Listen to this, whoever you are; God is talking to you.
God says: I brought up children and they've turned against me.
God says: Even a dog knows its master, but you don't. You're supposed to be my people and you don't understand a thing.
He says you're like children who've turned to crime. You don't really care about God at all.
You're sick. The whole of your body is eaten up with disease and you're not being treated for it.
Your home has been ransacked and burnt to the ground by the very people you hate and fear.
God says: My house has been boarded-up.
If God hadn't spared a few survivors, none of his people would be left by now.
This is what God is saying to you. He's saying:
What do all your services matter to me? I've had enough of your sermons and hymns and robes and pulpits,
of your men's fellowships and your women's meetings and worship services and choir festivals. I don't need it.
Who asked you for all that?
Get out of my way.
Your offerings are a waste of time; all your carol concerts and harvest festivals and your endless, endless meetings.
I hate them all; I'm tired of them. I'm bored having to put up with them.
The next time you bow your heads in prayer I will be looking the other way. You can go on and on as much as you like.
God isn't listening to you because you are as bad as bloody murderers. Go wash the blood off. Make yourselves clean again.
You need to learn how to do good things.
Work for justice. Rescue the victims of evil. Help everyone who needs help.
Listen! God is giving you the chance to talk about this. Even though you're in a mess now, you will get better.
If you're willing to do what God tells you, you will enjoy all the good things. But if you're not, and if you go against him you're going to die.
That's what God is saying.
Imagine that you were like a city that used to stand for everything that was good - for justice, for honesty. Well now it's like a whorehouse, full of murderers and criminals. All your precious belongings aren't worth a thing. Your homes have been vandalised. All your lovely carpets and curtains have been ripped up. Your televisions and your computers have been trashed. All your fine wines have been watered down.
Your leaders are villains who go around with criminals. They're all corrupt, all just out for themselves. They don't care about people who need help.
So God is saying: My enemies are going to feel my anger now. I'm going to get even. I've turned against you. I'm going to sift out the dross and throw it away, and make things how they used to be again in that city that stood for everything good, for justice and honesty. That's what you will be famous for again.
This city is going to be saved from what it has been by justice; and anyone who wants to, can be saved from what they have become, by living well and honestly. But the rebels, the wicked people will come to a bad end. You're going to be ashamed of all the things you turned to instead of to God. All those powerful people are going to get burnt out; and no-one's going to help them.
And so, eventually, that city will be a great city again; greater than the highest mountain; and everyone on earth will want to live there. They'll say "Let's go to God's own city. Let's let him teach us how to be like him, how to act like him." Because that will be the place to learn it.
God will decide; God will resolve everything, and make everything right. Their chemical weapons will make perfume; they will melt their tanks down and make teapots out of them.
There will be no more war; no-one will even think of it again.
Author: Roger Quick