Jonathan Cahn: A Prophetic Sermon for the Heart of America | Praise on TBN

It is time to live unhindered, uncompromised, unbound, and bold, fully ignited with the power of the Living God. It is time to rise and return, for we are no longer the light of the day; we are now the candle of the night, shining against the darkness and illuminating the world with our radiance. On the Day of Return, God’s people are called to reclaim that same power, that same calling, that same anointing, and that same glory—to once again light up the world. Father, I pray that You speak, that in my weakness, You are strong, and Your will prevails in the name of Yeshua, Jesus, the Lord of all. Amen.

Two and a half thousand years ago, the prophet Jeremiah stood by the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem’s walls. In his hand, he held a potter’s jar, a symbolic vessel representing Israel, a nation formed and molded by God for His purpose. Yet Israel had turned away from that purpose and was on the verge of destruction.

Four hundred years ago, another nation was born, shaped and molded for the Creator’s will. On a merchant ship crossing the Atlantic, the Mayflower, settlers embarked on a journey to the New World. Upon reaching Cape Cod in November of that year, they forged the Mayflower Compact, a covenant establishing this new civilization with the declared purpose of glorifying God and advancing the faith.

Less than ten years later, another ship, the Arbella, crossed the Atlantic, carrying Puritan leader John Winthrop, who envisioned this new nation as a “city on a hill.” Winthrop prophesied that if America followed God’s ways, He would bless it, making it the most prosperous, secure, and powerful of civilizations. The blessings of ancient Israel would fall upon it.

In its early years, America strived to honor Winthrop’s vision, becoming a beacon of freedom, human dignity, and conscience, defending against tyranny and offering refuge to the oppressed. America stood against the dark forces threatening global peace, and throughout the 20th century, it rose to be admired, envied, and emulated by the world. The eyes of all nations looked upon the “city on a hill,” hoping for freedom and opportunity.

Yet Winthrop’s vision also came with a warning: if America turned from God, the judgments that befell Israel would also fall upon it. Like ancient Israel, America’s drift away from God began subtly, then more openly, and eventually turned into outright opposition. God was driven out—from hearts, government, education, public spaces, and culture. In His place, other “gods” were exalted: material wealth, comfort, desire, sensuality, and self-worship.

As Israel once did, America began to overturn God’s commandments, redefine truth, and embrace what was once condemned. They celebrated what was once shameful, profaned the sacred, and made holy the profane. The sanctity of life was desecrated, with children—the most innocent—sacrificed on the altars of these new gods. Their blood, like in ancient Israel, cried out for justice, drawing forth judgment.

Just as Jeremiah stood over the Valley of Hinnom to pronounce judgment on a wayward nation, we must now ask: has America, too, fallen?