I. Establish God’s perimeter - Watch for personal standards of godliness and work with those God is gathering to Himself. These standards include:
- Personal holiness (diligence in assignments; embracing righteousness: purity of thought, word and speech; extending justice: protecting the weak and the innocent)
- Love for Christ, His Church and the lost
- Confident in God’s love for them (that we can be saved because we are the objects of God’s deep, unchanging affection; He has made redemption possible through the life and death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus)
Identify a faithful remnant:
a) those who actively believe God is able to manifest His power because of His love for His Church (at large) and for the lost
b) those who live a lifestyle of prayer (I Thes. 5:17)
c) those who are “team players”, whose sincere agenda is God’s agenda rather than personal gain or recognition. The unity of the spirit and the bond of peace are the standards they live by, (Eph. 4:3).
d) those who are watching for, and waiting on, Jesus to lead. They are authentic “bond servants” of the Lord (Jas. 1:1, 2 Tim. 2:24, Col. 4:7, Luke 2:29). He presides over their prayer meetings and other gatherings.
[Hezekiah] said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.” .... “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.” 2 Chr. 29:5,10-11
II. Securing the perimeter - Success of the remnant will be dependent on a secure perimeter. “Satan’s preferred mode of operation is exploiting ignorance, because it allows him to move in our midst with impunity” (Ed Silvoso, That None Should Perish). Satan has weapons to aim at the faithful remnant:
a) Sin. Satan is a tempter, but praise be to God where sin has abounded/occurred grace can much greater abound (Rom. 5:20) to the repentant sinner
b) Accusation. Satan wants to trigger hopelessness. If we resist the devil, God assures us He will flee, (Jas. 4:7). But if we are not assured inwardly of the sufficiency of Jesus’ blood (1 John 1:7 - “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin”) deception can render us impotent, as prisoners of war rather than overcomers through the election of God and the power of His Holy Spirit, (Luke 10:19).
c) Strongholds. “A mindset impregnated with hopelessness, and accepts as unchangable that which is contrary to the will of God”. Deadly strongholds include: disunity, spiritual apathy, and ignorance of the schemes of the devil. (cf. Ed Silvoso)
- Personal holiness (diligence in assignments; embracing righteousness: purity of thought, word and speech; extending justice: protecting the weak and the innocent)
- Love for Christ, His Church and the lost
- Confident in God’s love for them (that we can be saved because we are the objects of God’s deep, unchanging affection; He has made redemption possible through the life and death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus)
Identify a faithful remnant:
a) those who actively believe God is able to manifest His power because of His love for His Church (at large) and for the lost
b) those who live a lifestyle of prayer (I Thes. 5:17)
c) those who are “team players”, whose sincere agenda is God’s agenda rather than personal gain or recognition. The unity of the spirit and the bond of peace are the standards they live by, (Eph. 4:3).
d) those who are watching for, and waiting on, Jesus to lead. They are authentic “bond servants” of the Lord (Jas. 1:1, 2 Tim. 2:24, Col. 4:7, Luke 2:29). He presides over their prayer meetings and other gatherings.
[Hezekiah] said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.” .... “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.” 2 Chr. 29:5,10-11
II. Securing the perimeter - Success of the remnant will be dependent on a secure perimeter. “Satan’s preferred mode of operation is exploiting ignorance, because it allows him to move in our midst with impunity” (Ed Silvoso, That None Should Perish). Satan has weapons to aim at the faithful remnant:
a) Sin. Satan is a tempter, but praise be to God where sin has abounded/occurred grace can much greater abound (Rom. 5:20) to the repentant sinner
b) Accusation. Satan wants to trigger hopelessness. If we resist the devil, God assures us He will flee, (Jas. 4:7). But if we are not assured inwardly of the sufficiency of Jesus’ blood (1 John 1:7 - “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin”) deception can render us impotent, as prisoners of war rather than overcomers through the election of God and the power of His Holy Spirit, (Luke 10:19).
c) Strongholds. “A mindset impregnated with hopelessness, and accepts as unchangable that which is contrary to the will of God”. Deadly strongholds include: disunity, spiritual apathy, and ignorance of the schemes of the devil. (cf. Ed Silvoso)
