Author: Noel Williams

Welcome to my new blog–Jamaican Gazette. My name is Noel Williams. I am a former Law Enforcement Officer and hobbyist food photographer. I use this blog to report trending news in Jamaica. My main focus are: Politics, culture, crime, Dancehall and Reggae.

What if Jesus returned today? Would He receive you?

The Resurrection from Grünewald's Isenheim Alt...

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Moments before the resurrected Christ was taken up to heaven, He had promised His disciples that “. . . I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2,3.  KJV).

This promise holds true today. It is the bedrock on which all Christians build their hope in Jesus Christ. We have all,  at one point or another, testified and song about this great promise. Many of us cannot wait to see the day when it is fulfilled.

But what if Christ returned today? 

  • Would He receive you unto Himself?
  • Would He said . . . I never knew you; depart from?

I grapple with those questions regularly–almost daily. Yet, I cannot say with any degree of certainty that Christ would receive me unto Himself– if He returned today. Can you? . . . I still have wrinkles that I need to straighten out and I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way. The Christian life is serious business. It requires surrendering all to Jesus. And to surrender all means learning to conquer self and keep under my body, and bring it into subjection to the Word of God.

Getting to heaven is harder than most people think. The standard is very high but it is attainable. Ephesians 5:27, clearly states the standard by which we will be judged. Christ is returning for a glorious church, [believers] not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Simply put, sin cannot enter heaven.

God is Keeping score of  our deeds. He knows our secrets. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7 KJV).  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive [recompensed for] the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV).

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22,23)

Coping without electricity

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It has been seven days since I updated my blog and I feel like a fish out of water.

I haven’t had power since last Saturday-when a surprise noreaster hit Connecticut with heavy wet snow, which brought down power lines and knocked out power and cable all over the state.

Thank God, I still have hot water and a fireplace.

Restoration is in high gear, according to Connecticut Light and Power, and the Governor, but if you ask me, seven days is much too long for my comfort.

Flip-Flopper Romney Can’t Close Sale On Conservatives

Mitt Romney in 2007 in Washington, DC at the V...

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It is no secret that Republicans in the country cannot wait to see Obama go, but they are doubtful that Mitt Romney is the guy to make that happen. Over the past decade Mitt has branded himself as a who continually changes his views (flip-flopper) and that, among his many other faults does not sit well with conservatives.

The presumed GOP nominee/presidential candidate is polling behind freshman, Mr. 999, Herman Cain. This of course, is shocking, and seems unreal by many, including the Romney camp. But if I were Mitt Romney, I would be worried because the evidence indicates that–even if he were to win the nomination he may have trouble energizing the all-important Tea Party/independent vote that will play a substantial role in the 2012 Presidential race.

Romney’s problem is best described as his inability to attract and convince real conservatives that he is a worthy candidate for them to galvanize their support behind. He should do well among Northeast conservatives. However, as far as most conservatives around the country are concerned, Mitt Romney is no different that Obama. Hence is difficulty in winning them over.

Make no mistake, the central reason for Mitt Romney’s problems among conservatives is: They accurately perceive that he is not one of them, and having properly recognized this, they become justifiably annoyed at his insistence that he is conservative. While he’s not about to join McCain in calling the Tea Party ‘Hobbits,’ the truth is that there’s no love in the Romney camp for either the Tea Party segment, or the staunchly conservative base of the party. Part of this grows from the fact that he won’t sign on to various Tea Party pledges, but his more enduring problem is that he simply isn’t a conservative and he has too. too many opinions on too many important issues affecting voters.

Walk the Walk and Talk The Talk

As I navigate through my Christian journey. I realize that it is not enough for me to only talk about my faith in God, and the goodness of Jesus Christ. But my actions and behaviour  should be  loaded with Christ like characteristics. I should thrive to be a worthy representative of Jesus Christ. And make sure that the life I live as a Christian, is in sync with the words I speak…Therefore, I should walk the walk and talk the talk.

To do otherwise would mean I have become sounding brass and clanging cymbal. I must practice what I preach, so I can be an example to others.

The Kingdom of God, was the central theme of  Jesus’ ministry but Love was the prominent message. Therefore, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am required to display love. In Mark 12 :31 Jesus commanded His disciples to love their neighbor as themselves.

The apostle Paul, writing to the church in Corinth states: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away” (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).

So as I and others continue our journey in faith, we should :”Be . . . followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour” (Ephesians 5:1,2). We should thrive to: ” . . .Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves” (James 1:22).

Give your trials and temptations to Jesus

Trials And Temptations

Everyone goes through hard times (Trials and Temptations). It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes our prayers help us to avoid them. Sometimes not. It’s the attitude we have when we go through them that matters the most. if we are filled with anger and bitterness, or insist on complaining and blaming God, things tend to turn out badly. But if we go through them with thankfulness and praise to God, He promises to bring good things despite of them.

In the book of (James 1:2-6 NIV), He says: 2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Believe it or not, when we serve God, His love attends every moment of our lives. He is always there in our midst, working things out for good–when we pray and look to Him to do so. “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). His purpose for our trials is often to bring us humbly before Him, to cleanse us of our unrighteous, and to draw us closer to Him.