The Tribune

By MINISTER KEITH EVANS

“I was sought by those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by my name. I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good. According to their own thoughts; a people who provoke me to anger continually to my face; who sacrifice in gardens, and burn incense on altars of brick: who sit among the graves, and spend the night in the tombs.” – Isaiah 65:1-4.

This here, my Bahamian people, is a prophetic piece of literature speaking to the Bahamas. Of course, it’s original recipient was the nation of Israel thousands of years ago. But for today those words are directed towards the Bahamas.

The word of God comes to us from the prophetic book of Isaiah, the prince of the prophets. I believe that the Bahamas is God’s treasure, and that we’ve been strategically positioned here to be a witness to the world, and a beacon of light for a dark world. But we’ve backslidden on God. We have reverted to a lifestyle of sin and immorality that is repugnant and distasteful to a holy God.

Witchcraft is rampart in our nation. When someone is jealous of or angry at you, they’ll go to the Obeah man to do a proverbial “fix” on you. Unfortunately, this has become a culture within a culture – people planting stuff in your yard that we have so many literally losing their minds, and walking the streets counting poles and picking up grains of sand.

And the murders that are piling up in Nassau! Very disheartening and disconcerting for those of us that hold dear the sanctity of life. The killings have to stop! The Church must be assertive and aggressive in spreading the word of God. God has been beckoning us to come clean and to repent. We have a plethora of churches throughout the Bahamas, as we are culturally a Christian society. There are radio programmes, concerts, revivals and conferences, just to name a few of the vehicles that God has employed through His people to reach the nation with His word to repent.

We have become so nonchalant and desensitised towards the gritty preaching of the prophets and apostles, which has exposed the true nature of the Bahamas: religiosity! There is no true substance to our cachet as a Christian nation. Homosexuality, violent crimes, witchcraft, robberies, rape, incest and bigotry are becoming a accepted norm here in this country. We are far from God, and I dare you to challenge my disposition.

Our fight should be against the devil who has blinded the minds of our young men and women and led them to a life of sin and wickedness. Our civil and religious leaders are calling for a day of prayer with fasting. But I hear God saying that we must hold a day of true repentance for our sins for the nation, just like the Ninevites did when Jonah preached to them.

And as we seek here in the Northern Bahamas to pick up the broken pieces to mend ourselves both spiritually and physically, which will be a long process, please pray for us. Hebrews 2:3: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and confirmed to us by them that heard him.”

I’ll leave you with that, my Bahamas. I love you and want you to come to Jesus.

• For questions and comments, e-mail keithevans242@gmail.com or kenazevans242@gmail.com.