Their Hearts are Far from Him

Hello readers! It’s been a bit!  House painting is finished just in time for Holidays! I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving! This will be my last blog for the year before the Holidays, and it will be a doozy. I have said this before concerning my writing and I’ll say it again. Some of you will be uncomfortable reading this and some of you will not like it at all. Some of you may even stop reading my blogs. I welcome good dissent and discussion always and I will not hold back the truth. I am writing this today because I have restrained myself in many ways for too long. If I didn’t love the Church, our nation, our leaders and all of you, I would stay silent. We will begin in Matthew, Chapter 15. Those who have ears (and eyes) let them hear.

Matthew Chapter 15:8; “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me…”

These were the words of Jesus (quoting the first part of Isaiah Chapter 29:13) shortly before his crucifixion and resurrection. He was referring to the Jewish leaders of old at the time. Today, however, this refers to our present government. They only know “rules and order” about God, they don’t know God Himself. The end of Isaiah Chapter 29:13 describes them perfectly: “their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” The same government whose leader does not understand that Christianity didn’t go away, it has always been here – there is nothing to bring back. He nor they did not bring Christianity into the world, they can neither take it away nor bring it back. Church leaders, he loves the attention and worship he gets from you. He does not understand and know our faith, nor our God. My prayer is that one day he will know God as I do. At this present time, I do not see evidence of any heart change – neither in him nor his officials.

Isaiah issues two stark warnings to our nation’s leaders whose hearts have not changed and whose lips honor God, but their hearts are as far away as they can be from Him.

Isaiah Chapter 5:20; “Woe to those who call evil good, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.”

Isaiah Chapter 10:1-3; “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?”

This present government is doing exactly what Isaiah Chapter 5 and 10 speak of, and it is disheartening. I don't hate them. They are deceived. I can’t be quiet about this because souls and lives are on the line! The government shutdown was the most unrighteous thing I've ever seen in my life, and I will be 50 next year so that is saying something. I have never seen food and healthcare used as a weapon like I have over the last 30 days, a weapon of manipulation and control, not of righteousness!  I have never seen immigrants who are trying to do what is right treated so poorly by our government. I have never seen racism so blatantly flaunted in our society and our government. I have never seen a grown man act so much like an idol but claim he is not one. I have never seen the leader of the United States of America be so disrespectful to women because they ask him hard questions. I have never seen a leader so powerful yet so fragile and afraid. I have never seen fear and control like I do now. I have never seen lies like I see today pushed by government officials and social media accounts and personalities who enjoy clicks and lying for pay, influence, and popularity. Let it be known to them that no one who practices deceit and speaks falsely will be able to stand before the Lord (Psalm Chapter 101:7 paraphrased), at least the Lord they claim to know. We must choose not to call conspiracy what they call conspiracy and not fear what they fear or dread (Isaiah Chapter 8:12 paraphrased)! I honestly don't want to hear the words God or Jesus ever come out of any of their mouths because their hearts are far from Him and they do not know Him! Their “Christianity” if you want to call it that is performative at best. They say peace, peace, when there is no peace! (Isaiah Chapter 6:14 paraphrased) The Church in this nation must, once and for all, decide whether she wants to bind herself to such an unrighteous political idol. Who is it that she will worship? God or the corrupt political parties and politicians of our age? Church, unrighteous idols come for their payment. Jesus already paid your payment. Why do you worship at the feet of one you cannot save you and one you cannot pay? Does Isaiah Chapter 44:9 and verse 18 not say; “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame….”they know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.” Church, is this what you really want? Repent Church!

For my part, I have written kind, respectful letters to our president and some of his officials and members of Congress. I have interacted with Socials in the kindest and most respectful way I know how the last several months, even asking hard questions. I have written blog after blog. Our government and some of the personalities that support them at this present time are bent on unrighteousness and calling evil good and good evil. By their deeds and the condition of their hearts, they have done just as Isaiah said in Isaiah Chapter 59:14; “justice is driven back and righteousness stands at a distance, truth has stumbled in the streets and honesty cannot enter…” I am both saddened and sickened of heart. I have tried reasoning with them to no avail. I will continue to write. I will continue to speak out. I will continue to pray because they can't stop prayer, and they can't stop God's kindness or righteousness from prevailing.

The King will prevail over their performance and their unrighteousness. I do see an unraveling happening and a breaking (just watch the news and socials) though I don't know exactly what that will look like yet. I pray that many repent at all levels of government from our president down to the most junior member of Congress and most junior official. 

I plead with our government and the Church just as Isaiah did in Isaiah Chapter 55:7; “Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them…”

I implore our president, our government, and our nation to head the words of God in Isaiah Chapter 58:6-10:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,    

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,    

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help,

and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

To the oppressed, the poor, and the hurting I give you hope in Isaiah Chapter 35:3-4:

Strengthen the feeble hands,    

steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts, 

Be strong, do not fear; your God will come,   

he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution    he will come to save you.”

With much love and hope,

Elizabeth