The Tribune

By MINISTER KEITH EVANS

With all the social and economic dilemmas that are going on in the Bahamas it's imperative to consider a clarion call.

We profess to be a Christian nation, but our actions emphatically suggest otherwise. A robust population of over 390,000 and our country is bombarded with a infestation of crimes. Churches continue to sugar-coat the word of God to pacify their members who are living in habitual sin.

God is calling the Bahamas to reform, from the top of the pecking order to the prisoners at the corrections centre in New Providence. Too much blood is being spilled. God gave us this land and we must fight for it. I'm not talking about our ongoing conundrum with the illegal immigrants that flood our shores seeking a better life. I am not referring to the political climate within our nation that seems tenuous at times. I am talking about the spiritual quagmire that is utterly unacceptable for a nation that supposedly follows Christ.

Let me drop this right here, 2 Timothy 2:19: "Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are His. And, let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

This admonishment was and still is for the Christians. Not the world, but the church. Nehemiah 4:14, "Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

This is some heavyweight stuff here. Fighting time, my Bahamian people! The Devil has been bamboozling us far too long and we been drinking his Kool-Aid too long. What is going on now seems so surreal and we need to wake up. Our young men act like cogs in the hands of the Devil with all this nonsense happening on our streets. My God have mercy!

I believe we have about 5,000 registered churches in the Bahamas, but we still have a sin problem and a moral problem. Have we become like the church of Laodicea? I'm being brutally honest with this question. Think about it, let it sink in. Churches full on Sunday, but we have (since 1976) 60 per cent of Bahamians born out of wedlock.

I'm not trying to be cynical, but as a preacher I have to tell it like the Lord Jesus told me. We must repent! The Church at Laodicea reminds me eerily of the churches in the Bahamas. We have a form of godliness, but deny the power of God, which by the way is His grace. We have made a disgrace out of God's grace!

God is standing at the door of the Bahamas, and we, collectively, need to let Him in. You cannot placate the Holy One of Israel with formalities and rituals; we cannot absolve our transgressions with the beautiful sanctuaries. God is looking at our attitude towards Him and it is repugnant!

It seems like we have taken in a dose of dummy antibiotics call placebos. Religiosity is killing us, Bahamas! We need to hearken to the voice of God, and to comply with true biblical Christianity, and not man-made traditions.

We're not in a position to salivate over our position with God at all. The nation is averaging over 100 homicides annually. Crime and other social ills are still a major concern. Repentance is a must, Church! The world won't turn to Jesus unless we get our act together and return to God.

• For prayers message Minister Keith Evans at my keithevans242@gmail.com or kenazevans242@gmail.com, or visit the Facebook page Keith Evans or Wakeupeverybody242 on Instagram and Twitter. Mr Evans is the host of the 'Wake Up Everybody' show.