Can a Nation That Has Forgotten God Be Healed? (Reflections on Hosea 1–2, 6–7)

 God designed marriage to be a covenant—one man, one woman, for life. In the same way, He bound Himself to His people. But what happens when the bride is unfaithful? When love is betrayed, pain is born. The prophet Hosea shows us that our sin doesn't just break rules; it breaks God’s heart.

Professor Bruce C. Birch writes,

“We are forced to understand God as pained and vulnerable. Covenant cannot remain some abstract, judicial matter... it is a matter of commitment... that requires faithfulness.”

(Hosea, Joel, and Amos, p. 23)

God’s love is not indifferent. It burns with holy passion. His anger is not the opposite of love—it is what love looks like when it sees oppression, idolatry, and betrayal. Rolf A. Jacobson puts it this way:

“God’s anger is not the opposite of God’s love, but a part of God’s love... God is provoked to anger when a person or persons cause others to suffer.”

(“What Every Christian Should Know about Amos and Hosea,” Word & World)

Look around. We in the West have not only rebelled—we have bragged about it. We claim God's blessings while scorning His commandments. Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno understood Hosea's warning:

“‘Lo-Ruhamah’ means God will not show mercy—not because He has changed, but because Israel has severed herself from mercy through rebellion.”

Even now, God may be handing us over. Charles Spurgeon once warned:

“O my hearers, God is very gracious, but his Spirit shall not always strive with you... Repent, and turn unto the Lord with full purpose of heart.”

(“The Lord’s Own Salvation,” 1888)

 

We attribute our prosperity to idols: success, sex, self. Yet the gifts came from God alone. Spurgeon reminds us:

 

“All things that we possess have been bestowed upon us... from the great Distributor, who openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing.”

(“The Unknown Giver and the Misused Gifts,” 1890)

And still, the voice of Hosea echoes today: “I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). God desires love, not lip service. John Calvin understood that it is only by tasting God's mercy that we are truly drawn to Him:

“‘With thee is mercy, that thou mayest be feared’... men will obey God... only if they determine that he will not reject them.”

(Commentary on the Twelve Minor Prophets, Vol. I)

 

But when God moves to heal, our sins are exposed. We live in a culture that flaunts what once brought shame. Our politics celebrate depravity. Our hearts are half-baked, like the bread Hosea condemns. Our leaders stagger like drunks. And still, no one turns back.

Love is not blind—it sees sin and still offers mercy. But mercy spurned becomes judgment. The book of Hosea is not just a history lesson; it is a mirror held up to our own age. God is not content to be a forgotten benefactor or a tool for national slogans. He desires hearts that return to Him with sincerity and faithfulness. The question is not whether God still loves us, but whether we will respond to His love before it's too late. Let us tear down our idols, turn from our rebellion, and seek the Lord while He may be found. For only then can the West—and each of us—know what love truly is

Why Don’t You Repent? (Reflections on Jeremiah 15–18, 21–22)

 Our intercession means nothing without repentance. Not even the greatest saints—Moses, Samuel, Daniel—could save a people who will not turn back to God. America is no different. The more we reject the Lord, the more certain and severe our judgment becomes.

John Calvin wrote in Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations Vol. II:

“We ought, as far as we can, to promote the salvation of all… and yet we know… many are reprobate for whom our prayers will avail nothing.” (p. 260)

Is there any pity left for the West? God has summoned the sword, the beast, the bird, and the devourer. The guardians of our culture no longer weep. We have traded the living Word of God for slogans, spectacles, and selfishness.

Charles Spurgeon, in Hidden Manna (1871), thundered:

 

“They have never felt that its truths proceed immediately from the throne of God... What is meant by finding God’s words!”

Now, God raises His hand—not in blessing, but in fury. If He scattered the tribes of Israel for their rebellion, what fate awaits a rebellious Christendom? The West has become a byword. The destroyer is on the move. We are cursed ground now. God is just in judging us for trampling the righteous.

Children born in this land will not grow to see peace. Weddings and funerals alike lose their meaning as the Lord lifts His sheltering hand. Walter Brueggemann, in A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming, wrote:

“God’s sustaining presence is now forfeited, and public life must experience and embody that forfeiture.” (p. 152 © 1998 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)

Ask why judgment comes, and the answer is clear: the sins of our ancestors, and the far greater sins of our own hearts. The Lord said:

“You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers… walking according to the stubbornness of your evil heart, without listening to Me.” (Jer. 16:12 NASU)

But after the judgment, He will call His remnant home like a fisherman drawing in his net. The Messiah will be exalted, and all knees will bow. Great is the Lord, but those who trust in themselves trust in a lie.

 

Our sin is engraved with an iron stylus. Our hearts have become hardened, our desires twisted. Brueggemann warns:

 

“Something will be written on the heart—either sin or Torah.” (p. 157 © 1998 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)

 

We have chosen sin.

 

Cursed are those who trust in flesh, who walk away from the fountain of living water. Our hearts deceive even us. But to those who trust in the Lord?

 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD...

He will be like a tree planted by water,

...he will not fear when heat comes,

...nor cease to yield fruit.” (Jer. 17:7–8 NASU)

 

Return to the Sabbath, the ancient sign of holiness. Lay down your burdens. Honor what God made holy, or He will make the land rest without you.

 

O Christendom, can the Potter not remake you? Shall He not crush the hardened clay? Calvin reminds us:

 

“Until men are brought to know that they are so subject to God’s power... they will never be humble as they ought to be.” (Vol. II, p. 417)

 

You cry “God bless America,” but there is no blessing without repentance. Your reverence is hollow. Calvin said of such:

 

“Hypocrites… maintain no consistency… they are not turned by threatenings… they strive like refractory horses to shake off their rider.” (Vol. III, p. 52)

 

God fights against us now. Our weapons misfire. Our bodies weaken. Our bread fails. The path of life was offered—and rejected. And now, life is leaving the West.

 

Heed His Word.

 

Do justice. Defend the oppressed. Shelter the immigrant. Uplift the widow. If you do, blessing will come. If not, the Destroyer will.

 

One day, children will ask why there is no more America. And the answer will be: God did it. Because she would not repent.

So now, the call is clear and urgent: Repent. Not in word alone, but in heart, in deed, in spirit. Turn from your sin before it turns to ash. The gates of mercy are not yet shut, but they are closing. Do not wait for calamity to make you cry out—cry out now, while there is still breath in your lungs and light in the sky. The God who judges is also the God who restores, but only for those who humble themselves and return to Him. Let your heart break before the Lord, that it might be healed. Choose life. Choose righteousness. Choose the narrow way—before it is gone.

Will We Return to the Fountain of Living Waters?(Jeremiah 1-4)

 Desolation has been decreed. The Holy One has appointed His destroyer against us. We have become like pagans. Those who seek the Lord are met with hostility. As noted in Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations, Vol. 1, by the theologian John Calvin:

"There is no one who does not pretend to desire obedience to God, yet hardly one in a hundred truly receives His word. For as soon as He speaks, almost all raise a clamor; or if they do not openly and angrily oppose it, they find ways to evade or secretly resist it." (p. 39)

Just as the almond tree blossoms before spring, so too does destruction precede the coming of the Messiah's kingdom. Judgment is necessary for the wickedness we have committed. We have fashioned gods of our own minds and offered them our worship.

In the early years of the West, the Lord was revered. But we have since abandoned Him. As the Lord laments through the prophet Jeremiah:

“Thus says the LORD, ‘What injustice did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty?’” (Jer. 2:5, NASU)

Our ancestors did not ask, “Where is the Lord?” Instead, we defiled the blessings He gave us.

Mainline denominations have become bastions of WOKE ideology. Their leaders rebel against the Lord and bow to nothingness. The fidelity of Islamic nations often puts us to shame. The West has become a marketplace of false gods but has gained nothing from it. As Jeremiah wrote:

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jer. 2:13, NASU)

Are we not slaves? Yet we have been plundered. Droughts and floods ravage us. These are not accidents but consequences—we have brought this upon ourselves by forsaking the Lord. Still, we continue to rebel. As Jeremiah warns, our own wickedness will discipline us.

We pursue lust under every green tree. The seed was faithful, but the branches have become corrupt. We cannot cleanse ourselves, yet we refuse to admit our guilt. We chase after sensuality and form perverse attachments. We worship the creations of our minds, yet when crisis strikes, these idols cannot help us. In arrogance, we cry “God bless America,” while demanding the blessings of pleasure and science.

Why do we contend with God? He has already disciplined us, but we quickly forget. The West has become a land of spiritual darkness. Even as women remember their jewelry, we have forgotten the Lord. We look for love in all the wrong places.

Yet despite our unfaithfulness, the Lord remains faithful. If we repent and return to Him alone, He will forgive us. As Calvin latter writes in Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations, Vol. 1:

“The people were not guilty of a single act of adultery, but were like common prostitutes who give themselves to all without distinction... Yet return to Me, says the Lord—implying that pardon is available if only we repent.” (p. 156)

We lift our eyes and must confess our sin. Where have we not pursued lust and idols? In doing so, even nature itself turns against us. Like a prostitute, we no longer blush. Yet even now, hope remains—if we repent.

The Lost Tribes disappeared from history due to sin and false worship. Judah followed, yet the Lost Tribes were more righteous by comparison. When they acknowledge their sin, God will call them back. When the Messiah reigns, people from North Carolina to Afghanistan will come to Zion. The Ark will be found, but it is the Lord Himself who will be worshiped at the center.

If you would return to God, cast off your abominations. Purify yourself. Let your covenant be of the heart and mind, not mere outward ritual. This is a call to repentance. God has appointed His destroyer against the West. Therefore, repent—for His anger has not yet turned away. As Jeremiah wrote:

“Your ways and your deeds have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!” (Jer. 4:18, NASU)

Disaster has been proclaimed. The land lies in ruin. Americans sin not only willfully but ignorantly. God is unraveling creation in response to our rebellion. Our beauty will not save us; our idols cannot shield us from His wrath.

 

As Rashi commented on Jeremiah 1:10:

 

“To uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow…”

 

The prophet is charged with delivering harsh rebuke. Only then can he rebuild and plant—calling us to teshuvah, to repentance and restoration.

In these words, we find both a dire warning and a divine invitation. God’s justice demands reckoning, yet His heart yearns for restoration. Though the West teeters on the edge of desolation, the mercy of the Lord still extends to those who turn back to Him. He does not delight in destruction but longs for hearts to return, for minds to be renewed, and for worship to be made pure. The message of Jeremiah is not merely one of condemnation—it is a call to awaken, to repent, and to be reconciled to the God who formed us. And so, the challenge falls to each of us personally: will we remain numb to the voice of the Lord, or will we humble ourselves, examine our lives, and return to Him with undivided hearts? Let us not delay. Let us return to the fountain of living waters before it is too late, for in Him alone is life, hope, and the promise of renewal.   

God’s Justice, Mercy, and the Coming Restoration: A Reflection on Isaiah 25-28

 

“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited… let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” — Isaiah 25:9

In a world that feels increasingly chaotic, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture: God is still great. He still speaks. And yes, sometimes He speaks through judgment.

Judgment Is Not the End of the Story

Though judgment often feels like a harsh word, it’s rarely God’s final one. The wicked refuse to listen, even as God's hand moves clearly in history. But those who fear Him respond to even the slightest signs of His displeasure.

The theologian John Calvin once wrote:

“While wicked men stand amazed at the judgments of God, and are not moved by any terror, godly men tremble at the slightest token of His anger.”
— Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, p.151

This trembling is not fear without hope—it’s awe that draws us nearer. The tyrants of this world may scoff, but one day they too will stand in silence before His majesty.

The Defender of the Oppressed

God’s heart beats for the vulnerable—the widow, the orphan, the poor. He defends the helpless and gives shelter to the distressed. Isaiah captured this so beautifully:

“You have been a defense for the helpless… a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat.”
— Isaiah 25:4 (NASU)

We often think strength lies in power, but Scripture shows us divine strength is found in compassion and justice.

Grace for All—Judgment for the Rebellious

The sun shines on the righteous and the wicked alike. Yet just as the sun can nourish, it can also scorch. Everyone will face judgment, not because God is cruel, but because justice demands it.

As commentator Harry Bultema wrote:

“Thus, Christ will consume those wicked ones by His burning wrath against them.”
— Commentary on Isaiah, p. 242

Still, grace is extended—even to those who reject it. The tragedy is that many close their eyes to God's mercy. Satan blinds the nations, and people boast of “enlightenment” while living in spiritual darkness.

But there is hope: Christ removes the blindness.

A Day Is Coming: Healing for the Nations

The prophet Isaiah paints a stunning picture of what’s ahead. A day is coming when Jerusalem’s gates will be open to the righteous, when tears will be wiped away, and death will be no more. God Himself will host a feast for all nations.

“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited… let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
— Isaiah 25:9

The road of the just is not easy, but it leads somewhere glorious.

God Will Make All Things New

We’re not just waiting for a better version of this world. We’re waiting for a new heaven and a new earth. Isaiah saw the day when even the dead will rise:

“Your dead will live; their corpses will rise... and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.”
— Isaiah 26:19 (NASU)

This isn’t wishful thinking—it’s divine promise.

Israel’s Role in God’s Plan

Even now, God protects Israel. Though ten tribes were lost due to sin, the Messiah has made a way for peace—for Israel and for all people. The idols that led so many astray will be shattered. From North Carolina to Thailand, the scattered will return, and God’s glory will be known.

When We Trust in Ourselves, We Fall

Let’s be honest: much of our current world is under judgment—not because God delights in wrath, but because we’ve trusted in ourselves and our idols. Leaders are corrupt. Truth is twisted. And yet, God speaks still:

“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level.”
— Isaiah 28:17 (NASU)

His justice will expose every lie. His righteousness will wash away every secret sin.

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Final Thoughts

In the midst of global unrest, moral confusion, and personal pain, God is calling us back—to Himself, to truth, to hope. Judgment is not the end. Jesus is. He is the Savior who opens blind eyes, heals broken nations, and welcomes us into everlasting peace.

Today is the day to sing, because He has paid for our sins. The time of wrath is fading, and grace is rising. One day soon, we will see Him face to face.

Where should I strike you? (Isaiah 1-5

 Cursed are we who became pagans. We are culpable for our evil.  The West has abandoned The Holy One. Harry latter wrote, “Evil always calls for punishment, and whoever forsakes God, the fountain of all good things, will face grief upon grief.” (PG34 Kregel Publication © 1981, Translated by Cornelius Lambrgtse)

Rebellion is not a mistake. The West was founded on Christian morals. Unlike a child, they chose to rebel against the One who gave us a history. Harry Bultema wrote in his Commentary on Isaiah, “Nothing in human life is more tragic then an unsuccessful upbringing.” (Pg.31, Kregel Publication © 1981, Translated by Cornelius Lambrgtse) We are stupider then donkey because they at least know where there food comes from.

The Lord has stricken us, but we refuse to respond. We are cursed because our heart is rebellious. Our wounds wound have not be bound or medicated.  California burns. Harry latter wrote in his book, “Hence, the sickness is incurable and leaves no room for healing.” (Pg.36 Kregel Publication © 1981, Translated by Cornelius Lambrgtse) We are left like a stale, fruit cake. If it were not for the Lord of Armies, we would be as desolate as Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sodomites, there is a Torah that condemns you. Your sin perverts your good deeds. God hates them ,if your heart is perverted. The prophet Samuel stated in  1 Sam 15:22 'Samuel said, " Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. “'NASU  When you pray , God will not answer.

Purify yourselves. Isaiah saw in Isaaih 1:18 '“Come now, and let us reason together,"  Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”'  NASU  This is only possible though the Messiah. Harry Bultema wrote in his Commentary on Isaiah, “There is only One who now can cause the sun of salvation to rise upon the weary nations. That One is Jesus Christ.” (Pg.37  Kregel Publication © 1981, Translated by Cornelius Lambrgtse)

Christendom,you who brought Scripture to the world, have become a prostitute. The economy is in shambles. The government is corrupt. Politicians drink their ill gotten wealth. God has made us His enemy. The Lord will purify His people, but those who hate His Law will be broken.

There is coming a day in which all people will seek the Lord. There will be no more war for Messiah will rule healing the nations. In this live for all idols will be cast out. Sin will no longer be hidden for Messiah will rule.

Look What the Lord of Celestial Armies has done. He has risen food prices and taken away wise leaders replacing them with blithering idiots. John Calvin wrote in his Commentary on Isaiah Vol. 1 this:

Let us, therefore, know that everything which we find to be profitable for the support of life flows from the undeserved goodness of God. Hence also there follows another instruction, namely, that we ought to beware lest, by our ingratitude, we deprive ourselves of those excellent gifts of God. pg97Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Humanity devours itself. Even those well-versed in Scripture cannot lead, for they are not healers—only wounded voices echoing in broken halls.

 

The West has collapsed, not from without, but from within. It cast off the Glory of God and now exalts its rebellion. What once was Christendom now parades its sins without shame, like Sodom before the fire. There is no longer even the pretense of remorse—only pride in wickedness. Cursed are they, for they have fashioned their own destruction.

 

The prophet Isaiah foresaw this decay:

"Tell the righteous it will go well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. But woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; they will be paid back for what their hands have done." (Isaiah 3:10–11 NASU)

You have trampled the vineyard, desecrated what was meant to flourish. The Lord asks: why should He not now lay waste to what has become desolate by choice? The vanity and arrogance of a fallen people will be their undoing.

 

Yet hope remains. A day will come when the earth turns again to its Creator. From the remnant, the seed of the Holy One will sprout—a righteous branch bearing the fruit of redemption. Zion shall be made holy once more. When the Lord purifies Jerusalem, she will rise in splendor, and the faithful will praise Him unceasingly. The nations will find their healing in Him.

 

God’s love endures. The West was once shielded by His hand, built on the foundation of Christ. But now, the fruit it bears is bitter—spoiled by pride and injustice. Instead of righteousness, it harvests corruption and dares to call evil “good.” Christendom must judge itself, for judgment has already begun at the house of God.

 

This is why you are consumed—why even the earth rises against you. You have rejected the Torah of the Lord of Hosts. And so, here it is: the wrath of God kindled against a rebellious people.

Listen! (Deuteronomy 6-7)

 God gave us the Torah out of love. By obeying these commands, we will be blessed. Likewise, your grandchildren will learn to fear Him. We must listen also to the Lords still small voice.The attributes of the Mystical YHVH are pitying the sinner, gracing the repentant, ruling, sympathizing to suffering, loving concern, long-suffering, abounding in mercy, verifying, remembering human merit, understanding, forgiving, atoning, and seeing guilt.

One of the last things Moses preached to Israel before dieing was this in Deut 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”NASU (The Shema)  Rabbi Sacks said “The Shema is not just about believing in God; it's about living in a way that reflects your beliefs. It's about making God the center of our lives, not just the idea that we hold.”

When God pours out His blessings, giving you all you could ever want or need, never forget to honor Him. Remember, it is the Lord who provides everything. Put your trust in Him alone, for He will not share His glory with another and judges with perfect justice.

When our children ask about the meaning of the Torah, we are to tell them how the Lord delivered us from darkness and brought us into His marvelous light. He commanded us to follow His statutes so that we might walk in His blessings. The fear of the Lord is not only wisdom—it is our very survival.

When the Lord grants us peace, we must remain set apart, not entangled with the world’s values or systems. We cannot compromise with a world that seeks to lead our children astray, turning their hearts away from God. The Lord calls us to holiness because He loves us deeply and desires to fulfill His promises through us.

Our stories are about the one true God—a God of love and justice. He blesses those who love Him but stands against the ways of hatred and rebellion. So, let us obey the Lord, for His law is the path to abundant life. By following His ways, we open ourselves to His blessings and protection, including healing and preservation from affliction. God’s love for us is steadfast, and His faithfulness endures forever.

What are you enslave to? (Exodus 1-3

 Those who forget and Lack gratitude for our nations early leaders create tyranny. The world fears when the children of the Lord prosper. They have been persecuted not for their rebellion but out of unwarranted hatred. However, some have chosen to stand up for them. Israeli bible scholar Nechama Leibowitz stated, “The Torah how the individual can resist evil. He needs not shirk his moral responsibility under the cover of 'superior orders'...neither moral courage or sheer wickedness ethnically... determined qualities.”  

By faith, we act choosing to obey the word in-spite of the laws of the land  seeing the Lord as our ultimate authority. Ultimately, our live must be given up to the Lord. When we are given our first act, The Lord will give us greater things for our faithfulness.  Those who walk in the Way of the Lord are given a heritage. Isaiah wrote in Isa 56:6-7 this :

“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast My covenant;  Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;  For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." NASU

The wrath of man does not do the will of God but drives on from from humanity. No man is grateful for hatred. A gentle heart brings new opportunity. In God's timing, He will call His person to do His work. When we approach the Holy One, we must do it with respect for Him.

 The Lord has heard the distress of His people. He has given Israel to the Jews. We are only powerful in the Lord.