THE HEART OF THE REMNANT

THE HEART OF THE REMNANT

... I am strongly impressed that the remnant (a remnant must be a part of the original) must be vigorous in its own circle before it can be a testimony in the world. The church was to be the candlestick; she lost her first love, and eventually lost her testimony. Then in Thyatira the promise of “the morning star” was given. It is for the Lord’s return the remnant looks, not for the restoration of the church. “I come quickly: ... that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3: 11). The remnant is not seeking to recover the position on the earth which the church has lost, but to be ready in heart and ways for Christ, so that the cry “Come” is the one desire of the bride. Her desire for the Lord’s return is not because of sorrows here, but because nothing less can satisfy the heart of the bride, who, as to testimony, has gone forth with trimmed lamps to meet Him, in answer to “Behold the bridegroom” (Matthew 25: 6).

I mean that the ministry now is more to get the saints ready for Christ than to regain the position of testimony in the world. Of course as there is devotedness to Christ there will be a shining forth of light in this dark place, but I think that the object of the Spirit now is to so draw our hearts to Christ that everything unsuited to Him would be renounced, and the better we know Him the more suited to Him we shall be. Our business is not merely evangelising now, nor any measure of usefulness. The one commanding thought is, “The bright and morning star”. I hope you see my thought. I feel that it provokes one to a greater zeal for Christ in the assembly, for if we do not reach the greatness of our association with Christ in the assembly, we ^[p. 74] cannot be in the mind and feelings of the bride, or qualified to say to Him, “Come”.