A powerful message from Bishop Wesley Dear of Covenant Life Teaching Centre as he spoke directly to members of the Democratic Labour Party to celebrate the Party’s 61st anniversary.

 

During a sermon which saw some overlap between Biblical reference to Judges 7 and present day reality, Bishop stressed that it was through Gideon’s innovative mind and willingness to try something different that he became the champion which God used to win the battle against the opposition.

“God will fight for you and win for you regardless of how many are against you… You know how powerful you are; how successful you are based on what happens in your opposition. If you [are] doing nothing and you don’t look like you will keep winning, the opposition will keep quiet… you don’t have to worry about the opposition when God is on your side.”

 

Dear, while speaking to the party faithful in attendance at his Green Hill church, led by Prime Minister the Right Honourable Freundel Stuart, opined that the party must endeavour to be more aggressive in its response to the Opposition Barbados Labour Party. “Sometimes you sit back and let the Opposition go on and on and on. I think sometimes you need to hit back,” he said.

 

Referring to the challenges that faced Gideon, Bishop Dear suggested that it was divine strategy that conquered the enemy. “Because of divine strategy the opposition got nervous and confused. You can tell when the opposition gets nervous and confused because they start destroying one another.”

He said while it is easy to forget the Lord while times are good, Barbadians must not forget the travails which were seen during times of hardship. “For the Lord has been the people’s guide. As the people we must continue to believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, for if God is before us, who can be against us?”

 

While drawing reference to Gideon, he pointed to the new methods he devised for his farming when faced with an environment which is unresponsive. “We can learn from Gideon. Government can learn from Gideon. There are times when things don’t look too bright for our future but we have the capacity in God to reinvent ourselves, reengineer ourselves… do things differently which will give us the same or better result.”

 

“God gravitates where things are happening that is why He doesn’t like lazy people. So we have to keep on thinking, doing things differently, keep on looking for new ways to do the things that we are accustomed to doing.” 

 

He told the congregation which included Members of Parliament and other specially invited guests that God has a plan for the DLP which had humble beginnings 61 years ago.

 

“We have seen all the good [that] the Lord has done to use the organisation to change your minds, and to transform and to develop this nation; to be a nation that everybody in the world wants to come and be a part [of],” he said. (JH)