BY JACK WARD
Wars are going on all over the world. Atheism is on the rise in America, the homosexual agenda continues unabated, persecution continues worldwide, especially in the Muslim nations, and church attendance continues to fall. Those who attend church now are by far the minority in America. Only 8% of Americans attend church now.
But the biggest news of 2026 didn’t make any headlines, no one talked about it, and it went totally ignored. What is the biggest news of 2026? The biggest news is that the remnant of the church continues to grow and is stronger every day.
What is the remnant? Those believers who truly follow the Lord Jesus Christ and stand for the truth of the word of God no matter what. As the church grows smaller, the remnant grows larger. We see it illustrated fully in 1 Kings 19:18: “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”
There were still many people who were faithful to the living God. Seven thousand had not stooped to worship Baal. Although in each generation there are great spiritual leaders who do the work of God, there is a community of God among everyday people whose lives are not spectacular but who live faithfully for their God.
Baal was the fertility god of the pagans in Elijah’s day. The whole of the world seemed to be following this false God of self and self-indulgence. Even the people of God seemed to be turning to Baal faster than lightning. Does that sound familiar to today? The church today is turning away from the Lord and turning to Baal, the god of self, selfish desires, self-interests and self-preservation.
Let me ask you? Are you part of the remnant? Or have you forsaken the Lord to serve yourself? Have you forsaken your church, that the Lord Jesus died to establish, to follow after Baal? I talk to people all the time who say they have quit going to church because someone hurt their feelings, or someone made them mad, or the preacher didn’t visit them or they didn’t like the songs or the color of the carpet, even. My word to you is grow up and get ready to go up! Jesus is coming soon for His church!
Jesus didn’t die to save a bunch of spoiled babies. He died to build a church that the gates of hell could not overcome! But many of us today let the gates of pride, selfishness, fear and laziness overcome us so easily. The devil must laugh at how easy it is to get us to quit. No wonder the Lord said that “narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
If you are faithful to the church today, the remnant of God, take heart. While our numbers are smaller, our strength is greater. It won’t be long until we see our Lord. Let’s not quit now because the finish line is so close!!
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on 98.9 WSIP FM. Check out the Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church Facebook page and website at tomahawkmbc.com.