Repent! The kingdom of God is near, here. Repent, repair and do justice. Biblical repentance requires restitution.
Repent America! If you don't change your ways, you cannot enter God's kingdom of justice.
Repent America! Though America likes to think of itself as a Christian nation, with unrepented of genocide, slavery and segregation, America does not meet the biblical standards for entrance into the kingdom of God.
Repent America! Do justice or face judgment. Love and justice are action words, not just theological concepts.
Worship without justice is dead (Amos 5:21-24).
Faith without works of love and justice is dead (James 2:14-26).
Grace without works of love and justice is dead (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Love without works of justice is dead (I John 3:1-10).
Spirituality with works of justice is dead (Isaiah 58---The Message, and the Sermon on the Mount).
From the Poverty and Justice Bible (CEV), Insert, page 21, "Sabbath"
"Leviticus is often viewed as a book full of obscure rules and ritual, yet it contains one of the most astonshing pieces of social legislation in history: the Sabbath years and the Jubilee. Every seven years, the land had a Sabbath, 'time off', allowing it to recover. During this year slaves were to be freed (Exodus 21:2) and debts were to be cancelled (Deut. 15:1-11)."
"And every fiftieth year there was a Jubilee, . . . where the entire social structure of Israel was to be reset. Every Israelite became, once again, a free citizen. Everyone could wipe the slate clean and start again, and, significantly, the year began on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 25:9)---the day of national repentance and reconciliation. So, fresh starts spiritually and physically [socially]---a whole life view."
The New Testament kingdom of God should model the Old Testament Sabbath Year and Jubilee principles---justice for the poor. Matthew 6:33: "Give your highest priority to God's kingdom and his justice, but first you must repent of your evil ethnocentric and oppressive ways.
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