For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. – 2 Tim 4:3
Earlier this week, the thoroughly discredited, self-appointed bishop, Neil Ellis claimed that God had come to him with a warning for the Bahamian people. Except for the naive fools who ran to his church to listen, most Bahamians dismissed the impish charlaton.
Now, in a letter to the Freeport News, disgraced and disbarred lawyer Ortland Bodie claims God has also spoken to him personally with a message for the Bahamian people.
Mr Bodie talks about rogue political messiahs, but shouldn’t there also be a warning about rogue religious messiahs?
Below is the text of Mr Bodie’s foolish act of, what many would call, blasphemy.
Rogue political messiahs, tin gods and bamboo politicians
It is well-written in Psalms 110:4 that “The Lord has sworn and will not repent. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Throughout recorded history there have been times when Yahweh spoke to the chosen individual or nation through his prophets and priests.
It is, I submit, no different today and he has revealed a message to me to pass on to Bahamians.
There are some who will scoff and howl, but the message must be delivered. 2012 will usher in tremendous political, economic and cultural changes in The Bahamas.
No man can stop them. The window and door of opportunity will be opened.
As they open, however, there will emerge a number of ‘rogue political messiahs, tin gods and bamboo politicians’ who will seek to capitalize on the long denied but much anticipated ‘changes’ which Bahamians have desired.
‘Rogue’ because they really don’t care about you or I and are merely posturing.
‘Messiahs’ because they come as sheep but are wolves of the highest order.
‘Tin gods’ because they sound ‘good’ but are like brass and iron. Indeed, they are akin to ‘bamboo’, politically speaking.
Over the past several years we have all witnessed the spectacle of politicians and their selected cronies promising heaven on earth.
By the same token, many of them strut around and pontificate as if they have descended from Mount Olympus.
In the fast approaching electoral season, the average Bahamian must use discernment and wisdom when supporting or voting for a particular individual or party.
If we are to secure our future and that of Bahamians yet unborn, the choice is clear.
Do we continue to travel down that same old road which leads to sudden death and destruction or do we look over the giants, and there are many, and focus on the ‘promised land’?
I am not talking about some pie in the sky wish or nebulous utopian game. I speak to concrete and meaningful potential goals for us as individuals and as a united people.
All of this bogus and divisive talk about political tribalism may well have a place within the collective conscience of the country, but where have we traveled as a result?
I do not subscribe to mere debates and platitudes by the various so-called political leaders.
The Lord has ordained plans for us but there are so few of us who are prepared or capable of seeing – much less accepting those plans.
We ‘welcome’ in excess of four million tourists to our shores each year.
Our per capita income, while it declined somewhat in 2011, is still the third highest in the western hemisphere. Our marine and agricultural resources have yet to be tapped.
Our financial services and banking industries have been in free fall and cruise control from the time of the untimely death of the late visionary Sir Stafford Lofthouse Sands.
We have a cadre of intellectuals who are prepared to think outside of the proverbial box, but our politicians have deliberately stifled and marginalized them either because they don’t wear a certain colored shirt, or because they are ‘bound to swear to the dogmas’ of no master.
The Lord has great plans to prosper this nation but we have to get back to the ancient landmarks, seek his face and repent. No, dear friends, I am not talking or suggesting that we should wear sack-cloth and immerse ourselves in ashes, but simply to ‘do the right thing.’
And so friend, Bahamians and countrymen, within a matter of months, if not weeks, we will have a singular opportunity to look at the promised land of milk and honey. Just how many of us will cross over lies within our grasp. The lazy, the visionless, the trepid, the politically dysfunctional and, certainly, those who adhere to mammon and Baal will be left behind. To God then, in all of these insipid things, be the glory.
Ortland H. Bodie Jr.
