A Desolate House*

Has America become a desolate house? Regarding more on this question, I hope to soon be publishing my book, "The Late Great United States", because I believe that both the nation and the church are missing the Word of God. I also challenge you to see the documentary "Monumental", from Kirk Cameron, as well as reading Jonathan Cahn's books, "The Harbinger", and "The Return of the Gods". In seeking the answer to the question asked at the beginning of this message, Proverbs says: "As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come." (Prov. 26:1-2). "A fool" is defined in scripture as someone who says in their heart "there is no God" (Ps. 14:1). While we hear the atheists proclaim this more and more, even believers act like a fool when they go against the Word of God! We hve seen the resulting signs of a curse come to this land, as Proverbs warned: the pandemic, economic, political, and weather crises, and so on. The prophet Ezekiel was told to prophesy the Word of the LORD to the mountains of Israel, that because of her sins, Israel's enemies have caused the nation to become desolate: "...the enemy hath said against you, 'Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession'...because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people..." (Ezek. 36:1-3). The LORD then prophesied that this enemy that took joy in the shame of Israel will experience His jealous wrath. These enemies are natural but also spiritual, and seek the high places of the land. Demons are real, and we have given place and permission to these enemies to inhabit our land. What caused this desolation by the hands of an enemy to fall upon Israel in the first place? The LORD revealed to Ezekiel: "...when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it. And I scattered them among the heathen...according to their way and according to their doings I judged them." (v. 17-19). The LORD added that wherever He scattered His people, they continued to profane His name in those nations. He would restore Israel, not for the people's sake, but for the sake of His holy name, for which He had pity. He would sanctify His great name, which His own people had profaned among the heathen, by restoring His people to their own land (v. 20-24). Not only would the LORD restore His people to their land, but "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments; and do them." (v. 25-27). The LORD, in sanctifying His own great name, also promised to make David (referring to the Messiah), "my servant", the one King over them, their one Shepherd, to be their Prince forever: "Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions...so shall they be my people, and I will be their God." (see Ezek. 37:21-28, see also Hos. 3:4-5). Israel, among other things, had been worshipping idols. We still worship idols today when we make anything more important than God. Israel sinned before the LORD and profaned His name. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, scripture says - and the wages of sin is death. The prophet Hosea also wrote what the LORD said about His people, which we see today also: "...there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land, By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn...My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children...I will change their (His people's) glory into shame...they set their heart on their iniquity." (Hos. 4:1-3, 6-8). We see this desolation of our land taking the form of an unrelenting attack against our children, as Hosea wrote above, with lies and twisted perversions. America, church, have we become a desolate house? Jesus spoke about certain disasters that had befallen groups of people in Israel in His time. He said that those victims were no greater sinners than others, "... but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Lk. 13:1-5). Jesus also told the parable of a man who had a fig tree that failed to yield expected fruit for three years. He ordered his vinedresser to cut it down so it wouldn't encumber the ground while producing nothing. The vinedresser asked the man to allow him to dig around and fertilize the tree for that year, and if it still did not produce, then it could be cut down. (v. 6-9). The LORD is not quick to judge or destroy, and will give the time and opportunity for His people to show Him the fruits justly expected by Him from their lives. Most of those who refused to hear Jesus' words were the religious leaders of His time. Jesus severely scolded the most religious of the people telling them that they cared for the outward appearance of righteousness only, while inside they were full of corruption, like tombs. These same religious leaders criticised Jesus for healing on the sabbath, when even a common animal, Jesus told them to their shame, deserved comfort and care even on the sabbath. Certainly, He said, a descendant of Abraham was entitled to be loosed from the bond of infirmity on the sabbath (v. 10-16). He warned them when asked if many would be saved, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (v. 23-24). He said that the door would be shut, and many would come knocking and asking to be let in, but shall receive this answer from the Master, "I know you not, whence you are." (v. 25). These who are shut out would include those who had seen Him, and eaten with Him, but nevertheless, He would not know them, and instead say, "...depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity". While others would enter into the kingdom, these would be thrust out, "And behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first, which shall be last." (v. 26-30). These people felt assured in their place in the Kingdom of God based upon a meaningless and hypocritical outward appearance of righteousness, but they would find that they were mistaken. (see also Mt. 23:1-28). As Jesus continued on His journey toward Jerusalem, He reminded them that Jerusalem killed the prophets of God, while refusing to be gathered "under Jesus' wings": "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, You shall not see me, until the time come when you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Lk. 13:31-35, see also Mt. 23:29-39). The LORD leaves us a time and an opportunity to turn back to Him. In 2 Chron. 7, the LORD answers Solomon's prayer as the work of the new temple is completed. The LORD makes this promise: "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land...mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place...and mine heart shall be there perpetually." (v. 11-16). That "place" was the temple, but we are the living temple of God. However, to Solomon, the LORD said, "...if thou wilt walk before me , as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father...But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then I will pluck them up out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations..." (2 Chron. 7:17-22, excerpt). We know that Solomon did not walk after the LORD as his father, David, walked, and after Solomon's reign ended, the nation became divided, and many of the kings that followed established idols in the land. We are doing the same things as Israel did. We have just had an election in this country, and we voted for our choices. Will it change anything? The only thing that will change the desolation of our house is "If My people..." from 2 Chron. 7, which we read above. We recently honored our veterans, including those who gave their lives in service to this county, as we should. When will we honor Jesus, who died for us? God's people, for now, are being given the time and opportunity to repent, that God might heal our land. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 11/13/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook.