Bishop makes a call for change

by Leslie-Anna Joseph 25.JAN.08

Bishop Ishmael Charles, a Vincentian residing in Tortola, was the dynamic speaker at the five nights of crusade held at the New Grounds Primary School grounds in North Union from January 14th to 18th.{{more}}

The crusade, hosted by the pastors of the churches in the area, saw persons in attendance getting five nights of “straight talk”.

Bishop Charles, in one of his sermons, was very passionate when he spoke of the unsaved. He said they are to be befriended, loved and appreciated. Drunkards, homosexuals, smokers were born that way because they were born into sin like all of us. He, therefore, cautioned Christians to be careful in their approach and reminded them that they should encourage and share the gospel with the unsaved, but they cannot change or save them, only God alone can do that, he said.



The Bishop reminded men that God created men and he also created women, each for a specific purpose. The men he created to “give” and the women to “receive”. All of a sudden, the Bishop exclaimed, men want to be “receivers”, and some have become “receivers”. This is bad news he said, but it can change.

Transformation, liberation, freedom, renewing of the mind, a whole new revolution of lives took place, hearts encouraged, burdens lifted, spirits healed when the Bishop declared very ardently that when folks talk about you, put you down, say you’d always be poor, remember him and where God has brought him from: “a poverty stricken boy from Lowmans Windward, who now travels all over the world”, successful, because of the sufficient grace of God.

Bishop Charles said that today’s youths, preachers, teachers, husbands, saved and unsaved, struggle with pornography. This is bad news he said, but this, too, can change. “The power is in you to change, but one has to want the change, accept the change and move on with the change”. A mess can be turned into a message. Sharing his favourite quotation, he encouraged believers and unsaved persons that “Your present position is not an indication of your future potential in God”.