NOTES ON THE IDOLATRY OF AMERICAN WORSHIP: TRUTH VS. SPECTACLE AND THE NEED FOR FRESH FIRE (WITH VIDEO)

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. [YEHOVAH]:“‘I HATE, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts.  Take away from Me the NOISE [‘hamon’ (הֲמ֣וֹן)-‘tumult, disquietude, rumbling of an overwhelming mass’] of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream’ …

‘A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH (Reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality)’ …

Then He began to denounce [the people in] the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they DID NOT REPENT [and change their hearts and lives]. ‘Woe (judgment is coming) to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [cities of the Gentiles], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes [their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God]. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the pagan cities of] Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you …

[And] Whoever receives and welcomes one CHILD [‘mikros’ (μικρῶν)-‘little ones, least, humble beginners’] like this in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to STUMBLE and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” – AMOS 5:21-24; JOHN 4:23-24; MATTHEW 11:20-22, 18:6; AMPC

KEY TERM. “HATE!” ‘Sane’ [שָׂנֵ֥אתִי]: “To detest, be hostile toward [as with one’s sworn enemy]; to utterly despise.” NOTE: “שָׂנֵא depicts personal hostility, aversion, or rejection, but it may also convey ‘Covenantal Disfavor or Preference’ (‘loved … hated,’ Deuteronomy 21:15) … Ethical Alignment: ‘The fear of the LORD is to hate evil’ (Proverbs 8:13). Moral Discernment: ‘I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way’ (Psalm 119:104). Balanced Living: ‘A time to love and a time to hate’ (Ecclesiastes 3:8) affirms Righteous Indignation in its proper season … Prophets harness שָׂנֵא to ‘Expose Societal Rot.’ Isaiah condemns those who ‘call evil good’ yet ‘hate justice’ (Isaiah 59:8-15). Amos calls Israel to Covenant Renewal: ‘Hate evil, love good’ (Amos 5:15), coupling Moral Antipathy with Social Righteousness.”

QUOTATION. “On the one hand, IDOLATRY is a means by which we try to control God, to make worshiping him less of a sacrifice. On the other hand, the False Gods we make—either by crafting them directly with our hands, or by conjuring them more discreetly in the way we invest our time, desires, skills, and passions—always end up controlling us. By their nature, False Gods are vampires. They prey on, and draw their life from, the human spirit.” ― CHARLES J. CHAPUT, Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living, 2021; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘I hate and despise your feast-days’ — This and the three following verses are the same in sense with Isaiah 1:11-16, and the other texts referred to in the margin, on which the reader is desired to consult the notes. They all show of how little signification the external rites of religion are, unless they be accompanied with living faith in, and sincere love to God, and a universal obedience to his will; or without holiness of heart and life. ‘Take away from me the noise of thy songs’ —The Psalms and Hymns sung with vocal and instrumental music, the usual accompaniments of sacrifices among the Jews and heathen. As the worshippers at Beth-el imitated the temple worship in other particulars, (see Amos 4:4,) so it is likely they did in this part of the public worship: (see Amos 8:3).

The Prophet calls their songs a ‘NOISE,’ like that of an untuneful voice, because their melody, not proceeding from a True Principle of Religion, was not grateful to God. There are great authority and majesty in this passage, Amos 5:21-24; and the grandeur of the image in the following words, with which it closes, must strike every reader. ‘But let JUDGMENT run down as waters’ —Rather, let Justice have its free course, so that the meanest persons may feel the benefit of it; and let your benignity be great and universal to your fellow-creatures.” ― JOSEPH BENSON, Notes on the Holy Bible, 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

1. TEACHING

“‘Americans no longer talk to each other, they ENTERTAIN each other.’ They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.” ― NEIL POSTMAN, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, 1985; edited

THREE AMERICAN SINS. In my close review, analysis and writing of the catastrophic Decline of the White Evangelical Church in America over the last ten years of so, I see now our Three Greatest Transgressions during that time, and before. They are now unmistakable and joined closely to feed one another toward the Deconstruction not only of Christian Orthodoxy, but also of the American Constitutional Order more broadly.

As the late CHARLES COLSON stated it in his book, God and Government (2007): “When the Church gives up its rightful place as the Conscience of the Culture, the Consequences for Society can be horrific.”

1. “SPECTACLE.” “‘A SHOW.’ Something exhibited to view; usually, something presented to view as extraordinary, or something that is beheld as unusual and worthy of special notice. Thus, we call things exhibited for Amusement, Public Spectacles, as the combats of gladiators in ancient Rome. We are made a Spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men.” – Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828; edited

• “APATHY.” The core sin of Chorazin and Bethsaida was UNREPENTANCE—specifically, failing to change their hearts and turn to God despite witnessing many of Jesus Christ’s Miracles and hearing His teachings firsthand. These communities received an incredible privilege. Jesus spent a large portion of His ministry there, healing the sick, teaching, and performing mighty works. Because Chorazin and Bethsaida squandered a great Spiritual Light, Jesus warned that their Judgment would be more severe and less tolerable than that of Tyre and Sidon.” – AI Overview, ret. Sep. 27, 2026; edited

• “BA’ALISM.” “‘Jeremiah excoriates the Judahites for sacrificing babies to Baʿal at the Tophet, in a valley near Jerusalem.’ Archaeological excavations throughout Carthage uncovered the remains of thousands of babies offered to Baʿal and his consort Tanit, together with dedicatory inscriptions, referring to the offering as a MOLOCH, the very term the Bible uses to prohibit ‘Child Sacrifice.’ Deuteronomy FORBIDS: ‘When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. Here shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer.” – DR. DANIEL VAINSTUB, “Molech: The Sacrifice of Babies,” The Torah, 2024; edited

ICE BABIES. “stela Garcia and 2-year-old Eber repeat their routine every morning: Around 8 a.m., he rustles her awake in the bed they share. She picks him up, changes his diaper, and pulls out a fresh set of tiny clothes. While Estela dresses him, Eber coos, ‘Mama, Mama.’ She smiles and strokes his cheeks, trying to hide her sadness at his confusion. Estela is 50 and has three sons, but Eber is not one of them. She’s been caring for him because ICE deported his parents to Venezuela, despite his mother’s pleas to be reunited first …

A police officer pulled over [2-year-old] Eber’s mother, Marlyn, last November and, without accusing her of an infraction, turned her over to ICE, despite her work permit and pending asylum application. Eber, who had just finished breastfeeding, and his 7-year-old brother, Isaac, had nowhere to go. Marlyn’s 23-year-old cousin took the boys briefly. Then two of Marlyn’s friends—both undocumented—agreed to take one child each. Eber was moved into a rusty trailer with no heat; the woman watching him put socks on his hands to keep him warm. He was sick, but she was too scared of ICE to take him to a doctor. Isaac’s caregiver worked nights. Sometimes he made it to school; sometimes he didn’t …

President Trump’s rush to deport as many immigrants as possible is creating a new Family-Separation Crisis. Whereas his First Administration took children from their parents at the border to deter illegal crossings, the Second is separating families living in the United States as part of a ‘PURGE.’ Like last time, Trump officials claim that this is untrue. But stories like Eber’s are not hard to find, as I learned this year while reporting on immigration enforcement in Alabama, California, Illinois, Missouri, and Texas. ‘As of April, the Brookings Institution put the total number of affected children at about 205,000—71 percent of whom are U.S. citizens’ …

During a video call with Marlyn in August, [Eber] sat on a couch next to Estela, picking Lucky Charms out of a bowl. For 10 long minutes, Estela cajoled him to say hello or blow his mom a kiss. He only glanced at the camera and didn’t seem to recognize Marlyn’s face or voice. When I speak with Marlyn by phone now, her speech is slow and soft, almost zombie-like. She says she can’t sleep. Venezuelan officials said that they would add her name to a list of parents who need their children back from the U.S., but they have not given her a timeline for Eber’s return. She calls them every day, but they tell her to keep waiting. She stays in touch with mothers she met in detention, and they update one another on trying to get their children back.

So far, Isaac is the only success story among them. Meanwhile, Marlyn didn’t see Eber’s first steps or hear his first words. He was so fragile the last time they were together. Now he’s much bigger, with a mischievous smile that she’s never seen in person. He launches himself into bear hugs that she’s never felt. Even if he makes it to Venezuela, they’ll never regain the time they lost. ‘I’ve missed everything,’ she said.” – CAITLIN DICKERSON, (Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Writing, 2023), “The Babies Left Behind in America,” The Atlantic, Sep. 28, 2026; edited  

CHRIST, CHILDREN, & SEVERITY.  “But whoever causes ONE of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” – MATTHEW 18:6, AMPC

1. BLINDNESS

“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we Papa?” “Yes. We are.” “And nothing bad is going to happen to us.” “That’s right.” “Because we’re carrying the fire.” “Yes. Because we’re carrying the fire.”– COMAC MCCARTHY, The Road, 2006; edited

Research Note. The Road (2006) is a Post-Apocalyptic novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy. The book details the grueling journey of a father and his young son over a period of several months across a landscape blasted by an unspecified Cataclysm that has destroyed industrial civilization and almost all life. The novel was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 2006.

DK’S OPEN. ‘During the last TEN YEARS, the Lord has rolled out like thunder the many Signs of His Return, to the astonishing Indifference of nearly the entirety of the White Evangelical and Charismatic Church.’ It is mind-rending, beloved. God’s Presence is everywhere these days, but the Church refuses to recognize Him.

As a staggering consequence, the Church not only cannot see the root-deep Evil and Destructive Force that President Trump’s Christian Nationalist Movement has brought to the Nation, but the majority of White Evangelicals actually support Him!

The insightful reviews of Atlantic Magazine contributor PETER WEHNER go a long way toward pinning down the reckless, godless Christian Rationale for climbing into political bed with Trump.

“Jerry Falwell Jr. [my former boss while at Liberty University, 2006-2016], then the president of Liberty University, put it this way in a 2018 tweet: ‘Conservatives & Christians need to stop electing ‘nice guys.’ They might make great Christian leaders, but the US needs street fighters like Donald Trump at every level of government b/c the Liberal Fascist Dems are playing for keeps & many Republican leaders are a bunch of wimps!’” (“The Evangelicals Who See Trump’s Viciousness as a Virtue,” Feb. 6, 2026; edited).

JESUS’ LAST WORD. “I know your works [Laodiceans], that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are LUKEWARM [‘chliaros’ (χλιαρὸς)-‘tepid, useless, indifferent’] and neither cold nor hot, I will VOMIT [‘emeó’(ἐμέσαι)-‘violent physical expulsion for compromise’] you out of My mouth.

Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are WRETCHED, MISERABLE, POOR, BLIND, and NAKED— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” – JESUS OF NAZARETH, Revelation 3:15-18, NKJV

LOST FIRE. “‘The Shifting Cultural and Social Landscape of 2026 highlights a profound Inflection Point [Radical Change] for American Christianity, revealing a critical need to move past comfortable cultural compliance and rediscover the demanding, TRANSFORMATIVE FIRE of Biblical Virtue and Moral Courage.’

“Over the last several decades, large segments of the American Church have drifted toward a ‘THERAPEUTIC MORAL DEISM’ or aligned too closely with Political Ideologies, often trading Prophetic Witness for Cultural Acceptance or Secular Power. ‘To remain a vital, Life-Giving Force in 2026, American Christianity must intentionally Reclaim its Foundational Calling to Holiness, Counter-Cultural Ethics, and fearless Truth-Telling.’

In recent years, the concept of VIRTUE within American Christianity has frequently been replaced by a superficial demand for ‘Niceness’ or a narrow focus on ‘Partisan Talking Points.’ True Biblical Virtue, however, is a rigorous cultivation of CHARACTER rooted in the Fruits of the Spirit—Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.’

Rediscovering Virtue in 2026 means Rejecting the Hyper-Individualism and Consumerism that saturate modern society. It requires congregations to move away from treating Faith as a Self-Help Tool or a Lifestyle Accessory and instead return to deep Spiritual Formation. ‘This involves PRIORITIZING Structural Integrity, Financial Transparency, Sexual Ethics, and a Radical Commitment to Serving the Marginalized.’ When the Church models a distinct, highly disciplined way of life characterized by ‘Humility and Self-Sacrificial Love,’ its Message regains the Moral Authority required to speak to a fragmented world.

COURAGE in the Modern Era is often misunderstood as loud, hostile internet activism or defensive political posturing. Genuine Christian Courage is profoundly different: It is the quiet, unyielding willingness to SPEAK TRUTH to Power and STAND FIRM in orthodoxy, regardless of the social or economic cost.” – Adapted from an AI Overview, ret. Sep. 29, 2026; edited

Thus am I strongly pressed to remind of the words of JOHN ADAMS here: “Our Constitution was made only for a Moral and Religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – To the Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts, October 11, 1798; edited

1. LAST THOUGHTS

“Now this [expression], ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the REMOVAL AND FINAL TRANSFORMATION of all those things which can be shaken—that is, of that which has been created—so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for our God is [indeed] a CONSUMING FIRE.” – HEBREWS 12:27-29, AMP

For those who have sensed a ‘LOSS OF FIRE’ in this tumultuous hour, this nearly indisputably Final Hour of Church History, we need to know ‘HOW to Get back’ to God and His Fire. To do that, we turn to the work of RYAN RUFUS, though I augment it with my own and other work (“How to Get on Fire for God,” New Nature Ministries, Jan. 28, 2019; edited).

Now all of this presupposes that you have by now asked God to “Baptize you with Fire.” Just in case you were not taught to ask for Him for that blessing just in case you did not receive His Gift before (cf. Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:8; Luke 11:9-13).

1. RADICAL SURRENDER.  ‘Shift from a Self-Centered Life to a Christ-Centered Life.’ Give up your personal plans, comfort, and routines to follow His will, no matter where it will take you, or whether it leads to natural life or a natural death. No holding back nor any conditions.

• GOD’S WORD.  ‘Read and study the Bible every day.’ Treat Scripture like Supernatural Fuel that sparks and sustains your spiritual hunger for a deep desire for the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, so help you God!

• CONSISTENT PRAYER. ‘Turn Off Distractions!’ Or in other words, discard all that will inhibit your access to God, useless habits and wordly things or activities that replace Him. Rather, spend quiet time alone with God. Pray in the Spirit and if led, use Fasting as a furnace to refine your faith.

• RIGHT COMPANY. ‘Fellowship with Fired-Up Believers.’ Spiritual Fire is contagious and spreads through community. Surround yourself with Passionate Christians so iron can sharpen iron. And always remember: The Company we keep can literally determine our Spiritual Destiny – For better or for worse (1 Corinthians 15:22).

• OBEY PROMPTS. ‘Act quickly when God nudges you, because delayed obedience quenches the Spirit.’ Remove “fire extinguishers” like unforgiveness, sin, or heavy distractions from your life. Hearing these Prompts becomes much easier in direct proportion to spending time with God in the steps enumerated before.

BOTTOM LINE. “Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life.” – REVELATION 2:10, AMP

The Word of the Living Christ, the All Consuming Fire, to His Remnant Church of the Last Days.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/XmQHjC-t-eE