Tuesday, May 6, 2014

letter to Hampshire Review for Devotion

May, 2014
"For thou savouredst not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."  Matt. 16:23

Jesus said, 'blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness'.  Righteousness is to be right with God.  There are many that want to be right with men (and that is needful as well) but it is a hard thing to find those that want to be right with God.  Being right with God is 'savoring the things that be of God'.  The things that God has given us is: 1. church; 2. prayer; 3. Word of God; and 4. testimony to tell others of His saving power. 
Now I can easily find men savoring the things of men.  These are things of:  entertainment; self; and sin.  Let us examine quickly our county and see the great need to get back to the things that be of God instead of the things of men.
1. Church - do you love going to church? do you go to church?  We have over 90 churches in Hampshire county, and less than 5 % of our population attend a church on Sunday.  On Sunday's I see the yard work being done; chores being attended to; river activites full; and the ball fields full.  But I don't see many in Hampshire county serving the Lord - on the Lord's Day - in the house of the Lord - with the people of the Lord - to worship the Presence of the Lord. 
2.  Prayer - do you love to pray?  do you attend a corporate prayer meeting?  Oh, everyone tells me they pray; but God tells me in His Word that He won't hear their prayers.  It was several years ago this May, that over Memorial Day weekend we had a rash of tragedies that resulted in several deaths.  I called to the pastors and churches to come together to corporately pray over our county, families, churches and lost souls.  Several years later, those prayer meetings continue.  But for those 90 churches, 99% of them have no weekly corporate prayer meeting  There is much praying on Sunday's and prayer chain requests for the things of men, but not for the things of God.  You would think with the drug problem, the family issues, our lost loved ones, that prayer would be the thing that we would savour most.  I wonder why it isn't?  Because we savour the things of men more.
3.  Word of God - do you love the Bible?  do you study to 'show yourself approved unto God' by reading it? digesting it? memorizing it? meditating on it?  sharing it?  Most pastors and pew sitters have never read their Bible through from Genesis to Revelation.  We don't know what God has said to us or to our generation because 'we are neglectful about the knowledge of God'.  Oh yes, we as Christians believe the Bible, we say.  It is needful for us to know the Word of God and to know the God of the Word.  Savour the Word of God and be much in it to glean His promises, directives and leadings.
4.  Testimony - do you have any word to share of what great things God has done for you?  We talk about weather, sports, politics and other vain conversations, but do we love to 'tell the old, old story' how Jesus saved my soul?  We ought to be telling this lost county, our lost family the Good News of the Gospel, Jesus saves! 

Brethren, we don't have much time left as a nation before judgement.  We had better get back to savouring the things of God rather than the things of men.  'If you seek Me, you shall find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart'. 

until,
Dan Biser