In May 2012, I heard the voice of the Lord say to me, “Pat, I am looking for the remnant rising!” This coincided with the fact that I had many dreams over the previous two years of an awakening coming to America.
In one particular dream, I was in an old diner, sitting in a booth with key leaders, and in front of us sat an old radio. Every time we changed the radio station on the old radio, the announcer would broadcast that God was pouring His Spirit out in different cities. I remember awakening that night from the dream with laughter and tears. As I researched, I found the word remnant. I began to realize this was the answer to the awakening I believe is coming to the world.
Here is what I found when I researched the word remnant:
1. Dictionary.com defines it as “remaining, what is left over, usually small part, a fragment or scrap, unsold or unused piece of cloth, as at the end of a bolt.”
2. In the Bible, the definition in both the Old and New Testament is “What remains of a group of people after most of that group has been destroyed or lost through dispersal brought upon by judgment or the following of apostasy.”
In other words, a remnant is a rag in the hand of God, waiting to be used to clean up the mess. And the world is certainly a mess, isn’t it? We who are remnant are God’s towel that He uses to clean up lives and transform this world.
This idea of a remnant is nothing new. The apostle Paul said, “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace” (Rom. 11:5, NIV). And the reality is, Paul lived in a time very much like today. It was a time when many had rejected the Messiah and decided to follow the philosophy of man. The noise of the culture and spirit of the world had invaded the church from every side.
We are living in a time where many key voices have grown faint of heart due to the fact that truth is now considered hate speech and passion for Jesus is considered a misnomer. Simply put, I believe that to take a stand for truth means you might be ostracized and even mistreated. God is sounding a clarion call for His remnant to rise up and lead. The remnant must combat the false message of “greasy grace” and what I call secular Christianity. The remnant has always understood that it must be about making Jesus known and not the celebrity Christian culture that once again permeates today’s Christendom.
For years, I have spoke to this generation about how to live, but I now also believe we must assign identity. Why? Because identity breaks curses. I believe the remnant consists of those who feel like failures—the fatherless, the forgotten and the freedom fighters—whose pedigree is that of a scarred Savior.
I believe that now is the time for the “nobodies” to rise up and declare truth through the power of the Holy Spirit. As God has raised up remnants at critical moments throughout history, they have been marked with the Nazarite (consecrated) vow of holiness, wholeness and purpose. They have chosen to overcome the flesh for a greater call to consecration. They have decided to be a drink offering rather than host a bar tab. They have decided that an audience of one with God far outweighs the desire to be seen by man. I believe that the remnant cannot be defined by man’s concepts because they find their value in the eyes of a Savior.
I hear the voice of Jesus calling out for the voices of truth to rise. And to get where God wants us to go, we must be God-empowered and not platform-driven. Without purity, we will only embarrass the cross. Without authority, we will never see miracles. Without joy, our message will be ignored. I must remind you that Jesus came with a sword and not a feather!
This generation is ready for the remnant mantle. They are desperate for truth, for authority and for the supernatural power of God to be in action. Are you remnant? The litmus test you can use to answer this question is simply this: Are you ready to see God pour His Spirit out on this generation? The remnant mantra must be that the remnant has decided that, at all costs, they will not allow the next generation to speak of the last generation as a group that didn’t want to see God’s glory.
Pat Schatzline is one of America’s leading communicators, authors and evangelists. He and his wife, Karen, co-founded Mercy Seat Ministries and have ministered internationally to over 2 million people. Known for his crazy humor and unique ability to communicate God’s Word with passion, Pat desires to introduce a generation to the awesome love of the Father.
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