“I say then, has God rejected His people? God forbid! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ‘Lord, they have killed Your prophets and destroyed Your altars. I alone am left, and they seek my life?’ But what is the divine reply to him? ‘I have kept for Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ So then at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace“ (Rom. 11:1-5, emphasis mine).
Like today, many Israelites had accepted a polluted version of their faith. They may have claimed to be followers of Jehovah, but, in practice, they worshipped the false gods of Baal and completely dismissed the intrusive and inconvenient laws of God. In fact, they were hostile toward the things of God. Sound familiar?
Just as in Elijah’s day, there is still a remnant of genuine believers who hold true to the countercultural teachings of Christ. Not all people have rejected God’s message. You are not alone! There are others like you. There’s still a remnant of saints who believe in the power of the cross, the blood, the Bible, the Holy Spirit and prayer! Like an echo from the past, this remnant is a leftover fragment from days past before Christianity became watered down, and the power of God became absent from lives. You are not alone! God has chosen a remnant for this present time in America. 2016 is a year for the remnant to arise.
It’s been well-documented that God can do much with a little. Just ask the boy with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6). Small numbers have never disqualified God from doing great things. Again, just ask Gideon (Judg. 6-7) or the 11 dysfunctional disciples that Jesus left the incredible responsibility of starting the church. A small remnant in the hands of God is more than enough!
Matthew 15:21-28 is a very awkward passage of Scripture. Awkward, because our sweet, loving, caring Jesus calls a Canaanite woman a dog. Yep.
“Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ But He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s bread and to throw it to dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly” (Matt. 15:25-28).
We can discuss the dog comment later, but for now I just want to bring your attention to the crumbs. Only twice does Jesus say someone has great faith, and this was one of them. This woman obviously understood something about the power of crumbs that we often miss. Crumbs … a lot like a remnant, are usually swept away and put into the trash. They are a fragment of what used to be a whole.
But this woman knew something about crumbs. She knew that each crumb holds a small portion of the whole. The yeast, flour and honey that are stirred together to form the bread are also found in each crumb. She knew that if the faith of a mustard seed can move a mountain, then crumbs from the kingdom can heal a sick child! It’s not about how much quantity you have, it’s all about what’s inside the portion that falls to you!
