Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

Judgment- A divine sentence or decision; specifically: a calamity held to be sent by God. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet warned Israel of the coming judgment against their nation. After the reign of King David and Solomon, Israel broke into two kingdoms- northern kingdom and the southern kingdom, known as Judah. The kings of Judah had sinned greatly by worshipping other gods, their actions inadvertently cascaded down to the citizens and soon the whole nation had fallen away from God. Isaiah lamented the sins of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem:

Isaiah 1:4:
Oh, what a sinful nation they are-
loaded down with a burden of guilt.
They are evil people,
corrupt children who have rejected the Lord.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.

Isaiah 1:21:

Unfaithful Jerusalem
See how Jerusalem, once so faithful,
has become a prostitute.
Once the home of justice and righteousness,
she is now filled with murderers.

Isaiah 1:23:
Your leaders are rebels,
the companions of thieves.
All of them love bribes
and demand payoffs,
but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans
or fight for the rights of widows.

Judah's sins are strikingly similar to the current situation in the United States. The youth of our nation appear to have a blatant disregard for life and society is no longer a moral compass to guide our up and coming generations. Judah's corruption permeated from head to toe (Isaiah 1:5) and the United States is unabashedly following the same pattern. Our external enemies are not defeating us; America is crumbling from within her own boarders. In 1962, the Supreme Court sanctioned removing prayer from schools; this ruling set precedence in the U.S. This ruling officially proved that the leaders of America had turned their back on God and forsaken the Christian faith that our nation was founded upon. It's no wonder that the subsequent generation's after the Supreme Court ruling has become more and more wicked.

In describing the glorious times of a faithful Jerusalem, Isaiah recalled the days that Jerusalem was known for being the home of justice and righteousness. (Isaiah 14:21) Unfortunately, the capital Jerusalem had turned into a prostitute by not serving the only God of Israel. Dakes Annotated Bible records the sins of Jerusalem:

• It had become a den of murderers instead of a center of righteousness and justice.
• They loved gifts, so catered to the rich for material gain.
• They meted out justice by deciding in favor of those who could give them rewards.

The parallels of the former sinful Jerusalem compared to America are striking. America in its glory days was known to stand for truth as a beckon of light to other nations. America was woven together when our forefathers aligned our nation with the beliefs of the laws and tenants of God. We are now a nation with leaders who are repulsed and can no longer identify themselves with God. We have more than turned our backs against God. America has shifted worship for God to worship for the almighty dollar. Gone are the days of open prayer and worship. Once known as the murder capital of the United States, Washington D.C. is now the pimp of prostituting our nation. Our nation's capital made news on March 3^rd, 2010, when the Washington D.C. council authorized same-sex couples to get married. Such shameless actions are simply asking God to judge our nation.

The prophet Isaiah referenced corrupt leaders as one of Judah's sins, "Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs..." (Isaiah 1:23). Corruption has always been within politics. The bribes, favors, and paybacks are standard operating procedures among the American leadership, starting at the top and all the way down to the bottom. For years, politicians have gone to jail for violating congressional laws. However, the corruption has reached a pinnacle since the founding of our nation. These atrocities have made America's core values rotten to the core. How does one scourge the corruption and wickedness permeating our nation?

None of the leaders and members of government seem to understand the need for our nation to cry out and repent! For judgment will fall upon our sinful nation. It's not a matter of "if", but a matter of "when." After declaring the sins of Judah and Jerusalem, Isaiah prophesied their upcoming judgment from God, "And I will turn My hand again upon you and thoroughly purge away your dross (Isaiah 1:25-26 AMP) Dakes Annotated Bible elaborates more on the prophesied judgment, "Turn my hand means to send judgment to bring them back to God." Is it possible that God will restore America as she began in her glorious former years? A place of righteousness. The United States of America needs to repent (turn around from evil to good works) for if we do not a judgment will be issued that will bring our nation to its knees-then we will have no other choice but to cry out to God. Woe unto America! Now is the time to get close to the Jesus. I encourage you to bury yourself in the Word of God and become a member of a godly church. For having the Lord Jesus Christ on your side will be crucial to the times ahead.