The fundamental purpose for which God created mankind
was to grant us a heart resembling God (the divine nature), so that we might become His children, and in this divine nature be made His eternal sons and daughters. For this reason He created man and sent the love of the Cross to this earth. Therefore, the divine nature that resembles God can only be attained by those who follow the example of Christ, pursuing the love of the Cross that sacrifices even one’s ideals, values, and life itself; it is faith and love that exists only for them, and to them alone belongs the faith of a true Christian.
God is love.
Therefore, the divine nature we must surely attain in order to reach salvation is the love of the Cross. Through Christ, God showed us this love, and by the example of sacrifice He established the covenant of salvation. In other words, the love of the Cross is the sign of our eternal salvation and resurrection. Thus, without the beautiful love of the Cross—a love that sacrifices one’s entire life, goals, values, and even one’s very breath—the faith and religion of today’s Christianity, which merely pursues worldly and fleshly desires of happiness, success, and satisfaction, is nothing but vain, meaningless, and futile.
Faith that pursues worldly happiness, success, and desires
inevitably becomes a faith and religion bound to regret and reflect according to self-interest and gain, yet always turning back again to repeat envy, jealousy, hatred, strife, pride, lust, and lies. Thus, greed and sin are inevitably heaped up more and more. Far from rebirth and repentance, such faith only enlarges excuses and rationalizations that justify their sins and desires, until they no longer feel the pangs of conscience, or they become bolder in sin. Such people cannot help but be corrupted into a faith centered on their own pride and claims. This ultimately desolates their own conscience, which should have led them in the right way, and becomes the very cause and root by which they cannot help but stumble. Yet most remain bound in this empty form of faith, unable to cast it away, spending their whole lives within it. In this vicious cycle of sinning, regretting, and vowing never to sin again—hundreds or thousands of times—their countless resolutions prove utterly useless, leaving them only with fruitless results of regret, repeated throughout their entire lives.
Because they are accustomed to the countless sins and selfish desires committed knowingly or unknowingly in life, their conscience is gradually abandoned. Rationalized by excuses and assertions, self-centered pride becomes their faith and religion. Thus, the majority of churches, pastors, and believers today teach and learn from such corrupted foundations. The cause of this condition is the same: they cannot let go of the greedy desires, satisfactions, and cravings they harbor. The true gospel of Christ is the sign of salvation and resurrection that begins from forsaking and sacrificing all. Therefore, the love of the Cross can never exist among those who, driven by selfish interests and gain, inevitably give birth continually to envy, hatred, jealousy, strife, lies, and lust, while seeking human success, happiness, and desires.
How can those who chase selfish desires, satisfaction, and cravings ever pursue the love of the Cross that sacrifices everything, even life itself? Did not Christ Himself say, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me”? The love of the Cross is the sign of salvation and life, given that we might attain the divine nature resembling God, and thereby enjoy His perfection and eternal glory. Yet today’s Christianity has been handed down and developed not by those who pursued this love of the Cross, but by those who sought worldly happiness, desire, and success. For this reason, heresies upon heresies continue to spread endlessly today.
Because they attempt to serve God along with the world and material things, excuses upon excuses are taught as though they were truth; lawlessness and corruption are permitted and institutionalized; degeneration upon degeneration hides itself in falsehood. Thus religion, churches, pastors, and believers inevitably become more and more corrupted. Rather, under the pretense of God’s will and Word, they only heap up more sin and greed. Since they teach and learn that following their worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings is faith and belief, most churches today are filled only with prayers that summon evil spirits and demons. The purpose for attending churches and altars, the prayers made before the Cross—all of these are centered solely on fulfilling their worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings, or resolving their own worries and burdens. For this reason, God and Christ are sought merely as means for self-interest and gain.
Today there are thousands, even hundreds of millions, who call themselves pastors, yet not one of them bears witness to the power of faith as small as a mustard seed—that faith which, according to Christ, can move mountains. They call themselves shepherds, but in truth they are not God’s shepherds, for they lack even the power of a mustard seed of faith. Is this not proof that they are merely pastors of this world not from heaven? Can those who lack even mustard-seed faith truly be said to have received the Holy Spirit, to be anointed shepherds, to be born again? Or else—does this mean that the Word of God and Christ is a lie?
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.(Matthew 17 : 20)
Why is it that among those who teach the words, ‘To him that believeth, nothing shall be impossible,’ the same power and glory that appeared through the miracles of Christ’s apostles are not being revealed? Concerning this matter, the rights and wrongs must be judged with absolute clarity. In our day, false spirits, false anointings, false rebirths, and false gifts are increasingly spreading, so that the churches are multiplying which actually dishonor the holy name of God, the love of the Cross, and the blood of Christ.
This is the result of teachings and learnings that arise from pride and obstinacy, created by excuses and rationalizations born of selfish worldly desires for satisfaction and craving. Pursuing their worldly desires and satisfactions, they have become led not by God but by the spirit of the world—Satan and the devil—yet they present such manifestations as though they were the tongues of God, the gifts of the Spirit, or testimonies of faith. Almost without exception, these phenomena have no precedent in the Word, but rather strongly resemble the experiences and testimonies of shamans or idol-worshippers.
Because they attempt to serve God together with the world and material things, their faith and prayers inevitably embrace sin and greed instead of the love of the Cross. Therefore, God cannot possibly work in such faith; rather, it becomes detestable sorcery (tongues) through which demons and Satan are at work, and fortune-seeking rituals (prayers for blessing) that stir up selfish desires all the more. Thus such faith and religion can only heap up more and more sin.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.(Mark 9 : 23)
Though there are thousands, even hundreds of millions, who teach that ‘to him that believeth nothing shall be impossible,’ not one among them shows even the power of faith as small as a mustard seed. They teach that nothing shall be impossible, yet in truth there are far too many things impossible for themselves; they are merely pastors who put forth testimonies and sermons that are nothing but tricks of words.
Indeed, though pastors number in the thousands and millions, not even one has ever fulfilled or manifested the Word that declares, ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence, and it shall remove.’ This is evidence that there is not a single true shepherd whom God truly acknowledges and has sent from Himself. Thus, the saying of the congregations—that though there are many pastors, there is no true shepherd—is by no means false.
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.(1 John 3 : 21~24)
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.(John 15 : 7)
The above word plainly declares that only those who possess righteousness and goodness, without reproach before God, shall receive all that they ask. Thus, Jesus also said that only those whose faith is united with the love of the Cross—without reproach—shall find that nothing shall be impossible unto them. Therefore, though pastors are countless today, the reason that not even the power of a mustard seed appears is because religion, churches, pastors, and believers alike are overflowing with lawlessness, corruption, depravity, and falsehood, and thus must inevitably stand condemned before God’s judgment. This proves that today’s churches are places where false anointings, false spirits, false gifts, and false testimonies are taught and learned, where the true glory and power of God cannot possibly be revealed.
God, faith, and religion have been reduced to nothing more than tools for pursuing one’s dreams and ambitions. Because they attempt to serve God along with the world and material wealth, they inevitably chase after worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings, and by insatiable greed fall into faiths that unceasingly repeat envy, jealousy, strife, lust, pride, lies, and hatred. Yet, with forced conviction, they insist they are “born again.” By such obstinate teachings and learnings, the world today testifies that the churches are overflowing with false rebirths, false spirits, false gifts, and false testimonies. Sorceries that summon demons are disguised as tongues and spread openly; fortune-seeking rituals (prayers for blessing) are exaggerated as though they were prophecy, multiplying unchecked. Thus worship and prayer become governed by gods of greed and covetousness, while churches, pastors, and believers alike become ever more corrupted, degenerate, lawless, and false.
These are vain faiths, having already lost the holy will and purpose for which God created man. They use the Word as a tool to fulfill their desires and cravings, hoping that God will protect them and grant their wishes, even though they refuse to obey His will and Word. It is a shallow and cunning faith. Without practicing the love of the Cross, they exalt only the name of Christ, presuming they possess the sign of salvation and resurrection through the Cross, while their pride and self-exaltation is disguised as genuine faith. Such is the world of teaching and learning today. They are caught in wicked habits, regretting yet turning back to sin, rationalizing and excusing their sins and desires until they no longer even feel the pangs of conscience. Thus their faith grows ever more desolate, and most churches are filled with such teaching and learning.
These are churches and shepherds that have abandoned the love of the Cross which feeds, gives, and cares. As a result, religion has developed and been handed down only in corruption upon corruption, depravity upon depravity, lawlessness upon lawlessness, and distortion upon distortion. Therefore, today’s faiths are nothing but vain religions chasing after worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings—faiths that bear no fruit of Christ, and believers in whom no true evidence of Christ is found.
The worship services of most churches are established only to steal the tithes and offerings meant to feed the flock. Pastors and churches exploit these offerings as instruments to increase their own wealth and possessions, while encouraging believers to pursue their worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings. Under the pretense of “offerings,” they expand their greed, and by vain worldly teachings (leaven), they stir believers to harbor even more sin and desire. Such detestable pastors drive their congregations toward empty worldly ambitions, urging them to covet as though it were Christ’s salvation, grace, and hope.
These are churches governed by worship devised for the theft of tithes and offerings, puffing up believers with the false hope that their worries and burdens will be solved, that worldly happiness and satisfaction will be granted. Under the guise of offerings, they indulge their selfish greed, treating the congregation as tools for their enrichment. By vain teachings (leaven), they stir believers toward greater sin and greed, inciting them to chase vain ambitions, as though they were God’s will and salvation. In reality, such teachers drive believers only to covet more, leading them into repeated sins of envy, jealousy, hatred, pride, strife, lies, and lust.
Worldly teachings (leaven) are dressed up as though they were God’s hope or grace. False testimonies and vain human doctrines, cloaked in the name and grace of God, are dragged in as though they were truth. In doing so, they abandon God’s holy Word of salvation and His true grace and love. Today’s pastors, though they have no power as recorded in the Scriptures, stand in pulpits with sermons of words and theories alone. Without testimony or evidence of the Word, they absolutize and justify their self-serving interpretations and judgments as though they were truth. Thus Christianity, in its present form of corruption, depravity, lawlessness, and falsehood, has gone beyond measure, leaving behind only the grief and wounds of countless believers. With power abused to silence dissent, with excuses and rationalizations disguised as interpretation, the stench of corruption and falsehood rises from today’s churches and pastors.
Faith that chases worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings, faith that exalts only words and theories—such faith can never contain the true faith of Christ, which is obtained only in the love of the Cross, the divine nature that leads to salvation. The reality of those who claim to “have faith” is nothing but pride and obstinacy, born of self-exaltation. They do not believe in God, but in themselves, asserting only their own claims. Judging and measuring everything by themselves, they corrupt the Word to justify their pride, twisting God into nothing more than a tool for their rationalizations. Such distorted words are heard and followed by foolish ones.
I ask: does there exist anyone on this earth who has indeed “asked anything and received all”? If such a one existed, then surely within today’s churches there would be no believers still sick, ruined, dying, suffering, weeping, or groaning under calamity and pain.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.(James 4 : 3~4)
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.(Romans 13 : 14)
Those churches and pastors who lead and teach believers to seek all things belonging to the world thereby prove, by their own words and deeds, that they themselves are of the world, that they have not received the Spirit nor the true anointing, and that they are utterly void of the sacrificial love of the Cross which demands the surrender of all. Such men exalt only words and theories. They provide no true example or model of the love of the Cross—the divine nature of God—made manifest through feeding, giving, caring, cherishing, and serving the poor and helpless sheep with charity and mercy. Instead, they steal the tithes and offerings meant to feed the flock, filling their bellies and satisfying their selfish greed. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, shepherds in name only, whose words are smooth but whose deeds are theft, extortion, oppression, and fraud—flatterers and deceivers armed with guile. Concerning such, the Lord has said: their churches are “dens of thieves” and “tents of robbers,” though they disguise themselves as the temple of God.
Vain Prayers That Become Sin the More They Are Offered
The nature of man is to desire blessings: to eat well, live well, and enjoy a life of pleasure and happiness. Thus the common pursuit of mankind is none other than worldly desires, ambitions, satisfactions, and cravings of the flesh. Yet such ambitions and satisfactions—seeking only fleshly joy and delight—betray and forfeit the purpose for which God created man: to be His children, conformed to His image through the divine nature, the love of the Cross. For this reason God sent the love of the Cross into the world. Therefore, the love of the Cross is the divine nature of God, the covenant of our salvation, the true way, the truth, and the life that leads unto salvation.
God is the source and foundation of love. Thus all that exists—His Word, the Sabbath, His appointed feasts, tithes and offerings, repentance and rebirth, gifts, prophecy, prayer, faith, hope, and love—exist so that we might be made God’s children, resembling His perfect love. Therefore, apart from the love of the Cross, all ideals and values are null and dead, having no relation whatsoever to salvation.
Those who attempt to serve God together with the world and with material things can never possess the love of the Cross that sacrifices ideals, goals, and life itself. Instead, they corrupt the love of the Cross, teaching it as though it were no different from the natural kindness and love common even among worldly people. Their charity is reduced to a few hours or days of service, a few acts of relief, giving away used items, out-of-fashion goods, or worn-out clothes, and then regarding themselves as though they had given their very lives. Such hypocrisy and self-display, clothed in charity and mercy, are no more than the philanthropy of those who worship false gods. This so-called love and service, proclaimed by Christianity and Roman Catholicism, has only dishonored the true love of the Cross before the world.
These corrupted shepherds, serving God together with the world, drag saints into heresies and corruption, so that instead of forsaking insatiable desires they are enticed by vain mirages of hope and comfort. By such abominable teachings they are driven to heap up more sin, to be lured deeper into cravings and lusts. Through empty worldly lessons and fleeting emotions, they are incited to chase after enthusiasm and zeal, only to plunge back again into sin and greed, repeating the cycle of the sinner’s path and sinking further into the mire.
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.(2 Peter 2 : 17~22)
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.(Hebrews 6 : 4~8)
It is the teaching of word-mongers, who steal the tithes and offerings meant to feed the flock in order to satisfy their own appetites and selfish greed, bringing in worldly lessons and emotional appeals that have nothing to do with salvation. They only teach others with words to feed, to give, and to share, yet they themselves provide no example or model of sacrificing their own fullness and their possessions for the sake of the sheep. Their charity, service, and love are nothing but hypocritical displays, no different from what worldly people do, and in so doing they disgrace the love and sacrifice of Christ’s Cross, who gave even His life.
Since they give no example of pouring out all their wealth and possessions to feed, to give, and to care for the sheep, their teachings are nothing more than the lessons of the world—teachings that exalt only words and theories, which can only pile up sin and greed. Therefore, in these churches, shepherds, believers, and fruits there is no sacrifice or love that cherishes and serves one another, but only constant envy, jealousy, lies, hatred, quarrels, divisions, and slander, born of selfish interests. Their prayers are not tears shed in intercession for one another’s suffering, pain, and grief, but vain displays, along with prayers only for worldly happiness, success, and blessings, which can only heap up more sin. Such teachings and learnings are the vain faith and religion of most, which betray the holy will of God and bring dishonor to the blood and love of Christ, becoming doctrines and teachings that stand as His enemies.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee. And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.(Leviticus 19 : 18~20)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.(1 John 2 : 15~17)
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.(James 4 : 2~4)
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.(1 Timothy 6 : 6~10)
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.(Matthew 6 : 21~24)
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.(Proverbs 23 : 4)
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.(Psalms 24 : 3~4)
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.(Romans 13 : 14)
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.(Lamentations 4 : 17)
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.(Luke 9 : 62)
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.(James 1 : 22~27)
All blessing-seeking prayers that pursue worldly desires and cravings, having no relation to the holy will of God, His deep grace, the noble love of the Cross, and salvation—but rather only heaping up greed and sin—are called sorceries of blessing. In other words, all ideals and values given to make us children of salvation (the Word, the Sabbath, tithes, offerings, faith, hope, love, repentance, gifts, prophecy, shepherds, apostles), along with the very purpose of prayer, have been lost, and instead all supplications are made only for worldly happiness, success, and desires that stand in opposition to God. Such prayers are nothing different from the vain pleas for blessing found in false religions that worship strange gods.
The prayer of a Christian that leads to salvation is not like that of worldly people and pagans, who ask for corruptible, perishable, and vain things of this life. Rather, it seeks only the divine nature (the temple of the heart) that arises from a wholehearted desire to obtain the love of the Cross that resembles God, in accordance with His holy will. True prayer does not seek visible things, created things, perishable things, or anything of the world and the flesh, but instead pleads for the suffering, pain, and tears of poor and needy brothers and neighbors, and for one’s own weakness in failing to fully live according to God’s will as a true Christian. But prayers that forsake this and ask only for worldly happiness, success, and desires are sorceries of blessing.
Those who lie in order to covet the wealth and possessions of believers, pretending that God has poured out great blessings upon their households, and who pray and pronounce blessings as though peace and meekness were truly among them, are abominable deceivers. Their flattering prayers are detestable sorceries of blessing, the cunning craft of thieves who seek only more tithes and offerings.
All the words below declare this: for those who seek the things of the world and desire worldly blessings, the peace of God can never exist. Those who belong to the world and the flesh, who can only heap up greed and sin, are the wicked before God; and such wicked men can never find the path of peace.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.(Isaiah 57 : 20~21)
There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.(Isaiah 48 : 22)
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.(Jeremiah 23 : 16~17)
And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 6 : 12~15)
How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 8 : 9~12)
The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.(Isaiah 59 : 8~15)
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.(Ezekiel 22 : 23~31)
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 29 : 8~9)
Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.(Zechariah 10 : 1~3)(Malachi 3 : 13~15)
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.(Luke 12 : 51~53)(Matthew 10 : 34~39)
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!(Isaiah 5 : 18~23)