“Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies” (Isaiah 1:13).

There is no want of church services throughout the land. In every town in every city there are churches of every persuasion and size and structure. There are old church houses as well as newer modern worship centers. There are churches with gymnasiums and auditoriums that would rival a college or university campus. There are churches big and small, rich and poor.

One would think with all the church services going on in the United States of America we would have a solid biblical foundation in which we are building our futures upon.

Yet with all these church houses, and all the church services there seems to be a lack of a Godly fire within. Society crumbles around us and the church remains silent on the injustices that transpire each and every day. The moral decay inside the church house is second only to that which we find outside the church house.

The long-suffering of God has finally reached its tipping point in our scripture passage today. God has had enough of all the pretense and religious practice going on. Even that which He ordained and commanded has become a stench and reproach. The congregations have grown cold toward the things of God and are only going through the motions when it comes time to worship God.

They have replaced worship of God with a religious routine. The passion of serving God has been replaced with empty ritual and routine. The people have grown cold toward the things of God. They are only going through the motions as they gather in their assemblies. It is out of obligation or religious duty that they perform these functions and not out of sheer reverence to the One who formed them and made them who they are.

Israel had forgotten the God who brought them out of slavery and established them as a great nation. They have returned to worship like the nations around them would worship idols. They had rejected the ways of God for some other way.

Had not God formed them and founded them perhaps He would look the other way on this idolatry but because He calls them His own it is not acceptable for those who call themselves children of God to behave and worship in such a manner.

A new attitude had to take place in the hearts of the people in order for God to once again approve of their worship. They needed to wholeheartedly return to God and His ways. They needed to repent of their idolatry and return to the God of their fathers. This was no small matter for their future existence required a change of heart.

We take a lot for granted in America. We have been blessed beyond measure with the abundance of good things but all that is about to change if we too do not have a change of heart toward the things of God. No nation can long endure if they reject the providence of God upon them. Our nation like all those who have gone before shall too be judged by the righteous judge and we must give an account of our actions before Him.

Let us as a nation once again return to God as our source and strength. Let us  teach to our children the importance of worshiping God with our whole hearts and with the right attitude. God should not be an after thought He deserves to be foremost in our thoughts and on our minds.

All this must start in the church house the exact representation of Christ in the earth today. Each and every congregation needs to seek God wholeheartedly and with true humility and reverence. God is not impressed with the buildings and monuments we have constructed unto ourselves. He takes no delight in our assemblies for we have gathered together for all the wrong reasons. Our motives are not pure. We have forsaken the Lord who called us out of darkness into the Kingdom of His son Jesus.

Repentance is required. A change of heart is needed. A new direction must be sought after. The church is in dire need of an overhaul and not a make-over. Let us get back to our roots and remember it is God we are to be pleasing and not man. 

^{Isa 1:19 (GW)} If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land. ²⁰ But if you refuse and rebel, you will be destroyed by swords.” The Lord has spoken.