It was mid-morning October 18, 2024. I knew the messages given to me were going to be used to wrap-up the blog and get it on its way to the world. God gave me the topic ‘Letter to those who call themselves church’. I had just finished typing in the topic name in the subject line, when I heard to record the following:
Dear Ones,
“First, I am giving a reminder that church does not mean the building, rather the people. It is the people to whom I am speaking. My messages are for those who are part of a very large church, a very small church, or anywhere in between. I am speaking to those who identify with a specific denomination or are non-denominational. I am speaking to those who meet in a large building, a small building, in private homes, or out in nature. In other words, I am speaking to everyone who identifies as ‘church’ and to everyone who calls me God. My purpose is to help you become the disciples I need you to be.”
“The following is something I gave my disciple messenger in 2017. I want it shared. It is partly in her words and partly in my words. You should be able to distinguish whose words are whose. Just know, that I was the inspiration for her words. Know, too, that she was first asked to write a book about reconciliation, and when the rough draft was finished, I asked her to start a blog. The following came to her while the book was still being written. It applies now, also.”
9/9/17 I felt an excitement this morning as thoughts of how THE BOOK should be written kept going through my head. I was literally dizzy from trying to put the bits and pieces where they were meant to be.
One word that kept popping to mind was remnant. I wondered what was meant by a remnant and what message God was giving me. I thought of the church I attend and how we certainly could say we are but a remnant of what we used to be as far as numbers. At the same time, thoughts of mega churches that have sprung up came to mind. I started asking questions. “What is meant by the word remnant that you have placed on the list of words of which I should take notice and are reminding me about today? What am I to write about it?”
I did an Internet search of the meaning of remnant in Biblical terms. I found such things as “What is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe,” as described in Wikipedia and as a message of hope and that “God’s grace triumphs in the end” and “The remnant is future-oriented,” from Elmer A. Martens, as found in the site Bible Study Tools.—Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. In that same last reference was found, “Because the criterion is not ethnicity but righteousness, the Scripture applies ‘remnant’ language to peoples other than Israel. In a pivotal text, Amos speaks of a remnant of Edom, interpreted by James as referring to all humankind, which will come under the saving umbrella of David. (Amos 9: 12)”.
I was ‘hearing’ the title to a song called, ‘You Don’t Know Me’ so I looked up the lyrics. Do a search and read the lyrics so that you might better understand the following.
Then I heard that I was to write the following, “Tell them there are many who have given their hand to me, many who raise their hands in praise of me who don’t know me. Tell them that many who have said hello to me are merely speaking acquaintances who claim to know me, but they have no desire to have a conversation with me. They walk away from anything that might require of them an effort to get to know me. Tell them that there are those who call me their friend, their help in time of trouble, but turn away from me, betray me, when times are good. They don’t know me. They don’t know I long for them to recognize me and get to know me as their Heavenly Father with all the benefits that go with that. I long to wrap my arms around them when they are sad, troubled, happy, or just having an ordinary day. I long to have their attention and their desire to have long conversations with me, both sharing their joys and concerns while listening for my responses, through prayer. I long to have their hearts so that they might become the disciples they are called to be.”
After that God said to search for the lyrics to ‘Jesus, Lover of My Soul,’ and from the many choices you will find, take the one that speaks to you. Make it yours according to what is in your heart then offer it to Jesus as a commitment to show your desire to fully participate in the remnant.
After recording the above as directed on October 18, 2024, God said, “Remnants can be found in any size church group. Remnant, as I mean it in this instance, is a group of disciples who have a true relationship with me, who truly know me, who strive to be like Jesus. Large-sized churches can have small remnants and small-sized churches can have large remnants – it all depends on how many have a relationship with me, have become the disciples they are called to be, and have enough disciples – remember, remnant is not an individual but individuals — to carry out the work needed to be done to keep the church vibrant and active.”
“I weep for churches that have no qualifying disciples. Sadly, there are churches who have no, or too few disciples, to count as a remnant. It is in these churches where I find too many wall builders, too many busy at segregating ‘us’ from ‘them’. They use politics, gender, race, who qualities for love, their established rules of morality, health issues, issues about care of the earth, guns vs no guns, who is deserving vs who is not deserving, who wears the right clothes, role of women in the church, in the family, and on and on. There are fractures within the fractures of a fractured church. Reconciliation is not a recognized word. Make no mistake about the following: Segregation and wall building to separate ‘us’ from ‘them’ are not okay with me.”
NOTE: It was the morning of October 19, 2024. This disciple messenger was proofing this letter, getting it ready for posting when I was led to something I had been given and recorded on June 6, 2021. God wanted it inserted here, because he said, “The same thing that was happening in ‘church’ then is happening in ‘church’ today. How can they ever be the disciples I need them to be when they continue building walls? The things being said were not acceptable to me then and are not acceptable to me now.”
I followed God’s wish. Following is what I had recorded in my journal on 6/7/2021:
Our minister pulled a surprise in the sermon yesterday by saying he was going to speak what had been on his mind and heart for a long time. He warned ahead of time that some would not like what he was going to say. The theme was love and he used the love scripture in 1 Corinthians 13 to say that our highest calling is to love our neighbor, and, by doing that, we are showing that we love God above all else. He said if we don’t accept others– no matter their skin color, no matter their sexual preference, no matter their ethnicity, no matter their gender, no matter their religion, no matter their socioeconomic status, no matter their age, no matter their nationality — then we aren’t fulfilling our most important calling.
He gave examples of things he had heard said or had been said to him including, “You can’t be a Democrat and be Christian,” and “Obama is the anti-Christ.” He said he’s heard people say that anyone who has had an abortion or is with a same-sex partner isn’t welcome in church because they aren’t Christian. He said that he isn’t trying to say having an abortion or being gay or lesbian isn’t wrong because he doesn’t know. God is the judge of that, but he is saying that refusing to love others is wrong and he knows that because Jesus said so.
After inserting the journal entry as God asked, he said the following, “I love all my creation and that means I love all my children unconditionally. Anyone who loves their neighbor unconditionally is showing their love for me. That is the positive. The negative is that anyone who puts conditions on their love – ‘can’t be democrat, can’t be gay, can’t be of color, can’t be an unwed mother, can’t be of another church, can’t be poor, can’t be asking for help, can’t be of another nationality, can’t be an immigrant, can’t be dressed improperly, can’t be a working mother – a mother’s place is in the home — can’t believe differently from what we believe, etc., etc.’ – is not showing love for me.” Then he added, “Make no mistake, your highest calling is to love me with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. If you say you love me then show the opposite of love against another of my children, you don’t know me at all, your sentiments are like a clanging cymbal to me. Read 1 Corinthians 1 – 13 to be reminded of what love is and what love isn’t.”
“I am happy for churches that have a vibrant, working remnant. It is in these churches that I see reconcilers to truth and justice, ones ready and willing to be repairers of bridges that unite and brave enough to tackle the tearing down of walls that divide. Reconciliation to make things better is practiced and recognized as a path to progress.”
“Church is not a place for fearmongering, hate, gloom, and doom. Disciples as I need them to be do not use words or actions that cause fear, hate, despair. My disciples would never use lies, conspiracy theories to manipulate minds of others. Doing so would be using man’s ways, not my ways. I want my disciples to be joyful, hopeful, faithful, and filled with love, love, love. Speaking and acting with a Christian heart is my way.”
“Church as I want it to be is inclusive, not exclusive. Church should be where all are invited to the table and the ways of Jesus are taught and practiced. It should be a place where compassionate service is encouraged, where reconciliation of differences is common practice, where justice for all is sought, where ways are found to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, visit the lonely, care for the sick, and to go into all the world and make disciples. Church is where disciples are found and are heard to call themselves disciples. These disciples know that relationships are important, especially a relationship with me, your Heavenly Father. Love of me and love of others should fill hearts. This desire for relationship will carry over to cooperation with other churches and faith communities to accomplish worthwhile goals.”
“This is the mission for the church: “Love God. Love others as you love self. Wish for others what you wish for self. Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God. Love and nurture one another, encourage one another, work together as disciples – disciples being my hands, feet, and voice in the world, spreading the messages of love, reconciliation, and salvation far and wide. Be a part of the remnant — Praise and glorify your Father in Heaven. Let the SON shine through in all you say and all you do.”
Go forth in LOVE,
Your Father in Heaven
UPCOMING: Letter to those who won’t believe truths