- A surviving trace, remainder or residue; it is something left over.
- A small surviving group of people.
Its root word means "to remain;" To abide, endure, stay or tarry; TO BE LEFT AFTER THE REMOVAL, LOSS AND DESTRUCTION OF ALL ELSE.
I had the privilege of speaking at the 31st Annual Jonestown National Memorial Services this morning along with other religious and political leaders in Oakland, CA. The mass murder and brainwashing at Jonestown resulted in the greatest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster, prior to the events of September 11, 2001.
At the airstrip, Temple members murdered, among others, Congressman Leo Ryan, the only Congressman murdered in the line of duty in United States history.
What many people do not know is that before forming a church, Jim Jones, the cult leader who orchestrated 900 deaths in 1978 (a third of which were children), had become captivated by communism and once stated:
"I decided, how can I demonstrate my Marxism? The thought was, infiltrate the church. So I consciously made a decision to look into that prospect."
You see, the devil dresses up and goes to church too. Jesus warned in Mark 13:
"False Christs (Messiahs) and false prophets will arise and show signs and [work] miracles to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (those God has chosen out for Himself)."
Jones mobilized masses under the guise of religion (even faking miracles) yet he was a self-proclaimed atheist. So amid Temple defections, media and IRS scrutiny, he led his followers over 30 years ago to a community called the Peoples' Temple Agricultural Project, or informally, "Jonestown."
For most of them, it would be their last trip. A recent CNN special on Jonestown reported some of the survivors upon arriving to Guyana making these statements:
- "It was Hell on earth; from the food, to the confinement, we saw no future in Jonestown."
- "We felt we couldn't make a difference in the world in a jungle."
- "You could feel death in the air."
- "I thought I had met God, (when I met Jones) but I met satan."
Jones immediately seized all passports on their arrival and told his followers:
- "Adjust or walk to the jungle"
- "See if you can get to any passport; to any railroad. I dare you."
- "The road to Jonestown leads in, but does not lead out."
Jones was preparing for their death long before Nov. 18, 1978. He never intended for them to live or leave. They say
six months of cyanide shipments were purchased by the time Congressman Leo Ryan arrived.
Authorities reported finding syringes still filled with cyanide when the bodies were discovered; Injection marks were found in arms, backs and necks to evidence that mass murders occurred, not just random voluntary suicide by cult members.
I challenged survivors of this massacre with this message:
"You can be better than the past. You can change the course of history by creating a new one. The DNA and remains of the unnamed, unwanted and unclaimed are buried here underneath your feet in this mass grave. But maybe today you too, feel invisible, unwanted, without purpose, identity, hope or a future. Perhaps you live in perpetual shame and regret that somehow you cheated a generation of those now in the grave. But I want to encourage you that "The Bible is a book filled with individuals that overcame incredible odds."
When Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to, among others, the remnant of those who failed Him: ELEVEN MEN and said tarry here
(in the place of your greatest failure and defeat, where you deserted me) until you are endued with NEW unprecedented power from on high.
You see, there is blessing and power in being the remnant.
Isaiah wrote:
"Thus says the Lord: As the juice [of the grape] is found in the cluster, and one says, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it, SO WILL I DO for My servants' sake, that I may not destroy them all." (Isa. 65:8) RIGHT NOW, regardless of your past, God wants to assemble what is lame and broken to transform your destiny.
Every manufacturer has an assembly line.
Mark Sanborn writes in his book, "You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader:
"In my opinion, fame is based on what we get in life, but true greatness is based on what we give in life. It is contribution through action. At any Toyota plant, every employee on the line has the authority and responsibility to shut down the line at any time they feel necessary. Quality control and problem solving aren't left to titled managers. A woman who spots a problem is expected to lead by calling attention to it rather than let it slip through production and become an imperfection on a dealer's lot or owner's driveway."
Whatever deficiency we allow to slip through the cracks is subject to manufacture recall.
Today, God still issues recalls of what is broken in your life.
He wants to transform, brace up, reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened hearts and dreams.
You don't have to continue to drive your life in this condition.
When you do, the condition only gets worse.
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