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What is The Kingdom View?

The Kingdom View is a weekly column dedicated to addressing national and community issues affecting the Church as well as topical issues that are relevant to the Church at large in the Bahamas. This week, I begin with Part 1 of a message that will be shared in four parts over the next four weeks in The Tribune newspaper's Religious Section, published on Thursdays. You can however read it now in its entirety right here in this Forum on Bahamas Issues. This is a message that speaks to the Church of Jesus Christ at large in the Bahamas and it shares a cry and burden that God has given to me to call our Nation (beginning with the church) to true repentance, out of which we will experience true revival.

The Grid of the Message

A few weeks ago, I received a word from the Lord that as a Nation we have been walking on thin ice for a long time and we need to repent. It was a Jonah kind of word; very short, very clear, but very sure. I sensed that God further spoke to my heart as he did to Jonah to call our nation to repentance. Naturally, God's people, the Church, must lead the way in prayer and the deep repentance that is needed on a National scale. Accordingly, my message is directed to the Church. When we in the Church turn to God in prayer and deep repentance, we will experience true revival. In the process, I am forced to challenge the false cry that "Revival Is Here!"

Out of my burden and passion, I do point the finger. However, for more than a year God has been dealing with my own heart, which I now realize was in preparation for this specific season. Therefore, I have done my best to allow my words to be directed by the Holy Spirit and consistent with Christ and the way of His Kingdom. Accordingly, I pray that you will see and sense a Holy Spirit directed finger being pointed, and not a natural one; the finger of a man who deeply loves the Church that Jesus died for and his Nation, the Bahamas. Further, please know that my intent is for ALL of us (myself included) to experience Godly sorrow that brings lasting repentance, and true revival. Even those among us who in good conscience before God continue to live holy lives need to identify with our National sins and repent. Nehemiah and Daniel are examples for us to follow. When these two righteous men saw the condition of their nation, they fell on their faces and said WE have sinned, WE and our forefathers. So let us, like them, honestly repent for any personal sins and identify with and repent from all National sins.

In all that I will share I have no desire to bring anyone's forgiven sins up or to cause anyone to come under false guilt and condemnation. That is not my intent because if it is forgiven it is under Christ's shed blood, and there is no present or future condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. However, I do desire that my words will serve as a catalyst of the Holy Spirit to bring genuine conviction where we need to see sin for what it is, call it sin and repent from it. Unlike condemnation that pushes us away from God, Holy Spirit directed conviction will pull us to Him. May the content of this message pull us ALL to Him in fresh ways. Pause in a word of prayer to the Lord and ask for the sensitivity and witness of His Spirit as you read on.

The Cry For Revival

Sometime during the first week of November 2002, I received an e-mail entitled "Revival Is Here!" and it went on to give "breaking news" about a revival that hit the Bahamas and is going all around the world. Naturally, I became excited because I had recently started (again) to pray for National revival. I read on to see if there would be some mention of "the Sign Posts" of revival but did not see any. Well, the e-mail turned out to be a hoax or at best a strong desire. I shook my head.

On November 14th, I heard a radio ad again announcing "Revival Is Here!" and that there was going to be a revival motorcade that weekend, I believe leaving from the Sports Centre and driving through the streets of New Providence. Again, I sadly shook my head. A little later that same day, I drove past a building used for church meetings and I saw a big lettered banner: "Revival Is Here!" Once again, I sadly shook my head. I am still shaking my head.

Why am I shaking my head so much? Is it because I'm nervous? Far from it. I shake my head because I can't help but consider the sad state of the Church and our Nation in contrast to the empty cry, "Revival Is Here!" I can list the woeful crime details and statistics, divorce statistics (which overall is the same in the Church as outside), the social and economic injustices towards the poor, the imbedded immorality and moral decay, materialism and greed (even in the Church and in the lives of some of those who lead Churches) etc. It only gets worse so I'll stop here.

The Current State of Affairs

The current state of affairs in homes, churches and our nation show clear and dramatic signs that we are more under a curse than in a revival. Sounds dramatic? It might, but it is true. Just read the front page of this week's newspapers. Yet there are those crying "Revival Is Here!" like the little boy who cried "wolf!" Friends, I would hate to see God's judgement if this is revival. Perhaps those who are crying "Revival Is Here!" desire to see it so badly that they are trying to create one. To some extent, I understand. You see, I too desire to see revival, but I want the genuine, one that will be birthed out of prayer, fasting and deep National repentance.

This nation has never experienced a revival, even though it has been prophesied by many over the years and is desired by God for us. However, it will not come by radio ads, sending out e-mails, printing banners and having motorcades. Before you think that I am against revival, please know that I believe that prophetic words are hanging over this nation for revival and I wholeheartedly embrace them. But I also know that it will take "blue collar" fasting and praying: sweaty, teary, even snotty and slobbering cries of repentance on our faces before God. Friends we must ALL get on our faces before God like Nehemiah and Daniel and say, "WE and our forefathers have sinned." We have a lot of National repentance to do because some types of immorality, materialism and a propensity to gain through illicit means seem to be somehow imbedded in us as a Nation, even though there is a Godly remnant, the prophetic 7,000 others, who still live counter culture.


Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Commentary and feedback may be directed to him via e-mail to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.

When we think about the early and modern history of these islands it is easy to follow a thread of illicit activities through to today; piracy and buccaneering, human exploitation and slavery, shipwrecking, rum running, banking laws and practices that in the past (it is accepted by many) too easily accommodated proceeds of crime, drug trafficking, and human smuggling. While writing this message on Saturday morning, November 16th, The Tribune for that day was passed to me. The two headline stories referred to two Bahamians murdered near Daytona Beach, Florida (drug involvement not alleged nor ruled out) and a $35 million drug bust in which two Bahamian brothers from Freeport were arrested. This reinforced my conviction that we ALL need to deeply repent of ALL illicit activities on a National scale, even though many of us are not and have not been involved. We need to hate drug and illicit money as much as we hate the illicit activities. We need to say to all and sundry that it is sinful and unacceptable to benefiting financially from illegal and illicit activities. If we do not hate it we need to ask God to give us hearts to hate it and to grieve about it.

What about our general National commitment to marital fidelity and sexual purity? What about this commitment in the church? Sadly, "sweethearting" and married men in particular having children with women other than their wives is almost as cultural as eating conch salad. Unfortunately, even those who belong to Christ (even some in Church leadership) have far too often been guilty of this practice. Speaking about holy living, the Apostle Paul when addressing the Ephesian Church on this issue said that among God's people there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. (Ephesians 5:3) In our small country, we have glaring examples of former and present public figures (religious and political) who have produced children from adulterous liaisons. I do not raise these "closet" issues to condemn anyone (I don't have that right, and the Lord knows my heart and motivation), especially those who have accepted responsibility for and repented of their sins. However, many have not repented and they still parade about as if it is business as usual. Does this grieve you as a Christian? It should. Friends, our hearts must grieve about this culturally imbedded practice and we must ALL repent and say it is not acceptable, especially in the Church! It needs to bother us. Church leaders, we must lead the way in repenting from ALL forms of immoral practices and walk in holiness. In this way, we will break their hold in the Church and then from over our Nation.

While the "Revival Is Here!" motorcade is driving thorough the streets, many Bahamians will be in their homes and in movie theatres being entertained by movies and programming that glorify the sins that are ravaging our Nation. And I have no doubt that many in the domestic audience (videos/DVDs, TV, Dish satellite and Cable) and in the commercial viewing audience (local cinemas) will be born again followers of Jesus Christ whose hearts are being made numb to sin by being entertained by it through Hollywood. For example, take a look at the content of some of the movies playing now (weekend of November 16, 2002) in our local cinemas taken directly from parental reviews on Screenit.com. For a fuller description of the specific content of these and other movies for domestic and commercial viewing, log on to www.screenit.com. Some of this is graphic but I pray that it serves to motivate you to repentance if you as a Christian are being entertained by sinful movies and programming and to cause us to fall on our faces before God in deep repentance.

While Screenit.com reviews movie contents in 15 categories, I have chosen to only refer to 4 of these categories: Alcohol/Drugs, Profanity, Sex/Nudity and Violence. The possible ratings in each category are none, moderate, heavy and extreme.

The following are Rated "C" (meaning only those at least 18 years or who just look at least 18 years, because there is no mandatory ID system):

"8 Mile" “ Alcohol/Drug: heavy (13 references), Profanity: heavy, (at least 200 "f" words), Sex/Nudity: extreme (Screenit.com shows 17 descriptions of sex/nudity scenes and dialogue), Violence: heavy (9 references).

"The Ring" : Alcohol/Drug: mild (3 references), Profanity: heavy, Sex/Nudity: moderate, Violence: heavy.

"Half Past Dead": Alcohol/Drug: none, Profanity: moderate, Sex/Nudity: moderate, Violence: extreme.

The following are Rated "T" (meaning only those at least 15 years or who just look at least 15 years, because there is no mandatory ID system).

This is what the Films and Control Board is approving for our teen children to watch and may of us who are Christians allow them to, knowingly and unknowingly.

"I-Spy": Alcohol/Drug: mild, Profanity: heavy (at least 51 "s" words and 41 "a" words), Sex/Nudity: moderate, Violence: extreme.

"Brown Sugar": Alcohol/Drug: heavy, Profanity: heavy (at least 1 "f" word, 13 "s" words, and 3 slang terms for sex), Sex/Nudity: heavy (13 descriptions of sex/nudity scenes and dialogue), Violence: minor.

The following are Rated "B" (meaning ANYONE at ANY AGE can see it if accompanied by someone at least 18 years or who just looks at least 18 years, because, again, there is no mandatory ID system):

Even babies in the carrier are allowed. Consider the type of content that our very young children can and in many cases do watch.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding: [/B]Alcohol/Drug[/B]: heavy, Profanity: mild (at least 4 "a" words and one slang term for breasts), Sex/Nudity: moderate (11 descriptions of sex/nudity scenes and dialogue), Violence: minor.

Harry Potter: Alcohol/Drug: none, Profanity: minor, Sex/Nudity: none, Violence: heavy.

I wonder how many Christian parents objected to Harry Potter which, apart from making sorcery and witchcraft seem harmless, is decent enough to show during Sunday School, and permissively or ignorantly allowed their children to watch movies like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Now you are probably wondering why I took the time to point out the contents of these movies. Is it to place blame on the Films Control Board? No, but I do want parents to be aware that they cannot trust the morality barometer of the Films Control Board. Am I advocating censorship? Yes, but NOT government censorship. I am advocating personal and parental censorship by those of us who are called by Christ's name. We should make the wise and responsible choice to refuse to watch movies and programming (videos/DVDs, TV, Cable or cinema movies) that entertain us with sinful practices being acted out. As the Church we will only grieve and repent about sin when we cease to sit and be entertained by it on television and movie screens. Let those who do not know Christ watch, but let us fall on our faces before God and intercede for them to come to the Light and knowledge of the Truth, who is our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Let us on behalf of our families echo Joshua's stand that we and our families will serve the Lord.

This, friends, is the state of our moral fibre. Is there any kind of national remorse or repentance for these activities? Are we as the Church grieved and burdened enough to fast and pray and ask God for healing and true revival? No, because our national eyes have been blinded by sinful pleasure and materialism. We are at ease in Zion. But God is beginning to wash our eyes with eye salve and we are seeing clearly. Friends, National repentance is the only proper response to this cleansing of our eyes. Therefore, let us begin to hate sin and all illicit, immoral activities the way we hate armed robberies, murder, rape etc. Let's hate it enough to fast and pray and be the catalyst for true revival.

Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Commentary and feedback may be directed to him via e-mail to: apostle@kingdom-life.org

Consider our Nation's dark years of racial discrimination and economic oppression by the minority whites against the majority blacks. Repentance is still needed because the passage of time has not and will not deal with it. Why is it that white Bahamians in our nation will not openly entertain the thought of leading this country in the highest office of Prime Minister? And why is it that black Bahamians generally (not all) across ALL political lines still strongly object to idea of a white Bahamian leading this country in the highest office of Prime Minister, without even knowing his or her qualifications for the job? Here is my answer to both questions: because white Bahamians generally are still under the guilt of the years of racial discrimination and oppression (by direct involvement or by links to their forefathers) that has not been repented of and black Bahamians generally (those directly affected or by links to their forefathers) have still not forgiven the acts of whites. Pretending that these things did not happen and that this dark chapter of our history will just go away is certainly comfortable, but things will remain as they are; we will continue to be a nation that is racially divided.

We desperately need racial reconciliation in this nation but it will only come when the perpetrators of years of discrimination and oppression and the victims, and the sons and daughters of both come together and repent and forgive one another. Then qualified white Bahamians who sense a call to the high office of Prime Minister will gladly offer themselves and black Bahamians will not reject them even before they open their mouths just because of their skin colour. How will this happen? It just takes some sincere whites and blacks to start, and the Biblical pattern is that it always begins in the House of God, the Church.

Oppression of the Poor and Dispossessed

Our present system of taxation is unfair and oppressive to the poor and, therefore, is opposed by God. God defends the cause of the poor and dispossessed. While I understand that many of us in the Church are not aware that our taxation system is unfair, when we do we need to lift up our voices and cry out for justice. Any system of taxation where there are widespread user taxes (import duties and Value Added Tax (VAT) is unfair to the poor because of their low income as opposed to the rich because of their high income. This is because you are only taxed on goods and services you use.

Even with FTAA looming, the clearest position we have heard from this and the former government is that there will be NO income tax, but everything else about FTAA is hazy. Why is this? Clearly, it is because with income tax the rich will pay more taxes and the rich also hold political power so they will not increase taxes on themselves. Under the current import tax system, the poor pay the highest burden taxes and the rich the lowest. Under the VAT system being proposed the same will continue. Under the VAT proposal, the import taxes will simply be moved from the port to the cash registers. This is not just and God is not pleased. He hates unbalanced scales. Yet the poor do not know that they have a higher tax burden than the rich. Therefore those of us who do must lift our voice to God and to those in authority and cry out against injustice, especially those of us in the Church.

The fairest system of taxation (which is Biblically founded) is a flat tax on income and realized gains, where everyone pays the same percentage. An exemption should be given to low income persons at a level that is determined based on a poverty baseline. In this case, for example, the cost of housing and living would directly decrease for the poor because they would pay no or little taxes and those who are above the poverty income level will pay more according to their income but the same percentage for all.

There will be tens of thousands of Christians like myself who would end up paying more taxes under a fairer system of a flat tax on income and realized gains. However, let us not allow selfishness to cause us to turn a blind eye to our current system that is against the poor among us. So my friends, I cry out now and in prayer against this economic injustice because it is the foundation and fountain head of many of our socio-economic injustices. Further I cry out because God is not pleased with our oppression of the poor. I invite you to join me in repentance and crying out to God for a tax system that is fair to all.

Friends, please understand that this is not a treatise on taxation. It merely is a cry for us as a Nation to move away from a taxation system that is unjust towards the poor and for the embracing of one that is equally fair to all, both rich and poor. We in the Church who are supposed to be the defender of the poor and dispossessed need to start by at least acknowledging that our current system is unjust towards the poor and begin to repent. The questions and uncertainty about a flat tax system should not prevent us from acknowledging that our current system favours the rich against the poor. That it does cannot be refuted.

Friends, all of these are deep-seated issues. Therefore, they will not be dealt with by driving around in motorcades in air-conditioned cars but instead by stilling ourselves on our faces before God so that our hearts will be grieved by the things that grieve His. They will not be dealt with by attending a $25.00 per person "prayer breakfast" in a hotel but instead by getting in our "prayer closets" and fasting and praying. These are "blue collar" deeply rooted National sins and we need "blue collar" prayer and fasting to root them up. If we do not repent about them, our children will have to and our generation will not see true revival in this Nation. The generation that has the wisdom and courage to nationally repent will see the revival that we all long for.

Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Commentary and feedback may be directed to him via e-mail to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.

In the Saturday, November 9, 2002 edition of the Tribune, I read the following in a section that I always enjoy reading, "Why You Vex?":

"Churches are spreading like the 99 cent breakfast. No respect, these people will set up pulpit in the back of ya yard if they could. One I saw the other day on Bernard Road was goin' on under a tent and I saw a portable toilet in front of the tent. Please Christian Council control this spread 'cause despite the many churches that are poppin' up out of the ground, crime is still rampant."

M. Coakley, 32, a mad Christian.

I share Mr. Coakley's evaluation; while new churches pop up almost weekly crime is still rampant. Jesus used two very strong metaphors to refer to the Church's witness in the world. He called us salt and light. While, I have no doubt that we can find some examples of individuals and even some Churches functioning as salt and light, I believe that the fairest assessment of the Church in the Bahamas over all is that we do not presently function as salt or light. I reluctantly and regretfully make this concession. Yet it is accurate and honest. We have become largely irrelevant or to use the words of Jesus, we have lost our saltiness. Friends, I believe that part of the divine plan for us to return to relevance is to first turn to God in repentance.

Since the Christian Council claims to represent Christian Churches in the Bahamas, the responsibility (not the blame) for the current state of affairs rests at its feet. The Council itself has been and continues to be ineffective in leading the cause of Christ and His Kingdom in our nation. Its leaders have remain muzzled at times when it was necessary to speak and stand for Biblical righteousness and holiness for reasons which I believe are clear to most of us. The unnecessary open and brazen political alignment of past and present leaders of the Council has rendered them ineffective to objectively represent the Church, even if just from the appearance of things. Many Church leaders are a law unto themselves. Serious allegations of sexual immorality and financial and other abuses are left for time to deal with; they are simply not addressed. There is no process to address them. I am not advocating that the Council seeks to be a judicial body over churches, but I do believe that we need more accountability in Churches. Something can and needs to be done.

Church leaders, we too need to repent. The Apostle Paul warns about leaders who see the ministry as a means to financial gain (1st Timothy 6:3-5). Far too often among us this has been demonstrated. There needs to be deep repentance for the evident greed for financial gain and "buying and selling" in Christ's Church (give an offering and I will bless and pray for you), a modern form of indulgences. Martin Luther protested against this system of buying and selling and many of us who are Protestants are building again what he broke down. As leaders we need to repent of the wrong leadership paradigms that cause us to want everyone to serve us. Jesus taught the opposite. He said that the greatest will serve most. Many leaders are abandoning the ministry offices that Christ sovereignty chose to call them to (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist and Pastor & Teacher) for the man made office of bishop (which is a glorified alternative name for an elder) for no other reason than the fact that in practice that office is wrongly served and put on a pedestal. We must repent and return to Biblical servant leadership. As leaders of Christ's Church we must remember that we do not live to ourselves, we are stewards who are accountable to Christ and to one another.

Fellow leaders and Church members, let's repent and turn back to God. Unless we do, our desire for true revival will not only remain a desire but will also make us case studies in hypocrisy.

Ishmael & Isaac Revivals

The revival being announced is like Ishmael; it is running ahead of Isaac, the true promise (Genesis chapters 16 and 21). Like Ishmael of old, this false revival must and will be cast aside to make room for the Isaac revival that God promised and that the Remnant is looking for and praying for. If I sound lathered up about all this, I am and here is why. Like in the case of the boy who cried wolf, when no revival comes, those who run after this false revival might be discouraged and cynical when the true revival comes because they are tired. Also, as long as we hold on to an Ishmael Revival the Isaac Revival cannot come (Galatians 4:28-31). Because Abraham did not trust God to give him a promised son, he produced one in his own strength. In so doing, he lost 14 good years of his life bonding with a false son who eventually had to be cast out. Let us not do the same with revival.

Revival Sign Posts

And finally, are there "Sign Posts" that point to revival? There are many. Scripture and Church history are full of them. I believe the first Sign Post is repentance and fervent, travailing prayer. The word travail comes from the French word for work. It means to fully engage in prayer, not just mouthing some academic prayers read from a piece of paper. And it begins with leaders. Look at Joel's prophetic word directed to those who lead and shepherd God’s people:

Joel 2:17-18
Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'' Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. NIV

When we who lead God's people fall on our faces in true repentance, then God's people will repent and pray. I believe like some have prophesied that God wants a revival to flow from these islands of the sea. However, we need to understand the process. The river of revival flows first from individuals to families, from families to churches and from churches to the nation and then from the nation to the whole world. The catalyst for revival, which is repentance flows the exact same way; it flows from individuals to families, from families to churches, from churches to the nation and from the nation to the world. We see this prophetic pattern in Ezekiel 47. Utopia? No, but we will see crime fall significantly, social & economic justice and care for the poor with Churches leading the way, homes and marriages healed with divorces and separation declining, the moral fibre of the Church and nation repaired, and general improvement in national life. And one other thing: we will see the Sign Post of a united body of Christ, all proclaiming "Revival Is Here!" simultaneously - because it truly is. Not united in the sense that we agree on every detail of faith and practice. Not united in the sense that we refuse to rebuke each other and correct error just for the show of plastic unity. But Christ's Body will be united in the true sense that we are all on our faces before God in true revival that will go beyond the Church and touch a hurting Nation.

We do not need more church services. Actually, we need less. Revival is not about more church services that stay in for several hours. This might happen but revival is more than "plenty long church services." Although revival will come from the Church, we must remember that it is ultimately really for the world. If it does not affect the world, its validity should and must be questioned.

So friends, WHEN revival comes, trust me we will not need to send out e-mails, buy radio time, put up banners and have motorcades. Everyone will know "Revival Is Here!" That's just the way revival is. So do not be like the gullible town who ran after the little boy every time he cried wolf. Let us instead run and lay on our faces before the Lord, survey again Christ's Wondrous Cross and find new and fresh passion for holiness and glorifying Him in all that we do. Let us wake up and smell the coffee of the reality of the state of affairs in the Church and our nation! And let us truly repent from our wicked ways and ask God for true revival clouds with rain in them!

The Division of Labour

To this point I have focused primarily on what we, as the Church must do. Yet there is a division of labour in revival just as there was when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus went to Lazarus' tomb and although he had the supernatural power and authority to speak to the stone and cast it into the see or simply dissolve it, he told the people to move it. They moved the stone with their natural power. Jesus then used His supernatural power and commanded Lazarus to come forth. Jesus divided the labour between Himself and the people. We see a similar division of labour in 2nd Chronicles 7:14, God's prescription for revival. Our part of the labour is this: humbling ourselves, praying, and turning from our wicked ways. God's part is this: hearing from heaven, forgiving our sins and healing our land. Friends, true revival will come no other way so let's take the prescription.

An Opportunity To Respond

Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that your hearts have been affected by what you have read enough to take action as directed by the Lord. The Lord has mandated me lead a national repentance initiative beginning with men and women who have a burden to see the Church and our Nation turn around and who will individually and corporately deeply repent on behalf of the Church and our Nation and engage in the "blue collar" praying that is needed.

If your heart has moved you and you wish to find out more information, please call us at 393-8262.

Thanks for taking the time to read this message and investing in Christ's Church in the Bahamas, and our beloved Nation. Together, let us believe God that, in our generation, we will experience a truly revived and reformed Church and Nation.

Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Commentary and feedback may be directed to him via e-mail to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.