In the season of July 4th, countless apostate churches across the so-called U.S. will honor empire this Sunday. To those churches, we declare Isaiah 66 (The Message):

Your acts of worship

are acts of sin:

Your sacrificial slaughter of the ox

is no different from murdering the neighbor;

Your offerings for worship,

no different from dumping pig’s blood on the altar;

Your presentation of memorial gifts,

no different from honoring a no-god idol.

You choose self-serving worship,

you delight in self-centered worship—disgusting!

Well, I choose to expose your nonsense

and let you realize your worst fears,

Because when I invited you, you ignored me;

when I spoke to you, you brushed me off.

You did the very things I exposed as evil,

you chose what I hate.”

But listen to what God has to say

to you who reverently respond to his Word:

“Your own families hate you

and turn you out because of me.

They taunt you, ‘Let us see God’s glory!

If God’s so great, why aren’t you happy?’

But they’re the ones

who are going to end up shamed.”