The Tribune

By MINISTER KEITH EVANS

Did God send Hurricane Dorian which nearly wiped out Grand Bahama and Abaco? Was God responsible in any way for the casualties that are piling up, and is He guilty of the atrocities perpetrated in Abaco and Grand Bahama?

I, too, am a survivor of Dorian here in Grand Bahama and have friends who were missing, but who have now been found, thank God! I've lived through Floyd, Frances, Jeanne and Matthew. I can tell you none, unequivocally and without a shadow of a doubt, were like Dorian. First, let me give my heartfelt condolences to the many that lost loved ones and family during this horrific period.

It is obvious that there are many disheartened, disconcerted and hurting people. So many needs to be addressed following the emotional roller coaster they endured. And there are so many insinuations being made as to the culprit being God, who many on social media are recklessly accusing of sending hurricane Dorian to the Northern Bahamas to wreak utter destruction. Their careless indictment shows a lack of true knowledge of Scripture and has thus caused an already volatile situation to be used to paint God as a murderer.

Job 1:12: "And the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person."So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord."

The narrative here is an example of human suffering at the hands of the Accuser of the brethren, Satan. Job, a righteous man, lived in Uz and enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle under the providence of God. However, we see that there came a time of testing and trial orchestrated by Satan, permitted by God. We see the atrocities perpetrated by Satan on Job in the form of the loss of his wealth, servants, children, and ultimately, his health. Behind the scenes was a maniacal devil doing his misdeeds to kill this brother.

This is my belief as to what has gone wrong with the Bahamas: We were once a strong Christian nation walking wholeheartedly according to God's word. I've written on numerous occasions about our need to return to the discarded values of the Bible. The LGBT community, atheism, unrighteous living, immorality, murders, witchcraft, and a plethora of evils have opened the door wide open for Satan to exploit us. God in His sovereignty permitted Dorian, which means "Child of the Sea", to wreak havoc in Abaco and Grand Bahama because of our unconfessed sins and lawlessness. Hence, the innocent suffers with the guilty on all levels. Did God send Dorian? No! Did He permit it? Yes! Why did He? Sin is to blame! A door was opened, and the prince with the power of the air (atmosphere), who is Satan, walked right in to kill, steal and destroy lives and properties (John 10:10).

The nation of Israel is a quintessential example of God's theocratic governance in regard to the law, and His dealings with them are based on the Pentateuch. If Israel walked according to the Torah in obedience, all went well. However, if there was a breach then judgement fell, and fell heavily. (Deuteronomy 28). And as for my friends in Nassau, pray for us here in Grand Bahama and Abaco. Don't feel a sense of entitlement or privilege because you weren't hit with Dorian. Nassau is in the same position as Grand Bahama and Abaco, but the grace of God spared you. Thank God! Keep in mind that God punished Samaria of the northern kingdom of Israel first, which was the second city, before He punished Jerusalem of the southern Kingdom of Judah, which was the capital.

In other words, repent before judgement falls. And I pray that it doesn't fall. We need to come to grips with what is going on and make it right before a holy God. Our land is infested with a disease called sin. Adultery is treated like nothing; we gloat about it and use the euphemism "to sweetheart". Drugs and illegal activities are prevalent in our society. Fornication and shacking up is so normal that we have pastors knowingly installing people who are living such lives in the ministry. In Nassau, murders take place almost every day and the blood of our young men continues to be mercilessly spilled by ruthless killers. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

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