It’s early evening and I’m quietly ruminating on a quiet day.

A rare day, as it happens, as I’ve heard relatively little either directly or indirectly from The LORD.

So I pick up a Study Bible, Thomson Chain Reference Bible if you want to know, and I open it where the marker ribbon is.

To my surprise, it’s at Hosea 6. I don’t recall many visits to Hosea, if any, except for a periodic cover to cover read.

Almost immediately I hear in my spirit, “Ah, there you are! I’ve been waiting to give you this little snippet for a long time.

It’s really about My Message to the unsaved or newly saved. It’s something I lay on their heart that causes them to reassess Me, and their relationship, or lack thereof, with Me!”

Now my antenna goes up! Hosea? A salvation message? “Well, not exactly…..” comes the response, “More a ‘look over here — here I AM!’ ”

Hmmm, it’s intriguing me now, so I read the passage that miraculously highlights itself in front of me!

“Come, and let us return to The LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up……
…. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of The LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.” Hosea 6:1,3

Two sentences stand out to me :-

Come, let us return to The LORD.

Then, . . .

Let us pursue the knowledge of The LORD…..

“Let us return, as in consider again, to The LORD.”

Yes, this is certainly a ‘Salvation issue’.

Most, who come to The LORD for the first time, have usually not even considered God as anything but a benevolent old man with a beard who’s far too ‘holy’ to consider them worth knowing — let alone allowing them to know Him!

They have vague ideas of ‘love’ and doing good deeds to please this so-called ‘Creator God’, but no concept of knowing this God as a friend, or even as an acquaintance.

That’s a crazy idea — isn’t it?

Then there’s the next bit . . .

“Let us pursue knowledge of, as in find out more about, The LORD.”

How on earth can a not-yet-believer possibly even begin to pursue knowledge of this quaint old man, if He is indeed God?

I mean, where to start? I’m not going to that Church where they all talk a great talk, but I’ve never seen or heard of them walking a good walk!

My meanderings were brought to an abrupt halt as, once again in my spirit, I heard, “This is roughly where many so-called seekers, young and old, but particularly the young, are in their quest today.”

The world is a screaming mad-house, that seems to be going to hell in a hand basket, and very few of those in ‘the church’ are even offering an answer.

In fact the Church seems to be just as mad and irrelevant as the world to most youngsters — that is presuming they’ve ever even heard words like God, Jesus, Church, or Prayer — as other than swear words or silly jokes!

I believe God is here showing us how He is birthing hunger for Himself in those who know little or nothing of Him, and He’s then leading or drawing them to listen to one-on-one evangelists, or microphone wielding street preachers with backup teams to counsel enquirers!

God himself is creating the hunger and sowing the seeds for us to capitalise on by reaping the harvest.

Reports indicate that there is a huge hunger for knowledge of God in ordinary people on the streets.

There is an acute desire for ‘something better than the world is offering’! As the Word puts it, “the fields are white unto harvest, but the labourers are few!” Also, “Many are called but few are chosen!”

• Are you called?
• Have you been chosen?
• Is there a desire, a burning desire in your heart, or an insatiable longing to bring Jesus into the lives of those around you, or even strangers?

That calling, that desire, won’t go away until you answer that call!

The prophet Isaiah spoke of it thus :-

“How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” Isaiah 52:7

 

~ Chris G. Bennett

---

Chris Bennett came to salvation in 1962 but didn’t begin ministry until 2007 — a late-comer! Now mandated by The LORD to prophesy and open old wells of revival in the U.K., but especially in Wales. He has also operated Healing Rooms, and worked with deliverance teams, all with his wife, Linda. Happily now doing whatever The LORD asks of them! Founder, with wife Linda, of their ministry The Upper Room Encounter.

Back to Top