Awaken, Remnant-Advent 2022

Seriously? During Advent? Yes. With Kanye West and Kyrie Irving in the news recently over accusations of antisemitism, God laid it on my heart to address Jesus’ lineage and patterns of a remnant I see in the Old Testament, with the threads of a remnant winding all the way to Revelation. I see a time coming soon when God will awaken the remnant.

“So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” (Romans 11:5)

What remnant? I’m glad you asked.

Why do Evangelicals like myself often have such a soft spot toward “the Jewish people?” Not all Christians do. I know a few self-proclaimed Christians who hate “the Jews.”

One social media platform seems dedicated to disparaging all who share Jesus’ lineage and to do so while claiming to follow Christ. To them, Christians have replaced “the Jews” as God’s chosen people though that is nowhere in literal Scripture.

That makes me think that maybe there’s more than one remnant…or the big-picture-remnant in need of the wakeup call is far more diverse than one nationality, people, and language.

First, regarding “the Jewish people” (whom we will define as we go along). The Apostle Paul writes, Romans 9:1 “I speak the truth in Christ– I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit… For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.”

OK, but there is a remnant.

Paul continues, Romans 9:27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.”

Wait. Paul isn’t done. Romans 11:25 “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in… 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all.”

The full number isn’t 100% (universalism), but rather, the full faith subset of the general population. For Gentiles like myself, there is still a narrow gate that many people don’t consider important. So, during this Advent season, let’s look at the remnant to be saved…among the Jews…and within the pews.

Awaken, Remnant. The time is now. “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11)

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Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:

The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.