Consult God's
instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to
this Word, they have no light of dawn.
This is what God the
Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who gives breath to all life,
says:
"From the
beginning, I have been with you. I protected you when you were vulnerable. When
you were weak, I made you strong. Yet, you have rebelled against Me. Woe to the
sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given
to corruption! You have forsaken the Lord, spurned the Holy One, & turned
your backs on Me. Why do you persist in your rebellion? Can't you see that the
nation is crumbling right before your very eyes? Can't you see that destruction
is at your doorstep? Only a few remain faithful to Me.
Leaders and people
of America, look at your actions - what are they to Me? When you speak of Me,
your words are hollow and empty. When you observe holidays designed to honor
Me, your celebrations are self-serving and meaningless to Me. Your religious
pretenses are a burden to Me; I hate them with all of My being. When you spread
out your hands in prayer, I hide My eyes from you; even when you offer many
prayers, I am not listening! Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make
yourself clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight; stop doing wrong. Learn
to do right; seek justice. Take up and defend My causes. Though your sins are
like scarlet, I can make them white as snow if you repent. Though your sins are
red as crimson, I can make them like wool if you turn from your wicked ways. If
you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land, as you
did before; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.
America look! You
have become a prostitute! You were once full of justice; righteousness used to
dwell in you - but now: murderers! Your rulers are rebels, partners with
thieves; they all love bribes and chase after the pleasures of the world. They
do not defend My causes. Therefore, I will vent My wrath on my foes and avenge
Myself on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge
away your dross and remove all your impurities. Your nakedness will be exposed
and your shame uncovered, for I will take vengeance. The remnant who remained
faithful will be delivered with justice. They will be rewarded for their
righteousness. But rebels and hard-hearted sinners will both be broken, and
those who forsake the Lord will perish. You will become ashamed because of your
morals, in which you have delighted. You will be disgraced because of the laws
that you have chosen. Both your morals and your laws will fail you. Listen, you
lovers of pleasure, lounging in your security! You have trusted in your
wickedness, your wisdom and knowledge mislead you. Disaster will come upon you,
and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you
that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will
suddenly come upon you. America's greatness in which you take pride will be
humbled by collapse; even here economy will go down in the flames.
When I send My
judgments in justice, the people learn righteousness. But when grace is shown
to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness
they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of My Holy Name. My hand is
lifted high, but they do not see it. I am the Lord, who teaches you what is
best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid
attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your
well-being like the waves of the sea. Woe to those who call evil good and good
evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness! I hear My people cry
out to Me: 'Let them see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame; let the
fire reserved for Your enemies consume them.' Thus, I command: 'Stand firm in
your faith! For if you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at
all.'
All people are like
grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass
withers and the flowers fall simply because I, the Lord, breathe on them.
Surely, people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the My
word endures forever. Surely, the nations are like a drop in a bucket to Me; I
regard them as dust on the scales. Before Me, all the nations are as nothing.
With whom, then, will you compare Me? Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of
the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, My
mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: before Me
every knee will bow and every tongue will swear. Deliverance and strength can
be found in Me alone. Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in
their nostrils; why hold them in esteem? All who have raged against Me will
come to Me and be put to shame, but all who put their faith in Me alone will be
delivered. In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is
your strength. I long to be gracious to you despite your past rebellion. I
yearn to show you compassion, despite your transgressions against Me."
This is what the
Lord Almighty says:
"Come, all you
who are thirsty. Seek Me before I hide My face; call on Me before I deafen my
ears. Surely, My arm is not too short to save, nor are My ears too dull to
hear. But your iniquities have separated you from Me; your sins have caused Me
to hide My face from you. Forsake your wicked ways and your unrighteous
thoughts. Turn to Me, and I will have mercy on you and pardon you freely
because of My Son. For it was My will to cause My own Son to be crushed, to
suffer, and to die as an offering for your sin. He took up your pain, bore your
suffering, and took your punishment so that you may have everlasting peace. He
was pierced for your transgressions. He was crushed for your iniquities. By His
wounds, you are healed. Because He poured out His life unto death and was
numbered with the transgressors, He bore your sins and made intercession for
your transgressions.
This is what the
Lord, your Redeemer, who created and formed you in your mother's womb, says:
"I have swept
away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me,
for I have redeemed you. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned
you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you
walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you
ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior. You are precious and honored
in My sight. I love you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will be your
solid foundation when everything around you is falling apart. Trust and fear
Me, and I will pour out upon you a reach treasure of salvation, wisdom, and
knowledge. I will bind up your broken-heartedness, free you from the chains
that bind you, comfort you when you mourn, grant you a crown of beauty in
exchange for ashes, fill you with joy in exchange for your mourning, and give
you a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Lift up your eyes
and look to the heavens: Who created all these? It is I who brings out the
starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. It is because of
My great power and mighty strength that not one of them is missing. I form the
light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord,
do all these things. I am the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the
earth. I do not grow tired or weary. My understanding is immeasurable. I will
give you strength when you are weary, and empower you when you are weak. Even
young men grow tired and weary, and strong men stumble and fall; but those
whose hope is in Me, will have their strength renewed. Put your hope in Me and
you will soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not be
faint.
Maintain justice and
do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will
soon be revealed. Blessed is the one who clings to Me and keeps their hands
from doing any evil. This is what I have called you to do in My name: loose the
chains of injustice, set the oppressed free, share your food with the hungry,
provide the homeless with shelter, clothe the naked, stop pointing fingers,
cease malicious talk, and honor the Sabbath. Do these things and your light
will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your
righteousness will go before you and the My glory will be your rear guard. You
will find your joy in Me. When you call, I will answer. I will guide you
always; I will satisfy and strengthen you.
Heaven is My throne
and earth is My footstool, but where is the house you will build for Me? Where
will My resting place be? These are the ones I look on with favor and seek to
dwell in: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word.
"I am He: I am
the first and I am the last. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. My word that
goes out from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I
desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Surely, as I have planned,
so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. My purpose will
stand, and I will do all that I please."
Verses used: Isaiah
1, 5:20, 8:20, 14:24, 26:9-11, 33:6, 40, 43:1-5, 44:22, 45:7, 45:22-25, 46:10,
47:3, 47:8-11, 48:12, 48:17-18, 54, 55:1, 55:6-11, 56:1-2, 58:6-14, 59:1-2,
61:1-3, 66:1-2
