Dear Editor
THE President and his Cabinet, the business community, the newspapers, the electronic media and the general populace are all gushing excitedly over the discovery of oil offshore Guyana and rightly so. The expected wealth and prosperity almost befuddle the mind.
Many are already making magnanimous proposals and predictions for its distribution among the poor, which I find to be very interesting.

However, history sadly proves that gold and oil busts are usually attended not only by their obvious prosperity, but also by other events and circumstances that are at times unexpected and more often than not, are either played down or ignored altogether as a necessary evil. Exciting discoveries usually attract people of the worse sort: prostitutes, pimps, the Mafia and a host of opportunities, all seeing a piece of the pie.

Let the Church of Jesus Christ in this nation take cognisance of the tide that is rising. 1 Chronicles 12:32 informs us that “,..the children of Issachar…were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” Moses, the man of God in Deuteronomy 6:10 – 11 informed the people of Israel about the great prosperity they would enjoy in the land of Canaan, then issued them this grave warning in verse 12, “Then beware, lest thou forget the Lord…”

Let the Church of Guyana take heed to the words of the prophet Joel in Joel 2:15-27 “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the alter, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them, wherefore should they say among the people, ‘Where is their God?”

Let the people of God arise!

Let us discern the times! Let us arise from slumber! Trim the wicks, let the lamps burn brightly! Let us proclaim the salvation of our God! “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering, and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:11-14.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all.

Regards
Michael S. Seabra