these remnants, children, seeds are not preserved, most of these works and efforts may become wasted or not very visible anymore. If the foundation be destroyed, what will the righteous do? We can say, if our seeds be corrupted, what will the righteous adults do?

 

 

 

WHO SHOULD PRESERVE THIS REMNANT?

Malachi 2: 13-15

13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favour on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. 15 Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring.[d] So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

With emphasis on verse 15, many of us might be quick to say, well it’s the Parents responsibilities to teach their children in the way of the Lord.  I am not a parent yet. It’s not my child and all that.  They should be blamed if things go wrong or if the children turn out badly. I do not disagree but I want us to see something first. I want us to see who a Parent is.

According to a dictionary, A parent is one who begets or brings forth offspring. Another definition is a parent is one who brings up and cares for another. So, these definitions tell us that there are blood related parents because you birth the child and also, there may be children you might be opportune to care for, train, nurture, raise at one point or the other in your life, you can be called a parent to them. That’s why as Christians, we can say, these are my spiritual parents.  So, you might bring forth an offspring and be related by blood but if you don’t bring up and care for that child, it cannot be boldly said that you parent that child. Unfortunately, some parents have abandoned their parenting jobs to other people, who may not be the right influence over their children.

For example, if I give a gift to someone and the person abandons it, does not care for it or is careless about it and someone else, finds that gift, takes care of it. Who will I be pleased with? The second person not the person I initially gave the gift to.  The second person will be said to own that gift. The same way, for example, a child whose parents by blood died at an early age, got adopted by another family who cares and brings him up. Please, who Parent that child? Who can be said to be the Parent of that child?  

So, raising godly seeds even though it’s one of God’s plan for instituting marriage, is the duty or main responsibility of parents;  blood parents yes! but everyone that can be called a parent by virtue of having children under you, that you can care for and bring up. For example, Nannies, children’s teachers, spiritual parents, school teachers and the likes. Somehow, I believe all of us might have the opportunity to come in contact with different children in our life time that might need our care or nurturing by blood and through other ways. Whatever way they come to you, they need to be preserved as remnants for God so we shouldn’t miss our opportunity.

 

HOW DO WE PRESERVE THIS REMNANT FOR GOD?

1. Teaching the Word

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

I will tell us a story of someone I got to know about sometime in university, a lady that can recite the entire bible, just recite. I believe back then she might have been in her early twenties. I don’t know if she knew the deep revelations of the word but she knows the logos. She went for a competition where she was to recite the whole of Psalms. It was a walk over for her. I am sure others in the competition had to rehearse but she confidently said it’s too easy. Why? Her dad used to play an audio bible since when she was a child, as far back as she could remember. In the car, in the house, everywhere. In fact, she and her siblings were overwhelmed and fed up with it but somehow, she was winning competitions with it. The words were stuck in her brain. She recites the bible unconsciously, without much thought. She didn’t have to want to win the competition but she always won. Why? There was nothing she could do about it. She knew all the chapters and verses.

Now, that is one that perhaps has the logos of the word, just the written sentences in the bible. What then will happen will that girl or our children, are given and taught the Rhema of the word, have deep revelations of the word? If our children are given the word from a very young age, what will become their outcomes? Will they not win against the schemes and lies of the devil? Will their souls not be preserved? They will be mobile word carriers. They don’t have to pray to win against the perverseness of the world, they will win because they have the word.

We may not play audio bibles every day in your houses but by every means, let the word be available to your children. That’s how they can be preserved for what God is doing and wants to do, that’s how they can grow and run the world. That’s why the Lord told the people of Israel, talk about it when you are walking on the road, lying down, put it on your doorposts, everywhere. Be in the faces of these children with the word.  God said, teach them diligently. Be deliberate about it. It's not an easy task and most times, the day runs and it’s like there is no time but we must do it, run with this vision, it’s important to God and to us. That’s why God told the children of Israel to teach their children. The enemy is not resting. That’s how a remnant will be preserved to enforce the will of God on the earth. We must not stop even when it feels like the child is not getting it. The counsel of God will eventually stand.

In loving our children and pleasing God as caretakers, we might try to shield them as much as possible but we cannot be with them everywhere. It’s not possible. There are many more children and people in the world they will interact with. Even if we want to lock them up at home, what about the media, the televisions, seemingly harmless novels? What about the enemy that constantly whispers to you so you can fall from grace, do you think the children are not also whispered to? Are the battles in the mind not even worse? We cannot see those ones. If our children are going to be shielded from the world’s schemes and enticements, then we have to infiltrate them with the word.  

Let’s read Acts 20:32 (NKJV)

32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all thosse who are sanctified.

ACTS 20:32 AMP

32 And now I commend you to God [placing you in His protective, loving care] and [I commend you] to the word of His grace [the counsel and promises of His unmerited favor]. His grace is able to build you up and to give you the [rightful] inheritance among all those who are sanctified [that is, among those who are set apart for God’s purpose—all believers].

 

Psalm 119:105 says Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

 

Let the word light their path. Let the word guide them.  That’s the greatest gift, inheritance we can leave for our children. The word will give them an inheritance. It’s a complete package. It’s not wrong to leave monies, business, material things for our children as inheritances but the word will still guide them to even care for and sustain what you have given them.

There are battles against evil they will have to fight, life challenges they will have to surmount on their own. No parent will ever pray for and wish battles for their children but let’s note that as believers and as children, seeds that God is sieving out from the crowd as his remnant, the battle line is already drawn, the enemy will want to try his luck with them. There are battles for their souls against the enemy that they will have to fight and win on their own. And let’s not start thinking of battles like demons coming in their dreams, attacking them in the night with horns. Before we go there, the battles will come every day. The enemy will come in human forms, classmates, friends in school, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, recent trends, things in vogue, music, money, identity crises, a choice to do what is righteous or convenient, a lot.

But there is a remnant that God wants to preserve by his word. The word of God! And we can partner to see this come to pass. That the knowledge of God will fill the earth. The storms will come, the winds will blow, it’s a matter of time but the house will stand, why? A solid foundation and building have been erected by the word. Say it, read it, put it on your doorposts, what that passage in Deuteronomy was saying is by all means possible. By all means possible, let the word be resident in them.

A quote I came across: Rather than just tell them what not to do, teach and show them what to do. I will add, by the word. It’s not enough to instruct them, don’t steal, don’t be enticed by bad friends. Let them see it through the word.  Let the word quicken them. As parents by blood or with children to care for under your covering, give them the word, teach them the word by all means possible to you. The bible says, train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22: 6) How do we do this? By the word!

The battle line had been drawn, from Genesis when God said, her seed will bruise your head, will the enemy give in without a fight? No way! But the word needs to prevail in their lives.

 

2. Modelling the word

Let them see your works. When we hear works, let’s not streamline it to the services we render in God’s house. Works in this context refers to what we do daily. As much as we want to fill them with God’s word, we ourselves as parents should be the word of God they see and read daily. First as faithful stewards, we should be examples of the word that we are filling them with. A Mobile word of God. It should not be like do what I say not what I do.   Infiltration with the word is not only in teaching them, our lives must show it. Let the word of God be the basis of how they see us act, react, the works we do either professionally or in the body of Christ. We need to shine these lights to them if they will and must be preserved. Model the word.

 

 

If the Lord does not build, the builders build in vain and if the lord does not watch over a city, the watchman watch in vain. (Psalm 127: 1-2) Perhaps, we have been trying but we can’t relent. The war against the will of God been established started a long time ago from the garden of Eden. Let the Lord watch and build our children by his word, that’s how we can raise and preserve remnants for God and ultimately fill the earth with the knowledge of God.

 

Matthew 5: 14 says, You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. There is a glory, a life that comes with light. Light brings energy, glory.  Our remnants will be a light, a glory at different places and spheres of life where they will be found. One by one, infiltrating the world with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters covers the sea. That’s the will of God, that’s the vision we should run with. Our children are God’s building. We are God’s workmen.

May God grant us grace to partner with him in his agenda in Jesus name.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Benedicta Apeh!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!